Chapter 2 How we met
Tony's *point of view*
I gave myself a week off work to recover from the breakup, then rammed my Occlumency shields into place and forgot all about Maya I didn't date; flirt; or cavort.
"Wow, you must have been in deep" Rhodey said one night when we were out for dinner, "You haven't even looked at another woman" "No. and there's a reason for that. Maya said my soulmate is coming soon and that we'll have a deep and powerful connection."
*some time later*
I was sitting working at my desk at the office when Obie came to see me.
"Tony, there's a young woman in trouble, in the corridor, at the top of the escalator."
"OK"
"She was coming up here to see me, because she'd been downstairs interviewing for a role in accounting, and Audrey Fields called me and said she's too qualified for the role. She spotted a mistake in your math. How often does that happen?" "Rarely"
I hadn't looked at a woman in 6 months. Maya had been my only serious relationship. Could this woman who was in trouble be the one Maya had told me of?
"OK Obie, I'm going to need a couple of chairs, a blanket, my mother's scissors and my wand."
"It's been years since you've used magic Tony, don't you think you should practise?"
"Maybe."
Obie handed me my wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
His legs snapped together, and he keeled over sideways
"Finite incantatem"
Obie got to his feet chuckling
"I remember the day you did that to your father."
"So do I," I chuckled "He fell down the stairs. In fact, it was more of a face plant then wiggling down the stairs like an Irish Dancing worm!"
"The only reason you never got a warning is because your mom and I both used magic all the time."
I breathed in and out, hard. Even 17 years later, my parents' deaths were still difficult to accept. I hadn't had a good relationship with my father but that didn't mean he deserved what happened. Obie put his hand on my shoulder.
I let my Occlumency shields drop and that's when I heard it, "SOMEONE HELP ME!"
"I'm on my way, I'm just getting some supplies together," I replied "What's your name by the way?"
"Virginia Potts"
*BOOM!*
I felt a serious jolt of power rush through me and a memory washed over me
*MEMORY*
"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"
"Of course I will, Tony" I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her hard. She reciprocated. 3 hours later, I was waiting by the school gates. Rhodey found me
"Sorry man, Pepper's not coming, she got expelled and sent home"
"What?" I spluttered, "but."
"Come on, let's go to Hogsmeade, "
"Mr Stark"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall?"
"Professor Dumbledore wants to see you immediately, "
"Sorry Rhodey, I gotta go see the man," I said rolling my eyes
"Damn, I'll bring you back some chocolate,"
"Ah, Mr Stark, take a seat."
I sat down "What did you do, you old manipulator?" I snarled, fixing him with my most vicious glare.
"Virginia Potts is no longer a student at this school. She will continue her studies at another school"
"All right. That tears it. You just made yourself a VERY powerful enemy for life, you miserable old goat! I am going to get you for this see if I don't, you arrogant rapscallion!"
A week later, my father came to collect me. They had expelled me for pranking and then punching Dumbledore and breaking his nose again. When I went to Hogsmeade with Rhodey, Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth bought me a Butterbeer "Thank you Tony, for doing what I couldn't do… making Albus miserable" "What happened, Tony?" he asked
"I'll tell you what happened. That gelatinous tapeworm of a head-teacher sent my best gal home without just cause. I was about to get my first kiss, and," I gasped
A feeling came over me. A realisation, something like a vision.
"You started that, didn't you, Howard?"
"I had no choice. That girl is not what she seems"
"Bullshit the reason you did it is that you're jealous. You're so jealous you can't even see straight. You couldn't stand to see me happy, could you? When we get back to New York you're going to enrol me at MIT cos if you don't I'm getting emancipated. now vaffanculo, I'm going to take a nap!"
"You got your mother's fiery spirit! That's for sure"
**WHAM**
I broke Howard's nose with one punch.
"Just fly the damn plane, you stupid son of a bitch! I don't want to hear another word. You have ruined my life enough. Mark my words Howard Anthony Walter Stark, you will rue the day you took my soulmate from me."
*END MEMORY*
I gasped.
"Let's help this poor woman, shall we?"
"Sure"
Pepper's *point of view*
I felt something snap within my mind. A memory came flooding back.
*MEMORY*
"Miss Potts, I'm afraid you need to go home"
"But why?"
"Because I said so, you're expelled, your godfather is waiting. There's been a complaint from another parent and I have no choice"
"Thanks Albus" said a short skinny man with dark brown eyes and short thick dark hair. He looked a lot like my best friend
"I guess I owe you one"
"Come on, Ginny" said Uncle Vince
"I need to tell Tony I can't go to Hogsmeade"
"I already took care of that Miss Potts"
"I don't think I did anything to warrant this, but. If you're offended by my presence, Mr Stark, I shall go peacefully and not cause a scene. It's not the first time that anyone has hated me for being a catholic!"
*END MEMORY*
Tony's *point of view*
As soon as I laid eyes on her, I wanted to hug her and not let her go. Ever. I grinned at her; she grinned back.
"Tony?"
"Pepper?"
"I can't believe it's you," we said together
"OK, Obie, I need you to send everyone home. We need to turn the electricity off in the building. Then I want you to work on turning those escalators into regular stairs."
"Ok boss"
"Good afternoon employees of Stark Industries, this is Mr Stane, unfortunately because of an emergency on the first floor of the building, we have to shut down for the day. If you can, please continue working from home."
"OK, Tony, all the power is off in the building"
"Thanks Obie"
"Tony, you've got a minor problem," said Obie
I glanced down at my trousers
"Whoops. Obscuro!" I placed the two chairs by the end of the escalator and put the blanket over them to preserve Pepper's modesty.
"OK, I'll try mom's scissors first and if they don't work, I must use a rune and a vanishing charm and then transfigure the blanket into something for you to wear" "OK" I tried my mother's scissors first. But they couldn't cut the fabric.
"OK, no problem"
"protegat manaret talos. fabricae relego. Fabricae robustam dulcemque reficiendam ac syrmata" The trousers disappeared. The blanket became a blue denim dress with a flared and ruffled skirt. I handed the dress to Pepper and turned my back.
"Is there somewhere I can change?"
"Sure, the executive washroom in my office and then you can show me that mistake"
"OK" She went to get changed.
"Wow. very nice!"
"You always were good at transfiguration"
We sat at my desk, and Pepper explained the mistake to me.
"SHIT!" I yelped when I figured out where I'd gone wrong.
"You realise that you just saved this company thirty-three million dollars, right?" "Yes"
I was now painfully hard. I looked deep into Pepper's eyes for a moment.
'When I was 13 years old, my Divination teacher at school told me that mostly everyone gets a soulmate, but there are a handful of people who don't. and I'm one of those. You will meet your soulmate soon. she is smart, organised, thorough and sweet. You've met her before and you will remember her when you meet her again. She has bright red hair and huge blue eyes. She'll walk into your life when you least expect it and, the way you meet will be funny. You'll have a powerful connection and a deep bond. You're not my soulmate. And I won't keep you from her.'
Maya's words came back to me.
"Oh, my goodness. Look. Pepper, forgive me for being presumptuous, but." I began.
"This should have happened when you were 15 and I was 14," she replied And she slid closer, leaned in and kissed me hard on the lips, The world disappeared, all I could see was stars. Afterwards, I reeled her in and she slipped her arms around me.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Of course I will. I've been in love with you since I was a 14-year-old kid," she replied
"I've probably been in love with you since I was 15, but I'm emotionally stunted because of Howard, so I doubt I even realised it."
I said, before pausing and adding.
"Would you like to be my Personal Assistant?"
"OK, we need a front for the press. And that's the perfect front."
"Well, isn't this nice," sneered a voice.
"What do you want Hogan?" I snarled, holding Pepper close to me. She buried her head in my neck.
"We need to talk. I have a trip for you to go on."
"We will talk when Obie is here to put you in your place!"
"I've started preparing to change out the escalators Tony, and I turned the power back on, but I've isolated the escalators. Aw."
"Let's go home."
"Ok."
"You drove here, didn't you?"
"Yes"
"OK. no problem. I'll take the R8, Obie you come with me and Hogan, why don't you drive Pepper's car?"
"No problem, boss"
I suddenly had a *VERY* bad feeling about this whole arrangement.
Pepper's *point of view*
We went downstairs in the elevator. Tony kept his arms around me the entire time. When we got downstairs, we kissed, very hard.
"See you at the house"
"OK"
Tony kissed me on the lips and he and Obie headed towards the R8 but suddenly Tony turned back,
"Do you have your phone?"
"Yes"
He pressed a couple of buttons, typed in some digits quickly, pressed another few buttons, then handed me my phone.
"I've programmed my cell phone, the house phone and the direct line to my office into your phone, if you need me, call me."
"OK"
We kissed again,
"Love you"
"Love you too"
Tony and Obie went to the R8. Hogan held my door open for me and I got into the front passenger side. I put my seatbelt on and put the window down slightly. He got into the driver's side. I clutched my purse on my lap tightly, one hand inside instinctively clinging to my phone. I surreptitiously put it to Tony's number and hovered my thumb over the call button. My hands were trembling. Hogan drove, but he only had one hand on the wheel. Once he was sure I felt comfortable enough with him, I felt him run his hand up my thigh; I slapped it away as hard as I could.
"What the actual fuck do you think you're doing?" I screamed
"You can do better than that emotional fuck up. Dump him and come back to me" "HELL NO. Not after what you did"
Hogan didn't say another word till we got to the house, he just drove. When we were almost at the house, he put the parking brake on. Got out of the car, dragged me out, threw me hard onto the ground in front of Tony's house. I instinctively curled up and slid my phone out of my purse. Hogan pinned my shoulders to the ground and mounted me. I pressed the call button and put my phone to my ear before sticking my knee in Hogan's gut as hard as I could. He picked me up by my hair and threw me onto the ground again; I felt my right ankle and my left wrist break, Hogan mounted me again. Tony answered his phone.
Tony's *point of view*
"TONY!" Pepper's hysterical voice shrieked, "PLEASE! HELP! HOGAN HAS GONE CRAZY AND I THINK HE'S GOING TO VIOLATE ME OR SOMETHING!"
"SHIT! Where are you?"
"We are just outside the house. HURRY!"
Obie put the car in park and he and I ran to help Pepper. Hogan was on top of her and he'd forced his tongue down her throat. His fingers were trying to loosen the fabric of her dress. Obie picked Hogan up by the hair and they started fighting. I picked Pepper up and took her inside. She clamped her hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom. I got a bottle of cold water, a clean toothbrush from the guest room, and a hair tie. Pepper was crying and shaking. She threw up violently and she couldn't bear any weight on her left ankle. She stood on one foot until I gently reached up and put her hair up. She tried holding the sink but her wrist was sore and had swollen and turned bright purple. I stood behind her and held her round the waist.
"Pep, relax, I got you." She let out a terrified moan, and I grabbed the bucket from the shelf and put it under her face.
I emptied the contents and handed the bottle of water and the clean toothbrush to Pepper. She brushed her teeth and sipped the water.
"JARVIS, pull the bed in the living room out please," I commanded
"Yes sir" Once she felt well enough for me to do so, I carried Pepper into the living room. I tucked her into the bed
"I'll be back in a bit, try to get some sleep. It'll make you feel better, trust and believe that that piece of shit will get his comeuppance,"
I kissed her forehead and went outside.
"Drag him round the long way," I snarled. "I want to give him what he deserves for hurting Pepper."
Obie dragged Hogan by the scruff of his shirt round to the other side of the house. I kicked him in the face.
"You think you're some kind of mother fucking big shot trying to violate my soulmate?" I growled.
"Pffft! soulmate? What a lot of horseshit!" He sneered.
I dunked his head in the pool and then rammed my knee into the middle of his back and pulled his arms back.
"You're just jealous because you're not getting any," Obie snarled
"No, you stupid prick, you're the one not getting any. You're so fucking backwards, idiot. You can't see what's right under your overly large nose, Stane."
"What the fuck are you talking about now, Hogan?"
"I've been fucking Christine for the past 8 months"
"WHAT?"
"Every time you hear her scream. It's because I'm giving her what you can't anymore. I'll prove it" Hogan pulled out his phone and showed us a video of him and Christine having wild, passionate sex. And her shrieking his name mid coitus. Obie snatched the phone from his hand and stormed across the garden to his house. I could hear him and Christine yelling at each other.
"I WANT A DIVORCE YOU TRAITOROUS WHORE! I AM GOING TO RUIN YOU I AM GOING TO RUIN YOUR LITTLE BOYFRIEND TOO. "
"We're leaving for Detroit at the end of the month"
"GOOD. I hope he leaves you for a 21-year-old slut!" I heard Christine's hand contact Obie's face.
"You're fired Hogan"
"I quit"
"You're fired"
"I QUIT"
"YOU CAN'T QUIT, YOU'RE FIRED. NOW GET THE FUCK OFF MY PROPERTY BEFORE I RUN YOU OVER WITH MY FUCKING CAR!" "THERE'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT SO-CALLED SOULMATE OF YOURS TONY. SHE'S MY EX WIFE!"
"So what. you thought you'd try to violate her for old times' sake?"
"Yeah kind of"
"Excuse me, you sick, twisted charlatan. my soulmate needs me."
I turned on my heel and went into the house. Pepper was still asleep.
I went to check on Obie. he was furiously smashing up the entire house. When it was over, I hugged him.
"Feel better?"
"Yeah. a bit."
"Don't worry Obie I will support you"
"Thanks Tony. you should go back to Pepper. she needs you. "
"You're right, she does. Can you contact Dr Banner for me and send him to the house?"
"Sure"
"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight?"
"Thanks Tony, I appreciate the offer but if it's all the same with you, I'm going to head to New York for a couple of weeks, to oversee the merger of the Queens branch and the Manhattan branch."
"No problem Obie. take as long as you need"
"Heck, I might even just have the house redecorated and sell it and move back to New York."
"If that's what you want to do. I don't mind taking more responsibility in the CEO role"
"OK. for a while at least, till I get this mess out of my system."
"No problem Obie, take as long as you need"
A dark green SUV drew up a figure stepped out
"Pepper needs you, go back to her."
"You're right." I went back to the house, Pepper was sitting up in bed, she looked just awful.
"Hey Pep, how are you feeling?"
"Not great. I'm sore, but at least I don't feel sick now. I think I'm still a little shaken up"
"You look a little better, actually"
I sat down beside her and gave her a hug. "OWWW!" she yelped and then looked down at her wrist.
"Honey, listen, my friend Dr. Banner is coming to see you"
No sooner had those words left my lips than the doorbell rang.
"There he is. Jarvis, the door."
"On it sir"
The front door opened automatically and Bruce came in. I stood up to hug him. "This is Pepper"
Bruce gave me a confused look
"It's a nickname," Pepper explained. "What foolish notion went through my mother's mind when she named me Virginia Anne. I don't know but I know I prefer Pepper." she paused and looked up.
"Before. everything that happened, I lived with my godparents and my cousins and they called me Ginny. it's not my favourite but it was better than Virginia." She added with a shudder.
"OK, where's the pain?"
"My right ankle, my left wrist, and my ribs." she winced.
"I expect I will have a sore neck tomorrow because the last time this happened I did." she added.
"I think he broke your wrist. Let me see your ankle"
"Here let me help you" I breathed, pulling her up onto my lap. She winced in pain. "He broke your ankle. Which side are your ribs sore on?"
"The left side. ow"
"We need to get you to the hospital ASAP. come on, we'll go in my car"
"OK" I helped Pepper up onto her good foot; she got her coat, and she put a shoe on her left foot. Her right foot had swollen too badly for her to wear a shoe. We went out to Bruce's car. I helped Pepper up into the rear passenger seat. I brought the bucket from earlier, just in case she got sick again.
"Were you sick earlier, Pepper?"
"Yes. but I think it was because of what happened" Bruce gave me a questioning look
"Her ex, almost."
"Are you KIDDING me?"
"No. Luckily she had the sense to call me and Obie and I beat the shit out of him. He has been banging Christine Everhart for 8 months."
"Yikes. I take it Obie found out?" "Yes" I got into the rear passenger seat next to Pepper.
I got in on the right side to make sure I didn't hurt her. When I slipped my arms around her and she put her head against my shoulder. She was shaking, uncontrollably.
Tears flooded unbidden down her face. I stroked her back, being mindful of her sore ribs. Her breath shortened a little. I realised she had a flashback.
Suddenly, Pepper sat up. She clamped her hand over her mouth, eyes huge.
"Here" I said, putting the bucket under her face. I held her after she'd thrown up. "Breathe" I whispered.
"We're almost at the hospital now. "
"OK" Pepper's breathing grew short again, but this time it wasn't a flashback, it was a panic attack.
"Pep. listen to me, you're safe. "
"Don't like doctors. Or hospitals or needles. Especially not needles for drawing blood! And I really don't like heights," she gasped
"Honey, listen to me. I hate hospitals, which is precisely why I had Bruce come and check you out first. I've been thinking of building a small infirmary at the house. To make things like this easier, I just haven't got round to it yet."
We had arrived at the hospital.
"I'll be right back" said Bruce, and he went to get an orderly and a wheelchair.
I got out of the car and prepared to help Pepper get down.
Bruce and the orderly came with a wheelchair. I opened the door and helped Pepper down from the car.
"Put your hands on my shoulders ok"
"OK"
"OK, on my count I'm going to lift you down. Ready. 1. 2. 3"
I gently lifted her down and helped her into the wheelchair.
We went into the hospital.
They took Pepper to a room and I couldn't go with her. Bruce tried to insist that they should let me sit with her, but it was "hospital policy" not to allow visitors unless the patient is being admitted.
"And what happens if someone has an anxiety disorder or nonverbal autism? And they require an appropriate adult to be with them?"
"Then they shouldn't be in the community"
"WHAT. Do you have any idea how ableist that is. You know something? If that's what the orderlies are like here, I don't believe the doctors will be much better. Come on Tony, let's find Pepper and go to another hospital and believe me as a clinician I will file a complaint with the board."
We went to find Pepper. Being in the hospital terrified her; she was sitting in a cubicle, on her own, absolutely bawling her eyes out. I knelt beside her.
"Pep, you're OK I got you just relax"
"We're going to another hospital, this place is horrible." I carefully picked her up and carried her out of the hospital. I stopped at the reception desk
"Excuse me. Could you please remove Virginia Potts from your patient list? We're going to another hospital because the 'treatment' we have received here and I use that term loosely, has been subpar bordering on criminally bad, and I sincerely hope you have a good legal team because I guarandamntee you'll be hearing from my lawyer and the board. I am appalled at the attitude of some of your orderlies. My girlfriend hates needles and your orderly just treated her like she was insignificant. I will not forget this. I am going to make sure they shut this place down. You pissed off the wrong person"
I turned on my heel and walked out of the hospital, without allowing them to reply. Bruce was right behind me. When we got to the car, it still upset Pepper. it terrified her. I wrapped my arms around her protectively.
When we arrived at the other hospital, which was 40 minutes away from the house, the receptionist asked
"Why did you come all the way down here?"
"Because my girlfriend hates needles, and at the other hospital, we were told I couldn't sit with her while she was getting treatment. They left her alone in a cubicle, scared out of her mind, bawling her eyes out, and not one doctor or orderly showed her a bit of compassion. When my friend here asked what happens if someone has an anxiety disorder or nonverbal autism, he was basically told people like that shouldn't be in the community,"
"WHAT. That's a horrible thing to say"
"I know. That's why we came down here."
"I sincerely hope you complained"
"We did. We made damn sure that they knew just exactly how unhappy we were with the 'treatment' we received. I am going to sue. Pepper has been through quite an ordeal today and the last thing she needed was for that idiotic orderly to lash out at us like that."
"I am glad to hear you complained."
"I did more than just complain. They will hear from my lawyer in due course because I won't allow anyone to treat my girl like she doesn't matter."
We took a seat, filled out the paperwork, and when the time came for Pepper to get her treatment, the doctor who came to see us was wonderful. He knew Bruce from college.
"OK, we're going to take a ride. Down to x-ray. now unfortunately no one can be in the room with you while you're getting x-rays. but. How about I have you two watch with me from the little booth?"
"That sounds much more acceptable, thank you" Bruce and I watched from the booth.
"Yikes. I was right!" said Bruce "He broke your ankle and badly so, although it looks like it will heal on its own. And so is her wrist, but there don't seem to be any breaks in her ribs. Which means it's just as I thought, intercostal cartilage. That's going to be a very painful healing process"
"I know, I once fell in ballet class, while doing a triple pirouette and I badly damaged the intercostal cartilage on my left side. It was several months before I could start going to classes again, and even then I had to be very careful."
The doctor and the orderly took us back to the cubicles.
"You're terrified, aren't you?" the doctor asked, but not unkindly, and Pepper nodded.
"Do what you need to do" I said,
"Pep, do you want me to lie up there with you?" She nodded again, not trusting her voice.
"All right, I'm going to bandage and set your ankle first and then, I want to take a small blood sample, just to be sure you don't have a concussion."
Pepper paled even more.
"Don't worry, Pep, I got you. "
"We can do the finger prick test if that's easier"
"I think that would be better right?" She nodded.
The doctor bandaged and set her ankle. Then she set Pepper's wrist and then she did a finger prick blood sample. We went down for a scan.
"You don't have a concussion, you are however a little hypoglycaemic and dehydrated, but it's nothing getting something to eat and drink won't fix, "
"How does going for pizza sound hm?"
"Great"
"You're welcome to join us, Bruce"
"Thanks, but I don't want to be the third wheel. I'll drop you back home"
"Thanks buddy"
"Gimme a call about setting up that infirmary I'd be happy to help"
"Great"
Once Pepper was used to her crutches, she, Bruce and I left the hospital, after taking the time to thank the people who had taken care of her.
I helped Pepper out of Bruce's car, and we went into the house.
"OK honey, we've had a difficult and draining day so, either we can order pizza or we can go out for pizza."
"Let's order pizza"
We ordered a meat feast pizza and sat in the bed settee (Pepper's sore ankle propped up on pillows, and the same with her sore wrist) and shared the pizza. Pepper's *point of view*
The relationship with Tony was like a shiny, newly minted penny. I didn't want to tarnish it, but I didn't want to start it badly by keeping secrets.
"Are you OK?"
"Yes. I just think I should tell you about. What happened when I was 15 and what happened when Happy and I divorced."
"OK, if it makes you feel better or if you think it will help you heal. It's not that I don't want to hear about it because talking does help but I don't want to risk upsetting you"
"I need to get it off my chest, Tony"
"OK"
"I am an only child, and I am now an orphan. My father went to prison for armed robbery, gunrunning, gambling and money laundering 5 weeks before I was born - He was in the mafia. He cooperated. Last I heard he got whacked for cooperating… and it happened in the prison.
I was 8 my mother died, so I went to live with my Godparents. Vince and Linda McMahon. Yes, that Vince McMahon. the wrestling guy. He was my mother's cousin on her father's side.
When I was 14, I met Aldrich Killian for the first time. We became good friends right away and then we started a courtship when I was almost 16. At first that seemed to be ok. The second he got permission from my godfather for us to get engaged, however, he became vicious, hateful, controlling and nothing I did was ever right for him.
When he proposed I broke it off, I told him I didn't want to be some little subservient woman who was continually pregnant and homeschooling and not permitted to use her brain for anything other than homeschooling and housework.
He was angry when I broke up with him and he violated me.
My cousin Shane came to my rescue. He and Killian fought and. Shane won. His girlfriend, Marissa, put it around our dance school that I was pregnant when I wasn't and I gave Shane an ultimatum. He had to choose Marissa or me and when he chose her, I left without saying goodbye to my godparents or my other cousin, without saying goodbye to Uncle Vince's best friend, telling no one where I was going or anything.
I met Happy when we were at college. We became good friends and then we started dating and. He changed. He became abusive, he started beating me and doing other things regularly. So I left. I learned to fend for myself. I thought I'd escaped him, but I haven't. if he wasn't leaving at the end of the month, I would have had to resign. Because he won't leave me alone." He leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips.
"I appreciate you telling me all that Pep, but it changes nothing. I still love you as much as I did when we were teenagers"
"Aww. I. "
"SAY IT. SAY IT PEPPER, YOU SAID IT EARLIER! TELL TONY YOU LOVE HIM OR YOU'RE GOING TO HURT HIM!" screamed a voice at the back of my mind. The voice kept screaming at me to tell him. Finally, I broke down.
Tony's *point of view*
Pepper started bawling.
"Hey come on. What's the matter?"
I suddenly realised that it upset her that she couldn't say those three words yet. "Pep. look at me. It doesn't matter if you can't say it right now. I know you do OK. otherwise you'd never have agreed to us. I understand that you're still trying to get your head around everything and today has been a supremely awful day and an equally utterly amazing day."
We went to the bathroom together and brushed our teeth, then we went to bed.
I had a night full of nightmares. So did Pepper.
*DREAM*
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
"Say something Tony, you'll regret it if you don't" my mother scolded 21-year-old me who was lying on the couch trying to take a nap. "Have a pleasant trip, Don't work too hard." I said, rolling my eyes, and trying to keep the biting sarcasm out of my voice.
I had never figured out why my father brought out the worst in me, but he did.
At 3am, the doorbell rang. Jarvis answered it. He hadn't gone to bed yet.
"I must wake the young master. Would you mind coming in and sitting in the living room while I do that?"
"Jarvis, what is going on?" Said a sleepy voice. It was Obie. He was going to be taking care of me because my parents didn't trust me.
"Sorry Mr. Stane. the police are here. Something. Bad. Has happened"
"I'll go wake Tony"
"OK"
Obie came hurrying upstairs. I'd been asleep for an hour or two. Rhodey had fallen asleep before me. I had fallen asleep with one of my school books on top of me while I was studying. I was doing another degree. I was working full time at SI and studying on the weekends. It was exhausting, but it would be worth it in the end.
"Tony. come on buddy, you need to wake up, the police are here, something bad happened. They need to talk to you." Said Obie.
He took the book and set it on my desk, shaking his head at my stubbornness.
"OK"
I peeled my exhausted eyes open and heaved myself out of bed. I went to the bathroom and once I finished I stretched and yawned and tried my best to wake up. Obie hesitated for a moment, then he woke Rhodey too, realising that I would need my best friend.
"Come on. We need to go downstairs and see what the police have to say'' We went down to the living room. Jarvis was serving coffee and toast. I barely stifled an enormous yawn.
There were two police officers one was tall and skinny the other was a good bit shorter and not so skinny. They glared at Rhodey. He glared back. He had his arms tightly folded, and he set his jaw. We had talked about police racism and brutality before, and Rhodey had told me that the only way to prevent it was to stand up to it.
"Tony, if something happens and the police show up and they show an inappropriate attitude, I will stand strong and silent at your side. No one is going to demean me, for any reason."
"Good for you, Rhodey. I'll be on the watch for it too. No one demeans my best friend and gets away with it. Especially not in front of me."
"Officers, I am exhausted, I have had a long and tiring week. Please tell me what is going on"
"We would have hoped to speak with you alone sir" said the taller of the two, giving Rhodey the side eye, he gave them the evil eye, arms still folded.
"Listen, I mean no disrespect, but whatever you have to tell me you will tell me right here in front of everyone in this room. And I mean everyone. Or you can leave and I will find out what happened later. Rhodey has been like the big brother I never had, and Jarvis and Obie have both been better father figures to me than my father could ever hope to be in his dizziest daydreams!"
"OK. if that's the way you want it. I'm afraid there was an accident about 3 hours ago. Involving your parents' car. The road was slick. Your father had been drinking, or so we believe. He lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree."
"Wait, a minute. My father is a lot of things, but someone who drinks while driving is absolutely not one of them! The very first lesson I ever learnt when I learnt to drive was NEVER to imbibe alcohol before driving. I got a 3 hour lecture on how dangerous it is. That's about the only thing Howard Stark ever did right by me."
"Well, we're pretty sure he'd had a couple at least given the way the car hit the tree"
"Is my mom OK?"
"I'm sorry, son. Both of your parents perished in the crash. "
The colour drained out of my face; I tried to stand, but my legs had turned to water. Rhodey grabbed me before I fell
"I don't. Understand"
I could taste what I had eaten for dinner again. Rhodey saw I was about to throw up and ran and got a basin. It didn't stop for what felt like hours. The police officers left. Jarvis and Obie planned to identify my parents. Rhodey called Maya. we'd only been together for 4 months. She immediately came over. And that was all it took. I broke. I couldn't get my breath. Maya just held me and didn't let go. She was pretty devastated. She'd been very close to my mom. Obie was pretty upset about Howard because they'd been working together since before I was born. Something about the way my parents died did not add up. At all. But no one would listen. Rhodey was sympathetic, as was Maya, Obie tried to help but the police were having none of it. I was so furious that I did something idiotic. I got drunk. And I went out for a walk, the police found me and escorted me back home. While we were on the way back home, I gave them a good talking to.
"The way you treated my best friend the other night, was absolutely criminal. It doesn't matter if someone has a difference, of any sort, you don't judge them by that difference. There is only one person who can do that and that's God and He doesn't judge by difference alone. By the way, something about the way my parents died still doesn't add up properly. You accused my father of being drunk while he drove that car, but I can tell you, he wasn't. He would never drink and drive. As I told you on Monday night. When I started driving, he was always really strict about that. Which is why I don't understand what happened"
Obie wasn't angry, just concerned. Rhodey was very disappointed in me.
"Look, Tony, this isn't you. I know this isn't you. Come on, man, you're better than this. We're going to see a therapist."
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
I sat down on the couch next to Maya. I went to slip my arm around her, but she took my hand and held me back.
"Tony,"
"Yes, beautiful?"
"Look, we've had a lot of fun"
"Yeah. we have." I said, then I noticed the tears running silently down her face.
This time I slipped my arms around her.
"Maya, what's wrong?" I asked, kissing the side of her neck gently.
"I found out something today which will change everything and I've decided it is best if I move on. I don't want to, but I know that if I don't, then there will be a lot of unnecessary stress on both of us and I don't want that. I don't want you to resent me."
"I could never resent you"
"Tony. Someone once told me that every person on the planet has a soulmate, except for me. I am not long for this world, Tony, I have always known that. I have a disorder so rare I'm one of only 3 people on the planet with it. It isn't dangerous right now, but it will be, eventually. I am not your soulmate, but I know who she is. You knew her once. But on your father's orders, Dumbledore removed her from your life. You will meet her again soon. She has long red hair and bright blue eyes, and you and she will have a tremendous relationship. I have a new job. In New York. I'll be fine."
"Maya. what's going on?"
"I have to go"
"Maya, wait, tell me what you found out"
"I can't, because if I do, it'll make everything worse. I have to go Tony, I'm going to miss my flight. Don't worry about me. I'm going to be fine"
She turned and walked out of the house and out of my life forever. She left behind a legacy and she took a tiny fragment of my heart with her. I swallowed thickly and tried to fight back the tears that were currently attempting to flash flood their way down my face. Obie came by with a pile of papers for me to sign.
Obie's *point of view*
Tony was sitting staring straight ahead of him, tears pouring down his cheeks.
"Tony? Are you OK?"
He shook his head. He wasn't able to speak
"What's wrong?"
He pointed to a picture of himself and Maya.
"What about you and Maya?"
"It's. over." he gasped out
"She said that she has an innate ability to match people to their soulmate, and she is not my soulmate. Apparently she doesn't have one. She also said that my soulmate will. walk into or rather back into my life and that it would happen soon. And she was hiding something from me." he whispered,
He ran upstairs in tears. I followed him. He was really upset. I hadn't seen him this upset since his parents died.
"Do you want me to call Rhodey?" I asked.
"Yes. please. "
"OK, I'll be back in a few minutes." He nodded, miserably.
"Rhodey, it's Obadiah Stane here, listen, are you busy just now? Tony needs his best friend"
"I'll be there in about 30 minutes, I'm just finishing up my batch cooking, I'll be over as soon as I have done that. What's happened?"
"Maya broke up with him"
"Oh, no. that's awful"
"He's pretty upset right now."
"I can imagine. Don't worry, Obie, I'll take care of everything."
"OK"
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
*FLASHBACK*
'Tony, your father wants you to go to boarding school, '
'WHAT? He just wants to get rid of me because he can't stand the sight of me' 'That's not true, son.'
'Of course it is. He's never here. He never comes to any of my baseball games or shows or anything. And I'll tell you why it is too mom. I disappoint him because I'm not athletic like his friend Steve Rogers. He might pretend to be proud of me, but you know what? I know he's not. I can see it in his eyes. What he doesn't realise is that I can never live up to Steve Rogers. I'll show him! I'm going to go to boarding school and he's going to get such a surprise when I come home with straight A's! Maybe he will finally be proud of me for real!'
I should have realised that Howard would never be proud of me because I was never good at running or baseball. The first two years when I came back from school, he wasn't there, my mother was. She was proud of me for working so hard and achieving so much.
After my third year at boarding school, I showed Howard. my report card. He didn't smile. When I showed him the trophy, my team had won for winning the school academic decathlon and the inter school academic decathlon, he didn't even blink. 'We know how smart you are Tony, why didn't you join the baseball team?' He demanded. I'd had enough of the demeaning comments and the snark and the put downs and the barbs, to last me a lifetime. It was time for me to stand up to Howard and speak my mind. And to hell with the risks! 'I didn't want to. I'd rather not disappoint you any further by not being able to play for the Dodgers by the time I'm 18. I can't live up to Steve Rogers, so why don't you just admit that I'm a failure and a disappointment and get it over with? You'll feel better and so will I because then I won't have to listen to you muttering under your breath about your idiot kid who can do nothing right!' I hissed.
'You certainly have got bold since you went away to school, Anthony' my father replied. There was a hint of warning in his voice but I didn't care, I'd had enough of him browbeating me for existing.
'That's because I don't have you breathing down my neck criticising me for every tiny little thing that I do and browbeating me just for existing. You don't have to pretend to care about me anymore Howard because I know you hate me, and believe me, the feeling is entirely mutual, You should just disown me and get it over with! I'll be fine on my own. I'm smart enough and brave enough to do the things you could never do because you're an arrogant chicken shit!'
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
Pepper was in the shower, I was at the gym, when I came back there was an ambulance outside, the paramedics were doing CPR, trying to bring her around. Nothing they were doing was helping.
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
Pepper and I were arguing, she was yelling at me. She turned and walked out of the door and didn't even flinch when I begged her to come back; she pushed me away and told me off. She turned on her heel and walked out of my life, with tears flooding down her face.
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
We were in an emergency board meeting. The company had run out of money; I did not know how that had happened because we had always been super careful. Then Pepper said three things:
"I want a divorce. You are ridiculously naïve. I don't love you, Tony. I never did. I don't even like you. You're an awful person, you have no soul, you're a despicable person and a hypocrite and a flirt. I've been cheating on you for 6 months with Happy Hogan,we've been siphoning off money and putting it away. We're moving to Canada,"
She let out an evil laugh, and she went over to Happy and they started snogging.
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
I am standing arguing with a 16-year-old girl, "You don't realise this yet, Dad, but you are the reason mom left. your narcissism, your Blanche Devereaux nature. you know the one thing that always bothered mom. was your other kid. Maria. she resents Maya, even now. "
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
"Peter, I am not doing this to be unkind to you, I am doing it because it needs to happen, and you didn't do it. You know you're breaking a rule and you know you should have told mom and dad about this by now. Dad, Peter is being bullied at school"
"HARLEY!"
A physical war broke out between Harley and Peter.
"PEPPER!" I yelled, I stepped in between the boys and tried to stop them from fighting, but it didn't work. Pepper and Bruce came downstairs. Bruce grabbed Harley, and I grabbed Peter.
"What is going on here?" Pepper demanded
"I want to go to MIT a year early! I hate you, Harley!"
"I did the right thing Peter. one day you'll understand."
"What did you do, Harley?"
"I told Dad that Peter is getting bullied by this ass clown, Eugene Thompson. he thinks he's a big shot just because his father is wealthy. He calls himself 'Flash' he's not intelligent, he's not good in school, he cuts classes, he sasses the teachers, he smokes weed, he bullies the 7th graders some kids think he's cool but he's not"
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
"Is this thing on?" asked my father
"Yes, dear" said my mother. There was something like ice in her voice.
"Tony. I am sorry I never told you this sooner, but I had an affair. And because of that affair, I have two other children. Twins. a boy and a girl. They were born when you were 9"
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
"Look, Tony, I appreciate that you have a responsibility and an obligation to the Avengers. however. I cannot condone recklessness such as what happened in New York. I love you, but I can't compete with Iron Man and I know that the world needs him more than I need you I need to stop being selfish and let you do what you need to do. I think we should take a break."
"OK, I want a donut anyway so."
"No, Tony, I mean a break from us"
"Pepper. please don't make me choose between you and the Avengers. "
"I'm not. At least not yet. I think we should spend a month or so apart and then decide what we do next"
6 weeks later
"Tony, it's Pepper, are you busy?" "Not really. Why?"
"OK. would you mind coming to the office?"
"Of course I don't mind coming to the office Pep. I'll bring lunch. Is pizza ok?"
"Pizza is fine" I went to the office
"Pepper is expecting you. She told me to send you straight up"
"So."
"So. here's the pizza"
"Great. sit down"
"OK"
"You said you're not that busy"
"I'm not. The Avengers broke up, Rogers and I had an almighty row, it turned physical but it was 2 against one… even though I had FRIDAY helping me.
Then in the middle of the fight, I found out. Barnes killed my fucking parents and Rogers knew, didn't tell me, and then fought against me. For Barnes, cos he and Barnes are…"
"Oh. "
"I came straight home and went to the UN and signed the accords. I don't want to be Iron Man anymore unless it's for charity events or 'the world will end' kind of danger. The thing that fries me about it was that Rogers knew Barnes' actions would hurt me even if he was under the influence of HYDRA. he killed my mom. I knew there was a reason her death never sat right with me."
Tears stung the corners of my eyes and started flooding down my face. Pepper came over and sat beside me. She had put her hand on my shoulder.
"OK. I think we should discuss where you and I go from here. If you will not be Iron Man. do you still want to be with me?"
"I never stopped wanting to be with you, Pep. I missed you. I love you. I'm sorry I ruined us. Rhodey's accident was the last straw. I fully intended to sign the accords even before we took our break, that's why it hit me so hard when you left. I was ready to retire from being an Avenger. I really, really missed you. The past 6 weeks have been absolute hell."
"Tony, why didn't you call me and tell me?"
"I wasn't sure what you wanted to do, and I didn't want to be selfish. Rhodey and I talked it over. He advised me to back off and let you have space and so even though it was hell. I did it. Because I didn't want to rush you into making a rash decision. I didn't want to frighten you and I didn't want to risk losing you"
Pepper stood up. She pulled me onto my feet and into her arms and we kissed.
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure "And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
I pulled the ring out of my pocket, got onto one knee and said
"Virginia Potts, you are my entire world. I love you. Will you marry me?"
"YES" She helped me up, and we kissed, hard
"I am inevitable" sneered the purple figure.
"And I. am. Iron Man."
*SNAP*
*END DREAM*
My breath hitched in my chest and became shallow and constricted. I could feel a hand on my shoulder trying to shake me awake
"Tony, wake up. It's just a dream" I groaned and peeled my heavy, exhausted eyes opened.
Pepper kissed me hard on the lips. She adjusted her position so that both of us were comfortable. Instead of me being the protective one, that was her, and instead of her being the vulnerable one, that was me.
Pepper's *point of view*
*DREAM*
We went downstairs in the elevator. Tony kept his arms around me the entire time. When we got downstairs, we kissed, very hard.
"See you at the house"
"OK"
Tony kissed me on the lips and he and Obie headed towards the R8 but suddenly Tony turned back,
"Do you have your phone?"
"Yes"
He pressed a couple of buttons, typed in some digits quickly, pressed another few buttons, then handed me my phone.
"I've programmed my cell phone, the house phone and the direct line to my office into your phone, if you need me, call me."
"OK" We kissed again,
"Love you"
"Love you too"
Tony and Obie went to the R8.
Hogan held my door open for me and I got into the front passenger side. I put my seatbelt on and put the window down slightly.
He got into the driver's side.
I clutched my purse on my lap tightly, one hand inside instinctively clinging to my phone.
I surreptitiously put it to Tony's number and hovered my thumb over the call button. My hands were trembling.
Hogan drove, but he only had one hand on the wheel. Once he was sure he had relaxed me enough, I
felt him run his hand up my thigh; I slapped it away as hard as I could.
"What the actual fuck do you think you're doing?" I screamed
"You can do better than that emotional fuck up. Dump him and come back to me"
"HELL NO. Not after what you did"
Hogan didn't say another word till we got to the house, he just drove. When we were almost at the house, he put the parking brake on, got out of the car, dragged me out, threw me hard onto the ground in front of Tony's house. I instinctively curled up and slid my phone out of my purse. Hogan pinned my shoulders to the ground and mounted me. I pressed the call button and put my phone to my ear before sticking my knee in Hogan's gut as hard as I could. He picked me up by my hair and threw me onto the ground again; I felt my right ankle and my left wrist break, Hogan mounted me again. Tony failed to answer his phone and Hogan violated me.
"I am inevitable"
"And I am Iron Man,"
*SNAP*
I was 28 years old, 8 weeks pregnant, and terrified. Harry came home from work, he kissed me
"I have news"
"What?"
"I'm pregnant"
"WHAT? I WARNED YOU TO BE CAREFUL."
he backhanded me across the face and started beating me. And I ended up miscarrying. Terrified and devastated, I left making the first arrangements towards the divorce. He said he was sorry, but this wasn't the first time he had hurt me like this.
"I want a divorce. What you did was unforgivable"
Tony's *point of view*
Pepper screamed in her sleep
"Pep? Honey, wake up, come on beautiful, wake up for me. Come on. Please open your eyes, sweetheart. Come on."
She coughed and opened her eyes, but as soon as she did, she started bawling uncontrollably.
"There's my good girl. Calm down baby, it's ok. You're safe, I got you. Breathe. sh! It's ok, relax. you're OK honey, it's just a bad dream, they can't hurt you" We kissed hard.
"I'm sorry Tony"
Little did I realise I would be the one apologising to Pepper soon after this, but for a different reason.
