A/N Thanks for reading [: This chapter isn't as lovey as some would like. Please be advised. R&R!
The next morning Elizabeth sat at the island located in Tony's kitchen in his t-shirt. "You know, you look gorgeous is absolutely everything including nothing Ms. Stone. " Tony said, with a devilish grin plastered across his face. "That you Mr. Stark, you do not look too shabby yourself." She winked, grabbing the warm mug he placed in front of her. "I should really get going though, Tony. I have stuff to do today." Tony raised an eye brow at her. "What could you possibly have to do today that is better than lounging around with me at my mansion in my t-shirt?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Tony. She did agree that there was a slight possibility that spending time with him would be more entertaining. "I have to go to the bank Tony." Tony sipped what she assumed was a vegetable based protein drink. "Would you like a ride? I can take you there then we can come back here and lounge. We can watch movies maybe?" Elizabeth smiled at his offer.
Tony was fully aware that he sounded like he was basically begging for her to stay and this bothered him. He has never once had to beg and plead for a woman to enjoy his company. Most felt more than blessed to make it over the threshold of his front door. Women were something that Tony never had a problem with. This red-head was truly getting to him, messing with his mind. "Sure Tony, you can take me. I would prefer to go home and change first. I think that my current attire is inappropriate and I just would prefer a shower first." Tony grinned at her and she gave him a puzzled look. "Fine, I can take you home first. But I am going to need your address." he said finishing his drink.
Elizabeth sat in the passenger side of his Audi once more on the way back to her apartment. She was fully aware that Tony was going to now find out where she lived. That wasn't something that she was ready for. She like the idea of him having to ask her to see her, but now he was able to just show up at any time he wanted. "Here we are." Tony said, stepping out of the car and coming around to open the door for her to step out. "Thank you, I will be back down in a moment." Tony shut her door and leaned against his car. "I think that would be far too much publicity for you if I was to just wait outside for you. I am a popular man, Ms. Stone. People would gossip and others would wait around your apartment building to see if we were coming out together. I think it would be for the best if I was to be invited inside."
Elizabeth chewed on her lip and considered what he was saying. He was right, which he usually was. "Come on." She said, buzzing the front door and walking in. "You have seen my bedroom, it is only fair that I see yours." They rode the elevator up to her floor in silence, and stepped off. Tony followed behind her closely. Arriving at her door, he grabbed the handle and turned to brown eyed man. "You should wait out here. I will be back." She turned the handle and went in. Tony's foot prevented her from closing the door. "I won't judge if you have a mess." He offered with a smile. The red head let out a heavy sigh and opened the door for him. "It isn't that my apartment is messy as you can see." She said holding up a hand almost to guide his viewing. "Then what is it?" he said, sitting on her black couch. Elizabeth ran her hand across her face and walked into her bedroom, ignoring his question.
She could hear his steps following behind her. "Did you not hear me? I did ask you a question." He said softly. The red head sat on the edge of her bed and looked up at Tony. "It's just that I can't afford some multi-million dollar mansion in the best part of Manhattan. I feel like this is a slum compared to what you are used too, and I am embarrassed for you to see what my home looks like. I feel like you are judging the fact that I don't have a view of anything other than the building beside this one. I feel like this is just beneath you." She sighed and walked to her dresser. "I don't feel like that. I know not everyone has what I do. I wouldn't judge you because you live an apartment." He said, now it was his turn to sit on her bed. Elizabeth nodded and headed into the shower.
While Elizabeth was in the shower, Tony looked around her room. It was a room of a younger woman and someone with a free spirit. She had a saying on the wall above her bed and white lights wrapped around her headboard. Picture frames hung from the wall and sat on the top of her dresser. Tony smiled at her memories. There were pictures of her with friends and a picture with her parents both in their military uniforms and her in a graduation gown. College he thought, but one picture in general caught his attention. It was the picture he and Elizabeth had taken together by the photographer. "You still ok out there?" she asked from the bathroom, making him feel guilty for peeking into her private world. "Yep everything is fine." He answered, sitting back on her bed.
She stepped out of the bathroom in shorts and green off the shoulder shirt with black ankle socks. Her scent filled Tony's nose. He cleared his throat to help clear his mind from where it was going. "Ready?" he asked standing up. "Yep." She said, slipping on her favorite black Pumas. Tony couldn't keep his eyes off of her legs. The looked like a mile long and he just wanted to run his hand along them. They were as tan as they could be for her being a red head. He laughed to himself, this caught her attention. "Everything alright Tony?" she asked, locking the door to her apartment before they left. "Yeah everything is fine." She gave him a quick smile then headed back to the elevator.
Tony dropped her in front of her bank and waited while she went inside. Elizabeth grabbed a deposit slip and began filling it out. Suddenly a small group of men wearing hoods walked into the bank. "Hi, how can I-" The bank teller was cut off by the men pulling down their hoods revealing ski masks and a gun pointed at the woman's forehead. "Listen; don't let a single one of you try to be a hero today. I am not in the mood for that civilian heroism bullshit that I know one of you little pricks is going to try. Now, get on the ground!" Elizabeth dropped to the floor and looked around the room. There were six of them and all of them were carrying guns. There was a man and his daughter hiding in the corner, an elderly woman crying on her husband's shoulder and a pregnant woman holding on to her protruding belly. "Throw your cellphones into the middle of the room. I don't want a single one of you to get any stupid ideas." Everyone threw their cellphones towards the middle of the room and the man smashed them.
The pregnant beside her began crying, the one gunman wasn't having any of her crying. "Shut the hell up lady. Just shut up. If everyone would just cooperate then we wouldn't still be here." The lady cried harder and the gunman was obviously getting annoyed and the one with the gun at the tellers head was getting nowhere. "Look lady, put the money in the bag and we will be on our way." The teller took the bag and began filling it with money from the drawer. "Empty the safe!" he yelled, tossing another bag to a different teller. Elizabeth began creeping towards the crying pregnant woman who was cradling her stomach. "What the hell are you doing?" A man yelled pointing a gun at the red-head. "She is hyper ventilating, I was going to comfort her." With a gun pointed at Elizabeth, she still had little fear. It wasn't that she thought she could take a bullet and live, it was just that she was taught as a child if fear is shown, they will make it worse much like the pregnant woman. "Sit back down and get away from her." "No. She is pregnant. I want to make sure that she is ok." The gun way now pointed to the woman next to her. Elizabeth threw herself in front of mother-to-be and her unborn child. Next thing Elizabeth knew there was a loud bang and the sound of sirens. Her chest was burning and she could barely breathe. Everything was silent for a moment and then she was shaken back to reality by the ear piercing scream next to her and sirens.
She was worried for the mother to be but then she realized it was her that was bleeding. She looked over in time to see a SWAT team surround the gun men and Tony come running through the door. Everything was dark. I'm dead; I took a bullet to the chest. I am not making it out of this one, she thought to herself. She opened her eyes and saw a man leaning over her, saying something that she couldn't make out. It pained her too much to keep her eyes opened so she let them slip closed again. Elizabeth cried out a little and gasped for air. Opening her eyes again she saw the white lights of what she assumed were the hospitals by the faces staring at her and the voices. "Ms. Stone, can you hear me? Blink twice if you can hear me." A doctor asked. Elizabeth squinted and blinked twice then passed back out.
Elizabeth opened her eyes and was greeted by smiling faces. "You are awake, hello baby." Her momma's southern twang filled the room like sunshine. "Hi momma." The red head whispered. Her daddy's smiling face came through the door. "It is good to see you up Lizzie-pad." Tony followed in behind him. "You scared the shit out of me." Tony said bluntly. "I am sorry." She gave him half a smile. He walked over to her bed side and squeezed her hand. "What happened?" Her company looked around at each other. "You were shot in the chest, it clipped a lung baby. They said you passed out from the pain. The woman you jumped in front of stopped by a few days ago. You need to take it easy." Her momma said, holding her other hand. Elizabeth nodded and her mother let go of her hand. "Your mother and I have to get back to work. We were given time off, but you know how the military actually works. Plus you seem to be in good hands." Her father said, smiling at Tony. "It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Stone. I only wish it could have been under better circumstances." They nodded and walked out of her room.
Tony slumped in the chair next to her bed with his head in his hands. "I knew there was something wrong. I called the police, but I should have gone in with you. This might not have happened. I am so sorry, I am Iron Man but I couldn't even stop this from happening. When I heard the gunshot I knew right then that my fear was confirmed. Please forgive me." Elizabeth looked at Tony and smiled. "It isn't your fault at all Tony. I want you to believe me. Plus I don't think your chest can handle anymore shrapnel." Tony chuckled and grabbed her hand again. "Stay with me. I understand that you have your own place, but you have to go through rehabilitation and I don't think that all those floors will be good for your chest. Let me take care of you. I can get you the best help money can buy." Elizabeth sighed and let out a cough. "I don't want you to feel obligated to do this." His eyes met hers and he smiled. "I don't feel obligated. I want to take care of you. That is the end of it."