Loki nodded. “I think Steph is jealous of you sometimes.” she admitted. “I can’t say for sure because I’m not Stephanie but I get the feeling that her whole life has been shame that she can’t be a real woman. She was too weak and small and unhealthy as a child to be a woman. Then when she grew up she was too small and weak to have babies, which made her less of a woman… which isn’t true but that doesn’t change how the world looked at her. Then she’s suddenly strong and fit and healthy and she still can’t have kids and how she’s too masculine to be a woman so she just pretends to be a man. Now she’s a woman in an era where it’s okay but she still looks at you, everything she was supposed to want to be and never could have…” Loki shook her head. “I don’t want to excuse the hurt she’s caused you Pepper.” she promised. “because she did hurt you… but I don’t think she realizes that she did, or that she wanted to.” Loki sighed. “Stephanie wants you to like her, I think…” she rubbed Peppers feet. “i’ll talk to her, yeah?” she offered before snorting. “my pregnancy has nothing to do with your own lack of. I didn’t even know Johnny could knock me up.” she admitted. “when it’s time for you, then it’s time for you. Even if your never ready that’s okay.” she promised. “as for the press, they’d hound you no matter what simply because your a woman in a position of power and they hate that. As for the company, you know I’m always willing to lend a hand. Shield hasn’t needed me in months, I don’t see that changing. I can help, you just have to let me. You don’t have to do everything on your own you know.” here Loki sighed. “as for Tony’s dreams… do you know what my worst fear is?” she asked. “i’m terrified I’m going to wake up one morning and all of this is going to be a dream meant to torture me and I’m still in that cell in asgard.” she admitted. “I dream about loosing everything and everyone almost every night. Tony’s greatest fear is getting you killed. That’s why he spends so much time making armor for you that you can carry anywhere. It’s why he makes weapons that can be deployed in an instant for you to take with you. It’s why he sent Happy to stay with you. Because he can’t protect you and he knows it. And he’s terrified of the day it’s proven true. He dreams of you dying because it’s the thing he fears most of all.”