The universe knew, it knew: you would have need of me.

Even with all the pain, he recognized the feeling of Déjà vu. The endless walk through the snow, the pain in his chest and ribs, the taste of blood in his mouth. Balthazar must have reached the keep by now. Tony commanded him to leave once the fighting started, as he didn't want anything to happen to him. He sat at the base of a tree and took off his helmet. It seemed like a nice place to die.

A tad melodramatic. The dragon whispered. You are bruised badly but you will not die.

If I don't reach the Keep soon, we will both freeze to death in the cold. But I can't walk anymore. I just can't.

He thought of Jarvis, Tigliath, Magdalene, his parents... and finally her. Pepper.

Why am I thinking of her? Because we kissed. Her lips were so soft. Focus, Tony. So you kissed her. So what? I've kissed many women. I've slept with so many.

Yes but this one is different, Anthony. The dragon interrupted gently.

Maybe in another life, another time, she could have truly been mine. At my side, my wife, the mother of my children, someone I could grow old with. And I would be someone who deserved her. I wish I knew more about her, there is definitely more to know.

Now he felt foolish.

You can't lose something, you never had in the first place. And I never had her. But from what little time we shared, my only regret is... I wish I had more time.

He closed his eyes and let the cold envelop him, his last coherent thoughts were of the light shining through her dark blue eyes.

x-x-x-x

Pepper looked out at the snow covered courtyard. It had been a week and one day since Lord Anthony had left on his quest. Jarvis and Magdalene had still not returned from the farmer's house. She kept herself busy, doing housework, checking on the horses and sitting in front of the fireplace with Tigliath's head in her lap.

Today she decided to darn some of Lord Anthony's shirts and tunics as she noticed a number of them had small holes. Most of the tears were on the elbows and the cuffs. Probably from his lab activities. She sat on the window sill, the pile of clothes next to her, needle and white thread in her lap.

Impulsively she picked up a shirt and sniffed it tentatively. The smell of grease, metal, wood and musk assailed her senses. The heady scent of an intriguing man. The intimacy of the act hit her and she dropped the shirt. She had no business inhaling his clothes. But she couldn't resist laying her head on the aromatic pile of shirts and dozing off for a few minutes.

She dreamt of snow and the Iron Knight sitting in a thicket of trees, helmet off, chest paining, blue fire fading into black. She woke up with a jerk. It seemed like a sign. Tigliath bounded into the room, seemingly just as disturbed as she was.

She spoke out loud, "Something has happened. I can feel it in my bones. He needs us. The Knight needs us to save him."

x-x-x-x

Something kept telling her that Lord Anthony needed her help and was incapacitated. So she hitched the small sled to the donkey and set out with Tigliath by her side. Once she was outside the Keep, she wondered where to go. Left or right, north or south?

Her doubt was answered as she saw Balthazar trotting tiredly from the north. The large horse nickered at her and came over to nuzzle her with his great head. He knew the way home, so she let him go and proceeded north.

Thankfully the snow had stopped falling but the ground was thick with it. She had dressed up warmly and had laid a thick fur on the shed. There was a thicket of trees ahead and she pulled the donkey gently. She saw the pile of metal sitting under a tree with its human head, eyes closed. She ran to his side and felt his pulse. Faint but there. He was very cold but.

Come on Pepper, you need to get him back to the Keep as fast as possible.

She brought the donkey closer to his crumpled figure. Tigliath tried to help by gently licking Lord Anthony's face.

It seemed to rouse him. He muttered dazedly, "Don't want to walk anymore. Let me be. Just let me be..."

"Lord Anthony, we need to go home. It's too cold."

He stared at her, bleary eyed and tried to turn his back to her. "I don't want your help... I can manage on my own. Don't want your gratitude. You... you don't owe me anything you hear...".

Pepper sighed. "Lord Stark, I'm doing this because you are a good man and don't deserve to die like this. Please come with me."

She put her hands under his shoulders and started tugging him onto the shed. Damn, the armor was heavy but she couldn't waste time prying it off.

He got up halfway and leaned on her, still muttering grudgingly about not needing her help. But he collapsed completely close to the shed. Pepper pulled him by catching him under his arms and heaving with all her strength.

Finally he was on the shed and Pepper urged the donkey to drag the sled back to the Keep, as fast as possible.

When they reached the Keep and entered the courtyard, she led the donkey to the workshop. She couldn't carry him upstairs and the workshop was the warmest room. She dragged Lord Anthony inside, with Tigliath's help. She placed him on a bench near the furnace. He needs to get warm, time to start a fire. With some effort she managed to start the furnace and light some candles. Then she started removing his armor, piece by piece.

She thought it would be difficult but she realized his armor pieces weren't as heavy as a traditional knight's armor. Only the breastplate was heavier, perhaps because it had to support the blue flame arc in his chest.

He prefers speed and agility over protection, so the armor is light enough for him to maneuver easily. When he gets hit, it is sturdy enough to take the blow.

She laid each piece on the opposite table. Then she unbuttoned his soft gambeson, so he was bare chested and only his drawers remained. She surveyed the damage done to his body. He was perfectly still through all this, breathing evenly, eyes closed.

He had a lot of bruises on his legs. They looked painful but not critical. He had a black eye and a gash on his cheek. She gently touched his ribs. One side was bruised badly but with rest and care, it would heal.

She cleaned the gash with vinegar and applied a salve from Jarvis's medicine cabinet. She rubbed an ointment on his bruised ribs and applied a mixture of henbane and hemlock to his knees, so they wouldn't ache. All in all, he wasn't critically injured. Fatigue from battle and the freezing temperature had made him weak.

He must be hungry as well. I must remember to feed him when he comes to.

She touched her palm to his forehead. His temperature was better but not normal yet. Then he shivered in his sleep.

Come on Pepper, think! Try to remember what your medicine woman used to do. I've done all I can with actual medicine... wait a minute. Sharing body heat can make him warm.

She looked at his prone form and blushed. He wasn't wearing much, just his drawers. Now that she had assessed his wounds, she allowed herself to satisfy her curiosity about his body.

Long muscular legs, not too hairy. Nice flat muscular abdomen, gently rising and falling. Broad curved shoulders.. Hmmm... the blue circle in his chest is burning brightly. I hope that's a good sign. Look at the deep blue scar tissue around the circle. It must have hurt him so much.

She studiously ignored his hips and groin. And wondered whether she should warm him up with her body.

Pepper, now is not the time for being shy. His temperature needs to come back to normal, else he will catch a fever. Besides, it is just for a little while.

The bench he lay on, was wide enough for both of them. She took off her coat, lifted his blanket and lay down against his right side. She pulled her coat and his blanket back over them. Then she pressed herself to his side.

The long hours in the armor had given him a certain... aroma, to put it politely. But it couldn't be helped as she couldn't bathe him. She touched his hair, curious to see if it was as soft as it looked. It was. Then she ran her fingers over his beard which needed trimming. It felt rough but not unpleasant. She absently smoothed it and was taken aback when Lord Anthony suddenly stirred. He murmured something intelligible, then drifted back to sleep.

Did he feel me stroking him? The thought made her flush. She pulled her hand back and closed her eyes. He was a very comforting body pillow.

x-x-x-x

So warm and comfortable... and so soft. Lilies.

Tony slowly and dreamily woke up from his slumber. He was lying on a bench, covered in warmth. To his left, was a slumbering feline, warm length pressed firmly against him. To his right, was a fragrant soft woman, her head resting on his shoulder, warm body pressed to him. She was so close, if he turned his head, he could kiss her forehead. Her arm was draped over his chest and her hand gently covered the blue flame arc, as if she was caressing it. Her lashes were long and dark on her cheek.

He inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of lilies and... her. She sighed in her sleep. He didn't want to wake her up but he couldn't get up if she didn't move and he badly wanted to pass urine.

"Pepper...Pepper, wake up... wake up sweeting."

She murmured "Mother, I'm coming." and snuggled closer.

He felt oddly sad at that. He tried again.

"Pepper, wake up now."

Tigliath had woken up and leaned over him to gently lick her nose. She stirred at that, giggled and then opened her eyes with the most beatific smile on her face.

Tony's breath caught at the unguarded sweet expression on her face. Then he grinned. Because now she's going to blush.. 1, 2, 3, he counted silently.

And just like that, Pepper suddenly realized where she was and sat up abruptly, blushing furiously. Tony grinned at her unabashedly. "My lady, you may be the softest and most fragrant bolster, I've ever had."

She bit her lip, trying to control her embarrassment.

"Please help me get up."

She firmed her lips at this and he recognized she had gone into no nonsense mode.

"My lord..."

"Tony."

"My lord," she said sternly. "You must rest, you are severely bruised. You have been walking in the snow for too long."

"I know but I need to ...".

"To what? What's so important ? Your armor is here and Balthazar is safe in the stable. Your ribs are a different matter. You need to rest." She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

What he was going to say, would embarrass her but he had to, else he was going to embarrass himself. And she would blush, so that was a plus.

"I need to urinate badly, Pepper... I feel as if my bladder will burst."

Ah, there's that rosy redness again. The way it fills her face. She looks so ... clean and pure and beautiful.

She helped him up. He hobbled quickly to the windowsill, pulled himself out of his drawers and peed out of the window with his back to her.

"My lord!" She squeaked, scandalized. "I'm right here!"

"Ahh, that's a relief. Can't be helped, Pep. Don't look at me. I can't pee in the suit without taking it off, so this has been a long time coming."

He finished, put himself back together and washed his hands with a jug of water conveniently near the window sill. He turned, grinning widely at her. She was trying to decide whether to be embarrassed, irritated or nonchalant about his behavior and the play of emotions across her face was fascinating. She apparently decided on nonchalance and asked "Do you do this often, my lord?"

"Urinate from the window? Yes, that's why there is a jug in that location. Because if I'm working, I don't want to go back to the house for the chamber pot..." she held up a hand to stop his ramble.

"I meant, go on these quests and get injured like this." Her voice had gone soft and her eyes were shimmering with some unspoken emotion.

Concern for me. I don't know what to make of that.

He shrugged his shoulders, trying to be blase. "I don't want those sort of people on my lands."

She bit her lip and looked at him searchingly. "But the camp you destroyed in this past week... they weren't on your lands, my lord. So why? Why are you risking your life, to save people you don't know?"

"Because I saw what the slavers did to you, Pepper, and I do not want that to happen to anyone else. I won't allow it to happen if I can stop it. No one should be enslaved."

She looked at him in a way he never thought was possible for a man like him. Agreement, gratitude and pride. And something like affection.

He shifted, uncomfortable with the emotions and his ribs protested. He winced and she widened her eyes with worry.

"My lord, you need to eat and rest. Let us go to the kitchen." She turned to clear up the bench.

He tapped his blue arc thoughtfully.

She undressed me, so she's seen this. But she's not asked me anything. Huh.. I am also curious to know how she got captured by the slavers in the first place.