Landing back in L.A. Laura ran toward her car and sped towards Tony's house and received a call "Shit" Laura said seeing who was calling receiving. "Hey mom" Laura said through the Bluetooth. "Honey thank god we've been trying to call you for hours now it's all over the news" her mom said worried.
"Laura are you ok" her dad asked?
"Yeah, I'm fine dad I was with Rhodey he never let me out of his site sorry for not calling I was flying back and didn't check my phone when I landed" Laura said honking her horn and cutting over two lanes on the freeway.
"What are you doing Laura" her dad asked hearing the horn?
"Heading towards Tony house they took him dad whoever did and I'm going to find him I have my ways they didn't find his body dad" Laura said quickly getting off the freeway.
"Laura calm down I know when you're panicking" her mom told her.
"…Anyway, can you tell the others I'm ok. I'm pulling up to his house now I'll be working" Laura said pulling into the driveway,
"Certainly and don't scare us like this again we can't lose you" Laura's mom said relieved.
"Thanks mom" Laura said hanging up she ran into the house in Tony house and into the workshop. "Jarvis pull up satellite feeds over Tony's last known location" Laura asked by the monitors.
"Yes Ms.".
"Widen our scope Jarvis along with all of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and throw in Iraq as well who knows what we're dealing with" Laura said seeing satellite images.
"Yes Ms.". "Also pull up cctv feeds on the border posts, main roads, look out for flashpoints, military convoys, pick up key words, convoy, Stark, kidnapping things like that. Why hello Iranian satellite near the border let's get passed your Russian firewall shall we" Laura said seeing an image of the satellite.
"Ms. I must highly suggest against this as it breaks numerous international laws and..." Jarvis said but Laura interrupted her.
"Jarvis not now I know you want him to find him as much as I do. Pull up the ISI security feeds, cctv feeds everyone knows how sketchy they are" as images with Urdu appeared on one of the monitors. "Translate this Jarvis I don't speak Urdu. Shit I need more monitors" Laura said while Re organizing the workspace and using up all of the monitors and desk space Tony has. Sighing "time to go to the store" Laura told herself while running out and grabbing her bag and keys she ran into Pepper at the door "Oh, Pepper I'm sorry" Laura told her.
"I've called you like five times where's your phone" Pepper told Laura looking disheveled.
"Uh..." Laura asked while looking for her phone "I don't know" Laura said quickly.
"And where are in a rush to" Pepper asked with an eyebrow raised?
"Getting monitors no time to explain" Laura said running out but turning around to hug Pepper. "It'll be ok we'll find him" Laura said running out.
Watching Laura rush out Pepper slowly headed towards the workshop where she saw the station Laura set up. "Oh my God…" Pepper looked at it in shock. "Hello Ms. Potts" Jarvis greeted her. "Jarvis what is Laura doing" Pepper asked him? "Monitoring all communication, cctv and satellite feeds in possible locations of Mr. Stark" Jarvis replied. "Laura did all of this" Pepper said sitting down looking at the monitors.
One week later: "Ms. you have been awake for 70.5 hours I highly suggest…" Jarvis suggested but was interrupted.
"Can it Jarvis Tony isn't resting so neither am I" Laura said taking a sip of her coffee. Laura heard the door open and watched Pepper enter
"Laura when was the last time you've slept" Pepper asked concerned?
"70.5 hours ago" Jarvis answered.
"Sell out" murmured Laura.
"Laura you need to sleep" Pepper told her firmly.
"I can't" Laura said waving her hands at the monitors. "I need to look at the monitors. I need to watch the feeds and inform Rhodey on where to look" Laura replied.
Sighing "Laura, I'm going with Air Force representatives tomorrow to visit the families of the deceased soldiers and it's been suggested you come. You met with all of them, joked and talked with them and they loved you and in order for that to happen I'm forcing you to sleep" Pepper told her as Laura sighed and got up. "C'mon you can sleep in the guest room" Pepper told her guiding her out of the room.
Getting up the next morning she dressed in a black pant suit and headed out with Pepper to visit the families. Later that day "Once again on behalf of Stark Industries I'm terribly for your loss your son represents the best of America" Laura said as her and Pepper got in the Rolls with Laura in the front seat. "Anyway… Happy can you take me home I should sleep" Laura said sighing looking at Pepper in the mirror.
"Certainly" Happy told her as they drove away.
Three weeks later: Laura was sitting in front the monitors still holding onto hope looking for a sign and noticed Pepper walk in. "Laura while I'm glad you're sleeping more you need to leave this room it's not healthy" Pepper told her.
"Pepper as a friend I appreciate your concern but if Tony isn't relaxing, neither am I".
"He wouldn't want you like this" Pepper tried again.
"I don't care we have to find him" Laura said raising her voice while sighing. "Do you know no one to take me as seriously as he did and I mean no one. I'm sure you remember the critics and board members saying Tony overpaid for my contract and promotions making me one of the highest paid Stark employees blah blah blah but not him. He approached me from day one at graduation, took me seriously, listened to my ideas, treated me with respect from the start and just like everyone else not giving me any special treatment or the opposite when so many others at M.I.T and this industry didn't until I impressed them and broke stereotypes since I was younger than all of them. I owe it my life and career to him to find him. And you, Rhodey and Happy I know how much he means to you Pepper you don't hide it as well as you think you do" Laura finished hugging Pepper.
"I have to handle the board I'll see you later" Pepper told her walking out.
One month later: Laura was at the desk in Tony workshop "Don't worry Dum-e we'll find him" Laura told him when she heard someone enter the workshop not looking up.
"Laura there's some people here to see you" Pepper said from the door.
"Tell them I don't have time not" Laura said not looking up. "
Well hello to you to" Laura's mom told her.
"Mom? Dad what are you doing here" Laura asked getting up?
"Checking on our daughter Ms. Potts called" Laura's dad answered her.
"Call me Pepper please".
"So hardly any texts no calls I see what you've been up to" her mom said looking at the 3 desks with monitors and the mess.
"I need to take this it was nice meeting you Brian and Emily" Pepper said gesturing toward her blackberry walking out.
"Guys I'm glad you're here but I'm kinda working" Laura said sitting back down.
"Your friend Pepper called because she's worried about you Laura and I'm forcing you out how many hours have you spent in here just this week" her mom asked gesturing towards the mess on the desk?
"75" Jarvis answered causing Laura's parents to gasp.
"That's Jarvis he runs the house and he's a major sell out" Laura yelled while getting up!
"Jarvis register my parents as guests Tony wouldn't mind.
"Certainly Ms.".
"I'll never understand what you do" Laura's mom said shaking her head.
"C'mon let's head out to eat" her dad said holding the door as they walked out.
"It was nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Watson" Jarvis told them.
"You too… " her dad replied confused looking at the ceiling.
Later that night at dinner "So, Pepper seems nice" Laura's mom told her.
"Yeah, she was one of my best friends" Laura said eating her meal.
"Laura your mom and I are both very proud of you for what you've done and what you've accomplished but it's been two months and your mom, and I are worried about you. You have so much to offer and we hate seeing you refusing to leave your former boss' workshop" her dad said concerned.
"Former boss? No, my boss is still out their Dad" Laura told him firmly.
"Honey it's been two months and they have nothing from the news and from the look on your face it looks like you have nothing as well" her mom pleaded.
"Ok I see what this is. I owe my success to Tony. He hired me made me a deal better than anyone by miles and not just that but he's my friend, I like my job, I like what I do. You may have given up hope like the others, but you know who hasn't me, Pepper, Rhodey and Happy his friends" Laura said while getting up and searching for her spare keys in her bag.
"Where are you going" her dad asked?
"I appreciate your concern, you're my parents and I love you but I'm not giving up. Here are spare keys to my house I'll be by there later I have work to do but I know you're going to see David (her older brother who is her parent's biological son) up in San Francisco anyway sorry, but I have to go" Laura said heading back to Tony's house.
Meanwhile in a cave in Afghanistan "So do you have a family Yinsen" Tony asked? "Yes and I will see them soon" Yinsen replied. "And you Mr. Stark" Yinsen asked? "No". Tony replied. "No" Yinsen asked? "So the man who has everything and nothing"?
The next week Laura was still monitoring the feeds when she saw Rhodey walk in.
"Rhodey what are you doing here" Laura asked walking over to him?
"Laura the Air Force is calling off the search even with your intel we don't have any signs he's still alive" Rhodey told her.
"What! They can't Rhodey you and I both know he's still out there" Laura said quickly.
"Yes, and that's why I'm getting a group together to continue our search. You've been a big help and I'm no giving up" Rhodey reassured her.
Sighing "Ok well stay safe out there and I'll keep you informed" Laura said as they hugged and Rhodey left. Later Laura noticed an explosion on one of the monitors. "Hello what's this" Laura asked looking at it? "Jarvis zoom in monitor 6. Times ten" Laura asked seeing the fireball on the screen. "What is that Jarvis a mine explosion…" Laura asked with eyebrows furrowed?
"It would appear so Ms." Jarvis answered while focusing in on the object being flung from the cave. "Jarvis, replay, replay again" Laura asked while calling Rhodey. "Rhodey I'm sending you coordinates on a possible location, looks like a mine explosion…, could be nothing but it's the most I've got so far" Laura told him.
"Alright send them to me and I'll check it out" Rhodey said hanging up.
Later that day Laura answered her phone "Rhodey what's the situation" Laura asked quickly?
"We got him Laura, we got him" Rhodey said relieved as tears formed in Laura's eyes as she tried to catch her breath.
"Laura, are you there" Rhodey asked confused?
"I'm here Rhodey. Is he there is he alright" Laura asked concerned as Rhodey handed Tony his Sat phone?
"Hello Laura guess who's back from the dead" Tony said smugly?
"Oh, Thank God I'm so happy to hear you" Laura said relieved.
"Rhodey told me you found me" Tony joked.
"Rhodey did I just pointed him in the right direction I'm not out there. In all seriousness Tony you're ok right Laura asked still worried?
"Yes, yes Laura I'm ok we'll catch up when I land" Tony told her.
"Ok uh I'll let Pepper know and have her handle her end" Laura said hanging up and calling Pepper.
"Hey Laura" Pepper greeted but was interrupted quickly "they found him Pepper! we found him" Laura yelled excitedly!
"Really" Pepper asked in shock.
"Yes, really Pepper I talked to him he's ok really he's ok" Laura said trying to contain her excitement.
"Ok Ok uh I only have a million and a half things to do now oh this is amazing" Pepper said still in shock.
"I know he's with Rhodey its ok" Laura said. "Ok I'll call you later" Pepper said hanging up and she called her parents.
"Hey Laura" her mom answered but was interrupted.
"We found him mom we found him and he's ok" Laura said quickly.
"Really oh that's amazing honey but how it's been 3 months" her mom asked confused?
"The monitors mom the monitors we found him" Laura replied.
"Oh, that's amazing I'm so happy he's ok" her mom said. "Thanks, uh... things may be busy the next few days but I'm ok truly everything is fine" Laura warned her. "Of course, we'll talk soon, and I'll let your dad know" her mom said hanging up.
At the airport Laura watched the C-130 land with Pepper and Happy as she watched Tony walk out with Rhodey's assistance tears in her eyes. "Are you kidding me with this? Get rid of them" Tony said pushing away medics as he approached them, and Laura noticed the device on his chest. "Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long lost boss" Tony asked?
"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting" Pepper joked.
"Yeah seriously where else would I work Hammer" Laura replied sarcastically.
"Yeah vacations over" Tony told them as they got in the Rolls with Laura in the front seat next to Happy.
"Where to, sir" Happy asked?
"Take us to the hospital, please, Happy" Pepper asked?
"No" Tony replied.
"No" Laura asked confused?
"Tony, you have to go to the hospital" Pepper said firmly.
"No is a complete answer" Tony repeated.
"The doctor has to look at you" Pepper pleaded.
"I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger, and the other..." Tony asked but Laura interrupted.
"Tony" Laura interrupted.
"That's enough of that" Pepper finished.
"Is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now" Tony told her.
"Call for a press conference" Pepper asked confused?
"Yeah" Tony told her.
"What on earth for" Pepper asked?
"What's going on Tony" Laura asked with an eyebrow raised?
"As I said we'll talk late Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first" Tony told her as they drove away.
Pulling up at Stark Industries Laura got out finishing her fries as she saw the procession of the press and walking towards him with Tony. "Look at you! You had to have a burger, yeah? -Well, come on. You get me one of those" Obie asked?
"There's only one left. I need it" Tony said eating it.
"Hey, look who's here! Yeah" Obie yelled as Laura followed from a distance as she saw a man approach her!
"Excuse me Ms. Watson" the man asked?
"Yes hello" Laura answered?
"Can I speak with you for a moment" the man asked her?
"I'm not part of the press conference, but it's about to begin right now" Laura said pointing at the podium.
"I'm not a reporter I'm agent Phil Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division" Phil told her.
"Geez say that five times fast" Laura joked, and Phil smiled.
"I know we're working on it. We need to debrief Mr. Stark about the circumstances of his escape" Phil told her.
Swallowing thinking, he knows of her involvement and looking for Pepper "Over there is Ms. Potts she can schedule something for you" Laura said pointing at Pepper.
Handing Laura his card "thank you Ms. Watson. We'll be in touch" Phil told her walking towards Pepper.
Laura walked over behind the podium as the conference began. "Hey, would it be all right if everyone sat down? Why don't you just sit down? That way you can see me, and I can... A little less formal and..." Tony said as he and the reporters sat down.
"What's up with the love in" Rhodey asked Laura who shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't look at me. Good to see you. Good to see you. I never got to say goodbye to Dad. I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability" Tony said while reporters shouted questions.
"Mr. Stark" a reporter in front shouted!
"Hey, Ben" Tony said calmly.
"What happened over there" Ben asked?
"I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have moreto offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be" Tony said as the reporters were yelling questions ass Tony walked away. "What" Laura yelled in shock as Tony grabbed her and had her follow him next to the arch reactor.
Walking by the reactor with Tony she asked him
"Tony what are you doing" but before he could respond Obie walked through the door?
"Well, that... That went well" Obie said unamused.
"Did I just paint a target on the back of my head" Tony asked?
"Your head? What about my head? What do you think the over under on the stock drop is gonna be tomorrow" Obie asked?
"40 points" Laura answered.
"If we're lucky" Obie told her. "Tony, we're a weapons manufacture" Obie said.
"Obie, I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy" Tony countered.
"That's what we do. We're iron mongers. We make weapons" Obie argued.
"It's my name on the side of the building" Tony said firmly.
"And what we do keeps the world from falling into chaos" Obie countered.
"Not based on what I saw. We're not doing a good enough job. We can do better" Tony told him.
"We're gonna do something else. Like what? You want us to make baby bottles" Obie mocked?
"I think we should take another look into arc reactor technology" Tony said as Laura looked at the device on his chest suspiciously.
"Come on the Arc reactor, that's a publicity stunt to shut the hippies up" Obie told them.
"I don't know Obie Clean energy is the future and no one is taking it seriously right now" Laura added.
"It works" Tony finished.
"Yeah, as a science project. The arc was never cost effective. We knew that before we built it. Arc reactor technology, that's a dead end, right" Obie asked?
"Maybe" Tony answered.
"Maybe" Laura asked with an eyebrow raised looking at the device on Tony's chest.
"Thirty years. That's what they say" Obie said.
"Could you have a lousier poker face? Just tell me, who told you" Tony asked?
"Never mind who told me. Show me" Obie asked as Tony showed them and Laura gasped getting a good look at for the first time. "It works" Tony repeated.
"Listen to me, Tony. We're a team. You, me, Laura Do you understand? There's nothing we can't do if we stick together, like your father and I" Obie said.
"I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up, okay? But if I had" Tony said but Obie interrupted.
"Tony, no more of this "ready, fire, aim" business. You understand me" Obie asked?
"That was Dad's line".
"You got to let me handle this. We're gonna have to play a whole different kind of ball now. We're going to have to take a lot of heat. I want you to promise me that you're gonna lay low" Obie told him while leaving as they walked out and got in the Rolls.
"So, what's this plan Tony Laura asked sitting next to him in the back with an eyebrow raised?
"I'm working on something something big and I'll show you what it is but what did you see with the satellite feeds" Tony asked her?
"Not much just an explosion with an object flying out of the cave why" Laura asked shrugging her shoulders? "I'll show what I'm working on just give me a few days" Tony told her as they drove away.