The Perfect Girlfriend - Blackhill

Chapter 1 - Prologue

She was nervous.

She was a decorated marine, a soldier, an agent. She was the Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., for Thor's sake. But there she was, outside Pepper's office, nervous to knock on her door.

And she wasn't nervous about what she was there to ask, she was uneasy because of the reason she was asking, and the fact that once she got what she was there to ask for, there was no backing off from it all.

She sighed deeply, then knocked.

"Come in, Maria."

Of course, Pepper's assistant had announced her.

She opened the door, seeing Tony Stark sitting across from Pepper, in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. On the right, in a small couch, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were sitting like it was a cozy Saturday instead of the office of the most important CEO of the world.

"I can come back later if you're busy."

"We were actually just chatting. There seems to be no way of bringing everyone back together for the time being."

"I'm sorry to hear that" Maria said, more towards Natasha and Clint than Pepper.

"What did you want to tell me?" Pepper encouraged her.

Maria sighed again. "I wanted to ask you for a five days leave."

Stark faked a gasp and sat upright. "Maria Hill takes vacations?"

Maria rolled her eyes and sighed again.

"Trust me I'd much rather work. But my sister is getting married."

"Want to sit down?" Natasha gestured to the place on the couch next to her and as soon as Maria sat down she turned towards her. "I thought your sister was already married" she pointed out.

"Wait, you have a sister?" Tony was more and more surprised.

"I have two sisters and a brother. One is forty and has two kids and one is thirty-four and getting married. And it's bad enough that I'm thirty-two and attending her wedding single, but my parents are nagging me so badly lately, since I've stopped working for S.H.I.E.L.D. they have been harassing me non-stop to get me to settle down with, and I quote, 'someone decent, Maria, don't be too picky'."

"High expectations, I see" Pepper laughed lightly.

"I just wish they'd stop for ten minutes sending me pictures of possible dates they want to set me up with for the wedding. It's awful."

"When do you need your leave?"

"In two weeks, if that's okay. Please say it's not, it's too short notice and I must stay" she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Pepper snorted. "You deserve a break, Maria. Go and have fun!"

Maria rolled her eyes and sighed again. Pepper was in deep thought for a moment and then she tapped her hand on her desk like she had a brilliant idea on the spot.

"Take Tony!"

Maria laughed out loud. "Okay, first thing, there is absolutely no chance in hell that I'll take this man" she pointed to Stark, "to my sister's wedding. He breaks havoc wherever he goes, plus I can't stand him."

"Oh, Hill please. You love me" he scoffed.

"Second thing, you and him are on every cover of every magazine. Someone might know something's up" she said, shrugging.

"Then take Barton. Nobody knows he's married" Pepper proposed.

"I don't think Laura would be thrilled" she laughed again. "Plus I can't take him."