Again I'm sorry for the long wait for updates but I have finished college now so hopefully they will be quicker on my other story anyway :) This is the last chapter for Compromised. I hope you have all enjoyed reading it and thank you for all the follows, favourites and reviews.

It's a new day and the sun is shining. I'm feeling great, I have a great job and I have my son back. What could possibly go wrong?

"JARVIS, is Tony in the shop?" I ask as I stroll into the mansion with a cup of takeaway coffee from Starbucks.

"Yes Miss Potts."

I walk downstairs to see Tony with his back turned, completely oblivious to my arrival or just ignoring me.

"Tony?"

He doesn't look round.

"Yeah?"

"Um, it's kinda conversation etiquette to look at someone when they are talking."

He sighed and slowly turned round to face me. I frowned, he was deathly pale and his eyes looked tired.

"Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Well you don't look fine." I say and walk over and put my hand on his forehead. It doesn't feel hot.

"Tony you look like you've seen a ghost, please tell me what's wrong?" I say my voice rising at the end. I am starting to get worried.

"I…" his voice cracks and he stops and closes his eyes.

My heart drops. I have never seen him like this, something must be seriously wrong. I take his hand and squeeze it.

"I'm not going anywhere." I whisper. "You were there for me, now it's my turn to be here for you."

He squeezes my hand in return.

"I have to get rid of Obadiah now."

"Tony, we aren't even sure if he is behind all this. We don't have any proof."

"Oh I have proof alright." He muttered.

I realise now that the proof must have upset Tony to the point where he looks more vulnerable than I thought possible.

"Whatever it is, at least you can now get rid of him from the company." I say playing it safe. I am prompting him to tell me but I know he will tell me when he is ready.

He stares at me with his beautiful, dark eyes and it is as though he is staring straight into my soul.

I gulp, this must be bad.

"Pepper, do you ever have that feeling of when you think you know someone so well but then they just throw it back in your face?"

"Yes, I do." I say but I am thinking about when I first met Tony and how he isn't anything like I expected.

"Obadiah has stuck by my side all these years since my dad died and it makes me wonder if he stayed just to ruin the company when he had the chance."

"How did you get proof?" I don't dare ask what.

"I hacked into Obadiah's account and found videos, contracts, emails, letters, everything that makes up some sick scheme that dates back to a couple of years ago. I can't believe I never noticed there was something going on behind my back."

"What was he planning?" So much for subtlety, I wanted to know.

"He was going to have me killed Pepper."

"Wait, what?!" I stutter in shock. Whatever I was expecting, this was not it. Obadiah wanted to kill Tony? I thought there was something off about him, but murder? I didn't even know what to say. Anger and panic clouded all sense of logic.

"Why the hell would he do that? If it's just to take over the company then that's ridiculous!"

"From what I could see, it said he didn't like the new directions the company was taking and that it wasn't in the best interests for everyone, just me. He must have found out about the suit somehow and is annoyed about how we haven't approved ship of any weapons for at least six months so he took out an injunction to stop me knowing about dealings and shipping he was doing secretly."

"Oh my god…"

"Wait, it uh gets worse."

"I, okay…" I say, wondering what can be worse than wanting to kill him.

"Obadiah was behind the kidnapping in Afghanistan. That was when… I was supposed to-"

He breaks off and I realise there are tears in my eyes. I try to hold them back and close my eyes briefly to hide them. I don't want to say I'm sorry; it seems like an empty response.

"He won't get away with this." I manage.

"I know." Tony says, offering me a weak smile.

I want to throw my arms around him and never let go. He looks so broken. He puts his hands on my shoulders, looking straight into my eyes and says my name, his voice cracking slightly at the end. That does it. I throw my arms around him and surprised, he doesn't respond at first but then he relaxes and buries his head in my shoulder. I run my hand through his hair and he grips my shirt as though I might disappear.

"I won't leave you through any of this Tony."

He pulls back and tenderly brushes some hair from my face.

"Thank you. I really don't know what I did to deserve someone like you working for me."

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. He is so close that I can see lighter specks of brown in his eyes and flecks of grey in his goatee. My eyes flick to our hands still laced together.

"I try my best." I say.

"Sir, Obadiah is here to see you." JARVIS interrupts.

We look at each other and Tony takes a deep breath and says without breaking my gaze:

"Tell him I'll be right up."

"Tony, is this really a good idea? Why not wait until you catch him in the act?"

"No, this can't go on any longer. I don't ever want to see him again."

"I know that but what are you going to say?"

"I'll be fine, just stay down here, I don't want you getting hurt."

"Okay, just be careful." I say helplessly.

Once Tony has gone, I sit down and try to finish up some work on the laptop but I can't concentrate. That seems to be happening every time I try to work as of late. I find myself lacking in concentration due to the turbulent lifestyle into which I have entered. You wouldn't change it for the world though would you Potts? It's true, my life has been more exciting these past few months than the past few years. Although a few haven't approved of my career choice most notably my parents, I just wish they could see what my life is really like. Maybe one day they will. I think about inviting my parents down for the weekend when I hear shouting from above.

I couldn't really hear what was being said and there was a lump forming in my throat. I hoped Tony was coping alright. I should have said I'd be there if he needed anything. I felt helpless just sitting here but I didn't want to worsen the situation upstairs and it didn't really seem like any of my business to intrude.

After what seemed like hours of staring blankly at the laptop screen, I shut it down and wondered what the hell was happening up there. It was all quiet and Tony had been gone ages.

"JARVIS?" I whispered.

"How may I assist you Miss Potts?" the computer said in an equally hushed voice.

"Is Tony okay?"

"He looks to be fine Miss Potts; in fact he is just coming down the stairs now."

"Thank you JARVIS."

Tony came into the workshop without a word and sat down opposite me. He ran his hands through his hair and I noticed lines on his face which I hadn't seen before.

"You were a while up there, I wondered what had happened."

"He's gone for good." Tony sighed.

"He's going to back off, just like that?"

"Well I said if he left I wouldn't sue him for trying to destroy the company but I'm still going to press legal action."

"Of course you should. That man tried to kill you Tony!"

"I know, I just can't quite believe it at the moment. He and my father seemed so close but who knows what secrets Obadiah kept from him."

"Are you going to find a replacement?"

"You know Potts, I was thinking about how this company should move forward and who better to do that than you?"

"Me?!" I said incredulously.

"Yeah! What do you think about being the new CEO of Stark Industries?"

"But I'm not qualified for something like that."

"You are the most qualified, capable person I know, you'll do great!"

I'm speechless.

"I…well, thank you!"

"No problem. Congratulations! How about a drink?" Tony say automatically producing a bottle of champagne and two glasses from Dummy. "To new beginnings!"

"To new beginnings!" I echo and we clink glasses.