FIRST OFF: I'm not a big fan of Pepper in the Iron Man comics. So, none of this will make sense if you're trying to fit it into the comic's stories. It won't work. I don't like Pepper and Happy together. Sorry. I just don't. Now. Things you have to assume before you read this: The first one is that Pepper is almost 35 in the second Iron Man movie. The second is that she began working for Stark Industries as soon as she graduated from college. The third is that, like she said in the second movie, she'd been working for Tony for 10 years. The fourth is that she doesn't go by her nickname 'Pepper' … At least not in the beginning.

Tony Stark didn't fall in love very often. In fact, he only believed he'd actually only been in love once. And that was back in 1990 when he was in college. But that's a different story. For Tony, falling in love wasn't something that just happened, like love at first sight. It had to go through certain steps. The steps were different for every girl, so it's not like Tony could decide 'I'm going to fall in love with this girl today by following the steps.' But if he didn't follow the steps, it simply didn't work for him. And these steps took time—something Tony didn't have a lot of. But when he really did fall in love, he fell hard.

Step 3: Boss—Personal Assistant

"I QUIT!" Victoria, Tony's newest assistant, exclaimed. "I CAN'T HANDLE THE STRESS! YOU, MR. STARK, ARE…" her ranting continued on for almost three hours before Tony told her he would give her another job in another department where she wouldn't have to associate with Tony but would still have a job.

Two hours later, Obadiah walked in to Tony's shop. "You do realize that is the thirteenth Personal Assistant you've gone through since you came here on your twenty first birthday? That's a new assistant almost every four months."

"No, that blond girl… She was here for ten months." Tony said, feigning to think hard (the blond girl really wasn't that hard to remember).

"And some people, like that really short guy, were here for only a few weeks before quitting." Obadiah pointed out.

"I thought the really short guy was here for only one week." Tony observed.

"That was the really short girl, Tony."

"Oh." Tony said. "That explains why she only stayed a week."

"At any event, you need a new Personal Assistant." Obadiah said sternly.

"I don't need an assistant, Obie!" Tony whined. "I'm fine on my own. I don't know why you insist for me to have a babysitter."

Obadiah rolled his eyes. "That's just it, Tony. You need a babysitter."

Tony froze for a second. Straight red hair… Long legs… Short skirt… High heels… Super organized… Math whiz… "Yes! Obie, I know who my new assistant is going to be."

"And who's this?"

"Her name is… um… Potts. Something Potts. She's the head of… um… Employment Management, I think. She was really… Organized. Perfect for keeping me in line." Tony smiled mischievously.

Obadiah remembered Tony talk about Virginia after he'd met with her. "You yourself said her talent was wasted in that department. How will babysitting not be a waste?" Obadiah questioned.

"Just get her. Give us a week. If it doesn't work out, you can have her back in the EM. Just a week." Tony promised. Obadiah sighed and left to talk to this poor girl who was about to get stuck with Tony Stark for a whole week.

Hours later, Virginia was sitting in the back of a car that had driven her to the Stark Mansion. "You must be the new assistant." The driver said.

"Yes, I'm Virginia Potts." She said, shaking his hand.

"Harold Hogan." He replied. "But you can call me Happy."

Virginia grinned. "Well in that case, as long as you don't tell anybody, you can call me…" she whispered her nickname in his ear. "It's kind of embarrassing, honestly." She said out loud.

"Well, good luck then. Tony Stark is a hard one to handle." Happy smiled. Virginia smiled back and got out of the car, walked to the door, and knocked on it. She turned around to see Happy waving good bye as he drove away. No one came to the door so Virginia opened it and let herself in.

"Hello. You must be Virginia Potts." A voice said.

Virginia jumped. "Who are you?"

Mr. Stark walked out. "That's just Jarvis. He's the computer that runs the place. Nice to see you again Potts." He smiled.

Virginia nodded. "You too." she paused and looked around. The place was huge. "So, I'm not quite sure what this job entails to, Mr. Stark. I was—"

He cut her off. "No. Here at the house, I'm not 'Mr. Stark,' I'm Tony. And I'm not going to call you Miss Potts all the time either. It'll get old. So what am I supposed to call you?" Tony asked.

"Well my name is Virginia." She said.

"No. I have an ex girlfriend named Virginia. Change it." He instructed, walking off down the stairs to his shop.

"Change what, my name?" Virginia asked, following him. "It's my name, I can't just change it!"

"Do you have a nickname?" he asked.

Virginia stared at him for a moment. "Well, yeah, but it's from when I was in third grade."

"Well what is it?" Tony pushed.

"It's… It's Pepper." She admitted. "Because of my hair. But I'm really not that fond of—"

He interrupted her. "Okay, great Pepper. I'm glad to be working with you."

She rolled her eyes. "What do you need me to do right now?"

"Honestly?" he asked, "Nothing."

"Then will that be all, Mr. Stark?" she teased.

He was barely listening as he started working on yet another project. "Yes, that will be all, Miss Potts."

Pepper just rolled her eyes.