Addendum

A The Avengers One-shot by Cameco aka. SerenePhenix

Her breath hitched as she pressed the phone to her ear. The seconds were ticking by agonizingly slowly, making her more jumpy than she already was.

She suppressed the urge to give a loud sigh of relief when finally the silence was replaced by a high-pitched beep. It was a robotic, womanly voice that greeted her:

"You've got a new message."

She nearly let the cell phone drop when her hands became sweaty as the voice counted down the ciphers that made up a number she knew by heart. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot when she heard the date and time of when she had received it.

"No message has been left. Return call with…"

She gave a noise of exasperation, running a hand through her russet bangs and silencing the impassive voice. Pepper Potts looked through the glass doors of the bathroom, leading to the bedroom next to it. The bundle on the bed hadn't moved even once after she had left him alone, unable to sleep herself and she guessed it was better that way.

She leaned back on the toilet lid clutching the device in her hands near her heart. The tiles on the wall were cold against her back, making her shiver involuntarily.

Again her eyes focused in on the display. The numbers were glowing brightly as though mocking her and Pepper suddenly felt nauseated. Maybe she could throw it out of the window? Then she wouldn't have to be reminded of her neglect every time she activated it. The phone was so much heavier now than yesterday, before she had been woken by a tell-tale ringing of her mailbox.

She wiped at her face with her hand. She had nearly lost Tony and the worst of all was that she hadn't been there when he needed her. The missed call was all proof she needed. Pepper was not one to cry easily. When she was a child and one of her toys would break she did not shed a tear but concentrated on something else entirely. When work became so stressful at times that many women would have become a sobbing mess, she simply tried to calm down by exercising whenever there was a free hour.

The only time she could recall where she had cried was during the time Tony went missing in Afghanistan. She had felt useless and it was mostly the anger coming with it that had managed to let the first tears in years roll down her cheeks when no one was watching. The second time was when he returned and even then it had only been out of sheer relief to see him alive and finally safe.

Inside her she felt that distinct burn in her chest whenever the tears threatened to come but her eyes were dry and just itched from lack of sleep. She rubbed them to ease it but it did not help any. Losing Tony again was what she feared most. There had been enough close calls already some of which she hadn't even known about -like his poisoning.

She really loved him but she couldn't help the smile as she remembered how much she had wanted to throttle him for keeping something so serious a secret. What was more, even now she had no idea what it would have been like, if she had lost him to that poison. She did not even want to. It probably involved more crying.

She got up making her way to the doors. They did not make a sound as she opened and closed them. The dimly lit room was quiet. For a moment she stood contemplating before deciding to make a beeline for the bedside that was already occupied.

Tony did not even stir when she sat down on the mattress, the covers shifting a little from her weight. His head was cushioned by one of his arms, a blanket draped over his legs and hips. The white shirt he was wearing was doing a poor job at hiding the bruises and some cuts he still had managed to get from the fighting. Everyone from their team had done their possible to defend the city of New York against an army of alien invaders. It was understandable that he would be out cold as soon as he hit the pillow.

She would very much have given him his hard earned 'reward' after having accomplished his 'homework' with such prowess but rest was what he needed most. She gently ran a hand through his dark hair. It was strange how calming it was to feel him being there and real.

There was this knot again in her stomach as the images she had seen on the television in that aircraft assaulted her: People running around wildly, things exploding, humans crying out loud in horror and being silenced the next by debris falling down on them. Strange humanoid creatures with electrical weapons that slayed people on the streets in broad daylight.

It had already been horrible just seeing it on a screen. She had trouble imagining what it would have been like facing all of it while fighting back. Her eyes fell on Tony's face, the bruising having gained a sickly shade of green and violet. She did not stop her cradling even as her thoughts drifted back to the call.

She never would have guessed that this man, independent and quick-witted, would try to call her probably believing that… that he would not come back.

She frowned, because it was so unlike him to worry about not returning – his confidence and pride never sat well with failure. He always tried to do things till he saw them to his standard of perfection. Everyone of his inventions were a testimony to that, as well as the minor set-backs that came with them (if there was even any). But what was even more unbelievable was that she had not been there when it had counted the most.

Tony had, in his way, reached out towards her and after all they had gone through and after all the promises she made to herself to be there for him when he needed her, to not be useless anymore she still had not managed to pick up that stupid phone and watching the news instead.

She felt sickened by her own hypocrisy and guilt.

There was movement next to her and she withdrew her hand quickly.

Tony shifted his position a little but slept on, undisturbed by her presence. Pepper sighed quietly and resumed what she had been doing up until now. A tired voice caught her off-guard nearly making her shoot through the roof:

"Why you're still up Pepper?"

She took her hand away letting it rest on the bed. Tony hadn't opened his eyes, probably couldn't even, but his breathing was not as flat as when he had been fast asleep.

"I just couldn't sleep.", she answered truthfully. Who could after what had been going through her head for the rest of the night?

"I see." Tony mumbled quietly and raised his free arm up "Come here."

She smiled as she complied, making herself comfortable with her back against his warm body. His arm came back down over her and drew her closer. His warm breath against her neck was soothing, another reminder that he had made it through that portal in one piece, that he had returned safely.

"You received the call."

Pepper bit back a laugh. Even half asleep Tony was more perceptive than most people when fully awake.

"Yes.", she admitted her hand coming up to cradle his. She could feel him nod slightly from the way his body moved against hers.

"I'm glad you didn't answer."

That came as a surprise and she knew her fingers were probably painfully gripping at his hand but Tony did nothing to remove it from her grasp. She inhaled deeply, controlling her voice: "But why?"

He managed to make one of those sounds he usually made when he was amused about someone not having come to the same conclusion as him and to whom he had to explain it first but it did not hold its usual effect due to him being so drained.

"Would have been awkward to make my goodbyes just to 'rise from the dead' afterwards. Also gave me enough reason to come back."

She could tell he was about to fall asleep again, although he seemed to be fighting hard against it. It did not stop the guilt trip she was having.

"It does not change that I did not answer the phone when it was a matter of life and death… literally."

Silence met her and for a moment she was convinced he had fallen asleep again but instead her drew even closer.

"What matters is that you are here now.", he managed to say as seriously as he could in his state, "Much better than a phone call anyway."

Pepper chuckled, a small tear getting out of the corner of her eye. Maybe it would take her longer to forgive herself for not being there for him but at least he was here, with her and hopefully there would be more time to make it up to him even if he thought that not answering the phone ( that she decided she would get rid off soon) had been for the better.

If whatever it was he had wanted to tell was a reason enough to come back for after all, then maybe she had been there for him, just not in the way she would have imagined.

AN: I probably should hit myself with a stick for this. Review please!