Later, that afternoon, Laura was back in her office.

Staring at her monitors on her desk mindlessly.

"Bloomberg" was on her Stark TV to the wall to her right.

Filling the silence of the room.

Next to it were framed portraits of her degrees from M.I.T, her MBA, and her Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Her head was pounding though.

The incident at the restaurant a few hours ago did not help and a migraine appeared.

Her phone vibrated on her desk, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She grabbed it and saw Clint calling via "Stark Chat" and answered it, allowing his face to appear on the screen.

"Hey Clint." she greeted.

"Madam President" he joked.

"Oh God. Not you too." she groaned while leaning back in her chair while Clint laughed, clearly amused with himself.

"Please don't tell me Tony told you to call me that." she sighed.

"No but wait he calls you Madam President? That's hilarious!" he grinned.

"Ha, ha. So why do I owe this call?" she asked.

"I told you'd she forget." she heard Nat's voice in the background.

She flicked the screen, allowing a holographic to merger from the side to enlarge the view.

"Natasha, is that you?" she asked while she appeared next to Clint in the graphic.

"It is. And you're missing the Barton annual Christmas." she said.

"Oh my God. Yeah, I'm so sorry. I forgot about the invitation." she apologized sincerely.

She was invited to Thanksgiving again last month by the Barton's where they invited her to Christmas.

"Lila and Cooper are very disappointed there Auntie Laura isn't here. Lila can you grab Auntie Laura's stocking?" Clint asked while turning his head around.

"Is she on the phone!" Laura heard her excited voice and smiled while straightening up.

"You guys made me a stocking?" she asked surprised.

"I did, see." Lila appeared while holding the red stocking with her name on it.

"We're doing the Christmas movie marathon tomorrow. Can you come, Auntie Laura? Please…?" she begged dramatically.

"I mean who can say no to you and a Christmas movie marathon?" she joked back with a smile.

"Yay!" Lila cheered and disappeared from view.

"I promise I'll drop by tomorrow. I'll go home and begin packing right now." she promised.

"You better or I'll have Nat stun you in your own house again." Clint joked.

"I'd like to see her try this time." she said confidently.

Nat reappeared on the screen and raised an eyebrow.

"You don't want to challenge me Laura. It won't end well for you." she warned with a smirk.

"Challenge accepted." Laura taunted back, raising her chin.

"Yeah… I'll just walk over here…" Clint said while walking away, taking Nat out of view.

"So the two of you don't kill each other over the screen. I'll see you tomorrow Laura or I'll send Natasha after you." he joked.

"I'll head out of the office now and head home to pack!" she promised.

She hanged up and the graphics withdrew back into the phone.

She got up and strapped her bag over her shoulder.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow."


She headed out of her office and down into the lobby.

Walking past a Christmas tree and a giant Menorah.

She had her security badge pinned to her suit coat.

She saw Pepper and Happy walking in from an adjoining hallway.

Happy telling everyone passing by to wear their security badges.

"Laura, there you are! I've been trying to get you to sign these solar roof contract all day… wait are you heading out?" Pepper asked, stopping herself.

"Yes. It's Christmas." she shrugged her shoulders.

Pepper observed her closely, noticing how tired she was.

"Well okay, Laura. Can you please just sign these before you head out. It'll take five minutes. I promise." Pepper put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, boss." she muttered.

She took the vanilla folder, flipped it open and grabbed her pen.

While she signed and initialed them she vaguely heard the conversation between Pepper and Happy.

"Uh-huh. So, you're suggesting that I replace the entire janitorial staff with robots?" Pepper asked confused.

"What I'm saying is that the human element of Human Resources is our biggest point of vulnerability. We should start phasing it out immediately." Happy proposed.

"That may be your best idea yet Happy." Laura joked.

"See, she get it." he said while pointing at Laura.

"What? Did you just say that? Happy?" Pepper tried getting his attention.

"Yes." he nodded.

"Okay, I am thrilled that Laura made you the Head of Security, okay? It is the perfect position for you." Pepper began.

"My idea, by the way." Laura raised her hand proudly.

"Your best one yet." Happy smiled and she smiled back at him.

"However…" Pepper continued.

"I do appreciate it." Happy grinned.

"Since you've taken the post... We've had a rise in staff complaints of three hundred percent." she warned.

"Thank you." Happy smiled, taking it as a compliment.

"That's not a compliment." Pepper argued.

"That's not a compli...? It is a compliment! Clearly somebody's trying to hide something!" Happy accused and Laura nodded in agreement.

Slightly paranoid.

"Excuse me…" Pepper's secretary said while walking up to them.

"Yes?" Pepper nodded.

"Ms. Potts, your four o'clock is here." she got her attention.

"Thank you." Pepper replied.

"Four o clock? What four o clock?" Laura asked her.

"Just a very annoying thing. I used to work with him, and he used to ask me out all the time. So it's a little awkward." she sighed, not looking forward to it.

"I'm done with these by the way…" Laura closed the folder and gave it to Pepper.

"Thanks Laura. I appreciate it." Pepper smiled.

Happy opened her office doors that were adjacent to the lobby, revealing a handsome looking man with blonde hair by the coffee table.

"Pepper." he smiled.

"Killian?" she asked in shock.

"You look great. You look really great." he complimented.

"God, you look...you look great. I... I... I can't... What on earth have you been doing?" she managed to ask.

"Nothing fancy, just five years in the hands of physical therapists. And please, call me Aldrich." he said but looked over to Laura.

"Ms. Watson, I was not expecting you. It's an honor." he said and shook her hand.

"Thanks…" she frowned, noticing his gaze down at her prosthetics.

"Uh... you were supposed to be issued a security badge." Happy said while tapping his.

"Happy, it's okay." Pepper reassured him.

"Yes?" he asked unsure.

"We're good."

"You sure?" he asked concerned.

"Yes. Stand down." she ordered.

"Okay. We're gonna linger, right here." he said while gesturing to Laura.

She nodded and the two began backing up to the lobby.

"I don't like him." she whispered suspiciously.

"I agree. He's hiding something." he accused.


The two sat on the bench along the wall to watch Pepper and Killian through the wall of glass that wrapped around Pepper's office.

Unlike Laura's who's was tucked away and secluded in the corner of the top floor of the building, Pepper's was in the lobby right by the entrance so it was easily accessible.

The two eyed Killian's security guy who was slouching on another lounge chair, reading a magazine.

"Hey, Guy." Happy asked while tapping his pinned badge.

He reached for his which was on a coffee table and showed it to them.

Laura frowned.

Employees were heading out for the Christmas break while the two watched with concern.

"I'm going to call Tony…" Laura said while pulling out her phone from her bag.

She began calling him via Stark Chat but a holographic emerged from a bead in Pepper's office, revealing a large model of the human brain.

"That's weird…"Laura muttered.

"Hey, Watson." he greeted while his face appeared on her screen.

"Tony, there's something you should know…" she began but he interrupted.

"What? That Happy is harassing interns? I know that." he joked.

Laura saw in the background that he was in his shop once again.

"You harass interns?" she asked Happy, slightly amused.

"Enforcing security protocols isn't harassment!" he defended.

"Yeah, anyway Tony, Pepper is meeting with a creepy guy. I'm concerned." Laura warned.

"Yeah, she's meeting up with this scientist. Rich guy, handsome. I couldn't make his face at first, right? You know I'm good with faces." Happy continued.

"Oh, Yeah, yeah. You're the best." Tony said sarcastically.

"Yeah. Well, so I run his credentials, I make him Aldrich Killian. We actually met the guy back in... where were we in '99? The science conference?" Happy tried remembering.

"Science conference?" Laura asked confused.

"Um... Switzerland." Tony remembered.

"Right, right, exactly." Happy nodded.

"Killian? No, I don't remember that guy." Tony replied.

"Of course you don't. He's not a blond with a big rack. At first it was fine, they were talking business, but now it's like getting weird. He's showing her a big brain." Happy said while gesturing towards the holographic.

"His what?" Tony asked, not following along.

"Killian is showing Pepper some graphic of his brain. They're inside it and it looks like a life feed. It's weird." Laura said while flipping the camera around to give Tony a look.

He frowned and sat down at his setup.

"He's got another guy with him, he's shifty." Happy accused while eyeing his security guard still reading the magazine.

"Relax." Tony told them.

"Tony, I don't like this at all." Laura said with unease.

"I think SHIELD and Agent Romanoff have made you severely paranoid of everything, Watson." Tony waved her off.

"Don't call me paranoid…" she said angrily through her teeth.

"Guys, focus. Now I'm gonna follow this guy. I'm gonna run his plates and if it gets rough, so be it." Happy declared.

"Hey, I... I'd hate to cut you off. Do you have your taser on you?" Tony asked Laura.

"It's in my bag? Why?" she frowned.

"I think there's a gal in HR who's trying to steal some printer ink, you should probably go over there and zap her." he joked and hanged up on her.

"Very mature." she pouted.


The two watched Pepper and Killian conclude their meeting and walk out past them.

They headed outside to the curb by Killian's SUV and got up to walk over to them.

Killian kissed Pepper on the cheek which Laura frowned at.

His security guy got in the driver seat and Killian in the back.

She turned around and right in front of Laura and Happy.

"Guys…" she gasped, flustered.

"The car is ready, if you're ready to go…" he let her know while pointing at with his thumb.

"Yes. I just um... God, I forgot my... other thing, so... I'm just gonna." she rambled while slowly walking backwards back to the door.

"Weird." Laura mumbled.

Happy brought out his phone and took a picture of the rear license plate before the car drove away.

"Make sure to flag that. I don't want Killian on Stark property." Laura told him.

"Got it."


After wishing Happy a Merry Christmas and asking him to be safe while tailing Killian's security guy, Laura drove herself back to her house.

Darkness had fallen over the late December day.

She was in her room with a large suitcase opened on her large bed.

Before she was going to visit the Barton's she was going to head home to see her mom.

Her TV mounted to the wall in the middle of her entertainment stand was broadcasting the Knicks game at the Garden.

She was folding a pair of blue jeans but heard a familiar transmission interruption.

Her breathing hitched as she slowly turned back to it.

Seeing the "Ten Rings" symbol on it.

She used the mattress to balance herself with her arm as she saw a fist punch fortune cookies on a table, next to a bowl of them.

"True story about fortune cookies. They look Chinese, they sound Chinese, but they're actually an American invention. Which is why they're hollow, full of lies, and leave a bad taste in the mouth. My disciples just destroyed another cheap American knock-off, The Chinese Theater. Mr. President, I know this must be getting frustrating, but this season of terror is drawing to a close. And don't worry, the big one is coming; your graduation."

Laura struggled to breathe, choking on air while sweat poured down her face.

She saw Happy on the TV being rolled away on a stretcher during The Mandarin's broadcast.

It ended and the Knicks game resumed.

She took her trembling hand for her phone on the bed to call Tony.

"Tony…" she choked out but he interrupted her.

"I know. I'm driving to the hospital now!"


She sped down the freeway, at a dangerously highspeed to Cedars Sinai after grabbing a bouquet of flowers.

She parked out front, next to Tony's R8, rushing past the mob of press who were taking pictures of her and shouting questions.

Leaving the driver door open. Ignoring them, she ran to Happy's room.

She sped walked in, seeing Tony sitting by the windows.

"Hey Tony." she greeted quietly. He didn't respond and she turned to Happy on the bed.

He was in a hospital gown, half his face covered in a bandage, the other half severely bruised, swollen and cut.

A tube was inserted into his mouth from the ventilator.

The heart monitor filling the silence of the room.

She sniffed and slowly walked up to place the bouquet on the end table.

She then clenched the hand of her friend.

The Mandarin had now made it personal!


Her and Tony spend the night and morning with him.

Mostly in silence except for the TV that Laura turned on for Happy.

Her not getting another night of sleep.

She watched a doctor walk in, not noticing them behind her while she checked his vitals.

She turned around gasped, seeing them in the corner.

"Hi." Tony greeted with a smile as the two got up.

"Oh." the doctor said surprised.

"You mind leaving that on?" Laura asked about the TV which was showing "Downton Abbey.

"Sure…" she nodded.

"Downton Abbey. It's his favorite show." Laura said while nodding at Happy.

"He thinks it's elegant. One more thing... make sure everyone wears their badges. He's a stickler for that sort of thing, plus my guys won't let anyone in without them." Tony said and the two walked out.

They walked back out front where the crowd of press were waiting for them.

"Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Ms. Watson! Ms. Watson!" they shouted, trying to get their attention.

Laura shoved them aside impatiently and walked around her car.

They surrounded the two supercars and she angrily stared at them getting their hands and arms all over the black paint.

Slamming the scissor door, she started her McLaren, revving the engine dramatically, getting the reporters to back away while they still recorded and took pictures of her.

She sped out and sank back into her seat.

She readjusted her seatbelt and turned on the radio.

Hearing Tony's voice, she turned up the volume.

"Here's a little Holiday greeting I've been wanting to send to the Mandarin. I just didn't know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark and I'm not afraid of you. I know you're a coward, so I've decided… that you just died, pal. I'm gonna come get the body. There's no politics here; it's just good old-fashioned revenge. There's no Pentagon; it's just you and me. And on the off-chance you're a man, here's my home address: 10880, Malibu Point, 90265. I'll leave the door unlocked. That's what you wanted, right?" Laura heard gasps in the crowd and frowned. "Bill me." She heard Tony's voice and groaned. Driving down the boulevard, she made a handbrake turn and began speeding up to Tony's house.

"Sorry Lila, but it looks like I gotta take down a terrorist."


She drove up to Tony's house and sped down the driveway.

Seeing news helicopters already flying over the mansion through her windshield she let herself into the workshop.

"Hey JARVIS." she greeted. "Hello Ms." he greeted back.

"Initiate lockdown protocol Alpha!" she ordered.

"Yes Ms." he said, locking down the whole house except for her, Tony, Pepper and Rhodey.

"Sorry about this. As I'm sure you know it's about Happy." she sighed while walking over to Tony's setup.

"How is Mr. Hogan?" JARVIS asked, Laura hearing the concern in the A.I.'s voice.

"He's stable buddy. Don't worry." she reassured him.

"That is a relief." JARVIS replied.

"Now let's begin compiling a database for Tony…"

After working for half an hour, going through mountains for data via the holographics with JARVIS on each Mandarin bombing, Laura heard screeching tires from the tunnelway and saw Tony speeding in the shop.

She crossed her arms while he got up.

"I don't wanna hear it Watson. I wanna catch this bastard." he said while walking towards her.

"So do I. Screw it!" she agreed.

He raised an eyebrow, surprised with what she just said.

Now let's track him down."


The two settled down and got to work.

It was late afternoon by the time the two went through all of the data.

"Ms. Watson and I have already compiled a Mandarin database for you, sir. Drawn from S.H.I.E.L.D., F.B.I., and C.I.A. intercepts. Initiating virtual crime scene reconstruction." JARVIS told Tony.

The large holographic blowing up the crime scene of the explosion at the Chinese Theater around them.

Individual graphic showed each Mandarin bombing across the country.

The two began to pace around it, looking for clues.

"Okay, what do we got here? His name is an ancient Chinese war mantle, meaning "adviser to the King". South American insurgency tactics, talks like a Baptist preacher." Tony muttered.

"This guy has been dramatic. That's for sure." Laura mumbled unimpressed.

"Close." Tony closed the graphics of the previous bombings with a gesture of his hand.

"The heat from the blast was in excess of 3000 degrees Celsius. Any subjects within 12.5 yards were vaporized instantly." JARVIS alerted.

Blowing up graphics of were victims were standing within the Chinese Theatre bombing.

"No bomb parts found in a three mile radius of the Chinese theater?" Laura asked suspiciously.

"No, Ms."

"Talk to me, Happy." In the graphic, the two saw Happy pointing his finger at a pair of dog tags by their feet.

They walked over by the work bench and Laura lifted up the graphic of the tags with eyebrows furrowed.

"When is a bomb not a bomb." Tony questioned.

He picked up the graphic and flicked it in front of their faces and highlighted it.

"Any military victims?" Laura asked.

"Not according to public records, Ms." JARVIS answered.

"Bring up the thermogenic signatures again, factor in three thousand degrees." he asked.

The two climbed onto the workbench while JARVIS brought up a scan of the United States.

Highlighting the locations of the bombings across the country.

"The Oracle cloud has completed analysis. Accessing satellites and plotting the last twelve months of thermogenic occurrence now." he replied.

Infrared graphics rising from the country graphic.

"Take away everywhere that there's been a Mandarin attack." Laura asked.

San Rafael, California appeared as the first one.

"Nope." Tony flicked it away. Springfield, Missouri showed the next one with a blast of 870 degrees.

"Not it…" Laura swiped it away with her finger.

She turned her head to see Rose Hill, Tennessee which showed a blast of 3,000 degree centigrade.

"That. You sure that's not one of his?" Tony asked JARVIS.

"It predates any known Mandarin attack. The incident was the use of a bomb to assist a suicide." he answered.

The graphic brought up news clippings of a soldier blowing himself up, killing six people with him.

"Quite the suicide there…" Laura said suspiciously.

"Bring her around." the other graphics closed and the Rose Hill one enlarged.

"The heat signature is remarkably similar. Three thousand degrees Celsius." JARVIS confirmed.

"That's two military guys. Ever been to Tennessee, Watson?" Tony asked her.

"No. But my Christmas plans are already ruined anyway..." she groaned with a stomp of her foot.

"That's right." he smiled at her.

"Creating a flight plan for Tennessee." JARVIS confirmed and Tony closed the graphic with a swipe of his arms.

The doorbell rang and Laura raised an eyebrow.

"Are we still at "ding-dong"? We're supposed to be on total security lock down. Come on, I threatened a terrorist. Who is that?" Tony asked annoyed.

"There's only so much I can do, sir, when you give the world's press your home address." JARVIS said sarcastically.

They marched down to where he stored his suit.

Putting on the Mark XLVl.


Laura ran upstairs and into the living room to see a brunette woman standing at the doorway.

She walked to the security panel on the wall to let her in.

She was scanned in and she raised an eyebrow at her while walking in.

"That's far enough." she ordered, reaching for something she had concealed and strapped to her waist underneath her hoodie.

"Ms. Watson. It's nice to meet you. Is Tony here?" she asked kindly while Laura clenched the object underneath her hoodie.

Tony walked up in his suit, getting the two's attention.

"You're not the Mandarin, are you? Are you?" he asked unsure while opening up his faceguard.

"You don't remember. Why am I not surprised?" the brunette asked annoyed.

"Don't take it personally, I don't remember what I had for breakfast." Tony shrugged.

"Gluten-free waffles, sir." JARVIS answered and Laura snorted, not expecting that.

"That's right." Tony added.

"Okay, look, I need to be alone with you. Someplace not here, it's urgent." the woman said anxiously while looking at Laura.

"Weird time to drop by…" she said with eyeing her.

"Normally, I'd go for that sort of thing, but now I'm in a committed relationship…" Tony began to turn around to walk into the living room, two bags are thrown down from the above.

"It's...with her." he pointed at Pepper on the floor above.

"Tony, is somebody there?" she asked.

"Hey Pepper!" Laura greeted.

Withdrawing her hand from her back.

"Laura, what are you doing here?" she asked surprised.

"Tracking down a terrorist. You know, normal Christmas Eve stuff." she joked while Tony stepped out of his suit.

"Yeah, and it's Maya Hansen. Old botanist pal that I used to know, barely." he remembered.

Laura tilted her head while Tony walked up to Maya.

"Please don't tell me that there is a twelve year-old kid waiting in the car that I've never met?" he asked with worry.

"He's thirteen. And no, I need your help." she said urgently.

"What...what for? Why now?" he asked back.

"Because I read the papers, and, frankly, I don't think you'll last the week." she said with worry.

"I'll be fine." he dismissed her.

"I'm sorry. With Happy in the hospital, I didn't know we were expecting guests. I'm not talking about you, Laura." Pepper reassured her while placing her hand on her shoulder.

"After ten years I hope not." she joked back while standing back next to her.

"We weren't." Tony replied.

"No, I..." Maya tried explaining.

"And old girlfriends!" Pepper said unamused.

"Oh, this outta be good…" Laura crossed her arms to enjoy the show.

"She's not really." Tony shook his head.

"No, not really. It...it was just one night." Maya replied.

"Yep. Awkward." Laura muttered under her breath but Tony still heard her and gave her a look.

"That's how you did it, isn't it? Yep." Pepper asked Tony without amusement.

"It was a great night." he said confidentially.

"Well, you know… You have saved yourself a world of pain." Pepper told Maya.

"I'm sure." she nodded.

"What?" Tony frowned.

"Trust me. We're going out of town." she told Tony.

"Okay, we've been through this. Nope." he denied.

"Yep!" Pepper shouted.

Laura sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose at their argument.

"The man says no." Tony declared and Laura slapped her head at his stupidity.

"Immediately and indefinitely!"

"Honey..."

"Great idea. Let's go." Maya said and grabbed Pepper's bags.

"I'm sorry. That's a terrible idea. Please don't touch her bags." Tony asked her.

"Tony, this is how normal people behave." Pepper stated.

"I can't protect you out there. I challenged..." Tony argued.

"Is...is that normal?" Maya asked, while pointing at giant stuffed bunny by the stairs.

Laura turned around and blinked multiple times, just realizing it.

"Pepper, I'm not seeing things right? That's there…" she said dumfounded.

"Yes, Laura. It is there." she confirmed.

"It's a big bunny, relax about it!" Tony shouted.

Laura sighed and crossed her arms, hearing the couple and her two friends argue.

"I feel like a third wheel. Why am I here?" she groaned, losing her patience.

Maya turned her head to the TV, which was broadcasting the news, showing the images of Tony's house from the chopper's above.

"Guys, can we um…" Maya tried getting their attention.

"What!" Laura shouted, losing her patience.

She dropped her mouth in shock, seeing a missile heading straight for them.

"Do we need to worry about that?"