TITLE: I Don't Need You To Protect Me

SUMMERY: Natasha is assigned to protect Pepper – due to the world knowing that Tony is Iron Man. SHIELD is worried that due to the fact that Pepper is soon to be married to Tony – that the Avengers enemies would target Pepper.

Pepper is still to angry at Natasha for infiltrating Stark Industries. Also; she's still angry at how Tony wanted to bed the Russian Spy from the moment he set eyes on her. She flatly refuses to allow Agent Romanoff to be the agent in charge of her security. Nick Fury was ready to assign another agent – but Tony refuses to have any other SHIELD agent to protect Pepper.

CATEGORY: Drama/ Romance/ Family/ Friendship/ Hurt/Comfort/ Crime/ Suspense/ Tragedy/ Angst

RATING: M

PRELUDE:

TONY PUTS HIS FOOT DOWN

"Come in Ms. Potts." Nick Fury said with a wave of his hand into his office. He watched as the tall, thin woman walk past him into his office. He watched as she stiffly took the seat in front of his desk. But; then she stood to her feet, and turned to face him.

"Are you going to kill me?" She spoke. He noticed that her hands were playing at her waist. I know that you need Tony to help protect the world – so if I have to die in order for that to happen. Then," She swallowed the lump lodge in her throat. "I'm ready."

Nick smiled, "We aren't going to kill you Ms. Potts. We know that Tony Stark wouldn't be able to continue to live without you."

"So you are going to relocate me to some place where I can't tell anyone about SHIELD." She nodded her head. "Okay."

"We aren't going to relocate you either." Nick said with a smile. "Please take a seat." He walked over to the chair next to the strawberry blond woman's chair. Taking a seat himself he turned sideways so he could look into her brown eyes. "You are a very important member of the Avengers; Ms. Potts."

Pepper shook her head. "No I'm not. I'm not even part of the team. I'm just a business Mogul."

"Do you really think that Tony Stark would even be part of the Avengers right now if you hadn't been the one to truly push him into doing the right thing?" Nick questioned.

"Tony would have done the right thing. Eventually." Pepper said with fire in her eyes. What a jerk. How dare he question Tony Stark. Why this man doesn't even know Tony. All he ever gotten was what Natalie …. no what Natasha (the bitch) had written in the S.H.I.E.L.D file on him. Sides; only reason why Shield even wants Tony – is because of his father, Howard. If Howard had lived long enough to finish his last project for SHIELD – then Tony would never be on their freaking radar. Taking a few calming breaths; after all it wouldn't do Tony any good if she just exploded at his boss. She had Tony to protect after all.

"We still would have wanted Tony, if Howard was still with us." Nick knowing fully what was racing through the slightly younger woman's mind. "Even if Tony didn't go through the life altering experience three years ago; Ms. Potts; we at Shield; nay." Nick shook his head. He looked deeply into Pepper's eyes, "I still would have wanted Tony as part of the Avengers team."

Pepper read the truth in the brown eyes of the man sitting next to her. Her anger slowly drifted out of her. "So why am I here than?"

"I have decided that you need a full time agent assigned to you, Ms. Potts. As soon as the world learns that you and Tony are engaged – then you are going to be the main target to bring down Iron Man." Director Fury replied. "I have decided that Agent Romanoff is the perfect agent for the job. One; she had all ready gone undercover once three years ago. Two; she all ready knows how to protect you."

"No." Pepper spoke.

"Three -" Nick went on.

"No." Pepper firmly said.

"Now Ms. Potts, I know as an independent woman – you don't like having a well too be frank a baby sitter. But; it's your life we are talking about here." Nick explained. "Agent Romanoff has agreed -"

"I SAID NO!" Pepper shouted.

Nick blinked in surprise.

Pepper tried to take calming breathes around the lump that had firmly lodged in her throat. Her chest had tightened when Director Fury had said that Natasha Romanoff was assigned to be her bodyguard. "I don't mind having a SHIELD bodyguard; Director Fury. I just don't want Agent Romanoff too be it." Her eyes slanted. "Not her."

"Ms. Potts; Agent Romanoff was on assignment. She didn't willing infiltrate Starks Industries. I'm the one whom sent her. If you have to be angry at someone – then be angry at me." Nick said in a calm voice. "It's all part of the job. I'm the Director and I assign the agents underneath me to go out on assignments."

"I fully understand that, Director Fury. It's just I don't trust Agent Romanoff. I would just feel more comfortable with another agent assigned to me." Pepper firmly replied.

Nick sighed deeply, "Okay."

The door opened, "No. Agent Romanoff is going to be your agent Pepper." Tony firmly stated as he walked into the office. "I'm not going to allow anyone else to protect you but Natasha."

"Then I'm no longer engaged to you Anthony Stark. From this moment on I'm no longer in your life. I quite being CEO and president of Starks Industries, and I quite being your best friend." Pepper kept her eyes trained on Tony as she stood to her feet.

Tony swallowed. "I'm not allowing you to walk out on my life Virginia." He wished he had a tall scotch in his hand right now. All he wanted too do was dull his sense with alcohol. Lots of it.

"You have no say Anthony." Her voice carried a strong steel ice in it. "I'm not your slave. Not any longer."

"I just want to make sure you are safe, Pepper. I owe you this much." Tony pleaded with his eyes. "I trust Natasha with my life. With you. No one else."

"You just want to sleep with the bitch." Pepper steely shouted. She laughed harshly, "I'm quite sure that you all ready are Tony! You just want more accesses to your precious Black Widow; and you are just using me as an damn excuse. Screw you."

Nick chose this moment to leave his office. The matter was out of his hands. He would leave it too Tony to make Pepper Potts to see reason. Good thing his office was sound proof. He sighed as he sighted Natasha across the room. It was plain to see that she had heard what Pepper had shouted before he closed his office door. Damn it Tony – you could have at least closed the door before you began to speak. He watched as Natasha forcefully turned on her heels, and walked purposefully away with her back straight, and head held up right. He glared around the room at all the agents – and he knew that every single one of them knew not to speak of the matter – not to Natasha, and not to each other. Ever.

The door opened behind him, Nick turned around, and came face to face with a stone faced Pepper Potts.

"Tell Agent Romanoff that I'll be expecting her." Pepper said in a dead voice. She turned to the right and walked away.

"Well that went well." Tony said walking from the office. "Better than I expected."

Nick looked Tony dead in the eyes, and walked past him back to his office.

END PRELUDE