Eyes burning, she tried to rub away the discomfort in her sleep but her arms wouldn't budge. Blinking awake, Scarlett leapt alert but her vision was blurry. Where was Tony Stark making bad Sleeping Beauty jokes? Where was Jarvis?

Her right wrist was cuffed to a railing on an old, worn cot. It was rotted and stained, stunk something fierce too. The floor was a better bed than that.

MedCo had taken her again. Somehow they'd gotten her from California. Tony Stark probably handed her over to them. Lights flickered and buzzed overhead. An explosion in the distance made the building tremble, dust falling from the cracks in the ceiling. Everything groaned and shook, threatening collapse. Scarlett tried to slip her wrist free of the shackle.

Had she never escaped?

It didn't matter how she got there just that she was there and she was trapped. Her body was covered with a thin layer of sweat. There was no time. She had to get out. She didn't know how she knew it, but she had to.

A door creaked open behind her and she worked faster at the cuff, trying to also find something to fight with. Gritting her teeth, she forced her thumb out of place. The cuffs pressed into her palm as she forced her hand partially through them.

But as the light of the open door shone on her, she turned and froze.

Silhouettes in the doorway were fighting. The guard at her door was shouting, incoherent nonsense she couldn't decipher. Then a horrible shot was fired and Scarlett leapt and started to pull on the cuff again. Why wouldn't it come off? She'd broken out of these things a million times! There had to be something small enough to pick them with since they wouldn't slip off.

Falling into a bloody pile, the man who guarded her door fell halfway through it, bloodied. Scarlett stood, hunched, her wrist keeping her from being able to get upright. Her feet ached, scraping on the concrete. They were bloody. She'd make do.

Much to her surprise, the killer who entered was not an enemy.

"Ready to go, yes?" Sergei, the guard from South Africa, was there to rescue her. But why?

"I've become rather attached to this place, I'm afraid. Literally." Scarlett showed him her cuffed arm. Sergei chuckled at her joke and then slipped a key from his pocket. He would set her free. But he hesitated. There was a sound behind him. He'd been detected.

"We must hurry." Sergei handed her the key then returned to the doorway, gun in hand.

"We'll find another way out." Scarlett couldn't properly see the rest of the room. But she was sure she could rig something together to get them out of there in a time crunch. Scarlett scrambled with the key.

Sergei was suddenly snatched by a large, faceless man, and dragged down the hallway. Scarlett unlocked her handcuffs and hurried to the door just in time to see Sergei being thrown to the the ground. He stumbled to his knees and the faceless man aimed his gun.

"No! No!" Scarlett shouted but it was drowned out by gunfire. She rushed to Sergei but he wouldn't get up. He struggled to lift his hand and he urged it to her cheek.

"You must open your eyes."

"Shh, be quiet, okay?" Scarlett rested her hand over the bullet holes riddling his chest. He'd likely punctured a lung. She could get him to safety. Scarlett dragged Sergei into the room and slammed the door closed behind him. The faceless man had just stared at her. But Sergei was fading, becoming dead weight in her arms.

"You are too late." Blood dripped past his lips. It was happening too fast. How could this be happening so quickly? She couldn't think! Her head was spinning.

"I can help you, okay? I can help you. I just need a pen and…" Scarlett pulled his hand from her cheek.

"You cannot… save everyone." Sergei's voice was broken and frail. It was horrible. Blood was dripping out of his ears now too. She was shaking.

"I know! I don't need to save everyone, just… just you." Scarlett insisted. His hand fell at his side.

"No." Sergei coughed with such finality that she stopped fretting over the bullet wounds. "Just you." With that, he let out a last breath, a gurgling, horrible breath, and the light left his eyes. Scarlett panicked, only for a second, before she forced herself to focus.

Her friend had risked everything to save her, a life not worth nearly as much as his. She kissed his forehead, and then searched for something to protect herself with. His gun was gone, like it'd never been there. There was a pocket knife strapped to his belt and she took it in hand.

The door opened behind her with a creak. Why would they wait for Sergei to die? Because they didn't want her dead. They wanted to use her until there was nothing left of the woman she was.

Turning slowly, she hid the knife in her palm and got to her feet. But as she made to speak, she was shot in the shoulder and then twice in the chest. Stumbling, she fell back against the wall and her blood splattered behind her as she nearly collapsed. There was no pain. Just a high-pitched buzzing in her ears. That was it. There was no coming back from this. She coughed and blood poured past her lips.

It was hard to breathe. She gurgled as blood filled her lungs.

This was it. It'd be over in only a moment.

The masked man holstered his gun and approached her. He grabbed her chin and forced her attention on him. She lost her grip on the knife and instead grasped blindly at his arm. Her hand slipped away, weakly. Darkness crept in on her vision and she felt sick. Her body was slipping. She was losing control.

He laughed.

"Why?" Scarlett furrowed her brow. "Why him?"

"You made me do it, Scarlett." A familiar, yet distant voice. Cold. She couldn't place it. "You ruin everything you touch. You brought this on yourself. I saved him from you."

Scarlett grasped his mask and pulled it away and it fell somewhere unseen.

Scott.

Scott and his blue eyes filled with rage, hatred, and blame.

How could he blame her for this?

Of course, he did. Because it was her fault. She'd spent so long being a selfish, cruel person, and now it was catching up with her.

"And now you will get what you deserve." Scott's voice echoed all around her, like it was both right in front of her and feet behind her. His lips weren't moving when he spoke. He was just smiling, blue eyes judging her. She waited for death to take her but it was an agonizing wait. Scott stepped back and when she looked up, the barrel of a gun was in her face. When he pulled the trigger, she closed her eyes and braced for death.

Scarlett leapt upright in bed.

Her stomach was churning in misery, head pounding. She scooted in a panic to the head of the bed, pressing herself as flat against it as she could and prepared for a fight. She was shaking from head to toe, dripping with sweat.

Someone yelped and leapt away from her. Scarlett searched for the sound, but her heart was pounding so badly that she couldn't focus. Her leg was throbbing miserably as she put pressure on it. Her hand was covered in blood. Scarlett turned her attention to the sheets and found them drenched in sweat and blood too.

"I'm sorry!" Pepper got her attention and Scarlett snapped her gaze to the redhead. It took her a solid minute to remember who the hell she was. She leaned her head back against the headboard and closed her eyes. She'd scratched her wound in her sleep. Pepper continued to talk but Scarlett couldn't focus.

What a horrible nightmare. Why the hell was her conscience choosing now, of all times, to catch up with her?

"Are you okay?" Pepper's voice was clear again. Scarlett tried to uncurl herself from where she hid atop the pillows. She pulled the sheets back up to cover her legs in hopes of hiding the blood. The last thing she needed was to be fretted over.

"I'm fine." Scarlett's voice was shaking. The haze of the nightmare was difficult to shake. She managed to somehow force a smile for Pepper but was sure it didn't look natural. Much to her surprise, the panel from the night before opened overhead and a tray with a glass of water descended for her. Then she really smiled.

Jarvis was terribly kind. Steadying her shaking hands, Scarlett grasped the glass and downed it. Her mouth tasted awful.

Pepper went to speak and Scarlett set down the glass on the nightstand and interrupted. "I think I scratched my leg open while I was sleeping."

"I can call Tony so he can help." Pepper opened her mouth to do just that, presumably.

"No!" Scarlett held up her hands defensively. Pepper tried to hide her amusement.

"After how he behaved yesterday, I can't blame you for that." Pepper sat on the edge of the bed. Scarlett adjusted the dress she'd crashed in the night before and scooted along the bed to sit next to Pepper.

"Actually I just don't really want to give him another chance to look up my skirt. I can handle it." The burning and itching was miserable. She masked the pain as not to worry Pepper. She was good at that. Or at least she had been before Afghanistan. She felt like a different person.

"Understandable." Pepper looked down at her hands and her smile faded. "I wanted to apologize for last night."

"I thought you did already."

"I did but I wanted to do it without Tony around to hear it." Pepper stood and paced slowly. "When those men came looking for a woman who wasn't me I jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry that I'm a little overprotective. I've seen countless people try to use Tony."

"I can imagine. Being the jackass billionaire that he is." Scarlett rolled her eyes. "You two… dated, didn't you? Is that still a thing?"

"Oh!" Pepper's cheeks turned pink. "I'm… yeah, that didn't work out. I know it must seem weird that I went back to working for him."

"Honestly, I'm not thinking much about that right now." Scarlett didn't care much about Tony's past. If she did, she'd have a heart attack from the stress. Even so, there was a strange, uncomfortable tug in her stomach. This couldn't be jealousy, right? Gross.

"Well, still. Just to make it clear." Did Pepper think she was interested in that? "I couldn't handle the pressure of being his girlfriend. We had some tension from over the years but once that was out of our system there was nothing left. He was still the same complex and conflicted disaster of a man and I am still the woman looking for something stable and reliable. I couldn't stay just to fix him. That's not what either of us wanted. He's not broken. We agreed it was better to be friends."

"Yes, friends who have seen each other naked always ends well." Scarlett scoffed. She knew that firsthand. Pepper looked rejected. "Sorry, I didn't mean that to come off as offensive as it sounded. I can be… a sarcastic bitch."

"I see. Well, we don't really know each other very well." Pepper smiled. "You're not wrong to assume. But Tony and I have been friends for years. We'll always care about each other but we are our best when we work together and stay friends. That and I'm… not really attracted to him anymore."

"I cannot express how much you don't owe me an explanation. This all seems like none of my business."

"I know I don't owe you anything." Pepper took a breath as if frustrated. "I just thought I should explain why I get defensive of Tony. When those men said who they were after I just thought you were… another person out for his blood. That and the way he talks to you. It's no secret that Tony has… a way with women."

"Yep, he's a dirty slut."

"Yes, he was for a bit there." Pepper couldn't hide her amusement. "But you proved yourself last night. Even after he locked you up. I know that he's upset that you disobeyed orders and went through his things but… he didn't realize how bad it was. You saved him."

"I knew he would be in trouble." Scarlett felt guilty. Why? Ugh. She had enough guilt to last a lifetime.

"How?" Pepper knelt before her. No more accusations, just curiosity.

"I wasn't sure until I saw the weapons they were using but… they're after me." Scarlett avoided her eyes. "I didn't know they would be. Hell, I didn't expect to get out of there alive, Pepper. Nonetheless for them to chase me. But Tony wouldn't let me come, so there was no chance for me to play martyr either."

"He was just worried about you." Pepper smiled softly. Scarlett was genuinely surprised she was still on her side after that confession.

"I am pretty sure he was just worried I'd get in the way."

"I don't think so." Pepper softened. "Either way, I wanted to say sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"Don't worry about it. You have zero reason to trust me."

"I'm still sorry. And sorry for Tony's behavior. He should be begging for your forgiveness, honestly."

"I am pretty sure that Tony doesn't beg for much of anything." Scarlett chuckled. "It's really fine. I'm a stranger here. I certainly don't trust you or him. And you shouldn't trust me. It's not a bad thing to be careful. Between Tony being… who he is and me… coming from where I came from, it's only natural."

"You're so much more understanding than I expected." Pepper smiled kindly. Scarlett, honestly, was just trying to shake the nightmare that startled her awake. "I had the chef prepare breakfast for the three of us if you'd like to join us downstairs in the dining room. Jarvis will guide you when you're ready." Pepper started toward the door.

"Great." Scarlett didn't really like the idea of eating. Her stomach was still out of sorts, but she knew it was the only way to get back to normal.

"Tony's a bit hungover so I imagine you are too. He won't admit that's what it is, but I've known him well enough to tell."

"Thanks, I just need to clean up and get changed." Scarlett stood and her leg instantly gave out and she yelped and fell to the ground on her back. She stared at the ceiling in awe. What the hell?

"Scarlett! Jarvis, call Tony! Something's wrong!" Pepper knelt down next to her and covered her mouth in horror. Then Pepper saw the blood on the sheets and gasped. So much for keeping that to herself. "I thought you looked pale! Jarvis!"

"No, no, Jarvis, don't call him, please." Scarlett sat up and then placed all her weight on her good leg and sat on the edge of the bed. She then tested her right leg. Shaky and painful but it would be okay.

"Jarvis, call Tony."

"Already done, Miss Potts."

Scarlett pulled up the skirt of the dress and grimaced. The bandage was partially torn and she tugged it off. It looked awful. Swollen, scabby, oozing with blood and pus. She looked away, fanning herself as she got hot and nauseous. Whatever burned her was doing a number on her body.

"It's just irritated." Scarlett assured her. Pepper was turned away, mouth covered in disgust, her skin having gone pale. "Oh, it's not that bad."

"It's really not that bad, Pepper." Tony entered the room, never taking his eyes from his phone. "She's a little squeamish."

"You don't need to be here." Scarlett waved Tony off. He avoided her eyes and then slipped his crystal clear phone back into his jeans.

"You don't mean that. I'm always needed." Tony snapped his fingers and motioned for Pepper to get out of the way. "Jarvis, you know what to do." Tony sat on the bed next to her and grabbed her shoulder to turn her toward him. Yet, he was still avoiding looking at her. There were deep bags under his eyes. The cut on his forehead was bruised having turned a nasty shade of green.

"It's fine. I just scratched it in my sleep."

"And the sequins on the dress did it no favors." Tony tugged the bloodied skirt of the dress and urged it higher on her thigh. She stopped him, resting her hand over it.

"How's your head, Tony?" Pepper seemed concerned that he didn't make a joke about the dress.

"For the last time, I don't have a hangover. I was electrocuted like twelve times in a row. Pretty sure I'm entitled to be at least a little bitchy." Tony shot her a look then took the first aid kit that Jarvis provided along with the vial that would help with the wound on her leg. Pepper kept her hand over her mouth as Tony cleaned the wound. Scarlett couldn't believe how miserable this thing on her leg was. She'd been through hell before and it was nothing like this!

"Are you sure she doesn't need a real doctor, Tony?"

"It's really not that bad. But if you are that disgusted, then maybe leave the room. Don't go right to breakfast, it does kind of resemble scrambled eggs…" There was no smile or amusement on his face. He was off.

"Tony!" Pepper was disgusted and swatted him. Tony ignored her and kept cleaning up the mess on Scarlett's leg. Then he applied the chemical agent to the wound and her leg trembled in pain as it stung. Tony placed a comforting hand on her knee to help her stay still.

None of Tony's signals made sense. Scarlett decided not to bother trying. Trying to constantly understand what the fuck was happening was too much.

"There. Good as new." Tony patted her knee after wrapping the wound then stood. "Pepper, make sure the sheets are changed and cleaned for tonight. Wouldn't surprise me if it happened again overnight." Without looking at either woman, Tony left the room.

"Why don't you get cleaned up and meet us downstairs?" Pepper smiled. Scarlett put her feet gingerly to the ground. Pepper was watching her like a hawk. It was painful but she could put weight on it. "There are clean clothes in the closet. If you need anything at all, tell Jarvis."

"Thank you, Miss Potts."

"It's Pepper. And it's no problem." With a wave, the redhead left the room. Limping over to the closet, Scarlett picked out an off the shoulder red and black striped shirt dress for the day. The idea of wearing jeans skeeved her out. That was a battle for later.

Tony leaned against the wall in the hallway and Pepper insisted on arguing with him about his plans for the day. He'd had a long night after being left to his own devices. After hours of going through the data from the Mark VII and starting repairs, he'd finally tried to sleep and that was around three in the morning.

Then he'd laid in bed and watched the footage from the house from the night before. Scarlett had been so worried about him. What had he done to deserve that? After that, he'd watched her sleeping. Again. She'd tossed and turned the entire night. He'd finally fallen asleep with the video feed still on. Almost like she was there next to him. He wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with him.

Pepper woke him up at seven and he'd been back to working on his Mark and managing his company. Now he was waiting for her to leave her room so he could help her downstairs. Sure, he could have let Pepper or Happy do it but he wanted to. Mostly because he didn't want her getting close to Happy and Pepper. He didn't know anything about her. And knowing she was being pursued made her that much more dangerous. Pepper eventually left him alone when she realized he wasn't paying attention.

The door to the guest room opened and his mind went blank as she stepped into the hall. Short skirt, off the shoulders. Perfect. Beautiful. Stunning. He had to keep every single remark he had for her to himself. He nodded toward the stairs.

"Figured you could use some help."

"Down the stairs?" She cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. He nodded. She then walked past him, grabbed the railing, and made her way slowly down each step.

"I was trying to do something nice."

"They're just stairs, Tony." Scarlett rolled her eyes. "It's not that bad." She waved him off.

"Fine, your highness. Do it your way." Tony followed her down the stairs, but couldn't hide his smile. He'd been worried she would treat him differently after last night. Why was it he couldn't do the same? Maybe he really was hungover.

"So… where do we go from here?" Scarlett gestured around her.

Tony snapped his finger and started past her and led her through the first floor of his house. Dark wood floors were spotless throughout the open dining area and kitchen. Alongside floor to ceiling windows were several rows of well kept houseplants. Then alongside that was a slick wooden table surrounded by eight white chairs. There was some space between that and a sleek black island counter lined with three barstools. Beyond that were the matching kitchen counters, an overly large and fancy stove and matching hood, a double oven, a large sink, and the finest appliances money could buy.

Scarlett wondered if they were ever actually used for cooking. She didn't really take Tony for the cooking type. More the hiring someone to cook type. And if any chef did cook there? It was meticulously cleaned up after.

Tony took a seat at the head of the table. Scarlett made to sit at the other end of the table and Pepper hurried over and pulled open the seat to Tony's right. "Come, come. Sit here. That's where we've setup a spot for you.

"Really? I have to sit right next to him?" Scarlett took the seat without further objection. "I'm not going to argue but I am going to ask if you can share what you're getting high on."

"Seconded." Tony picked up the newspaper that was left for him and browsed through the financial section. Pepper sat across from Scarlett and patted the spot next to Tony. With a roll of his eyes, Tony offered Pepper the lifestyle section.

A moment later, a waiter entered from elsewhere with a try that had three plates, each covered to keep warm. Scarlett shifted uncomfortably next to Tony.

"You know, Tony. I think Scarlett did an excellent job last night. With your wounds." Pepper tried to break the tense silence that followed the waiter giving them their plates and offering them coffee and juice. Tony flopped the paper down and narrowed his eyes at his assistant. He knew what she was getting at. He turned the page.

"I didn't need any help."

"Oh, don't argue! You should have gone to the hospital!" Pepper laughed. "Honestly, I should have just come back here and had Scarlett handle it. You were far more efficient than the emergency room. And he's a way more difficult patient than I am. A big baby."

"Don't be ridiculous, Potts."

"He winced before I even touched the wound." Scarlett poked at the food on her plate and ate a little here and there.

"Now you're just lying." Tony pouted. It was confusing. Why did he notice so many little things that he would usually ignore? She was avoiding eating. Just shoving around her food.

"He does that every time he has a small scrape." Pepper grinned. Of course she'd be delighted by this. "But you did a great job."

Tony folded up his paper and set it aside and warned Pepper with a look to shut it. Despite that, he smiled a little.

"Well, you're welcome, I guess." Scarlett took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes. "God, I haven't had coffee for so long. That is just about the most amazing thing I've ever tasted." Scarlett looked to him expectantly. Oh, she was giving him a chance to make a dirty joke. Interesting.

"That was too easy. Give me a harder one."

"That's what she said." Scarlett took another sip of the coffee and then turned her attention to Pepper. "It's been years since I had good coffee. This is… well, a girl could get spoiled by this."

"Freshly ground Kona blend." Pepper smiled. "There's plenty. Enjoy it."

"Don't tempt me. Just give me an IV."

"When did you two become friends?" Tony pointed between them.

"We were never… not friends." Pepper shrugged.

"Weren't you warning me that she was up to no good just yesterday? Didn't you say I was in over my head?" Tony took a sip of his own coffee and then made a sound of approval. "This is very good today."

"I wasn't kidding." Scarlett went back to poking at her food. More silence.

"Did Tony need stitches?" Pepper was delighted and not even trying to hide it.

"No. I didn't need stitches." Tony spoke over Scarlett whose mouth was full of coffee. "I used two rolls of gauze and half a roll of tape. I don't have a concussion either. What else would you like to know about my health?" Tony folded his arms on the table, amused. Somewhere along the line, the cycle of dark thoughts left him.

"I was just thinking that she maybe deserved a little praise for her good work."

"Right, right." Tony dramatically pushed out his chair and batted his eyelashes at Scarlett. "Thank you, oh so very much, for going out of your way to help me last night, Miss Damien."

"Despite…?" Scarlett's smile was addictive. He cocked an amused eyebrow.

"Despite that I was a complete ass. And that I kidnapped you… many times. I get it. I was wrong. Are you two happy now? I hope you're recording, Jarvis, because this isn't happening again." Tony looked to Pepper as if to ask if that was enough.

"Speaking of Happy." Pepper stood. "I have three thousand things to do today thanks to the chaos of last night. So, if you don't mind, I'll see you both later. I assume you can handle your own day, Tony?" Pepper didn't wait for an answer and left, putting her phone to her ear.

"But who will shove food in my mouth and change my diaper?" Tony yelled after her and then sighed. "Cannot get decent help these days." He then turned to Scarlett who was still poking at her food. "I should have let you come with me last night."

"Is that so?" Scarlett leaned back in her seat and sipped her coffee. "What brought you to that conclusion?"

"You were a lot of help. Pepper's right. I was in trouble. You helped." Tony watched Scarlett as she poked at her food again and then surrendered her fork.

"Good to see you finally figured it out."

"I blew up at you for no reason."

"This is a lot of stating the obvious, Stark. It's just kind of a waste of breath." Scarlett waved him off.

"I'm grateful. Which is what I am trying to say if you would stop making fun of me for a few seconds."

"I get it. Don't thank me, Stark. And don't apologize. It's over." Scarlett assured him. "I helped you. You're grateful. We're even. And while you are a complete asshole I wouldn't expect anymore help. Noted?"

"But what if I get in trouble and I'll die without you saving me?" He pouted, hand under his chin with his elbow on the table.

"Well, that seems like a bad day for you, Stark." Scarlett nibbled her toast. It was cute to see her try.

"You'd miss me."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." She was pretending to be interested in her food. Tony pushed his plate away and the waiter came to take it and then refilled their coffee cups.

"You know, after last night, I struggled picturing you getting hurt." Tony feigned attention to the newspaper. "We had a bit too much. My head was spinning. You hadn't eaten properly in ages so I imagine you were buzzed. And if you'd gotten hurt because I'd gotten you tipsy? I don't know if I'd forgive myself." Tony tried to explain how his mind worked. "I wasn't trying to lock you up in another prison. I acted on impulse. I didn't think about how that would make you… feel. I just knew Jarvis would protect you."

Silence. Tony was oddly nervous. He wanted to grab the fork she kept poking the food with and toss it out of her hand.

"You need to like me less, Stark." Scarlett took the paper from in front of him and looked it over, discarding the fork. "It's dangerous." Looking back at Tony, she pulled the paper closer to her with a smile. "You offered me a pretty ridiculous job last night when you were drinking."

"I know. And it's still on the table." Tony was delighted she brought it up. He'd thought for sure she was going to try to escape as quickly as possible. Not that he was holding her against her will or anything. It turned out that the close encounter from last night hadn't been a fluke. This was happening. He shifted in his seat. "That's if you had time to think about it."

"I had plenty of time to think about it while locked away in my tower." Scarlett scowled. Tony winced but was still delighted. "And given that I had so much time to think about it? I've decided to take the job." Tony couldn't hide his surprise. He'd expected to have to convince her.

"What was it you said last night? That was dangerous about this proposition?" Tony moistened his lips and leaned a little closer. "You didn't find me boring. Am I remembering that correctly?"

"I can change my mind, if you prefer."

"No, no." Tony held his hand out for her instead, locking his brown eyes on hers. "Welcome to Stark Industries, Miss Damien. I'll have my assistant draw up the contracts."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark. I look forward to working with you." Scarlett's discomfort seemed to fade. Even as they shook hands, Tony could feel that lightning. The urge to pull her close, to draw her to him, and to keep her there. It was dangerous, alright. And very much not boring.