Oh hi there! I hope you all are enjoying things! I won't keep you long….I'm going to throw out that mandatory disclaimer that I hold no rights or ownership over Marvel and let you guys get to it! Xoxo-NickyLynn
Tessa never should have let Tony get on that plane. If she would have stopped him, she would have prevented him from going to that weapons demonstration. If she would have stopped him, then his convey would have never been attacked. If she would have stopped him, then he would have never been taken hostage. If she would have stopped him, then he would still be here and not in God knew where, in the middle of some dessert cave. If she would have stopped him, she wouldn't have had to spend her days sitting in Tony's basement, using J.A.R.V.I.S. to help her hack into satellite after satellite, scouring the middle east for him. But she did let him get on that plane, and now there was nothing for her to do but sit staring up at the screens, using every piece of imaging system she could find to search for him.
She had forgone countless nights of sleep while she looked for him, yet no matter how many days and nights passed, she couldn't locate a trace of Tony or the terrorists who had kidnapped him. The anger inside her burned so closely to the surface, she was scared that one small push would send her spiraling out of control. There was nothing she wanted more than to fly herself over there, storm into wherever they had been hiding Tony, and wreck hell upon anyone who stood in her way. But there were thousands of miles worth of terrain he could have been hidden in, and as much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn't save him. At least not yet. She had to find him first.
So, she looked. And she looked. And she looked. The days quickly turned into weeks and before she knew it, it had been nearly three months since he had left and not returned. Tessa hardly ate….she hardly slept….she couldn't. The more days that passed without any changes, the more she fell into despair. Tony was all she had left in the world. She had made a vow to keep him safe and she was damned if she was going to fail him like she had failed everyone else. So, she did the only thing she could do and kept looking.
It was when she had hacked into a Russian satellite, combing back through a mountain range for a second time that she came across something that got her heart pumping with hope. In between a pass through the mountains, a spot that held no signs of life the first time she had surveyed the area a month prior, now held the image of smoke and burning wreckage. With her fingers growing sweaty, she reached out and enlarged the picture being displayed before her.
"Jarvis, can you clarify these pixels any more than this?" she asked the A.I. system. Slowly the blurry image in front of her began to smooth out clearer as Jarvis complied to her request.
"I'm afraid I cannot manipulate the image resolution further." Came J.A.R.V.I.S's robotic voice.
Tessa looked at the screen in front of her and let out a breath of amazement. "That's okay, Jar. This is just fine." She told him as she studied the image. "Get Colonel Rhodes on the line." She instructed.
The sound system throughout the room began relaying the sound of a ringing phone before a deep voice picked up. "Hello?" came Rhodey's confused tone, as he didn't recognize the number coming through to his personal cell.
"There's a pass through the Hindu Kush where a very large explosion just occurred. The damage is extensive. The kind of damage that only military-grade weapons could make." She said as she pressed a few buttons on the screen below her.
"Tess?" Rhodey asked in surprise. "Wait a minute, back up. Not that I even want to know how you're getting this information, but where in the Hindu Kush?" he asked her.
"I'm relaying the coordinates to you now." She told him, looking back up to the image of the burning flames. "Look James, I know this is way beyond a civilian level, but you have got to get me over there." She told him.
Silence filled the room as Rhodey looked down at his phone, looking over the images and coordinates she sent him. "Shit." She heard him finally say after a moment of silence. "Okay. Yeah, I'll see what I can do." He told her in a rush. "I'm getting a plane ready now."
"Alright." She said, letting out a breath.
"Oh, and Tessa?" he called out, causing her to perk up. "Good work."
Less than an hour later, Tessa met up with Rhodey. He managed to sneak her into the back of the plane as the crew were busy loading up and making their final checks before takeoff. "Just stay put, okay?" Rhodey told her as they made it to the back cabin. "You should be okay back here."
"Thank you Rhodey." She said, giving him an appreciative nod.
He gave her a tight-lipped smile before walking back out, leaving her alone. She looked around the room to the small bed and various cupboards and familiar medical devices and let out a shaky breath. She could feel the plane lurch into movement and as they made their way down the run way and into the air, Tessa sent out a silent prayer that they would find Tony.
Several hours later they had landed in Afghanistan. Unfortunately for Tessa, Rhodey and the others had to switch over to a helicopter that they could bring down onto the dessert, and there was just no way for her to sneak onboard. So, she was left in the plane, slowly going mad, as she waited for Rhodey to return and just hoped he wouldn't come back empty-handed. Tessa didn't know how long she waited for. Her nerves made the hours feel like they stretched out for days. So, when she heard Rhodey's familiar voice drift through the metal walls again, she shot up. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she focused her senses and nearly let out a sob as her ears picked up a sound that she was scared she would never hear again.
The door slid open and there, standing in the doorway, was Tony. He was filthy, skinny and looked like he had been through hell….but it was actually him. His eyes went wide when they landed on her, not expecting to see her there. His mouth fell open as he looked back at Rhodey. Rhodey just smiled and shrugged. "She's the one that found you man. I couldn't very well leave her behind."
Tony whipped back around to Tessa. "Y-you found me?" he asked her in surprise.
"I told you before that I have a promise to keep." She said, doing her best to keep her voice even through all the emotions that were threatening to wash over her.
Tony let out a cry as he rushed into the room, throwing his arms around her. She returned his embrace, wrapping her arms around his back, holding onto him as tightly as she could, as she was scared if she let go she would loose him again. Rhodey gave Tessa a smile and nod before leaving the two of them alone. "Let's get you home." He said as the door slid shut again.
Once they were alone, Tony let out a sob. The tears began falling from Tessa's eyes too as she held onto him. She trailed her hands up and down his back, trying to soothe him as best she could. "It's okay." She reassured him. "You're safe now."
As the plane ascended into the air again, Tessa guided Tony onto the small bed where she continued to hold onto him as he cried. Tony Stark was a strong man, no one would deny that. But after everything he had went through during his time, well Tessa could hardly blame him for falling apart. She held him as he told her about his time being held captive. He told her about the soldiers. He told her about Ho Yinsen and the shrapnel in his chest. He told her about the Jericho missile they wanted him to build. He told her about the suit he had built instead, and how Yinsen had scarified himself so Tony could escape. He told her everything.
Tessa listened silently, letting him say the things he needed to say, knowing that sometimes all you needed was someone to help carry the burden of the nightmare along with you. She was all too familiar with what it felt like to be held against your will. She knew what it felt like to have your freedom taken from you, and forced to do something you didn't wish to do. She hated that he now knew that feeling, too. Tessa didn't know much about the terroristic group that had taken him captive, but she knew she was going to find the people responsible for his suffering. She was going to find them, and she was going to make them pay.
Eventually, Tony had finished his story and once it was out, he began to feel much better. His tears slowed down and after a minute of not feeling him shake under her hold any longer, Tessa pulled back to get a good look at him for the first time. Her main concern after hearing his story was the shrapnel that was still stuck in his chest and the makeshift device keeping it from killing him.
Tessa pulled Tony's filthy shirt up, revealing the device underneath. She was not prepared for what she saw. The strange metallic device in the center of his chest was sunk deep within his body, glowing a blue quite similar to that of Tessa's powers. The flesh around the device was still raw and scarred, looking far too red and swollen for Tessa's liking. "As soon as we get back and I have the proper equipment, I'm taking a better look at this." She told him, tapping against the glass of the power cell. She studied it for a moment longer before shaking her head. "You were lucky to have Yinsen there with you, Tony. This is an incredible piece of work. Without it, you would not have survived." She said, swallowing the lump in her throat as she realized just how close she was to actually loosing him for good. "I would have very much liked to meet him." She finally said, looking up at him with a sad smile.
"You would have liked him." Tony said, trying to dry the tears on his dirt-covered cheeks.
Tessa stood up, going over to the small sink to wet some rags. "Here." She said, holding the damp cloths out to him. "Let's get you cleaned up. I have a change of clothes for you." She told him.
"What? No sponge bath?" he asked her with a smirk.
Tessa laughed for the first time in three months before tossing the wet cloth at his face. "I didn't miss you that much." She told him before moving over to the small bag she had packed. She unzipped it and pulled out the neatly folded stack of clothes.
"Oh come on. You know you'd be lost without me." He shot back at her as he began wiping at his dirty face, the white towel quickly turning brown with all the dirt coming off of him.
Tessa's mouth dropped down in the corner as his words stirred dark thoughts within her. "You have no idea." She said quietly.
Tessa spent the remainder of the flight helping clean and patch up the injuries littered along Tony's body. He was in pretty bad shape. He was covered in so many burns, cuts and scraped that Tessa had lost tract as she tended to them. She wrapped bandages around the worst of his injuries, and after realizing his right shoulder had been injured, likely a tear in a tendon, she dug out an arm brace from one of the cupboards and helped attend to that as well. By the time that they landed, she had Tony redressed into one of his suits and he looked drastically better than when they had picked him up.
When Rhodey had returned to the room as the plane touched back down, he looked over at Tony with raised eyebrows. "Well, damn, I was going to see if you wanted us to call in an ambulance to get you some medical attention, but it looks like you already got it." He noted.
"Yup, got my own personal fairy godmother. Bippity-boppity-boop and Cinderella's ready for the ball." Tony said, coming to a stand.
Tessa rolled her eyes, grabbing Tony's suit jacket from the end of the bed. "Here, Princess." She said. "Don't forget your gown." She teased, dropping the jacket down around his shoulders.
"See?" Tony said with a grin.
Rhodey let out a laugh, glad to see his friend doing so good, considering what he had just gone through. "Come on, Cinderella, your carriage is waiting for you outside."
They all made their way back through the plane and to the exit. Tessa helped steady Tony by letting him grip onto her as they carefully descended the steps. They looked out at the tarmac to find Pepper and Happy waiting in front of the Rolls Royce. Tessa knew how hard the past few months had been on Pepper, and it felt so good to watch her eyes light up again as they strode closer.
When they stopped in front of the pair, Tony leaned forward, studying Pepper for a moment. "Hmm. Your eyes are red." He commented. "A few tears for your long-lost boss?" he asked with a smirk.
"Tears of joy." She told him with a smile. "I hate job hunting."
"Yeah, vacation's over." He said, moving past her and towards the waiting car. Pepper, Tessa and Tony slide into the spacious backseat, Tessa being stuck between the two, as Happy slid into the driver's seat. "Where to sir?" He asked from the front seat, an unmistakable smile pulling his lips up.
"Take us to the hospital, please, Happy." Pepper instructed.
"No." Tony said, shaking his head.
"What?" Pepper shouted, looking over at Tony in alarm. "Tony, you need medical attention." She tried to argue.
"Already had it." He said, motioning over to Tessa.
"Tony, Pepper's right, you should really be seen by a doctor….have proper testing-" she began to say before he cut her off.
"Am I at risk of bleeding out?" he asked her with a raised brow.
"What? No, of course not." He said with a shake of her head.
"Is there anything threatening my immediate health and safety that you would classify as a medical emergency?" he then asked.
Tessa let out a sigh. "Based on my observations, no." she reluctantly said.
"Tony, you have to go to the hospital." Pepper insisted.
"I don't have to do anything." Tony responded. "I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger. And the other….I want-" he began as Pepper cut him off, guessing his next request.
"That's enough of that." She said with a roll of her eyes.
"It's not what you think." He said. "I want for you to call for a press conference now."
"Call for a press conference?!" Pepper repeated in bafflement. "What on Earth for?" she asked.
"Hogan, drive." Tony called up to him. "Cheeseburger first."
Happy put the car in gear and began driving them off the airstrip, following Tony's orders. When he drove them through the drive-thru of the nearest Burger King, Tessa let out a yelp of surprise as Tony stood up in the small space and began stepping over Tessa and Pepper, squeezing himself past them as he moved toward the window, intent on placing his own order. After they shuffled over and readjusted themselves after he forced himself into the other side, he rolled down his window and leaned out towards the speaker.
"Thanks for choosing Burger King, how may I help you?" the worker inside spoke through the speaker.
"Yeah, hi." Tony said in greeting. "I'm gonna need you to give me everything you got." He said.
"Uhh…" the worker responded, unsure what to do. "I'm sorry, what do you want?" he asked again.
"I want burgers. I want nuggets. I want fries. I want some of those chocolate pies. Load me up." He ordered.
"Uhh…" the worker said again, sure some sort of joke was being played on him.
"Oh Lord Tony, move over." Pepper said, leaning over him to place a proper order for him. Once they did that and pulled around to the window, Tessa nearly lost it when the worker's mouth fell open in disbelief at seeing Tony Stark.
As Tony took the several bags out of the worker's hands, he leaned over, motioning behind the young man who was still in shock. "Oh, and I want one of those hats." He said, pointing at the stack of paper crowns. Sure enough, the young man left and returned with one of the toy crowns meant for children, handing it over. "Great! Thanks!" he shouted, pulling himself back into the car, sliding the crown onto his head before tearing open one of bags, pulling out the first thing his hand made contact with. He quickly unwrapped it as Happy pulled away and wasted no time before shoving it into his mouth with a large bite. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he let out a moan of pleasure.
"Would you and that burger like some privacy?" Tessa asked, amused.
"Maybe." He said, voice muffled with a mouth full of food.
As Tony smashed a ridiculous amount of food, Happy drove them to the where Pepper had scheduled the press conference to occur. They pulled up to the awaiting crowd of people, all cheering and clapping. Tony pulled off his paper accessory, before waving out the window at the people celebrating his return.
Tony swung open the door as they came to a stop, getting out of the vehicle as he was greeted by Obidiah. Pepper and Tessa slide out of the car from the other side. Tessa looked around at all the faces, feeling nervous at being around so many people. She adjusted the wig on her head, sweeping out the hair to help hide her face and tucked down her chin, trying to avoid recognition. She and Pepper followed Tony into the building, neither one of them knowing what to expect.
As they entered the crowded room, full of news reporters and cameras, Tessa hung back from the others, choosing to linger near the back wall away from view as much as possible. Tony made his way to the front of the awaiting mass of people, everyone eager to know what he had to say. Tony made his way to the podium standing in front of the crowd, but instead of standing behind it, he sat down in front on it, using it to lean his back against.
"Hey, would it be alright it everyone sat down?" Tony said, motioning for everyone to sit. "Why don't you sit down? That way you can see me, and I can see you…" he said, unwrapping another burger he had brought in with him. "A little less formal and…" he explained, taking a bite as everyone in the room began sitting down on the floor unsurely.
"What's up with the love-in?" Rhodey said next to Tessa's ear, causing her to turn to him in surprise.
"Don't look at me." She said with a shake of her head. "I have no idea what crazy idea he's got in his head." She told him.
"I never got to say goodbye to my father." They heard Tony call out across the room, drawing both of their attention back to him. He had set down his burger and began brushing off his hands as he turned serious. "There's questions I would have asked him." He continued. "I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted….if he ever had doubts." He said, looking across the crowd. "Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels."
Tessa's heart lurched as she listened to him. It was rare for Tony to be this candid to anyone other than her. To hear him speak this honestly to the entire watching world…..well, it stirred emotions deep within her.
"I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them." Tony continued, his voice breaking ever so slightly. "And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability." He told everyone.
A reported called out from the crowd and Tony allowed him his question. "Mr. Stark, what happened over there?" he asked, voicing the question everyone had been dying to know the answer to.
"I-I had my eyes opened." Tony said loudly, pushing himself back up and moving behind the podium. Once he was behind the microphone, he took a minute to let his eyes sweep over the crowd. They found Tessa and they locked in on her own eyes. "Someone once told me that I was capable of doing something greater than a leaving behind a legacy bathed in blood." He said, and Tessa's breathing stopped. "And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International-" he revealed, sending the whole room into a clamoring mess. Everyone shot up from the floor, yelling out over each other as they were left rattled by the unexpected revelation. "Until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be." He continued with a raised voice as Obidiah began trying to speak over him, clearly not comfortable with the sudden turn of events. "What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with…and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well." He finished as he was pushed from the stage by a flustered Obidiah.
Tessa's mouth went dry. She couldn't stop the smile that began to lift up the corner of her mouth as she processed what had just happened. She turned to look at Rhodey who looked back at her in equal astonishment. Neither of them had been prepared for the bombshell that Tony had just dropped. Tessa looked back over the crowd of people swarming around Tony as he made his way through the room and couldn't help but feel like a weight had just been lifted from her chest.
Tessa joined Tony's side as he pressed through the crowd, the reporters being held back as he made his exit. They walked down the corridor, Tessa looking over at him with a smirk. "Turns out you were right." Tony said, looking over at her with a shrug. "Who knew old age came with such wisdom." He joked.
Tessa knocked her shoulder against his. "Yeah? Think you'll listen to this old woman more often?" she asked him, knowing it was unlikely.
"Hmm. We'll see." He said.
Tessa let out a laugh, shaking her head, still stuck in disbelief. She looked over at him and couldn't help but be overcome with so much pride, it radiated off of her. "I'm proud of you Tony." She told him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "You're dad would be too."