Cold Enemies, Warm Romances

Chapter Nine - WB039

Written by WritersBlock039. Enjoy, all! And yes, I know, it's long. However, drama bomb at the end, and haters of Rick . . . well, you'll like this chapter. :)

Also, dedicated to marvelously_crazed for her awesome work for the cover on the side! :)

I'm gonna stop babbling. Enjoy the chapter!

***

Jessie folded her arms as she and Clint walked down the halls of Stark Tower, she trying desperately not to burst into tears like she did before. However, the thought that Alex had learned his lesson was cheering her up. "I never did say that was a nice shot," she murmured.

Clint chuckled. "Considering he looked pissed off enough to kill you, I think I had an excuse."

"Still, thanks."

Clint shrugged. "You're welcome."

They emerged in the kitchen, where Tony and Pepper were having a conversation about something. Natasha was in the corner, looking through a manila folder. Jessie coughed lightly, and all three of them looked up immediately. Tony was instantly up from his chair. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Jessie assured him. "Thanks to Clint."

"I thought there was only the one elevator," Pepper wondered.

Jessie held out her hand, and frowning, Pepper went to shake her hand, and Jessie phased it right through her. Pepper gasped in surprise, and Jessie smirked. "I can do that through walls, too. Or the ceiling."

The doors to the elevator opened up, and Saleen and Bruce stepped out, Saleen looking like she'd been crying. Jessie ran over to her, worried. "What happened?" she asked Bruce.

"I've been worried about you!" Saleen replied, sounding a little choked up. "Had it not been for Clint, who knows if Rick or any of the football team could have had you again!"

"That wouldn't have happened," Jessie assured her, giving her a hug. "Besides, then you would've had a reason to kill them."

Saleen glared at her. "This isn't a joking matter! For all we know, Alex could still come back!"

"That definitely won't happen," Clint brought up.

Saleen glared at him. "How do you know that?"

Clint's gaze swung to her. "I shot him," he replied, his voice tense.

Pepper shrieked and dropped the coffee cup from Starbucks she was holding, and coffee splattered all over the ground. Natasha snapped her folder closed and looked Clint in disbelief. "You what?" both of them asked at the same time.

"I shot him," Clint repeated. "In the shoulder. It's not going to kill him, but it gave him a fair warning to back the hell off of Jessie."

Jessie blushed, taking a very sudden interest in her shoes. Saleen looked numbly at Clint. "I'd hug you if I still weren't a little upset."

"That's gonna get you in trouble with Fury," Natasha warned.

Tony barked in laughter. "Who cares? The idiot sexually assaults someone who was raped when she was thirteen!"

Natasha glared back at Tony, then put the folder she was looking at down on the countertop. "Which is why I've been trying to piece things together here."

She slid the file across to Jessie, who opened it, confused. There were three files in there. One was hers. Another was Alex's.

The final one was Rick's.