AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks again for all the comments, guys. It's making me want to start posting some of my other Pepperony fics now. I just read a story I started after seeing IM2 for the first time and got really caught up in it. Now I want to know how it ends. LOL No Avengers in it, but some great Happy/Tony stuff and of course, Pepperony.

Just a quick shout out to Abbey who asked me whether the Avengers movie is worth seeing... a big HELL YEAH from me on that one. Joss Whedon did a great job of bringing so many big characters together and giving them all a story to tell. It was a huge ask, but I don't think I've spoken to anyone who doesn't think he's pulled it off. I really enjoyed the movie and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone, and yes, even though there is only a little Pepperony in the movie, what was there rocked IMO. :D

Anyway, on with the show as the saying goes. Hope you all enjoy...

Chapter FOUR

Tony stood in one spot outside the medical unit, eyes boring unblinkingly into the titanium doors which hid Pepper from his sight. He unconsciously rocked back and forward, all of his energy on the door, as though he could mentally reach through the barrier between them and bring Pepper out of this. Thor, Bruce and Steve kept vigil with him. Tony managed to tear his eyes from the door for the briefest of looks at his watch. It had now been twenty-one minutes since the doctor had ejected the protesting Tony from the room. What the hell was taking so long? The violence of his rocking increased.

Bruce looked up at him from where he'd chosen to take a seat on one of the benches which lined the mostly white room. "Take a seat, Tony, you're making me sea sick."

Not taking his eyes off the door, Tony sat down beside the other man. His right leg began to jiggle furiously, causing the whole bench to vibrate.

Bruce pulled a face as his whole body jiggled along with Tony's antsy leg. "Okay, I was wrong, that's even more annoying. Stand up again."

Tony launched himself out of his seat and started pacing, anxiety written deeply into his face. "Why is this taking so long? It shouldn't be taking this long. Something is wrong."

Steve was standing at the other end of the room, his hands in his pockets. "I'm sure the doc is just being thorough, Tony. You want that, don't you?"

"Of course I do," he bit out. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"I do not believe the Captain meant to imply otherwise," said Thor evenly. "I know you are anxious-"

"You don't know anything," Tony snapped. "So why don't you just shut the hell up?" He gritted his teeth, knowing he was being unfair, but it simply wasn't in Tony right now to observe social niceties which were never his foray at the best of times. Pepper was always the one who smoothed over his rough edges, only she wasn't there right now. Tony's jaw ached from how hard he was clenching his jaw. "Jarvis," he barked out, "is the analysis of the drug in Pepper's system complete yet?"

"No, sir," came the calm reply. "I would have informed you if it had."

"What's taking so long?" asked Tony in agitation. That seemed to be the only question he could ask all of a sudden. "I said I wanted it done immediately."

"And it was, sir, but analysis is not yet complete."

"Do something to make it go faster," Tony ordered him.

"Like what, sir? I have no control over the laws of chemistry."

"I don't know, push more buttons or something," said Tony in frustration. "Just humour me, okay?"

"Very well, sir. You choice of footwear in no way makes you look like an aging Lothario trying to recapture his long lost youth."

Steve's lips quirked at the slight, despite the seriousness of the situation.

Tony blinked and looked down at his trendy sneaks and then back up at where Jarvis' voice was coming from. "What, the hell, was that?"

"Me humouring you, sir," was the stoic reply.

Tony jabbed a finger in the air at the nebulous Jarvis. "When we're through this crisis I'm going to do an overhaul of your persona circuitry," he threatened his own creation. "You're getting a little too mouthy for my liking."

"Very good, sir," was Jarvis' differential reply.

"And the shoes are hip," said Tony defensively.

"Of course they are, sir."

Any further discussion on the subject was ended when the doctor walked out of the treatment room. Tony practically leapt on him. "How is she? Is Pepper alright?"

The grey haired doctor pushed his glasses up his nose and fixed his attention on Tony. "Miss Potts is resting. She's sustained a broken rib and some bruising in the incident."

"But she's going to be alright?" Tony pushed for a definitive answer.

"I believe so, yes. I'm a little concerned about her cardiac function-"

"What?" Tony interrupted. "Why? Pepper's heart is perfect."

The doctor grimaced. "That may be, but whatever that drug was, it's interfered with her heart muscles. She's having bouts of arrhythmias that I'm a little concerned about."

Steve came to stand beside Tony, brows furrowed in concern. "Are you saying Pepper could have a heart attack?"

"I'm saying I'd like to keep an eye on her for the next twelve hours," said the doctor. "At least until we know for sure that drug is out of her system." He looked at Tony hopefully. "I don't suppose we know what it was yet?"

"Still working on it," said Tony grimly. "Can I see her?"

The doctor hesitated and looked back over his shoulder.

"Please." The word was an unfamiliar one on Tony's lips and his voice cracked a little as he said it.

The doctor reluctantly nodded. "Don't let her talk too much. She's not very coherent. The drug has had a hallucinatory effect on Miss Potts as well. Don't expect much sense from her."

"I just want to see her," said Tony unevenly. When he'd flown back to the Tower, she'd been a limp rag in his arms and it had frightened him badly to see the usually vibrant Pepper like that. In his head, Tony knew if he could just see her, touch her, then everything was going to be alright.

"Just for a minute, then you have to let her rest," the doctor instructed him.

Tony nodded mutely and walked into the room. A nurse was fussing over Pepper's bed as machines clicked and whirred quietly in the background. Usually Tony found the sound of machinery going about its business to be soothing. Today though, it only served to remind him how close he'd come to losing everything and that such a thing could still happen. The pretty brown haired nurse smiled at him but Tony barely registered her presence. She faded away as he came to sit by Pepper's bedside. An ugly bruise ran along one side of her neck, where the tranquiliser dart had embedded itself. Wires were attached to Pepper's chest and hooked up to a monitor which kept an eye on her heart. Tony reached out and took her hand, not liking how cold it felt.

Pepper's eyes fluttered opened. She looked up at him with those liquid blue eyes of hers. "Tony," she rasped, her voice roughened from disuse.

Tony felt his eyes sting with unexpected tears at hearing his name on Pepper's lips again. For a few agonising minutes he didn't know if he'd ever hear that sweet sound again. His hand tightened on hers as he smiled down at her. "I'm here, Pepper, I'm here."

She blinked and looked disorientated, looking past him, over his shoulder. "I forgot my umbrella, did you bring my umbrella?"

Tony hesitated. "Sure, I've got your umbrella, it's okay."

"I thought the penguins took it," she mumbled tiredly.

Tony grimaced, glad the doctor had given him the heads up about her confusion before coming in. "Probably, they're shifty like that," he humoured her. "Never trust anyone who doesn't allow a bit of colour into their wardrobe."

"Do you think they're watching us?" she asked in distress, her hand squeezing his tightly.

"No," said Tony with great certainty, putting his other hand over their joined ones and rubbing hers reassuringly. "I installed anti-penguin security just yesterday. No one with a waddle can get within a hundred feet of the building, I promise, Pepper. You're safe."

"Good," she said tiredly, eyes beginning to droop and words slurring. "That makes-makes me so marmalade."

Tony was forced to swallow hard to dislodge the lump in his throat. "That makes me marmalade too, Pepper." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the soft skin of the back of her hand.

Her eyes were closed now, and the slow rise and fall of her chest told Tony Pepper had fallen back asleep. It was a beautiful sight.

Tony heard the doctor clear his throat behind him. "It's time to go, Mr. Stark."

Tony didn't take his eyes off Pepper. "No."

"Mr. Stark-"

"I said no." Tony stroked the Pepper's hands, finding it impossible to take his eyes off her. "I'm staying."

The doctor walked around to the other side of the bed and looked down at him. "We have people who will watch Miss Potts overnight. You don't need to worry, Mr. Stark."

Tony bit back a retort at that comment. "I'm not leaving." He finally managed to drag his eyes from Pepper to stare back at the concerned doctor. "I won't get in the way, but I need to be here."

The doctor must have seen the quiet determination in his eyes because he relented, inclining his head. "Very well, but that chair isn't very comfortable, just to warn you."

"I don't care," said Tony simply. "All that matters is Pepper."

oooOOOOooo

Bruce, Thor and Steve stood outside the medical room, discussing what they should do with the three men they captured.

Steve shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I think we should hand them into the police."

Bruce shook his head. "I don't think Tony would be too pleased about that."

"Last time I checked, Tony Stark didn't trump the American constitution," Steve argued. "These guys have rights. We might not like it, but that's how it is."

"In my world, we take care of our own," said Thor firmly. "We should let Tony Stark take care of these miscreants as he sees fit."

Steve grimaced. "I don't think he's in a good frame of mind to be making decisions right now."

"They were going to kill his woman," said Thor stubbornly. "This cannot go unpunished."

"We don't know what they were going to do with Pepper," Bruce reasoned. "I think we need to have a little more information before we make any decisions. This may be a long way from over."

Steve looked over at the closed doors to the medical room. "I don't think Tony is coming out of there tonight." His jaw hardened. "I know I wouldn't."

"Then we deal with this tomorrow," said Bruce. "Those three aren't going anywhere."

The three men nodded in agreement, letting Tony and Pepper be for the night...