47 Still

A/N sorry it's been a little while, I think I'm going to finish off the first movie, then just go out on my own. I loved the second movie and all, but I want to put my own spin on things, step over boundaries, break the rules. Anyway….don't know how happy I am with this, but I would appreciate it if you let me know how you feel anyway.

Heartbeat

Tony inhaled sharply as Obadiah yanked out his chest piece with a menacing grin.

"Do you really think that just because you have an idea it belongs to you?" He whispered looming over Tony's paralyzed body, close enough for Tony to smell the hatred radiating from his body.

That's exactly what I think you traitor! Tony thought, unable to form the words himself. The only thing that Tony could do was move his eyes and breathe, and he was, heavily.

I trusted you! Dad trusted you! I considered you family you sick son of a bitch!

"Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb. Now what kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you?"

He choked on his own breath when Obadiah pulled the reactor wires from the base plate.

Selfish? You think I'm selfish! Here you are committing murder to get your dirty hands on my technology and I'm selfish!

Obadiah was rambling about how the reactor was Tony's masterpiece, his legacy, something about what would be possible if it ended up in the right hands, he was trying not to pay attention. That changed when he mentioned something about a prototype.

Well that would explain a lot.

"To bad you had involve Pepper in this, I would have preferred that she lived." Obadiah taunted him as he left him there, still on the couch.

Pepper! NO, not Pepper! There is no way, she just called. Tony's mind felt as if it was going to explode. She's ok, she has to be ok. I couldn't live with myself if something were to happen to her, and it's all my fault, I am selfish, sending her to do something that could put her in danger.

His heart began to break, and all he could do was sit there and stare into space until he regained control of his body. Then what? Obadiah just ripped the life from his chest. He could do nothing, just sit there and die, leaving his body there to rot until somebody got curious and came looking for him.

He wanted to scream out at the world, to cry until there was nothing left. But he couldn't, he remained still and broken. He felt that he had let everyone down, he had let Pepper down, there was nothing left for him now, everything he had worked so hard on to protect the people was now going to be turned against them.

Tony's thoughts kept returning to Pepper.

I'm so sorry Pep, I should have gone myself, I should have known better then to talk you into going. I can't loose you, not now, not when you're all I have left. I do have heart, and it belongs to you. Why am I talking to you in my head anyway, you can't hear me, and I'll probably never….

Tony could practically feel the shrapnel digging into his heart.

….wait a minute….Pepper, I think you just saved both of our lives." The image of Peppers nostalgic gift to him appeared in his head, and he felt one corner of his mouth twitch up. There was a tingling spreading throughout his arms and his fingers slowly began to move. All he could do was sit and wait, but it wouldn't be for much longer.

There was no way in hell he would make id down the stairs, and he wasn't about to try. He threw his half limp body into the elevator, wishing that it would descend faster, his time was running out. He made his way across the cool workshop floor, dragging himself with anything and everything he could find. He attempted to reach up and grab his "spare heart" from its little glass box. He missed and slipped, sliding back onto the cold floor in defeat. That was all he had left, his last hope, the needle in his proverbial haystack, and now it was gone.

The mechanical whirring above his head caught his attention. He rolled his eyes up. Figures, it would have to be Dummy that would come to his rescue. The loyal robot had Tony's salvation grasped in his claw. Maybe he was worth keeping around after all.

"Good boy." Tony groaned before smashing the box to the ground.

"Hold on Pepper, I'm not going to lose you."

I know, I know its short, I'll try to get another one up ASAP. Reviews make my heart mushy.

Much love!

-Shelly