Hello. Hello, my people. I am writing once more, sitting at my CPU and holding my trusty zipdrive so I can upload. Upload! I just watched Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and pulled myself away to publish! ME LIKEY! Ahehehehehehehe. Sorry, I'm tired.

I hope you all like this, and what it is you're waiting for.

I have three words for this chapter. Short and epic.

CHAPTER 10

It was another sleepless night for Tony, especially knowing that Pepper was downstairs and that got him all hot and bothered. In a good way. Mostly.

He wished he knew all the words he wanted to say to Pepper, telling her how he felt. Until now, he had all the moves. Something about that kidnapping, being powerless, watching the one being literally sliced before his eyes, tore him up.

He was not invincible.

Suddenly, Tony's emergency alarm went screaming off over the house speakers.

"JARVIS!" Tony bolted out of bed, sliding on the tile floor, his legs flying up and out from under him and he plopped, his gluteus maximus slapping onto the floor.

"If you are not injured, sir, I suggest immediate action," JARVIS said coolly.

"Damn it, I know! What's going on?" Tony clambered to his feet rather clumsily, rubbing his butt.

"Are you alright?" JARVIS repeated.

"Yeah, I only fell on my ass, what's GOING ON?" Panic was beginning to set in.

"An intruder has broken the glass window in Miss Potts' room," JARVIS replied.

"God damn it!" Tony hollered, and ran so fast around the corner from his bedroom he slammed into the doorway. Ignoring the searing pain in his taped, broken nose he sped up.

"Tony!" Pepper was sobbing and clinging to the edge of the blanket.

"Pep! Are you alright? Pepper, please, please, god, tell me you're alright," Tony was frozen in the doorway, only in his boxers and t-shirt, the cool wind from the floor to ceiling window sending gooseflesh up his legs.

"Tony," she whispered, her sobbing turning into deep gulps of gasping breath, racking her body. He finally made his legs work and took two steps forward. Then he fainted.

How pathetic.

….

"Wake up, Tony, please," Pepper shook him violently, but it really the tears dripping onto his face that woke him.

"I'm…dammit…I'm sorry, Pepper," he shook his head at remembrance of his fainting. He sat up abruptly, steadying himself against the wall. "Are you okay?"

"I…I think so…" she trailed off. "Whoever it was went out the window again as soon as the alarms went off."

"JARVIS, I want diagnostics of anyone on the grounds immediately, and triple the security for the next couple of weeks. Dogs. And big men, lasers and trip wires and…" Tony took a deep breath. "This is all my fault. Again."

"Yes, sir," JARVIS instantly complied.

"No, Tony, it's not," Pepper said. "I was the one who chose to sleep in the bed downstairs."

"Don't talk like that," Tony drew Pepper to himself. She listened to the steady beat of his heart, and her sobs subsided.

"There, there," The moment Tony said it, the stupider it sounded. "I won't let anyone hurt you." But how could he promise that?

He had let her get injured. Twice.

Not counting all the times he had done heartless things, only thinking of himself.

Tony brushed his hands gently over her face and rubbed the tears off her face. They were sticky and warm.

Wait…sticky and warm?

"Pepper, you're…you're bleeding!" Tony sat erect, stiffening. She had been hurt.

"No, Tony, don't look at me," she buried her face in his sweaty t-shirt.

"JARVIS, lights on," Tony commanded.

"No, Tony…" she whispered, but let him turn her face for his careful scrutiny.

Pepper's 'shallow cut' had been cut with seamless precision, deep and long, covering down to her chin. Blood practically splurted from the wound.

Tony hated himself more than anything in that moment.

….

Sad, huh? I give credit to personwhoisthatperson, who inspired me to make this less about Tony and everything that tears apart who he is.

'Nuff said.

RomanceDoneWrite