Sorry for the long wait guys. As Vice President I have alot of stuff I have to get done for homecoming next month. Crazy I know but I love my job. Even if it means late nights, little sleep, and little free time. I'm really sorry for the horrible grammar last chapter, I promise I know English, I just thought I had proofed it since I typed it on my iPod before I posted and I didn't so I did that now so it's all fixed. Thanks for the reviews. :) this story is ping to e fast paced the entire time. So hold on to your hats.

Chapter 2: The Return

Tony felt himself slipping in and out of consciousness and watched as two masked figures opened the driver door and put a cloth to Happy's face. He tried commanding himself to get up and fight but his head was dizzy and his ribs were on fire. He couldn't move his arm and rolled his head to the side to see what was pinning him down. Through the haze clouding his eyes he could make out Pepper's figure. Panic flooded his veins and he willed himself to move. He cried out in pain as he sat up and nearly fell back down his head was in so much excruciating pain. He dragged his arm upwards and felt for a pulse. As soon as he felt the throb beneath his fingers he relaxed a bit but felt his brain begin to get even foggier. He coughed and his lungs protested. Hazily he looked around and saw gas being pumped through the AC vents. He moved to close them but it was too late. The gas permeated his lungs and he fell asleep. His eyes slowly closed despite his will to fight and protect.

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When he finally awoke, his head began spinning like a record on repeat. He snapped his eyes shut and tried to stop the thoughts in his head from spinning. He tried fighting the muddy fog and one thought broke through faster than the others.

Pepper.

His eyes snapped open and he quickly tried sitting up and smacked his forehead not a foot up. Confused, he felt around and concluded he was in a wooden box or coffin. Panic overtook him and he quickly tried to fight his way out. He punched and kicked but to no avail. He felt along the edges to try and locate a latch and found one above his hip. It was just a simple hinge one would find on a typical door. He felt for something hard he could use to break the hinge and release the pin and found a small flashlight in his pocket.

The battery was dead but Tony grabbed it and began to beat on the hinge. He heard metal clang onto the floor after minutes of pounding and he pushed up with all the force he could muster. Light assaulted his eyes and he covered his face and scrambled out panting heavily.

It had indeed been a wooden coffin. He looked around and concluded he was in a warehouse by the docks. He saw a coffin similar to his and he raced over to it.

The only thing that could be in it was that of what he seeked. He made quick work opening the hinge and lifted the top off to reveal his beautiful fiancé.

"Pepper." He breathed out in a whisper. She was still asleep, still knocked out from whatever they'd been drugged with. He bent down to lift her out but it was then that his adrenaline lowered and pain overpowered. He dropped to his knees clutching his ribs and cradling his arm. He withheld his scream but gasps escaped him and try as he may the pain would not die down one iota.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and snapped his head to see who had startled him.

"Pepper." He said in relief.

"Tony, what happened? What's going on? Where are we?" She asked slightly panicked.

"Car crash, drugged, kidnapped, buried, warehouse by the docks." He said in short bursts.

Pepper crouched down to look at him and cradled his face in her hand staring into his eyes.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He croaked. "The thought that I had lost you again..." He trailed off shaking his head unable to voice his fears.

Pepper kissed him tenderly wanting the comfort only he could give, knowing he needed the same.

"We're going to be okay Tony." He gave her a small hopeful smile. She took off the wrap that had been around her and gently took his arm from him. He never took his eyes off her as she focused with scrutiny on securing his arm to his chest.

"You know in another life you'd have made an excellent nurse." He said thoughtfully and Pepper laughed under her breath with a small smile of amusement.

"I've had years of experience working for you." She replied softly.

"You in that nurse's uniform, mmm, it's quite the turn on."

Pepper rolled her eyes and knotted the wrap. "Leave it to you to make a suggestive remark while we're kidnapped."

Tony gave a grin and replied, "Well I can't very well let my humor get taken as well as my body."

Pepper gave a soft smile and said, "I need to look under your shirt."

"Now who's making suggestive remarks." Tony said sarcastically as he inhaled a sharp breath filled with more pain than oxygen.

"To survey the damage not do the horizontal tango."

Tony laughed and said, "ow.", repeatedly as he laughed.

She carefully unbuttoned his shirt, trying all the while to avoid hurting him. When she brushed the shirt away her face paled a little.

"That bad huh?" He asked nonchalantly.

"You're...you're, you're, Tony you're all black and blue." She whispered.

"Better me than you." He grunted as he shifted his position an inch.

"You didn't have to act as my human shield." Pepper said remorsefully.

"Yeah I did. Because if anything like this happened to you..., I'd feel ten times worse than I do now. I can't let anything happen to you Pepper because a part of me dies inside because I know this is my fault. Being Iron Man makes my enemies go after the thing they know will bring me to my knees and they know that's you. They get you and they destroy me. I can't do any of this without you Pep; I can't lose you." He said sadly meeting her eyes. She gave him a weak smile and place a hand on his cheek.

"You won't." She replied.

"I almost did seven months ago. I thought I had lost you when they got you."

"Hey Tony, we're going to be okay. We've got each other right now and that's all that matters. "

"Let's try and get out of here, huh." Tony said getting to his feet with help from Pepper.

That's when the door opened and Happy was pushed in by two masked figures. The same masked figures Tony remembered seeing glimpses of. They were both armed with guns.

Each had one in their hand but one figure was smaller than the other. Tony clung to Pepper who tried running to help Happy.

"Not yet." He murmured softly in her ear.

As the figures stood fifty feet away, guns raised, they removed the masks and anger erupted like a Volcano in Tony.

"Hammer." He growled.

"Actually it's The Hammer's now Anthony." Justin Hammer spoke with ice in his eyes and venom in his voice.

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Review please guys :) got IM3 on the 24th, I got everything And I'm re-falling in love with it all over again. I'll update as soon as I can. I'm like six chapters ahead of you guys. It's good.