The next chapter! I hope you like it and please let me know what you think! As always, thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and left a review!

I don't own the characters or places!

Pepper

The sun was sinking slowly and bathed the lake in front of me in a soft orange light. That, together with the complete silence around me, had a calming effect. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warm feeling on my skin. It wasn't as warm as in LA, but I liked it either way.

The tree I was sitting on felt also warm. I glanced down and saw a fish swimming through the water right under the tree trunk. On my way here, I'd feared that the tree might be gone by now due to the storms in the past months, but it was still here, lying in the water and perfect to sit on.

My phone was lying close to me, but it was turned off. After I'd left the flat, I'd written a short note for Daisy and Irina, explaining where I went. I didn't want anyone to disturb me right now. I needed some time to think. I would turn on my phone again soon, after all Tony was on his way here. But it would still take him hours to arrive, so I still had time.

Was I ready to talk to him? I wasn't so sure. Of course I believed Rhodey that Tony didn't cheat on me. That wasn't the issue right now. I was rather insecure what to say.

This had been the second time someone mentioned his father and he freaked out. Slowly, I was beginning to understand this. He thought that he was a murderer for producing all those weapons. Tony would never admit it, but I bet that he felt guilty. Did he ever talk about this to anyone? Rhodey and Obadiah seemed to know. However, I wasn't sure if Tony talked to them about this or if they just made their own assumptions because of his behaviour in certain situations.

Would he talk to me? Because we needed to talk, that was obvious. Otherwise, this would always stand between us and I couldn't stand it. I hated seeing him suffer like this. He was suffering. I'd seen it in his eyes. It made me feel sick to know that Tony wasn't as carefree as he always pretended to be. I would have loved to take this burden from him, but would he let me? Was it even possible?

Then there were my own fears. The fear that Tony might start drinking again. Or that he'd betray me someday.

I thought of my conversation with Ben again and the anger I'd felt returned. How could he just assume that we'd get back together? I hoped he would leave me alone from now on, but somehow, I doubted it. He was stubborn. I bet he would show up at Daisy's place again soon. He had betrayed me.

Without really wanting it, I compared him to Tony. They were complete opposites. While Ben was selfish and arrogant, Tony just pretended to be. When he really cared for someone, Tony Stark was the most selfless and caring man I knew. He wouldn't cheat on me. Suddenly, I felt stupid just for assuming this. And for running away. I should have let him explain everything, but in that moment, I'd just been afraid. Afraid that I might get hurt again. I knew I couldn't stand it if Tony broke my heart. It would shatter me.

I looked at the water again and ran a hand through my hair. What should I do now? I knew that I couldn't stay mad at Tony for long, especially since this was a big misunderstanding. Should I ask him about everything or rather keep quiet? If I asked him about his past, there were a few things I needed to tell him about myself. Otherwise, it would be unfair. I knew he also had questions.

Then there was another important question. Could I be with him openly? I'd made the decision that we couldn't hide forever weeks ago. Nevertheless, I didn't feel ready to tell everyone about us yet. Or did I? I thought of that woman kissing Tony again. Could I prevent all this if I claimed him openly? Most probably. Did I want the world to know that he was mine?

Yes. I did.

As simple as that. I wanted everyone to know that we belonged together.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. Was it really that easy? A small voice in my head told me to doubt it, but I ignored her. I wanted to be with Tony, so what was stopping us?

Maybe the big misunderstanding that was still standing between us. I glanced at my phone and considered turning it on again. Then I looked around and decided to wait some more. I wanted to enjoy this place as long as possible. Soon, I'd have to return to LA. Maybe this was the only chance I got to be here now.

For some time, I just sat there and enjoyed the silence. The sun was sinking slowly and I thought that it would get dark soon. Which meant that I've been sitting here for hours. Somehow, I didn't care.

Suddenly, I heard a sound behind me. It was the cracking of a branch. I wasn't alone anymore. Only few people knew this place, so who was here now? My first thought was that Ben decided to follow me. I turned around slowly, already preparing myself to tell him to back off.

When I saw the person standing there, I froze.

"You were right, this is a beautiful place." Tony said thoughtfully. He was wearing jeans and a dark t-shirt, his hands were buried in his pockets. His hair was a mess and even from the distance I could see the dark rings under his eyes. I'd never seen him like this. "Even more stunning than on the painting. However, you should have told me that I'd have to walk through the forest for an hour to get here. That was kind of unfair." He smiled slightly, but it looked strained and didn't reach his eyes. Then I noticed that his whole posture looked tense.

I kept staring at him. I'd known that he'd come to Griffin, but I didn't expect him to come to this place. That he'd even find it. Then I considered this again and it didn't surprise me anymore that Tony found this place.

"What are you doing here?" Honestly, I didn't know what else to say.

His smile vanished and was replaced by a frown. "I came to apologize. I know how it must have looked to you in that bar. But it's not what you think, Pepper. I would never betray you. You have to believe me. You're the only one for me."

I already knew that it was a misunderstanding from Rhodey, but hearing it from Tony himself was different. Only now I realized how heavily it had been weighing on me. "I know." I replied simply and his eyes widened. "Rhodey called me and explained everything."

"Of course he did." Tony muttered and I thought that he relaxed a little bit. Nevertheless, he made no attempt to move. "It was all too much in that moment. First the interview and everything that came along with it, then all those dark thoughts and it was so crowded in that bar..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I regretted going there as soon as I sat down with Rhodey."

"I'm not mad at you." I said softly. "In fact, I have to apologize. I shouldn't have run away."

He shook his head. "You had every right to do that." Only his eyes showed me how much it pained him to say this.

"It was unfair either way." I smiled when he walked towards me slowly. Not after looking at the tree trunk suspiciously, of course. He sat down and left a small distance between us.

"I've missed you." He sounded thoughtful.

"I've been only gone for one day." I whispered.

"One day too much. If I think about it again, even an hour without you is too long." He smiled slightly, but it still looked strained.

"What's wrong, Tony?" I asked carefully.

He breathed in deeply. "I need to tell you something, Pepper. I should have done it weeks ago, but I just couldn't do it. I've never been able to talk about it. Not really. But yesterday, after this horrible interview, I've made a decision." He looked at me and I could see determination in his eyes. "You deserve to know my whole story."

I inhaled sharply and my heart was racing in my chest. He wanted to talk about his past? I'd expected anything right now, but not this. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Even if I would understand that you might never want to see me again after this..."

"Tony." I interrupted him firmly. "Nothing you say now will change my mind about you. I love you."

He smiled sadly. "I love you too, Pep." He whispered, but still made no attempt to touch me. He breathed in deeply and looked at the water.

"My dad founded Stark Industries years before I was born. He was brilliant and used his knowledge to produce weapons. Don't ask me why he did it, I never understood his motives. I also didn't get a chance to ask him. Obi says it just happened, but I'm not sure it's that easy." He shrugged. "They died in a car accident years ago. Suddenly, I was the head of SI. Before that, I'd never really cared for the company. Obadiah helped me as good as possible and soon, I discovered that I was good at building weapons. Even better than my father." He smiled ironically. "No surprise, is it?"

I watched him carefully when he continued. I knew that it wasn't easy for him to tell me all this. "First, I was happy. I was head of the company, brilliant, we were making much money and I was famous. Well, in certain parts of society. There have always been people who hated us for what we were doing. For some time, I closed my eyes and ignored all those who criticised us for building weapons. Highly functional weapons, I have to add. Everyone wanted them. They were the best ones you could buy."

"What changed?" I asked when he kept staring at the water silently.

"One day, I was walking through the streets and a reporter followed me. She kept asking if I knew that I was a murderer and then she showed me pictures of innocents my weapons had killed. Many pictures." He grimaced. "I told her to go away and ignored the bad feeling this conversation awoke in me. For a few weeks, it worked. But then the letters came, together with more pictures. On press conferences, reporters started to ask if I was feeling guilty. And there were dozens of phone calls."

When I heard this, I started to feel sick. How could the press harass him like this?

"By that time, I'd already realized that I was a murderer. I killed all those people."

"No, you didn't." I threw in sternly.

"I produced the weapons. Doesn't make me better than the ones who used them."

"You didn't kill anyone." I took his hand and squeezed it. "You're not a bad person, Tony."

"Rhodey and Obi also kept telling me that."

"What made you change your mind about the weapons? How did you decide to stop?" I knew how difficult this must be for him, but I had to know the whole story. I needed to understand him.

"I broke down." He said simply, but I could see in his eyes that it wasn't that easy. He must have noticed my scepticism since he sighed. "It's not a nice story, Pep."

"Doesn't change the fact that I want to hear it." I threw in.

"Why?" He was looking at me with something like wonder in his eyes.

"I want to understand you. If I know why this is so difficult for you, I might be able to help you."

Tony reached out and touched my cheek carefully. "You're incredible." Far too soon, he drew back again. "That day, I was in the lab. Working on a new missile. And at some point, I just couldn't do it anymore. In my mind, I saw all the pictures of the people I'd killed. The guilt came crashing down at me with full force. I sat there for hours and cried, not able to move anymore. Rhodey found me before I could do something stupid. When I didn't react, he called Obi. Lots of cold water snapped me out of my frozen state, but I was still too shaken to talk to anyone. In the days that followed, I made the decision to change my life. I knew I couldn't go on like this or it would destroy me completely. Obadiah knew this as well. He didn't argue when I told him about my plans. He even helped me with them." He breathed in deeply. "A few days later, there was the press conference where I announced that we would stop producing weapons immediately. You know the rest of the story. I deleted nearly everything from the internet and hoped that no one would ask again. In public, I kept acting like Tony fucking Stark without a single care in the world. The facade would only break when all the bad memories came back. And then I met you."

At the last words, his eyes were shining. I stared at him wide-eyed. It was difficult to imagine Tony having a complete breakdown. At the same time, I saw the image in my mind. Tony sitting in his lab on the floor, crying. I felt sick when I realized just how much this world had tortured this amazing man in front of me. Rhodey found me before I could do something stupid. I started to panic when I realized the meaning behind those words. Something stupid. Did Tony think of...?

"Pepper? Are you alright?" The worry in his voice took me back to reality.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that question?" I asked weakly, but he narrowed his eyes and I knew that my attempt to change the subject didn't work.

"What are you thinking?"

"I've been wondering how this world could be so cruel to you." I admitted at the urgency in his voice.

He laughed. "Only you could see it like this." He muttered and smiled slightly. However, there was still something hesitant in his actions. "So you're not going to run away now that you know how fucked up I really am?"

I shook my head. "All those things are not your fault." I said firmly. "And you're not a murderer, Tony. Even if you might believe that. Others used your technology to do terrible things, but it's not your fault." Suddenly, I couldn't hold myself back anymore. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer.

Tony made a surprised noise, but then his arms were wrapped around my waist and he hid his face on my neck. "I don't deserve you." He muttered. "How can you still be here?"

"You should stop seeing yourself like this. You're doing so many good things, Tony. You're helping people now. Let the other things stay in the past. And most importantly, don't feel guilty anymore. Your father started all this, not you. Even if you continued his work, you aren't responsible for the things others did with your weapons." I was afraid that he might break down again if he didn't stop blaming himself for all this.

"It's not going to happen again, you know?" He said as if he'd been able to read my thoughts. "I didn't break down in a long time. I've got it under control." He drew back and looked into my eyes. "You're the reason I'm fine again."

"I hate that you've been so sad." I admitted.

"Didn't you say that I should let those things stay in the past?" He raised his eyebrows. "Then you should to the same."

This offer to end this conversation was tempting, but I knew that I owed him an explanation for something. "I also need to tell you something."

"Huh?" He looked at me in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"We've both been haunted by ghosts of our past." I said slowly.

He understood what I meant immediately. "You never told me why you hate drinking so much."

I nodded. "It's only fair. You told me about your past. Now it's my turn."

"You don't have to do this." He replied.

"If I want to?" This made him fall silent. "In my youth, my father had a problem with alcohol. He drank too much and it made him aggressive. He used to hit my mother and she never defended herself. Probably because he was much stronger than her."

Tony was looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face. "Did he ever hurt you?" His voice sounded harsh.

I shook my head. "No, but he was always yelling and kept throwing things around in the house. At some point, it started to affect his health and he had to stop it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived for a long time." I breathed in deeply. "That's why I hate drunk people so much and never drink alcohol myself."

This time, he was the one hugging me. "I'm so sorry, Pepper." He whispered.

"It's alright, I can live with it. But now you know why I reacted so strongly the first time I saw you drunk." Somehow, I didn't feel uncomfortable to tell him this. That was a surprise because I'd never told anyone about it. Not even Ben and we'd been together for years.

"The first and last time." Tony corrected me. "I couldn't do it again, knowing that it bothered you so much."

"You don't have to stop this because of me." I threw in.

"I want to." He said without hesitation. "And besides, it's also bad for my health." Suddenly, he winked at me.

Just like that, all the tension from our conversation seemed to vanish. I was still surprised and relieved that Tony told me the truth about his past. In return, I'd told him one of my darkest secrets. I just couldn't stop myself from laughing. After a few seconds, he joined me. As always, the sound of his deep laugh caused me to shiver.

I wanted nothing more than to touch him right now, but then I saw the thoughtful look on his face. "What are you thinking?" This time, I asked the question.

"I'm happy that we're here together." It wasn't the entire truth, but I didn't want to interrupt him. "Isn't it strange that a simple misunderstanding can lead to so much misery?"

"That and the secrets we kept." I agreed.

"Now I don't have any secrets anymore." I could see the honesty in his eyes.

"Me neither."

"And we're still here."

"We are." I smiled.

"You didn't run away." He noted.

I rolled my eyes. "You're not that scary, Mr. Stark." I said as seriously as possible.

"You neither, Mrs. Potts." He replied. His expression softened. "So you'll come back to LA with me?" He still sounded insecure.

Instead of answering him, I looked at the lake. The sun would vanish behind the trees any moment. I took Tony's hand again and together, we watched the sunset. It was so different here than in LA. Just like everything felt different here.

"Pepper?" Tony's soft voice broke through the silence.

I turned to him and smiled. "I can't wait to go home with you." I whispered. "But let's do it tomorrow. I owe Daisy an explanation for all this."

Slowly, a wide grin appeared on his lips. "Does that mean that I'll get to meet your best friend?"

I nodded. "But don't let her scare you away. She can get pretty hectic sometimes. Especially when she's going to meet my new boyfriend."

He stared at me in surprise. "Boyfriend?"

"Well, I prefer partner. But we won't be this narrow-minded now, will we?" I winked at him.

"I thought you wanted to wait before we tell everyone about us." Tony was still hesitating for my sake and I loved him even more for this.

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. "I can't wait to show the whole world that you're mine." I whispered into his ear and felt him shiver.

"Please tell me that there's a hotel in your small town." He whispered weakly.

I grinned. "There is."

Before I could realize what was happening, Tony stood up and held out his hand to me. "Then let's go."

I chuckled. "We still have to walk through this forest."

Now he grimaced. "Nearly forgot about that."

I collected my things and threw my phone into my bag. Then I took Tony's hand. Instead of walking towards the forest, he wrapped his arms around me. And then his lips were on mine. Even if our last kiss wasn't that long ago, it felt like a lifetime. This kiss was different from all the others. All the doubts and fears of the previous weeks just seemed to vanish and everything that's left was love. And desire, of course.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you too." He grinned and suddenly, we both wanted to leave this forest behind as soon as possible.