Tony was up with the birds. All he did was make coffee and he went immediately to work on trying to update B.A.R.F.
"Ok FRIDAY run every combination," he said as he sat back and watched.
"None of these combinations are suitable for use on the thalamus without a live subject," his A.I. said.
"Just run them anyway" he said.
"Negative results sir," said the female A.I. voice.
"So I need Pepper?" he asked in frustration.
He needed the person he wasn't currently speaking to.
"I'm not speaking to her. How about Morgan?" he asked.
"We need a live subject whose memories have been depleted," she said.
"I don't know if you heard me but I'm not speaking to Pepper," he said as he raised his voice.
"Sir due to her condition I highly recommend a speedy reunion between you and Mrs. Stark," FRIDAY suggested.
"Did you not hear what she said to me last night? She said marrying me makes her feel like a fraud. How does she think that makes me feel? You know FRIDAY none of this would have happened if you didn't let Janis in. Pepper got mad at me over a sex toy. I'm not talking to her," he stated again as he stared at the machine and resisted the urge to smash it. He needed a live subject whose memory was depleted but not Pepper.
"What about me? I don't remember anything from the time I was healing with the extremis virus. If I hook myself up to B.A.R.F will it work?" he said.
"I can run a calibration,"
"Absolutely no interruptions. If Pepper or the kids try to find me tell them I cannot be disturbed. Keep the door locked," Tony said as he hooked the electrodes up to his head and closed his eyes.
Tony was deep in a haze and he saw fields of color while the machine tried to pull lost memories out of the thalamus rather than present a less traumatic altered version of how they actually feel. He could see the room around him while he was in the cocoon. Pepper was by his bedside watching and waiting. She was extremely pregnant and would most likely give birth any day. A curious Morgan kept trying to peer in through a crack in the door.
"Morgan I told you not to come in here," Pepper said sternly.
"Why is Daddy in a cocoon? Is he going to become a butterfly?" she asked softly.
"No he'll still be human but all fixed up with no injuries," Pepper tried to explain.
"What if a giant radioactive spider eats him while he's in a cocoon?" she asked as her eyes got big.
"Morgan there's no such thing as giant radioactive spiders,"
"Yes there is. Daddy told me stories about them at night," she said angrily.
"Morgan you know you and your Dad have quite the imagination. Come on I'm starving and so are these babies. This mama needs to eat," Pepper said steadying herself with one hand on the arm of the chair as she walked towards the door.
Tony unhooked the electrodes and tried to catch his breath as tears poured out of his eyes. He had no idea what his little girl went through because of his decision to nearly sacrifice himself.
"What do you mean no interruptions?" Pepper said venomously to the A.I. As she tried to open the door to the garage.
"We're running tests. He specifically said no interruptions not even from you. He also said don't worry about the kids getting to school Mr. Hogan would take them," FRIDAY explained.
"He's ignoring me isn't he?" Pepper said angrily. She didn't even wait for FRIDAY to respond. She went back into the kids rooms to get the twins dressed and help Morgan with her hair.
"I found the Butterly clip you were asking for," Pepper said as she fastened it to her seven year olds hair.
"I want to wear my unicorn jacket on Friday. Can you please wash it for me?" she asked.
"Sure," Pepper said. She was faking it until she made it.
How hard can it be to find this unicorn jacket?
"It's in the red hamper. That's the one for our favorite stuff we like to wear a lot," she explained.
"The twins will eat at school but you need some breakfast. Waffles?" she guessed.
She was so grateful for her patient and beautiful child. She was smart beyond her years like her father.
"Ok," she said agreeably.
She seemed like a strong kid and she really wished she could remember. She seemed resilient but she didn't know. She looked into her eyes and saw Tony's looking back.
"In case you're wondering he's working on B.A.R.F," she said nonchalantly as she dipped her waffle in some syrup.
"I'm sorry B.A.R.F?" Pepper asked in confusion.
"Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing. Dad says the name needs work. I think it's cool," she said.
"How do you know what he's up to down there? He let you in?" Pepper asked.
"No. Can I tell you a secret Daddy doesn't know about?" she asked.
Pepper was so touched. Her daughter that she couldn't remember wanted to share something with her and not her father. This frustrated her more that she could not remember her own child.
"Yes just give me a minute. Anthony stop climbing the bookcase," Pepper said as she picked him up.
"It's private Mommy. It's in my room. I need to show you," Morgan said, grabbing her hand.
"I could really use your father's help right now but since he's being immature I'll need YOU to watch over the twins and FRIDAY please alert me if they get into any trouble," Pepper said ushering them into the living room and putting cartoons on as Tony's bot YOU glided over.
Pepper turned her attention back to Morgan and followed her to her room. She watched as Morgan went into the closet and waved at her to follow.
"This is Eduardo. I made him so I can listen through the vents when Daddy is working on secret stuff," she said handing her an odd looking machine with a speaker on one end.
"Wow you made this? How did you get into Dad's workshop unnoticed?" Pepper asked.
She was stunned at her daughter's creation.
"One night when you and Daddy were on the couch kissing,"
"How long have you had this?" Pepper asked.
"Two years," she said proudly.
Pepper smiled at her.
"Can you show me how it works?"
"This end goes into the vent and you hit this button," Morgan said showing her.
"FRIDAY run it again. Don't tell me it didn't work. It works," They heard Tony argue with his A.I through the speaker.
"I'm so glad you shared this with me. This will be our special secret. But it's time for school. Happy just pulled up," Pepper said.
"Thanks Mommy," she said as she hugged Pepper who still went blank anytime she tried to remember any emotion for her kids. She tried to remember anything about them other than what she learned since she woke up and nothing was coming to her and her anger towards Tony didn't help the situation.
He's so smug. He really thinks he's all that and that I just LOVE some silly toy made from a mold of him. His ego is exploding. I would never fall for Tony Stark. Flirt with him guilty but it was always harmless, crush on him, only for that time we danced because he showed me a side of him I've never seen before. Be sexually attracted to him, how could I not? I have eyes and physically yes he's absolutely gorgeous. Fall in love with him? I don't see how it's possible despite his charm. He was a pig I would never let myself fall for him. I think I hit my head and I didn't know what I was doing. And now he's ignoring me for telling the truth. All these years I was the only woman Tony hasn't kissed. We were friends but always remained professional and I go and marry him and birth his kids. I am a fraud. He's slept with everyone above sunset. What I need to know is why? What on earth did he do to make me throw my professionalism out the window? Sure that dance between us I remembered made me feel like I had a crush or something but that's not love. He's been supportive since I came home. He's done everything possible to make me comfortable but I still can't trust him. I know Tony and he needs to get laid frequently and if I've been out for over a month I know what he wants and why he is acting this way.
Tony was at his wits end. He tried for hours to get B.A.R.F. To work on the thalamus and he kept coming up short. He went to the keurig he kept in the garage and started to make more coffee. He heard his stomach growling. It was nearly four o'clock and he hadn't eaten anything. There was no way he was stopping and no way he was going to leave the garage and face Pepper. He rummaged through some drawers and cabinets and all he could find was a bag of pretzels and a candy bar and that would have to suffice. He continued to push through. He couldn't make Pepper love him so he'd have to make her remember.
Pepper got out of the shower and a part of her really thought that Tony would be in the bedroom when she got out but he wasn't and her heart sank. It was eleven o'clock and he didn't speak to her the whole day. He never ignored her for that long. She put on her pajamas and couldn't help but wonder if Tony had anything to eat today. Did they even keep food in the garage? She woke up in the hospital to a whole new Tony but today he was acting very much like his old self. But yet a part of her still worried about him and felt responsible for him and whether or not he eats. Just like an assistant just like a wife. She thought about the moment she noticed Tony's wedding ring in the hospital and how upset she was about it.
Why was I so upset? Do I really love Tony deep down? He says I have a certain smile I only make at him. Do I? I wasn't aware of it. Of course I love him. I took care of him for so long. But I meant what I said. A part of me feels like a fraud. Is that horrible? Am I a horrible person?
Tony was working for twenty two hours straight when his body finally gave in and he fell asleep at his work table. He fell into a fitful and uneasy sleep full of terrible dreams.