1963-12-25 - Wiggling Away from the Wasp
Summary: Pepper, in desperation, finds one last hit of Vigor in her coat pocket. She uses it to command her way out of Janet's worried care. Guilt ensues.
Related: Whisked Away By Wasp
Theme Song: "My Other Voice" by Sparks - https://youtu.be/gGpIrTXLT58
wasp pepper 


Three mornings after the Wasp's supposed kidnapping of Pepper Potts, and Pepper has grown to total desperation. She spent the first day completely ill — chills, fever, puking everything she tried to keep down, and just begging to be given a little bit of the Vigor because it's easier that way. The second day was mainly sleeping, though still being sick now and then. She's still not kept any food down and seems a hint delirious now and then. She begged for her coat once more, because she was so cold she was planning on wearing it over whatever bed clothes Janet had given her.

The third morning, however, there was no desperate whimpering or begging. Deep in the recesses of the pocket of her coat, she found her miracle. One little pill. Pepper would have liked to have kept it for slightly better timing, when Janet was definitely in the room, but her own desperation won out. She took it about twenty minutes ago and is finally breathing easier. The shaking has stopped. She looks pale and thin for not having eaten, but far more herself as she sits calmly in the room, waiting.

*

Janet proved rather strict when it came to looking after Pepper, no matter that she inadvertently offended her on their first meeting. Janet knew of the dangerous of the press getting a hold of a drugged out Virginia Potts and she wasn't going to let it happen. But one mistake she did do, was eventually obliging Pepper her coat, even though she gave her a nice warm pajamas. It was just a little thing, and if it was going to make Pepper better, it was worth it.

Shortly after Pepper found and took her last pill, Janet walks in with a tray of tea and some biscuits, "hey, Pepper, how are you feeling? Any better?" She asks, glad to see Pepper up and out of bed for a change. She really was in a sorry state.

*

A quiet smile crosses Pepper's lips, expression calm, no longer begging. It might be a hint that something has gone very wrong or, perhaps, she's just gotten through withdrawal. Maybe three days is all it takes? But compared to the wreck she was last night, this is a complete turn around. The redhead sits up just a bit straigher, the expression on her voice slightly apologetic, almost nervous, but trying to stay calm, "Good morning, Janet… I… I'm fine now." She states simply. That is an honest answer, if a strange one.

Pep takes in another, slower breath, and then stands. She squares her shoulders off enough to look somewhat business like as she looks towards the woman's eyes. "Janet… this has all been very… Very kind of you, but I think we need to talk." And there it is, that cloying power behind her voice. 'We need to talk' suddenly plants, very strongly, int he back of the other woman's mind that that is EXACTLY what they need to be doing.

*

"Fine…now?" Janet repeats the words, finding them a bit odd, "do you mean you're fully recovered? You don't need anymore of that Vigor to get by?" Janet looks quite suspicious as she puts aside the tea tray, and walks up to Pepper.

Looking skeptical, Janet was about to tell Pepper that rather than talk, Pepper needs to stay over and rest at least another day. Unfortunately, something in Pepper's words is so captivating, ringing in the back of her mind, that Janet finds herself simply nodding along with Pepper's suggestion, "okay…I guess we do need to talk."

*

Pepper is quite good at business, and this was just another business negotiation, really. At least, when she has herself more put together. She studies Janet's eyes, almost able to see the moment where that power behind her voice takes over and Janet's own thoughts are superceded. It hurt, there's now a trace of guilt across her own face, but she had to do it. For her own sanity and for the company she worked for. They needed her. So, Pepper exhales quietly and nods over to the little sitting area for both of them to sit down, "Let's sit…get comfortable." Even the idle, polite conversation things seem to have more command behind them.

"Janet…I know you did this out of…concern for me. I know you are trying to help. But… you have to understand I… I can't stay here. I need to go back to work. I need to go home. I….I will be fine. I'll manage this on my own. Truly… But you have to let me go. Please…"

*

"Okay," Janet murmrs at Pepper's offer to sit and get comfortable. It was an odd feeling for Janet, who often was quite opinionated and only did what she wanted to do. Now it seemed like Pepper had very reasonable ideas, that Janet found herself agreeing with far too readily. Still, there was no reason to think anything was amiss. Pepper must simply be very persuasive.

As she sits down besides Pepper on the bed, Janet looks into Pepper's eyes intently. "I think it's dangerous…" Janet voices her thoughts, though she doesn't seem steadfast in insisting on them, as she merely sighs bitterly instead. "I understand, I know you have to work…but…" she stalls, the words to disagree with Pepper don't seem to find their way out of her mouth. She tries again, and with some hesitation, she eventually relents with, "well…if you must go, won't you at least promise to come back here and rest after? I'm worried about you."

*

As they both sit on the bed together, side by side like old best friends at some sleepover, Pepper exhales quietly. Her fingertips come over, resting on Janet's knee and giving a tender bit of a squeeze. She's trying to be as gentle and reassuring as possible as she does things which are going to weigh guilty on her soul for months. But she had to get out of there. "Janet… You have been… a better friend to me than even my friends. Even after what I…did. How I acted… I owe you so much and I hope you believe me when I say… thank you. That I do owe you. I'll repay this, I promise… you really are a friend." Which made all this worse, taking advantage of the woman's mind.

"But work needs me, and I need to live my life. I'll be fine. I…I don't think I can come back. Not until his is all over. You…you'll understand, in time. But let me get dressed and go. Please? I need to go. Now. Soon." Pepper repeatedly tries to enforce that suggestion, in case Janet's incredibly strong will fights back. She is determined to go free. One more squeeze to Janet's knee and she stands up. She's moving to quickly get dressed.

*

Pepper has Janet at a great disadvantage when Janet hasn't an inkling that something else is in play, she sits there, she listens to Pepper and she tries to reason with herself. Somehow she feels like she wants to accept what Pepper is saying, all of her concerns are somehow washed away even as she finds some flaws in the logic. Or rather, that there is none. She saw Pepper seeking pills through broken glass on the pavement, she should know better than to assume 3 days will clear it all up.

And yet, as she feels that reassuring squeeze on her knee, hears how confident Pepper sounds, she just accepts it. "Fine, but I will check up on you…ok? Just to see there are no slip ups…you have no idea how devastative something like this could be. It could be worse then you simply getting fired, Pepper. I'll let you get dressed," Janet sulks, feeling unsure even as she leaves the room and lets Pepper prepare to leave.

*

The redhead still has no clue how long her 'powers' last. How quickly people's mind's change. But she isn't going to risk it lasting that long. She pauses as Janet stands and then abruptly leans over, trying to tug the woman into a brief hug. "You are a better friend that I deserve, Janet… And, I'm sorry. I know you don't understand now, but I'm sorry." She murmurs, heart-deep honest. She then moves quickly to the bathroom.

Less than five minutes she's in the clothes that she came here, in her shoes, everything else. A nervous smile, not even certain if she'll see Janet again, but she calls one more time, "I need to go now. I… I am sorry, but you have to let me go…" And then Pepper is double timing to the door and out. She will order herself a car from one of the staff, using her voice sparingly but strong when she needs. She'll ride the way of what powers she has left to get her back home as fast as possible and on to securing her sanity with more doses of the drug.

*

Knowing she has to let Pepper go, Janet doesn't try to stop her, instead she goes about returning the tea tray back to the kitchen. At least she'll have some of it herself, she does ponder what else she could do to help Pepper or make sure that she's fine. But right now, regardless of what she comes up with, she just needs to let her go.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License