For those who haven't seen Endgame yet, please ignore the rant at the end of the chapter. Because Spoilers.

Okaaaaay. SO. I'm not sure how long it's been since I updated. A few months, I think. Again, I'm sorry it's taking so very long to deliver each chapter. The anticipation leading to Endgame and the - aftermath, left me unable to write for some time. Also, I've moved countries! I am now living in London, looking for a job (UGH) and trying not to have a daily panic attack over my finances and Brexit. Yeah. That's not going so well.

Anyway, I'm so glad you're all still here after, what, four years? (Fuck.) We're in the last chapters. Which could mean at least 5 chapters. But playing the guessing game with my writing is a fool's errand so don't read too much into it.

Again, thanks so much for all your comments/kudos and overall support. You are the best readers a girl could hope for. This chapter is what you've been waiting for since I left Tony in that hell-hole.

My Beta is the amazing Laurel who's been my rock for the past few weeks (and few years). Love ya, girl.


CHAPTER 16

Pepper is woken up at 2:30 am on a Thursday. The caller is a sergeant from Command in D.C.:

"Ma'am, sorry to call you so early. I'm about to connect you to a secure line with Colonel Rhodes. Please hold."

She's connected 10 seconds later and Rhodey delivers her the news: they think they've found where Tony is.

The rough awakening coupled with the news, hope resurfacing and fear that it might be too late or just not true, make her lose her breath for a couple of seconds. Her ears are buzzing and her head is swimming. She finally comes back to her senses and she hears Rhodey's voice calling her repeatedly.

"Pepper? Pep? Virginia!"

"Yes, sorry! I- sorry. This is a lot to take in. I'm not fully awake and-"

"Pepper," Rhodey softly cuts in. "It's alright. I know. But we need your help. Are you up for it?"

She clears her throat, trying to conceal the tremor in her voice:

"Yes, of course. What do you need?"

Rhodey explains that they've taken satellite images of an encampment in the mountains in the province of Kandahar. They think it's the one she and Tony were taken to and where he still might be.

"We've just sent you an access link to a secure database. You'll find satellite pictures on it as well as a rough layout of what we believe the camp might look like. There's also a map of the area."

She fires up her laptop as he explains everything in further details. The images are a bit grainy, hence the layout drawn by the intelligence officers at Command. They can't do better right now because sending a drone to take pictures would tip them off that they're being watched. Rhodey then goes on to explain that not two camps are ever the same because the Afghan mountains where most of the terrorist organizations hide make it hard to set up camps. So it should make it easier for her to give a positive ID on the images they've sent her.

As Pepper looks at the images, and mostly the layout of the encampment, she tries to remember what she saw when they pulled her out of the cave. She remembers the tents and the crates of weapons stacked under them. There were about 7 or 8 of them, all medium-sized, plus a big one, on the right of the entrance of the cave. Some cars and a big pile of trash beside a dug out hole. Her memories are hazy, mostly because she didn't see much before they put a bag over her head. It's the pile of trash that she recalls best, because of the pungent smell of rubber and food rotting under the sun. It was behind one of the smaller tents. And on the pictures, she discerns a dark spot at the same place.

"Rhodey, did the intelligence officers tell you what's behind that second tent on the left? I'm talking about that small area that's darker than the rest. Is it a problem with the image?"

She hears chatter around him and he doesn't answer right away.

"They're not a 100% sure, but they think it's a hole. They probably dug one for the trash. It's a common practice in this kind of camps. They prefer to bury their trash rather than burn it out and risk detection. Also, it tends to stink when you burn it."

Pepper feels herself trembling, but tries not to lose her nerve.

"I think- I think that's it. I remember they had a pile of trash there when I came out but they hadn't put the trash in the hole yet. It was behind that tent. And the rest of the layout - it looks like what I saw."

Again, she hears chatter on the other end of the line. Then someone else is speaking to her:

"This is Director Fury from SHIELD. Ms. Potts, are you sure this is what you saw?"

Pepper takes a moment before answering, trying to recall as much as she can, summoning images that she would rather have forgotten. The increasing heat she felt as she approached the entrance of the cave, the sunlight almost blinding her when she finally stepped out, the smell of rubber and food rotting coming from her left, the dust carried by the wind. It's all there in her memories. It fits. Not perfectly, but enough to say:

"The hole, the tents, even the way the cars are parked… it matches what I remember. But I can't give you 100% certainty. I just… I feel like this is it. This is where Tony is."

There's a silence on the line and then:

"Well, looks like we're heading east."

XXX

Order out of chaos. That's what Pepper thinks when she sees the troops heading into the plane, and later again, when they land on the tarmac of Bagram airfield, in Afghanistan.

Bagram isn't their final stop. They're still a few hundred miles from the Kandahar province. They'd hitched a ride, as Fury put it, with the new troops coming in to start their tour.

"The real fun will begin when we get to Losano camp. Well, for them anyway. That'll be our final stop, Ms. Potts. We'll be kept appraised of the mission via video." Fury explained.

Pepper doesn't say anything. She isn't really supposed to be here but Rhodey had vouched for her on the condition she remains at the base. Fury hadn't been very happy with the decision but as this was a joint operation between SHIELD and the Air Force, he couldn't say no to the USAF Head of Operations.

Pepper slept poorly on the military plane. She was completely exhausted when they arrived at Losano camp. It was just beside Kandahar International Airport and she could see the planes coming and going from the base.

Rhodey escorts her to the women's quarters and sits her on one of the cots and explains the timeline.

"I'm going to have a briefing with the base commander, Colonel Mulligan, and Special Ops. I'll head out with Special Ops and some of my men in a couple of hours. Then it'll probably take another hour for us to reach the camp. Since you don't have clearance for the briefing, you should try and get some rest. I'll be back before we take off, okay?"

"I wish I could do more," Pepper says.

He sits next to her. "You've already done plenty, Pepper. We wouldn't be here without you. Now, it's my turn. I'm going to get our boy back. Alright?"

He wipes a tear from her cheek and kisses her forehead.

"Get some rest. I'll see you later."

Exhaustion takes over her as soon as she puts her head on the pillow. She is gently shaken awake by Rhodey in full gear an hour and a half later and accompanies him to the Quinjets, before watching him take off in one of them. Fury, standing beside her, asks her if she wants to wait with him in the officer's mess.

"The food won't be great but it's been some time since they gave us these energy bars on the way here from Bagram."

Sitting in front of him and their respective bowls of porridge ("Your safest bet. It'll be as terrible as the stuff you get back in the US, but at least it won't be a surprise."), Pepper asks him:

"Why aren't you part of the mission?"

Fury digs into his porridge and makes a face before answering: "I'm just the intelligence side of things. I'm more useful here than on the ground. Not that I can't shoot my way out of trouble, but I don't know the terrain. Your friend Colonel Rhodes and his men, they know the desert and the enemy. They don't need me traipsing about."

She nods in understanding before apologizing:

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply you weren't doing your job."

He smiles: "Not at all. It's a valid question. I would have asked the same thing in your place. How's the porridge?"

"Terrible."

"Are you surprised?"

"No, you told me it would be."

"See? Intelligence. That's my job."

Pepper chuckles then sighs. As if he read her mind, Fury added: "Waiting. That's the worst part of this job. Never got used to it and never will."

"How do you cope?"

"Right now? I eat terrible food with someone who probably feels worse than I do and make awful jokes."

Pepper smiles a little. "Thanks."

"You're quite welcome."

XXX

Pepper steps outside the mess with an officer in toe after Fury needs to make a few calls to DC. The wait seems interminable, and yet, Pepper dreads the moment they'll hear back. What if they don't find anything? What if it's a trap? What if they're too late and Tony's not there anymore? Or worse, what if he is-

She stops herself from finishing her thought but she can't stop the flood of terrible images that flash before her eyes. Bile rises up in her throat and she vomits on the side of one of the barracks. The officer behind her doesn't say anything. He only hands her a tissue which she gratefully accepts. She isn't certain coming here was a great idea but she couldn't stay away knowing Tony might soon be found. It's illogical, but she feels the need to be as close as she can be to the scene of events, as if somehow her presence nearby could favorably influence the outcome. Well, that's not ridiculous at all, she thinks.

Another officer comes running in their direction:

"Ms. Potts! You've been asked to step in the command center. They're approaching their target."

She all but runs towards the building. Inside, everyone's attention is directed toward a giant screen where everyone can see the images from the soldiers' body cams. The image is not perfect but she can see what they see, which at the moment, is a lot of sand and mountains in the background.

The radio crackles and Rhodey's voice and a woman's voice respectively resonate in the room:

"Command, this is Alpha Team leader. We're in position."

"Command, this is Bravo Team leader. We're in position as well."

"We copy you Alpha and Bravo team." The chief of the base replies.

There are a few seconds of silence and everyone's attention is fixed on the images before them. Then something new appears on the screen and Rhodey's voice says:

"This is Alpha Team leader, we have visual. There's an ongoing shootout in front of the cave's entrance. I repeat, there's an ongoing shootout in front of the cave's entrance. Request permission to engage."

Pepper's heart skips a beat and she clutches her chest. She can see the gunfire in the distance, most likely coming from automatic weapons.

Fury grabs an earpiece: "Negative, Alpha and Bravo team. We don't know what you're going into. Can you see who is shooting?"

"Unclear. They all seem to be shooting toward the entrance of the cave. Wait. Someone is shooting back. The UnSub seems to have the advantage of firepower." Rhodey answers.

There's an enormous explosion, with missiles exploding and flying all over the place. Pepper looks in horror, fearing for Tony's life.

"What was that? Can any of you see anything?" Fury shouts.

"It looks like someone shot at one of the weapons crates and- wait a minute. Something… Something's flying out of there. I repeat, something just flew past us." says Bravo Team leader.

And indeed, just as Bravo Team leader finished her sentence, what looks like a big missile flies right past them.

"Did someone fire a rocket launcher at you?" Fury asks.

"I don't think so. It didn't look like a rocket and it wasn't aiming at us nor did it explode. It just crashed a couple of miles away." replies Bravo Team leader.

"Alpha Team, reverse back and go take a look. See what just flew past you but be careful. Bravo Team, proceed forward and get a closer look at the base. Blow up all the escape routes except the one leading south and keep a lid on it. We're sending you back up."

Both Quinjets go on their way. Pepper doesn't know where to look, alternating between Alpha and Bravo teams' video feeds. Her heart is hammering in her chest. Where's Tony? Where's Tony?

Bravo team shoots down a few missiles to block off the roads but they meet almost no resistance. Whatever happened down there crippled the base. They position themselves over the remaining road, guarding it from the air.

Meanwhile, Alpha team lands near the crash site on the UFO. Rhodey leads two other soldiers and Pepper watches their approach with bated breath. Soon, they all see metallic parts shining under the sunlight, scattered left and right in the sand. And then:

"It's… It's not a missile! It's an armor! It's a man in an armor and he's still moving!" The video feed suddenly gets cut and only the radio remains operational.

"Alpha team, your cams are out, we are blind. What is happening?" Fury asks.

The radio crackles just before:

"It's him! We've found Tony! He's alive!"

There's an explosion of joy in the command center while Pepper finally gives in to tears. She wobbles to a chair and sits down, barely registering the noise around her. It's only when she hears his voice on the radio that she comes back to her senses.

"We need to find Pepper." She hears on the intercom.

Rhodey immediately reassures him: "We have her Tony. She's safe and sound, back at the base. She's the one who led us to you. She's waiting for you. Pepper? Can you hear us? Can someone put Ms. Potts over to-"

Pepper grabs one of the earpieces on the table beside her.

"I'm here! Tony, I'm here! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

She hears Tony's watery laugh in the distance: "Pep? Is that her? She can hear me?"

And then, she hears him more clearly as he finally speaks into Rhodey's mic. "Pepper? Pepper is that you?"

"Yes. It's me. I'm here."

"Thank god. I thought- I thought…"

"I know."

A silence.

"I'm coming home, Pep. I'm coming to you."

XXX

It takes some time for Rhodey and his team to get him out of the armor and into the Quinjet but they eventually manage to take off with Tony. They're pretty sure he's got a few broken bones but what worries them more is the device inside Tony's chest. In the meantime, Fury and the rest of Command have deployed more men over to the enemy camp and have arranged with the local authorities to move the terrorists they've arrested to a prison not too far from their location.

Pepper doesn't care. The radio communication with Rhodey's team is taken over by the medical team on the base. It is soon decided over the radio that it will be better for Tony to be sent directly to the nearest military surgeon, in Bagram, to have his chest looked at. Pepper immediately requests she'd be sent back to Bagram as well. Fury nods and she is in a helicopter less than twenty minutes later.

She arrives at the base ten minutes after Tony's Quinjet has landed but she's told she can't see Tony right away as he is being looked at by the medical team.

"I need to see him!"

"I understand Ma'am, but we need you to be patient –"

"Patient?! I will not be patient! I want to see him! NOW!"

"Pepper!"

She turns around and sees Rhodey coming towards her.

"Officers, it's fine. I'll take care of it."

The soldiers nod and salute before taking their leave. Pepper is livid.

"Rhodey, take me to see him or I swear to god-"

"Yeah, I know, my ass is grass. God, you're really made for each other, you know that?"

"What?"

"Tony's been refusing to see the doctors until he sees you and knows you're really safe. It's a good thing you've hopped on that helicopter when you did or he probably would have walked back to Losano Camp. Anyway, he's being a little shit and I need you to put some sense back into him."

She all but runs toward the hospital tent. Rhodey barely has time to wave the airmen in front of the tent to let her in. She sees him sitting on a hospital bed, wearing a light hospital scrub, waving away the doctors prodding at him. He's dirty and he's lost weight. His hair is all over the place, and he's almost got a full beard. His right arm is bandaged and in a sling. She also notices bruises on his face, arms and legs. But he's alive. He looks up and their eyes meet. He gets off the bed to stand on his feet but he's still feeling the effects of the painkillers and his legs almost gave out under his weight. She's in his arms less than a moment later and starts crying almost immediately.

He speaks first:

"Pepper! You're alive. You're ok. Are you ok?"

She nods, unable to talk or to pull away from him. He continues:

"God, I was so afraid they'd hurt you. I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again. And I'm never letting anyone else hurt you. I promise."

He kisses her neck and Pepper starts shaking. Or maybe he does. She's not sure anymore.

"I was so scared." She finally manages to say. "I was so scared I would never get to see you again." She steps back and gently kisses him on the mouth before resting her forehead against his. "I'm so sorry I left you there-"

He shakes his head. "Hey, none of that. This wasn't your fault. None of this was. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I took you there. I should never have taken you there. I'll never forgive myself-"

She kisses him again to stop him from finishing that sentence. "I asked you to take me. It's fine. I'm fine. They didn't hurt me. Not too badly anyway. But you, your chest injury. You have to let them take a look at it."

One of the doctors in the background clears his throat. "About that-"

"I said no." Tony looks and points at them. "You're not getting near this. I know my rights. You can't touch me unless I give you authorization and you're not getting it. Also, this is proprietary information and I will sue if you try to get near me."

Pepper takes a step back and finally realizes he's not hooked up to a car battery anymore. But more importantly, there's something on his chest that's glowing through his shirt.

She puts her hand on it and it's warm to the touch.

"Tony, what happened to you?"

He takes her back in his arms.

"Nothing that can't wait until we're out of here."

XXX

Getting out of the base is an administrative nightmare. With Tony refusing to get his chest checked until the military promised not to take pictures or notes or anything of that nature, they have to go through legal hoops with which Pepper would have rather not dealt. She takes care of it anyway because Tony doesn't trust anyone else to look over the legal documents. In the meantime, he meets Fury. They don't get on but Tony's grateful for Fury and SHIELD's help and therefore accepts – albeit reluctantly – to get debriefed by the Director. The debrief lasts hours at a time and goes on for several days. By the time Fury's satisfied with Tony's account of events, Pepper has succeeded in getting the USAF to see things her and Tony's way.

The doctors are back in Tony's tent almost immediately. One of the best trauma and thoracic surgeons in the military was flown in just to take a look at Tony's chest. They ask him question about the device, but Tony's being flippant. "Think of it as a high-powered magnet. The rest is none of your business." They x-ray his chest with a portable device since Tony can't have get an MRI. "You do know what happens when you put a magnetic device inside another one, right? I'd like not to die horribly just after escaping from terrorists, thanks." The doctors clear him – reluctantly – after getting the test results.

"Mr. Stark, it's imperative you keep your chest monitored by a specialist. Our technology is not yet advanced enough to remove the shrapnel from your chest and since we're not exactly sure how your magnet works (Tony raises an eyebrow at the air quotes), we urge you to take every precaution necessary."

Tony gives them a nod, meaning he has no intention of following that advice.

"Sure thing, can I leave the base now?"

The doctors give their approval for Tony's discharge and both Tony and Pepper are out of there faster than it takes to say "against medical advice".

XXX

Pepper has a jet sent to Kandahar International Airport and they head directly to a private airfield in Malibu. Rhodey stays behind to deal with his chain of command but promises to be back in California as soon as he can.

Tony sleeps through most of the flight, with Pepper by his side. He holds her hand as they lay next to each other on one of the private jet's beds. Pepper can't stop looking at him. She really thought she'd lost him forever. She wants to shake the thought away but the fear is still deeply rooted inside of her. She thinks it'll never truly go away.

In the 15 hours it takes the plane to reach their destination, Tony wakes up twice, as if he's fighting for air and clutching his chest. It takes him a few seconds to realise where he is and who's with him but the sheer terror on his face tells Pepper all she needs to know. At least, for the moment. She doesn't say anything. She just takes him in her arms and lets him get his bearings back in their embrace. He whispers how much he's missed her, how afraid he was when Yinsen told him what had happened to her. How much he wanted to hurt them, crush them for what they'd done to her. She feels his rage and his anguish and wishes she could make it all disappear, give him the solace he needs so that he'd forget everything that has happened to them. She knows that if the road to recovery for her is going to be a long one, it's going to take even longer for Tony to recuperate. He'll never be the same again and neither will she. She wonders, as she feels him giving into sleep a second time, how they'll both move forward. She strokes his face and kisses his forehead.

Together, that's how we'll do it.

XXX

Happy is waiting for them on the tarmac. He's crying and Pepper's heart softens at the view of this imposing man unable to hide his emotion.

"Tears for your long lost boss, Happy?" Tony asks. He looks solemn but Pepper knows it's all an act. Happy does too apparently since he grabs him –without crushing him because of the sling – in what can only be called a bear hug.

"I'm so glad you're back." Happy says and Tony laughs, returning the hug with his one good arm.

"Me too, Hap. Me too."

Pepper stays on the side, leaving the two men have their moment. They're in the car a few minutes later and Tony insists on a press conference as soon as they arrive in Malibu. He calls Obadiah from the car and asks him to arrange everything.

"Of course, my dear boy. I'm so relieved to hear your voice. I'm sure everyone at SI is going to be so glad to see you back. Is Miss Potts with you? Good. Good. Tell her she's done one hell of a job, going to find you in the desert. Yes, of course. Everything will be ready when you arrive. I can't wait to see you. I'm so happy you're back with us."

An hour later, Pepper can see that Obadiah isn't so glad anymore. Tony wouldn't tell her in the car why he wanted to speak to the press so soon after his return and she hadn't pressed the issue. However, she had an inkling he was going to do something… unexpected. His decision to shut down the arms department at SI takes her by surprise as much as everyone else, but she can't deny that she is glad he's done so. But the look on Stane's face. He looks less like a man who's just gotten back his protégé and more like a man who's lost something he can't do without. However, the man is quick to recover and takes Tony away as soon as the conference is over.

XXX

Tony finds Pepper again, twenty minutes after he'd disappeared with Stane, and takes her hand. He got rid of his sling and Pepper can already tell getting him to take care of himself during his recovery is going to be an uphill battle. But that's not a conversation she wants to have right now. She laces her fingers with his and he leads her back to the car without saying a word.

When they're back inside the car, Pepper tries to ask him what happened but he cuts her off before she has the time to finish her question.

"Once we're back at the house. I'll tell you everything. I promise."

Pepper nods. She's waited more than two months to have him back. She can wait until he's ready to get an answer to her questions.

XXX

He's holding her hand when he sets foot in the mansion for the first time in months. She hears him take a deeper breath as he tries to steady himself. She can feel some of the horror of his ordeal evaporating simply by being home again. After a few seconds, he finally greets JARVIS ("Missed me, J?" "It has been 68 days, 14 hours and 43 minutes since we have last interacted." "J, you big softie, I missed you too.") and then heads directly to the garage, with Pepper in toe.

He lets go of Pepper's hand to punch in the code, steps inside and declares: "Daddy's back!"

U, Butterfingers, and DUM-E come to life and immediately roll toward their creator as he sits down on the floor. He lets them pet him as if they were completely surprised to see him back. They all beep their happy confusion away and Pepper watches them, her hand on her mouth, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall. It's the first time she's seen a glimpse of the old Tony since she got him back. Watching him in his element, surrounded by his bots and smiling like a fool gives her hope that not everything good has been ripped away from him in that cave.

She approaches carefully, not wanting to ruin the moment but unable to stay away either. She hadn't had much opportunity to see Tony interact with his bots when she'd started working with him, but it had struck her that they were his family as much as Rhodey, Happy, and now herself, are. He looks up and extends his hand toward her. She takes it and lowers herself to sit next to him on the floor. The bots start beeping at her as well and she smiles, her head on Tony's shoulder. He puts his arm around her, looks at her and says:

"We're home, Pep."

She nods: "Yes, we are."

She kisses him, putting all her love and happiness into it. He melts into her, and Pepper shivers, feeling a sense of anticipation she hasn't felt since before he's gone missing. His left hand finds its way beneath her shirt, stroking her back for a few moments but he stops before he lets himself take things further. Pepper smiles at him, understanding. He struggles with words as he tries to explain but she shushes him by kissing him once again.

"I know. We have time." She says.

"I love you."

He blurts it out and looks as stunned as Pepper. He waves at the bots who roll back a little to give them some space.

"Yeah, sorry, I don't have the best timing with these things and I know the last time I told you I was drunk off my ass and now I'm probably not even right in the head, and it sounds terrible but I do. I do, Pepper. I couldn't think about anything else while I was there. I just wanted to find you and tell you."

She's crying now and finds that she doesn't care because:

"I know. I love you, Tony."

Relief washes over him instantly.

He takes her in his arms and doesn't let go.


REVIEWS ARE LOVE


SPOILER FOR ENDGAME BELOW THIS SO AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET.

I'M SERIOUS.

LAST CHANCE TO LOOK AWAY.


Ok.

WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY AND PEPPERONY DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS?

You guys, I saw it weeks ago and I'm still reeling/crying/angsting (that a word?) and all kinds of fifty shades of fucked up feelings over Tony. I just hate it so much. Our boy did not deserve that. Pepper did not deserve that. Little Morgan, apple of my eyes, miracle of the Pepperony fandom, did not deserve that. Same for Rhodey, Happy, Peter, Harley (my boys), and all of us.

Just so you know, I'm denying this ever happened. I'm gonna do like the HP fandom, take their ending, shove it up their ass, and only read fanfics with soft, happy endings. Tony, Pepper, Morgan and all the bots are living in their house in the woods, peacefully enjoying Tony's retirement, Pepper's weird obsession with composting and watching Morgan grow up into the amazing person she already is.

I will accept no other ending. This fic is set in my Happy Ending universe. That is all.