Author's Note: Thank you so so much to everyone for the feedback. It's wonderful to know how everyone is responding. Here is chapter four, which is hopefully well worth the wait. Enjoy!

Pepper couldn't stop smiling. It seemed that Fate had shined on her for the first time in a long time. She knew in her heart that there were still several issues that needed to be addressed and resolved, but Tony was awake and apparently no worse for wear, which was in itself a miracle. There were so many things that could have gone wrong. He could have sustained brain damage when he fell and hit his head. He could have died from being without oxygen. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, and yet, Tony Stark had come out of it all with a few broken ribs—thanks to Happy's CPR—and a knot on his head. The dark part of her mind had not allowed her to hope that he would awake and be completely normal. Part of her had believed that her deception had been so cruel that she didn't deserve to have Tony—her normal Tony—back. But it seemed that life was not as cruel to Pepper Potts as she would be to herself.

"Pepper?" Tony asked, interrupting Pepper's thoughts. She jumped in surprise.

"Yes?"

"When are they going to let me out of this place?"

"Um, they're going to run some tests just to make sure that everything is okay, and then they'll think about letting you go."

"Think about it? They haven't had time to think about it yet?" he asked insistently.

"Tony, you're a billionaire weapons manufacturer with a wicked legal team. They're not just going to let you walk out of here a few minutes after you wake up. They're just trying to save themselves a law suit."

"Tell them I'm not going to sue them and that I want to go."

"I'll do no such thing. You can wait. We really should make sure that everything is okay," Pepper said smartly. She didn't want to admit to him that she was having the doctors run all these tests. There was still a part of her that was afraid that something would be wrong, and she needed these tests for her peace of mind. Not to mention, Tony's health.

Beneath her smiling exterior, her conscience was tearing at her. She had gotten in trouble by hiding things from him, and here she was doing it again. She tired to justify her actions by telling herself that it was in Tony's best interests, and that was what she was paid for. The problem was, there was a tiny voice in the back of her head reminding her that when she had kept her "dates" with Happy secret from him, that had been in his "best interests" too, and didn't exactly have fantastic results. The truth of what she was doing was threatening to burst forth from her lips at any second, so she quickly rose and began to leave the room.

"Where do you think you're going, Miss Potts?" Tony asked. He was using that tone. That tone. The one that he always used when he called her "Miss Potts." It was flirtatious, but there was an underlying intimacy that reflected their years together. It was a tone that would make her do pretty much anything he wanted, which was exactly why she had to get out of the room, right now. He was making her smile wider, and making her want to look at him and spill every thought that she ever had. Yeah, definitely time for an exit.

"I'm going to talk to your doctor, Mr. Stark," she said with a smile. She was using that tone. That tone. It was the one that she always used when he called her "Miss Potts." He knew it was a response to his flirtation, but there was an intimacy in her voice. Pepper wasn't the kind of girl—woman—who would fake such feelings. But his recent discovery of her secret date with Happy Hogan had turned that assumption on its head. Yes, she was sitting at his bedside, but then, so was Hogan. Hogan was standing right beside her this whole time…Before he could answer, she was already out the door.

She made it around the corner to the women's bathroom that was on the hall. Minute after minute passed in stony silence as she studied herself in the mirror, not at all satisfied with what she saw. The woman staring back at her was hiding something—several somethings—from someone that was too important to hide them from. He was her employer, yes, but above all, he was her friend. He was her more-than-just-a-boss-or-friend. If he didn't mean anything to her, that tone wouldn't work on her. Yes, she owed him honesty, and if he hated her for it, well…she would just have to live with that. Drawing a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and made her way down the hall to where Tony was still in bed. Happy was standing outside the door.

"I didn't want to be alone with him until you had a chance to explain," Happy said in explanation. Pepper smiled at him and nodded before pushing the door open.

"Couldn't stay away, Miss Potts?" Tony asked, an ironic smile on his face. While she couldn't help but smile a bit at him, she didn't miss the edge in his voice. He was still jealous of what he thought she had with Happy. Of course, she hadn't really given him a whole lot of reason to believe that things were different between them. But she had to clean the air between them. She hadn't been lying when she told him that she had some explaining to do. And she needed to do so now, before things got any further out of control.

"Something like that," she answered, her smile disappearing. She took a seat in the chair beside him and took a deep breath, bracing herself for the conversation that she knew was coming. Tony's braced himself as he saw the seriousness on her face, and while he tried to keep smiling, he was readying himself for news that had the potential to be catastrophic to him.

"Tony…this thing with Happy…it isn't what you think—"

"You mean that you're not hiding your dates with him from me?" Tony asked. Internally, he cringed. He didn't want to be an ass to Pepper, especially when she was about to tell him something important. He could be an ass afterwards.

"Guilty as charged. But, Tony…do you know how hard it is to date in the shadow of Tony Stark?" Of course he didn't. He was Tony Stark, the one night stand kind of guy, and everyone assumed that she was on of those one night stands, despite the fact that she had never slept with him. And all of that made dating extremely hard. When Tony didn't respond, she continued. "Of course you don't, because you are Tony Stark. You don't actually have to try to get a date—if you wanted a date."

"Well you wouldn't have to try very hard—" he started, but she cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"Tony, every man that I have ever dated after you hired me has assumed that I slept you. Having a guy imply that you've slept with your boss isn't really the best way to start a date—or a relationship for that matter. To be entirely honest, it's ridiculous. I shouldn't have to start every date I ever go on with a disclaimer that says, "Don't worry, I haven't slept with Tony Stark," only to have everyone not believe me."

"Well, I could fire you if that would make it easier—"

"It wouldn't help. Besides, I shouldn't have to choose between my job and my personal life. It's like…it doesn't matter what I sat, there's this idea that seems to be in everyone's head that I've slept with you, and that's that."

"Well, we could just make the rumors true," he suggested with a sexy smirk that sent shivers down her spine. Instead of smiling like she wanted to, she gave him a reproachful look.

"Then they wouldn't be rumors. My point is, it's hard to date. It's hard enough when you're a normal person, more or less when you're…"

"The famous Pepper Potts?" he finished for her. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, they both cringed. She hated the hearing those words, and he hated that he had spoken them.

"Exactly. And then there's the fact that work somehow ties into every aspect of my life. You and Happy are closer to me than any other people in this world. You two mean more to me than anyone else in this world—"

"But you chose him."

The silence that fell between them was thick and tense. He could see the pained expression on her face, and hated himself for putting it there, but then, he was right. She had chosen Happy…so why did she look so upset when he mentioned it? After all, it was her decision. He was just stating the obvious.

"I didn't choose him. I had dinner with a friend. I don't really think that counts as 'choosing him.' I wasn't actually aware that this situation required me to choose between you two," Pepper said, frustration creeping into her voice. "Do you know what a relief it is to actually be able to sit down and have dinner with someone who doesn't care about the fact that you're going to talk about work? Just to sit down and talk to someone who doesn't care about whether or not you've slept with your boss?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. You and I do it all the time."

The obviousness of his answer caught her completely by surprise. They often dined together when they were working late, or when he had forgotten to eat and she was making sure that he did so. She had never thought of those occasions as dinner with a friend, but they were. When they sat down to eat, he wasn't her boss…It had been a long time since he actually acted like her boss. These days, more often than not, she was the one bossing him around.

"If it's like you say it is, why did you hide it from me? If it really is just dinner with a friend, why hide it?" he asked.

"Because I knew that you would be jealous. And you were, and because of it, you ended up here. You're in the hospital because of my decision."

"I wouldn't have been jealous if I knew…okay, that's a lie—"

"Tony, Happy and I are just friends. I can go to dinner with him and talk to him and he doesn't care if it's about work, and he's not constantly wondering if I've slept with you, which is really nice. The bottom line is, Happy and I are not a couple, and you've reason to be jealous. So lets not have anymore trips to the hospital over it, okay?" Pepper said.

At some point in time over the course of the conversation, he had taken her hand. Neither one of them was entirely sure when it had happened, but they didn't move to unto it either. Instead, they stayed perfectly still, staring at his larger, calloused fingers interlaced with her small, delicate ones. It was so different from the way she had been clinging to him earlier. Before he had awakened, she was clinging to him in desperation, as if by clutching his hand, she could make him come back to her completely normal. Now, it was comfort…it was him offering her what comfort and apology he could.

Their moment was interrupted by the doctor sticking his head into the room. Pepper tried to pull her hand away, but Tony wouldn't allow it. They were not doing anything to be ashamed of, and he wasn't going to let anyone think that they were. Because being seen holding Pepper Potts' hand was absolutely something that he would never be ashamed of. Instead, he would cherish every moment that she would let him hold her hand.

"Mr. Stark, your labs are back, and we've got to have a little discussion," the doctor said. Pepper's heart started pounding nervously in her chest, just waiting for the doctor to say that there was some kind of complication that was her fault. Tony just nodded.

"Your liver function is not what it should be. It isn't dangerously decreased, which is good, but it is lower than I would like it be—"

"What does that mean?" Tony asked. Pepper felt her chest tighten and her stomach drop. She tightened her grip on his hand, and his heart started pounding. He could see her pale as the doctor talked about his liver function, and he grew nervous. If Pepper was worried, there was a reason to be worried, and Pepper looked like she was about to lose her breakfast.

Tony might not have known what this meant, but Pepper did. Alcohol caused decreased liver function, especially when used in excess. This was not something that Tony was going to want to hear, it wasn't something that he was ready to hear, and Pepper wasn't really sure if it was something she was ready for. It was one thing to intellectually know that it was a problem to be dealt with, but reality was another thing altogether.

"It means that you need to stop drinking, any drugs you've been taking—"

The implication in the doctor's voice made Tony's temper flair. While the doctor was correct in his assumption of Tony's problem, Pepper definitely wished that he would have handled it better than he did. He tightened his free hand into a fist, trying to control his anger. Pepper could already tell that this situation wasn't going to turn out well at all without some type of assistance from herself.

"What are you implying?" Tony demanded.

"I'm saying that you have a problem, Mr. Stark, and that there are plenty of good, private place where you can receive treatment—"

"I don't need treatment, because I don't have a problem!" Tony shot back, his voice rising. Pepper put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Tony, please," Pepper said, trying to calm him.

"Pepper, you can't seriously—"

"Can you give us a moment alone, please?" she asked the doctor. He nodded and rose from his chair before quickly exiting the room.

"Pepper, you can't be taking his side."

"Tony, if I didn't love you so much, I would be content to sit back and watch you drink yourself to death. But I can't do that—"

"Pepper—"

"Tony, please listen to me." To say that she was practically begging would be highly appropriate. Normally, begging wasn't her style. She would much prefer that she just tell him what to do and have him do it. However, this was too important for her to worry about how begging was going to change the dynamic of their relationship. If he kept up his drinking, he wouldn't be alive to have a relationship with.

"Tony, we found you unconscious in a puddle of scotch. How many times has Happy had to bring you home because you couldn't get yourself there? Two weeks ago, I sat up all night with you to make sure that you didn't choke on your own vomit. When you thought I was dating Happy, you went straight to the scotch…Doesn't that tell you something?"

There were tears in her eyes as she spoke. She couldn't resist reaching out for him, running her hand over his face, trying to make him understand. If willpower counted for anything, he would have understood immediately. Instead, he stared at her for a moment, contemplating, realizing that she was right. He had lost too many nights with booze and women—mostly the booze recently—and waking up to find that he didn't remember the night. He had always hoped that the sex had been good, because mostly, he didn't remember it at all. And here was Pepper—the woman of his dreams, literally—begging him to see reason.

"Yes…Pepper, I don't want to go to rehab—"

"Happy and I can help you. But you have to do this for yourself…You can't do it for anyone else but yourself. Not for…Rhodey or Happy or…me. You have to do this for—"

"Miss Potts?"

"Yes?" she answered, snapping to attention. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles lightly. Even the softest touch was enough to send shivers of pleasure down her spine.

"I'm ready to go home," he said, his voice full of trepidation. She smiled a little half smile and rose from her chair to go speak with his doctor. As she walked away, he called after her. "You'll help me through this, right?"

"Of course. Rhodey and Happy will be there, too."

"But you will be there, too."

"Yes. I will. I will be there to keep you company through it all." With that said, she pulled the door open and left the room. A split second later, the door opened again and she stepped back in.

"And Tony? Don't ever choose Johnny Walker over me…I'm the jealous type."

Author's Note: So, there it is. Let me know what you think, and I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!