Pepper put on a thong back bodysuit with basically just three small patches of fabric to cover her nipples and her vagina. She took a deep breath and put her outfit on top of the suit and packed a tiny airplane bottle of vodka in her jeans pocket in case she lost her nerve. She went down to the kitchen as normal and to her surprise Tony was already awake and helping her mother with breakfast which ruined her first plan. She felt she was ready to be with Tony physically and felt that he might not be so upset that she didn't say I love you back if they were having sex. She was going to bring him breakfast and more but he was already up.

"Good morning sweetheart. Tony is such a doll. He is helping me make pancakes," her mother said.

"Yes he's wonderful isn't he,"

"Oh dear we're all out of orange juice. Can you go to the store and get some? Your father will be cranky without it,"

"I can go," Tony offered.

"Don't be silly. We need you here to get to know you. Ginny can go,"

"Sure mom," Pepper said as she headed to the car.

Shit shit shit shit shit she thought. She needed another plan. Otherwise she was gonna have to wing it. She pulled into the market and got out of the car and as she headed to the door she ran into Randall.

"Ginny wow you look amazing. Would you like to go out with me tonight or any night really?" he felt emboldened to ask since Tony was not with her. Pepper was taken aback and she couldn't believe Tony was right.

"Randall Tony and I are sort of dating and figuring things out. That's why I brought him here," she said.

"Well you didn't introduce him as your boyfriend or anything and you guys don't act like a couple so it's very misleading. I've had a crush on you since we were thirteen," he said.

"I'm flattered. I really am but like I said Tony and I are figuring this thing out. I gotta run in and get some orange juice for my dad," she said as she hurried away.

She grabbed her phone and texted Tony.

I can't believe you were right. Randall asked me out. I told him you and I were dating.

Pepper could see that Tony read the text but he did not reply even by the time she returned to the house with orange juice for her dad.

Breakfast was awkward and quiet and she could tell Tony was still hurt. She put her leg on his thigh under the table and caressed it. He didn't pull away but he also didn't turn to look at her.

A few hours passed and she texted him again.

Are you going to ignore me forever? I want to make up. Meet me in the barns after lunch so we can talk.

This time he responded.

Ok.

Pepper excused herself and went back into her bedroom and she double checked herself again making sure her bikini line was perfect and no hair was spilling out. She put on Tony's favorite perfume and went to meet him. She was hoping to beat him there but she could hear him rustling around and she took a swig of the vodka in her jeans and began to unbelt them and let them fall to the floor.

"I know you're upset with me. I want to make things right and I have something I think you'll like very much," she said as she let the last piece of clothes covering her bodysuit hit the floor as she rounded the corner.

"I like it very much," Randall said.

Pepper gasped.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were Tony. I told him to meet me here," she said, trying to cover herself up.

"Your dad needs help with the stables and I offered," he said.

"You know you're a really beautiful woman and you have nothing to be ashamed of," he said as she reached for her clothes and he kicked them further away and blocked her path.

"I think you need a man that appreciates you. Clearly Tony is a no show," he said as he leaned in to try and kiss her.

Pepper shrieked.

"I'm right here," Tony said from behind and punched Randall right in the face.

Randall stumbled back and Tony embraced Pepper and then Randall got up and went to swing a shovel at Tony and it hit him in the back. Tony took another swing at Randall and missed. And this time Randall got Tony across the face and while he was stumbling he swung the shovel at Tony again and it hit him hard and sent him stumbling. Pepper watched in horror as he fell back onto some boards and they broke under him and there now in plain site was a copperhead and it was startled and it lashed out and bit Tony on the hand.

Pepper screamed and ran towards him and the snake slithered away.

All the commotion had Pepper's mom and dad and Bill running out to the barns. They were startled at first by Pepper's appearance but she was too busy to care. She sat Tony up being sure that his wound was below his heart.

"Call 911 and tell them he was bitten by a copperhead,"

She didn't leave Tony's side while waiting for the ambulance. Tony began sweating and his pulse was low.

"Please don't die on me. I love you," she said as she was caressing his back. He lifted his head and his eyes acknowledged that he understood what she said. She kissed his forehead and he vomited on her inadvertently. His hand was red and swollen.

"Mom, get me some clothes. I'm going with him to the hospital," she said, still refusing to leave his side while his breathing was labored.

They all stood there watching while Pepper's mom came back out with the clothes.

"What the hell happened?"

"I came out here to meet Tony and I was gonna surprise him with sex and I thought Randall was Tony. Randall came on to me and he wouldn't stop and Tony defended my honor and punched him out but Randall just couldn't stop. He hit Tony with the shovel multiple times and he fell onto these boards and got bit by a venomous snake and he might die never knowing that I love him," she said in tears.

She walked up to Randall and slapped him across the face and marched past them and Bill checked out her ass as she passed.

"That's enough of this. I want you out of my house. Both of you perverts. I saw you checking out my daughter and you dared to put your hands on her," Tom said.

Pepper came back out in fresh clothes just as the ambulance arrived. Tom showed them to the area Tony was and Pepper went with them.

A few hours later Tony was stable and on the mend but they did say that his hand would take a few weeks to heal. Tony opened his eyes and saw Pepper staring at him.

"You're awake," she said as she leaned over the bed to kiss him.

"Mmm, why did you change? What happened to your outfit?" he said.

"You vomited on me," she said.

"Do you really love me or did you just say that because I was dying?" He asked.

"I do love you," she said as she leaned down to kiss him and they unexpectedly interrupted by a crying Gina bursting into the hospital room.

"You bitch. You betrayed me. How could you?" she said to Pepper.

"Gina what are you doing here?" Tony asked.

"I heard you almost died. I got on the first flight," she said.

"That's sweet of you but Pepper has me covered," he said.

"So you guys are a thing now? Did you even consider my feelings?," Gina said to Pepper.

"You told me you didn't have feelings for Tony and that you only cared about the sex," Pepper fired back.

"Well I lied because I was embarrassed and I didn't want Tony to think he won. I love him,"

"I'm sorry Gina. I never meant for this to happen but I love him too," Pepper said as she squeezed his hand.

"Do you love him for him or just the sex because I love the real Tony," Gina cried.

"She wouldn't know. We haven't had sex," Tony muttered from his hoarse but thinning voice.

"So you stick around for her and she won't give it up and I gave you everything and you're emotionally unavailable,"

"Gina this is different. I know Tony on a deeper level. I see sides of him that no one else does. Like I said I'm sorry I hurt you. I never in a million years thought I would fall for someone like Tony,"

"What about you? Are you sorry for using me for years and wasting my time?" Gina cried to Tony.

"Gina, I never promised you anything. I told you from the beginning what you were getting into. It was just sex. It always was. I'm sorry. I did use you for sex but I told you about it beforehand and I thought you were the one girl who understood and I thought you were using me too. I'm sorry," he said.

Tony's heart rate started to increase and Pepper called the nurse. Gina turned and stormed out while Pepper took his hand.

The nurse came in and checked his blood pressure and that was only slightly increased.

"Visiting hours are over miss. And he needs his rest,"

"I'm going to go back to my moms and I'll be back tomorrow. Goodnight," she said as she leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she said as she walked out.

The hospital was 30 minutes from her parents house and she knew she had to go back and talk to them. She walked through the door and her parents were in the living room watching television.

"How is he?" her mother asked.

"He's going to be fine but the bite may take a few weeks to heal,"

"I called animal control to get him rehomed. They weren't surprised. The copperheads have been getting closer and closer to us," Tom said.

"I want to apologize to you guys. I'm sorry for embarrassing you and for my inappropriate behavior. That obviously was not part of the plan," she said.

"Hell your mom and I did worse than that when we were younger than you," he said with a laugh.

"I washed that outfit. I'm sure Tony will like a chance to enjoy it," her mother teased.

"Ok on that note I'm gonna get some sleep," she said as she went up to bed.