Warning!: If you have not watched the anime iron man this fic does have SPOILERS!

TITLE: Nights Terrors

It had been a month since Tony Stark went to Japan in order to branch out his company, which was a success, but now he was just happy to be back home with Pepper.

IT wasn't that Japan wasn't great, he got to met some really nice people, maybe some he could call friends; like Nanami. Even though she did smack him. That was a first when flirting with a women.

But part of him was also regretting the trip. Sure his plans of retiring from the Iron Man suit went up in smoke and he found himself having to save Japan from Zodiac-but that was okay. After all, he WAS Iron man and that was his job. Just being shown he could never NOT be Ironman for the rest of his life wasn't necessarily a bad thing...

No.

What he was regretting most was falling in love-just to watch her die before his eyes.

And it's that reason he's yet again plagued with nightmares. It was bad enough he had a nightmare about his kidnapping while in Japan, but now-being back home...he was no better-if anything the nightmares where just worse.

Tony sat up on his bed, his back against the huge head board. Sweat covered his face and body-the light glow of the arc reactor plastered to his wet T-shirt, making the light a bit brighter as if his shirt was off.

He needed a shower, but he just didn't feel like getting up...his mind a mess and running away with him...

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Tony looked up to his rooms door as it gently opened.

"Tony?"

Tony took a heavy breath to clam himself. "Pep. Hey-sorry did I wake you?"

Pepper just shook her head. "Never really went to sleep. I just came to check up on you." She smiled and walked over to him.

"Bad dreams?" She asked gently.

Tony just gave a quick nod...but the longer Pep stood there he felt himself break-and he knew Pepper knew too. Tears began to fall.

Pepper wasted no time once the tears started, to pull her boss into an embrace.

She held him for a while until the shaking in his body slowed.

"What was she like?" She asked smoothly running a hand in his ruffled brown hair. If she could get him to open up about everything then maybe the nights terrors would stop. At least a little.

Tony smiled a bit, he had only told Pepper so much about Tanaka. But only while she was still alive and himself still in Japan.

"She reminded me a lot of you." He whispered. "And she helped me when Yinsen trapped us on the island-wanting me to make him a weapon.."

That was another reason for Tony's nightmares-Yinsen, the man who all those years ago saved Tony's life and made him a better man, returned from the dead and took the arc reactor out replacing it with a damn car battery that only had enough power to last a week. Seemed no matter what, Tony was always betrayed by one person or another. Pepper would never do that-and Tony was sure if she ever did, he would die from heartbreak.

Pepper didn't fully understand Yinsen's part in Japan, but she wasn't going to push-Tony would tell her if and when he wanted.

"She was a Doctor and a Scientist-" Tony stopped, more tears were coming and he couldn't spot them. He barred his face in Pepper's chest.

"I actually told myself while there, that I wanted a family Pep. Me of all people-I said it, and I meant it...I still do." He cried harder but tried to quite it.

Pepper just smiled and rubbed his back soothing him.

"I still want one Pepper..." He whispered. "I want a family...a child to take my place in the world."

"I know Tony..." She said in the same whisper, "I know.

Tony was quite for a while, the sobs settling down almost gone, both just enjoying one another's presents.

"Let's go out." Tony said suddenly, voice almost clear of any pain he had just felt in his heart just moments ago.

"Sure Tony-we can go out."

"No, Pep, I mean out, out-on a date..." He looked up at her, blue eyes meeting green.

No words needed to be said-they both knew they were the closest thing to each other and they knew love was in there somewhere...if Tony was ready for a family-even if he could never give up Iron man, well Pepper was ready to have a family too.

"Okay, Tony."

It wasn't long until Tony drifted back to sleep...a peaceful one.