From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:50 am (UTC)		(Link)

"From whom?" she challenged. "My performance is fine. My head isn't anywhere but in this damn company. I have no social life, I barely see Toni and I can't remember the last time I got laid."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:54 am (UTC)		(Link)

Justin clears his throat. He and Anya were business partners and friends, but they'd never gone into TMI territory before.

"What about Steve? You and Toni go out all the time, though she mentioned you canceled the last meet-up." he says.

"The drinking isn't going to make any of that better. I mean, how good is sex when you're drunk?" he says, trying to distract her.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:56 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Steve and I have been having scheduling problems lately," she admitted. "He either has Avenger stuff or I'm working or have TBolts stuff. Toni...I haven't seen her in a month."

Anya sighed. "The drinking is not a problem."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:02 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Anya, people in the office are noticing. That's bad enough." Justin says. "Do you really want to put us in the position to have to explain a misstep?" he asks.

"Look, let me handle tomorrow and you go see Toni or Steve. Take a week off. Two, even. I can handle the work." he says.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:04 am (UTC)		(Link)

"No, but it's not a problem. Sure I have a drink or two," or more, "before I go home, but it's not a problem. I can't take a week off. I'd go nuts. Stark raving mad."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:09 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Maybe it's time you went nuts, then. You can't keep this up, Anya. If I'd gotten here ten minutes later, you'd be drunk." he says.

A disturbing thought crosses Justin's mind.

"Anya...have you ever used your armor while drunk?" he asks.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:12 am (UTC)		(Link)

"No," she said defensively. "I don't drink and fly/fight. When things settle down around here I'll take some time off. Promise."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:15 am (UTC)		(Link)

"No. You're not staying here. I'm calling your dad to handle the presentation." Justin says.

"I'm taking you home to your place and then we're flying to a relaxing spot where you will do no work for the next twenty-eight days." Justin says.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:17 am (UTC)		(Link)

Her eyes narrowed. "I am not going into rehab. I don't need rehab. I can handle the presentation tomorrow. Then I will take /a day/ off."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:20 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I didn't say you were going to rehab, per se. I said you're taking a twenty-eight day vacation and this isn't negotiable." Justin says.

"You're going to get your head back on straight. We'll gamble, hit the beach and do a bunch of other things that crazy young people do when they have more money than they need."

"Bring nice stuff to wear and a swimsuit or something."

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:29 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I can't take almost a month off. A week," she said.

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:32 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I'm taking a month off, too. We've got capable people running the place, too." he says.

"Three weeks."

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:33 am (UTC)		(Link)

Her eyes narrowed. "Two. That's as much as I'm willing to go."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:36 am (UTC)		(Link)

Justin knew she'd try to bargain her way out of a month, which is why he set it so high. He figured that getting her down to two weeks would be pushing it.

"Two weeks, nice clothes and swimsuits. You know what, screw packing. We'll buy stuff when we get there." he says.

"Let's go."

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:38 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I'm not going anywhere without Steve," she said not moving a muscle to go. "I will talk to him tonight and tomorrow we can leave."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:39 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Call him now, Anya." Justin says. "I know you're looking for reasons not to go. Come on." he says.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:42 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I will call him on the way home," she said as she grabbed the bottle and glass to return it to the drawer. Forced vacations weren't really vacations.

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:45 am (UTC)		(Link)

"All right. My car is downstairs. I'll be waiting." he says.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:46 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Fine," Anya said. She put the bottle and glass back in the drawer and locked it. "I'll be down in five."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:50 am (UTC)		(Link)

Justin leaves the office and goes downstairs to wait for her. He gives her a few minutes to get downstairs.

When she comes downstairs, Justin is standing by the car.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:51 am (UTC)		(Link)

Anya shut down her laptop and grabbed whatever other files she'd need in the next two weeks. There was no way she could go the whole two weeks without doing some work.

She met him at his car in four minutes and thirty nine seconds.

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:55 am (UTC)		(Link)

Justin opens the passenger door and lets her get in, then goes and gets in on his side. The car pulls out and they head to the airport.

"How do you feel about Macau?" he asks.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 04:58 am (UTC)		(Link)

Anya realized where they were going. "I told you, I am not going anywhere tonight. Tomorrow morning is perfectly fine. I am going to spend tonight with Steve."

"I was thinking Tahiti."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 05:09 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Tahiti it is." he says, continuing his drive to the airport.

"Are you really going to be with Steve, Anya?" he asks.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 06:05 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Yes," she said. "Why wouldn't I be with Steve? Damn Justin. I said I would be with him. Since when have you ever known me to break a promise?"

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 14th, 2012 02:42 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I just don't want you to mess up your life, Anya. I want you to be happy." Justin says.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 14th, 2012 02:45 am (UTC)		(Link)

Anya laughed. "My life's been messed up since the day I was born. I'm a Stark. That means my life is fucked up. But you know what? I am happy. I have Ren Tech, a great guy and a great team. I can't ask for more. Except maybe a few more extra hours in a day."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 14th, 2012 03:15 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Your life doesn't /have/ to be fucked up. You can be more than just a Stark." he says.

"I want you to promise me that you're done with booze, Anya. I told you about my Uncle Tony. I don't want to see you go down that road."

	From: anyastark	Date: February 14th, 2012 03:19 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Justin, I love you like a brother, but being a Stark does mean your life is fucked up. I promise I will limit my alcohol intake to no more than one drink. Will that suffice?"

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 23rd, 2012 01:46 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Anya, I think you should really tone it down. How about you agree not to drink for the next week and we talk after that?" he suggests.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 23rd, 2012 01:51 am (UTC)		(Link)

"You're acting like I have a problem. I don't. But I'll agree to not have a drink for the next three days and then we'll talk."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 23rd, 2012 01:55 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Three days it is, Stark." he says, driving her to the airport.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 23rd, 2012 01:58 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I thought we agreed that'd you take me to my husband and then we go on vacation?"

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 23rd, 2012 02:15 am (UTC)		(Link)

"That's what I'm doing. I told him I do wife-delivery these days. He's waiting at the plane for you." Justin smirks.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 23rd, 2012 02:16 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Oh," she said. "I guess that's okay and at least you're not delivering babies."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 23rd, 2012 02:19 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Somehow, I think a Rhodes will be responsible for bringing at least one Stark into this world in the near future." he says.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 23rd, 2012 02:21 am (UTC)		(Link)

"There are two ways one could take that and even though you're incredibly hot, but I'm going to go with delivering a baby. I will do my best to get the hospital on time for you and Toni's sake."