[Pepper looks a little bemused for a moment, and then flattered. She smiles, and it's smaller and more vulnerable than usual.]

Thanks, Erskine. Really.

[Then her smile turns just a shade wry, and she tilts her head to the side.]

Also, it's not about deserve. I've seen what giving people a second chance can do. Giving up on them isn't an option.

[And just like that, she's decided that she won't give up on Erskine, either. She hadn't quite known when she came here, but now... despite everything he's done, he needs help, and not hatred. Pepper has learned she can be angry and still care, and she does.]