A/n I don't own IM:AA

The light from the moon glittered harmlessness into her bedroom, casting a shadow over the outline of her small body beneath the sheets. Her expression was peaceful and blank as she delved deeper into her dream.

"Tony!" she cried out surprising him, cause her best friend to yelp in surprise. "Where have you been?! Why haven't you called me? Didn't you get any of my messages?!" she narrowed her brow at him suspiciously "Did you screen me?!" he face lit up suddenly spying the soda in his hand "Ooh! Can I have a drink of that?!"

"Whoa! Pepper! Slow down use fewer words!" Tony exclaimed starring bemusedly at his best friend.

"oh hmm Ah" she moaned looking away as her face winkled in distress, figuring out how to convey her feelings. "Ah Worried…about…my dad…" she finally admitted looking at the ground.

"Is everything okay?" Rhodey interjected looking down at her, concern etched across his face

"I don't know," she frowned looking up at her friends with her large hazel eyes. "He's being weird! He's working on this case but he won't tell me anything about it!"

"Um Pepper," Tony said, removing the straw from between his lips "Shouldn't he never tell you about his cases. Like isn't that an FBI rule" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She tilted her head to the side glancing away.

"More of a guideline in my opinion. But I was hoping that maybe you could…ah I mean there was something I have to ask you …" she clasped her hands together in front of her nervously as Tony's gaze strayed beyond her and followed the boy with charcoal hair and striking yellow jeans. "Can we talk in private" she beseeched only to be unintentionally ignored.

"Oh hey! It's Gene, I have to catch him before class. Can we talk about this late? Thanks Pepper" Tony smiled handing her his soda before running off to catch up with Gene. She looked sadly after him, before sipping at her newly procured drink.

She clutched the sheets in her hands. Gripping them tightly as she rolled on her side. Subconsciously she knew what was coming next.

When she walked in and saw the man she loved most in this world wrapped head to toe in gauze bandages the world drowned out around here until all she could see was her father. Lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

"The doctor will be here in a moment. Everything's going to be okay" She vaguely heard the deep voice behind her but was to focused on her fathers present state.

"Dad . . ." she said softly, approaching him with caution. She couldn't believe it. Her dad was always coming home with scrapes and bruise, even a broken arm and leg at one point but it was never this bad. Never had she seen her father in such a state. Water began to swell in her eyes.

"Pepper!" she turned slightly to see Tony and Rhodey push their way into the room. Her face crumpled with hurt just looking at her friends who thought catching up with Gene was more important than her. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "I'm sorry" Tony said pleadingly "Are you-" he gestured out to hold her hand but she shoved him aside and strode past him.

"What do you care!" she sobbed slamming the door on her way out.

"Dad…no…" she mumbled in her sleep, tossing and turning, a frown etched deeply on her face. It was about to get worse.

She skidded down a side street almost tumbling to her knees; he phone clutched tightly to her ear as she dodged the dumpsters that were scattered all up and down the alleyways.
"Pepper?" Tony answered and she sent out a silent prayer "Are you-" he didn't get to finish as she cut him off.

"Tony! In the city. Running. GUNS!" she screeched stopping to take a breath next to a stack of crates.

"What!" Tiny and Rhodey yelled in unison. "This time more words" Tony ordered.

"my dad was investigating a guy called Mr Fix. Some kind of inventor. He's a high-tech arms dealer. He supplies guys like the Maggia. All I did was type his name into the FBI mainframe and now I've got black ops guys chasing me!" she finished in one breath.

"Okay Pepper just-"

"AHH!" she screamed as a truck load of armoured men pulled up in front of her. She turned and bolted hoping to lose them. She thought she found a clearing when an identical truck stopped and out jumped more men in black. She was going to die she knew it. She was surrounded.

Beads of sweat formed on her brow. She was clutching the blankets so tightly her knuckles had turned white. "No…Whiplash…"

She thought she was finally safe. Running through the door she called out his name, desperate to see her friend again.

"Rhodey, it's me! I'm alive. I know who-" she froze midsentence after seeing one of her best friends tied up with a long metal cord that sizzled with every movement. "Oh no! Rhodey!" she cried unsure of what to do. She backed back in fear. Moving her gaze to see the horrific features of the man that had snagged her friend.

"Hello Pepper," he hissed through his red and grey gas mask. His white pupils sending shivers down her spine. One look at him and she knew this was the man who had put her father into hospital. In once sentence he confirmed her suspicions. "You look just like you're dad…"

"AHHH!" she screamed bolting up to find her face inches away from the concerned countenance of her dad.

"Pepper! Calm down!" he soothed. Sitting down on the edge of her bed and she leapt into his arms.

"You're okay!" she sobbed burying her face into the warmth of his neck and wrapping her shaky arms around his neck.

"Of course I'm okay." He said, pulling her face back so she could see his warm face smiling down at her. "I'm always okay." She nodded but pulled him even closer. "Pepper," he said pulling her back again. "Did you have the dream again?" she nodded at him with watery eyes.

"It was a month ago Sweetheart. I'm all better now. You need to stop worrying,"

"I can't help it dad, you're all I got."

"Don't be silly sweetheart. You've got Rhodey and Tony. And wasn't it you who told me how close you and Gene are getting lately. You'll never be alone Honey. Never."

They stayed like that for a while. Him rocking her back and forth like he used to when she was little and her pressing her ear up against his chest, just to make sure she could hear his heart beating. A sign that this wasn't a dream and he was still with her.

Hey, so this is my first IM:AA fic. This is just the start. And by all means the chapters aren't going to be as dark as this – I don't know if you'd classify it as dark. But basically Peppers having a nightmare about EP5. S1. This is a month after the incident. And yeah . . .

Basically it's a fic about her wanting to be able to protect herself and the ones she cares about with Whiplash and Mr Fix being the main villians in this story. Not sure yet if it's going to be a Gepper story or a Pepperony one but stayed tuned. Lots of appearnces from both our beloved males is coming.

Also its going to get much brighter. This is just the basis. There will be jokes in the future and happy times but the basis of the story is Peppers fear of Whiplash though she tries to hid this fear from her friends. Only her father knows.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. and Pop us review or something to tell me what you think!

Xoxo

Wisteria Clove