Fall Out

Chapter Six: Broken

Disclaimer: I own nothing…

Chapter Song: Where Will You Go by Evanescence

Author Notes: Sorry, but there's a little angst in this chapter… I promise Tony will snap out of it soon, but yeah. And a month has passed since the incident. And I'm not sound tracking every chapter, but most of them so make sure to have a looksie.

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The scotch burned, but he welcomed it with a satisfied sigh, as he settled the glass down on the coffee table and looked around his living room. The windows had been repaired, but the table that had once held his fancy decanter set (also no more) was gone, and it could never be replaced. It had been an antique and his mother's favorite. Tony shrugged his shoulders carelessly and flipped on the tv.

"Iron Man no more? Where has the world's metal clad hero gone? No sign of him for a month, not even of his alter ego Tony Sta—"

He changed the channel, a frown caressing his lips, which could barely be seen underneath his now shaggy facial hair. He hurried passed the news channels and settled on a basketball game, but wasn't really watching it. Instead he picked up his tumbler of scotch and drank it down as though it was water and then poured himself some more. He was glad he could feel that buzz now, and he knew if he kept drinking like this he would continue to feel it for some time and that suited him perfectly.

A moment or two later, Rhodey came in, he was all smiles, but Tony knew it was just a front for him. Normally he would balk at the idea someone was feeling sorry for him, giving him pity, but at the moment he could really care less.

"I brought some pizza and burgers. Didn't know which you'd want today." James Rhodes did his best not to let his worry show, but was beginning to fail. It had been a month and every day for that month he had always found him here, like this… hollow and not the Tony he knew and called a friend. Words like post-traumatic stress were being tossed around again and Pepper had practically moved in and was more like a nursemaid than an assistant. Rhodey worried about her too and her obvious lack of sleep.

Tony glanced at his friend and shrugged his shoulders again, "Thanks, but I'm not hungry."

James sighed heavily in frustration, "Tony—"

"Don't. Don't start. In fact, get out."

And that was the last straw, "Fine." Rhodes tossed the burger bag and pizza box onto the coffee table and walked out of the room and into Pepper's office.

"He's refusing to eat again isn't he…" Pepper sounded how she looked, tired, worn and rumpled.

"Yup." Jim folded his arms and leaned against her doorway, "I give up. I can't do this anymore… when he wants to go back to being Tony or at least something more like him, give me a call. But for now, I'm done."

Pepper sighed, "I can't do this alone…" Her voice wavered and finally the resolve broke and tears welled visibly in her blue gaze, "I'm sorry Jim… I…" She stood and hunted about her office a moment, " Damn it. Where is the Kleenex." Her tiny fists smacked down on her desk and before she knew it, strong dark arms held her.

"It's okay Pepper… it's going to be okay." In the last month he and Pepper had become confidants to one another, friends as well. He looked to the woman like the sister he never had and felt brotherly instinct to comfort her, to assure her it was going to be okay.

Pepper let Jim comfort her, she hated it, but she let it go. It felt good to let it all out, to cry. How much more of this could she take? What would be her last straw?

"Are you going to be okay Pep?" He had let her go and located the tissue box, holding it out to her.

"I'll survive. Sorry about that." She wiped her eyes and straightened her clothing and hair.

"No worries. I'll call and check on him later."



Pepper nodded, and walked her friend to the door, her eyes passing into the living room a moment to see Tony out of it on the sofa, the glass tumbler still held tightly in his hand, "Duty calls. Talk to you later Jim." They smiled sadly at each other and Pepper made her way into the living room as she heard the front door click closed.

Slowly and gently she pried the glass from his hand and set it on the coffee table. She then took a throw and tucked it around the sleeping man and settled herself on the sofa next to him, flipping through the channels, skipping anything with news on it as fast as she could click. Her free hand had traveled to his forehead and was gently rubbing circles across it in an absent-minded effort to be some sort of comfort.

An hour or so later, Pepper had fallen asleep, her body had slipped down until she was slumped to one side, her arms curled about her middle in effort to be warm… even though the house wasn't cold in any way. Jarvis had turned the tv off thirty minutes ago when her eyes had first drooped and it was thirty minutes later that Tony awoke, alert to the fact he was not alone on the couch.

Slowly he sat up, his head swimming and his body feeling like it had been hit by a mack truck. He turned, his head tilting to one side at the view of his assistant and how helpless she looked, how tired and worn. Carefully he stood and then gently lifted her in his arms and made for the guest room that was hers.

Placing her on the bed, he carefully removed her ridiculous shoes and covered her with the comforter. The dark circles beneath her eyes worried him… was she not sleeping? Was it because of him. "You only ever think about yourself Tony." Her words echoed in his mind and he sighed, "I'm sorry Pepper…" He brushed a lock of strawberry from her face and left a kiss on her forehead and exited the room. It almost felt like he was saying good bye, and maybe he was… he didn't know anymore. He did know that he needed, wanted another drink, especially now.

He went for some vodka this time, mostly because he had finally consumed all the scotch his home had to offer and went downstairs into his shop. There he made himself comfortable once again in front of a tv and just stared at the blank screen, never turning it on as he drowned himself in liquor and welcomed the buzz in his head with open arms like an old lover.

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Short I know, but more will be coming soon. And thanks to all readers and reviewers, you rock my world!