So, I got a bit overwhelmed by my emotions when I saw a picture of a distraught Pepper Potts going around the internet, and I just had to write this.
Disclaimer - I do not own anything here
Whenever Pepper thinks of that day, she remembers the early morning plane ride across the country, and the sinking feeling in her stomach when the news broadcast cut across the normal programming. But most of all she remembers watching Iron Man fly into a space portal with a bomb riding on his back.
She remembers the feeling of helplessness and fear that accompanied the minutes that the sky remained empty. She remembers the terror and sickness she felt as the team; on the tower that was 12% hers; waited, torn between saving the world and holding off because Tony might come back through. And she remembers the sound Happy made as her nails dug into his arm when she realized that they couldn't, and wouldn't wait any longer
And Pepper would always remember the looks on the Avenger's faces as they looked up at the closing portal, all hope extinguished in their eyes except for the secret tiny spark that clings unto the soul until the moment after the shoe drops. The kind that allows only hindsight to find it and tear it out.
And even years later, when Tony had run out of witty one liners about Loki's hair and found other things to brag about instead of how heroic he was ('suck on that, Rogers'), Pepper would never forget just how painfully that spark had ground itself into her heart.
So, I hope it wasn't too angsty for you. I know it was for me. Anyway, sorry for never finishing any of my multi-chapter stories. I promise I will finish them some day.
In the mean time, you should go to www . freerice . com and win some food for the children in starving nations. Completely free, completely fun, and completely informative at the same time.