Prologue

There were patches of ice on the cold ground and the occasional snowflake was falling from the gray sky above. It wasn't terribly cold but cool enough to need a coat when walking around the city. Even after living in New York for a few months, she still loved to look at the buildings both new and old. Shiny glass windows from the ground to the sky or carved stone embellishing a sturdy building, stout but strong.

The gallery Mia dealt with in New York had an apartment near the theater district and when she told them she'd be in New York for a while they insisted she use it. The building itself was only six floors but every inch of it was lavishly kept like new. The exterior had been hand carved in the 20s and even with the signs of age on its façade it was still beautiful to look at. The lobby was dark but cozy with dark marble floors and stone detailing on the walls, the doors were lined with brass that a cleaning company had to polish by had daily to keep from tarnishing. Behind the security desk sat a kind man who knew each tenant by name and was always there to help or talk.

The apartment itself was located on the top floor accessible by stairway from the lobby or elevator. It was extravagantly spacious, taking up the entire floor. The lower floors each had about six tenants but the top floor had only one and the rest was converted into an artist's wet dream.

The gallery would regularly loan the space out to a visiting artist rent free but it was usually only for short term stays. Apparently, a new apartment had been purchased closer to Times Square and most visitors preferred it to this one but Mia couldn't fathom why. She'd stayed in this one before and loved it. The gallery assured her she could stay as long as she wished free of rent. The owner of the gallery had been a dear friend to her father and was the one who first noticed Mia's talent for sculpting. He never said anything but she suspected that in his own way he was looking out for his deceased friend's daughter.

Not wanting the charity, Mia agreed to stay only on the condition that the gallery take a bit more commission from any pieces of hers that sold. A contract was signed and the same day the keys to the fully furnished unit were hers.

On one end there was a vast living space. It was an open concept loft space with a high 19ft ceiling. There were two bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper floor and a kitchen, living room, powder room and dining area on the lower area. A wide wrap around balcony circled the apartment on two sides and was filled with all manners of seating, lights and candles.

The apartments which would have been next door had all been converted to art studios. There was one room full of paints and paint supplies. Acrylics, water colors, spray paints, oils, canvases, papers, sketch pads, graphite, the works. The ventilation in the room was powerful and specially installed to keep fumes from building up on the space.

The next space was used for heavy construction. There were various types of sheet metal against one wall and all sorts of torches and cutters all over the walls.

The third studio space was Mia's favorite. It was full of clays, chunks of stone for carving, chisels and even a kiln. She'd only been in the space a month and had already turned out three sculptures for her latest series called Free.

*0*0*0*0*

Tony had told her he'd stop being Ironman once he was done getting his weapons away from those who shouldn't have them, then when he was done with the weapons leak in his company. Then he said he'd be done after Obadiah Stane was taken care of. Mia didn't see the sincerity in his eyes when he'd said these things but had chosen to believe him each time. She and Yinsen had supported Tony until the very end but then, while she had been recovering he'd announced to the world that he was Ironman and those who knew Tony best cringed inside because they knew that he would never go back to the peaceful life he'd once led in ignorance.

Thus far, Mia had remained mostly unknown to the media and the public when it came to her relationship with Tony Stark but she knew that with the announcement of Ironman's true identity her privacy would be heavily compromised as long as she was with him. She also realized that Tony had many more demons to work out of his system than those she knew about and until he hit rock bottom he'd never stop killing himself to right a wrong that wasn't made by him. She wasn't going to stand by him while he killed himself but before she'd left, with Yinsen's help she'd written him a letter.

She told him that she needed to leave for a while, get away from the craziness that was his life. He'd promised to give up being Ironman after he plugged up the hole in Stark Industries that was supplying weapons under the table but he'd gone back on that. Using his suits with the arc reactor was killing him according to Yinsen and she said she wasn't going to watch him die. Not like that, not after everything else they'd been through together.

She was disappointed but not surprised by his decision to keep fighting and now that the world knew about his alter ego, there was no going back for him. She wasn't going to be a part of that and had told him as much in the letter.

It was difficult for both of them, but by the end of the week she was packed up, thanks to Pepper and making plans to visit New York. She didn't see Tony in person since waking up from her ordeal and that was for the best because it had been so hard for her to walk away from him. All he'd have had to do was ask and she'd have stayed by his side and probably killed herself along with him while he played the role of superhero vigilante. She was glad that Pepper understood why she had to leave and Mia had told her that she'd come back if she was needed. Pepper would be able to judge for herself and call Mia back if she thought it necessary.

Yinsen had stayed with Mia another week while she continued to recover in a rented hotel suite they shared but after that had gone back to Gulmira to help restore his home. Mia made a short trip back to the apartment she shared with Maria and then she had set off to the airport. She'd given Maria her half of the apartment they'd once shared, having the feeling that she wouldn't be returning anytime soon. She'd been with Tony for months and now she was in New York with no immediate plans to leave.

Everyone had her cell number if they needed to reach her and she had all their numbers as well. She and Tony had agreed that calling and talking over the phone would be too difficult via Pepper so they would effectively be out of touch.

He had relayed to her that she was welcome back whenever she felt ready, he promised to wait for her but she wouldn't hear it. She knew he cared deeply for her and she cared for him but as long as he was Ironman she wasn't going to be with him the way their hearts wanted.

It was frightening for her to be alone in New York and sad not to have Tony with her but at the same time she felt free. She was truly on her own now, no family, no friends, the world open to her and the next chapter in her life.