The next chapter! I hope you like it, please let me know! As usual, thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and left a review, you're awesome! I'd be happy if more people tell me what you think of the sequel so far.

The song to this chapter is 'Medicine' by James Arthur.

I don't own the characters or places!

Pepper

Tony was feeling guilty. I knew that he was trying to hide it from me, but it didn't work. I could see it in all of his movements, as if he was carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. He also looked worried when he thought that I wasn't paying attention.

I knew that this was about his decision to leave soon. He was worried about me. About what it would do to me if he left me alone in the middle of all this chaos. It made me guilty that he felt this way because of me.

But were his worries really unjustified? I wasn't so sure about that. Because honestly, I was scared of the moment Tony was heading to LA. It was true, we haven't been apart ever since we first met all those months ago in LA. I was used to his presence. When he was around, I felt safe. Of course I knew that I had enough people to look out for me, but without Tony, it just wouldn't be the same. He made me feel stronger; with him, I felt complete. Then I thought that I could achieve anything. Which I did, after all, I won the election. But without him... It just wouldn't be the same.

I would never admit all those things when he was around. I couldn't do that to him, knowing that it would make him feel even more guilty. Or, even worse, it would make him stay here in Washington. Which was the last place where he should be at the moment. Even if it would hurt me to see him leave, I knew that I was doing the right thing. He deserved to make his dreams come true as well. I couldn't be so selfish and keep him from this. Not even when he insisted that it would be fine.

Tony didn't like this whole security business. Yes, he was fine with it because he could work with technology very much and we met in the course of a job, after all, but it wasn't what he wanted to do in life. He was meant for something bigger. I was sure that the new technology he was going to invent would make big changes in the world.

If I would take that away from him, I could never forgive myself.

"Pepper, did you even listen to a single word I said?" A voice ripped me out of my thoughts. Of course it was Daisy and she didn't sound amused.

"Well..." I hesitated, not sure at which point of the conversation my thoughts had drifted away.

"You didn't." My best friend sighed deeply. "The interview will be this afternoon!" She said seriously. "It's our last chance before Tony is heading to LA. And I wanted to know where he is. It's nearly eleven in the morning!"

"I'll search for him." I said and stood up before any of the others could react. We'd all been sitting at the breakfast table for a long time by now and I wasn't hungry anyway. "Most probably, he's working on something again."

"Or still asleep." Rhodey threw in. "He was up nearly the entire night."

I'd noticed that since I'd been waiting for Tony the previous night, but I wouldn't mention that now. Instead, I just nodded and headed back to our room. Well, or my room, to be more exact.

It was true, Tony was still asleep. He was lying in bed, breathing regularly. The sun shone through the only half-closed curtains and bathed him in a soft light. Apparently, he'd turned in his sleep and the blanked didn't cover his naked chest anymore. My eyes fell on the scar on his chest immediately. Normally, I forced myself to look away when he was awake, but now I took my time to look at it more closely.

It was still red, but nearly completely healed. Again, it surprised me how close the bullet had been to his heart. It made the fact that I nearly lost him even more real. I longed to touch his chest and run my finger around the injury. Maybe even kiss it softly, like I'd done it with all his other scars back in New York. However, I held myself back. I didn't want to wake him yet.

So I just sat down on the bed carefully and watched the man I loved more than anything. When Tony was awake, he never looked this peaceful. Maybe because there were always so many things on his mind. I hoped that it would get better soon, but somehow, I doubted that the future would let us live a calm life. At least not for the next years.

Suddenly, Tony made a noise that almost sounded like a sigh. "Pepper..." He turned in his sleep and reached out with his arms, but of course there was nothing he could hold on to. After all, I'd left the bed hours ago. I was about to stand up and move closer to him when his eyes opened and he blinked several times.

For a few moments, we looked at each other silently. Then Tony smiled. "Good morning." When he took in my appearance, he frowned. "Or not morning?"

"Not morning." I shook my head with a smile. "Nearly midday, to be exact."

He sank back into the cushions with a sigh. "Great. I overslept. Who wants to kill me first? I assume it's Daisy?"

The conversation wasn't heading in the direction I wanted, but I just nodded. "We have to leave for the interview in about an hour."

With another sigh, Tony stood up, making the blanket fall to the ground. He was only wearing dark pants and I fought the urge to move and touch him. I couldn't give in to that now, knowing that we would never make it to the interview in time if we got carried away now. From the way Tony smiled and his eyes shone when he moved past me, he had no trouble guessing my thoughts.

"I'll be right back." He kissed me on the cheek and vanished in the bathroom. However, the door opened again and he quirked an eyebrow. "You don't have to wait here for me."

"What if I want to?" I asked.

"Not that Daisy says you're wasting your precious time." Tony muttered, but without waiting for my answer, he closed the door once more.

Ten minutes later, he returned, still with wet hair. He headed for the wardrobe and pulled out black pants, a white shirt and a black suit jacket. Without even looking at me, he chose a dark green tie that fitted my dress. Then he dried his hair and began to style it. I watched him the whole time, but if it bothered him, he didn't let it show. He kept glancing at me and then, a smile would appear on his lips. But otherwise, he remained silent, just like I did.

When he was finished, he sat down on the bed next to me and took my hands. "Something's bothering you." It wasn't a question. Inwardly, I cursed, having temporarily forgotten that he could read me just as well as I could always tell what he was thinking.

"Everything's fine." I lied, though I already knew that it wouldn't be of any use. "Let's not talk about this now, the others are already waiting for us."

"It's because I'll leave, isn't it?" He asked, ignoring my protest. His eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"I'm fine with it." I emphasized. "You have to go to LA and make your dream come true."

He sighed. "We had this conversation before, Pepper. It's not worth it if it makes you unhappy."

"I won't be." I smiled. "We'll talk as often as possible. And you'll not be gone forever." That was the only thought that kept me sane at times.

The look on his face told me that he wasn't happy with my answer, but then there was a knock on the door, followed by a very angry sounding Daisy, and we ended the conversation immediately, both jumping to our feet to search for the last things we needed before we left for the interview.

Apparently, the others had already expected us not to come back to the dining room. In the car, Steve handed Tony a cup of coffee and something that rather looked like a cheeseburger than real breakfast. I decided not to comment on that and from the disapproving look on Daisy's face, I knew that she was thinking the same.

The interview went well, at least that's what I thought. Phil's friend who was working for the Times was patient and let us tell our story without many interruptions. We didn't tell him everything, of course. Just all the important things to make the people understand how difficult the situation had been. From the look on Tony's face, I could tell that he was also pleased by the questions which were asked. In the end, we only talked for a little more than an hour before we said goodbye. Phil's friend promised to send us a version of the article before it was published.

Back at the White House, Tony got a phone call from Obadiah and excused himself. Apparently, they had to discuss something concerning the company again. Having nothing else to do for the moment, I decided to go to the library. There, it was always quiet and I could have some time for myself. I needed that after talking about the previous months once more.

However, I wasn't the only person in the library, I realized. There was already someone sitting in one of the comfortable armchairs close to the window. When he turned around without looking surprised, I realized that he'd been waiting for me.

"I assume everything went well?" Loki asked and raised his eyebrows.

I nodded and sat down in the free armchair. "You want to talk to me?"

"How would you know that?" He smiled. "Maybe I'm just enjoying the view."

"Normally, no one except for Phil and me comes here." I stated. "And Tony, but only when he's looking for me."

"Alright, you got me there." Loki held up his hands. "I can also leave if you want to be alone. It must have been hard to talk about everything once more."

"It was." I agreed. "And you don't have to leave. There has to be a reason why you're here."

"You don't want Tony to leave." Loki stated without hesitation. "Even if you say the opposite, of course."

"I want him to be happy." I was a little surprised that he wanted to talk about this. "And he will be that once he's in LA."

"That's it." Loki nodded as if I'd just confirmed his assumption. "You should consider that you also make him happy, Pepper. But I didn't come here to talk about Tony."

That statement confused me and I frowned at him. "Why then?"

"I think you could use someone to talk to." He stated simply. "I can see how hard this is for you. We all see it."

"Did Tony send you here?" I asked, realizing where this was heading. "Because if he did, you can leave again right now."

"He didn't." Loki shook his head. "I came here because I think you shouldn't be alone right now."

"I'm fine on my own." I argued and crossed my arms. "Really, Loki. I don't need a babysitter."

"I wasn't saying that." He looked offended at my words and ran a hand through his curly hair. "What I wanted to say is that you can always talk to me." He didn't look at me while saying that. "I know that you don't want to worry Tony even more."

I already opened my mouth to say that I had my own friends I could talk to, but then I closed it once more, realizing that it would most probably hurt Loki to hear that. I wasn't sure why, but at the moment, I often said things which hurt the ones close to me. Like telling Tony that it was good he wasn't responsible for my safety anymore. I could still see the hurt expression on his face every time I closed my eyes.

And maybe, just maybe I really needed someone to talk to. Someone who knew Tony and was his friend. Of course I could always talk to Daisy, Jim and Phil, but they didn't understand everything about my relationship with Tony. Maybe it was different with Loki, someone who also knew about Tony's past.

"I don't know what to do once he's gone." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "We haven't been apart in months. I'm scared that I'll mess everything up then."

Loki shook his head, a soft smile on his lips. "You're such a strong woman, Pepper. I'm sure you'd never mess up anything."

When I saw the faith in his eyes, I swallowed. It was the same expression Phil always showed when he emphasized how good I was at what I was doing. "I'm not so sure."

"Let me ask you a question." Loki leaned back in his armchair. "Did you ever have the feeling that you couldn't achieve anything you want before you met Tony?"

I only had to think of this for a few seconds. I shook my head. "Of course not. But it's different. Now half the country accuses me of being a liar and not trustworthy." I wasn't afraid that I couldn't be a good President without Tony by my side. Well, a little bit, maybe. But mostly, the reasons were different. I couldn't even explain all of them myself.

"You're scared because things are going to change." Loki stated. "It's that, isn't it?"

I sighed, realizing that there was no way I could talk myself out of this now. Somehow, Loki had a way of seeing right through everything. "What if he realizes that he doesn't want me anymore?"

To my surprise, Loki started to laugh. "I think there's no possibility that this could happen. Not ever." He shook his head, still looking amused. "He loves you, Pepper. More than life itself, I would dare to say."

"But what if -"

"Let me say it differently." Loki breathed in deeply and looked at me seriously. "I've known Tony for a long time now. Before he met you, he was careless, easily bored and not interested in a lasting relationship. The last time he dated had been years ago and even then, he didn't take it seriously." The image of Natasha flashed through my mind. How she'd said that it wouldn't last with Tony anyway. "He changed when he met you. Of course I didn't see it all since I wasn't with you all the time, but when I joined you, I'd noticed it immediately. His whole world is turning around you now. I've never seen him like this. He's happier than ever before." He smiled. "Don't ever think that he doesn't want you anymore. I think he wouldn't last without you."

I stared at him, not sure what to say to that. Luckily, Loki continued to talk. "What I actually wanted to say is that we don't have to leave. Not all of us anyway."

"Are you offering to stay here?" I asked incredulously.

"Only if you want me to." He nodded. "It might make you feel better."

"Loki, I don't know..." I hesitated, searching for the right words. "Your place is with Tony. Not here with me."

"It might make you feel better when one of us stays with you."

"Clint will stay." I reminded him.

"Because of Phil. That doesn't count." He crossed his arms. "It might be good to have someone to talk to."

For a few moments, I considered this offer. Having Loki around while Tony was gone. Having someone to talk to except for my team. Someone else looking out for me. But then I thought of Tony and the company in LA. How they were making all the changes and trading positions in the company. Loki would miss so much...

"Thank you very much for that offer, Loki." I smiled at him, honestly grateful that he thought of this. "But I could never accept that. Your place isn't here." I repeated.

"I already knew that you would say that." He smiled slightly. "You'll be fine?"

I nodded, most probably looking more courageous than I actually felt.

"And you'll call when you need someone to talk? You have my number and I don't care what time it is."

This actually made me chuckle. "Thank you, Tom." I said, calling him by his real name.

"Not for that." He shook his head, still smiling. "You're impossible, Ms. President, do you know that?"

"That's new to me." I narrowed my eyes. "Normally, Tony is the impossible one."

"It probably rubs off on you."

"Possible." I agreed and looked out of the window thoughtfully. Even if it may not be the most clever thing I'd ever done, it felt right to tell Loki to leave with the others. I really hoped that all my fears were unjustified and the time without Tony wouldn't be so bad after all.

"We're drowning in applications." Jim put the paper he'd just been reading down onto the table. He sighed deeply. "Everyone wants to join your team, Pepper."

"I doubt that everyone wants that." I noted dryly, not looking up from my laptop. "How many are there?"

"After sorting out all the ones that wouldn't fit anyway? About thirty."

"Thirty?!" This made me stare at him incredulously. "So many?"

"We've already told about one hundred people that it wouldn't work." This came from Phil, who was also reading something.

"Wow." I whispered, surprised by the fact that so many people would want to work for me.

"Thirty people and three jobs." Jim noted. "That won't be an easy decision."

"We'll manage that." Phil threw in, a calm smile on his lips.

"I trust you with that." I said simply and glanced at the clock. It was nearly time. The others seemed to notice that as well. They smiled at me encouragingly.

"You should go." Jim said softly. "Spend some more time with him."

"Actually, I have to make this decision soon..." I argued, but Phil stood up and took the laptop from me and closed it.

"That can wait. Now go."

To be honest, I felt relieved that they'd taken the decision from me. After a short 'Thank you', I jumped to my feet and left the room.

Tony was still in our room and to my surprise, he was sitting on the bed with crossed arms. When I entered, he quirked an eyebrow. "You're late."

"You've been expecting me?" I asked in surprise. "I thought we'd agreed to meet in half an hour."

"I knew that you wouldn't last that long without seeing me." He joked, but from the tension in his shoulders, I could see that he was feeling uncomfortable. He opened his arms and I sat down next to him, enjoying the feeling when he pulled me closer.

"I'll miss you." I whispered quietly.

"I'll miss you too, Pep." He leaned in to kiss me. "Give me a few weeks, then I'll be back. It won't take long."

"Take your time." I argued. "It's important."

"You're more important." He argued. "Ms. President."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop calling me that."

"But it's true." He smiled slightly. As usual, seeing that smile made my heart beat faster.

"We'll see for how long. The interview will be published tomorrow."

"Don't be stupid. You'll be a perfect President. And when the time comes, they'll vote for you again."

"You know that I can't be this optimistic." I whispered and shook my head.

"Well, then it's good that I am." He grinned.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders once more and closed my eyes, breathing in his scent. I felt wetness in my eyes and tried not to let it show. I didn't want him to see me cry. It was hard enough for both of us without that.

Later, I couldn't tell anymore how long we stayed like this, wrapped in each other's arms. But then there was a soft knock on the door and we both knew that it was time. They had to leave, otherwise Tony would miss his flight.

"I love you, Pepper." He said seriously. "Never doubt that."

"I love you too, Tony." I replied and then we kissed once more.

His team also said goodbye and all of them insisted that I could call them any time. That's when I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. In the end, it was Tony who wiped them away and hugged me tightly once more before they left.