Author's Note: Um, spoilers for the fact that season two opens with the reveal Tony searched in China for Gene? Is that a spoiler? It's all out of continuity after that so there won't be any further season two spoilers than that.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. – Leo Buscaglia

It was Christmas.

Christmas morning, to be exact. Tony was in China, thank God. He couldn't have taken being at the Rhodes' right now. The sight of the three of them, the perfect family, reunited briefly before Rhodey's father was deployed again - there was a jealousy there that he didn't want to experience. It was selfish to be wounded by other people's happiness. They were better off without him there to bring their celebration down with his depression; they wouldn't have to try to make him happy. He wasn't a burden this way.

This way, he didn't have to face anyone. He wasn't sure if he could even function on a social level today. He wanted to get lost in inventing and force this day to make this day go by faster. Tony didn't want to even think about Christmas. Although he knew the hotel was trying to make the plentiful amount of foreign visitors at home with their decorations, all they did was twist the knife deeper into his chest. When the nice young woman at the front desk wished him a merry Christmas in accented English, he couldn't disguise the sudden and unexpected tears that had sprung up. She had looked startled as he walked out the door, unable to face her.

Dad would've loved Harbin this time of year, he thought sadly. All the ice sculptures and the fireworks. People celebrating... my dad loved being in crowds. He loved meeting strangers. If he were here he'd... He had forced himself off that train of thought. When he got back with dinner en tow, the search for the Mandarin once again having proved fruitless, he found a small gift by his door with a note with the Chinese characters for 'I'm sorry'. It sat now on the table, unopened. He looked at it with a kind of mixed pain and gratitude. It was a reminder of everything he couldn't have now, of the gaping hole in his life, of the goodness of people and the kindness of strangers. He wasn't sure what to do.

He shouldn't have stayed at this hotel, this overly Western styled place. Everything was making him homesick, but not the kind of homesick that could be cured by returning to the States. Everything was too broken for that. He was homesick in that he wanted to go back to before this happened. He wouldn't blow off his dad for inventing, he wouldn't ignore him when he tried to give him advice, he'd change so much if he could do it all over again. He wanted to be back then with his present knowledge so he could appreciate how much he loved his father. He wanted to protect him. He had failed. Everything had changed. And he was never going to back his old life.

Tony Stark, billionaire with an IQ of 198, Iron Man, inventor and scientist, wanted his Daddy.

And his Mommy.

And Christmas.

He flopped down on the bed and buried his face into the pillow, trying not to cry. This is pathetic. Especially at my age. I'm glad no one's here to see this. Tony turned his dark blue eyes to the gift, wrapped nicely and clearly intended to help. To cheer him up. Even with Rhodey and Pepper miles away, the universe had a way of handing him allies who wanted to save him from himself. Still, this was a new one. He didn't even know her name. My dad would've loved this chick, he thought as he got up and faced the present like it was a bomb that needed to be gingerly handled. He always believed in random acts of kindness... I miss him so much...

A knock on the the door interrupted him. "Mr. Stark? Are you alright?"

It was the girl again. He could identify the low pitched voice even through the door. He swiped quickly at his eyes with his sleeves. Every time she saw him he was a wreck; what a wonderful impression to make on random strangers. Truly, he was doing the Stark name proud. He opened the door with a weak smile.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely. Her eyes flickered to the present. "Uh, thank you, by the way, Miss..."

"Wu Qingzhao."

"Qingzhao. Why did you... why are you here?" he asked awkwardly. Her dark black eyes were worried and a little too perceptive, as if she could see through him.

"There was a suicide on the fifth floor," she said softly. "A businessman. Estranged from his family. I don't know what is going on in your life, but his eyes were like yours. Empty. I just... forgive me, Mr. Stark. I was worried. I apologize for my rudeness-"

"Don't," he told her simply. "It's okay. I appreciate it. I'm... I'll be okay. Someday. There's nothing to worry about. It's just that this is the first Christmas I've had since my father died and I'm a little on edge. I didn't mean to snap at you earlier."

Her eyes softened. "Oh, Mr. Stark... I'm so sorry."

"You can call me Tony. And it's fine. I'm fine," he repeated, unconvincingly. "Well, okay, I'm not, but I wouldn't kill myself over this. My dad wanted me to live. To keep going. So I will be fine, eventually."

"You're very brave," she said softly. He winced, looking at the floor. "Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you."

"No, it's just..." he didn't even know what it was. "When do you get off work?" he asked abruptly. "I'm not cutting into your hours, am I?"

"My shift just ended." Qingzhao reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm sorry. For hurting you. I seem to be making things worse." She withdrew her hand and turned. "I should go."

"Don't. I need you." The words left his mouth before he could stop them. Belatedly, he realized he'd reached out and grabbed her wrist. "I, I mean, I just... um, you wanna get breakfast or something? My treat."

She smiled at him, understanding in her eyes. "I would like that very much, Tony."

He left the gift abandoned on the table behind them. He didn't need it. The real gift was walking beside him, hand clasped in his.