As another glow-in-the-dark star twinkled out on the ceiling, Pepper sighed, and swiped at one of the dozens of tears that had fallen since she'd gotten back to the house. It would soon be Saturday morning, which meant it had been Friday, a day she once loved and looked forward to because it meant she'd shut out the world with her family for the entire weekend. But now since all this had started, she hated when Fridays came, because Fridays meant she wouldn't be able to see Tony for two days. She hated Fridays now because it meant with every one that came they were that much closer to when he'd be…

No! she told herself firmly, You are not going there! It's not going to happen. Tony will come home to you.

She let out a huff of breath as another star on the ceiling went ou, signaling just how long it had been since she had gone to bed. It had been literally hours ago. Of course after she left the prison she had straight back to the rental house, intending to try to work once she was there. But as it turned out, her thoughts had been much too full, much too turned towards her husband and once again being made to leave him behind again in that place. Work became impossible due to her inability to focus her mind. If she couldn't work because she couldn't focus, then it meant reading wasn't happening either. She didn't even consider TV because it's been out of the question because of the off chance she'd come across some reporter talking about Tony. So with nothing else left to do, she had made an attempt to eat dinner, then talked to Happy to let him know that she was headed to bed.

"Are you sure? I mean it's really early to be hitting the sack.

She had heard the concern in his voice along with his unspoken question.

"I'm...not sick, Happy. I'm just really tired… and lonely for my husband." She had left the latter end of the sentence unspoken since he didn't need to know everything. She'd wished him a good evening, before ending the call. Unfortunately going to bed that early had not guaranteed Pepper any sleep. he hadn't been able to do anything but laying the full bed for unending hours, staring at the ceiling, watching as the stars placed there begin to glow before they slowly went out.

When yet another star blinked out, she sighed before reaching out towards the small desk that had been serving as her nightstand, and picked up her phone. Unlocking it, she went through her contacts list until she reached the name she wanted then pressed the dial button.

The line was picked up only after one ring.

"Good evening, Ma'am. How may I be of service?"

Even with every terrible thing that was going on, a smile tugged at the corners of Pepper's mouth at hearing the AI's familiar voice. She started to speak, then stopped.

"Ma'am?"

No doubt JARVIS could hear her breathing and was probably analyzing whether or not she was ill from the way she was breathing. She knew if she didn't say something in reply within a few seconds, JARVIS would contact Happy and request that he check on her immediately.

"I'm here, JARVIS, sorry," she said, her voice so much shakier, unsteadier than she wanted it to be.

"There is no need for apologies, Ma'am. Are you well?"

No, my other half is sitting in prison, waiting for them to kill him so no I am not alright.

"I'm...okay."

"Are you certain, Ma'am?"

Pepper hesitated then nodded before saying, "Yes...I just can't get to sleep right now and…" Her voice trailed off, suddenly feeling self-conscious about what she had been about to say.

"And what, Ma'am?" the AI asked gently when she didn't continue.

Taking a deep breath she hurried to just say it, "And I was wondering if you could play some of the audio recordings you have of Tony from the workshop for me until I fall asleep?" When JARVIS didn't reply for several seconds, she almost told him to forget her request.

"Yes, Ma'am, I have reviewed the recordings of Sir, and I can do as you have requested. However, Ma'am, I feel that I must warn you that in several of the recordings, what Sir is saying is rather on the esoteric side."

"I don't care how esoteric whatever he's saying is, JARVIS. I just really want to hear his voice right now."

"Understood, Ma'am."

The next sound that filled Pepper's ear was the sound of Tony not saying something esoteric but apparently ranting at DUM-e, for whatever reason she couldn't tell. She laughed, and pressing the speaker button, laid her cell down in the bed beside her. She closed her eyes trying to allow her husband's voice lull her off to sleep instead of making her cry.


Tony had quickly learned that the prison where he was being housed while awaiting his appointment in the execution chamber, had two very different exercise yards reserved for the men on Death Row. One yard was a small, enclosed courtyard that three of the four walls when made of the same concrete material his cell walls were with red brick making up the fourth. The other exercise yard consisted of a small concrete patio that was enclosed by a chain link fence and a partially solid roof provided its occupants shelter from the elements.

In addition to his visits with Pepper three times a week, Tony was allowed ninety minutes two times a week in either one of the exercise yards, and today the guards had taken him to the latter one of the two. He circled around the enclosure for about twenty-five minutes, looking off towards the distance where he could see other inmates from the prison's general population engaged in various activities in their own exercise yard.

After he had grown tired of walking in circles, he sat down on the concrete bench that was attached to the ground, just enjoying the fact he was outside breathing in fresh air, feeling the wind blow through his greasy hair. He let his mind drift and he was lost deep in thought when someone walked up outside of the fence. He looked up at the face of the person as the man stopped directly in his line of sight. "You're blocking my view, you know."

The warden gave him a nod of acknowledgement, and said, "We need to talk."

"About what? There's nothing I want to talk to you, or really anyone else in this place about," Tony replied before turning around on the bench to face the opposite direction.

Although he had been clearly dismissed, the prison official wasn't about to give up that easily. He patiently walked around to the direction Tony was now facing, and immediately said, "The officers on the night watch have reported to me that you've woken up screaming during the last two nights."

Tony's ace feels red hot from embarrassment, and he looks away from the warden as his mumbles a reply, "Yeah."

"Is there a problem that I should be made aware of?"

Tony muttered something in reply.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

"I said, I sometimes have a problem with nightmares," Tony snapped, looking up at him, "They're a little gift left over from, among other things, the time I was held and tortured by terrorists in Afghanistan."

"I see. Have you had any nightmares before the last two nights?"

The billionaire shrugged, "I don't remember. Probably not since I haven't, you know, woken up screaming."

"So until two nights ago your sleep-"

"What little sleep I could get on what you have some kind of nerve to call a bed."

The prison official ignored him, and continued, "Was undisturbed by your chronic nightmares. Is that correct?"

Tony shrugged, "Yeah, that sounds right." He didn't like the way the other man was looking at him, and so he crossed his arms then said, "Look, I'm not going to apologize for something I can't control."

"Oh, you misunderstood me. I am not asking for an apology, Mr. Stark," the warden replied in a neutral tone, "However, if your nightmares are about to become an issue that needs to be dealt with, I need to know about it because we cannot have you disturbing the rest of the other inmates on your cell block. Now, have you ever sought professional help for your nightmares?"

Tony stared at him then looked away, uncomfortable and not really willing to answer such a personal question.

"Mr. Stark?" the warden prompted, "I need you to answer my question please."

"No… no, I've never sought any so-called professional help for them before."

"Why not?"

"You're getting a bit too personal, don't you think?"

The prison official shook his head, "No, I do not think I getting too personal, Mr. Stark, because as long as you are here I am charged with maintaining your well-being. Now I will ask you again, why didn't you seek out professional help for your nightmares?"

"Well maybe because I don't believe any of the complete… baloney shrinks try to sell?"

The other man frowns, "Please, Mr. Stark, I would like a serious, real answer to my question."

Tony shrugged, "Okay, then. I've never sought professional help because I've never needed any before."

"Your nightmares resolved themselves then?"

"No, it's more like I had ways of… dealing with them myself, and since they always seemed to work, I never had a reason to seek out any professional help."

"MIght I ask what these ways that you had to deal with the nightmares when they came?"

"Well, since they're all things not allowed by the rules of this place, so why should I even bother telling you?"

"It may still be helpful if you could tell me what they are anyway."

Tony sighed, shrugged, and shook his head, "Okay, suit yourself. My first way of dealing with them was drinking copious amounts of alcohol until I'm so wasted I don't dream at all."

He paused, waiting for comment from the warden but received none so he went on, "But I actually used that one a lot less than the other ways I have for coping with them. The second way I have… had was to stayed holed up in my workshop until I pass out from exhaustion." There was still no comment from the prison official.

"Third way... actually there is no third way. I've not had any nightmares when I've fallen asleep with Pepper in my arms, which has only been almost every night since we got married."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah, that's it"

"Well, you are correct about all of those being against the rules that we have here, especially the use of alcohol."

"The alcohol one I actually haven't used in years…" Tony said, interrupting him, "Getting married and having kids made me realize how much that really wasn't the best way to deal with the problem."

"No, I wouldn't think so," the other man agreed, thinking of his own children, "Even if we had some equivalent to it, I cannot allow you to be out of your cell for extended periods of time, therefore your second way is not possible either."

Tony nodded, "Yeah, I didn't think so. And I know Number Three is definitely out since I'm not even allowed to hold Pepper's hand when she visits."

"Actually, there maybe a way for a compromise to be reached on that one," the warden began seeing hope enter Tony's eyes before he quickly added, "Please do not mistake my words to mean I will bend or break the rules regarding physical contact between you and your wife because I cannot make an exception."

Tony tried to keep the disappointment from his voice when he muttered, "Yeah, I didn't think so."

"Do not give up hope completely, Mr. Stark. Remember that I said there may be a compromise? First I need to ask you a series of questions, some that I believe you are going to find to be of a personal nature but I will need answers from you. I need to know if what I have in mind has a chance of working before I proceed. Just remember that I am not going to ask this question to offend you or satisfy my own curiosity for the sake of doing so."

He studied the man's face for about half a minute before Tony nodded, and said, "Okay, I'll try to remember. Now what is it that you want to know?"

The warden ran a finger over his chin in thought about how he would pose his question and then he said, "You're wife is the CEO of your company, correct?"

"Yes."

"As part of her position as CEO, your wife has had to make business trips to different parts of the world to further your company's interests, correct?"

"Yes."

"You have two children, correct?"

Tony nods an answer this time.

"Have you and your children, at any time, accompanied your wife on her trips?"

"We went with her on one or two trips with her before Eva… my daughter was born but only those two."

The warden nodded, not feeling the need to ask why because he knew the reason would be because it wasn't practical for their children, especially very little ones, to be hauled all over the world, neither for their parents or the children themselves. He braced himself, knowing he was arriving at the part that would be seen as personal.

"So you remained home with your children while Mrs. Stark took care of your company's business in various parts of the world?"

A long sigh preceded Tony's single word answer, "Yes."

"Did you have nightmares sometimes while your wife was away?"

Tony frowned, giving him an unhappy look, "Yeah, I did."

"And how did you deal with them, Mr. Stark?"

His question was met with silence.

The warden persisted, "Now I know in the past you said that you would go down to your workshop but with Mrs. Stark absent, but I doubt that is what you always did since it meant your children would be left unattended for the night. So would you please tell me what you did to cope with her not being there while you were having trouble with the nightmares?"

The frown on Tony's face deepened further until it turned into an angry glower, and he turned half away from the other man, "You're right about these questions getting too personal."

"Please, Mr. Stark, answer my question."

Tony considered, really considered not answering the prison official's question but then the answer came tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop himself, "On the nights the nightmares bother me and she's not there I… I sleep with something that smells like her like her pillow… or a shirt or something after she asked me to stop using her pillow while she was gone.."

"Hmm," the warden said, thinking carefully before he said, "I must rule the pillow out immediately but I believe the other…. the article of clothing maybe possible."

Tony's head snapped back in the man's direction, "Really?"

The prison official nods, "Yes, I believe so. If Mrs. Stark is willing to submit something-"

"Oh, she will be! I know she will!"

"Well, I was going to say if she is willing to submit something that will be damaged after we've removed the buttons and or zippers it may have from it, then I believe we can arrange for this to happen."

"Really?" Tony repeated, his tone unbelieving, "Please don't say something like that unless you really mean it."

"I assure you, Mr. Stark, I meant what I said. I will contact Mrs. Stark, and make arrangements with her… if you wish for me to do so that is?"

"Yes, of course I do if this is something you'll let me actually have."

The warden nods, and turned to leave, "I'll started on this right away. Enjoy your time outside." With that, he left Tony alone again with only the guards distantly nearby to keep an eye on him.


"Hold on a minute, Amelia. My phone is ringing," Pepper said, pausing the video conference call she was in the middle of with her PA. As much as she didn't want to have to do it, the demands of being CEO of Stark Industries required her to spend at least one of the days she wasn't visiting with Tony getting caught up on some of the work.

Her heart went to her toes when she saw whose number was on the Caller ID, and she hastily said, "I'm going to have to call you back, Amelia!" before she hit the end button on the conference call.

With shaking hands, Pepper picked up her phone and answered, "Hello? Warden Berry?"

The man on the other end immediately heard the fear in her voice and said, "Hello, Mrs. Stark. Your husband is fine, ma'am. I'm sorry that my call has obviously startled you."

"Tony's okay then? Nothing's wrong?"

"No, ma'am, everything is fine with Mr. Stark." He heard her give an audible breath of relief over the phone and once again he felt bad that he had scared her so badly. He considered how to broach the subject that he needed to talk with her about, fortunately for him, she did it for him.

There was a little waver in Pepper's voice when she said, "You said that Tony's okay, right? But you've also never called me before like this, Mr. Berry, so there is a reason that you called me, isn't there? What it is that you need to tell or ask me about?"

"First, let me begin what I have to say by reiterating that Mr. Stark is fine, nothing has happened to him, and I once again I apologize that I frightened you by calling you in what must have seemed like to be out of the blue. Now, having said all of that, there is a matter concerning your husband that I need to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Pepper asked anxiously, then listened as the man summarized what was going on in brief. "So what you're saying is that Tony's nightmares have returned?" And with a vengeance, she added slightly to herself. It was with a vengeance too for him to wake up screaming the last two nights.

"Yes."

She could feel the tears forming in her eyes, and so she closed them, "I… I don't understand what I can do to help, Mr. Berry, since what you won't allow me to do the one thing I know has helped Tony in the past."

"Regrettably, I must say what I said to Mr. Stark to you and that is no I cannot. However, I believe that I may have a reasonable compromise, if you would be willing to do what I am about to suggest."

"Which is what?"

"I asked Mr. Stark several questions that were of a personal nature regarding how he dealt with this very issue when you were away from home on business. His answer was that-"

"He slept with one of my shirts… after I asked him to please stop using my pillow for his own. Are you asking me to bring one of my shirts to the prison so that you can give it to Tony to sleep with?"

"Yes, Mrs. Stark, that is precisely what I am asking. Are you-"

"Yes, of course I am, Mr. Berry. Whatever you'll allow, I'm more than willing to do to help Tony!"

A smile was present in the prison official's voice when he said, "Good, I thought so. I am afraid I must set limits in what I will allow to be given to Mr. Stark, and you should understand that what you given to us to pass on to him may be damaged or even ruined depending on what you give us."

"If whatever I give you can help Tony, Mr. Berry, I do not care. He's more important to me."

"Of course."

"How soon should I bring it by?"

"As soon as you are able, Mrs. Stark, so that perhaps Mr. Stark will have peace tonight."

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can. I… I know that it's not a visiting day but I don't suppose that you'd let me see him, would you?"

The warden sighed, "I'm sorry but no."

Pepper felt disappointed since her next visit with Tony would be until Monday but she was not the least bit surprised, "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can be."

"I'll tell the guards to expect you at the gate."

Pepper immediately dialed her PA's number after she ended the call with him, "Amelia, there's something I need to do that is going to take a few hours so we'll have to finish up later today."

"Sure, Mrs. Stark, no problem. Is everything okay?"

While talking to the young woman, Pepper had already gone into her bedroom, and had begun sorting through the clothes she had brought with her, "Everything… is as fine as can be expected right now, Amelia."

"Oh. Well please let me know if there's something I can do for you?"

"Thank you, Amelia, I wrll. I've got to run now."

"Alright, I'll talk to you in a few hours."

"Yes, but don't call me. I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay."


After his time was over in the exercise yard, the guards had taken Tony to a meeting with his lawyer that only lasted about twenty minutes. Once he was back in his cell, he picked up the legal pad where he had been writing a series of letters to his son and daughter, and once more tries to finish the latest one. The letters to his family has been a project he has attempted to work on for several days but the words he wants to say to them have not been easy to find. But Tony also knows that he must find the words soon because these letters maybe all that Ethan and Eva will left have of their father.

The pain that's caused at thought of not being there to see Ethan and Eva grow up runs so deep that it nearly kills him to think about it. He knows that it's a very real possibility that the Avengers won't find who's responsible for this before he's executed. Leaving a few letters behind for his children and those he loves isn't what Tony wants to do but if in the end it's all he can do to leave a tangible piece of his love behind for them all, then that's what he will have to do.

He's actually made some progress on this letter for Eva when he hears the window the guards use to check on him open. When he looks up hee sees the guard he thinks of as Hulk's twin peering inside. The man doesn't say anything and the window is closed again, so Tony assumes that what just happened was a routine check on him. He returns to his letter writing when the window is opened again, and this time he's sees the face of the warden on the other side. He puts down his pen, and waits for the man to speak, curious about whether or not the man was about to share the results of his efforts.

"I spoke with your wife a short time after our own conversation. I have something for you from her."

Whne he heardhis, Tony was up off his bunk in a flash, moving towards the door. The fact that the warden's face disappeared and replaced by that of Hulk's non green but not less intimidating twin barely registered until he issued an order.

"Hold it right there!"

Tony immediately did as he was told, giving the guard a confused look, "I thought Warden said you guys have something for me."

"We do, Mr. Stark," the prison official's voice answered from out of sight.

"You need to step back over to your bunk, face the wall, and place your hands on top of your head,"

He resisted the urge to sigh or roll his eyes, and stepped back towards his bunk. He placed his hands on his head at instructed, and a second later, heard the lock on the cell door unlock. He looked over his shoulder to see Hulk twin lay something on his desk, and then step back out.

As the lock clicked back into place, the warden returned to the window, and said, "You may move now, Mr. Stark."

Tony dropped his hands, and immediately turned towards the desk to see what was left. There was something pink, and very familiar laying on top of its surface. He couldn't help the surprise he felt as he went over to pick it up, especially when he saw what Pepper had sent to him.

It was one of her nightshirts, and it wasn't just any nightshirt either, but one of her favorites! He held it up so the length of it fell towards the floor, staring at it as his hands rubbed against the soft silkiness of its fabric. He had given this to her for Christmas last year, and she had absolutely loved it, hardly ever sleeping in anything else except for when it needed to go in the wash.

Sighing, he gathered it back up in his hands, and brought it up to his face. He closed his eyes, sighing again as he rubbed it against his face, and inhaled the smell of her that was very much embedded in the garment, "Oh, Pepper honey, you shouldn't have."

He did not hear the window close, or notice when he was left alone, not when he was too absorbed in the wonder of the gift that his wife had sent to help him.