Valen: A Collector's Item

Welcome Home

"Matt, it's so nice to see you again. Thank you for your quick assistance." Pepper said professionally as she approached the blind man escorting Valen.

"Of course. Please let me know if you ever need it again. I will, however, keep up with this case to make sure they don't try to pin this on her."

Valen ignored the conversation and studied the woman before her. She was beautiful, tall, and put together. Her clothes screamed polished even with the protruding belly. Her hair was slick back in a perfect ponytail. Not a single fly away in sight. She wondered why she was even here and who she was to Tony if she came instead of him.

The conversation must have ended because both of them were looking at Valen waiting for an answer.

"What?" She asked coming back to her senses.

"Ms. Pepper asked if you were ready to leave. She's going to take you home." Matt clarified.

Pepper. That name sounded familiar to Valen, but she couldn't quite place it anywhere. "Where's Tony? I don't know you."

Instead of being offended by Valen's bluntness, she laughed. "Tony has told me a lot about you. You're everything he has described. I'm Virginia Potts, but everyone calls me Pepper. It's nice to finally put a face to Tony's daughter."

"How do you know him?"

"I was his personal assistant, but now I am the CEO of Stark Industries."

Valen scanned her body starting from her head down. Her eyes stopped on Pepper's left hand with a ring on a specific finger. "That's a nice rock you've got there. I'm surprised you're not walking hunched over to the side."

Pepper seemed a little bit embarrassed by Valen's comment and put her right hand over the left to cover it. "Thank you. The car is right outside. Happy is waiting for us." She said to change the subject.

Valen placed a protective hand over her pants pocket before stepping outside to see Tony's personal driver waiting just where Pepper said he'd be. He tilted his head in greeting while holding open the back seat door for her.

Just like the last time she had been in this car, she scooted to the furthest corner spot she could get to. The whole ride was awkward. Neither of the two women knew what to say to each other, so instead, they sat in silence.

When they arrived, Valen was the last one out of the car. She stared up at the house she had been to only once before for her birthday. She had a range of emotions and couldn't decide which to feel first. Happy, excited, nervous, sad. She had plenty to say, but it all changed when Tony stepped outside. She smiled wide ready to hug her father, but he approached Pepper first and kissed her. That's when something tugged on Valen's gut and she started to become angry.

His face reciprocated hers when his look fell upon her. Nostrils flared, eyes narrowed, lips frowned. Pepper placed a loving hand on his shoulder and whispered something Valen could not hear into his ear. Whatever it was did not seem to help.

"What are you doing here?" He asked angrily.

Valen scuffed. "What am I doing here? Not 'oh Valen, I've missed you. It's been too long?' Seriously?"

"You are supposed to be in ..." Tony stopped himself before revealing her past location. "You are supposed to be away."

"Yeah, well I'm not. I've come home. Or should I say to a pile of ash you never bothered to tell me about?" She crossed her arms over her chest.