A new update before I set off on holiday travels! Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! And Happy Reading to everyone. I hope you enjoy. :)

Pepper awoke the next morning alone, covered with the heavy quilt that she and Tony had used to keep warm with the night before. She could still feel his warmth on the couch cushions, so she figured he must not have been gone for long. Still, it puzzled her as to how he managed to escape her presence without waking her up. And she wondered what he'd been in such a hurry to run off to do, as well.

But almost immediately, her question was answered as she heard the loud whack of an ax splitting wood outside. She threw back the quilt, and hurriedly climbed off the couch to go confirm what she was hearing.

Sure enough, when she made it to the front window, she could see Tony swinging an ax over a stump, splitting a large piece of wood he'd placed on it in two, then tossing the two pieces in a small pile off to the side. She smiled to herself at the sight, admiring his skill, but also admiring the physicality of what he was doing. He'd shed his outer shirt, which was now tied around his waist, and had on only the white, thermal-knit undershirt he'd been wearing, which clung to his body, showing off his muscular arms and torso. The lingering heavy cloud cover was still blotting out the sun, and thick white snowflakes drifted down all around him. Many had gently settled on the bit of dark hair poking out from under the navy blue stocking cap he'd pulled down around his head. His breath puffed out in billowy clouds of steam as he worked, and since he was focused on what he was doing, he remained oblivious to her watching him.

Pepper felt her cheeks warm as she blushed, the usual natural reaction she'd always experienced when secretly admiring her boss. She leaned against the window frame, and brought a hand to her mouth to cover her smile.

But Tony suddenly stopped what he was doing. He raised his eyes to where she stood, and then smirked at her knowingly, obviously having suddenly sensed her watching him. Pepper's eyes went wide, and she gasped, startled by having been discovered. Tony chuckled and raised a hand to playfully twiddle his fingers at her in hello. But then he saw her dart away from the window, and disappear. He frowned, thinking he'd embarrassed her, until he saw the front door open and she appeared again. Then a broad grin spread across his lips once more.

"Well, hellooo there," he cooed playfully to her, with a knowing smirk.

Pepper gave him a coy smile back, then looked around at the heavy snow falling all around them before stepping further out onto the covered porch. She tucked her arms into her body for warmth as she was still in just her socked feet, and with no jacket. "I..uh, I heard the ax, so..." she attempted to explain.

"Uh-huh," Tony said skeptically, still smirking. "Well, while you were sawing logs of your own, I decided I'd better play lumberjack, and chop some more wood, so..." he said, shrugging as he trailed off. He took position once more, lining up another log on the stump, and swinging the ax back around his body and over his head to split it. The log sharply separated with a loud crack, and the two pieces fell to the sides of the stump. Tony leaned the handle of the ax against it, and collected the pieces, tossing them into the existing pile beside him. He then got another log, and lined it up on the stump to repeat the process.

"Need some help?" Pepper offered. But Tony refused, shaking his head.

"Nope. I got it. Plus, you're out here in socks," he said, nodding toward her feet. He waved a dismissive hand at her. "So stay there. And stay warm. I'm almost done."

Pepper nodded in compliance, and leaned against one of the porch's support posts, folding her arms into her body again. She had to be honest. She couldn't say she minded being there, watching him work while she kept him company. And that was for a few reasons. In years past, she'd always secretly enjoyed those times when she'd come into the shop, and he'd be laboring away. Call the urge she felt primeval, but it was undeniably arousing watching him physically work. Truthfully, she loved everything about it- the little grunts and groans he made at each peak of exertion, the way he scrunched up his face with the strain, the faint glisten of sweat across his brow. But the best part?, Pepper thought, subsequently feeling her cheeks warm again in embarrassment of what she was admitting to herself, was the way he smelled. It was just pure...Tony. There really was no other way to describe it.

In truth, a man's smell hadn't necessarily been something she'd noticed much in the past, unless it was something obviously off-putting. And, sure, it was hard not to notice a man's cologne or aftershave. Especially the way some men seemingly doused their whole bodies in it, making it inescapable. But that wasn't the case with Tony. Quite the contrary, she honestly couldn't recall there ever being a man she'd been around who's own chemistry proved to be such an attractant to her, all on it's own. And that had both tantalized and frustrated her the whole time she'd worked for him, as all of those feelings seemed for naught. We're so different, she thought. But this made her smile in surprise to herself, as those differences were quickly becoming less of a wedge between them, and more of what seemed to make them...she sighed. Great together, she admitted. It's true. We really ARE great together. It's only being proven more and more all the time.

As if on cue, she suddenly caught a whiff of him still on her from the night before, and the ever-present flutter of butterflies in her stomach threatened to make her blush again.

She quickly cleared her throat, trying to tamp them down. "So, tell me, how did you manage to escape without my detection?" she asked.

Tony paused, and smiled mischievously back. He chuckled. "Pepper, do you know how many sleeping girls I've crawled out from under in my lifetime? I'm like a freakin' ninja," he bragged. "Or...Houdini."

Pepper snorted in disdain, and rolled her eyes. "Sorry I asked," she muttered.

"But a sudden urge to flee the scene was definitely not the case here, I assured you," he quickly said, backtracking. Noticing her lingering dismay, he paused to lay his ax down and walk over to her. When he reached her, he ran his hands down her upper arms, and smiled, his eyes sparkling. Pepper couldn't help but smile back. Especially now, as his familiar scent was directly in her presence, and mixed with the crisp air around them, making those defiant butterflies in her belly kick back up again in frantic fervor.

"It was more because you needed your rest," he said, before leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on the bruised spot on her forehead. This only made Pepper smile more at the sweet gesture, and completely forget about his previous statement. "So I didn't want to wake you," he finished.

"Well, in that case, then, I owe you a thank you," Pepper replied, hoping he'd mistake the reason for her blushing cheeks as just being nipped from the chill.

"Mmm hmm," Tony said, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. Then, he looked at her in curiosity. "Incidentally, are you always that sound of a sleeper? I probably could've brought a marching band through the room, and you still wouldn't have woken up," he teased.

Pepper chuckled, and then shrugged sheepishly. "What can I say? I guess I was just really comfortable," she cooed, with a sweet smile.

Tony smiled at her fondly, his eyes sparkling at the recollection of her falling asleep in his arms the night before. He'd stayed awake for a long while after she'd dozed off, enjoying holding her close in front of the fire while she slept. It was only until he couldn't fight his own drowsiness anymore that he succumbed, thought he now regretted missing a single moment of it.

"So what're you saying? I'm cuddly?" he joked.

Pepper giggled. "I guess that's one way to describe it," she replied.

Tony grinned. "Well, the pleasure was all mine, Ms. Potts. I am happy to oblige any time," he cooed teasingly.

Pepper giggled again before raising her lips to meet his. He kissed her back, running his hands up and down her body before the kiss broke, and they rested their foreheads on one another's, smiling lovingly.

Pepper cupped his reddened cheeks with her hands, and stroked them with her thumbs, feeling the effects of the icy air on his skin. "Burr," she said. "You need to finish so we can get you back inside, and warmed up."

Tony smiled at her care and concern. "Okay, baby," he murmured, going in for one more peck before breaking away from her embrace, and finishing the last of the few logs he'd pulled from the pile beside the house.

It didn't take long, and together they worked to stack the split logs beside the front door on the porch for quick access. Then Pepper gathered a few to be brought inside, and set them on the hearth. Tony followed her inside, pulling the stocking cap of his head as he went, and ruffling the water droplets out of his hair from the melted snowflakes that had landed in the exposed bit. Then he knocked the snow off his shoes, and removed them, along with his socks, leaving them by the door. He didn't tell her the shoes were still wet from the day before, but when Pepper turned around to face him, she noticed the dark purple, puckered skin on his feet.

"Tony?!" she gasped. "You were out there in wet shoes?!"

He scoffed. "Again, Pep. There aren't a lot of choices in footwear. I kinda had to..."

"Well, bring them here!" she demanded, cutting him off and pointing to the fireplace. "Maybe we can dry them."

Tony frowned. "They're Italian leather, Pep. They'll shrink. Best to let them air dry," he urged.

Pepper huffed. "Fine," she said, relenting. "But if you get pneumonia, or even the sniffles, I'll..."

"Play nurse-maid? Like you always have?" Tony interjected, teasing her. He walked to her, and pulled her into his arms. She reluctantly gave in, giving him a wry smirk. "I mean, c'mon, Pep. You'd make me suffer? Really? You'd make your hero suffer?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Oh, boy. You're going to use that against me at every opportunity, now, aren't you?" she joked.

Tony just pumped his eyebrows, and chuckled. "Would you expect any less?" he asked.

"From you? No," Pepper retorted. "Your ego wouldn't allow it, I'm afraid."

Tony chuckled again, and leaned in for a kiss. Pepper begrudgingly kissed him back, but cocked an eyebrow at him when it broke, trying to keep a straight face all the while.

He pretended not to notice as he took her hands in his, and brought them to his chest. And then he gave her a curious look. "So does that mean it's too soon to tell you that, after a quick break and a cup of coffee, I intend to put those shoes back on and go back out there to check the inlet for fish?" he asked, jamming a thumb in the direction of the door.

Pepper gasped. "Oh, for Pete's sake!" she cried in exasperation, stocking off toward the kitchen.

Tony chuckled again to himself as he followed behind her.

XxXxXxXx

A while later, Pepper had successfully brewed them both a cup of hot coffee. Tony was forever grateful, as not only did the coffee serve to warm up his insides, but also the mug served to warm his hands as he sat at the table with her. Pepper sat next to him, warming her hands with her own mug, as just her short time outside with him had chilled her as well. "After I come back, I'm hitting the showers," he told her. He ran a hand over the scruff that had started to appear on his cheeks. "And maybe I'll grab a shave, too, if I can scrounge up a razor."

Pepper smirked at him, running the backs of her fingers against his cheek. "You are getting pretty scruffy, there, Stark," she teased. "Of course, given the skills you displayed this morning, maybe the look suits you."

Tony smiled, and giggled at her teasing him. "Yeah, maybe it does, Potts. I don't know. What do you think?" he asked. "Should I let it grow, and become a rugged mountain man?"

Pepper giggled. "You? A mountain man?!" she joked. "Hardly. Don't know many mountain men who wear imported leather dress shoes."

"But what you're saying is you do know some? Just so we're clear," Tony teased back. Pepper giggled, as he continued, shaking his head. "Boy, I don't know about you, Pep. You run with a wild bunch. First it's role play, and spangly unitards. Now, it's lumberjacks," he joked.

"Mountain men, Tony. The term is mountain men," Pepper quipped.

"Oh, pardone. Of course. My mistake," he said, with a smirk. They both laughed, and Pepper rested her head on Tony's shoulder. He, in turn, laid his head on hers, and then reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers.

They fell silent, each left to their own thoughts. Tony raised his head, and placed a gentle kiss on the top of Pepper's head, before laying his own back down where it had been. Pepper smiled to herself at the display of affection.

"You gotta admit. It's...peaceful here," Tony murmured, his voice soft and thoughtful.

Pepper moved to raise her head to look at him. A soft smile spread across her lips. "It is," she agreed. But then her face fell, and she bit her lips together. Tony frowned as she looked away. He could see her eyes start to tear up.

"Pep?" he murmured, moving to put his arm along the back of her chair. "You okay?"

She waved a hand to dismiss his worry, and gave him a sheepish, yet tearful smile. She leaned in to give him an appreciative kiss, and he kissed her back, but didn't break his look of concern.

She chuckled in embarrassment at suddenly becoming emotional. "I'm sorry," she said, sniffing and wiping a tear that had escaped and rolled down her cheek. "It's nothing."

Tony frowned in confusion. "It's obviously not nothing. So, talk to me, baby," he urged. "What's got you upset?"

Pepper shrugged. "It's Christmas Eve tonight," she explained.

"Right?" Tony replied questioningly.

"I was supposed to be getting on a plane, today. People are expecting me to be home for the holiday, Tony. My mother is expecting me..." A sob caught in Pepper's chest, and she placed a hand over her heart to calm herself. "God, she'll be worried sick!" she finished.

Tony gave her a look of sympathy and Pepper closed her eyes, as more tears gathered and rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry!" she said again, after reopening her eyes to look at him. "But it breaks my heart to think about what will go through her mind when she doesn't hear from me! What about when she tries to call?!" she cried. The last shred of Pepper's composure disintegrated at that moment, and her shoulders began to shake as she started to sob.

"Hey, hey, hey. Come here," Tony urged, as he pulled her to him, wrapping her tightly in a hug as she cried on his shoulder. He tried to soothe her by rubbing her back, but he also went silent, to give her a minute to cry it out. He knew she and her mother were close, and this was a very legitimate thing for her to be upset about. He could relate to how she felt, in that, if his own mother were still alive, they'd probably have a very similar relationship. Tony had been the apple of Maria Stark's eye, and everyone around them knew it. Including his father, which made Tony often wonder if perhaps his dad's attitude towards him was caused in part because of some kind of jealousy towards this. I guess I'll never really know, he thought glumly. But it would be just like him if it did.

Pepper pulled back, and swiped at a few more tears. "And it's not like this just dawned on me! I mean, good grief! I figured we'd still be here by this point, but...that doesn't mean it doesn't bother me, you know?" she asked.

"I do," Tony offered. He grasped her hand in both of his, and patted it sympathetically. "But listen to me. It'll be okay, Pep. We'll get out of here, and get help, and you'll get to see your mother soon," he assured her.

She gave him a weak smile. " I know. And thank you," she said.

He smiled and nodded in reply. He'd tried to sound sincere, and thankfully, she was none the wiser. And it wasn't that he was being disingenuous. He did want her to be able to see her mother soon. But secretly, he'd found himself wishing they didn't have to leave at the soonest available opportunity. He was starting to really enjoy being in this place with her. He likened it to what it would maybe feel like to make a home with her. And, much to his surprise and delight, the idea thrilled him.

But that wasn't what was important at the moment. What was was lifting Pepper's spirits. Well, I know what would lift MINE if the roles were reversed, he thought to himself in jest. But quickly dismissed the idea, as he knew it would only garner him a slap from her if he even remotely suggested what he was truly thinking. So he opted to keep that to himself, and thought, instead, of what he could do for her.

Then it occurred to him, and he instantly brightened.

"Hey, Pep? Tell you what," he said. "Why don't you go take a nice, hot bath, huh? Get all relaxed. Get your mind off of everything. And while you're doing that, I'm going to go to the river," he offered.

She chewed her lip as she considered his suggestion, and then nodded. "I...guess I could do that," she said. But then her eyes widened in alarm. "But what about the mountain lion?" she asked.

Tony shook his head. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I'll take the shot gun along. It'll be fine."

She gave him a troubled look, hut then relented. "Hmmm, well...be careful," she emphatically warned. "I mean it. Don't let yourself get caught by surprise."

Tony smiled. "I won't. I'll be careful, I promise," he said.

"You better," she purred softly.

Tony then stood up, and offered her his hand. Pepper took it and stood up as well. "Now, you. Scoot. Off to the bathroom you go, and I'll be back in two shakes. Me and my soaking wet shoes," he teased.

Pepper scoffed and rolled her eyes. But then she smiled, and shrugged. "All the more reason to come back quickly," she said.

"That's right," Tony agreed.

She nodded, and then took a deep breath. "Alright, then. I'm off," she said resolutely, and turned to leave.

Tony watched her walk down the hall, and disappear into the bathroom. Then he clasped his hands, and rubbed them together eagerly. "Okay. Let Operation Christmas Spirit commence," he murmured happily, with a giddy grin.