Oblítus

by shannyfish

During the time Tony is in Afghanistan, a night of drinking is just the excuse Obadiah needs to take advantage of someone he's had his eye on. Takes place during "Iron Man". First in the "Memoria Damnum" Series.

Title: Oblítus

Author: Shannon – shannyfish

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the "Iron Man" movies, any other Marvel movie, or its characters; Marvel and Disney do. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.

Rating: MA (to be safe)

Summary: During the time Tony is in Afghanistan, a night of drinking is just the excuse Obadiah needs to take advantage of someone he's had his eye on. Takes place during "Iron Man".

Warning: There will be a POV switch. Please be warned that this contains Adult Content and Situations, please check the warnings before reading this.

Author's Note: Constructive criticism is appreciated!

. . .

"Man is subject to innumerable pains and sorrows by the very condition of humanity, and yet, as if nature had not sown evils enough in life, we are continually adding grief to grief and aggravating the common calamity by our cruel treatment of one another."

Joseph Addison

. . .

Tony had been missing for over two months. Obadiah hoped every day that the Ten Rings would follow through and kill Stark for him, as promised. Obadiah had grown accustom to running Stark Industries and had gallant plans for its future…which didn't involve Tony Stark. He'd used him for as long as possible, but now…now Tony Stark was just in the way.

Cocky bastard.

So far, he'd done what he'd done since Tony was seventeen. He'd kept the company going. Of course, he'd put on a show…especially in front of the press. The press wasn't the only ones he was concerned about, of course. The staff of Stark Industries and especially those close to Tony had to be as convinced (if not more so) that he was grieving the loss of Stark as well.

Tonight was another night of drowning their sorrows in some of Tony's best alcohol. Every couple of weeks, they'd been coming together and going over information and leads…which always led nowhere…and they'd drink until…they'd drink until their sentences were slurred and made no sense…and then a cab would take them home.

Normally, the group consisted of himself, Colonel Rhodes, Happy Hogan, and Pepper Potts. Tonight, Happy hadn't decided to join them. He'd noticed that the man had become rather moody lately. It was obvious that Tony's personal bodyguard and chauffer had a thing for Tony's personal assistant. So, Obadiah could only guess that Happy wasn't up for seeing Pepper in such an upset state. He didn't see it as any loss, though. Hogan was always trying to break up the party early…which Obadiah always thought was right when the party was really starting.

He had been talking with Rhodes, which is how it always started. Colonel Rhodes would fill him in on intel and if they were making any progress in finding Tony. During this time, Obadiah would feel quite generous on filling up his glass on whatever his drink of choice was for the evening. All the while, he'd keep a close eye on Pepper, who…like always, was tidying up areas she'd already tidied fifteen minutes before.

Rhodes continued to talk, but he didn't pay attention. He already knew where Tony was and what his fate would be. He made a mental note to try to have Tony officially declared dead…at least as far as the company was concerned, so that he could go off and check on the Ten Rings and whether or not they'd actually followed through on his orders. He was fairly certain that he could get a court judge to declare Tony legally dead since he'd been fired upon, they found his blood at the site, and he'd been taken away by terrorists. Without any demands (at least none that the public saw), they had to presume that they'd killed him. Though Obadiah knew that waiting seven years wouldn't change things, he'd rather there be a permanent change in things now rather than dragging it all out. At the very least, it would be the most humane thing for Tony's close friends…and employees. Of course, Obadiah would ensure that both Happy and Pepper remained on at Stark Industries with new positions.

"Pepper, come sit down…" Obadiah said gently. When she shook her head, he motioned for Rhodes to stop talking. This had become some kind of ritual. "Come… Sit… Have a drink with us…"

"You really should have something in your stomachs," Pepper said. "And water…" She moved to the refrigerator with such grace and ease. She pulled out water bottles and set them down on the table by the couch he and Rhodes were sitting on.

He took an opportunity to touch her. Obadiah reached out as her hand left the bottles and ran his from her wrist up to her elbow until she froze and looked down at him. He just smiled up at her. "Thank you, Pepper," he said sweetly. "You're so kind to think of us…but really, you should be sitting down…" She smiled back before pulling her arm slowly away. He could tell that she'd scared her a little, which was fine with him. The touch of her delicately soft skin brought a beaming smile to his face.

"I'll make you guys something," she offered. Pepper was in the kitchen going through the refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards before anyone could argue.

"She's taking this hard," Rhodes said in a low tone.

"I know," Obadiah said. And he did know. It's what made these times so nice. Pepper would agonize and he'd get to plan out the future. She had to go through this pain in order for her to have the flourishing future he had in mind. "I've tried to give her a couple of other jobs, but she insists on continuing on with what she did for Tony."

"It's good of you not to force her into letting that go just yet," Rhodes said. They both looked at Pepper busying herself in the kitchen for a moment before they both went back to nursing their drinks. "Tony may be a pain in the ass…but his chaotic form of genius and recklessness has been what's spun Pepper's life for the last several years… Before that, I can only imagine she must have had a desk job."

"Don't you know? She worked as an accountant for Stark Industries," Obadiah said. "She caught an error on something Tony did, her supervisor tried to stop her and then said she was fired, but she marched up to Tony's office since her supervisor wouldn't approach him about it," Obadiah said. "Security was called and they tried to keep her out of the office, but she threatened them with pepper spray…and Tony just laughed… From that point on, he called her Pepper…and it stuck. She was no longer just another accountant here…and before that…I think she worked for another company called AIM. I don't remember exactly what she did there though…" Pepper's resume was still on file, but nothing else really mattered besides her work for Stark Industries.

"Pepper can sure take care of herself," Rhodes remarked.

"And she likes to take care of others, too," he reminded as he nodded towards Pepper busy in the kitchen.

Rhodes smiled and sipped on his drink again.

Obadiah smiled as he gently sipped his drink. He'd pushed the drinks on Rhodes fast and was thinking that it would be just about time that the drunken Rhodes take a cab home. Maybe Obadiah would let him eat first and then use Pepper to persuade him to go home. It would be easy enough and then he and Pepper would be alone, which was normally something that Hogan would ruin. It wasn't like he had ill intentions for the woman; he just had a bright future for her planned that she didn't know about yet.

They moved to the small table with Pepper seeming so close to being done with whatever she was making. So, he and Rhodes moved their glasses and the bottles of liquor to the table. It didn't take them long to start up a new conversation.

"Have another," Obadiah insisted as he poured the liquor into Rhodes' glass before he could argue.

Pepper laid out a bowl of pasta in white sauce with chicken and spinach along with a small stack of plates and forks. "Hopefully this is okay…"

"You whipped that up that fast?" Obadiah asked, quite impressed at the speed of service.

"It comes in a bag," Pepper admitted. "You pour it into the skillet and go… I stock them up when…" She paused, trying to contain her emotions. "When…I know…Tony might need a quick dinner…"

He could see her starting to teeter towards crumbling. "It's delicious, Pepper!" Obadiah enthused before even having a bite. Rhodes already was devouring the meal that had been placed in front of him, however. "Really, you're spoiling us!"

It seemed to distract her enough. "Thanks…I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"Sit!" Obadiah insisted and ran his hand from her elbow down to her wrist before tugging her towards the chair next to him, which he'd already pulled away from the table. "Have some! I'll pour you a glass of wine," he said, quite insistent. The hardest part of these nights were to focus on Pepper, while trying to get rid of anyone else that was there. Pepper preferred to try to clean and tidy and reposition things until she dropped…or until someone grabbed her and told her to eat.

Poor little flower. So worried about having things perfect when Tony got back…as if he could walk through the front door at any minute.

That wasn't going to happen.

Tony Stark was never going to make it back to United States soil.

He'd let Pepper really grieve once it was official and they did some kind of funeral or memorial service…but he'd be there to comfort her as well.

It was hard sometimes to remember that Pepper wasn't in love with Stark because of her behavior. It was just the dedication and loyalty she felt towards him. It was sometimes hard to stand and hard to continue to deal with even with Tony not there. He'd fix that though. He'd give her someone else to be loyal and dedicated to.

Pepper slid into the chair and her body brushed briefly against his body before she adjusted the positioning of her chair. He had purposely moved it so that it was close to him.

Obadiah watched as she moved some of the pasta from the bowl to the plate set in the spot for her. He poured some of the wine he knew she preferred into her glass.

"That's more than enough," Pepper said once it got past halfway.

He smiled at her. "Indulge," Obadiah told her. "You've been working so hard! You deserve to relax!"

"It's my job," Pepper told him matter of factly. She took a few very polite bites of pasta before sipping the wine.

Obadiah made a mental note to make sure that he bought some more of the wine. It was the one thing that he'd found that he could convince her to drink in abundance. "You definitely go far and above what's needed. You're dedicated…"

"Tony's going to be back anytime now," Pepper said quite confidently. "I'm just making sure that everything is in perfect order when he returns. You know the only chaos he likes is the kind he makes…or the kind that involves models…"

And she was absolutely right…except for the fact that Tony wasn't coming home. "You're too good to just be a personal assistant, Pepper…"

"Someone has to keep Tony moving forward," Pepper said and then was silent and staring at her glass.

"I think I'm going to head out," Rhodes announced.

"I'll call you a cab," Obadiah offered.

. . .

He'd walked Rhodes out to the cab and made sure he got in okay. He'd also ensured that the colonel had his keys and gave the cab driver what the fare would be plus a big tip. When he returned inside, Pepper was wiping away tears and sipping at her wine again. Her glass was almost empty.

Obadiah started to clear the empty bottles and immediately saw her get ready to argue, but he spoke first. "Don't tell me not to do this… You eat, I'll get another bottle of wine," Obadiah said. "And before you argue… You deserve this… It's quiet. No Rhodes or Hogan here to push everyone home early. You take your time… We can talk after."

And he remained a gentleman as far as clearing things and returning with the promised wine. Once Pepper was done and her plate was put away, Obadiah decided it was time to start to push things with her. She needed to move on, even if she didn't know it yet. "We need to talk…about Tony…"

"I know how long it's been," Pepper told him and took a drink of her newly filled glass. "Ten weeks…three days…" She looked around for a clock to give him the exact amount of hours, when Obadiah stopped her with a hand on her leg.

"I know this has been hard for you," Obadiah said. "A bright light extinguished too early in life…"

"We don't know if—"

"We know that their convoy was attacked. We have to thank God that Rhodes and the few others managed to make it out of there alive," Obadiah said, trying to sound like they couldn't dwell on the negative. He moved his hand up and down her leg, from her knee to her thigh. "Tony was right by an explosion…and then terrorists came up out of the desert and carried him away. If he was alive, they would have made demands by now…" Obadiah tried to make it look like it hurt him. "I think of Tony as a son…and it hurts me to have to think about arranging his funeral arrangements, but I think it's time, Pepper… I think those savages were planning to merely injure him and then make demands or a ransom…and things went wrong." He pretended to wipe away tears. "Right now, we need to grieve…honor his memory…and I'm going to need you to do that," he said as he looked up at her. His hand slid under her skirt slightly and he heard her gasp audibly.

Pepper covered it by getting up out of her chair quickly and looking like she needed air. He didn't miss that she took her glass with her. "I…"

Obadiah followed her slowly as she made her way towards the balcony that overlooked the ocean. "I'm sorry… I know this is upsetting…" he said quietly.

"I…I just feel like he's still out there…" Pepper told him. "That he's alive and waiting for the military to rescue him."

"You know that Rhodes and the military have been all over that desert looking for him. They've had no leads…"

"I know."

"I want you to come in late to work tomorrow," Obadiah told her. Of course, he was hoping to keep her late tonight, but he still wasn't sure how well she was taking his advances. "Come in late, I'll have talked to the board and legal about all of this by then…and then you and I can plan on working through dinner… We'll figure out the arrangements… You probably would have better input on things…"

"Obadiah—"

"Things have to change, Pepper…" Obadiah insisted gently. "I want you to know, that I've already put thought into how things will change…I don't want you to worry…you and Hogan will continue to have a job with Stark Industries if that's what you still want?"

"I do," Pepper said quickly and then looked slightly confused. "I just…maybe I just don't want to believe he's gone… Tony is certainly eccentric, but he's a genius… I'm sure he had other things to give this world besides weapons upgrades…"

"I know," Obadiah responded, really trying his best to sound saddened and upset about the whole situation. He reached out and put his hands on her shoulders. She tensed for a second and then relaxed. He moved in closer and then turned her to face him. "It's time to honor his memory, though… We can't just keep expecting him to walk through the door any minute." Obadiah put two fingers under her chin and lifted it so that she was looking at him. "Deep down, I think you know I'm right…"

Tears just welled up in her eyes in response.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly, inhaling her scent as he did so. He didn't care that she was vulnerable and emotional because of Tony. This was just an opportunity for him to get closer to what he wanted.

Her.

Obadiah took her arm and led her back into the house. "How about I get you another glass of wine…and then I'll call you a cab? Unless you want to spend the night here? I know Tony wouldn't mind."

"I really don't need another glass—"

"I insist!" Obadiah told her as he took the glass from her hands and quickly refilled it before offering it back to her. She took it. Obadiah really didn't expect her to fight her too much. "I'll have a car sent over to retrieve you and take you to Stark Industries tomorrow."

"I am not sleeping here," Pepper said a moment later.

Obadiah noticed that it had taken her a minute to really get the words all out. "I just wanted to make sure that's what you wanted…" He moved towards the balcony and pulled out his phone to call the cab company. He made a point to impress upon them to take as long as they wanted. He returned and put on a smile and picked up his discarded drink. He really hadn't had that much, which was part of the place. "The cab should be here in about twenty minutes."

It was all a lie.

Pepper was sitting on the couch, her glass carefully balanced between her hands. "Thank you," she said as Obadiah took a seat next to her.

He smiled and reached out to push some of her hair from her face. How he loved the color. How he loved the smell and the feel of it… His hand rested on her cheek for a moment, stroking it gently, before finally withdrawing it. "Have you thought about your future with the company?" he asked, wondering if she would be more receptive to the idea if he didn't use the company's name.

"I…I haven't thought about it," Pepper admitted.

"I want you to come and work directly with me," Obadiah told her. His hand found the skin of her knee and he pushed upwards for a moment and then stopped. "You and I, Pepper…we could run the company," he said.

She pulled away, but ended up at the armrest of the chair. "Obadiah—"

He moved with her and his lips found hers. Obadiah used one arm to pull her to him while the other hand moved up her leg, past her thigh until it landed right between her legs. She gasped and started to push.

"No—"

"Shhh…" he whispered against her lips.

"We can't—"

"We can," he argued.

"I can't," Pepper said, loudly this time. She pushed him away harder this time, making sure to move his hands.

"Pepper…" Obadiah said softly. He gave her her space though. He could see fear and worry in her eyes. He didn't regret it, but he wondered if he pushed her too far for one night…but he only worried about it for a moment. "I'm sorry," he apologized as sincerely as he could put forth. "Too much drinking for one night," he said as he pushed his glass forward. "I'll call and make sure the cab will be here shortly…"

And though he didn't get as far as he wanted that night, he felt like he'd made some progress. Progress was really all that he cared about. He'd make more progress tomorrow.

. . .

He wasn't sure if she'd come, but true to her nature…Pepper arrived at the office looking just as she normally did. She was in a black skirt and blouse with her hair in a ponytail. She greeted everyone she passed with a smile and a greeting. Obadiah watched it all from the second floor balcony. She fit so perfectly there…and she always had, it was almost a shame that Tony had her following him around and at his house in Malibu all to himself for all these years.

Now, Pepper was going to be his.

Obadiah proceeded back to his office in order to wait for Pepper; he knew it would be a short wait. He busied himself and tried to have everything ready on his desk. He'd already had legal draft up the papers they needed to declare Anthony Edward Stark dead via death in absentia. This meant that all of Stark Industries was now his, the board had easily agreed to it. Now, they just needed to do the public matters of mourning and honoring Tony's memory.

"Pepper Potts for you, Sir," his secretary announced over the intercom on his desk.

He pressed down the button. "Let her in," Obadiah said quickly. He walked around his desk, ready to greet her upon her immediate entry. When she walked in, she looked just as he had spotted her before except somehow she looked more radiant. "I hope the arrangement for the day is working out for you so far," Obadiah said as he ushered her in before ensuring that the door was closed and secure.

"I made it home safely last night and there was a car, as promised, waiting for me as you said," Pepper said, her tone was very businesslike.

Obadiah frowned slightly. He had to admit, though, he did like her when she was all about business. There was just something about her like that that turned him on. "I hope you don't hold last night against me… I had too much to drink and—"

"I understand, really," Pepper said. "I think we all had a bit too much to drink."

He pulled out a chair for her and waited for her to sit before moving to the papers he had laid out across his desk. "I'm sure you didn't want to come in to such a dark matter, but at the same time…it has to be done." He had gravestone information along with possible memorial ideas.

"You're right," Pepper said as she picked up one of the papers. "It has to be done."

"I know there's no body, but there's already a plot for Tony… There's a stone that was already prepared for him when his parents…passed…so that they would all match," Obadiah told her. "I just have to give them date of death…" He watched her and could tell that this was hard on her, but he needed for her to get past mourning for Tony so that he could sweep in and pick Pepper off the floor. "I was just hoping that you'd help me with the arrangements…if it's not too hard for you…"

Normally, Pepper Potts was so calm and collected. When it came to Tony's disappearance, though, he was surprised at how much concern and upset and worry she'd shed over her boss' disappearance. He was certain that they weren't having some secret relationship. That relationship would not be able to be kept secret from him, he knew that much. It was always possible for someone to have feelings for another person, but to be in denial about it. He was thinking that was the case…or some kind of twisted hero worship. Obadiah wouldn't be half surprised if it was some kind of Stockholm Syndrome because working so closely with Tony Stark and being sane was a miracle.

"I understand if this is too hard," Obadiah said. "But I figured it would be a good segway into you coming and working with me."

"I do appreciate you thinking of Happy and I as far as staying with Stark Industries is concerned," Pepper said. "But I hope you understand that I am going to need time…after the arrangements for Tony…"

"Of course! You take as much time as you need! I'll make sure it's paid time off. You and Hogan both." Obadiah hoped that she was really just saying that so that she didn't have to decide until after they had the services for Tony. He didn't know where else she would go. She had been with Stark Industries with so long; sometimes it was hard to go somewhere else if you didn't know the people, company, or the rhythm of it. Pepper was being paid quite well and if that was one of her concerns then she'd make sure that her salary and benefits were addressed. "But you'll both let me know if you have any questions or concerns about staying with the company?"

"Of course," Pepper said. "And I'll talk to Happy and let him know as well."

"Excellent."

"So…the memorial?" Pepper prompted, picking up one of the papers from his desk.

. . .

They'd gone out to dinner. Pepper was used to dinner dates. They were something that were very common in her work, though normally they didn't include dinner with solely Obadiah. Dinner in public seemed far safer than dinner at Tony's house. She'd have to stop that. She couldn't risk there being any more incidents like the night before because they both drank too much.

"Are you sure you want me to leave these details up to you?" Obadiah asked.

"I would actually appreciate it," Pepper told him. "It'll give me something to do. I need something I can focus on right now." She was still so certain that Tony was out there and alive. At night, she had dreams that she was at the house cleaning and he'd just walk through the door and act like nothing had happened. And every morning she woke with such disappointment. It was hard being at Tony's Malibu Mansion, but at the same time she wanted to have everything in place and perfect for his return.

"Just know, that if you need absolutely anything or if this gets too much—"

"I appreciate your concern," Pepper told him as she interrupted. "I really do. I just really need a project… And then I know I'll need the time off after the services. I just…I'm going to need the time—"

"I understand. I really do."

Pepper smiled at him and was happy that he seemed so understanding. She'd had time in between going over things with him at Stark Industries and dinner to call Happy. He'd seemed a little irritated that he hadn't been the one to be in charge of driving her around, but she'd just told him that maybe he needed the time off now. She'd explained how she needed to do this even though she felt like Tony was still out there. Happy was a loyal friend, not only to Tony…but to her as well. He'd told her that he'd have to think about coming back and working for Obadiah. He and Tony had a history, he wasn't sure if he wanted to just stay because of it. And she understood.

She watched as Obadiah looked down at his watch. She wondered if he had other plans or if he was merely checking the time. Pepper was used to being so concerned about times and schedules and she'd forced herself to not wear her watch because she found that she looked at it far too much without Tony to keep on a schedule.

"Do you need to be somewhere?" she asked politely. Pepper didn't want to keep him. She knew that he had family, a wife and a grown son. She didn't want business to be the reason that he wasn't home, especially when she was sure that he needed to have his time and place and support system in order to grieve over the loss of Tony.

"No! I am just amazed at how quickly we finished!" Obadiah told her. "I'll admit, I thought this would have taken us a few more hours… You're quite efficient."

"Thank you, Mr. Stane."

"Please, call me Obadiah… We've known each other long enough…and I want us to be informal."

"Formality in the business place—"

"We're not at Stark right now, Pepper," he pointed out.

And he was right. She'd referred to him by his first name to Obadiah various times to Tony, but this just didn't feel right. She'd entertain his request right now because they were at dinner, but if she went to work for him after the services then she was going to stick with being formal. There was something safe about formality.

"Happy said he'd be on call if we needed a ride or anything," she said. "I could call him and make arrangements?"

"Not necessary," Obadiah told her with a wave of his hand. "The drive who brought us here should be waiting."

"I don't want to take you out of your way home if it's not necessary," Pepper said. She mainly just wanted to go home. Though the day hadn't been as long as her normal days, the extra emotional drain these days without Tony had…were absolutely exhausting. Pepper just wanted to go home, curl up, and sleep. There would be crying in between, most likely done in the shower.

"Don't be silly! It'll take absolutely no time away," Obadiah told her. "It's far earlier than I had thought, remember?"

"Are we set then?" she asked and started to push the papers together in order to ensure that everything was together before slipping them into a navy blue leather folder that had the Stark Industries logo stamped into it.

Pepper really was thankful for all the work. There was something about staying busy that didn't make her so emotional and that helped pass the time. Dusting and cleaning and repositioning things around the house only made things harder. All she could do was see moments they'd had together at the house. All of the times she'd had an argument with him and every one night stand that she'd 'attended' to the morning after. It made grieving harder, especially with Obadiah pushing to have him legally filed as dead. The house just served as memories and reminders of this boss that she didn't realize that she cared so deeply about.

And it made her feel silly…

…and stupid…

…and so unprofessional…

…and wonder…

Did she love him?

Was that why she felt like she did? Is that why those memories were so vivid in her mind? Is that why everything seemed so hard? How could she love him, though? She had worked for him long enough and knew just how he was… She knew what kind of girls he pursued and brought home…

She wasn't one of those girls…

"Why don't we have dessert? Just a little something? And we have to finish off the wine," he said as he pointed to the bottle.

Pepper frowned a bit. It was their second bottle, but she didn't have to worry about driving…and they were in public. She nodded, still a little hesitant. "I'm going to go make a call first." She held up her phone to illustrate her point. "I'm just going to let Happy know that your driver is still here… Just in case he has other plans tonight."

"Of course," Obadiah told her. "You do what you have to. Do you want anything in particular for dessert?"

"Not strawberries."

"Of course not!" Obadiah told her. "Can't have you having an allergy attack!"

Pepper stopped for a minute and tried to take in what he'd just said. She was certain that Tony didn't even know about her allergy. She was sure that she'd mentioned to him before, but she was positive that it was something he wouldn't have remembered. It was sort of nice…to have someone who at least knew that important detail without her having to remind. "Thank you, Obadiah," she said with a small smile. She was purposefully using his first name. "Very thoughtful for you to be aware of my allergy."

"When we first started to work together more closely with Stark Industries, I made it my job to know if you had any food allergies. It makes business lunches and dinners easier."

Pepper just nodded and smiled. "I'll be right back." She left the table with her phone. It wasn't like she couldn't have the conversation in front of Obadiah; she just wanted to be as polite as possible. Plus, she didn't know if Happy would have an opinion on things or not and she'd rather not Obadiah accidentally overhear the conversation. She dialed his number and waited.

"Hello," Happy's voice rang through clearly.

"Hi Happy," she said a little quietly even though she was outside. "It's Pepper. I just wanted to let you know that your services won't be needed for tonight, but it was so kind of you to keep your night open."

"Are you sure? It's not a problem."

"I'm sure," she said. "The driver who brought us here is waiting apparently." It wasn't unusual for Happy to do that for Tony, but Happy also doubled as Tony's personal bodyguard. Pepper was fairly sure that the driver was merely a driver. "We've completed everything that needs to be done. We're just going to finish eating here and then the driver will drive us both home."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd text me when you get home," Happy said. "Just so I know that you've made it home safely…and don't you hesitate to call me if you need me to come and pick you up from anywhere."

Pepper smiled and was touched by his concern. He'd seemed even more concerned and almost protective of her since Tony hadn't returned from Afghanistan. She wondered if he blamed himself. Neither of them had gone with him, like they normally would for any other trip. Rhodey had been with him and Tony had insisted that Rhodey and the military would be enough protection and would ensure that he remained on schedule. They'd been wrong.

"I promise," Pepper told him. "Why don't we have lunch tomorrow?"

"I'll pick you up," Happy said immediately. "Early or late lunch?"

It was nice that Happy knew her so well. They always had early or late lunches, never lunch at a normal time. It helped avoid the crowds and the busy times. "Late would be perfect."

"Where am I picking you up from?"

"I think I'll work from home tomorrow…"

"I'll pick you up around one thirty, then?"

"Perfect," Pepper said. "I'll see you then and don't worry… I'll text you tonight when I get home."

"I appreciate it," Happy told her. "See you tomorrow."

Pepper smiled as she ended the call. It was nice to pretend to have some normalcy to her day. Tomorrow she'd work on the catering and different things for the services for Tony and then have lunch with Happy…and then more working. Doing it from home would likely be a lot easier than at the Malibu Mansion or in an office at Stark Industries.

Rejoining Obadiah, he had already poured her a fresh glass of wine and dessert was already at the table. He was waiting politely and stood when she approached. She took her seat and thanked him for waiting and for ordering. Dessert was some sort of custard, which went nicely with the wine. She'd noticed that Obadiah had ensured that it was her favorite, though she didn't remember that particular restaurant carrying it in the past.

He insisted on talking for a few minutes after she'd finished and they'd both drank their glasses until they were empty. He offered her his arm and she'd felt the need to be polite and allow him to escort her to the car like that. After all, it wasn't anything special…he was just being polite and kind to her.

"So, what's the timeframe on these plans?" Pepper asked, realizing that it was the last thing that she didn't know about. She was sure that it would be in the papers before they actually did the public service, but she needed the timeframe nonetheless.

"Most likely two weeks," Obadiah told her as he led her back to where the car was supposed to be. "Legal has to finish having all the paperwork filed. I will let you know as soon as the final papers are filed."

Pepper just nodded. "Do you mind if I do some of this work at home?" She was feeling awfully sleepy and could not wait until she got home and could settle in.

"Of course not," Obadiah told her.

"I'll make sure I e-mail you progress—"

"Pepper, I'm not worried. Do what you need and work where you want… Just let me know if you need anything," Obadiah said as they neared the car. The driver was already out to open the door. "You look awfully tired."

"I am," she admitted. Pepper suddenly felt like she could barely walk. Maybe she was more exhausted than she'd thought? She slid into the car and found herself holding onto the other door in the car. Obadiah was in next to her a moment later and the other door was closing. She blinked for a moment, trying to force herself to stay awake until she got home.

Obadiah reached out and caressed her face and then leaned in. "Don't worry, Pepper… I'm going to take good care of you…and I've been told that you may not remember any of this…" he whispered into her ear before kissing her cheek. "Take us to the Stark Mansion."

Pepper felt a hand pushing up her inner thigh. She tried to push it away, but her eyes were barely staying open and she was having problems with her brain communicating properly with her limbs. "No…" she managed to get out. She noticed that her voice was not as strong as she had meant for it to come out, in fact she sounded rather weak.

What was happening?

Obadiah was kissing all along her face and she just wanted to push him away, but her hands didn't seem strong enough to even push him with any sort of strength. His hand was still on her inner thigh and seemed to be moving back and forth, but Pepper was afraid that she wasn't going to be able to stop his advances this time.

. . .

She was lying on the couch in the Malibu Mansion. Her heels were set neatly on the table and her blazer was over the armchair. Pepper blinked as she tried to remember how she got there. She was going to start to call for someone and then remembered whom she was last with. Obadiah Stane.

"Shh…" Obadiah said as he approached her. "Don't get yourself worked up… You're not going to remember this in the morning." He grinned evilly. "I will, though…and we can have as many nights like this as I want…"

Fear encased her and she tried to move only to find herself face first on the floor beside the couch. She tried to scream, but it came out as a cry. It hit her, even if she screamed, no one would hear her. No one was at the mansion. There were no close neighbors who would hear her scream. Obadiah was going to do what he wanted with her and she was now fairly certain that he'd slipped something into her drink. What scared her even more was that if she didn't remember this, she couldn't prevent this in the future.

The weight of his body briefly pressed against her back and she started to panic again. Tears formed in her eyes and she tried to scream again and managed to get a bit more volume, but all she got was a laugh from Obadiah for her efforts. His hands moved to pull her blouse from her skirt before he let one hand rest on her knee and the other moved inside of her shirt and up her spine.

"I'm sure you're confused," Obadiah said. "I'm honestly surprised that Tony didn't take advantage of you sooner… I was ready for the sexual harassment suit." He let his hand move from her knee up her inner thigh until it reached her panties. His other hand reached the back of her bra. Pepper was quite surprised at how quickly he unclasped it. More tears filled her eyes. He moved his hand down to cup her breast and to pull her back to him.

It was then that Pepper noticed that the glass was darkened. Obadiah must have ordered it before she'd come to. She wondered if she could get a command into the system that could override Obadiah's commands. "Please…" she breathed.

"Just relax," Obadiah told her as he started to tug on the fabric of her panties. "This is going to help you relax… You'll see, in the morning you're going to feel so much better…even with the hangover." His lips were on her neck and Pepper gasped.

Walk through the door, she thought as she closed her eyes. Walk through the door.

"You know…if you were more cooperative, this would be far more enjoyable," Obadiah told her. His thumb was pinching her nipple as his other hand yanked her panties down to her knees.

Pepper felt the wave of exhaustion hitting her again and felt like she was going to crumple in Obadiah's hold. She hoped for it. She just hoped that if she passed out, then he wouldn't be able to do anything to her without having some control. Blackness pooled at the edges of her vision and she was happy for it. Pepper didn't want to feel Obadiah's hands on her breasts or playing with her nipples and she didn't want his hand down between her legs. She wanted to pass out and then she wanted to wake up to this being some horrible nightmare.

. . .

The sound of moans was not something that Pepper expected when she came to. She was on her back on the floor of the mansion. Her blouse was open and her bra was pushed up over her breasts, unlatched in the back. Her skirt was pushed up and her panties were discarded. Her legs were spread and someone was between them. Pepper shook her head; feeling like it was filled out cotton. She blinked and tried to remember.

"There you are," came a heavy whisper into her ear.

Lips were on her neck and she continued to blink. She gasped as she realized who was between her legs and who was kissing her. Obadiah Stane. She struggled with putting pieces together, but there was only blackness where her memory should have been. Disgust filled her as she realized that he was naked and they were skin to skin and that he was now moaning in her ear.

"Stop!" she forced out. It sounded like a stifled yell. Obadiah only seemed amused by her protest. She tried to move her legs, but he just moved one hand to hold her leg where he had positioned it.

"Don't worry…we have all night," he grinned down at her.

Pepper felt her whole body shake as she sobbed. She could feel that her body was responding and she knew that it had nothing to do with wanting what was happening or feeling like Obadiah was attractive. No, it was the response her body gave because it didn't know any better.

He moaned again and then grunted. His hands were on her breasts, groping them wildly as he continued to violate her. Pepper turned her head and screwed her eyes shut and prayed for it to be over.

Walk through the door. Walk through the door. Walk through the door.

Stane's thrusts were getting faster and Pepper tried to scream, but only sobs came out and tears filled her closed eyes. Stane's mouth was on hers silencing her sobs and then his mouth was at her ear as he moaned again. This time, though, his moan got louder and was followed by another as his body stopped and pressed against hers tightly. Pepper could feel him inside of her and realized then that he hadn't used a condom.

"Please…stop…" she cried out.

His weight shifted and most of it was on top of her. His heavy breathing was at her ear. She just wanted to scream, cry, and push him off. But she couldn't. Her body could barely move. Pepper tried, but with Obadiah's weight, she couldn't even move an inch. So, she just sobbed and then finally looked around. There was nothing within reach…not even a shoe. Obadiah must have pushed everything away.

She didn't know how long they lay there like that. Too long. Pepper just kept crying and trying to move. Pepper thought that maybe if she could get out from under him then maybe she could get to a phone... JARVIS… Even if she couldn't yell, JARVIS would be able to hear her. "JARVIS," she spoke up.

"Yes, Ms. Potts?" JARVIS responded promptly.

"Shhh…" Obadiah said as he pressed a finger to her lips.

"JAR-JARV-" Pepper tried to get out.

The horrible situation was suddenly interrupted by a sound that Pepper couldn't be happier to hear. Her phone was going off. From the ringtone, she knew it was Happy. He was probably calling her because she remembered that she'd promised to text him when she got home…and she'd never gotten home…so she'd never texted him. It continued to go off and Obadiah just groaned, but didn't move. She just hoped that Happy would worry and come looking for her. There were only so many places that she would be and she just hoped that Happy would know that.

"Rest…relax…" Obadiah breathed into her ear. "That's what you're supposed to be doing…" He moved a bit, but didn't move off of her. He just repositioned his weight. She still felt like she was being crushed. "You wouldn't want to get anyone else involved, would you?" He grinned down at her and then his lips covered hers again. The kiss was wet and forced and Pepper felt like she was drowning.

Finally, Obadiah moved off of her. Pepper swore that Happy had called her twenty times before he finally moved. She watched as he searched through his suit pockets. Pepper managed to roll to her side and then sit up. Her head was spinning and she felt heavy. She shook her head and tried to push away the heaviness, but it clung to her. She felt so dirty and sick.

"I was hoping I wouldn't need this," Obadiah said.

Pepper looked over to see him waving around a little blue pill. She had hoped that he was done with her. That he'd just leave her there. "JARVIS…JARVIS…call—"

"JARVIS, lock out Ms. Potts from the system," Obadiah spoke up.

"Unable to comply, Mr. Stane. It requires Mr. Stark's authorization," JARVIS reported.

"Stark is dead!"

"I have not been informed properly of his status," JARVIS replied. "Until then, your action requires Mr. Stark's authorization."

Pepper felt like smiling, but she found her head falling forward and her hand came up to try to catch it. She didn't think she could stand let alone crawl in order to move from where she was. "call—call—" she tried to get out, but darkness was pushing to force her to sleep.

. . .

Music was playing and Pepper found wine being poured down her throat. She was suddenly choking on it and then he pulled the glass away. Obadiah was staring at her and Pepper felt sick. She was completely undressed and Pepper hurt and wondered what had been done to her. It took her a moment to realize that they were at the mansion and before she could try to argue or move, Obadiah was flipping her so that she was positioned over the armrest of the couch.

"Stop!" she yelled.

"You've been saying that all night, but you haven't really wanted me to stop," Obadiah teased as he moved behind her, she could feel his body between her legs and pressing against her backside.

Pepper felt him closer and felt sick from his touch and what he intended to do…and it struck her that she was fairly sure he'd already done things to violate her, which only made her sicker. She tried to feel out her body, to try to see if she had the strength to push him off. She didn't want him against her.

"I'm going to tell you something that you're not going to remember in the morning," Obadiah said as he brushed her hair off of her back.

Pepper froze and listened. She stayed still and just waited.

"I'm sure through this whole night, every time you've come to you've wished one thing…that Tony would come stumbling through that door with another one of his whores…" Obadiah said and then laughed. "The truth is…I ordered for him to be taken…to be killed…and if he's not dead yet, he will be shortly… He's never walking through that door, Pepper… Whatever crush you have on Tony…you'll just have to let it go…" He reached out and ran his hand down her spine.

His words sunk in and she just acted. She brought up a knee and pushed back to kick his groin. He grunted and fell backward. She turned and must have turned too quickly because she became dizzy. Pepper grasped the armrest and looked around. She knew this house, she did, but she couldn't seem to think clearly. She moved towards the door that led to the beach, but Obadiah caught her foot and she fell to the ground. Pepper felt the air being pushed from her lungs.

"I'm not done with you!" Obadiah yelled at her.

Pepper kicked his hand from her foot and then got to her feet and stumbled towards Tony's bedroom. She wished she'd seen her cell phone and had been able to pick it up. If she could make it to a room with a lock, she could lock herself in and call 911. She made it across the room and then was slammed against the wall. She screamed and crumpled to the floor. Obadiah grabbed her and forced her up. She reached out and grabbed the nearest thing she could, a wine bottle, and hit Obadiah with it. It was enough for him to release his hold on her. She turned and moved as quickly as her still recovering legs would take her. She made it into Tony's bedroom and moved further until she was in the bathroom before turning and locking the door. She turned and put her back against it. In the mirror she stared at her own naked form. She couldn't help it; she burst into tears and collapsed against the door.

"Pepper!" Obadiah yelled as he pounded on the door.

Curling up, she wrapped her arms around her legs and just sobbed into her knees. Whatever Obadiah had done, she was getting tired…and she almost wished for it. She didn't know how any of this happened, but one thing she knew…if Tony were there…he would have protected her from Obadiah… Pepper was sure, even if Tony was drinking… She'd noticed that he seemed to look out for her, in his own subtle way that he didn't think she noticed. And that memory made her sob all the more.

"Open this door!" he continued.

"JARVIS," Pepper managed to get out between sobs.

"Yes, Ms. Potts?" JARVIS asked.

Pepper thought about calling the police. She couldn't report it, not right now. Not after what she knew… That Obadiah had been behind Tony being fired upon, taken, and possibly already killed. She needed to be smart about this. "Can you anonymously contact the police and request them just to do a patrol of the area? That there was a report of someone suspicious on the grounds?" It was the best way she could think that would be enough that would spook Obadiah, so he'd leave her alone. Even with Tony's disappearance in Afghanistan, the Stark Malibu Mansion would receive prompt service from the local police.

"Are you sure that is all you wish to be in the call, Ms. Potts?"

"For now," she whispered. Pepper rubbed her face. Darkness was quickly trying to take over. All she could think was that she needed to get clean. But with Obadiah still at the door, she wasn't sure about moving. It was dark in the bathroom, but Pepper wasn't going to turn on the lights. He could think that she was passed out, which was probably going to happen. "JARVIS," she whispered just barely. "If Obadiah tries to get in here, you call the police back…and you tell him that Obadiah Stane is responsible for Tony Stark's capture and assaulted me."

"Ms. Potts, I would advise—"

But she didn't hear JARVIS, her eyes just slid shut and really, she was glad for it.

. . .

When Pepper woke again, she was in the shower curled up on the floor of it with water running. She was thankful that at least the water was hot, though she was fairly sure that no amount of water would run cold on the hot setting in that house…not with the water heater system they had. She stared upwards and tried to remember how she'd gotten there. She knew where she was. At Tony's house…in his bathroom… She blinked as she struggled for memories that wouldn't come.

Why was she in the house?

The last she remembered, she had planned on not stepping foot in that house…at least not for a few more days until actual dust had settled.

Her skin was red and she felt like she'd scrubbed herself all over. Did she drink again? She remembered dinner with Obadiah and how they'd had the wine…but she hadn't had that much… Had they gone to the house and had more? Pepper wasn't sure. The world didn't seem to make as much sense as it had before. And her thinking about that just brought memories that made her cry.

"Tony…" she whispered through her tears.

Her skin wasn't the only thing that hurt, so did both of her eyes. Had she been crying before? She was absolutely exhausted and the bathroom was only lightly lit by natural light that filtered in through the window. Hugging herself she just let herself have a moment.

However minutes later, she finally turned off the water and got out of the shower. She grabbed the towels she had made sure were stocked for Tony and dried her body before putting her hair up and then grabbing another towel to wrap around her body. She'd make sure that she'd clean and restock it…but right now she was thankful that she hadn't just left things 'as is'.

It was a little after five in the morning and Pepper still wasn't sure what had happened. Slowly, she unlocked the bathroom door and peeked out. No one was in the bedroom and she slowly ventured into it. "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Ms. Potts?"

"Is anyone else in the house?"

"No."

That was all she cared about. She moved through the house that she knew so well. The whole house seemed to have darkened glass everywhere for privacy. Right now, she was extremely thankful for it. With the towel still wrapped around her, she went to see if any of the other rooms could give her any clues to what had happened.

On the couch, her things were neatly folded and lying there. Her shoes were on the table in front of it. That was so odd to her, after all, if she was going to take a shower…she wouldn't strip down there and then run to the shower. She would have stripped down in the bathroom or the bedroom.

Everything seemed clean.

In the kitchen, she looked around and noticed that there were two wine glasses that were set on the side of the sink. They also appeared to be washed. There were a few more empty bottles of the wine that she liked so much on the counter.

She really was thinking that she needed to stick to water.

Checking the trash bin, she worried suddenly. There was broken glass with bits of blood. She looked at her hands and arms first and then headed back to the bathroom to check herself in front of the mirror.

When she got back to the bathroom, she checked herself over. There was no blood or cuts. There were bruises, though, fresh bruises that she didn't remember. Pepper covered herself back up and then went to retrieve her clothes. She realized that she really wasn't thinking clearly or else she would have brought everything with her on her way from the kitchen to the bathroom.

She retrieved all the clothing pieces, but left the heels. She laid them out on the bed and then realized that not all of the pieces were there. Pepper just stared down at the pieces she had. Black blazer. Black skirt. Nude bra. She was missing two pieces. Pepper frowned and re-wrapped the towel to keep it tightly around her. She let her hair down from the towel and went to looking for the missing two pieces. Somewhere in that house were a pair of panties and her blouse. Pepper tried to remember specifics. She was fairly certain that the panties had been black and she felt like she'd worn her coral blouse. The blouse had cap sleeves and was slightly see-through, which was why she'd worn the nude bra.

Thirty minutes later and she still couldn't find them. She'd looked everywhere in the house. Finally, giving up, she grabbed her phone and retreated back into the bedroom. As she sat on the bed, trying to figure out what to do. She didn't drive there, she was positive of that, and she didn't have a full set of clothes…

She had ten missed text messages and about sixty missed calls. All of them were from Happy. The text messages started at about eight.

First message. Happy: I talked to you about two hours ago and I figured you'd be home by now. Just checking on you.

And she remembered that. She and Obadiah had had an early dinner. A work dinner. She remembered talking to Happy and telling him that she'd text him when she got home. She never did that obviously…and she never got home.

Second message. Happy: I'm really not trying to bug you. I just want to know you're alright.

Third message. Happy: I've tried calling you. I called the restaurant and they said that you left hours ago… I'm worried, Pepper. Just text me back.

Fourth message. Happy: I know this has been really hard on you and talking to Obadiah about those plans must make it worse…but please… I'm about ready to go looking for you.

Fifth message. Happy: No answer at your apartment. I'm sorry, but I had the super open your door for me. I just needed to make sure you're okay. Checking work next.

Sixth message. Happy: I went by Stark Industries and checked the offices, just to make sure. I'm going to the mansion next if you don't call or text me.

Seventh message. Happy: I'm at the house… The police were out front. Obadiah was here. He said that you'd gone home hours ago. He wouldn't let me in.

Eighth message. Happy: I got in anyways. I looked all over. The place looks clean, but not right. Maybe it's just because Tony isn't here. Obadiah is up to something. He's still here, but I checked everywhere you could be and still can't find you. I'm worried, Pepper!

Ninth message. Happy: Please. Just call me. Text me. Let me know you're okay. I'm literally circling the city.

Tenth message. Happy: I'm calling hospitals. The police said I can't file a missing persons report until you've been missing longer. How stupid is that? If you know a person, then you know when they're missing before their way too many hour requirement. If Tony were here, he'd have every officer and the military looking for you. Insteadm you're going to be stuck with me until I can get ahold of Rhodey…

Pepper frowned. Just what she needed. The police and military looking for her and she was at Tony's house…and had no idea what happened or why she was there…or where two pieces of her clothing were. And she couldn't tell Happy that. She looked down at the last missed call. He'd been calling every half an hour. His last call had been about the time she'd been in the bathroom last. She felt awful to have him so worried and knew that she had to tell him something.

Dialing his number, she held the phone up to her ear and leaned over her knees and closed her eyes. She tried to think up a good excuse of what had happened…and something that she could lie about, but was close enough to the truth…because she sucked at lying.

"Pepper? You okay? Where are you? I've been so worried," Happy rambled on quickly.

"I'm here," Pepper said. "I'm sorry I worried you…" She sighed. "I had wine…and I took something and I Just passed out… I didn't mean not to text you."

"I checked your apartment," Happy told her.

She'd forgotten that he'd texted that. "I know," she whispered. She rubbed her face with her free hand. "I'm sorry that I've worried you all night…and morning…"

"Are you okay? Do I need to come and get you?"

"I'm…I just need some time," she said. And it was true. "I'm at Tony's… I just… I didn't think that I'd ever miss him so much…or care so much…but it's really hard…" She started to break down and she felt horrible about it. Pepper couldn't help it, between the missing time and thinking about Tony she just couldn't hold it together.

"Let me come and get you," Happy offered.

"No," Pepper said. "You need to sleep. I've kept you up all night. I just passed out… I really hadn't meant to… I just wanted you to know that I was alive. I'm going to get a glass of water, take an Advil, and then crawl into a bed here."

"Do you want me to pick you up there later? Do you still want to do lunch? We can do a later lunch?"

"Why don't we just do dinner? It'll probably be the only meal I eat today," Pepper said.

"Okay…you call me when you're up and I'll come and get you when you're ready. You just let me know," Happy told her.

Pepper sniffled. "You're so sweet… You're such a good friend, Happy…" She knew that Tony would expect them to look out for each other and Happy would make sure she was okay. She wouldn't be surprised if he drove over and parked outside and slept in his car…just to be sure and be close. "Get some sleep and I'll call you later. Thank you again and I'm so sorry…"

"Don't apologize," Happy said quickly. "I'm just glad that you're safe. Night, Pepper."

"Night, Happy."

Pepper set her phone beside her on the bed and then looked around. This was a room that she'd never ever thought of herself sleeping in. Tonight, she was sleeping here. She didn't care if there were other rooms. This was the one she was sleeping in. If she wasn't sure how clean this bed was kept (three layers of mattress protection), then she'd be afraid to sleep in it after all the women Tony always had over. She moved the clothing pieces she had to chair before going to Tony's dresser. She pulled out a shirt and a pair of boxers. She pulled them on, knowing that everything would be back in place and cleaned up (including a whole new set of sheets) before she left later with Happy.

There was something about crawling into Tony's bed, under the covers, and in his shirt that brought such great comfort to her. She didn't know what it was. Maybe it was because deep down inside she still believed that he was alive. Maybe it just helped her to feel closer to him.

It felt like home.

"Good night, JARVIS," she whispered. She felt the need to say it to someone.

"Sleep well, Ms. Potts."

. . .

Five Days Later…

"Do I even want to know how much time you spent here while I was gone?" Tony asked. They'd just finished Tony's rather shocking press conference. Pepper hadn't wanted to let him out of her sight, though she knew that was just her worrying.

"I knew you were alive," Pepper told him. "I wanted things to be ready for you when you came home."

Tony approached her. She'd noticed that there was something different with him the moment he'd stepped off the plane. She wasn't sure if it was just because of what had happened in that cave in Afghanistan or if it was something more. Time would tell. He reached out and put his hands on her shoulders. "Pepper Potts. I have no idea how I got through those three months without you…"

"I'm just glad you're back," she told him with a beaming smile. She just couldn't stop. She was so thrilled that he was back. It was like the world was finally making sense. She was thankful that she'd taken time to rest and it had been perfect timing too!

Tony pulled her into a hug and Pepper was thankful, not only to have the closeness, but to hide her tears. She wrapped her arms around him and let the tears fall. He held her there and swayed for a moment. It was a good moment. A long one. The doorbell interrupted them and she was the first to pull away. "JARVIS?" Tony asked.

"Mr. Stane is at the door, Sir," JARVIS announced.

"Happy is bringing you dinner. He said that he'd made plans with you," Pepper said as she glanced down at her watch. "I'm going to head out, if that's all you needed?"

"Is Happy taking you home?"

"Yes." Normally she drove to work, but Happy had insisted that he drive. She had been sure that before he'd only done it to check up on her and to use it as an excuse to spend time with her in order to make sure that she was really okay. Pepper was a little worried that Happy would bring up the night that she didn't remember to Tony. She just hoped that if he did, that Tony didn't pay too much attention to it. He seemed a little distracted anyways. She just hoped that it was the good kind of distracted.

"Good," Tony said with a smile. "Pepper?"

"Yes?"

"First thing in the morning. We're going to have a busy day," Tony told her.

"You're not going to sleep, are you?" she asked. She could just see it. It wasn't uncommon, though. When Tony got wrapped up in something, then he dove right in and didn't care how much time passed.

"Probably not."

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"Have a good evening, Ms. Potts."

She beamed at him before turning to leave. She grabbed her jacket from the back of a chair and pulled it on and then picked up her purse. As she made her way towards the door, she saw Obadiah. It was the first time she'd seen him in days. Of course, she'd seen him when she'd dropped Tony off for the press conference, but that wasn't quite the same. They hadn't talked or had really any interaction. He stared at her oddly and Pepper didn't know why. She frowned as she tried to think of why he might be upset with her. She really couldn't care right now. All that mattered was that Tony was home…and he was safe. And things were going to be going back to normal.

. . .

The End.