Natasha met her gaze, anticipating the anger and accusation from the other woman. She had a right to it.
"I didn't know. Not before I stopped him. Suspected, maybe. At least once Teddy showed up and things started standing out as seeming... off. And afterwards..." She pauses, lets her voice trail off as she searches for the right words. Not that anything could make this right.
Finally, she meets Pepper's gaze, giving a quiet sigh. "It wasn't my information to tell. It was Billy's. And Teddy's, perhaps, but mostly Billy's. I know he wasn't in the right state of mind to tell you - to tell anyone, really - those first few days. And I considered it. But you were already so hurt by what had happened, Pepper. I couldn't..."
She stops again before pushing the words out and it was harder to hold Pepper's gaze now, but they were words she needed to say. "I'm sorry for my part in ending it. I would do the same thing again, but that doesn't mean I don't regret what was lost. All of it."
Re: November 11 | Action
"I didn't know. Not before I stopped him. Suspected, maybe. At least once Teddy showed up and things started standing out as seeming... off. And afterwards..." She pauses, lets her voice trail off as she searches for the right words. Not that anything could make this right.
Finally, she meets Pepper's gaze, giving a quiet sigh. "It wasn't my information to tell. It was Billy's. And Teddy's, perhaps, but mostly Billy's. I know he wasn't in the right state of mind to tell you - to tell anyone, really - those first few days. And I considered it. But you were already so hurt by what had happened, Pepper. I couldn't..."
She stops again before pushing the words out and it was harder to hold Pepper's gaze now, but they were words she needed to say. "I'm sorry for my part in ending it. I would do the same thing again, but that doesn't mean I don't regret what was lost. All of it."