Three

Epilogue

YAY! I'M DONE! I couldn't help myself so I went ahead and uploaded this anyways. But I'm done! If you knew me, you would realize what an accomplishment this is. Sure, it's only six chapters but to someone who never finishes what she starts, its more like fifteen.

Anyway… I would like to take time and thank all my readers and reviewers. You keep me writing and helped me improve (I think) on my skills. I hope you enjoyed this ficcy as much as I did. There may or may not be a side story to this, depending on if I can make a plot and plausible fight scenes.

I don't own Iron Man. Gwen maybe, but not Iron man. Oh, and can you spot abuse of author power? =P if so, I hope it makes you laugh!

Pepper sighed as the jet prepared to land. She was happy to be home. Sure, several days in Europe with Tony Stark was the best several days of her life but there was nothing like being home. In addition, they'd find out what was going on while she and Tony were away.

It wasn't until on the way back to the hotel that Tony began to act odd. He was distracted which meant he was thinking and he didn't look like he was enjoying where his thoughts were leading.

"Something isn't right." He told her when the doors to the elevator closed.

"What isn't right?"

"We called Gwen around one. It was around four a.m. on her end. Who answers the phone wide awake at four a.m.? Something isn't right."

"Maybe she and Happy were throwing that wild party you told them they could throw." She laughed as the door dinged and they stepped out.

"There wasn't any music," Tony frowned.

She glanced over at Tony as they walked down the hall and thought long and hard for about two seconds on whether she should say what she was thinking. She decided his reaction was worth it.

"Or maybe her and Happy put aside their differences and were having fun on the couch." She laughed loudly when she saw the look of disgust on his face.

"Virginia Potts that is the most disturbing thing I've ever heard!" He stuck out his tongue in a faux gag. "I think I would know if my employees were… I'm just going to pretend I never heard that and I hope I won't have nightmares tonight."

He paused and looked her over as they stopped at her room.

"Of course, you can stay with me to make sure I don't have nightmares." He said with a sly grin.

She rolled her eyes and took out her room key.

"No." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and slipped into her room.

"You complete me!" She heard him say through the door.

"Sure," She yelled back.

That afternoon, they left so they would arrive back at a decent time. All joking aside, she could tell he was still worried and baffled at the same time which meant he wasn't in the best of moods. Therefore, when they exited the jet and found Happy and Gwen waiting on them, they thought they would be able to put aside the strange encounter from the day before. They quickly realized they were wrong.

"What the hell happened?" Tony exclaimed as he and Pepper approached Happy and Gwen waiting by the car.

He took his shades off to make sure he was actually seeing what he was seeing. Happy sported a bruise and several cuts on his face. If there was more, they couldn't tell from the suit he was wearing. Gwen didn't have any bruises but her lower left arm was wrapped thickly in gauze.

"I hope that didn't come from that dog," He added, noting Gwen's wrapped arm. She only lowered her eyes.

"Good to see you too," Happy smiled.

"Why are you two so…? You look like you've been a fight. Tell me you two didn't duke it out." Pepper said. Gwen stepped forward and took a deep breath.

"Mr. Stark, please don't be mad at me," she bit her lip and stared at the ground.

"Why would I be mad?" Tony raised a brow.

"Well…" She paused and pulled something out of her pocket, but kept it by her side. "There was an attempt to breach your lab yesterday-"

"And you didn't call me? Why didn't JARVIS notify me? I told him to call Pepper if something happened."

"I told him not too." She pushed her glasses back up.

"You told him not too! And he listened?" Tony ran a hand through his hair and Pepper grabbed him to keep him from starting to pace because that is what he did when he processed bad news.

"It wasn't anything we couldn't handle." Happy chimed in.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Gwen looked over at him. Happy frowned and muttered something about women these days.

"Nothing you couldn't handle? What if they killed you?" Tony yelled angrily wrenching free from Pepper.

"Tony's right." Pepper focused on Happy, not that she wasn't concerned for Gwen but she knew Happy better and therefore was openly more concerned for him. "Do you know who tried to break in?"

"Mr. Stark, I'm sorry you're angry," Gwen said ignoring Pepper's question, "but I can assure you the situation was taken care of with minimal damage to both us and the vicinity."

"I vouch for them."

A voice came from behind them. Tony and Pepper turned to see Agent Coulson standing behind them.

"Some how, I'm not surprised." Tony grumbled. "Why are you here?"

"I figured I'd need to back up my agent." He gazed behind them, "She's a great agent, but still new at the game."

"You're kidding." Pepper said, looking disbelievingly at Gwen.

"S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Gwendolyn McKinley," She flipped open the badge in her hand and smiled apologetically.

"You just got out of college!" Tony said.

"I said school; training school, Mr. Stark," she lowered her hand, gave another apologetic smile. "Please don't be mad at me."

"I knew you didn't do a background check," Pepper said to Tony.

"I did too. I just didn't think to do an extensive one." Tony retorted hastily. He turned back to Coulson. "So you sent me a babysitter. I'm slightly offended."

"I am not a babysitter!" Gwen scowled, "I'm just a well trained assistant."

"Assassin maybe," Happy scoffed. "Not as bad ass as Natalie, though. Ow." Gwen hit him on the shoulder. "There's a bruise there."

"I know. I put it there if you recall." She turned her nose up triumphantly.

"Tony, think about it." Coulson smirked, "Do you really believe a normal person could be your assistant?" He saw Pepper scowling at him, "No offense of course, Pepper. But now that you're Iron Man, Tony, your staff is going to need to be a bit more capable."

Tony sighed and looked over at Gwen.

"Well this explains a lot; I did wonder how you got into Pepper's apartment so easily."

Gwen blushed and stared at the ground.

"I'm not going to ask." Coulson shook his head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe McKinley can take over and brief you on what's going on."

"Problem's in the mid-west, still?" Tony asked.

"Greenland." Coulson and Gwen said in unison.

"Well, don't forget to write." Tony said sarcastically. Coulson refrained from rolling his eyes.

"I won't," he said instead and turned to walked away.

"Hey, does this mean that she'll be reporting my every move?" Tony asked. Coulson didn't turn around.

"No," he called back, "She's under you're contract now."

"Good," Tony grumbled. As soon as Coulson was out of sight, Gwen smiled.

"If it helps, even if I was supposed to, I wouldn't."

"What a rebel," Happy rolled his eyes.

"Oh hush," Gwen glared and then turned to Tony. "But, Mr. Stark, it's true." she said, her professional tone replaced with one that reminded them of an over excited school girl, "you're freakin Iron Man. Iron Man trumps all."

"At least you have faith in me," He said. He and Happy couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't know about you," Pepper said, opening the car door and climbing in. "But I want to go home."

"You know," Tony turned his attention to his new assistant as they got into the car, "you really don't seem the type."

"It's the glasses." Gwen stated walking around to the passenger front. Once everyone was in, Happy started the car and Tony shook his head.

"No… you just don't have that typical agent 'I'll kill you' look."

"I have to agree," Pepper added.

"Ha!" Happy scoffed looking into the rearview mirror, "Just mention Natalie." Gwen snapped her head to the left and glared at Happy. "See?"

"Just be lucky you're driving," She spat.

"Okay children, play nice," Tony smiled and then added, "So the break-in?"

"Right," Gwen took off her glasses and began to wipe them with a cloth from her bag she left in the front seat. "Oh, where do I start…?"

Once again, thanks for reading and sticking with me! Without readers, there are no writers.

XOXO- Fin.