From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:25 am (UTC)		(Link)

As he'd asked, they'd let her know when she'd been in the office past her scheduled eight hours. The eight hours they'd talked about that Anya /promised/ she wouldn't let slip past her. Justin normally wouldn't have let Anya staying overtime bother him, because she used to do it all the time before Ren Tech started.

But that was also before she started drinking.

The drinking bothered Justin for more reasons than he could name, the least of which being that this was the way his Uncle Tony had died back home. He'd done so much damage to himself with the drinking that he'd pushed away his friends and family for a long time before he got clean. When he got clean, it was too late.

Coming to this dimension and finding out that Mr. Stark had also had issues with his drinking (and that his parents had had to deal with them) was also upsetting, but Mr. Stark was in much better shape here and had been sober for years because of his family.

Now Anya was going down that path and Justin couldn't take that. Luckily, he was in New York for a conference, so it was nothing to stop in to Ren Tech and check on her.

He walks into the office and stops as he finds her.

"Anya...we need to talk." Justin says.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:28 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Justin," she said and tilted her head in a bit of confusion. "I thought you were supposed to be in...LA this week." She thought it was LA. His schedule was about as crazy as hers with Ren Tech and Cambire business to handle. "What happened?"

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:36 am (UTC)		(Link)

"No, Anya." Justin says quietly. "I'm here for the announcement about setting up the ZPE grid in District X. I don't think you're going to be in any condition to talk about it in the morning." he says.

He steps into the room a bit further and looks at her sadly.

"How much have you had, Anya?"

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:39 am (UTC)		(Link)

"One glass," she said giving him a strange look. She hadn't had time to have more. Some nights she finished off a bottle before going home. "I'll be fine in the morning."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:42 am (UTC)		(Link)

Justin isn't sure if he believes her but decides to let it lie for a moment. No use in getting into an argument.

"I think you should sit this one out, Anya. I know things have been rough for you lately. You're not sleeping and you're in the office more than you're out of it.

What happened?" he asks.

	From: anyastark	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:45 am (UTC)		(Link)

She sat up in the chair and leaned forward. "What do you mean sit out of this? Dammit. I am not sitting out of anything when it comes to Ren Tech. I've put just as much blood and sweat into this company as you have. I'm /not/ going to sit out."

	From: iron_hide	Date: February 11th, 2012 03:48 am (UTC)		(Link)

"You need to sit this out, Anya. There's some concern about your performance lately." Justin says.

"I've heard about the drinking, Anya. I want to help you but you can't be involved with the company if you're head isn't in the game. Your dad would say the same thing." Justin says.

	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."