Unbelievable, but true! After so many months, I've written another chapter. I'm incredibly sorry that it took me so long. But my life and a few other stories have kept me busy. But now I'm back and determined to finish this! I hope someone's still reading this, even if it's been so long. It would be great if you can let me know if anyone's still here, I think it would motivate me to keep working on this!
The song to this chapter is 'Safe Hands' by Michael Patrick Kelly.
I don't own the characters or places!
Pepper
Outside, it was raining. Dark clouds were hanging in the air and the only sounds I could hear were the wind rustling in the trees and the sound of raindrops pattering against the window. It looked uncomfortable and I wasn't happy that I would have to leave the house soon. Of course I would just have to get into the car, but I wasn't keen on it anyway. I still had to get used to the climate in Washington, which was so different from LA.
All in all, the weather outside resembled my mood very well.
The conversation with Tony the previous night was still on my mind. I couldn't believe that he went into that house all alone. Of course I understood his reasons and knew why he didn't want to have anyone else around, but anyway... It had been so hard for him and I wished that I could have been there. Trying to comfort him over the phone just wasn't the same.
His father's letter was a surprise. From everything Tony told me, it was hard to believe that this man showed some regret for all the things he'd done in the end. However, it wasn't such a surprise that he apparently followed all of Tony's steps in the previous years. Howard Stark was a man who needed control over everything. And when he couldn't control it, he at least needed to know what was going on.
Tony's decision to keep the lab his father had designed for him was a courageous one. He didn't decide to take his legacy, but instead he was planning to change it so it was entirely his own. It was so much like Tony to make a decision like that and I had to smile at that thought. Nevertheless, I also knew that this path wouldn't be easy. I hoped that his friends could help him with everything while I was too far away for that.
"Staring out of the window has never solved any problems before." A warm voice said behind my back and only seconds later, someone stepped next to me. I didn't move, though. I'd already heard the familiar footsteps getting closer.
"You can still try it." I replied simply and without looking at the person next to me. "Who knows, maybe it will work someday?"
"The world would be much easier if this works." When the words were followed by silence, I glanced at the person next to me. I wasn't surprised to notice that Phil already watched me with concern on his face. "Are you alright, Pepper?"
"I'm fine." I muttered with a nod and tried to smile at him. But I knew that it must rather look like a grimace.
"With everything that is going on at the moment, I highly doubt that." Phil placed a hand on my shoulder. "I heard you talk on the phone late last night. Is everything alright in California?" Of course he knew that I'd talked to Tony.
I nodded. "Tony's fine. Just dealing with the company and all that. It's not easy."
Phil nodded in understanding. "I know that you want to be there for him."
"He needs me." I whispered. "He's too stubborn to admit it, though."
A small smile appeared on Phil's lips. "Sounds like someone else I know."
I rolled my eyes. "He had to leave. There was no other way."
"And yet you miss him and it hurts you that he's gone."
"He can't be with me all the time. I always knew that our time together would come to an end one day." Even I noticed how weak my voice sounded when I said it.
"There's nothing wrong in admitting that you need someone by your side." Phil's voice was still soft. "Even you don't always have to be strong, Pepper. I'm sure Tony would agree with me."
"I won't let him ruin his life just to be with me." I repeated, this time louder.
He sighed, surely knowing that it was of no use to keep arguing with me about this. I'd made up my mind. Tony had to be in LA. This was his dream. I couldn't hold him back. I wanted him to be happy, it was all that mattered. Even if it would surely make things a little harder for me.
"Maybe you should concentrate on the other problem at hand, then." Phil changed the subject and I tried to fight the images that appeared on my mind in this moment. Me, standing in front of a crowd, making a speech. A familiar face in front of me, with a sick grin on his lips. Lots of chaos and in the end, a gunshot. Tony lying on the ground, motionless.
"It will be fine, Pepper." Phil's hands on my shoulders took me back to reality. "He can't hurt you again."
"I know that." I said automatically. However, that didn't make it better. Again, I wished that Tony would be with me. Just that he wasn't. And even if he would be here, I had to talk to Sattler alone. He refused to speak when someone else was with me.
"We just need his statement, nothing else. It will be over in no time." He sounded confident.
I didn't share that feeling. From what I've seen from Sattler so far, I knew that it wouldn't be easy. Surely, he would try to hurt me with his words alone. Remind me of all the things that happened in the past year. Make me suffer some more, even if he'd already lost.
I breathed in deeply and reminded myself that it were only words. The danger was long gone. Even if he said horrible things, nothing could happen to any of us. He didn't have that power anymore.
"I'm sure you're right, Phil." I forced myself to say those words and look confident. When he hugged me tightly, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. I was so glad that Phil was with me. Without him, I'd be lost.
When we parted, he smiled at me. "We should go and have some breakfast. You need to eat. You're already so thin, Pepper."
"I'm eating enough!" I complained, even if I knew that it wasn't true. When I was stressed, food was always the last thing on my mind. And at the moment, I just didn't find the time to relax. Especially not on this day. I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat a thing. But maybe coffee wasn't so bad.
When we arrived in the small dining room, I was surprised to find it empty. The other members of my team were nowhere to be seen. And the table was only set for two. I quirked an eyebrow at Phil, but he only smiled. "The others thought that it might be good if we have some time alone." He explained, his expression nearly looking sheepish.
At the idea of having some time alone with Phil, I had to smile. In the past months, we never had much time to talk to each other. There was always far too much going on. Suddenly, the idea of eating something didn't sound so bad after all.
"Tell me about you and Clint." I said as soon as we both sat down.
"There's not much to tell." Phil said, though his cheeks turned a little red. "We met when I was in the hospital and got along well. And from then, things just... developed."
"You fell in love with him." I corrected him with a smile. "I'm happy for you, Phil."
"Thank you." He smiled back at me. His eyes were shining. "I wasn't sure if he liked me back first."
"He was crazy about you right from the beginning." I argued and soon, we were lost deep in a conversation about Phil's love life. Before, I didn't know that I needed this. Some time to talk about something else than my life. But now it felt like a big weight was lifted from my shoulders, at least for a short time. And I'd really missed spending time with Phil. Since we were also working together, I tended to forget sometimes that this man was like a father to me.
Unfortunately, our time together was over far too soon. About an hour later, there was a knock on the door. It was Clint. He smiled when he saw us, but the look in his eyes was serious. "Nick says we have to leave."
My heart sank at this, but I nodded. "Then let's go." When Phil also stood up and announced that he would accompany me to the prison, I tried not to look too relieved. Most probably, the press was already waiting outside and I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me scared. In the public eye, I already looked far too weak. That had to change.
Nick Fury was waiting for us in the hallway, looking as grim as ever. "I thought you'd never show up." He muttered and without waiting for a reply, he began to walk towards the entrance door. I was about to follow him, but then I felt a hand on my shoulder. Phil smiled at me encouragingly, but he didn't say a word. It was enough, though. Breathing in deeply once more, I followed Nick.
In the car, my phone rang. It didn't surprise me to see that it was Tony. How he knew that we were on our way now? I wasn't so sure, but it also didn't matter.
"Hey Pep, how are you?" He asked as soon as I answered the call.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking that question?" I asked back, remembering how lonely he'd sounded the previous night.
"Not a chance." He replied simply. "Today is not about me. I'm fine, Pepper. So how are you feeling?"
I glanced at Phil next to me, but he was lost in conversation with Nick and Clint. I knew that he did that on purpose. "I'm alright. A little nervous. But it will be fine. They say nothing can happen." Except for him talking to me and that was already bad enough.
"Don't listen to all the things he says." Tony warned me, as if he'd heard my thoughts. "He'll try to unsettle you. You can't let him succeed. Those are just words, you can ignore them. You're so strong, Pep."
"But what if I can't?" My voice was barely a whisper.
"You can. Just have faith in yourself."
"Sounds easier than it is." I muttered.
"Then have faith in me. Because I believe in you. I love you, Pepper Potts. And I wish that I could be with you right now." There was so much longing in his voice, it made my heart ache.
"You wouldn't be allowed to go in anyway." I reminded him.
"Doesn't matter. I just wish I could be with you now. And afterwards. You'll call me, right?"
"I will." I promised, knowing exactly how he was feeling right now. "Don't worry, Tony. I'll be fine."
"Show him how strong you are, Ms. Potts." His words made me smile.
"I love you too, Tony." I whispered, trying not to feel sad that he wasn't with me.
"Always remember, you just need his statement about the threats and the attacks. Nothing else. As soon as you have that, get out of there." He sounded urgent now.
"As if I'd stay with this man one second longer than necessary."
"Good. You can do this." Someone in the car cleared his throat and when I realized that we'd already arrived, my heart sank.
"I have to end the call now. We've arrived." I informed Tony.
"Just be careful. And don't let him get to you."
"I love you." I told him once more before I ended the call and followed the others.
The corridors inside the building seemed to be endless. The dark floor, together with the grey walls made the tension in the air almost palpable. We didn't meet a single soul except for the two guards who accompanied us, but I could feel many eyes on us anyway. Which was probably stupid, they didn't even lead us past any cells.
When we finally arrived in front of what was called the interrogation room, it felt like my already fast beating heart would explode. It took all my willpower not to let it show how uncomfortable the whole situation made me feel. Nick was the only person who'd been allowed to accompany me inside and now he looked at me seriously.
"We just need the basics. Why he did it. Who was working with him. How long all this has been going on. Got it? Once you have that, get out of there." I knew that this was his attempt to calm my nerves. I nodded slowly.
"Got it." I repeated, surprised that my voice sounded steady.
"I'll be right here. We can see you through the window next door and hear what you say. And one of the guards will accompany you into that room."
I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or concerned because Nick and two strangers were going to hear everything that was said. However, I nodded silently.
"Good, then let's get over with it." He gestured for me to the follow the man with the keys.
He smiled at me encouragingly. "Nothing can happen to you, Ms. President."
I smiled back at him. "What's your name?"
"Will Turner." He introduced himself and bowed his head. "It's an honour to meet you, by the way."
To my surprise, I liked him. "I think meeting under different circumstances would have been easier."
"True. But it will be over soon and then you never have to see this man again." I wasn't so sure about that. After all, Sattler admitting everything would lead to a trial.
When Will opened the door and gestured for me to go in first, I breathed in deeply once more. Then I entered the room.
Sattler was sitting on a plastic chair in front of a small table. His hands were tied and when I got closer, I noticed that he also couldn't move his legs. He was wearing a plain grey suit, just like all the other people here. His blond hair looked dull and was a little too long. His skin was paler than when I'd last seen him. But the look in his eyes... Once they focused on me, I could see the same coldness and estimation in them he'd also shown all the other times we met.
His lips curved into a smile and he leaned forward, even if I doubted that he noticed it. "What an honour." His voice was full of sarcasm. "The President is coming here herself."
"Mr. Sattler." I said calmly when I sat down opposite of him. There were about two meters between us and I was glad for the distance. In fact, it still felt far too close.
"Don't you have people you could have sent now? Or is this small security company still responsible for you?" He raised his eyebrows.
I stared at him blankly. "You know fully well why I'm here. After all, it was your request."
"Tell me, how is Mr. Smith? Or should I say Mr. Stark? I've heard that he was quite ill for some time." There was a gleam in his eyes.
"I'm not here to play games." I interrupted him, not wanting to talk about Tony now. Not with the man who'd nearly killed him. Who'd hurt him more than once.
"How disappointing." Sattler muttered. "I've already been looking forward to a long conversation with you."
"Why have you done all this?" I asked bluntly. "All those threats on my life. Just to win this election?"
He shook his head slowly. "You disappoint me, Ms. Potts." He leaned back in his chair. "You shouldn't ask so many questions, it doesn't suit you in your position."
"I'm not here to have a nice chat with you!" I hissed, trying to control my anger.
"First, I had doubts that Mr. Smith could really be there for your safety. He was a very good politician. Too good. And so charming, the people loved him. But very soon, it became clear that he was watching you far too much. There were two possibilities. He wasn't what he seemed or you were jumping into bed with him." He smiled widely. "Seems like both were true."
"Your people must have told you that he's my bodyguard as soon as he showed up in LA." I said, not able to hold myself back. Inwardly, I cursed.
"You might not believe this, but I didn't have much contact with my people at first." He shrugged. "I was too busy trying to win this election."
"You never planned to win for real. You hoped that I'd be dead before it was over."
"You shouldn't think of me as a killer. That's not true."
"You shot Tony at the inauguration." I threw in.
He shook his head. "You had enough time to back off. That could have prevented everything."
"So you only sent those letters to scare me?" I stared at him.
"At first." He nodded. "But it became obvious very fast that you didn't take it seriously. So someone broke into your house. Of course only when no one was there."
"So you say it was all planned? Also the attacks after that?"
"They should scare you." He grimaced. "But those men were always with you and most of our plans didn't even take effect."
So maybe at least some of our spontaneous changes in plans had confused them. If not for Rebecca, our strategy might even have worked.
"You turned one of my best friends against me." I threw in, suddenly feeling angry for this. Rebecca had been one of my closest friends for years.
To my surprise, Sattler laughed. "She's always been jealous of you. At least that's what her boyfriend said."
Josh Shanks. The man who's been working for Sattler for years. One of his closest friends. "Your friend manipulated her."
"Do you really think so?" He asked and raised his eyebrows. "Or did you just trust the wrong people for once?"
I was already about to say that my friends would never betray me, but it wasn't true. After all, that's what Rebecca did. One of the people I'd trusted blindly. Don't let him get to you, Tony's voice sounded inside my head, reminding me that Sattler was playing with me. It was all a game to him. I had to stay focused on why I was here.
"So when your plans didn't work you decided that someone should hurt me." I said, ignoring his last comment.
"It was her idea. The one of your friend." He said simply, his smile widening. "She also wanted you dead, Ms. Potts."
"So you don't even try to deny it. All those threats. The attacks on Tony, Phil and me." I muttered and clenched my fists.
He shrugged. "Why should I deny it? I've been caught trying to shoot you." The look which appeared on his face right now reminded me of a man who'd accepted his fate. It looked wrong on him, like it was an act.
"This conversation is over now." I said and stood up abruptly, suddenly feeling unwell in his presence. Why did he admit everything so easily? I came here prepared for a fight with words. For a challenge. This was too easy. My mind was racing while I made my way to the door.
"Say hi to Mr. Stark from me." Sattler called after me. "We never got the chance to really talk. What a pity, I always thought that he would be interesting company. And Ms. Potts?" This actually made me look over my shoulder. "You should better be the best president this country has ever seen. Otherwise, it was all for nothing."
Then I was out of the room and the door closed behind me with a thud. For a few moments, I stood there motionless, but then someone cleared his throat. It was Nick.
"Well done." He said when he stepped next to me. "We've got his statement now."
"Wonderful." I muttered, not feeling relieved at all. Something about all this felt strange. I began to walk away from the door without thinking about it and the fast footsteps behind me told me that the others were following. Only seconds later, Will Turner was in front of me, leading the way.
As soon as we were out of the prison and back in the car, I threw myself into Phil's arms. After holding him close for a few moments, I grabbed my phone and called Tony.