Most of the characters and situations in this story belong to Marvel Comics, Fairview Entertainment, Dark Blades Films, NBC, and other entities, and I do not have permission to borrow them. No infringement is intended in any way, and this story is not for profit. All others belong to me, especially Cedric, and if you want to borrow them, you have to ask me first. Any errors are mine, all mine, no you can't have any.

As always, many thanks to Cincoflex and Laura27md. And thank you also to all of you who review. Your enthusiasm keeps me going.



It was an odd sensation, but not an unpleasant one, to wake with a weight on her stomach. Virginia opened her eyes to the light of morning competing with her bedside lamp, and an arm wrapped around her hips. Tony lay crosswise on her bed, his face pressed into her upper abdomen just below her breasts. He was snuffling quietly, his breath in the slow rhythm of sleep; it was leaving a damp patch on her shirt--her robe had come undone at some point--but she couldn't bring herself to mind, somehow.

For a while she didn't move, trying to process the past day and night. She hadn't slept deeply; every so often she'd woken, as if her brain was trying to make sure she was actually home.

Each time she'd found Tony there, his hand linked with hers, sound asleep in the lamp's low light--mouth slack and the shadows under his eyes gradually fading.

But apparently between her last waking and now, he'd moved. Her mind clearer with the new morning, Virginia found the situation peculiar, because Tony Stark never actually slept with anyone; she knew that. He exhausted his partners and then slipped away, and she had several theories as to why but no certainties. Not that it's any of my business, really.

She wasn't even sure why she'd let him into her bed the night before, except that he'd been so upset, and she hadn't really wanted to be alone herself. It seemed a decision--a night really--outside of things, beyond their usual parameters.

And while it would be easiest to return to those parameters now, she wasn't sure it was possible. For one thing, there's got to be a huge amount of aftermath to deal with...do the police even know I'm all right?

The thought of the work ahead of her made Virginia feel energized. Sure, she was still tired, and sore, and her feet hurt, but she loved her job, and it would be good to get back to it. I need at least a day off to collect myself, but after that...

Moving carefully, she gently lifted Tony's arm and scooted back, letting his head ease down to the mattress. He sighed but didn't wake, and she slid off the bed and went to find clean clothes.

Dressed, she made her way to the kitchen. Coffee was a blessing--good coffee, not the crap she'd been given while in captivity--and it didn't take long to brew a pot. Virginia added creamer and sugar and sipped blissfully, contemplating breakfast. It was almost six-thirty, and normally she'd be getting ready to head out the door, but today was obviously not normal.

And anyway I can't just leave Tony asleep in my room.

As she drank, she tried to make sense of the night before. Tony's welcoming embrace she could understand; as much as they almost never spoke of it, Virginia knew that she and Tony were closer than their professional relationship required.

But that kiss--

That hadn't been lust, or even just getting carried away by the surprise. That had been something she'd never seen in Tony Stark, nor really thought him capable of.

In fact, she wondered if she'd imagined it, or at least imagined the desperation behind it. Wishful thinking, Virginia?

"Pepper?" The call came from the direction of her bedroom, and Tony sounded--frantic. She pushed away from the counter she was leaning on and opened her mouth, but before she could speak Tony appeared, eyes wide and his hair a mess.

"Pepper--oh, there you are." He licked his lips and gave her a sheepish smile. "I, uh, you were gone."

"I woke up." She smiled back, letting him close off and pretend he hadn't been upset. "There's coffee if you want some."

But he didn't close off; the mask didn't appear. Tony strode across the kitchen and took her cup, setting it on the counter behind her, then wrapped her in a hug.

Considerably startled, she nevertheless hugged him back again, more out of instinct than anything else. It felt good; he felt good, strong and more than a little warm, and even the hard press of the arc reactor seemed to fit somehow.

Tony sighed deeply, relaxing somewhat, his chin dropping to her shoulder. "Pepper," he said, dreamy and low in her ear.

She let out an amused breath, touched by how much he seemed to be reassured. "This new habit of yours is kind of alarming, Tony. I mean, I like hugs, but it's going to make it hard to get any work done."

He snorted at her tease. "Screw work." Sighing again, he lifted his head enough to meet her eyes, and without warning kissed her again, this time a simple press of his lips on hers. Light and quick, it was over before Virginia had quite realized it had begun.

"I need to talk to you about this," Tony informed her, eyes meeting hers without flinching. "But I'll let you pick the time, as long as it's soon." His arms tightened and then released, and he stepped back. "Do you happen to have a spare toothbrush?"

"Linen closet," she managed, and he nodded and left, leaving her to stare after him in shock.

Um. That was...unexpected.

Clearly they did have to talk. Which would have been more reassuring if Virginia had any idea of what the hell to actually say.

Shaking her head, she turned to pick up her cup and start on breakfast. And to try to ignore the small voice in her head that asked what kind of kiss Tony would have given her if he'd already brushed his teeth.

He reappeared as she poured the first waffle onto the iron. Without hesitation Tony began to set the table, and she realized that he had memorized the layout of her kitchen the night before. Virginia watched him out of the corner of her eye, trying to assimilate the fact that her boss was moving around her home, acting...domesticated.

That, too, was not something she had ever expected from him. Even the Tony who had returned from Afghanistan, burning with a new purpose, had shown no signs of such an alteration.

She was good at adapting to abrupt changes, but this one was going to be tricky.

As Tony was drowning his waffles in syrup, he spoke. "I know you need some time off, but I'm going to need you to spend it at my place. One of your kidnappers is still at large, and there's a small chance he might come after you."

"They're not my kidnappers," Virginia muttered, but the mere idea of running into one of them made her feel ill. "That's fine. I was planning on going back with you anyway. I'm going to take a couple of days off, but I need to call Cedric this afternoon and start triaging, and deal with anything that just can't wait. You didn't have any emergencies while I was gone, did you?"

Tony set down the bottle and stared at her. "A couple of days? Pepper, you should take a month."

She shuddered at the idea. "I've been gone almost a week. Things are probably approaching critical mass already--"

His scowl cut her off. "Pepper. You were abducted and subjected to God knows what, and you want to come right back to work like nothing happened?" Tony shook his head. "Forget it."

Stung, she frowned back. "Tony, getting back to work is what I need to do. Not to mention the fact that your life doesn't stop just because I'm not there to handle it."

"It almost did," Tony shot back. "This isn't negotiable. You'll take two weeks minimum, more if the doctor says so."

"I don't need a doctor," Virginia protested, but the implacable expression on Tony's face told her that arguing was useless.

"You'll see a doctor, today. At my place if you'd rather not go out, but today." He drove his fork into the nearest waffle with a bit more force than it needed. "Don't argue with me, Ms. Potts. You know I'm right."

She wanted to argue, so much that it frightened her a little. Virginia bit her tongue and stared down at her plate, anger warring with the sour knowledge that he was right. She wasn't badly hurt, but between the cuts on her feet and the river water, a checkup was a good idea.

Still, the need to get back into her familiar routine was almost as strong, and she drew her fork through a patch of melting butter without really seeing it. "I'll take a week, Tony, and we'll see."

She expected him to argue again, or start sulking, but the warm fingers wrapping around her free wrist instead were downright startling. She looked up to meet his eyes, and was caught by the mixture of worry and anger and something deeper than either, something she couldn't quite name.

It was a long, breathless moment, suspended in time. Before she could focus enough to look away, Tony lifted her hand to his face and pressed another of those quick, light kisses to her pulse point, then let her pull away. "Eat," he told her in a low voice.

Flustered, floored, utterly confused, she did.


Happy arrived within the hour to drive them both to the mansion. He climbed out as usual to open the limo door, and at the sight of him--black eye still fading but a huge grin splitting his normally dour face--Virginia ran forward the few steps to throw her arms around him.

His return embrace was careful, as if he thought she might break, but she heard his heartbeat running fast, and squeezed him tightly for a moment. "I'm so glad you're okay," she said.

Hogan cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he managed. "I couldn't stop--"

The words choked off, and Virginia leaned back enough to look him in the eye; he was a lot taller when she wasn't wearing heels. "Don't," she said firmly. "I saw what they did to you, Happy. Don't you dare blame yourself."

"Told you," said Tony behind her, cheerful again. He was carrying the small bag that held her things, enough for a night or two.

Hogan sighed, and his arms tightened a fraction. Virginia stretched up to kiss his cheek, and let him go.

Rhodey was waiting for them outside Tony's house, his grin rivaling Happy's, and he swept her up into a much more generous hug. "Damn, you had us scared," he said into her hair, and she giggled and tried to find the ground with her sore toes.

"I was pretty scared too, Jimmy." She savored his hug, his uncomplicated friendship. One of the best things about working for Tony was knowing Jim Rhodes. "It's good to be back."

He set her down gently, and--much the same as Tony had the night before--cupped her face in his hands. "Are you really all right?"

Virginia returned his gaze calmly. "I'm fine. A few bruises and blisters, but I'm okay."

"And she'll be seeing a doctor later," Tony added, watching them both with an expression that she couldn't quite decipher. "Just to make sure."

Virginia said nothing. A clean bill of health will make it harder for him to try to restrict me.

Rhodey nodded slowly and released her. "Did you guys even let the Feds know?"

She glanced at Tony, who smirked. "Last night," he said. "I had to call them again this morning. They should be here in about--" He glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes."

She sighed. "I'd better get ready, then." And frowned. "Feds?"

Rhodey gave her a shrug. "I called in a favor."

Before she could think about that one, Tony was herding them inside, and she had to pick a room and settle her things. It was closer to thirty minutes before Virginia settled down on the long living room couch with a federal agent two cushions down. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to the police, but she knew the interview would be tedious. Both Tony and Rhodey were hovering, the latter more discreetly by the piano while Tony perched on the end of the sofa nearest her, and she thought briefly about sending them both out.

No. The fewer times I have to go through this, the better.

Special Agent Donovan was imposingly tall, devastatingly handsome, and perfectly professional. Virginia found him oddly reassuring, though it was clear that there was no love lost between him and Tony, and she wondered wryly just what each had done to put the other's back up. I can ask Jimmy later.

The agent was patient, taking in her story without much comment but stopping her at times to ask for clarification. She gave him every detail she could remember of One and Three, not that it was much; the quick glance back at the men shooting at her hadn't provided much detail. But her own sharp memory had served her well, and she estimated heights and ages as best she could, sketching out both faces for the detective.

Still, the interview was draining. There was a lot of the past several days that Virginia didn't really want to remember, and the retelling was made no easier by the presence of the two men nearby; neither of them said a word, but she could feel their tension and anger, and it wore on her nerves.

Finally Donovan decided he had enough, and gathered up his notes. "Please get in touch with us at any time if you remember something more, Ms. Potts," he said, handing her a card. "With the remaining man still at large, anything might help find him."

She suppressed a shiver at the thought of the malevolent Three looking for her. The police, and the agents, had decided that he was the one still loose when the recording on the CD didn't match the voice of their captive; while One wasn't saying much yet, the police were fairly certain that the dead man was in fact Two.

She might almost have felt sorry for Two, if it hadn't been pretty clear that he'd been coming to kill her, or at the least escort her to her own execution.

Rhodey escorted Donovan out. Virginia stood, and hugged herself, feeling a little chilled; rather to her surprise, warm hands settled on her shoulders and stroked down her arms, rubbing gently. "You okay?" came Tony's voice from behind her.

"I think so." She turned, and his hands slid down to cup her elbows, rather than falling away as she expected. Tony's expression was so sober that it shook her, but rather than making her nervous, his nearness brought an odd comfort. "But I want..."

"What?" he asked, brows rising. "Anything within my power, Potts, it's yours."

There was the familiar smirk, finally, but she couldn't shake the idea that he was serious. Virginia smiled at him, deliberately turning her thoughts away from the past few days. "I want to freshen up, and then I want some tea."

Did he actually look disappointed? "Tea, right. I'm sure we've got some of that around here somewhere," Tony began, and she cut him gently off.

"I'll only be a few minutes. Plug the kettle in for me, would you?"

His hands tightened, then released. "Sure thing. Doctor's coming soon, just so you know."

She nodded and headed for the nearest bathroom, wondering how long this new phase of Tony's would last, and trying not to remember the feel of his lips on hers.


Rhodey was in the kitchen when Tony reached it, seated at the table and nursing a cup of coffee. "How is she?" he asked. "She looked pretty stressed."

"Yeah, she is," Tony said, opening cupboards at random and looking for anything tea-shaped. "But I think she'll be okay."

"You should make her see a shrink," Rhodey pointed out.

"Yeah, how much luck do you think I'll have with that?" Tony reached for a top-shelf box, only to discover that it was instant cocoa. "This is Pepper we're talking about."

"True." Rhodey snickered. "What the hell are you doing?"

"She wants tea." Tony opened another cupboard. "I can't find any."

"It's in the pantry." When Tony turned to look at him, Rhodey shrugged. "What? I was looking for the black pepper the other day."

He was right. Tony found several small boxes of tea varieties and carried them all out to dump on the table, then filled the electric kettle and plugged it in.

It was just beginning to boil when Pepper came in, her eyes a little pink but her expression composed. She smiled at them both. "Is it Dr. Phair who's coming, Tony?"

"Yep." He swung a chair away from the table and sat in it backwards, resting his arms on the back. Pepper's physician worked at Queen of the Valley Hospital, and while Tony had offered the woman a large bonus to come out and make a house call, he suspected that it was more concern for Pepper that had motivated Phair to agree.

She nodded and shut off the kettle, whose burble dropped abruptly to silence. Neither man spoke as Pepper chose a box and a mug and dropped the tea bag in, and as she poured the hot water her mouth curved wryly. "I appreciate the concern, guys, but I'm not going to explode."

Tony exchanged glances with Rhodey, both of them slightly sheepish at being caught staring. "Yeah, well, give us a break, Pepper," Rhodey said lightly. "We're just making sure you're really here."

Pepper set the kettle down and chose a seat, and the smell of raspberries curled into the air from her steeping tea. "I'm having a little trouble believing it myself."

Absently Tony stood again and pulled down the box of cocoa to fix himself a drink as well. He wasn't sure why--he couldn't remember the last time he'd had hot chocolate--but he felt the need to do something with his hands, and that would serve.

"I was just talking to Tony," Rhodey went on. "You should probably see a counselor, you know, Pepper."

Tony, pouring hot water, barely kept in a snicker at the diffidence in Rhodey's voice. The big bad Air Force colonel is scared she'll bite his head off. And with reason, he had to admit.

"I know," Pepper said tiredly, and Tony felt his jaw drop. "But at the moment it's one too many things to think about, Jimmy."

He looked up. Pepper's shoulders were bowed, and the weariness in her face made him want to scoop her up and bundle her into his bedroom to sleep for a week. Preferably in his arms, but he'd settle for the sleep alone if he thought she would acquiesce.

Fat chance. You're lucky she's let you do so much already. And Tony knew there would be a reckoning soon; he figured that dealing with his sudden advances was another thing on that "too many" list, but closer to the top.

He wasn't about to stop, though. Pushing the limits was what worked for him, and he did have the past night to base hope upon. After all, she hasn't hit me yet. Or told him to stop. He crossed metaphorical fingers in hopes that she wouldn't, because he would honor that request--he just didn't want to.

"You're still taking two weeks off," he said, making a mental note to hide her BlackBerry as soon as the police gave it back. "At minimum."

"We've had this discussion." Pepper pointed at Rhodey, who was just opening his mouth. "No double-teaming me. Getting back to work is what I need to do, Tony."

Rhodey subsided, though his expression revealed that he didn't approve. Tony kept his expression relaxed. "We'll let the doctor decide that."

"That does make sense, Pepper," Rhodey added anxiously.

Pepper sighed, and then smiled at Rhodes, serene again. Tony tried to figure out why he was suddenly twitchy. "I'll take it easy, don't worry."

"Yeah, that'll be the day." Rhodey snorted, but reached across the table to pat her hand, and Pepper turned her own upwards to clasp his fingers briefly.

The sudden stab of jealousy had Tony taking a large swallow of cocoa to mask his surprise. Oh. That's why. Her smile was the same as the one she'd given Rhodey earlier outside, when he'd held her face in his hands.

Careful. Tony grimaced into his mug, only partly because he'd burned his tongue. He knew for a fact that Pepper was very far from Rhodey's type, and judging from what little he'd seen of Pepper's tastes Rhodey didn't fit hers either. His instincts were in high gear in the aftermath of Pepper's abduction, and Tony knew he would have to be careful not to insult either of his friends with an inappropriate reaction.

Jealousy wasn't exactly a new feeling; he'd experienced it in some form for the last several years, every time he knew Pepper was going out on a date. At first it was just the mild regret of knowing that some other male was escorting his extremely attractive personal assistant; later, it had been sharper and a little angrier, but by then Pepper was one of the few women in Tony's world labeled "off limits", and it had taken Afghanistan to change things.

He'd been dawdling, Tony realized; afraid to try again after Pepper had turned him down flat before his first Iron Man press conference. Well, that wasn't exactly one of my finer moments anyway. He'd casually propositioned a hundred women with more grace, and her pointed question had underlined just how clumsy his words had been. He'd put off another attempt out of fear that she would reject him once and for all, figuring that every day he let pass by was one more day to show her that he really had changed.

It was cliché, but Pepper's abduction had shown him how little time he really had.

Pepper was sipping her tea, and Tony found his gaze drawn back to her ragged hair. She'd combed it out that morning, and apparently smoothed it down when she'd freshened up earlier, but there was no disguising the jagged cuts.

"Do you want me to book you a stylist?" Tony asked. "I can have one come here if you like--save you having to wade through the press."

Pepper touched her hair nervously, tucking one side behind her ear. "I suppose that's a good idea. That reminds me, I need to put together a release--"

She made as if to get up, and Tony frowned at her. "Finish your tea. The doctor will be here soon, and Cedric can handle the press."

Pepper hesitated, then sighed. "I guess you're right. Besides, if I'm going to go on camera..." She touched her hair again, a restless gesture.

"Weren't you going to call your friend in Boston?" Tony pointed out. He glanced at his watch. "You should have enough time before Phair gets here."

Pepper brightened. "Yes, I should. Jacquie must be going nuts."

This time when she stood Tony made no move to stop her, and she took her cup and went out. Tony blew out a breath and rubbed his forehead. "Jarvis, do me a favor and get her stylist in here, or mine. The usual incentives."

"Calling now," Jarvis said. Tony sat back down, setting his mug on the table and wishing for a shot of whiskey to add to the cocoa.

"So what the hell happened?" Rhodey asked, freshening his coffee. "Did Pepper call you last night or what? And why didn't you call me?"

He looked amused and slightly hurt at the same time, and Tony rubbed his jaw, wondering how much he could leave out. Not much.

"She woke me up," he said truthfully. "And at first I couldn't believe it was her."

He'd honestly thought he was dreaming. Not until he felt her, solid and far more real than any imagining, had he realized that she was in fact there, beyond all hope and expectation. He'd had to touch her then, hold on tightly, convince himself that she was safe and back with him.

"And?" The gleam in Rhodey's eyes meant that he knew there was more to the story, and Tony sighed.

"I was in her apartment at the time." He watched his friend sort through a number of possible responses, but instead of the raillery he was expecting, Rhodey's gaze softened.

"Huh." He sipped from his mug. "And she hasn't killed you yet? I'm impressed."

Tony rolled his eyes, and Rhodey chuckled. "You always did have great timing. But if you keep hovering like you have been, she's going to clock you with her BlackBerry."

"I'll take the risk." Tony swirled the last inch of his cocoa in its mug, wondering idly if the pantry held any marshmallows. "It's not like I have anything going that can't be put on hold for a bit."

Rhodey chuckled again. "That'll last until she gets control of your schedule again."

Tony rose, trying to remember what he'd seen on the pantry shelves. "Yeah, yeah." He stepped into the storage closet, and grinned at the bag of tiny white cylinders stored at eye level. "Hey, turn the kettle back on, platypus."

When he came out, Rhodey was complying, looking sour. "Don't call me that," he said automatically, then raised his brows. "What have you got there?"

Tony tossed the bag on the table. "Processed sugar, mostly."

Rhodey eyed it, then grinned. "Hey, got any toothpicks?"


When Jarvis told her that Dr. Phair was entering the gates, Virginia told Jacquie goodbye and hung up the phone, feeling better for the talk with her friend, if still stressed. Jacquie was a sensible woman and hadn't pressed her to say anything she didn't want to, but Virginia could sense the other woman's concern, and knew that sooner or later she would have to go into more detail.

She sighed. The day's not half over and I'm already so tired. Part of it was psychological, she knew; her emotional reserves were extremely low, and being the focus of everyone's attention was draining. But it was seriously annoying to be feeling so worn when she normally handled ten times the stress without flinching.

She rose and stretched her sore muscles, then headed out of her office to let her doctor in, figuring that the men had gone down to the garage. But male laughter caught her ear as she passed the kitchen, and she stopped to look in.

The scene was carnage. The table was scattered with empty cocoa packets and covered in what Virginia devoutly hoped was flour; on either side of it sat two men whose silly grins and hands full of marshmallows indicated a sugar high of massive proportions. All across the table were sculptures made of marshmallows strung on toothpicks, various stylized animals and people, and she took a deep breath and tried to be grateful that they hadn't thought to decorate their creations with anything sticky.

"Let me guess--winter in Candyland?" she asked.

"See, told you she'd know," Tony said, his grin on the other side of manic.

Rhodey giggled, a sound downright unnerving in someone of his size and age. "Hey, I voted for the North Pole, but we couldn't find any cherries."

Virginia thought about that for a moment, and then decided that she didn't want to follow where it led, assuming it led anywhere at all. "I'm going to go let Dr. Phair in now. I suggest you two have some protein to balance that out, because I'm not going to be sympathetic when you crash."

That got both of them giggling, and she left them to it, trying to decide whether to make them clean up the kitchen later or save hassle and do it herself. It could be worse--they haven't thrown anything.

Yet.

Dr. Phair had been Virginia's primary care physician for as long as she'd worked for Tony, and Virginia smiled at the woman, glad to see her. "This way, and ignore the noise," she said, gesturing towards the bedroom wing.

Phair didn't flinch at the amiable shouting coming from the kitchen. Barely coming up to Virginia's shoulder, she exuded a strong air of serenity and never seemed to be surprised by anything. "I'm glad to see you're doing well," she said, following Virginia into one of the guest bedrooms.

"Pretty much," Virginia agreed, sitting down on the bedspread. Phair closed the door behind them and set down the bag she carried. She wore a stethoscope around her neck and her hair tucked away under a khimar, and Virginia had seen haughty surgeons give way before her quiet force of personality.

"Well, clearly you're not in need of emergency treatment," Phair went on, turning her gaze on Virginia. "But I've been instructed to check you over thoroughly nonetheless."

Virginia refrained from rolling her eyes. "I'm sure."

The doctor laughed, and sat down in one of the room's cozy armchairs. "First off, though, why don't you tell me a little of what you've been doing?"

Unlike the special agent, Phair didn't probe, and Virginia wasn't very surprised to find herself more willing to speak of her abduction than she had been to anyone so far. Part of it was Phair's lack of emotional involvement; part of it was her complete lack of judgment. As Virginia gave an abbreviated version of the last several days, she got the feeling that the only interest Phair had was in how the events might have impacted Virginia's health.

"Hmm. Very clever, your river idea," was her comment when Virginia finished, and Phair lifted her eyes to meet Virginia's, calm and clear. "No sexual assault?"

Virginia swallowed, because it had been one of her fears all along, and she had gotten the distinct feeling that at least one of her captors might have gone that route if things had been just a little different. "No."

Phair nodded. "Good." She rose. "Let's start with your chest, then, though if you were going to have problems from the sedative you would know it already."

She listened to Virginia's heart and lungs, checked her eyes and ears, and inspected her battered feet, sitting without self-consciousness on the carpet to examine Virginia's toes. "I don't think you have anything to fear from the river water," she said in response to Virginia's question. "Again, you'd know by now. It was probably wise to keep consumption to a minimum, but many of those mountain streams are surprisingly clean. Pollution is really more of a problem."

Virginia breathed out in relief, and Phair smiled up at her briefly. "You do, however, have a small infection going on your second toe here. I'll clean it up for you, and leave you some antibiotic ointment, and as long as you keep an eye on things it should heal up in a few days."

Virginia grinned down at her. "I figured I was good, but it's always nice to have it confirmed."

Phair smiled back and reached for her bag, which she'd taken to the floor with her. "See if you're smiling in a few minutes. This is going to hurt."

It did, but not unbearably. Virginia set her teeth and endured the alcohol and the bandaging, feeling some of the old air of pride when Phair was done that she had when holding still as a child so her mother could remove a splinter. Her mother's reward had been a hug and a Hershey's Kiss; Phair provided neither, but gave Virginia another warm smile when she was finished. "There, good for you."

Phair stood and packed her supplies away, and Virginia let the sting fade and inserted her feet gingerly into her slippers once more. "Seeing a mental health specialist would probably be a good idea," Phair said gently as she closed the bag. "I can give you the names of some victim aid services."

Virginia bit back a surge of annoyance at the term victim. "It's been discussed," she said instead. "Let's say, I'm keeping it in mind."

Phair nodded, again without judgment. "Very well. It's your choice. But you can probably expect mood swings and some irritability over the next few days." She sat down on the edge of the chair. "You're a little underweight, more so than usual, so I want you eating properly this week."

Virginia nodded, her temper evening out; being lightly scolded by Phair was a normal occurrence. The doctor went on. "You may have escaped serious injury, but you had a traumatic experience all the same, and it is taking its toll on your body. Treat yourself gently and give your body time to recover."

Virginia sighed. There would be so much to do-- "I hear you," she said, knowing that Phair would see right through her evasion.

The doctor raised her brows. "See that you remember, then." Rising, she picked up her case. "Right now, I prescribe a nap. Don't get up; I remember the way."

Smiling serenely, she let herself out, closing the door behind her. Virginia had to laugh; but the advice was good, and the bed did look enticing.

Well, Tony did tell me to take some time off.

In the end, she wasn't sure if it was weariness that had her lying down, or the desire to avoid two grown men gone silly with sugar, but either way she stretched out and closed her eyes.


A warm hand stroking her hair back from her face woke her slowly. For a moment she just lay still and enjoyed the sensation, a simple innocent pleasure that didn't require a response from her sleep-heavy limbs. Then Tony spoke, and Virginia became aware of the dip in the mattress from his seated weight. "Pepper, I hate to wake you, but the stylist just got here, and you need to eat something."

She opened her eyes to the sight of a denim-clad leg, and rolled slowly onto her back. Tony's hand fell away, and she blinked at the ceiling, still half-drowned in sleep. "All right," she muttered, not quite sure what she was acknowledging.

Tony chuckled. "Are you actually awake, or just faking?" He reached over and tapped her gently on the nose, and she blinked again, swatting at him and missing by a mile. "A little bit of both, I think."

"Shut up." She rubbed her eyes, trying to pull her brain together, then glanced over at him suspiciously. "Are you over your sugar high?"

"Yep." Tony smirked at her. She finally took in the angle of the light from the windows beyond him, and sat up straight.

"How long have I been asleep?"

Tony cocked his head. "Almost three hours. Relax, Potts, it was doctor's orders."

"Ugh, I'm never going to get to sleep tonight." Virginia clutched at her hair and was reminded yet again of its damage.

"I could help with that," Tony offered teasingly, an innuendo so familiar that she could let it slide past without comment. "Here."

He picked up a plate from the bedside table and held it out. The pita sandwich looked like something she'd have created herself, sprouts and turkey and the light mayonnaise she favored, along with some tomato slices. Virginia took the plate automatically; she could smell the turkey, and it made her mouth water. "You made me a sandwich?"

Tony shrugged. "Phair said I should feed you up. I'm not sure if that means I should give you regular soda instead of diet, but believe it or not I don't seem to have any regular mayonnaise..."

His gentle rambling was reassuring, though because it represented normality or because it meant he was a little nervous, she didn't know. She gave him a smile. "Thank you, Tony."

He let out a breath, and the corner of his mouth curled up, that personal, devastating look. "Eat up."

She was hungry, now that she thought about it. Virginia nibbled on the corner of the pocket, then took a proper bite. It tasted just fine.

Tony rose, hands in his pockets again, and wandered across the room. "Rhodey had to take off," he informed her, hitching one hip up onto the little desk placed against the wall. "Some kind of emergency meeting. He's been burning leave the past few days to help out with the search."

She swallowed her mouthful, feeling slightly guilty even though she knew it wasn't her fault. "He's not in trouble, is he?"

Tony shook his head. "Nah, the Air Force was all about the good publicity in fact. Which pissed him off, but oh well."

Virginia took another bite, thinking about the effort that must have been mounted to find her. It was a reassuring thought even after the fact. When she was finished chewing, she spoke. "I had no idea. I mean, I knew you'd be worried about me, but I didn't know you had an entire search going."

"Worried?" Tony's brows snapped together, his stormy look. "Pepper, I was a lot more than worried. I was fucking terrified."

She put down the plate, unprepared for his sudden intensity. "Tony, I..."

He was back across the room with that unsettling speed, hands on the bedspread on either side of her as he leaned down towards her. "You were gone, Potts," he growled into her ear as Pepper sat frozen. His breath was raising goosebumps all along that side of her neck. "I couldn't find you."

It wasn't his fierceness that held her in place; it was the devastation in his words, the faint tremble in his voice. Virginia wanted to reach up and hug him, and the desire was so confusing that she held very still, fingers twisting together in her lap.

"You smell so good," Tony said in an entirely different tone, this one dazed and soft. His face pressed into her hair, and she shivered at the feel of his cheek rubbing against the crown of her head.

"Tony--" she tried, and he straightened.

"Sorry." His cheeks held a hint of pink. "I'll--uh--you finish your sandwich. The stylist is setting up in your office."

He was out the door before she could muster words. Virginia stared after him, not sure whether she was more annoyed at the way he kept touching her, or...or...flattered wasn't the word, nor was pleased, but it was a positive emotion.

She closed her eyes, exhaled sharply, told her hormones to behave themselves, and reached for the sandwich.


Two hours later her hair was smooth and even again, a glossy cap that felt strange after so many years of wearing it past her shoulders, but Virginia was satisfied. It would do until she could grow it out again, and in the meantime she felt more in control with the ragged cut gone. She wasn't as happy about the speculation that would no doubt arise from her changed appearance, but-- There's no helping that.

Tony met her as she came back from seeing the stylist out, and when she halted he raised a hand to touch. "It looks good," he told her, his fingers gentle as they brushed past her ear but his eyes strangely intense.

She swallowed; it felt like every inch of her skin was aware of his touch. "Thank you," she managed, holding still until he'd let his hand drop. "Tony--I really need to call Cedric."

"You can tell him you're okay," Tony answered, standing aside to let her pass. "But I'm cutting you off after three minutes, Potts."

He sounded amused, but she could tell by the set of his jaw that he was probably going to follow through on his threat. She sighed silently, and wondered if it was possible to distract him first.

When he handed her the phone and wandered off, Virginia hoped, but a couple of minutes into her conversation with her very relieved assistant Jarvis' voice came on the line. "My apologies, Ms. Potts, Mr. Toffle, but I have been instructed to terminate this connection in another thirty seconds."

She sighed again. "E-mail me, Ceddie, my laptop's in my office here. You can always come by, too."

A nervous gulp reached her ear, and she had to smile a little--Cedric was completely awed by Tony. "I will," her assistant said, clearly lying through his teeth, and she rolled her eyes.

"Good. Keep me posted." She hung up before Jarvis could cut them off, contemplated explaining to Tony in tedious detail just how much his restrictions were damaging his own interests, and as usual decided to pass.

Too much effort, and neither of us is drunk enough.



He'd been trying to give her space like Rhodey had recommended, but when Pepper let herself into his workshop Tony felt his spine relax. He could keep an eye on her almost anywhere in his house, but it wasn't the same as seeing her in the flesh and knowing she was all right.

Still, he let her come to him where he was working idly on an old coding project. She looked very informal in her loose pants and sweatshirt and actual fuzzy slippers, and her shorter hair was still a slight shock; he watched out of the corner of his eye as she grimaced and hitched herself up onto a clear space on one of his workbenches.

"Feet hurt?" Tony asked casually, and Pepper stretched out her ankles and looked down at the limbs in question.

"Some, yes. Not too bad, though."

He held his tongue. Dr. Phair had refused to violate patient confidentiality, but she'd relented enough to tell Tony that his PA didn't need further medical attention, and he knew that Pepper knew just what was in the medicine cabinet if she needed it. The fact that he wanted to devise some kind of wheelchair so she wouldn't have to walk until her feet healed was...irrelevant.

Pepper sighed. "I'm going to order dinner in a little while. And I need you to get Jarvis to unlock my laptop."

Tony swiveled his chair around to face her, tilting it back. "Uh-uh, nothing doing, Potts. I talked to Phair and she agrees with me. Two weeks, at least."

Pepper closed her eyes briefly in clear annoyance. "This isn't for work, Tony. It's personal. I want to track down the people who drove me home so I can thank them."

Two taps cleared the screen he was working on and brought up the data he'd retrieved earlier. "Michael and Patricia Franklin, daughters Dinah and Helena. Santa Monica." At her raised brow, he shrugged. "The security camera outside your place caught their plate. Jarvis did the rest."

Pepper huffed a laugh. "I should have known."

Tony leaned back again, lacing his fingers behind his head. "You know, I offered a pretty hefty reward for any information about your abduction. Seems to me they deserve it for bringing you home."

"I won't argue with that." Pepper's face was grave. "But I'd like to see them again...say thank you in person. They didn't know who I was, you know. They just drove me home because they were nice."

"Absolutely." Tony already planned on inviting himself along; Pepper's safety aside, he wanted to offer his personal thanks as well. Without the Franklins, Pepper would have taken hours longer to get home...or might even still be wandering in the park, trying to find a way out. "We could do it tomorrow, if you want."

"That would be good." She swung her feet a little, suddenly appearing ten years younger than her actual age. "But I still need my laptop. The Franklins...they aren't the only people I owe."

"Your missing camper?" Tony asked gently, and Pepper nodded.

"I don't think I would have made it out of the forest otherwise. I'd like to see if I can find out what happened to him."

"Get Jarvis to help." Tony keyed in a few quick commands, instructing the AI to release Pepper's laptop but to maintain a block on anything related to Stark Industries. "He can probably hack the National Forest Service if you need to."

Pepper nodded, mouth twisting wryly, and then drew in a breath. The laugh she let out was was sour. "You know...I still don't even know where I was."

Tony stared at her, and she shrugged. "I forgot to ask the Franklins."

Despite her attempt at humor, Pepper looked more fragile than ever, huddling into her sweatshirt, and Tony's throat ached a little at the renewed realization of just how isolated she'd been. The urge to go gather her up into another hug was strong, but he resisted. "Angeles National Forest," he said, clearing his throat. "Right on the edge."

Pepper's brows flew up. "Wow. Good thing I didn't go uphill, then." Without explaining her dry words, she eased herself off the workbench and headed back towards the stairs, moving at an amble rather than her usual brisker pace.

"My laptop had better be running by the time I get back to it, Tony," she said over her shoulder, the casual statement just like her usual mock-threatening asides, and Tony made a face at her back, somewhat relieved.

"Take the elevator," he called after her, and when she waved him off without turning he keyed in the stairwell lock remotely, the clunk of the bolts clearly audible to them both.

Pepper halted, the line of her back eloquent of annoyance, then changed course for the little alcove that housed the lift. "Just for that I'm not ordering dessert," she said, still not turning, and let the little door swing shut behind her.

Satisfied, Tony returned to his programming.

When he came upstairs a few hours later, he found sunset staining the sea outside the windows, and no supper delivered. Pepper lay curled up on the long couch, her laptop sitting on the low table and cycling patiently through its screensaver, oblivious to her long slow breaths. Tony stood and watched, almost holding his own breath for fear of waking her, but she never moved.

So much for not being able to sleep tonight, sweetheart.

He debated between the merits of food and sleep, and finally decided that she needed unconsciousness more. Tony poured himself a whiskey at the bar and sat down next to Pepper, using the table console to bring up the latest news about himself on the window. The light faded as he sipped his drink, one arm stretched along the back of the couch; the images flashed silently at double-speed and their subtitles flickered in and out. Pepper's recovery was the most common subject, of course, with mentions of the Sespe rescue, his mission in Farkar, and Stark Industries' stock price duking it out for second place.

No mention was made of the escaped kidnapper. Tony hoped the man was running for his life.

If he comes anywhere near Pepper again, I'll kill him.

Suit or no suit.

Eventually the stories began to repeat themselves. The sun and his drink were both long gone, and Pepper still slept. Tony shut off the display, rose, and carefully lifted her into his arms. When she didn't move, he carried her into the guest suite she'd chosen, and without hesitation laid them both down on the mattress.

It was easy to settle her in the curve of his body, her warm weight slight and limp. She's going to be pissed drifted past, but Tony paid no attention. He let his arm find its place along her waist, the position as natural as if they'd been doing it for years, and rubbed his cheek against her hair, luxuriating in her scent, her very existence.

Pepper, he thought contentedly.