IRONMAN – Sonata

Chapter 2: Orders from above

The windows were still tinted dark in the guest room at the Stark residence. Pepper pots lay on the guest bed covered by a simple blue blanket. She stirred and awoke, opening her eyes she looked around. "How'd I…?" she looked around "Jarvis what time is it?"

"Good afternoon Ms. Potts the time is currently one thirty." Jarvis raised the lighting in the room a bit. Pepper began to panic.

"One Thirty?" She blinked "PM?" she turned her legs off the bed and stood looking down she noted her shoes were gone. "We missed the meeting with the Charity Board!" she put her hands to her face and started to search the bed side table. "Jarvis where is my phone?"

"It is in the workshop Ms. Potts." The simple response came before she could get out her next question.

"Is Mr. Stark down there?" She sighed and reached down picking up her heels.

"Yes Ms. Potts."

"Just great…." She said as she exited the room.

Indeed Tony was in the Workshop he was sitting at his desk leaning back with his cup of coffee. "No I don't care deal with it…No you may not speak to Pepper…she's on vacation." He was holding her phone. "I 'AM' Tony Stark." His tone was agitated "just get it done." He hung up the cell phone and set it down.

Pepper stepped into the workshop holding her shoes by the heels, with a simply mortified look on her face "You're taking my calls?"

"Oh good you're up." Tony spun his chair around standing and shook a finger at her as though he was trying to remember something. "Jarvis …a car please.." he said. Tony stood in his dark pinstriped suit, with a black shirt and a black tie. "Let me change out of this monkey suit and we'll go." He said.

"Go where?" she was still mortified "You're taking my calls!" she said this was more of a statement.

"Yes," he paused and turned "And the world didn't end." He smiled "speech was good, but I did my own….and you are never to work that late ever again." He started past her. "Get on your casual clothes we're going out." He walked past her and punched in the code to the door and it beeped and he stood holding it open.

"WHAT!?" she stared at him arms near ready to toss one of her shoes in his general direction.

"Ms. Potts." Tony turned to her and put his arms across his chest motioning to her with the coffee cup. "I went and did the board meeting this morning without you, you were in no condition, you were up there exhausted because of me…" the cup motioned down "your feet are torn to pieces ….and I won't have you falling apart while trying to keep me together." He said softly letting his other arm up near his neck to loosen his tie. "Now get dressed." He said "We've got plans."

Without another word he was up the stairs. She stood there and blinked, she moved one hand up and pushed a lock of strawberry blonde hair out of her eyes. "Jarvis please tell me the board meeting went well."

"Affirmative Ms. Potts." She shook her head at the AIs response.

"How many drinks has he had today?" She ventured.

"Mr. Stark is Sober Ms. Potts." The AI said.

"Really?"

"Yes." The AI fell silent.

Something was amiss, it wasn't her birthday, it wasn't her anniversary at stark industries, and yet she couldn't figure out what was going on. She turned and trotted up the stairs as quickly as her toes would take her. Tony was walking out into the living room dressed casually in jeans and a dark t-shirt as pepper made her way up the stairs. "You're not dressed." He said sitting down pulling his shoes on.

"Jarvis says you're sober" she blinked and walked over onto the rug and stood before him. "and you are rushing around like crazy…"

"And?" He looked up "I had a board meeting and no Pepper Potts….I didn't have a choice." He said softly leaning down pulling on one of his sneakers and pulling the ties up. As he tied his shoes he looked up at her again "You going to get dressed, or do I have to do it for you?" there was a sparkle in his eyes he was flirting with danger and he knew it.

Pepper sighed and tossed her hands up in the air exasperated. She turned and looked at him "You are incorrigible." She said as firmly as possible.

"Well thank you." He smiled charmingly as he could looking up, but he regretted it as a high heeled shoe barely missed his head and he ducked down. "Hey!" he said then looked up and saw her moving away to the guest room. "Jarvis is she changing?"

"Yes sir…Shall I order the car around?"

"Yes, and tell happy to take a powder just have him get the Charger out." He said softly.

"Feel the need for the Hemi today sir?"

"Oh yes." He said softly reaching in his pocket pulling out his phone to check his messages.

"Happy is pulling the Charger around." Jarvis said softly.

"Thank you Jarvis that will be all." Tony turned and pocketed his phone "MS. POTTS IF I HAVE TO COME IN THERE!" he raised his voice crossing his arms again.

"No need to shout." She said walking out in jeans and a T-Shirt from her bag that she usually left in the house in case of emergencies. Tony walked up to her and knelt down and lifted the pant leg of her jeans.

"High heels." He said shaking his head "do you own anything but high heels?"

"Not really…I have a pair of flip flops for the beach." She said softly.

"Because heels and sand don't mix." He said shaking his head "shoe store is first then. "

"Shoe store?" she blinked pulling her hair back behind her head pulling a band around it to keep it up off her shoulders.

He nodded and lifted her foot pulling off her heel to look at her foot in the light. "You're feet are all black blue and blisters." He said and slid the shoe back on. He idly put a hand at the back of her calf. "I can't have that."

Happy walked in to the scene. Pepper standing, tony kneeling before her putting her shoe back on hand on the back of her leg. "Should I call the pumpkin carriage before it strikes midnight?" he asked.

"Hogan…" tony stood and shook his head "No need the Charger will be fine." He held out his hands. Hogan chucked the keys in his direction and Tony caught them with ease. "Come on Potts." He said softly.

She smiled to Happy and turned lifting her purse off of the glass coffee table and noticed the large vase of red and yellow roses. There was a card, and she lifted it up. –Thanks Pep. Tony- was all it said. She took the card and put it down in her purse and smelled the roses and smiled. She left the house shaking her head. She smiled to Happy softly as she left and moved down the stairs to the car waiting out front of the estate. "I'll cut a deal with you Mr. Stark."

Tony pulled the driver side door open "That being?" he turned to her pulling off his sunglasses.

"That we eat first…then shoes." She said. He thought a moment and smiled "Wonderful idea Ms. Potts." He smiled and slid his glasses back on sliding down into his seat in the car. He smiled as she entered the charger and closed her door. "you haven't been in the charger yet."

"Don't even think about it." She saw his foot heading for the clutch. "TONY."

He smiled at that, she only called him that when she was serious and he loved it, the flush in her face was enough to give his ego a minor boost. He nodded and slowly pulled the car away from the estate to the gate.