interlude "meanwhile, back at the ranch"...
Pepper had had to 'spin doctor' a lot of scandalous or controversial events as Tony's PA. Promotion hadn't changed that much, though SI's PR department was usually very good at handling some of it without her direct involvement.
However, news stories speculating about him being in a polyamorous relationship, or having an illegitimate child, among other even more outlandish theories? Not so minor.
She'd had to field phone calls from the media as well as the Stark BOD all afternoon. Without having a way to strategize with Tony and Bruce as to how they wanted to address the public, she had to default to 'no comment at this time' responses. She was not about to try to contact him while he was on a combat mission for this.
A soft tap on her doorframe alerted her to Dick's arrival.
He smiled, and set a mug on the desk. "Little bird told me you hadn't taken a break since noontime."
The smells of hot coffee and banana muffins made her stomach growl. She blushed furiously.
"Tweet tweet," she admitted.
* * *
Steve watched the news incredulously. They'd been hidden away in a dingy little safehouse since Fury 'rescued' them. He was starting to wonder if they'd escaped the frying pan by diving into a roaring fire. Fury had told them to stay out of sight. He'd been unsympathetic, even openly contemptuous of Steve's concerns regarding Tony and his … boyfriend, or whatever they were. He had gone to the Tower 'to clean up your mess', and returned with a face like a thunderstorm.
Steve had found the doors and windows locked, and he didn't have a key to open them, nor did Natasha.
They'd have to make contingency plans for yet another jailbreak soon, it seemed, if Fury wouldn't be reasonable.
But the latest media stories distracted him completely.
A...a threesome? Or...that girl looked barely old enough to be of age! of all the disgusting...
No. His opinion of Stark might be low, just now, but he didn't for a second think that Tony would hurt or... mistreat a child. Steve's gut told him that.
He studied the photo displayed on the screen, noticing abruptly the girl's eye color, and the man's...Wayne. Bruce Wayne.
A child? Tony's daughter?
He turned to the laptop that Fury had given them, to see if he could find any more information on Wayne or on her. Had Tony only just learned he had a daughter himself?
That would explain his acting out, and his dealings with Wayne. If he were being blackmailed or something along those lines...and it would also explain why he'd never said anything to his own teammates, his family.
Well. Steve could be forgiving. He'd find them, and they'd get this straightened out somehow.