So i thought i'd give you the next part before i get into anything else. And some things are a bit far fetched as some could say, but please no negative comments. If i get any... But yeah...This is one of the longest chapters i'll put up. Well this whole story has chapters like this and this one was shortened by four pages! So yeah, its long but enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing and nothing at all. Iron man armored adventures belong to its rightful owner.

(With Rhodey – day after the crash)

Rhodey sighed as he put his phone away in his pocket. Tony hadn't been answering his phone. It was odd cause he knew Tony was planning on taking a break from the lab. He knew that when Tony worked on a big project he nearly never answered his phone. But he knew Tony had finished it and had promised to tell him what it was after he tested it at the testing grounds with his father. He was excited, so Tony had wanted to keep it a big secret. And he hid that secret well. He locked the lab up, so Rhodey or his father could get in.

So Rhodey had no idea what the heck it was that was keeping Tony so secretive and unavailable. Tony didn't answer his phone calls. When he did, it was only to say hi then bye. Well not technically, but still it was short. He didn't even visit. He slept in his lab ordering his pizza's and only came out when his dad threatened to ground him or cut off on his allowance, there for it would have made it impossible to finish his project so he obliged to the threats and came out and hung out with Rhodey for a while, eat real food and talk to his dad, before returning to the lab.

At the moment Rhodey was heading his way home from school. In his free period, he tried calling Tony three times. Then he already called him twice before school. He had even tried calling Howard to ask, but the calls went straight to voice mail just as it did moments ago. Except now, it was saying the the phones were disconnected. 'Out of Service' it would say.

He shouldered his backpack on better and looked forward. He was almost home. But his mind kept thinking about Tony not answering his cell. He hadn't answered his phone not even for two seconds since he left for the testing grounds. The last time he saw Tony, had been the morning before he left. That was the last time Tony had answered his cell as well. He had claimed that he had to finish up the last bit of the 'project' before he showed it to his father.

Rhodey stepped up the stairs that led him to the door of his house. He opened the door and walked in while removing his shoes. He put his school bag that held his homework on the floor as he put his shoes and sweater away. It was the middle of fall and it was in fact getting a bit chilly. He grabbed his bag and made his way to his room and dropped it off still thinking about what Tony could possibly be doing that would disconnect his phone. And his dads phone at that.

He sat down with a sigh and decided he'd let it drop. Tony would come around. At one point he will. They were best friends. Almost like brothers. So he got up and decided to do his homework while he waited for his mom to come home.

He worked for little over two hours for the day held tons of work for English, mathematics, and surprisingly drama. Drama homework was rare for them. The worksheets were normally finished and big projects were normally done at school.

His mom had came home a little under the first hour of homework. She had spent a bit of time cleaning then cooking and then together they ate. Rhodey brought up his worries for Tony. Even to Howard and Roberta had agreed saying that she hasn't seen Howard ever since the plane left the runway or whatever. She worked as a lawyer for Howard and they were close friends. She normally knew where he was, but he hadn't shown up at his work. He was supposed to call, and he didn't.

Which all together, worried Rhodey all the more. But he knew the Stark's well enough to know that if Howard saw and liked the invention he'd probably add his own little touch to it to help improve the invention. But it still didn't explain why neither of them were answering their phones or showing up where they should be.

After they ate, they went to do their own thing. Rhodey went to study for his physics test the next day and Roberta went to watch the news in the living room. It was a few minutes for something to happen, but something did. And as much as one may want something new to happen in the house, something exciting, this wasn't what anyone would want to hear especially when it help personal matters to themselves.

It started with silence and then a loud bang as the remote being held by Roberta dropped and bashed onto the table. It was loud enough to get Rhodey in the room. Rhodey had stepped in the room, eyed his mother who was staring at the frozen picture on the screen as she paused it with the new cable system they bought not too long ago. Rhodey followed her glassy stare to the TV wondering what it was that was causing his mom such distress.

He then became just as his mom. Frozen and devastated. The headline of that days 'breaking news'. Was horrifying, but clear what it was trying to say.

"Stark International plane crashes with no known survivor."

All the two could do was stare. Stare at the frozen picture. Roberta's bottom lip began to quiver as her hand rose to her mouth. Tears welled up in her brown eyes. Rhodey would have looked the same if he hadn't been so shocked to react. This was why he wasn't answering his phone. This was why he and his father weren't where they were supposed to be. They were in that plane crash.

The frozen picture of the TV had been of the plane. The smoke and ashes of the remains of it. It was terrifying alone as it was. "Mom." He said with a shaky voice.

She looked over at her son. "Hmm."

"Hit play." He managed to get out.

She nodded and picked the fallen remote back up. She hit play and the screen of the TV moved. The speaker was a blur, but a few sentences were pretty clear.

"It is clear to us that the passengers of the plane were the Stark's. Traces have been left to where one of the two had landed. But the bodies are missing." The speaker said as a new picture flashed onto the screen.

It was a large piece of metal sticking out of the ground at a slant. It was zoomed it a bit more that the last one enough to see the surface and floor easier. Though the disturbing thing wasn't the dent in the metal or the smoke that had rose around it, but the blood that laid smeared on the surface of the metal. Closer to the center of the large piece of metal, was the apparently base of where the blood came from. Pretty much saying that who ever it was, Tony or Howard, had moved to try to save themselves or the person opposite of themselves. Whoever it was the chances that they actually made it out alive, looked slim with the amount of blood there was. Well the blood from the picture looked both fresh and old so it wasn't that long after whoever it was was there, and from the looks of the trail of the smeared blood it seemed like the person was planning on falling that short distance to the ground maybe to look for the other...?

The picture disappeared. The reporter saying something about no bodies found and there's still going to be further investigations. How they got the pictures that well and were actually allowed to show them at such an early stage of the investigation, was a mystery.

Rhodey took a deep breath and sat down. This wasn't him. He didn't cry. He stood strong when everyone else didn't. But now he was doing what he hadn't even dreamed of doing. Sure he was human he was bound to cry at some point, but he'd much rather have it be because maybe he broke his arm or leg. He didn't want to cry because his best friend, practically brother, was dead. There was still a chance he survived. Maybe he was just missing. Maybe he found his dad and got them to a hospital. But wouldn't the hospital have called the closest people to them already? Almost everyone knew that Roberta was Howard's lawyer and closest friend, and them being the only Starks, they had no other family. Well, Obadiah was pretty close to him, but it was also known to the world that due to Obadiah and his obsession with weapons and his constant demand that Howard made them, his friendship had dwindled.

Rhodey's thoughts deepened as he thought of anyone else that was close to Tony and his father. There was Pepper, but they weren't the best of friends and it wasn't known that the two were friends at all. There was also Whitney, but why on earth would the hospital call her and not them? Rhodey really wasn't too familiar with Howard's close friends were. He wasn't a stalker. He knew who Tony hung out with enough because he was his best friend after all.

His thoughts deepened once again at the thought of Pepper. He remembered the first time Tony had met her. It wasn't all that significant, but it made quite a few people smile and maybe even laugh. The day had been pretty clear to Rhodey.

(Flashback...)

It was summer time and Tony was staying the week at Rhodey's house for his dad had been busy. Though on the fourth day of his visit or stay, Rhodey received a call. At the time, he hadn't known who it was, but he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rhodey!" A voice squealed over the phone sounding an awful lot like Pepper. "It's me Pepper! I found out what your number was."

"I can see that." Rhodey replied.

Pepper giggled happily on her line. "Anyways, I found this really weird movie that totally looks horrible. You have to come watch it with me tonight."

"Pepper, if it looks horrible, then why do you want to watch it?"

"Because, it looks horribly funny. The kind of horrible that is so horrible its funny. Its about big foot!"

"I don't even believe in big foot. Anyways I have Tony over right now for the rest of the week. I cant just leave him alone with my mom." Rhodey explained sitting down.

Tony was sitting on the chair in Rhodey's room while Rhodey talked to Pepper while sitting on the bed.

Pepper gave her best sigh of exasperation. "I don't either. It's just watching a whole bunch of fools chasing after big foot, then supposedly they find something that is more deadly than they thought. Just bring him with! Wait...Tony Stark is at your house!?"

Rhodey chuckled. "Yes he is." Tony had smiled at that. He hadn't heard what was said, but the sound of Rhodey's voice gave out enough.

"Then you have to bring him with!" Pepper almost screamed.

"Whoa, Pepper calm down." Rhodey said flinching from the phone. "Tony isn't the movie sort of person. Nor can he sit still unless he's inventing something."

"I don't care. I want to meet him. He's rich. Did you know that?" Pepper rambled.

"Yes I know he is. He's my best friend remember?"

"No I don't remember you ever hanging out with him. I've heard you mention him, I just thought you liked what he did or what not. Anyways, you better come within the next two hours. Two hours at tops Rhodey. Or I swear you will regret it."

"Okay okay. We'll be there." Rhodey said and just after he said that she had hung up.

Tony raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Not a movie person?"

"I don't know. Pepper's a bit on the crazy side. She obsesses about people. She tried to arrest someone once."

"Really?" Tony said laughing.

"No kidding."

It was later that day when they were outside the door of Pepper's place. They had left a little over an hour after the phone call, but didn't risk making it two. Pepper wasn't lying when she said they'd regret it.

"Tony are you sure about this?" Rhodey had said. "I'm mean, how bad could it be if we just backed away now."

"According to you, super bad." Tony pointed out and knocked on the door.

"Last chance." Rhodey warned turning to the door.

Before Tony could reply at all, the door opened and Pepper stood at the doorstep with both of her hands clasped excitedly in front of her.

"Ooh you came!" She squeaked. Her eyes moved to Tony and her jaw dropped. "Oh my..."

Her face lit up almost like a Christmas tree. She hadn't really thought that he was with Rhodey. It didn't help that Rhodey had said that he wasn't a movie person.

"Whoa! It's really you! I thought...maybe Rhodey was lying, but this...this is just..." She smiled from ear to ear and in the 'heat of the moment' she had excitedly grabbed his hand. "I can't believe. Normally I wouldn't...i would not have acted like this, but its...its just so unbelievable."

Her smile dropped as if she was shocked again. She looked down at her hands and realized she was squeezing the circulation out of his hand. But then also realized that Tony hadn't pulled away...why?

Her face turned red in embarrassment and she reluctantly let go of his hand. She laughed nervously. "Heh eh. Sorry... just...sorry, I didn't...I-I'm sorry..."

Rhodey was trying his best not to laugh his head off. It was hard to contain his laughter. Then when Pepper had turned around gesturing to the other two teens to follow she had, out of nervousness, tripped. "Whoa!"

Tony had literally flung himself forward and his arms were immediately around her stomach, catching her. He helped her steady herself and when she looked back and saw that it was Tony and Not Rhodey that had caught her. Rhodey knew her and Tony didn't and Tony had been the one that caught her. Her face had been redder than a tomato.

"Lets just go watch the movie!" She said now avoiding looking at Tony.

So they did. They walked in her place and got ready with popcorn and everything for the 'horrible' movie.

(Flashback end...)

Rhodey since then always knew that the two were as some would say 'meant to be'. Pepper since that day had calmed down about seeing Tony. She was right when she said that normally she wouldn't have acted like that. Normally she would have just frozen with her jaw dropped, but the fact that she'd been crushing on Tony for who knows how long, didn't help the situation.

Rhodey shook his head and returned to reality again. He didn't want to, but he had to. He had no other choice. He may have times where he can escape reality in a memory, like that one. But not always. No matter what life catches up with you.

"Mom..." Rhodey said not really knowing what it was that he wanted.

Looking over at him curiously and slightly looking as Rhodey had. Like she just returned to reality also. "Hmm."

"You okay?" He said the first thing that came to mind.

She blinked some tears away. She nodded. "Yes. I am. We'll both be okay."

Rhodey nodded. He wanted to cry. He did. But he couldn't and he wouldn't. He would be strong about this as he was normally the one to stay sane of all his friends. Which he could pretty much single out as Tony, Pepper, and, well that's it. Pepper was a bit crazy, but that is what people like about her. Rhodey wasn't a big fan of it, but he did like that her craziness made Tony smile and come out of the lab more often.

Something about Pepper had changed Tony. To Rhodey it was obvious. For anyone to notice, they had to know Tony. Tony smiled more, he came out of the lab, answered more phone calls, and was eating a lot more.

So Rhodey sat there thinking about the plane crash and wondering what exactly went on. Did Tony and his father die? Did they survive? Where are they? Who's blood was on the picture? For now it was left unknown. For now it was a mystery.

(With Dr. Yinsen – day of phone call)

Dr. Yinsen listened to the phone ring as he waited for Mrs. Rhodes to answer the phone call. He while the phone was ringing, was walking his way to the hallway to where his two newest patients that were in critical but stable conditions. The reason he had to make this phone call.

"Hello?" A strained voice sounded on the other end of the phone.

It wasn't that late, but it was sunset. About an hour after the average New York school day ends. So hopefully he didn't call at a bad time.

"Hello Mrs. Rhodes. I'm-"

"If you're calling to sell me something I'm not buying." Roberta cut him off.

Yinsen blinked in surprise. "No...I'm specialist Dr. Ho Yinsen and I'm calling about the status of Howard and Tony Stark."

There was a pause and a shout on the other line and Yinsen paused his walking and waited. "Sorry. Be just a minute."

There was a few sounds, a beep, and another shout. "Okay what is it you have to say? Are they dead?"

"No! No no! Their fine." Yinsen could hear two sighs of relief. He raised an eyebrow. "Well, not exactly fine...but their alive. Found them in the alleyway down the block...how they got there from the plane, I'll never know. But they're both in a coma."

Another pause. "Thanks Doctor."

"Its what I do."

"W-where are they?"

Yinsen started to walk again and entered Howard Starks room. He looked fine and stable. He had stitches on his arms, legs, face, and even his back. Burns ran up and down randomly at his body.

"They got transferred yesterday to The Stark International hospital wing. They have been kept under watch and we've made sure that press or reporter don't get their location. So that's why you haven't heard anything. We can't have people swarming them or making huge stories about what happened. Things happen when this kind of thing gets on the news."

"Can we see him?"

"Is 'we' saying you and your son?"

"Yes." There was another beep and the sound of a hushed conversation. "So how are they?"

"Howard should be fine. He hit his head and got some pretty bad cuts and burns, but...Tony He lost a lot of blood, and his heart...he got a experimental heart implant that has to be charged daily. His leg-" He broke off from the phone call and he nearly dropped his phone.

"Hello?" Roberta's voice sounded at a distance as his had had pulled away from his head. "Hello? Dr. Yinsen?"

He pulled the phone back to his ear again. "S-sorry. There's a problem..."

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Tony's missing." Yinsen choked out.

"What!" Roberta almost shouted.

"H-he was just right here. Only f-five minutes ago!" Yinsen said searching the room. "The backpack we found him with i-it's gone."

"You think he walked off?" Roberta asked.

"No. He wasn't stable enough. He wouldn't be able to walk without pain. He couldn't have gotten very far. In other words he's too weak to move on his own, let alone walk."

"He was kidnapped?"

"I don't know. Well if you want to come visit Howard visiting hours start soon." Yinsen sighed. "I'll work on finding Tony. Don't worry about it." Then he hung up.

The only thing he could do was stare. Tony was there just there three minutes ago, and there was no visitor waiting for him. No one should have known about Tony being in the hospital. Everyone thought he was dead. Yinsen instantly went to Howard's room. He was still there.

Yinsen rushed out to the hallway and made his way to the counter that was on the floor.

"Holly, did anyone come in through here?" He asked the woman at the desk.

She shook her head. "Only you, and Bella. But Bella was pushing a cart to the records room."

"Thanks." Yinsen went off to find Bella.

He found her filing away the record's of the patients in the record room. "Bella."

"Yes Dr. Yinsen?" She replied setting down her current file.

"How long have you been in here?"

"I don't know, maybe ten minutes. Why?"

"Tony Stark is missing."

Bella froze. "What?"

"I don't know. I called his father's lawyer, she's also close friends with the Starks and when I returned to check if they were still critical, Tony was gone and so was his backpack."

Yinsen had started to pace wondering what could have happened if Tony was too weak to move and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't have gotten far. It didn't help that he was a few floors up, so he couldn't just jump out the window. At least not without killing himself, but the window was sealed shut. They don't let the windows open. They use vents and stuff to air out the place.

"Did you check the security tapes?" Bella said cutting through his thoughts.

"What?-No."

"Then lets go!" Bella said pushing the record cart aside.

She rushed forward out of the room holding Yinsen's arm. He followed her to the camera room and the security guard was typing something frantically into the computer.

"Sam!" Bella snapped.

'Sam' looked up from the computer. "Yes...?"

"What are you doing?"

"I-i don't know, Tony's missing. I assume that's why your here. To see how."

"Yep."

Sam turned in his chair and pulled out something and pointed to the screen that held Tony's room. He rewinded it so Tony was still in there and said, "This is about 1 minute before he disappeared."

They watched and still nothing happened. Though after a minute the video glitched and then when it stopped glitching, Tony was gone and there stood Yinsen on the phone with Roberta.

"What the..." Bella mumbled. "Did someone cut the camera feed or something?"

Sam looked down. "No I wasn't looking at the time, but there was a beeping sound, and when I had looked over Tony was gone. It wasn't cut or anything, cause if you notice as soon as Yinsen entered the room, the camera feed was back. Whatever it was that made Tony disappear, it must have had a scrambler or something for any camera in the room."

Yinsen sighed. "I have to get back down there. I see Roberta."

In fact he did. On one of the security cameras. He saw her stepping into a elevator. He stepped out of the crowded room and into the hallway lost in his thoughts as he made his way back to Howard's hallway. He couldn't stop thinking about the missing feed. What happened? Where did Tony go? Is he alright? Normally he didn't focus too much on one patient, but saying he only see's certain people of certain conditions and knowing Howard for quite a long time, he couldn't help but care a little too much.

He finally made it to the right hallway and saw Roberta talking to Holly trying to convince her that she was family. She wasn't alone. Her son sat at a chair sitting worriedly at the side.

"Mrs. Rhodes." He called. "Holly its fine. She is family."

Holly nodded and waved Roberta off. Roberta and her son walked up to Dr. Yinsen.

"Dr. Yinsen, did you...?" Her sentence trailed off as she saw his look.

"I did not. Sadly that's not all. I checked the security feed, and we did not see what happened. We can put out a search warrant out with police permission, but I'm sorry to say that's the best I can do at the moment. I'm also sadly reporting that there's a high percentage that Tony... did not make it."

Roberta swallowed and held a breath. Rhodey's heart could have just shattered. Finding out his best friend was in a plane crash and knowing he was dead, was easier than not knowing. He wanted a straight answer. He wanted the answer he knew he'd never get. At least not for a while.

"Can we just see Howard?" Roberta asked after a long moment.

"Of course." Yinsen said.

He led them the short distance to Howard's room. They walked in slowly, but confidently. Silently they had promised to be strong about the whole matter, but with the question at whether or not Tony was alive just shook Rhodey to the bone. Sure it got Roberta as well, but she was closer to Howard and not as close to Tony, but it was still heartbreaking to think about.

Stressing as well.

Roberta silently took a seat by Howard's side. Rhodey stood uncomfortably by the door. He didn't know if he should sit down and comfort his mom or to walk out of the depressing hospital and maybe go find Pepper. Considering how much pain she must be in. No, she didn't know Tony nearly as much as Rhodey did, but she was one of the few that got to know the real Tony. The Tony that cared and loved, and wanted to spend time with his friends. The Tony that wanted to save lives. Who laughed and got red when he was with Pepper. Who always listened to other peoples problems before speaking his own.

As much as he wanted to comfort his mom, which he did and he will, he was almost eager to go to Pepper's. Almost. Cause he knew what it would be like. Either depressing as the hospital, or too jittery for him. But he needed her to know so she didn't stress out and go crazy on him. She expected him to know everything about where Tony was. It was odd and kinda disturbing.

(Flashback)

It was Rhodey's lunch hour at school and he at the moment couldn't get his mind off a test that was after that hour. He had finished eating and was sitting alone somewhere.

"Hey Rhodey!" A peppy and very familiar voice squealed. "Why so glum?"

"I'm not glum. I'm just thinking Pepper." Rhodey answered looking back.

"So wheres Tony? Will he ever go to school? How is he?"

"Pepper! I don't know where he is, no, I'm sure he's fine." Rhodey replied.

"You're his best friend and best friends should know where their best friend is."

"Yeah, but its not like I follow him around. I'm no stalker."

"If you're implying that I'm stalking Tony, I'm not. Following him around, sending him a billion texts, and going to his house 24/7, is stalking. I only send him about 46 texts a day and about 13 calls, which by the way he seems to be avoiding me."

Rhodey chuckled at her logic about 46 texts not being stalkerish. "He's not avoiding you trust me."

"How do you know? Does he talk to you about me? What does he say!?"

"I know because I know him, and when he gets lost inventing something, he wont even answer my phone calls. And he talks about you, but not in a bad way. I think he likes you."

Pepper almost screamed so loud, Rhodey could have gone deaf. "Whoa, I didn't think...I...Ohmigosh! What if he does! What do I say! Am I supposed to do something?"

"Calm down Pepper!" Rhodey said raising his hands up. "Don't do anything. Just wait until you guys are closer. I mean you have only met in person three times."

"You just love putting me down don't you." Pepper said and the bell had rang.

…

(3 days later)

Rhodey was walking away from his locker and was about to head home.

"Ooh! Wait! Rhodey!" Pepper's voice sounded loud even through the crowded hallway of high school.

Rhodey sighed and moved to the side of the hallway and waited for her to catch up. "So where's Tony now?"

"Pepper! I told you I don't know where he is twenty-four seven. He's probably working on a project." Rhodey replied.

Crossing her arms, she replied to his comment. "You should."

…

(2 days later)

At his locker packing and unpacking the stuff he needed for class, Rhodey sighed as he heard the familiar yell of Pepper at the end of the hallway.

He knew exactly what she was going to say. 'where's Tony?' or something like that. So when she ran up to him he just looked to her and said, "Tony went on a meeting with his dad today. And no I have no idea if he has any plans."

She glared at him. "It's not like I ask you everyday."

"I don't talk to you everyday, and when I do, it's either about homework, Tony, school, Tony, or your drama from home." Rhodey said holding his books and walked to class he shared with Pepper.

"You said Tony twice. And I do to talk to you everyday..." She replied looking down.

"No you don't, and I said Tony twice cause you're obsessing."

"Am not."

"Are too. Just stop before we start to look like little kids."

Pepper had stayed quiet about Tony for...four days. A record, but still annoyed the heck out of Rhodey that he had literally dragged Tony to Pepper's house for an hour every other day.

(End flashback)

Sitting down in a chair beside his mom, he started to mumble comforting things to his mother. She was naturally a strong and well put together person, even that time when Rhodey had broke his arm. Or when one of her cousins passed away. She was pretty strong there. She was the one supporting the others who couldn't. Though now it was something personal. Rhodey's arm could be healed, without the possibility that he could die. Howard though could've died and still can. Tony had gone missing.

She hadn't known Tony much except when he was with Howard and not working on something in his lab, or when she was watching him. Or when he visited Rhodey. But still the thought of some of the nicest people that only wished to help people, going through something as bad as a plane crash, still shocked her mind.

"Mom, you gonna be okay?" Rhodey asked looked at her.

She took a deep breath and looked back at her son. "Yeah."

"You don't mind then, if I go see if Pepper's okay? This place is depressing."

She only nodded and hugged her son and watched as he left the room. She instantly went to looking at Howard's frail looking body.

Rhodey walked out of the hospital and had already called on a taxi by five minutes and less. He really didn't want to be at the hospital. He knew about Tony going missing, he knew about Tony most likely being dead by now. He just didn't want to think about it. It was stressing.

On the way the only thing he could really think of other than what he was going to say to Pepper, was the fact that this had to happen to Tony and his dad. It could have happened to anyone, that made Rhodey sound harsh, but he was just upset. He wished that it hadn't happened. He wanted to know how it happened. Did the pilot fall asleep? Was the plane attacked? What happened?

Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed that the Taxi had stopped in front of Pepper's house. So he paid the expense that he owed and walked out of the taxi and looked at the door. He normally didn't go to her house with no warning what so ever. The first time he did it, was the first time he had forcefully dragged Tony to her house to see if her seeing him more, would shut her up about Tony. The last time he did it, was when Pepper had stole Tony's phone and put her phone in his pocket and Rhodey had went to return her phone. Tony had come with a bit mad about her stealing his phone, but they were still close friends at that point.

Knocking on the door he sighed. All the memories flooding in his mind of this place when Tony had come over. He remembered Tony falling asleep while they were all eating and his head had fallen in a bowl of soup and he almost choked when he breathed in his food. Then he remembered Tony also falling asleep on the floor of the hallway when he was heading to use the bathroom. Or the time Tony sprained his ankle helping Pepper reach something on top of the cupboards by standing on an unstable chair. Or the other time when he tripped on the edge of a rug and had rammed into Pepper's dad.

Pepper had answered the door, looking like herself, but not like herself. A bit calmer, but still herself. "Hey Rhodey."

"Hey Pepper." Rhodey said. He also remembered Tony's nickname for her. Pep. "Mind if I come in?"

"My dad's at work so I have no one to talk to, so sure." She said putting on a smile he knew was fake. At least she tried.

He stepped in and after taking off his shoes, he followed Pepper into the living room where she was watching cartoons. She sat down and so did he.

"I think I know why you're so glum now." She said. "I'd be upset too, if my best friend got killed."

Rhodey's eyes opened widely and he looked at her. "Killed?"

"Well I don't know if they were killed, but my dad's an FBI agent, and he's been working on the whole plane crash case. They've suspected that Obadiah Stane is the closest they got, so they're questioning him today. The way the plane crashed wasn't normal, there was an explosion, before the plane touched the ground."

"How do you know all of this? And how do they knew it exploded before the plane touched the ground?" Rhodey asked tilting his head.

"The plane if it was a normal plane crash wouldn't have been in better shape, maybe a few metal pieces of the outside shell of the plane would be lost or a door and glass, but this plane was in literally in shreds, the biggest pieces of the plane were severed from the main part of the plane, oh and I know all of this because I hack into my dad's computer files."

Rhodey looked at the TV. She continued to speak as she noticed that he wasn't really ready to speak. "I know it must hurt, but they're probably in a better place. And I also know anyone who has someone close die, they all say they're in a better place, but they're right."

"Howard's not dead." Rhodey blurted. He knew the doctor's were trying to keep it as secret as possible, but she was one of Tony's only friends.

"What? They all said there was no survivors." Pepper said now the one that was confused.

"Tony was alive as well, but...he went missing. And they're all saying he was too weak to go on without the drugs or life support that they had him on. So most likely...he didn't make it, but Howard's in a coma." Rhodey's voice was full of dread.

Pepper looked down. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry. I was wondering how the plane had crashed. If it was just pure luck, or on purpose, I know you don't really know if it was accident or not, but I'd just like to think it was something to do with the engine." Rhodey said resting his head back.

Pepper sighed, in a tone that was rare for her to hold. "I hope he isn't dead, and if he did, I hope it was painless."

Closing his eye's he started to remember all the good times he had with him. He didn't want to think of all the bad that has happened, but the good. All his memories of Tony would be happy. Not sad. He'd be strong, he'd allow himself to cry, to stay silent about his best friend, but he'd only allow it to be a bit and not a lot.

He knew there was a chance Tony was still alive and hopefully he was, but it was best not to stress about it and let whatever happens happen. If he's alive and the police find him and bring him home, so be it, but if they find him and he's dead, so be it. If they don't find him, then he'd just suspect he was dead and keep hope that it was painless and peaceful.

So staying strong he had returned to his mother who had seemed better than she had when he left. Together they stayed strong and shared their hopes. They were going to try their best to find out what happened to Tony. Then they'd find out more about the plane crash, but they were going to have to be patient.

So being strong was the best thing they could do. So they were. They were strong and brave.

Any good? I took a while to write this one chapter, but i'll live with it. Hopefully you will too. Review?