Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one.

Rhodes paused for a moment outside the door of Tony Starks mansion, the weight of all the years of his existence on this planet seemed to be crushing down upon his shoulders

Rhodes paused for a moment outside the door of Tony Starks mansion, the weight of all the years of his existence on this planet seemed to be crushing down upon his shoulders. He felt like a man twice his age as he steeled himself to open the front door with his spare key. He had returned to the States and was on his way to a debriefing about the disaster in Afghanistan and needed to collect a few documents from Stark's home office and to lock down the security system before the news of the attack and Stark's disappearance broke. He was exhausted, he hadn't slept in the 32 hours since the attack on the convoy and he certainly wouldn't be getting any in the next 24, not if the higher-ups had anything to say about it. And they would have plenty to say about it. After all it wasn't everyday that an officer managed to loose the man in possession of nearly all the tactical and weaponry secrets of the western hemisphere. Rhodes sighed, there was no way to deny the inevitable raking over the coals he was sure to receive; he might as well get on with things.

Rhodes entered the mansion and as he made his way towards the living room and the office beyond he was struck by the blinding red light of the sunset through the floor to ceiling wall of west facing windows. Eyes welling up, he threw his right arm into the air to shade his face from the light. That's when he saw them. The black stilettos on the floor by the windows, one standing tall in the lonely expanse of concrete flooring and the other toppled over on its side nearby. Rhodes felt something in his gut clench as he took in more of the scene. The massive flat screen TV was on playing muted commercials and on the shag carpet was scattered shards of broken glass. On the floor near the couch lay a dropped mug and a puddle of congealed coffee. Next to the spill rested several pieces of what had once been a top of the line, cutting edge, "no price is too high; damn it" Blackberry. The commercial on the television ended and a news report came on, showing, impossibly, leaked footage of the attack on Stark's funvee.

Fitting together the pieces of this visual puzzle with rapid-fire mental calculations that even Stark himself would have been proud of Rhodes swiftly realized what must have taken place in the mansion this afternoon.

"…Pepper?" He called tentatively into the room. He was rewarded with a muted groan from the corner by the window where her shoes were. Squinting into the light as he strode into the room he finally found her and froze, immobilized by what he saw. There she was on the floor, curled up so small that he had completely missed her when he'd first scanned the room. She was hunched into the corner where wall met window, her back against the concrete and her ravaged face turned towards the sunset on the horizon. Her hair had come loose from its usual demure bun and hung about her in a red cloud, the strawberry deepened from the light of the setting sun. He had no idea where her suit jacket was, but her blouse had come un-tucked and was now covering most of her skirt, the tails reaching just beyond the hem. He had seen his fair share of disheveled women in his time. Particularly in his time knowing Stark. But not like this, and never Pepper. In all the years he had known her as Stark's assistant Pepper Potts had never appeared as less than perfect and always operated at 110. Shock held Rhodes rooted to the spot until…

"Tony?" Hope and heartbreak filled her eyes as she turned to look into the room for who had interrupted her. Galvanized by the desolation creeping over her face as she recognized him, Rhodes rushed to her side.

"Rhodes…?" She said uncomprehendingly. Her breath smelled of sweet alcohol, looking down he saw a fairly large and nearly empty bottle of white wine clutched loosely in her hand. As he read the label Rhodes felt his eyes widen 'Did she know….?' he thought to himself.

"Rhodes" She repeated dazedly.

"Pepper," Rhodes choked "I am so, so sorry you had to find out this way, there must have been a leak somehow. I was supposed to find you before the story broke, can you ever forgive me?"

"Rhodes, what are you doing here?" Her eyes were started to loose their abstracted look and began to focus.

"You were supposed to be with him." Now her eyes were darting franticly around, searching for the man who wasn't there.

"You were supposed to look after him!" Panicked now, she dropped the bottle and began to push her back into the wall and slid up it into an unsteady standing position. Teetering, her accusing glare cut into him like daggers. With a hand on the wall to brace her; she began coming towards him. Each frantic question sliced him open anew.

Where's Tony Rhodes? What happened to him? What did you let happen to him?! She stumbled over her own feet and fell into him. He caught her and held her up and away from himself as she pummeled him in her frenzy, sobbing over and over "What did you do?! Where is he?!"

Heart breaking for the broken women in his arms that had always been so strong; Rhodes let her beat out her impotent fury against his chest. Finally exhausted Pepper collapsed against him, her whole body heaving with great wracking sobs. Deciding that the worst was over Rhodes gathered the weeping woman into his arms and carried her to the couch and laid her down. Pepper turned her face into the padded arm of the couch and sniffled quietly to herself, hiccupping every now and then on a sob. Seeing that she was clearly exhausted Rhodes fetched a blanket from the linen closet and draped it atop Pepper. He watched over her until she was deep asleep and then quickly went to retrieve the documents he came for. Checking on her one last time, he marveled at how astoundingly vulnerable she looked, paused, and then…

"Jarvis?"

Yes Mr. Rhodes?

"If I haven't returned by the time she wakes up, would it be possible for you to try and comfort her?"

Most certainly Mr. Rhodes

Rhodes let out a long sigh as he closed the door to the mansion behind him and decided that the pain of a thousand debriefings could never compare to the despair of the woman within.

Well that was my first fanfiction and the first piece of creative writing I've done since high school, I'm terribly curious how I did so please review!