Whoah! Seeing how much you all love it and ask me to continue it, I decided to please you, so here it is! It's not much and I'm writing the rest currently, I won't be able to update all that quickly next time.

Enjoy !

First step

Tony sighed, looking at the screen in front of him. He knew he was missing something obvious. It was just there, but he was tired and he had been at it for hours already so the equations and schemas pretty much started not making sense anymore. He put his pad down and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, running his other hand in his hair. The solution was there, but it somehow eluded him.

"Need some help?" He looked over his shoulder and saw Bruce walking to him, carefully. Tony held back a snort, as if he was going to jump at him like some kind of enraged animal. It was ridiculous really, for the past few days, ever since the conversation in the lab, they were so damn wary of him that he felt like he was made of porcelain and going to break at any moment. Or for some he was some predator that was going to chew them out and feast on their bones. Which was disgusting.

"There's been some power fluctuations – which is not good – and I can't find what's causing them." Bruce frowned and observed the screen, looking over the equations.

"Maybe something with the reactor?"

"Nope – checked twice." He stretched on the chair and yawned. "Sorry, been up for over a day."

Bruce shoot him a disapproving glance but didn't say anything about it – not still back on being some kind of worrying papa bear. "Anyway I'm here to take you to SHIELD quarters. We have a meeting."

Tony made a face but stoop up. "Let's go make Eyepatch's life impossible then!" Bruce shook his head, smiling a little, and started walking to the door. Tony shut the screen down and followed him.

He wasn't out yet when Jarvis' voice echoed in the lab. "Sir, there is an upcoming call from the hospital."

Tony froze and Bruce turned around, frowning. "Take it."

"Mister Stark?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"You are listed as Miss Potts' contact. She is…"

Tony's eyes widened. "What? She's at the hospital? What happened?" Okay, there definitively was panic in his voice but… Oh God, Pepper, hospital, please, please, please, no, no, no…

"Sir, calm down. She is alright. She has a faint episode due to a low blood-sugar level. We gave her…"

"Good, good, that's good. I'm on my way…" Tony quickly started making his way to the elevator, where he met the rest of the Avengers who were waiting for Bruce and him. "Just… make sure she's fine. I… Which hospital is it?"

"Tony?" Steve questioned, wondering what was going on. Bruce shrugged when he shot him a look and shook his head.

"Lenox Hospital, Mister Stark." The doctor seemed puzzled – and Tony hardly blamed him, he knew he was being a bit too worried and panicked and just… it was Pepper. He had every right to act so worried that he didn't make sense anymore.

"Okay, good, I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Mister Stark, with all due respect, the Stark tower is further away than just ten…"

"I'll see you in ten." Jarvis cut the conversation, recognizing Tony's tone for what it was. The genius was already at the elevator, whose doors were already opening for him – having an AI running his home was really helpful sometimes. The Avengers still looked confused and didn't know what to do, which was happening a lot since the last mission – but Tony tried to ignore that fact as much as possible. There was no good coming out of dwelling on the past and he wasn't a nostalgic guy at all and just… This was a big no-no. Thinking about it will only lead to thinking about how they didn't trust him and how his poor heart got hurt again and… Stop! Tony reprimanded himself. Think Pepper and only Pepper.

"Tony, the meeting…"

"Can wait," Tony cut Steve, turning around in the cabin. "Pepper can't." The doors closed, leaving all the team except for Bruce completely bewildered.

"What did we miss?" Clint asked aloud, looking at the scientist.

"Apparently Pepper is in the hospital, low blood-sugar level," Bruce explained.

"Is she fine?" Natasha asked, concerned. The scientist nodded and the team's shoulders sagged, relief filling them.

"Let's go, we can't make Fury wait any longer." Bruce said, gesturing at the elevator.

"Where is Stark?" Fury asked the moment he entered the room to see all the Avengers at their respectful place except for the one empty chair – Tony's. It wasn't exactly unusual for Fury to come in and discover that chair empty, whether it was because the man was late or just plain absent, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"He has gone to his Lady. She needs his undivided attention."

Fury raised a doubtful eyebrow and put his hands flat on the edge of the table. "Why is he not here?" He said slowly, voice tight and controlled.

Bruce bit his lip and Steve fidgeted. Natasha and Clint stayed perfectly still, poker face on. Only Thor dared meet his eyes. He raised his chin high and sat with his back flawlessly straight, making his presence more imposing than usual. He never looked more the prince that he was than in this moment. "The Man Of Iron's Lady is in dire need of medical care. Tony has left to be there for her, as a man should always do when his companion is hurt."

"Something happened to Potts?" Fury repeated, frowning. He wasn't very concerned, but knew better than to wish ill on the woman. No one wanted Tony Stark as an enemy, and even less an angry Tony Stark.

"Nothing major. She's fine, but Tony went to see her at the hospital," Clint answered, crossing his arms.

Fury's eye narrowed. "If she's alright, why Stark isn't here as he should be?"

Thor frowned, anger rising. "His duty is first to the Lady Potts. Whether alright or hurt, she musts…"

"Your duty is to the Avengers and the people of this planet first. She could wait a few hours." Fury snapped. Bruce winced. It was a good thing Tony wasn't here or he would have had a few choice words for the director.

But apparently Thor had taken it upon himself to make sure Fury got it through his head that Tony was in the right. "I will not let you blame the Man of Iron for wanting to be with his beloved. This meeting is simple routine and he is not missing anything that he cannot catch up on later. Time with his lady isn't something he can recuperate as easily."

Fury raised his eyebrows in disbelief. He certainly didn't expect this from Thor, who was a warrior with a deep sense of duty, honor and loyalty. He thought maybe Bruce or Clint would have defended the genius but certainly not Thor. "I think we should end this conversation now before it turns badly."

"It is indeed a wise decision," Thor replied smoothly, his blue eyes cold and full of promises of threats.

Fury exhaled a long angry breath and heavily sat down, clenching his hands in front of him. Bruce let out an amused but proud smile, nodding in Thor's direction.

"He did what?" Tony exclaimed from the seat next to Pepper's bed. The redhead looked good, her skin was the color of her usual complexion, a smile was tugging at her lips and her hand was tightly cupped between Tony's.

At the end of the meeting Bruce and Clint had decided to go see Pepper and Tony at the hospital. By chance they were still there, waiting for the clear out notice of Pepper's doctor. They were wrapped in discussion when they had arrived and, judging from the expressions on their faces, they weren't talking about any touchy subjects. They had come in and expressed their happiness and relief at seeing Pepper alright. Bruce had added that she shouldn't make an example out of Tony and should eat correctly as well as rest, to which Pepper had replied she would pay more attention to her health while Tony had rolled his eyes, stating that his way of living was a one-person thing and could only work on him – he never ended up in the hospital because of lack of sleep and food, according to him. Bruce had decided best to leave it at that.

Clint had then decided to tell the couple about Thor's great resistance against Fury and defense of Tony's absence.

Which led them to the wide-eyed, disbelieving expression Tony was showing now, along with his slightly opened mouth. Clint barely held back his laughter.

"He stood up to Fury and declared that a man should make his lady come first," repeated Bruce, highly amused.

"We need to thank him, I think," Pepper said, grinning.

"Why did he have to do something like that when I wasn't here? Come on, it's not fair! I miss out on all the fun!" Tony whined, a smirk slowly creeping onto his face.

"Well… it wouldn't have happened if you were there," Clint pointed out. Tony glared at him and he held up his hands. "I'm just saying."

"You should be able to find the footage if you look now. I think Fury will want to erase all trace of it." Tony snorted but grabbed a pad out of Pepper's bag. He turned it on and immediately set himself on the task of hacking into SHIELD's security camera system. "I'm starting to pity him, you know. You were bad enough, but if Thor starts being on his back too…"

Tony scoffed. "Please. It's Fury, a little resistance only makes sure he doesn't get rusty. I'm glad to be helpful that way."

Pepper shook her head at him and turned to her two visitors. "When will Thor come? I want to personally thank him for what he's done. It means a lot." Bruce and Clint widened their eyes slightly, understanding clearly the meaning behind those simple words. They glanced at Tony, who was still absorbed by his hacking, then back at Pepper who nodded slowly. Thor's got Pepper's trust back, Bruce thought to himself, he practically has Tony's back too then.

"He'll come soon. He needed to change into more… casual clothes."

Two things happened then. The door opened on Thor, wearing a jean and a shirt, and Tony grinned saying "Got the footage!", looking up at them.

"What is that footage you're talking about, Son of Stark?"

"Hey Goldilocks! Buddy, come here!" Tony gestured at him, not losing his grin, and, though confused, Thor did as told and came to stand beside the genius. His straight posture showed his wariness around the man but Tony didn't seem to see it. "Here! Was about to look at the little show you put on Fury. Interested?"

Thor frowned. "I didn't put a show on…"

"The stand-off? Face to face?" Tony continued, raising his eyebrows. "Oh come on, Point Break, give me a break. The perfect civil conversation you and Nick Fury had during the meeting," he tried, sarcastically.

"It was hardly perfect and civil, Man of Iron. I do not know who told you those lies, but I was really merely checking the director understood where I would stand should he go after you while your Lady here was unwell."

Tony blinked. Bruce bit his lip. This was the moment. Did Thor get Tony's trust back or not? Pepper was the one person Tony cared the most about, it would kill him to be away from her if she was hurt or sick or anything else. To know Thor would have his back whenever that was the case? This was the best thing anyone could offer him.

Slowly Tony smiled and nodded. "Got it, Thor, thanks man." Pepper smiled and grabbed the pad, turning the video on, not listening to Tony's protests about how he wanted to see it first.

Thor looked at Bruce and Clint and smiled – a little childish, but still a big smile. He did it. He was one step forward into getting Tony's trust back. The other two exchanged a glance. We can do it, Bruce thought, knowing Clint had the same thing in mind.

Voilà ! Verdict?

A bientôt !

AngelShep