A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I couldn't wipe the smile off my face after reading them! With that said, I decided to add this little bit here. I had originally written it to be part of the first chapter, but didn't think it was very good. I wrote it because I thought it'd be cool to show Pepper's reaction to finding about the arc reactor. Tony tells Stane in the movie that Pepper knows, but I think it would've been a good scene to include, seeing as she's a very important character in the film, and to Tony.

Okay. I'm done, haha. Thank you for reading and let me know what you think! 3

"Where to, sir," Happy asked, looking back at Tony in the rear view mirror.

"Take us to the hospital, please, Happy," Pepper said, Tony cutting her off with a stern 'no'. She looked over at him. He still seemed tired and irritated. She wondered if he had managed to get any rest on the flight.

"No? Tony, you have to go to the hospital. The doctor has to look at you."

"No is a complete answer," he began, talking over her. This was also her Tony; the stubborn pain in the ass that acted more like an eight year old than a thirty eight year old. "I don't have to do anything." Tony looked at her, challenging her with his dark eyes. It was something he used to do all the time and it drove her crazy. Even though he was quickly irking her, Pepper found this was one of the many things she had missed about her boss.

"I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger, and the other-"

"-That's enough of that," she said, cutting him off as she looked ahead at Happy, pleading with him with her eyes, hoping he would stand up to Tony and take her side.

"-is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now." Pepper whipped her head over at him, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Call for a press conference? What on Earth for?" He nodded at Happy, completely ignoring Pepper's inquiries. Typical Tony. It was nice to see he hadn't changed as much as she initially expected.

"Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first." As Happy began to drive the limo off the tarmac, he looked in the rear view mirror, giving Pepper a sheepish shrug. She sighed heavily, looking out the window as they left Edwards Airbase.

The ride was exceptionally quiet except for when Happy pulled up to the nearest Burger King. Over seas, Tony had apparently acquired two extra stomachs, ordering item after item off the menu without bothering to ask if Happy or Pepper wanted anything.

As Tony feasted away, Pepper made a few phone calls, informing that there would be a press conference in the lobby of Stark Industries in twenty minutes.

"This may be the only time I get to tell you about, or show you this," Tony began quietly, already finishing his first burger and working on his second. Setting the burger down in his lap (careful not to get anything on his pants), he threw his tie over his shoulder and began to unbutton his shirt. Pepper could only imagine what he was about to reveal. A prisoner tattoo maybe, or some sort of scar. What she was not expecting to see was a glowing blue light embedded in his chest. The limo swerved slightly, distracting Tony.

"Happy, eyes on the road. I'll give you a private showing later." Tony flashed a quick smirk before bringing his attention back to an astonished Pepper.

"What…is that?"

"Doesn't it look familiar?" He waited a moment before glancing down at it. "It's an arc reactor. I miniaturized it." Pepper timidly reached her hand towards it, her fingers brushing against the metal and his surrounding warm skin. He inhaled sharply through his nose. She froze as their eyes met.

"Does it hurt?"

"No, not really. Not after everything I've been through."

"What-"

"-I'm telling you this in the strictest of confidence, Pep. Seriously. One word to anyone and that's it." Buttoning up his shirt and fixing his tie, he went back to his food.

"When we were attacked," he began, talking with his mouth full, and dabbing a napkin at the corner of his lips. "I tried to run. To get help…or something. I don't even know what I was thinking. I mean, I tried to send out an SOS, but a missile landed next to me. One of my own missiles. I mean, what the hell are these bastards doing with my weapons? And then, to think…our own soldiers…dying at the, the hands of the very things I made to protect them…" He grew quiet, staring out the window.

"Tony, you can't blame yourself," Pepper stated softly, placing her hand over his that rested on his knee. He looked at her, giving her a weak, but appreciative smile.

"Yeah, well, the long story short is the missile explodes. Shrapnel gets lodged into my body and this?" He tapped on the reactor through his shirt. "This is the only thing keeping the metal barbs from reaching my heart.."

"How did you escape?"

"I-"

"-We're here, sir," Happy said, looking over his shoulder at the couple before Tony could answer. The door on Tony's side opened, and he was greeted by none other than a cheering crowd, and a grinning Obadiah Stane.

"Look at this, huh," Obadiah exclaimed happily to the crowd, helping Tony out and pulling him into his embrace. "Tony!"