Alright you guys, here's the last chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Pepper's eyes lit up when she saw him, a warm smile gracing her face. Coulson couldn't help but smile too. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but he was certainly pleased that she seemed so glad to see him. Pepper tried to sit up a little straighter in her bed, pulling herself fully awake.

Coulson gave a little nod in greeting. "Miss Potts," he said.

"Agent Coulson," she echoed.

Coulson was relieved when she addressed him with an equal sense of formality. For once, he didn't feel like he was being unfair to her by calling her that. They were both heavily aware of Tony's presence in the room, so their titles were adjusted accordingly.

"I was beginning to think I wouldn't hear from you," Pepper observed, her voice slightly scratchy from her sleep, but otherwise strong and healthy. Coulson noted this with pleased satisfaction.

But there was also shame that came with her quiet accusation, and Coulson grimaced mildly at it. "I know. I'm sorry," he said. "I fell into a busy period in the last couple of weeks. I would have come sooner if I'd had the time." That was a lie. He had had the time, and still didn't come. But as a secret agent, he was good at lying when he needed to be.

Pepper nodded a little, "Well...I'm glad you finally came."

Coulson smiled and nodded as well. "So am I."

A moment passed between the two as they quietly smiled at one another and let their nods fade away.

Tony scowled slightly at the exchange. It was suddenly like he wasn't in the room anymore, and there was some unnamable thing passing between their eyes that the genius found unnerving. "Even though..." Tony began, once the silence had stretched past the point of comfort, "neither of you seems to have much to say."

Coulson and Pepper both laughed a little as they were successfully pulled from their brief reverie. Pepper looked over at Tony and he forced a smile, pretending to find it just as humorous as she and the agent apparently did.

"Of course, how stupid of me," Coulson conceded in self-reproach, "Are you feeling any better, Miss Potts?"

Pepper gave a miniscule shrug of her shoulders and Coulson was quickly reminded of her broken clavicle. Considering the circumstances, he was impressed she could even sit up comfortably. "Some days are better than others," Pepper answered. "But I've had more good days than bad days recently, wouldn't you say?" she directed the last part of the conversation towards Tony.

The man by her side nodded in answer, reaching out to rest his hand over Pepper's. "You've been awake more and have found an appetite again so yeah, I'd say you've had some good days lately."

Coulson watched Tony's movements closely, confident that they were made for his benefit. If the motion was meant to project a message of staking claim (which it undoubtedly was), then the message was received loud and clear. Coulson looked the other man in the eye and nodded knowingly. A silent man-conversation passed between those eyes.

"Should I feel threatened?"

"Not by me."

"Good, because she's mine."

"I know."

Outwardly though, the only words that came out were from Coulson, saying "Well, I'm glad to hear you're on the mend."

Pepper watched the strange exchange with a feeling that was somewhere between fascination and concern. She could see that something was happening, but didn't have the fluency to interpret it. It was like she was watching a muted television and realizing she was pathetic at reading lips.

"Yes," she finally said, "and speaking of appetites...sweetheart?" she asked towards Tony, effectively pulling him from his non-conversation with Coulson. "Do you think you could find me something to eat?"

"You're hungry now?" Tony asked, his voice rising in approval. He found himself getting excited every time she could eat another meal and keep it down.

Pepper nodded. "Nothing too big, but maybe a soup or something?"

"Yeah, you bet," Tony said, standing from his seat and bending to place a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be right back."

As he passed, Tony left a steady gaze on the agent. It was the kind of gaze that told a person to behave, and Coulson just smiled and politely stepped out of the way as Tony headed to the door.

Coulson let his focus linger on the doorway a little longer after the other man had disappeared, knowing that looking back would reveal a different Pepper, a personal Pepper...and he wasn't sure if he was ready to see her.

"Phil?" came her quiet call.

Phil sighed and let his gaze drop for a moment. Finally, he looked at her, seeing concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head gently, like he had no words to say what he wanted to say. "I'm just so sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

Phil gestured broadly to the hospital bed and the various monitors that were connected to Pepper, "For all of this."

Pepper gave him a stern, cross look. "All of this...had nothing to do with you," she shook her head as she said the words slowly, trying to make sure he heard every one of them.

Phil huffed in frustration and started counting his offenses on his hand, "I'm the one who drove you to the scene. I parked the car in that spot. I told you not to move under any circumstances. I did everything but fire the damn grenade at you, Pepper."

She held up a hand. "Stop, just stop, Phil. You did not do this to me. Please believe me when I say that I have never once blamed you for any of this."

Phil sighed again and turned away from her, looking out the small sliver of window that was visible between the partially closed curtains. The city lights shimmered in the night. He wanted to go out and be among them, take a long walk. But the quiet voice of the woman on the bed pulled him back.

"Come here," she said.

He couldn't disobey. With a heavy expression, he turned back to her and approached the bed.

"Sit."

Coulson pulled Tony's chair closer to the bed and dropped himself into it. Pepper held out her hand and Coulson just looked at it, unable to keep the tiny smile from tugging at his lips. He took her hand and clasped it with both of his.

"I honestly don't believe you did anything wrong. Okay? That's the disclaimer." She took in a deep breath and then said, "But I forgive you for driving me there, and parking where you did, and I forgive you for telling me to stay there."

It was like the weight of a planet was lifted from his shoulders at her words, and he smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome."

His smile grew until the twinkle was back in his eyes, and that made Pepper smile in return. She lifted her hand out of his grasp and stroked two fingers across his cheek, touching the happy wrinkles by his eyes affectionately. Phil let his gaze drop and he leaned ever so slightly into the caress, the smile slowly fading from his face as he relaxed. His jaw clenched beneath her movements as he resisted the urge to bring her hand to his lips for a kiss.

When he returned his gaze to her, Pepper saw that familiar look in his pale blue eyes, the look that sent a flutter to the pit of her stomach and made her heart race a little faster. She looked down at his mouth, and suddenly, two weeks felt like yesterday.

But it wasn't yesterday. And today...things were different.

She broke away from his earnest eyes and let her hand drop from its tender placement. "Listen, Phil...Tony and I-"

"I know," he interrupted. There was no malice or hurt in his voice, but it was deep and heartfelt all the same.

"I know you know but, I just need to say it," she looked back at him, "for my own sake."

Coulson nodded understandingly, giving her the permission she was requesting.

Pepper sighed as she tried to select the words to use. "Being with Tony these past couple of days...No, wait...not there..." Pepper brought a thoughtful hand up to her own mouth to stop her words. She carefully began again. "That night..."

Without any more frame of reference, Phil's mind flew instantly to the exact moment they kissed. Something tingled in his spine at the memory.

Pepper continued, "Afterward...you acted like...you were at fault somehow. Like you made some huge mistake. But I want you to know that..."

He waited as she discovered her words.

"It didn't come out of left field, Phil. We had something that night, something real. And it had been building up for days. At least...it had been for me."

"Yeah," Phil replied quietly. "Me too."

She looked at him and they both quietly nodded, sharing a mutual moment of common ground.

Eventually, she huffed and looked away from him, bringing her hands up to clasp her head briefly. "I swear Phil, so many things about you and me just make sense. It's just..."

"You're involved," he finished.

"It's the timing, Phil," Pepper restated. She gestured vaguely between the two of them, "If this had played out a year and a half ago, things would be so different. We would be so perfect."

"Yeah," he conceded, shaking his head gently and pinching his lips together in a small frown. "We would be perfect. But 'being with Tony these past few days'..." He led her into the conclusion she started earlier. At this point, the conversation was for her. He had already heard this before, in the countless times he had played through this conversation in his head.

Phil wasn't an idiot. In fact, he was an expert in analysis. He knew what to expect from this conversation even before he set foot in the elevator to come down here. Still...he had to admit, there was something reassuring about hearing her say the words herself. There was a side of him that wondered if he had been reading her wrong during those days and nights they were together. But hearing her say that the connection was real and it wasn't just in his head? He wasn't going to lie: that felt good.

Pepper sighed and tried to refocus herself back onto Tony. She smiled a little, despite herself, when she recalled the tender care he had been showing her over the past several days. "It's taken me a while to realize this but, with Tony... knowing that I almost lost him and that he almost lost me...it's made me realize how very important he is to me. I mean...very important, Phil."

Again, he gave a small nod.

Pepper went on, "I truly think there's something special between the two of us now and, I'm not willing to jeopardize that by leading another guy on...even if that other guy is really fantastic."

Coulson bowed his head and breathed out a small chuckle at the compliment.

Pepper smiled too, a little sadly. "And...it wouldn't be fair to you if I didn't just say that plainly."

"I know," Coulson repeated quietly, nodding his head in soft revelation. "I think I've known that all along."

Pepper wanted so badly to reach out and touch his cheek again, but she kept from it this time. She knew her words just now had lost her that privilege, and that was something she was just going to have to live with. Still, she felt she had to comfort him in another way. "You're an incredible man though, Phil. You're strong and sexy, a really great kisser, and so sweet and just-"

Even as her words began, Coulson was already protesting and shaking his head. "No, it's fine, Pepper— Pepper..." her words finally stopped. He smiled at her and shook his head again. "It's fine. You don't have to make me feel better. Honestly, I was going to say-"

"I called Happy," Tony interjected, waltzing back into the hospital room and returning his phone to his pocket. "He's bringing you some soup from Sporeli's because, let's be honest, S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria food stinks. No offense, agent," Tony paused when he noticed Coulson had taken his seat. "Sorry. Am I interrupting something?" The man was clearly not apologetic, but his imitation of remorse was passable.

"Not at all." Coulson answered, standing from his short-lived place at the lady's side. "I was just telling Miss Potts that I should get back to work."

He looked back at Pepper for a brief moment. "I'm very glad you're feeling better," he said softly.

There was so much more communicated in his voice than what those few words could convey, and Pepper suddenly found herself getting choked up when she realized he was saying goodbye. She stumbled to form a response, but nothing came.

He smiled at her the same, genuine smile with which he had greeted her for their meeting all those weeks ago. And then he pulled himself away from the bed and went to join Tony on the other side of the room. He drew his jacket closed casually and fastened the button.

"She's all yours," Coulson said, clapping the other man lightly on the back. The phrase had a dual meaning, and all three people acknowledged its weight to varying degrees. Just before he had exited the room, Pepper's voice finally reclaimed its skill and called after him.

"Agent Coulson, wait."

Phil paused in the doorway and turned around, looking back at Pepper and waiting expectantly.

She vaguely shook her head and hiked her shoulders. "What was it you were about to say to me?"

Coulson paused again and glanced once over at Tony. He struggled to choose his words. Finally, in a moment of inspired clarity, he looked back up at Pepper and smiled. "I was just going to say that, after looking over my book collection, I think it will be good if I try to keep the creases out of the pages for a while."

Pepper breathed out a small laugh as a smile flooded her face. Tony crinkled his brow at the odd comment, but Pepper knew exactly what Phil was saying. What was clearly a cryptic message in Tony's ears made perfect sense to her, and the smile she sent towards the agent at that moment was both sweet and sad at the same time. "Not for too long I hope?" she asked.

Coulson smirked and bobbed his head a little to the side in consideration. "Well, for a time. But not forever."

"Good."

Satisfied, Coulson gave one more unabashed smile to her. "Goodbye, Miss Potts."

"Goodbye, Agent Coulson."

He nodded once towards Tony, "Mr. Stark."

Tony gave a little wave, "Agent."

And with that, Coulson left the room, stopping just long enough to close the door behind him, knowing that he was closing a door between them in more ways than one. And this time, it was for good.

THE END

There you have it. I am excited to hear what your thoughts were on this final chapter and/or the whole story. So be sure to let me know what you think in the reviews. I really enjoyed writing this story and sharing it with all of you. Once again, a big thank you to kaheels for her encouragement and eagle-eye in editing this chapter, as well as all the rest of the story. And a HUGE thank you to all of you fabulous readers. I appreciate you sticking it out through this story, despite the awkward updating schedule. I especially wish to thank you if you originally had your doubts about this story but saw it through to the end anyway. I knew I was dealing with an unorthodox pairing here, but I hope the story didn't end up devastating anyone in spite of that. You guys are the best and I have really enjoyed writing this story for you.

All the best,

Monker