Chapter Four- Every little thing is gonna be alright

Scene reopens with Pepper pulling up outside Tony's house…Rhodey is there…she climbs out of the car…

Pepper-smiling as she gathers her stuff

Rhodey…what are you doing here…?

Rhodey-

Tony called me earlier asked me to drop by when I got a chance but now that I'm here…he doesn't seem to be..

Pepper-glances toward the house

That's funny…he said he was going back to bed…Did you knock…?

Rhodey-

I knocked… I yelled…I even went back to the gate and tried the intercom…no response…

Pepper-walks toward the door looking concerned

Someone from the staff should have…heard something then…

She pulls out some keys and unlocks the door opening it…inside music is playing loudly…it's Bob Marley…

Pepper-raising her voice as she shuts down the alarm system

Well…that explains why no one heard you…

She steps further in…moving into the entertainment room and reaching for a remote that turns down the stereo…she turns to walk back out pausing at the sight of a plate with a huge piece of cake on it…half eaten…she walks back into the hallway…music is still playing somewhere below…and she smiles at Rhodey..

Pepper-with a smile

Guess we know where Tony is…come on…I'll walk down with you..

The two of them descend the stairs to Tony's workshop…from outside they can still hear music playing loudly…Pepper slows her pace glancing at Rhodey...both of them seeming a little amused at the sight of Tony dancing a little as he walks across the room seeming to be working on something…Pepper opens the door…pausing to push a button and the level of the music drops…Tony glances in their direction…seeming in high spirits….

Tony-smiling

Hey…you're back…and look who followed you home…

Pepper still looking a little amused as she glances around...the workshop is scattered with parts, tools, there are several plates of food…

Pepper-

What is all this?

Tony-

Oh…(walks toward her looking a little excitable) Well after you left I got this sudden urge to do some work…so…I sent the entire staff home...with pay…turned on some music and I've been down here since…(he reaches toward a plate grabbing something that looks like a pancake off of it and beginning to eat it)

Pepper-wrinkles her nose a bit

What is that?

Tony-pulls it back and looks at it

I don't know…(looks amused) I think it's a pancake…could be a crepe… (Walks away a bit) Actually …technically…a crepe and a pancake are the same thing…crepes are just thinner…aren't they…?

Rhodey laughs a little at this...and Pepper smiles as well…continuing to cast a glance around…

Tony-nearly leaps forward grabbing Rhodey by the arm

Rhodey…I'm glad you dropped by…you have to come and see what I've done…

Rhodey-as Tony pulls him away

Well…you called me.. And asked me to come by…remember

Tony-pauses and looks at him seeming genuinely confused

Did I…? (shakes his head a little) Well no matter…you're here that's what counts…

He leads Rhodey away and Pepper sort of picks through the stuff on his desk…moving a few plates…seeming to grown more and more confused and concerned…

Rhodey-as Tony practically drags him across the room

Woah slow down…some of us are having a little more trouble then you recovering from last night…how are you feeling?

Tony-looks at him smiling

Me? I feel great…(turns his eyes away)you have to see this….

Tony leads Rhodey toward his armor…then lifts his hands and gestures toward the suit…

Rhodey-looks at the suit then Tony

I…I've seen this already…

Tony-sighs animatedly rolling his eyes

Not like this you haven't…watch… (He turns to his computer and Rhodey lifts his eyes to pepper a look of concern passing between them) Jarvis…bring the suit to full power…

Jarvis-

Full power sir…

As he says this the suit powers up and Rhodey takes a step back…

Tony-smiling and looking toward the suit

Alright…just the way we practiced it…

As he says this the suit lifts off and Rhodey ducks aside as the suit makes a circuit of the room…

Rhodey-looks surprised as his eyes follow the suit

How is it doing that?

Tony-looks at him with a pleased expression on his face

I added a remote guidance system to it…now; no matter where I am…all I have to do is say the word and the suit will come to me as opposed to me coming to the suit…

Rhodey-steps toward Tony

Yeah but…what's it using as a power source…

Tony-

Oh…me...it's still powered by the reactor…I put in a sort of battery backup so while I'm wearing it the suit is actually storing up energy and saving it as a kind of reserve…

Rhodey- shakes his head looking back at the suit

That's…amazing…how long will it last for..

As he says this the suit begins to stutter a little…it's propulsion system cutting in and out…and without warning it just drops to the floor...Pepper and Rhodey sort of shy back…but Tony stands there looking at the suit with a tight smile on his face…

Tony-turns to Rhodey

About that long…without being fully charged…unfortunately even then it expends a lot of energy so…until I figure out how to increase the size of the reserve it would only be able to make short trips within say… a few hundred miles…isn't that right Jarvis…

Jarvis-

That is correct sir…

Tony-

Still…it could come in handy…you never know…(looks at Rhodey) I'm excited…aren't you excited…

Rhodey-stares at Tony

Yeah…Tony…are you alright…you seem…I don't know….different this morning… (He leans toward him sniffing or so it seems) have you been drinking (asks this in a low voice)

Tony-laughs aloud at this, a little too loud startling both Rhodey and pepper…he makes a crazy face looking at Pepper and gesturing toward Rhodey

Have I been drinking…? (Turns back to Rhodey) Of course I haven't been drinking…it's what…ten in the morning…

Pepper-

Actually…it's three in the afternoon….

Tony-looks at her, his smile fading for the first time to be replaced once more with a look of concern...its short-lived however and again he smiles

Well...time flies when you are having fun… (Turns to Rhodey) One more thing to show you before you go…

Rhodey-follows Tony with his eyes as Tony hurries past him

Go…where am I going? I just got here…

Tony-looks at him

Didn't you just say you had to leave?

Rhodey glances at Pepper then looks back at Tony

Rhodey-looks concerned

I didn't say anything like that…Are you sure you're alright…?

Tony-smile fades again briefly

No matter…I thought I heard you say…(smiles again)Anyway…here's what I really want you to see…

He pushes a button and a second suit descends...this one completely black…Rhodey steps forward looking a little awed…

Rhodey-

You finished it…

Tony-steps up beside him looking at the suit

It's actually been finished for a little while but I finally got it painted and…(pauses turning to Rhodey) It's yours Rhodey…if you want it …(glances back at the suit as Rhodey looks at him in stunned silence) I mean…not to keep of course...but to use…(walks toward the suit running a hand over it and turning to Rhodey) Iron Man could use a little back up from time to time and I can think of no one I trust more than you to do that…to back me up…

Rhodey-looks from the suit toward Tony

Tony I…this is a big decision…I mean…in order to do this (gestures toward the suit) I'd have to make a lot of changes…in my life…my career…I mean...this really isn't something I can just decide at a drop of a hat…

Tony looks at him as Rhodey again turns his eyes to the suit…for several seconds he merely stands there

Tony-

Well alright then…offer rescinded… (He hit's a button and the suit lifts once more disappearing) Offer rescinded …temporarily I mean… (He walks toward Rhodey) Think about it though…we would make a great team…Iron Man...and War Machine…

Rhodey-chuckles a little at this

War machine…is that what you're calling it?

Tony-

Yeah…it fits don't you think…

Rhodey-nods his head thoughtfully

Yeah…it does actually… (Looks at Tony) I'll think about it… (Tony lifts a hand patting Rhodey on the shoulder)

Tony-

Don't take too long though…( Walks a short ways away and turns back to look at him seating himself on the corner of a desk)I have a whole list of people who would jump at the chance to be my sidekick…

Rhodey-laughs

Who else do you have…and what do you mean sidekick…you haven't been in one fight in your life when I wasn't there to finish it for you…

Tony-

Oh…I didn't show you the back…there's a big bulls eye painted on it…I figured. If nothing else…you could draw away enemy fire while I did my hero thing…that's what I meant by sidekick…

Rhodey laughs at this shaking his head and Tony glances toward Pepper giving her a wink…she smiles slightly…then meets Rhodey's eyes once more…

Fade out

Fade in

Rhodey emerges from the house walking toward his car and Pepper hurries out the door moving to catch up to him…

Pepper-

Rhodey… (He stops and looks at her) Am I crazy…or is there something n not quite right about him today?

Inside the house Tony walks toward the window pausing at the sight of the two of them talking…

Rhodey-glances toward the house seeming to think on this

He did seem a little…excitable… (Pauses for a moment) But…(smiles and shrugs a little) he's Tony…he's always been a little erratic…right…moody…

Pepper-

Yeah but usually those moods are a lot more subdued…

Rhodey-

Now that you mention it…I don't think I've ever heard Tony listen to Bob Marley…

She looks at him for a moment seriously…then begins to laugh a little...Rhodey laughs as well…inside the house we see Tony's fist clench a little as well as his jaw

Rhodey-

He's fine...I'm sure he's just fine…maybe he's going through some mid life crisis thing or something… (Walks toward his car she walks with him) If he's still acting like this in a couple of days then we'll haul him off to a doctor and have him looked at…until then…just enjoy this mood while you can…I mean how often is it you get to see Tony Starks dancing to reggae…

Pepper-

Never… (Nods her head, then sighs softly ) Alright…you're right...I'm probably just concerned over nothing…I'm sure he'll be his normal sullen self before the day is out…

Rhodey-

If I were you I'd take advantage of his current state…and ask for a raise…God knows you might not get another chance…C ya later pepper…

Pepper waves at him walking back inside the house…she hears a noise from the kitchen and approaches to find Tony pulling food from the fridge…

Tony-glances up at her a tight smile on his face

I am absolutely famished…what about you…you hungry…

Pepper-seems a little confused by the touch of coldness in his voice

No…I'm good…

Tony-looks back at the food as Pepper's smile fades into concern….

Pepper-

Tony about what we were talking about earlier…

Tony-

When earlier?

Pepper-

Before I left…we were talking about the party…and you said something about a guy…in the hallway…

Tony-looks at her seeming confused

I don't remember now…must not have been important… If it had been I'm sure I would have …discussed it with Rhodey…(pauses for a moment almost glaring at her then smiles tightly again) you sure you're not hungry…

Pepper-stares at him as he lowers his head once more

No…I'm fine…

Fade out