A/N: Alrighty, so here's what happened. I sat down to write a short (ha ha ha) epilogue for this story and ended up with over 4000 words, so now I'm splitting the chapter and giving you two extra chapters instead. How does that sound? Sorry, you don't get a vote. LOL
I just ended up having too much to play out for one chapter, so now you've got two. I'll post the next one tomorrow and bowing to popular demand, I will also be writing an adults only conclusion to this fic. ;)
So, I'll leave you with this chapter and see you soon for the last one...
Chapter Twenty-Five
The door to the town car opened and Pepper looked up at Happy in confusion as he offered her his hand to help her out of the back seat. "We're at the house," she remarked as she took Happy's hand.
Happy nodded. "We are."
Pepper looked around at the familiar setting, the noise of the ocean below crashing against the cliffs and wrinkled her nose. She truly hadn't known what to expect from their first date. Tony had told her it was going to be special and for a man with a bottomless bank account and a wild imagination, that could truly mean anything. Pepper looked up at Happy. "Do you know what he's up to?"
"No, he's had me out of the house all afternoon."
"Me, too." Pepper hesitated. "Should we be worried?"
"I have yet to come across a time when worrying isn't an appropriate emotion when it comes to Tony Stark," said Happy in vague annoyance.
Pepper's lips twitched. "Are you two still not talking? Happy, it's been four days." Tony had been released on bail several hours after Happy and now it was in the hands of the lawyers but they'd been assured that everything was going to come out in their favour.
"We'll start talking when he apologises for biting me," said Happy stubbornly.
"You know apologies aren't Tony's strong suite."
"You know he's started talking both sides of the conversation to me now, right?" said Happy in agitation. "It craps me right off." He waggled a finger at Pepper. "Don't tell him I said that, Tony's not going to win this one."
Pepper shook her head at the stubbornness of the two men who were so very important to her. "You two need to fix this."
"All he has to do is apologise," Happy insisted. He smiled, changing the subject. "You look really beautiful tonight, Pep."
Pepper put a self-conscious hand to her hair which she'd styled in loose curls around her face and smoothed down the strapless, knee-high, fitted black dress. She gave a nervous smile. "Thanks." Pepper groaned and gave a self-deprecating smile. "I'm so nervous, it's crazy."
"Don't be, you two belong together," said Happy simply. "You just fit."
Pepper put a comforting hand on Happy's arm. "I promise you that this isn't going to make things weird around here for you, Happy."
Happy arched an eyebrow. "In the last month I've watched you being brought back from the dead, been involved in police chase with a human hood ornament, swum with man eaters, been bitten by my boss, been to jail and had to wrangle a caffeine jonesing squirrel out of the house," he recounted. "Explain to me how things could get any weirder around here, Pep?"
Pepper laughed. "Okay, yes, you make a good point."
"I just want you two to be happy," he paused. "Well, you more than him right now, but Tony lucks out on that one."
Pepper felt a fresh wave of nerves as she thought about what the rest of the evening might hold. "Do you want to come in for a little bit?"
Happy gave a dry laugh. "I think the saying 'three's a crowd' fits in right about here." He leaned down and kissed Pepper's cheek. "It's going to be fine, stop worrying."
"Thank you, Happy," she said huskily. "I think I needed to hear that."
"HEY! STOP KISSING MY GIRL!"
Tony's booming voice came from nowhere and they both started.
Pepper looked up at the surveillance camera in the corner of the driveway and shook her head at him in mild censure.
Tony obviously wasn't chastised because he then started up a conversation between him and Happy with Tony doing both sides.
"I'm sorry, boss, I don't know what I was thinking," Tony mimicked Happy.
"Just don't let it happen again," he replied to himself sternly.
"Can I say you're looking very handsome tonight, boss?"
"Are you sexually harassing me, Happy, because I'm telling you right now, I'm not that kind of girl."
"It's just that your animal magnetism is hard to ignore sometimes."
"Happy, we talked about this. Don't make me make good on that restraining order threat."
Happy rolled his eyes at Pepper at Tony's needling but didn't rise to the bait. "Have fun," he instructed her, "and if you could make the guy sweat for a bit, I'd consider that my birthday present from you this year."
Pepper laughed. "Thanks for driving me, Happy. I'll see you tomorrow."
Happy climbed into the car and drove off and left Pepper to make her way into the house. She took a deep breath and tried to settle the butterflies in her stomach. This was it, she was actually going on a real date with Tony Stark. The night was alive with possibilities.
oooOOOOooo
Tony stood by his work bench, fingers drumming noisily on its smooth surface as he waited for Pepper to arrive. He glanced back over his shoulder to see that everything was how he wanted it and then went back to nervously tapping his fingers on the bench. He'd changed his outfit about ten times before just opting for dark dress pants and white shirt with intricate brocade running through the material.
"Could you please refrain from making that annoying noise, sir?" asked Jarvis, almost sounding impatient.
Tony pulled a face. "You're a computer, you can't get annoyed."
"And yet here we are, sir."
Tony checked his watch. "Why is it taking so long for Pepper to come inside? Didn't you tell me they'd already pulled up?"
"I did, sir."
"Then where are they?"
"Still in the driveway."
Tony frowned. "What are they doing?"
"I believe they are talking, sir."
"Show me," Tony ordered him. He was a bundle of nerves waiting for Pepper to arrive. Tony wanted tonight to be perfect, the best night of Pepper's life. It was vitally important to him that nothing go wrong tonight. Jarvis flashed up the images from the surveillance camera up in the driveway and Pepper and Happy were standing by the car and were indeed talking. Tony leant in closer to the images. "What are they saying?"
"We don't have audio on those cameras," Jarvis reminded him.
Tony made a frustrated noise. "Well, can't you read lips or something?"
"You haven't programmed me to read lips."
"Just try and stop arguing with me!" Tony was desperate to know what they were talking about. He was worried Pepper was thinking of changing her mind about the whole thing. They'd shared some warm moments since he'd finally bailed out of jail but this date made it very, very real. Maybe Pepper was having second thoughts about taking him on and Tony couldn't really blame her.
"I believe Ms. Potts has just announced her bum stings a bit, to which Happy has replied he wishes to feed a clown."
"That is not what they said," said Tony in exasperation.
"And now they're kissing."
Tony practically leapt at the intercom button. "HEY, STOP KISSING MY GIRL!" he shouted into the intercom. He watched the two of them jump and then Pepper was giving him that disapproving look that Tony loved so much. With his eyes on Pepper, Tony couldn't resist annoying Happy for getting a kiss from Pepper before he had that night.
"I'm sorry, boss, I don't know what I was thinking," Tony mimicked Happy.
"Just don't let it happen again."
"Can I say you're looking very handsome tonight, boss?"
"Are you sexually harassing me, Happy, because I'm telling you right now, I'm not that kind of girl."
"It's just that your animal magnetism is hard to ignore sometimes."
"Happy, we talked about this. Don't make me make good on that restraining order threat."
Happy shook his head at the camera and then he was leaving and Tony watched as Pepper stood in front of the house for a moment before entering. She looked utterly gorgeous and Tony felt his mouth go dry at the prospect of actually spending an evening alone with her. He lost visual of Pepper but picked up audio when she walked into the living room.
"Tony, where are you?"
"In the lab," he replied, quickly checking one last time that everything was how he wanted it for her arrival. Tony had covered the entire lab with tea light candles and they lit the space with a soft, flickering light. All around Tony had dotted huge vases of red roses which filled the air with a heady scent. In the middle of the room he'd laid out a large rug with dozens of cushions all scattered around and a low set table which sported a lavish Moroccan meal which Tony had ordered in, knowing it was Pepper's favourite. In the centre of the table which they'd be sitting on cushions to eat from, was a large arrangement of violets, something Tony had come to think of as their flower.
"You know, you really need to apologise to Happy," Pepper's voice informed him as she made her way down to the lab.
"I know," said Tony ruefully. "What's a way of saying I'm sorry without actually using those exact words?"
"Just tell him you're sorry, Tony," she said in exasperation.
Tony clicked his fingers together. "I know, I'll get him something. What do you think he'd like?"
"An apology."
"I saw this really cool documentary on boa constrictors the other night," Tony mused.
"Don't get Happy a boa constrictor," said Pepper sharply.
"But, they're amazing."
"If Happy gets bitten one more time there will be hell to pay."
"It's not my fault animals look at him and think 'mm, juicy'," Tony protested. He looked up as Pepper's high heels made an appearance at the top of the stairs and all thoughts of Happy left him. Tony's nerves tightened, willing this night to go perfectly...