Friends I Left Behind
A Stargate: SG1/ Ironman crossover
Disclaimer: see previous chapters.
Chapter 14: Pepper
When Jarvis informed Tony Stark that Colonel Rhodes was waiting in the kitchen, wearing dress blues, and carrying a wrapped box, Tony assumed Rhodey needed a car for a hot date. He was surprised to find this wasn't the case.
"Actually, Tony, I need to talk to Pepper."
"What about?"
Rhodey looked uncomfortable.
"I need to tell Pepper first. Is she here?"
In the kitchen, Tony set about ruining his appetite, keeping one ear on Rhodey and Pepper.
"Sam Carter came to see me today. She asked me to give you this."
Tony wondered who Sam Carter was, and why she was giving Pepper gifts. He skipped over the obvious, Rhodey was acting too serious for that. He watched as Pepper opened the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper. Her hands shook as she read it.
"Is it true?"
"Yes. Sam said they were at a testing facility. Daniel realized what was happening first. He managed to stop the reaction, but he got hit pretty bad. They couldn't do anything for him."
Pepper placed the letter on the seat beside her and unwrapped the box. There was an envelope tucked inside. She opened it and read the card.
"It's from Daniel, for my birthday. He had some leave coming up. He was thinking about visiting."
She put the card down on the letter and lifted the box out of the wrapping. It was dark green, bigger than her hand. Pepper stared at it for a second before taking off the lid.
It was a shawl, a deep midnight blue, covered in tiny crystals and softer than any thing Pepper had ever worn. Even in the bright lights, it reminded Pepper of the night sky, covered in stars.
"Sam said Daniel found it in a market they visited while on assignment."
The end.
A/N: sorry about the lack of updates, I've had writer's block, then shift work (started just after Easter, ended in April,) then a computer out for repairs since the end of April. We only got it back last week.