"These all need to be signed by tomorrow. I have them all organized in a certain order and they need to stay that way," Pepper said. "I will be back here at seven o'clock sharp, Tony. I suggest you wake up early enough for my arrival."

"What?" Tony snapped, nearly dropping his bowl of noodles, mouth hanging open. "Me? Up at that unholy hour in the morning? Loki isn't even up then, right Lokes?"

The iron man casually poked the norse god in the ribs, ignoring any tensing of his body. So Loki was still healing from his crash. It wasn't the nicest or ideal thing for Tony to do, but he figured he was tough enough for it. After all, it was just a poke?

Loki's reply came in a curt nod, him keeping his gaze trained on his feet. Pepper openly stared at Loki, searching for any chink in his armor. She didn't trust him at all and was thoroughly convinced he was planning something. No matter how much Tony insisted he was safe, she couldn't help but think Loki was just a good actor. After all, wasn't a little too convenient for the villain to land right at Stark's feet? Right when Tony was going through a "downward spiral" as the media put it. Pepper could bet all the company's stock that Tony was drunk off his ass when Loki arrived.

Wasn't it all to fishy to Tony? Why hadn't it raised a red flag?

Oh wait, because Tony didn't care. He was a different person than a year ago; his broken fragments of heart was starting to show. Even though her leaving him was the final push to Tony's break down, he was still changing months before. She remembered waking up some nights to him screaming in his sleep, lashing out, acting as if he was trying to reach for something. A couple of times she had been hit, but she dismissed it as Tony was deep asleep. But it worried her.

As time progressed, he seemed distant. Lost in thought, a tired look coming over his face. Soon he became a little depressed, losing care for most things in life. And though Pepper tried really hard to cheer him up, and though he put a smile on his face, she knew it was in vain. Though Tony said he loved her, she couldn't help but doubt it. How could he love her if he didn't love himself? Or would he really love her when everything in life he smiled about was a lie?

The media didn't help. Stories of Tony's one night stands resurfaced, pictures along with them. She at first knew they weren't true, all gossip from long before them but she let it dig into her. She became paranoid and coupled with her fears of losing him in a super hero battle AND his lack of care, it became too much. She started drifting away from him too. Eventually she met someone new, and she couldn't help but run to him instead. He felt real and he was on solid ground. She needed that.

"Yes. If you are not up by then, I will make sure JARVIS wakes you up," she cleared her throat. "Then I need you to clean up."

"Why?" he asked.

She bit her lip, finally turning her attention back to Tony. She took in his worn face, his stubble slightly overgrown along with his hair. There was a slight twitch with his thick brow. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and when she actually looked into his eyes, she noticed it. He was thinking, many possible reasons for her requests flying through his head all at once. She could see the confusion in there, none of his theories quite adding up. He looked slightly frustrated as a few moments went by.

He couldn't figure what was going. Perfect.

"Just do it, Tony."

With that, Pepper rose from her seat, beginning her walk to the elevator. Her hills clacked rhythmically against the floor and Pepper could feel both men's gazes on her back. It brought prickles to her back when she realized Loki was watching her, but she shook it off. The creeper would be taken care of soon if her plan worked out well. He wouldn't get the opportunity to even touch Tony, so help her. She would ensure it.

"Oh! And Tony?" she whipped around to face him one last time. "Shave, get a haircut, and put on something nice. Eat some vegetables, you'll need them."

"What? I would never-"

"I'll make sure he does everything, Mrs. Potts." Loki's quiet voice made both of them jump. They hadn't expected him to speak at all. Pepper stood in shock for a moment before tensely nodding and swiftly getting into the elevator. Oh yes, she would make sure her plan worked.

Within an hour after leaving the towers, Pepper stopped by her new place to make a call. Fortunately it was picked up on the first ring, and she let go a sigh of relief.

A/N: Wow! Over 50 follows? I'm so amazed, thank you all! I hope to get this going a little faster so please hold on for the ride! :D

Once again, thank you for the support. And, guess what will happen next?