Fandom:
Iron Man (movieverse)
Rating: PG-13 (may change later)
Pairing: Tony/Pepper
Summary: It
will not be long, love...
Disclaimer: Most of the characters and situations in this story belong
to Marvel Comics, Fairview Entertainment, Dark Blades Films, NBC, and
other
entities, and I do not have permission to borrow them. No infringement
is intended in any way, and this story is not for profit. All others
belong to me, especially Cedric, and if you want to borrow them, you
have to ask me first.
Any errors are mine, all mine, no you can't have any.
Cincoflex
and Laura27md make this a better story than ever I could alone!
*********
When she woke, it was dark. Virginia rubbed her eyes, trying to
make out where they were, but there were no street lights. It
took her a moment to realize that the darkness on the left was the
ocean.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Trish said softly. “You must
have been really worn out.”
Virginia glanced back. It was hard to make anything out, but
judging from the lack of noise coming from the back seat, everyone back
there was also asleep. “I thought we were going to stop at
the ranger station,” she said, keeping her voice low.
Trish chuckled. “We did. Their phone line was down,
and you were already asleep, so we didn’t bother waking
you.”
Virginia stretched a little, and frowned, feeling guilty. Damn. I’m sorry, Tony.
She took another look out the window. “Is this Route
1?”
“Yep. We’re about ten minutes away from
Malibu.”
“Oh--“ She didn’t know what to say.
“I thought--“
“Mike and I decided we could just as easily run you home, and
save you having to wait for your ride. The girls are out cold and
it’s not that much further.”
It was a hour’s round trip, in the dark, and Virginia knew that
was no small effort, no matter how Trish made light of it.
“I...thank you.” She shook her head. “You
didn’t have to.”
Trish shrugged. “I don’t know what happened to you
out there, and obviously you don’t want to talk about it, but
it’s not a problem.” She glanced over at Virginia and
then back out the windshield. “One of those pay it forward
things, you know?”
Virginia swallowed against the lump in her throat produced by such
simple, awkward kindness. “Thank you,” she said
again, and leaned her head back again.
The dashboard clock read ten-thirty-two p.m. by the time the SUV pulled
up in front of Virginia’s apartment building. They’d
made the rest of the trip in a peaceful silence broken only by
Trish’s request for Virginia’s address, and as she slid
from her seat Virginia pulled out thirty dollars of her sun-dried
money.
Trish came around the side of the SUV as Mike, awakened, climbed over
his smaller daughter to get out; they were switching drivers.
Virginia held out the money to Trish. “For the
gas.”
For an instant, Virginia thought Trish would refuse, but then she took
the money. “I should argue, but the economy these days is
louder,” she murmured with amusement, and Virginia grinned.
“Thank you again,” she said. “You saved my
life.” Possibly literally.
Mike shrugged cheerfully, smothering a yawn. “Our good deed
for the month. You take care, all right? You’ll be
okay?”
“I’ll be fine.” She was just minutes away from
her own shower, her own bed.
Not to mention a phone. I have
to call Tony--
“Cool.” He shook hands with Virginia once more.
Trish didn’t offer her hand, but gave Virginia a smile and
hoisted herself up into the back seat.
Virginia waved, and turned to the building’s front door, fishing
out her keycard and unlocking the entrance to step inside. When
she turned back, the SUV’s doors were closed, but it was still
idling--presumably to make sure she got in safely.
She waved once more, and the truck pulled away. Smiling, she
headed for the elevators. I
bet they think they’ll never know who I really am or what I was
doing in the forest.
Boy, are they going to get a
shock.
She knew their names, and with Jarvis’ resources finding them
would be a snap. Paying it forward notwithstanding, Virginia
intended to make her gratitude known in a more tangible fashion.
It can wait until
tomorrow. I really need to call Tony.
She stepped out of the elevator on her floor and headed down the hall,
wondering wryly what it said about her that the first person she needed
to reassure was her boss.
But he’s not just my
boss, not any more. I’m not sure what else he is, but...
She could have cried at the sight of her apartment, silent and dim as
it was. Instead she locked the door behind her and let out a huge
sigh, setting down her daypack on the floor and bending down to remove
her purloined socks and sneakers.
I want a shower so bad.
But...phone call first.
Gloriously barefooted, Virginia picked up her phone where it lay on her
living room desk, only to find the charge had run down after five days
out of its base. Sighing, she headed for the bedroom and its
extension.
Her sore toes appreciated the plush of the carpet. Virginia
padded to her bedside table and turned on the lamp sitting there,
shedding a soft light into the room. She reached for the
phone--and froze.
The realization that there was someone in her bed, and the recognition
that it was, in fact, Tony, were almost simultaneous. She
straightened and looked down at him, amusement warring with
exasperation and bewilderment and winning.
She was used to him doing the unexpected, if that were possible; and
while he could always produce an explanation for his actions if he felt
moved to do so, his reasons were often something that a normal person would consider,
well, silly. Or outré. Or just plain strange.
Tenderness welled up as she regarded him. What’s he doing here? He looks like
hell...
He did. His face was unshaven, and tight with strain despite his
unconsciousness; Virginia recognized the drawn look that came from too
little sleep and not enough food.
Shaking her head fondly, she sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned
over to shake his shoulder. “Tony? Tony, wake up
now.”
He snuffled and opened his eyes, looking up at her. They went
from narrow slits to wide, to wider still, until they had to hurt, the
stare of a man not believing what he saw. She smiled at him, a
little wryly. “I’d ask what you’re doing here,
but--“
Tony reached out slowly and touched her thigh as if he thought his
fingers would pass through her. His palm flattened against the
denim, a spot of warmth--
He moved with the speed that could still astonish her at times.
Before she could blink, she was enveloped in an embrace so tight she
could scarcely breathe, suddenly looking over Tony’s shoulder as
his weight pressed her back against the headboard and he buried his
face against her
shoulder. “Pepper--“
he gasped.
After an instant of startlement, Virginia hugged him back, because it
was clear that, whatever else was going on with him, Tony needed
it. As her hands reached his spine he tightened his hold, an odd
choked sound drifting up to her ears, and her heart twisted as she
realized he was crying.
“It’s okay,” she murmured uselessly.
“Tony, it’s all right.” His grip was just short
of painful and his arc implant was pressing a dent into her chest, but
she made no move to free herself. In fact, his embrace was
surprisingly comforting, and she shuddered, her throat constricting at
this proof that she’d been missed.
His hair was soft against her cheek and chin. Virginia rubbed
Tony’s back in slow circles, trying to soothe the hard muscles
that held her so securely. Gradually they loosened a fraction,
enough that she could take a deep breath, and she smiled over his
shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Tony lifted his head. His lashes were tangled and smeared with
moisture, the lids reddened, and his eyes met hers with a look of
desperation she’d never seen before, not in him.
And then he leaned in again, capturing her mouth in a kiss that was as
desperate as his eyes. She squeaked in surprise, but she had no
leverage or room to jerk away.
This wasn’t the kiss they’d almost shared on the roof; that
had been heat and sex and a sort of eager curiosity. This was
anguish and passion and felt like possession and supplication both at
once; Tony’s lips slid over hers as if he were trying to give her
something, and as his scent filled her nose Virginia’s ears rang
with white noise.
A tide of strange emotion swamped her, something terrifyingly warm and
strong that cried out for him. She whimpered, her fingers
clenching on the fabric of his shirt, and Tony echoed her, one hand
sliding up into her hair in a caress that was almost as frantic as his
kiss.
What the hell are we doing?
The thought was almost incoherent, but Virginia shifted and managed to
pull back enough to part them. “Tony--“
His breath gusted against her lips, and then he ducked his head,
pressing his face against her throat as if he had
to touch her skin. His arm was still squeezing her tightly, his
other hand slipping from her head to her nape, and she just held him,
feeling his mustache scrape her neck and his muscles tremble.
They sat that way for a long time. Slowly Tony relaxed, and
Virginia let one hand slide up to stroke his hair, wondering what on
earth had gotten into him. She knew Tony cared about her;
she’d known that for months.
I didn’t know he felt
this strongly.
She felt lost, groping for stability. The Tony she knew was
confident at almost every turn and never, ever vulnerable. He
could joke and flirt and even be ashamed; but always his heart was, if
not hidden, then shielded.
And while she knew he found her attractive--that had never been in
question--and even that he had at one point considered a
relationship...
She had never seen him like this.
Virginia just didn’t know what to think. Or even feel.
At last Tony let out a long, long breath, tickling her skin and raising
goosebumps up to her ear, and raised his head.
“Potts,” he said hoarsely, “I am never, ever letting you out of my sight
again.”
That she could deal
with. Virginia freed one hand to brush his hair off his forehead,
and smiled. “That’ll make life a little difficult
when you have a mission to fly.”
He closed his eyes briefly, huffing a faint laugh, but his humor melted
quickly. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt or...or
anything?”
The way his jaw clenched made her hasten to reassure him.
“I’m fine. A few bruises and my feet are killing me,
but--I’m fine.”
Tony released her and sat back on his heels, and she shivered as she
let her other arm drop, feeling oddly bereft. But he immediately
cupped her face in both hands. “You’re sure?
Because if--”
“I’m fine.”
Virginia tried for asperity, but the caress of his thumbs on her
reddened cheeks was making her skin tingle. “Tony--is Happy
okay?”
His brows went up. “Yeah--yeah, he’s fine. Sore
head, but he’s fine. Damn, I have to call him. I have
to call Rhodey. And
Jarvis--”
“You’re babbling,” she said fondly, back on more
secure ground. “I’ll call them.”
Tony let her go, and Virginia leaned over for the phone, trying not to
react when he stayed where he was--kneeling so close to her that his
knees pressed into her thigh. Rhodey’s number was
speed-dial four, and she heard two and a half rings before he picked
up.
“H’lo?” a groggy voice asked, and she grinned.
“Hi, Jimmy.”
“Pepper?”
A clunk reached her ear, and then muffled swearing, and Virginia
snickered. Then Rhodey’s voice was clear again.
“Pepper, is that you?!”
“You dropped the phone, didn’t you?” she said,
grinning wider.
On the other end, Rhodey began to laugh helplessly. “Damn. It is you! Pepper, are you
okay? What the hell happened?”
“I got away.” She blinked, trying to figure out how
to explain. “It’s...kind of a long
story.”
“I’ll just bet.”
Virginia could picture him, shaking his head in elated disbelief.
“Seriously, you’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” she repeated. “A little
banged up, but nothing major, I promise.”
The phone was plucked from her grasp, and Tony put it to his own ear,
raising his brows at her glare. “She is, yeah.”
He listened for a few seconds. “No, I haven’t heard
either...just a few minutes ago.” His mouth twisted in
amusement. “I hear you, yeah.”
She folded her arms, but Tony ignored the signal.
“Okay. Tomorrow, yeah. Right.” He thumbed
the off button.
“I was having a conversation, Tony,” she said
pointedly.
He ignored her, dialing quickly and then raising the phone again.
“Hogan,” he said after a few seconds, “there’s
somebody here who wants to talk to you.” He held the
handset out to her.
Virginia rolled her eyes and took it. “Happy, are you
really okay?”
Her conversation with him was equally brief, and she could hear the
roughness in Hogan’s voice that hinted at some of the same relief
Tony was showing. She promised to see him as soon as possible,
and smiled softly as he said a hasty and hoarse goodbye. I think he’s crying...
Sighing, she replaced the phone in its charger. “Who else
knows?”
Tony shrugged. “It’s all over the media,” he
said, his own voice still low. “Is there anyone else you
need to call?”
She thought about it, but the only person who would be frantic was
Jacquie, and her college roommate lived on the East Coast.
“It’s two a.m. in Boston,” she decided.
“I’ll call her in the morning.”
Tony nodded, his eyes never leaving her face. “Are you sure you don’t need to go to
the hospital or anything?”
The intensity of his gaze took the strength out of her annoyance.
“I’m fine,”
Virginia told him. “I’m sore all over and I stink and
my feet are a mess, but most of that can be fixed with a
shower.”
Tony frowned slightly, and slipped off the bed to drop to a crouch next
to it. She jerked as he picked up her left foot, but he
didn’t let go, lifting it in gentle fingers to look at it more
closely.
“Yeah, that looks painful,” he said after a moment, a hint
of his usual humor returning. One finger hovered over a blister
but didn’t quite touch. “I don’t think
you’ll be wearing your usual shoes for a few days.”
“Slippers, I think,” Virginia agreed. She pulled her
foot free of his grasp. “Tony, it’s not that
I’m not glad to see you,
but what are you doing in my apartment?”
He looked up at her, and straightened slowly, shoving his hands in his
pockets and managing to resemble a guilty schoolboy despite the
goatee. “I, uh, I couldn’t sleep at
home.”
Oh. She had no
more idea of what to do with that statement than she did his kiss,
because he’d definitely been asleep when she arrived, and what
the hell did that mean? Maybe
I’m not the only Goldilocks around here.
“Pepper...” His expression was solemn. “I
figured some stuff out while you were gone, and--”
Virginia held up both hands. “Tony, I...I don’t...I
just got home,” she said in a rush as hurt flared in his
eyes. “I need to recover a bit before...before you fire me
or whatever.”
The gentle tease seemed to ease him, and Tony blinked, one corner of
his mouth curling up. “Yeah, you’re
right.” He held out a hand, and Virginia put hers in it and
let him pull her to her feet. It felt natural, and that was
weird, because they hardly ever touched, and even more rarely skin to
skin. His hand was warm and strong, and she resisted the urge to
hang onto it. “Do you want me to go?”
No. The answer
was so swift that she refused to deal with it, or with the ache that
had returned to his expression.
“Tony.”
She shoved him lightly. “I want a shower. I want a
salad. I want some real food.
I want to know I don’t have to worry about you for at least a few
hours.” She raised her brows, daring him to argue.
“You get out of my way and get me the food, and after that we can
discuss security measures for your limousine.”
His smile was slow but genuine, and the sparkle returned to his
eyes. “Whatever the lady wants.” Before she
could duck, he leaned in and brushed a kiss across her cheek, then
straightened and stepped away. “How hungry are
you?”
“Starving.” Virginia went to her dresser to collect
some clean clothes. “But I expect to spend at least
forty-five minutes in the shower first.”
Tony nodded, and walked towards the door, pausing with a hand on the
frame. “Pepper--”
She looked up, and that intent gaze was back, making everything else
around her fade. “I’m glad you’re back
safe.”
Virginia swallowed. “Me too,” she managed.
He nodded again, and left.
She gathered an armful of clothes and went to steam up her bathroom and
put aside, as best she could, the puzzle that was Tony Stark.
Just for a little while.
Tony waited outside the bathroom door until he heard the shower start,
and then he slid awkwardly down to sit on the floor for a while.
His head was still spinning, trying to cope with Pepper appearing out
of nowhere, and it had taken a real effort of will to let her go take
her shower by herself.
He still didn’t know how she’d managed to get away, or what
had happened to her in the meantime, or where she’d gotten
clothing that made her look like someone had tried to turn her into a
scarecrow, but Tony was willing to wait a bit for those answers.
She’s back.
She’s safe. She’s back.
The words ran through his head in a sort of repeating mantra, amazement
and relief and a soaring, bewildered joy. Pepper, Pepper...
He laid one palm flat on the door that separated them. Part of
him knew she was equally bewildered at his reaction to her, but he
couldn’t think about that just yet. Not when he was still
reeling like this.
Food. She wants food.
Finally he pushed himself away from the door and climbed to his feet,
and went to see what was in Pepper’s freezer. Normally he
would have ordered something in, it was easier, but it was past eleven
and there wasn’t much left open at that hour.
Tony couldn’t find enough salad fixings that were still edible,
but there was a nice bunch of broccoli in Pepper’s vegetable
drawer and a steak in her freezer. He turned on the broiler and
put the steak in the microwave to defrost, and went about recreating
Rhodey’s special grilling sauce. Contrary to popular
belief, Tony could cook, and fairly well too; he just couldn’t be
bothered most of the time.
The traditional side for steak was potatoes, but Pepper didn’t
seem to have any, so he settled for noodles with a little butter and
garlic. Putting the meal together kept him occupied, and kept him
from fretting too much about what he didn’t yet know.
He was still exhausted, but elation was a good counter to that, and
there was absolutely no way Tony was going to walk out Pepper’s
door just yet, no matter how tired he was. The food will help.
Once the steak was under the broiler, he pulled his phone from his
pocket and called the number Donovan had given him. The voice
that answered was a man he didn’t recognize, but the stammering
fanboy babble was quickly cut off and replaced with the tall
agent’s voice. “Donovan here, Mr. Stark.”
“Hey.” Tony’s usual annoyance with the man was
muted by his joy. “Pepper just turned up at her apartment,
safe and sound.”
There was a moment of silence, and then Tony heard Donovan exhale,
weary relief that made Tony feel a little more kindly towards the
agent. “That is excellent
news.”
“Yeah.” Tony rubbed his forehead, aware all over
again of how tense he’d been. “I don’t know how
she got here yet, but she seems to be okay.”
“I trust you’ll make sure that she is.”
Donovan said something that Tony couldn’t catch, apparently to
someone else near him, and then spoke into his phone again.
“We’d like to see her as soon as possible, especially given
that one of her attackers is still at large.”
“Tomorrow. If she’s up to it,” Tony replied
firmly. “We’ll call you.”
“Mr. St--” Donovan begain, but Tony cut the connection and
redialed to call home. When Jarvis’ warm voice answered,
Tony couldn’t help smiling.
“Pepper just showed up, Jarvis. Cancel that search for
trackers and buzz Cedric in the morning.”
“Very well.” Jarvis wasn’t exactly programmed
for emotional expression beyond mild sarcasm, but he somehow managed to
sound pleased. “I am glad to hear that Ms. Potts has been
found.”
“You and me both, Jarvis. You and me both.”
Tony closed the phone and began rinsing the broccoli.
He didn’t hear the shower stop, but the sound of the bathroom
door opening did reach his ears, and Tony carefully kept himself from
going to check on Pepper, instead setting the small table in her
breakfast nook. There was orange juice in her fridge, and while
he was used to drinking it with alcohol added, Tony poured them each a
glass straight without a qualm.
Some minutes later Pepper shuffled into the kitchen, her feet thrust
into voluminous fluffy slippers and her bathrobe tossed on over a
t-shirt and shorts. Tony took in the bruises on her shins with a
wince, but as his gaze traveled upwards it was her hair that somehow
struck him hardest, the ragged fringe of it looking so out of place on
a woman whose tidiness was practically legendary.
His eyes prickled, and Tony took three steps forward, lifting a hand to
gently touch the mangled strands. “Your
hair...”
Pepper sniffed ruefully, her expression mingling outrage and
humor. “Yeah, that was...not good.” She
shrugged. “Could have been worse, though.”
Tony felt a muscle in his jaw twitch at the suggestion, and stepped
back. “Dinner’s ready.”
Pepper surveyed the table. Tony had rummaged a little while the
food was cooking, and had managed to locate a tablecloth and a tall
vase. Lacking any actual flowers, he’d folded one out of a
coffee filter and given it a long pasta stem, and it nodded over the
rim of the vase like a piece of modern art.
The sight of her dimples appearing eased his heart. “I
don’t know how you always manage to find what you’re
looking for,” was all Pepper said, but she slid onto the bench
seat with alacrity. “It smells great.”
Watching her eat what he’d prepared made Tony
feel...contented. It was a new sensation, but a good one; she was
clearly hungry.
It didn’t go unnoticed, though. Eventually Pepper waved a
forkful of broccoli at him. “You’re making me
nervous, Tony. Eat.”
“Sorry.” Though he wasn’t, really. Tony
sliced into his steak and tried to keep his stares short.
“Where’d you learn to do that?” She touched the
paper flower gently. “I didn’t know you knew any
origami.”
“I picked up a few things.” He’d mostly used it
to attract female attention in boring college classes, actually.
“But the guy who taught me to do that--I never did hear his
name.”
Pepper arched a brow, and scooped up some linguine. “That
sounds like a story.”
Tony shrugged. “Not much of one. We were at the same
blackjack table at something like five o’clock in the morning,
and the place was practically deserted...I think it was
Christmas. Anyway, we got to talking, and went to grab coffee at
some diner afterwards, and we were both really punchy from lack of
sleep.” He smiled a little at the memory. “He
talked the waitress into giving him a coffee filter and
demonstrated.”
Pepper laughed. “You know, one of the things I admire about
you is that you’re never snobbish.”
“Only when people are boring.” Tony sipped his orange
juice. Pepper looked better than she had when he’d
woken. She was more relaxed, and while she hadn’t been
pale, exactly, the food was adding a vitality to her face that had been
lacking before. “Are you going to tell me what
happened?”
“Yeah--you didn’t pay them, did you?” Pepper
set down her fork and sat up straight.
Tony blinked. “No. They--Pepper, they abducted you by
mistake.”
She squinted at him. “What?”
He turned up both hands. “They thought they were kidnapping
Sylvia Pointreaux. She has red hair and takes that route to work,
and she has pretty much the same limo.”
Pepper stared at him, then dropped her face into her hands.
“It was a mistake?”
she said, muffled. “All that for a mistake?”
“It looks like it.” Tony fidgeted, worried.
“Pepper, believe me, I would have paid whatever they demanded to
get you back, but I never got the chance.”
She shook her head, and started to laugh. The sound had more than
a touch of hysteria, and Tony slipped out of his seat and went to
crouch beside her, laying a hand on her leg.
“Pepper?”
She kept laughing, shoulders shaking. “I can’t
believe this,” she gasped. “The river, that room--my hair--“
“It’ll grow back,” Tony said, fumbling for some way
to soothe her. He reached up to stroke her head, feeling the
strands slippery and damp under his fingers. “It’s
okay--“
“It’s not
okay!” Pepper dropped her hands, eyes flashing and face
flushed beyond her sunburn. “They put me through that for what, for--they couldn’t even
get it right?”
The flush was rage, Tony realized. “I thought they were
going to kill me. All
that time, I never knew what would happen when the door opened, and--oh
hell--“
She shoved at the table, pushing it away, and Tony scrambled backwards
as Pepper rose and half-ran out of the nook. Getting to his feet,
he followed, more and more concerned.
She didn’t flee; instead, she paced around the kitchen, swearing
with the eloquence she only displayed on rare occasions. Tony
leaned against the wall and watched her move, wanting to help but
having no idea what he could do. Letting her get it out may be the best
thing--
Finally Pepper ran out of invective. “Please tell me you at
least caught
them.” Her fists were clenched and her breathing was
rapid.
“One of them. One got away. The other was dead when
we got there.”
“Oh.” That seemed to deflate her a bit.
“What...”
“He’d been shot in the head. I don’t know which
of the other two did it.”
Pepper grimaced. “What did he look like?”
Tony thought back; he hadn’t been paying much attention at the
time. “Tall, skinny...motorcycle boots, I
think.”
“Oh,” she repeated, and her shoulders slumped, the anger
fading. “It sounds like...I called him Two, in my
head. They didn’t let me see their faces.”
Tony kept a strict rein on his voice. “Did he hurt
you?”
“No.” Pepper actually smiled, a sad slight
curve. “He was...he was pretty nice to me,
actually.” She shrugged. “For a kidnapper,
anyway.”
She reached for the edges of her robe and pulled them around her as if
she were cold. “Damn them,” she added softly.
“Yeah.” Tony pushed away from the wall.
“Come on, Potts. Finish your dinner.”
He coaxed her back to the table, and when she just stared at her plate
he picked up her fork and wound it with linguine before holding it out
to her. “You’re going to make me think you
don’t like my cooking.”
Pepper pursed her lips, eyes crinkling, and took the fork.
“I sense your mother’s influence.” She popped
the food in her mouth, and Tony sat back, satisfied.
“Yeah. When I’d beg her to bake cookies, she’d
make me help her, and pretty soon I was hooked. Haven’t
done it as much since she died, though.” He shrugged.
“It’s not much fun just cooking for myself. And these
days I don’t have the time anyway.”
Pepper nodded, spearing a piece of steak and chasing a smear of sauce
with it. “Well, you are good at it. Cooking, I
mean.”
“If I’m going to do something, I like to do it
well.” Tony smirked at her, and Pepper rolled her eyes,
clearly hiding a smile at the familiar innuendo.
He watched as she ate what was left on her plate, absently spiraling
noodles around his own fork one by one. When she was finished,
Pepper laid down her napkin with a sigh. “I feel
better.”
“Good.” Tony reached for her plate, only to have her
slap at his hand.
“Nothing doing. You cooked, I’ll clean up. Let
me just go brush my teeth first.”
Tony gave her a cockeyed look as she rose. “I didn’t
know you were so militant about dental health, Potts.”
Pepper snickered. “Tony, I went for three days without a
toothbrush. I’m going to be savoring the opportunity to
brush for a while.”
She left in a swirl of bathrobe, and Tony smirked again and went on
clearing the table despite her order. It was just two
minutes’ work to load the dishwasher, and by the time Pepper
returned he was forearm-deep in suds, scrubbing the broiler pan.
Pepper sighed theatrically. “Don’t tell me, your
mother made you clean up after yourself too.” She lifted a
dishtowel from its hook and took the pasta pot from the drying
rack.
“She tried, but usually Dolores had the place sparkling before
she could turn around.” At Pepper’s look of inquiry,
he clarified. “She was our housekeeper. Took her job
very seriously.”
“Ah.” Pepper nodded, and polished the pot dry before
putting it away. Tony rinsed the broiler pan and left it to drip
in the drainer, then took the towel from her.
“I need to know what happened, Pepper.”
She snatched the towel back with a look of exasperation, but only hung
it up again. “Yes, well, so do I.”
Tony blew out a breath. “Come on then, and I’ll tell
you.”
They settled in the living room on either end of Pepper’s
couch. Tony was a little worried about her mood swings, but he
wasn’t about to bring them up. If nothing else, she’s
entitled.
“Do you want to start, or should I?” he asked softly as
Pepper pulled her legs up and huddled into her bathrobe.
She shrugged unhappily. “I might as well.”
Tony laid his arm on the back of the couch and leaned against the
armrest, disposing himself to listen. Pepper’s lips
twisted. “What did Happy tell you?”
“That he was pulled over by someone masquerading as a motorcycle
cop, and he jumped the guy as soon as he tossed in a gas
grenade,” Tony said. “He took a knock to the head and
that was it.”
Pepper nodded. “I don’t remember much besides
that,” she said, her voice so quiet he had to strain to hear
it. “I woke up in--in a room, I guess, I never actually saw
it. They had me blindfolded.”
She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, and Tony had to lock
his muscles to keep from sliding over and gathering her up.
“One of them--I called him Number One--told me that if I
cooperated they wouldn’t hurt me. And eventually they moved
me into another room with a bed and a table and chair.”
“I saw it,” Tony acknowledged, his voice a little
hoarse.
“Then you know.” A little of the strain ebbed from
Pepper’s face. “It wasn’t bad, really--they fed
me and gave me what I asked for, like clean clothes. It was just
really, really boring.”
The light tone she was trying for didn’t quite succeed, and Tony
could fill in the blanks all too well. Boring, yes, locked in a
cell with nothing to do, but also terrifying. “I’m
surprised you didn’t go crazy without your BlackBerry,” he
managed, letting one corner of his mouth curl up.
Pepper smiled. “Don’t you start. Drat,
I’m going to have to get that replaced.”
“Actually, I found it, the police have it at the moment.
Fingerprints.” Tony waved a hand. “I can get
you a new one if you want, though, whatever the latest model
is.”
“Mine will be fine,” she said primly. “Ugh, my
mailbox has probably crashed and burned at this point...”
“Worry about it tomorrow.” Or maybe next week. Tony
wondered if she would let him put her on medical leave.
“Well. Obviously I didn’t have my phone. They
took my shoes, too, and my purse, though eventually they let me have
that back.” Pepper laughed, shaking her head.
“Good thing, too.”
“Yeah?” Tony raised his brows.
“Yeah, I ended up cannibalizing it for shoes.” Pepper
shifted, crossing her legs and sitting up a bit. “The
scariest part was when they took my hair, I guess.”
Tony felt his throat close at the memory of that shining coil.
“What happened?”
“They made me put the blindfold on, and they tied my hands, and
took me to another room. I had to say something for a recording,
and Number Three cut off my ponytail.” Her voice was flat
and matter-of-fact, obviously concealing some stronger emotion.
The rage was back, and Tony wanted to go find the man with the knife
and pulverize him, with suit or without. “Pointreaux got
it. And the recording.”
Pepper shook her head. “I still can’t believe
that,” she muttered.
“Add him to the list of people to call tomorrow,” Tony
sighed.
Pepper was silent a moment. “Anyway,” she said at
last, still flat, “after that I heard them arguing and I knew
that there was something...wrong.” Her hands tangled
together. “So I grabbed my stuff and when Two came in I
punched him and ran.”
“Good.” Tony thought back to that rangy corpse with
no regret.
Pepper grimaced. “The only door I knew about was in the
back, I guess--that’s what it looked like, anyway. I
ran--they chased me, but they never got very close, or if they did they
were all rotten shots.”
Tony nodded tightly. “We tracked you down the hill, but
then you just...disappeared.”
Pepper giggled, a sound so unexpected he almost flinched. She
covered her mouth with one hand. “Sorry. I just--I
was swimming across the river, and then it occurred to me, why not just
go downstream?”
Tony felt his jaw drop. “You mean, you just
swam...” He gestured, wiggling one hand like a fish, and
Pepper dropped her arm and grinned.
“Exactly. I knew they’d probably catch me if I went
across, especially since I was barefoot, but going downstream I could
swim underwater for a bit, and get away faster too.” She
shrugged. “It would have been easier to go through the
rapids with an inner tube or something, but I made it.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe we never thought of that. We had
people all over the far side looking for you, and we couldn’t
find a trace.”
Pepper sobered. “I’m sorry...I must have gone several
miles before I got out of the water, it was afternoon.”
Tony leaned forward and gripped her knee briefly. “Don’t apologize.
You’re alive.”
He didn’t care if she’d grown gills.
The water had taken her out of reach of her abductors, and if the price
had been the last three days of searching, it was still worth it,
because she was whole and well before him.
Pepper smiled at him tremulously. Tony sat back, much as he
didn’t want to, and tried to look hopeful. “So you
went downstream, thereby confounding your pursuers, several dozen
trained searchers, and your genius boss--then what?”
“I turned my purse into shoes, kind of.” Pepper blew
out a breath. “It didn’t work very well, but it got
me to an abandoned camp the next morning. Yesterday? It
feels like a year ago.” She rubbed one foot absently.
“I didn’t know where I was, and I was just moving in case
they were still after me. There was a campsite--nobody had been
there for weeks, it looked like, but there was some food.”
Pepper shook her head. “It saved me, Tony. I
hadn’t had anything to eat for a day, by then, and I knew I
couldn’t get much further. There was food, and clothes, and
actual shoes. And I have no idea whose place it was.”
“We can probably find out, if you want,” Tony offered
softly.
“Yeah.” Pepper paused again, looking
thoughtful. “There was a trail, so I followed it until I
got to the road, and then I followed that
until I got to a rest stop. I spent the night there and found an
occupied camp the next day.” She smiled again.
“It was a family, and they were going to take me to the ranger
station but instead they actually drove me home.”
Tony decided instantly that he would have to research them too. For helping Pepper,
they deserved whatever reward was in his power.
Pepper shrugged. “That’s it. I got home and I
was going to call you, but you were asleep on my bed. I assume
you got the keys out of my desk.”
“Pretty much, yeah.” Tony regarded her. She had
wrapped her arms around herself again and looked chilled.
“Are you all right?”
She shrugged again. “I could ask you the same
thing.”
Tony blinked. She was looking at his hands, and he realized they
were tightly fisted where they rested on his thighs, the knuckles white
with strain.
“I’m not,” he said, startled at his own
honesty. “It’s been hell
without you. Not knowing where you were or if you were
okay.” He forced his left hand open, laying it palm-up on
his leg. “I just--Pepper, I can’t--”
He didn’t know what to
say, how to express himself so she wouldn’t draw back. He
was so tired, and still so angry, and frightened because she looked so
damned fragile--and he wanted desperately to just hold her until the fear went
away--
One of those long-fingered hands covered his own, palm sliding against
palm. “You’re exhausted,” Pepper said in her
practical voice. “Have you been getting any sleep?”
Tony looked up and met her eyes, and behind the wry amusement was
concern that made his heart lift. “About six hours
total.”
Pepper sighed. “Come on,” she said, and stood without
letting go of his hand. Tony rose and followed her obediently,
willing to do just about anything as long as it didn’t involve
leaving her.
The bed was as they’d left it, still made but for the pillow
pulled free. Pepper let him go and pushed him down until he was
sitting on the mattress. Then she went around to the other side
and climbed on herself.
“Do you mind leaving the light on?” she asked, pulling the
other pillow out.
Tony shook his head, beyond words as he watched her lie down on her
side, her robe wrapped snugly around her. She tucked the pillow
under her head and held out her hand again, and Tony lay down facing
her, slipping his hand into hers and feeling some of his tension ebb at
the touch of her fingers.
Pepper smiled at him, and closed her eyes. “Get some
sleep,” she told him softly, still in that practical tone.
“Yes ma’am,” he whispered back.
He tried to keep his eyes open so he could watch her, but as before,
sleep won.
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