Here we are again with the next chapter. It took me a while to update and I'm so sorry, but school is eating me!
Thank you for all your reviews, it's amazing!
Well some of you said they have the feeling something bad is going to happen and you are true. So enjoy reading. But if you think this story is boring, I'm begging you to tell me so I can do it better for you.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, still.
Scream and shout
It was a few weeks after Tony's proposal and Pepper wasn't used to be his official fiancé yet. She couldn't keep her eyes off of her ring, which meant the world for her. She couldn't help the small grin that always appeared on her face when someone said his name at work or when she saw her wonderful, lovely fiancé.
As they came out with the news that Tony Stark, world-known playboy would marry his ex-PA and CEO the hell broke loose around them. Paparazzi and press were all around the mansion, followed them wherever they may went and asked questions to get a date for the wedding or tried to snap a shot of her engagement ring.
To prevent those events and before they would go any further Pepper set a press conference and an official engagement party. The conference went well and they answered all question except the ones which applied to the date of the wedding, because on the one hand it wasn't fixed yet and they wanted to keep it private.
The party was set two days later and Pepper had invited all the important broad members, press relatives and friends.
Music blew through the windows and open doors. There were about 250 people all around and inside the mansion.
"Tony! Where do all those people and girls come from? I didn't invite so many people." Pepper asked with an angry voice.
"Oh I thought it would be more fun for everyone with more than fifty guests around here. Scotch?"
"No! I don't want alcohol! And I'm not happy about that you are going to drink either."
"Oh. Pep, it is our party. Let me celebrate and enjoy this."
"Fine do what you want! You don't even care about me." She waved her hand and headed into the kitchen to find Rhodey and her only girly-friend which was here, since the others had to work or live across the country: Natasha.
As she saw Pepper she knew something was wrong. "Pepper, what's up?"
"Fine." She muttered.
"You don't even listen. What happened? Talk to me. You're looking unhappy at your engagement party, that's not a good sign." Natasha placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it to confirm her to talk.
That was when Pepper finally let go and busted in tears. "It's the same as always. A hundred blond bimbos, alcohol and I don't matter at him at all. He wants to enjoy his time, like he couldn't have fun since we're together. I'm so afraid he drinks himself to oblivion and fucks such a slut and totally forgets about me just like in the past."
"Shhh… Hush Pepper. He wouldn't do that. He loves you. Don't think so much; just enjoy your time tonight." Natasha had wrapped her arms around her and stroked her hair to sooth her when finally Rhodey entered.
"What's wrong? Pepper what happened?" He asked worried as he saw his 'sister' cry.
Instead of Pepper Natasha answered, because Pepper was still crying and sobbing. "He's getting back to his alter-ego. And she's afraid he would cheat on her." She stated simply while she ran circles on Pepper's back to comfort her.
Hearing that Tony sighed heavily and said before turning away, "Pepper, listen to me carefully: He loves you and he won't cheat on you. I know no-one who cares more for you than he does. I'll talk to him."
Two hours later nearly everybody was gone but there was still no sight of Tony.
"Jarvis, where is Tony? I swear if he's with some bimbo I'll kill him."
"He's not in the house at the moment, Miss Potts." The AI replied.
"Pepper, we're leaving now. Is there anything we can do for you at the moment?" Natasha asked softly while Rhodey appeared behind her with a few glasses in his hands and put them in the sink.
"No. I'll just clean up a bit and then I went to sleep. Have one of you seen Tony?" Worry run through her system and grew heavy when Rhodey and Tasha shook their heads. "Well I'll bring you to the door."
As they reached the door Pepper recognized moans and a soft whimper and soft low whispered voice: "No. Please let me be. I don't want this." But Pepper was more than shocked as she opened the door and saw a brunette girl passionately snogging against the wall with her fiancé Tony Stark. Well actually it was the girl kissing Tony, while he tried to get away, but Pepper saw red. She felt like a sack potatoes hit her, but Natasha was the one who yelled while Rhodey caught Pepper who passed out and bust in tears.
Tony finally succeeded to get rid of the brunette and tried to get to Pepper, but Natasha stopped him and stepped between him and her. "No!" She spat out. "You've done enough! You left her alone the whole night through and now you're cheating on her at your engagement party? Don't you dare touch or speak to her!" She now shouted at him and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Please, let me talk to her. It's not – " Rhodey cut him off.
"It's not what it seemed? Well what was it then? She forced you to kiss her? Damn you! You are Iron Man and you can't handle a woman who jumps you?! Bastard! She gave you a second and a third and a fourth chance over all this years and girls you banged and you – I don't have words to express how disappointed I am!" Rhodey shouted at Tony while he still held Pepper. "Look at her, look what you did to her. You broke her! AGAIN!"
Tears escaped Tony's eyes and he trembled from head to toe. "Please, I can explain this. I couldn't handle her and I really struggled, but – "
A small, broken, hurt and trembling voice with low volume interrupted him, "It's alright Tony. I saw this coming. I don't blame you." Her words were worse than every yelling or physical injury. Seeing her that broken and without fight or fly instinct and courage to move on, broke him finally. He went down on his knees and pressed the balls of his hands against his eyes. She was still silently crying. "I'll leave now. Here is your ring. Goodbye and I apologize for taking your time so long."
Those words were more he could handle. He felt to his side and curled into fetal position trembling while crying, unable to say anything. He saw Rhodey picking Pepper up and carrying her to his car to drive her to her condo she still had.
Natasha bent down and said serious, but not angry at him: "You just lost her. You know that? This was more she could take."
It was not fair. He could understand Pepper, but what he said was the truth. The woman who jumped him was a girl he knew from the past. She had always a crush on him and got to be a special FBI agent. He hadn't had any chance to fight against her without his suit. Hell he didn't even know why she was on his party. He wanted to explain everything to Pepper and after what seemed hours he finally managed to sit up. But what he saw hitched his breath in his throat.
"Belle!" Was all he could breathe, his eyes wide in fear as a sharp pain came from his forehead and everything went black around him.
Rhodey had brought Pepper to her condo. He gave her a glass of water and sat her down on the couch. On the way she had stopped crying, but only she knew it was just because she hadn't any tears left.
Rhodey stood up to make himself a coffee as she murmured something with a hoarse voice. "Can you stay? I don't want to be alone."
"Sure. What can I do for you?"
"I just want to shower. You can stay over here on the couch. It's comfortable."
As Pepper escaped from the shower when she heard her phone buzz, but knowing it would be Tony she ignored it. She sat on her bed and stared at the framed picture of her and Tony. It showed the two of them at their second first date in the yard of the restaurant. He stood behind her, hands around her waist, hugging her close. She was taken aback by his sudden move, her mouth opened in a surprise smile and her head turned to her side to face Tony while he peaked over her shoulder.
A small tear escaped her eyes and hit the glass of the frame as the buzz startled her again. Without looking at the caller ID she pressed the end button and shut her phone off, her gaze never leaving the picture.
She couldn't believe what had happened and couldn't believe that Tony would do something like that to her, but she had seen it with her own eyes. But the way he reacted at her words, the pain she had caused him and the way he looked as she left made her heart flinch and she wanted so desperately to believe him it wasn't like it looked.
Hell if someone had told her a day ago she would be that hurt and sad on the evening of her engagement party she would have laughed at them.
A soft knock on the door pulled he out of her train of thoughts. Rhodey slowly entered her bedroom with his phone in his hands and looked serious like dead himself.
"What's wrong?" Pepper asked worried and afraid, not knowing how much she could handle anymore.
"There's Tasha on the phone. It's … it's about Tony. But she better tell you herself." He said with a tone in his voice which worried the hell out of her. It was the same tone he had as he told her Tony was kidnapped in Afghanistan.
Pepper snatched the phone from his hands and pressed it to her ear.
"Tasha what's wrong?" Who was she kidding? She still loved Tony and would do everything for him. He was all she had.
"Pepper. You gotta be strong. Jarvis alert me that Tony got injured by someone or something and now Jarvis can't track him anymore." Natasha said through the phone.
Tears welled up in Peppers eyes again and her voice sounded more broken and weak like ever. "Does that mean – "
"SHIELD is already after him and is trying to find him, just like Jarvis. Can you come over and may help us? I know it is hard for you, but he might be seriously hurt and injured. I know you are mad and you have every right to be, but Pepper, he's gone and we don't know where. He needs your help, maybe now more than ever."
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