A/N: this one is in Starks view, I found it harder to write so I'm not as happy with it as chapter one, it also is more attached to the film, but hopefully in chapter 3 I'll start straying from the movies' storyline a bit more. Prin xx

2. You're all I have, Miss Potts.

"I thought that went well!" Stark exclaimed as he walked through the door, He had just announced to the world that Stark industries would no longer be producing weaponry and, for some reason, felt good about it, despite the three hours' worth of questioning by the press.

"Are you sure about this Mr. Stark? I mean, it's your fathers' life works, building up the company to what it is today," Pepper said, cautiously as she saw the scowl on his face. Stark never enjoyed being pressured by his fathers' memory, it made him feel that they were all wanting him to be like his father.

"I'm sure about this, Miss Potts. It feels right," He mumbled something about going downstairs, and left Pepper to handle the calls from various newspapers.

Stark poured himself a scotch and sat at his desk for a few moments, slowly sipping his drink in silent, deep thought. So I need an electromagnetic chip, to keep the shrapnel away; A palladium reactor to keep it working and I need to fix in a light…I like the light…, Pain shot across his chest causing him to break the small fragile glass clenched in his fingers, This really should be sorted out now.

The next few hours were spent with Starks highest attention, but soon he had made an altered, better version of the arc reactor.

"Yo, Butterfingers, over here! I need a light" The mechanical arm steered itself over to where Stark was indicating, a light flashed on over the chair that looked like the sort you would get at a dentist surgery. Upstairs he could hear Pepper watching the 6 o'clock news, Starks announcement was the headliner, obviously. He pulled off his shirt revealing the arc reactor ticking dully in his chest. He clutched the new one firmly in his hand; he tapped the one still in his chest.

"Pepper how big are your hands?" He asked the telecom, linked to every room in the house,

"What?" her voice sounded confused,

"How big are your hands?" He repeated,

"Why? I don't understand-"

"Get down here, I need you," Stark hated showing anyone any trust or affection, almost as much as he hated people handing him stuff. He just had a stronger connection with Pepper; he could actually trust her with his life.

Pepper prodded the glass slowly, not needing to even glance at the digits. Her eyes were pinned on Stark and what he was holding,

"Hold up your hands," He commanded as she walked through the door, "C'mon hold 'em up," He wiggled his fingers a few times in her direction. Getting the message, she held up her hands cautiously.

"Wow, they are tiny, really petite," He noticed how small her hands were, slender fingers finished with a perfect manicure. For hands, they were quite attractive. Stark smirked at her,

"Is that the thing that's keeping you alive?" Pepper asked, gesturing to the new reactor he was holding,

"No, but it will be. That's why I need your help," Stark pulled the old reactor out of his chest gently, leaving a metal-lined hole leading right down into his body clearly visible, "I need you to reach down there and pull up the copper wire okay? The copper wire," She nodded and reached for his chest, "just don't let the copper wire touch the sides. It's like operation, you touch the side, I go beep,"

She reached for his chest again, only to jolt her hand away, "I don't think I'm entirely qualified to do this, I'm not capable!"

"Pepper, you are the most qualified, capable person I have ever met. I need you, to do this..." He stared at her with a look of trust; she dipped her hand into the hole.

"Ugh! T-there's pus!" She exclaimed,

"It's not pus, just a discharge from the machine not from my body...The copper wire, you found it?" Stark felt a sharp surge of electricity run through his body. He jolted from the shock nearly making Pepper drop the wire,

"Stay Still; or I'll get you again!" She hissed,

Stark sighed, "okay, now you've got that, whatever you do, do not pull out the magnet at the end of the-!"

His body seized up, Stark couldn't breathe. He felt his heart stop momentarily, start again, and stop again,

"What's going on?" He heard Pepper say faintly,

"Oh, nothing...I'm just going into cardiac arrest..." He managed to choke out,

"What? I thought you said this was safe!" She cried, fumbling around his hand trying to get a firm grip on the fragile invention, "Tony, everything will be okay, I promise," She clipped the device into the hole. Stark let out a strangled gasp, then spent a few moments gasping for breath, the new reactor gently whirring in his chest.

"Don't ever, ever, ever make me do that again!" She laughed, holding her goo covered hands a metre away from her dress,

"Thank you, Miss. Potts," He smiled softly at her, "dispose of that will you?" He nodded at the old device,

"Don't you want to keep it?" Stark had pulled his shirt back on now; he turned to face her,

"Miss. Potts I have been called many things, nostalgic is not one of them," He smirked at her as she walked away.

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" She asked politely,

"Yes, Miss. Potts, that will be all" He responded in the same tone.

In a matter of minutes, Stark had already digitally built the Iron suit and had begun taking away 'overly bulky' bits as well as making the suit more streamlined. Construction would begin tomorrow. It was well past ten when he trudged upstairs, he began making his way to his room before he realised that JARVIS hadn't told him if Pepper had left. Maybe his systems were malfunctioning?

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Just checking...Where is Miss. Potts?" He asked the AI,

"In her office, sir. She seems quite stressed; may I suggest getting her a drink and offer her to stay the night?"

Stark nodded in agreement. Normally, he hated guests, but Pepper was the only exception to his hatred. He poured a scotch for himself and a glass of Pepper's favourite white wine and put them on a tray. He knocked gently on the door to her office and let himself in, without waiting for an answer, it was his house wasn't it? He saw Pepper sat at her desk, head in her hands. Her long, curly, strawberry-blonde hair cascading down her back and her bright blue eyes fixed on the words in front of her. He placed the tray on the desk and sat opposite her,

"I brought you a drink," he pointed out after a minute of silence,

"Thank you, but I have so much to do; I just need to be left alone," She said, without looking up from her screen,

"No, Pepper, you're going to stop working, have a drink and stay here tonight, Jarvis is heating up your bed for you." she nodded, hesitantly taking a sip from the glass of wine.

Pepper and Stark spent the next hour talking about the company,

"This is not 'taking a break' Miss. Potts" Stark finally said dryly, topping up her drink before she had finished it. Pepper sighed,

"I'm sorry, Tony; about earlier...I almost killed you. When that needs to be done again, please ask someone else, if something worse happened and it was because of me, I wouldn't be able to live with that..." Pepper looked on the verge of tears; she looked away from him as if to hide it, but stark had already noticed. He leapt out of his seat and hugged her,

"I would ask someone else, but the thing is; you're all I have Miss. Potts..." He whispered in her ear, inhaling her scent, a light combination of roses and lavender; noticeable enough to make you notice it as you walk by yet subtle enough not to choke anyone walking behind her,

"Mr. Stark?" He released her, immediately realising that he had been holding her far longer than what was deemed appropriate when hugging your assistant, "If you excuse me now, I'll be going to bed now" she was blushing, her face was pinker than a Barbie dolls handbag, he had smelt her hair and she knew this,

"Goodnight Miss. Potts," He called down the hallway after her.

Damn. Why'd you have to go and do that Tony? Now she thinks you like her, Stupid. He knocked over the pencil pot and at small attempt at venting his frustration, it didn't work. He picked the Pencils up and shoved them untidily back into the pot, straightened his shirt and left for his room.

Idiot.