Disclaimer: Don't own any of Iron Man, just my own ideas for the story

Tony grunted and turned on his back. It was 7:00 am and he was still trying to catch sleep. Tony turned on his side and could feel the exposed wire about to shock him again.

"Shit, this is going to hurt", he thought.

"ZZZING"

Tony jumped up and sat up in his bed. "Lights Jarvis," he breathed coarsely. He put his hand over his arc. "If this keeps happening, the shrapnel is going to get closer. Maybe I can buy some time until I finish on the new one."

"Hey Jarvis", he said. The A.L clicked on, "Yes sir".

"Where is Miss Potts?"

"Miss Potts is currently answering emails in the living room." Tony smirked, "Tell her to stop what she's doing and come see me".

"Yes sir," Jarvis said. Tony got up from his bed to find his sweatpants. At least a minute later, Pepper walked in the room with a pair of sweatpants. How she knew it, Tony would never know.

"I thought you might want these, Mr. Stark", Pepper said, holding up the sweatpants for him to get. "You left them last night after taking the medication I prescribed you on". He raised his eyebrow, " Oh, I see Miss Potts, you couldn't resist so you had to sneak a peek", he took the pants lingering his hand on hers, " I took you as that type", trying to make his word sound generous. She slapped his hand away and glared at him, "After you took the medication you watch the Wizard of Oz, and began ranting on about how you felt like you were melting. I tried to give you a glass of water, but you insisted on taking your clothes off". "Oh". "Did you want me to take my underwear off, too?"

She changed the subject before he could go any further. "Here's your shirt", pulls one out of his draw.

"Leave it; I need you to do something for me."

"Mr. Stark"

"Show me your hands"

"Mr. Stark!"

"Jeez, Pepper, someone is thinking naughty, and it's not me this time", he flashed a full smile. "So, what is it that you need", she blushed, embarrassed. "Damn that blush", "You're hands, hold 'em up". She held them up. "Okay, that'll work", he walked over to the bed and sat down. He motioned her to come. "I need you to fix a wire that has been bothering me", he said as she reluctantly walked over.

"What?"

"There's a wire in my chest that has been shocking me and putting a shortage to the reactor."

"Tony, I think-."

Tony saw that look on her face. It was the look Pepper got every time he asked her to help him with one of his projects, which wasn't even that often, but she still didn't like doing them. "Nope, none of that Miss Potts, you're doing it." He said while propping himself up on one of his pillows. She sighed, "Mr. Stark, its…, it's just that you're really relying on me to do this and I don't think I'm qualified to do this". "No, no, no, you're the most capable and most qualified person I know".

She looked at him tenderly. "Is it too much to ask, 'cause I really need your help here."

"Okay, Okay", He took out his arc reactor. She hesitated a moment before sliding her hand in his chest. "Is that… EWW, there's pus."

"It's not pus, its plasmic discharge," he said heaving his chest, "from the device, not from my body".

"It smells," she complained.

"Yeah, I know", agreeing with her. "The copper wire; do you have it?"

"Yeah, I've got it", she said, pushing her hand deeper into his chest. "Okay, now I want you to move it 3 inches to the right and push it a quarter of the way down".

Pepper's hand was being eaten by his chest and Tony was counting each breath, making sure the shrapnel didn't come any closer to his heart. "There". Pepper dragged her hand out of the thick goo and quickly got the arc hooked. "Okay, now this may hurt", Tony's eyes widened "OWWW". Pepper looked at him cautiously as he took a few ragged, before his arc was in full use. "Did it work?"

He smiled. "Yes, it will do for now. In a few days, I'll be finished with the reactor I'm working on."

"Good", she nodded, going into the bathroom to get a towel. "Just, when you get finish working on that reactor," she said stepping out of the bathroom, throwing the towel in his hamper, "don't ask me to do it ".

"But, Miss Potts, I don't have anyone, but you". He said

She shifted. "Will that be all Mr. Stark?"

"That'll be all Miss Potts". Pepper smiled and walked out of the room. "Goodnight, Mr. Stark". He smirked after her. "Lights out, Jarvis", Tony got into his covers and fell asleep.

"ZZZING"

"Got damn it", Tony jumped out of his bed and headed to his workshop. " Miss Potts I'm sorry, but I'm going to need your assistance again."