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A/N: Okay, I have to admit I am a little overwhelmed. I asked for some support for this story, and everyone came running. Wow! Thanks a lot. We still have a ways to travel with this. It's great to have a community of readers to make this journey with me. Sheila

The Darkest Time

Chapter 5

Darlene sat at the old woman's kitchen table with her hands folded neatly in front of her.

"I've known you since you were ten years old, Darlene. You are no mystery to me. You will always lie, cheat, and steal your way through life."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"You are aware that, as a nun, I have no things of real value in this home."

"Yes."

"If you take what little I have, just know that God will see you doing it."

Darlene shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I am letting you stay because I need the help. My arthritis is a trial, and I need someone to do the cooking and the cleaning for me."

"I'm happy to do this, Sister Rita."

"The minute my belongings go missing, you are out of my house."

Darlene sighed and nodded. She honestly couldn't picture why anyone steal from a Catholic nun in her 80's, but the world seemed to believe she was capable of doing it, and claiming innocence was becoming a waste of everyone's time.

Friday is fish. I have some cans of tuna in the cupboard and some bread in the in the larder. "

"I'll take care of everything, Sister."

…………………………………………………….

Lester slumped over the bar, staring angrily into a mug of cheap tap. Sikko sat next to him. "Lester, she's making a fool of you."

"Leave me alone about it, Doc."

A grizzled fellow on the other side of Lester leaned over. "Give him a break, Doc. Lester here never had much in the way of aspirations. Being the town fool ain't that much of a drop down for him."

Around the bar, several men nursing beers like the mugs contained the nectar of life itself, burst out into wild giggles.

"Roland, I got a mind to crush that pea brain of yours." Lester growled.

Sikko threw up his hands. "You're just going to let her get away with it, aren't you?"

Lester took a long draw. "I ain't doing anything but plotting my revenge on my own terms. I don't even know where she is staying. It'd make no sense to just waltz around town knocking on folks' doors and such."

"Don't wait too long."

"Damn it, Doc. You're just like my mother, nagging me in my ear all the time. I ain't in the mood."

"Lester says Doc's an old woman." Roland announced. The room erupted again.

"Lester—"

"Damn it, Doc!" Lester roared. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't hit a single thing right now. Hell, the only way I'm even going hit the toilet is iffn' someone reaches in and does the aiming for me. Don't worry me no more about this tonight." With that, Lester threw his head back, drained the rest of the mug, and belched loudly. "Set me up with another one, Mel, and a whiskey chaser."

…………………………………………………..

"So our plan is to fly your jet into Petunia, North Dakota and demand Pepper's body."

"Elegant, no?" Tony was busy with maps of North Dakota spread in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Rhodey settled into his seat, and accepted a coffee from the flight attendant.

Tony looked up. "We still don't know what psycho means? Maybe, it's a town or a lake or a creek. There are some very odd names in these backwoods. Look at this: Embarrass. If a town is named Embarrass, how far behind can a town named Psycho be?"

"Give me some of those maps."

Tony pushed half across the table in front of them. Rhodey took a deep breath. "Tony, you remember that we're looking for a body now, don't you? A living Pepper would have been home by now."

Tony shook his head. "I know this, Rhodey. My hope is to find her and bring her home. I know she's not alive. I just want her home."

"I think I know better than anyone else what she meant to you. "

"Yeah, but I didn't know it until I lost her. I got a hole in my gut deeper than anything I've ever felt before. I had it all, and I never knew it. I don't deserve anything better than what I feel right now."

Rhodey shook his head. "This isn't punishment, Tony. You're not doing penance. You loved her, and she loved you." He put up a hand when Tony tried to speak. "I'm sure of it. If she didn't, she would have walked away from your narcissism years ago. Neither one of you wanted to risk losing the other, and so you put a lifetime into dancing around each other's feelings."

"If I had been a better man."

"Stop Tony, I'm not going to rehash this with you. We're going to do right by Pepper, and then we're going to bring her home…And then we help you heal."

Tony started to talk, but Rhodey shook his head. "That's enough. Living in your grief and your pity is an indulgence that's not worthy of a man of your talents. You don't get to give up. The rest of us need Tony Stark and Ironman far too much."

Tony stared at him one long moment, and then went back to studying maps.

…………………………………………………………..

"Come here, Child, and sit down." Sister Rita gestured at the table.

"How was your day, Sister?"

Sister Rita laid her old tweed coat across the back of the chair, and then eased herself down. "The world is full of Lesters, my child. Father Randall is evidence of this. I'm 82 years old, and he won't allow the diocese to retire me. I could be lighting candles with the sisters down in Winona. Instead, I am at his beck and call because the man doesn't know how to relate to his parishoners."

"I'm sorry to hear it."

"You've kept my house beautiful for two days. You've been a surprise."

"It's been quiet and peaceful for me, and I am grateful to you for that."

"What should I call you, Child, since you're not really Darlene."

Darlene sat back, startled. "How did you know?"

"I'm not afraid to look at your face."

Instinctively, she looked away.

"Look at me, Child."

Her mouth quivered, but she turned back to Sister Rita; her fingers lingering on the imaginary scar across her face.

Sister shook her head, reached over, and pulled the hand away from her face. "You really think you feel it, don't you?"

She couldn't speak.

"Do you know your name?"

She shook her head.

"Lester and that crazy psychiatrist of his did this to you."

"I don't remember anything but waking up in Lester's house."

"Ah, Lester, he'll come looking for you soon enough. He's been drinking at the Cubby all day."

"I shouldn't be here."

"Well, you're here now, Child. It would be a true devil to attack you in the home of a nun."

……………………………………………………………

Sikko placed the bottle of whiskey on the bar in front of him. "It's Jameson. Have you ever tasted a decent whiskey?"

Lester tried to ignore it. "It's one of those fancy kool-aids. I ain't interested."

"It's all yours. The whole bottle. You don't have to take another dollar from your pocket while there is still liquor in the bottle."

Lester licked his lips. "What do you want, Doc?"

"I want you to take care of your wife. As a man, you'll never be able to hold your head high in this town until you take care of your woman."

Roland leaned over. "Leave him alone, Doc. It's kinda' creepy how you're always pushing him."

Sikko ignored him. "A bottle tonight, and a new bottle every night for the next seven days."

The bar stool scraped back as Lester got up. "I imagine you got her location."

Sikko smiled and led him out the door.

……………………………………………………………………

Lester came equipped with no plan other than marching up the steps of the nun's tiny rambler, and pounding on the door. When that didn't work, he started back down the stairs, but Sikko produced a sledgehammer, and sent him back up. It took two swings to crush the front door. His wife was at the back door herding Sister out when he came barreling through. Dropping the hammer, he tackled her before she could get out. They hit the ground together, and he punched her in the face and in the gut. Before he could hit her a third time, he saw something move in his peripheral vision, and heavy wood plowed into the back of his skull. All of his weight collapsed on top of her.

A wave of nausea ran through her as the blow to her face began to swell and tighten. For a few minutes, she could do little more than moan. Then she sensed a shadow, and the tiny form of Sister Rita stood above her. She pointed to a baseball bat on the ground next to her. "That looks like the bat from the gymnasium at church.

She looked up at the nun and moaned. "I'm sorry, Sister. I stole it from the church after I left Lester."

Sister frowned for a moment. "That's okay. It appears you needed it more than we did. Let's see what we can do to get this pile of human garbage off of you."

……………………………………………………………………..

It was almost midnight before they got to Petunia in the rented limousine Happy procured in Grands Forks. The town's one main drag led them straight to the Sheriff's office. Inside, the office was empty save one scrawny teenager.

Rhodey got to the counter first. "We need to talk to the sheriff."

The boy shook his head. "Sorry. Sheriff Hanson and the two deputies are part of a meth lab raid tonight down in Stone County. I'm watching the store. Tonight is a helluva of a night to leave me in charge."

Tony leaned in. "Do you know who I am?"

The kid's eyes widened. "Damn!"

"We have to find Lester Heinz as soon as possible. We need to talk to him about a…murder."

"You mean, like what almost happened tonight?"

"What happened tonight?"

"Old Lester tried to off his wife at Sister Rita's place."

"Where is he now?"

The boy gestured over his shoulder at the back.

"We need to talk to him right now."

The boy frowned. "I don't have that kind of authorization. 'Sides, Lester really isn't in a talking mood right now."

Rhodey pulled out a card. "Colonel James Rhodes, Air Force. I am your authorization."

The boy looked puzzled for a moment. Then he got up and gestured for them to follow. "He's in a cell. He's got a bad concussion, and I'm just waiting for the Jamestown ambulance to get here and transport him to a hospital. Darlene apparently beaned him on the back of the head with a baseball bat."

The boy opened the door to the cells, and there Lester lay in the first cell; a thick slab of a man, moaning and holding his head.

Tony stood at the bars. "Let us in."

The boy worked on the lock. "Sheriff said I couldn't leave the office. Had to call Mel at the Cubby. He sent some fellers over to get him. I don't think he can answer any questions for you. He's pretty out of it."

Tony pushed past the boy and kneeled down in front of Lester. "Wake up, Lester. I need you to tell me where Pepper is."

Lester opened his eyes, but didn't say anything. Tony shook him, and he groaned. "Where is she? I need her. Just tell me where she is."

Lester tried to roll away from him, but Tony held fast. "Tell me where she is."

"What's Pepper?" He mumbled.

"Don't play a game with me, Lester. You're out of your league. Where's Pepper?"

Lester shook his head. Tony grabbed his shirt and tried to pull him into a sitting position, but Rhodey was there, pulling him off. "Stop it, Tony. He's injured. Leave him alone."

"He needs to tell me."

Rhodey pushed him back against the cell wall. "He needs medical care. Leave him alone."

"He talks to me and then I leave him alone."

Sounds came from the front of the office, and the boy took off. He came back a moment later with EMTs. Rhodey kept Tony against the wall. "Let them treat him."

The EMTs took vitals and then loaded him. One of them looked up. "No more questions, Fella's. We're looking at a skull fracture here. You can see him at Jamestown Hospital."

………………………………………………………….

Tony and Rhodey watched the ambulance disappear down the dark highway. "We're close, Rhodey. I can feel it. We're so close."

"Darlene."

Tony looked at him. "What?"

Darryl said that she was with Lester and Darlene. Let's talk to Darlene."

Tony blinked. "We should follow Lester."

"We're going to be able to catch up with Lester. We have time. Let's go see Darlene."

…………………………………………………………………………………….

The front door was barricaded and so they went to the back. The small woman who opened the door looked at them warily. "We don't want any more trouble."

"Can we talk to Darlene?"

The old woman shook her head. "She's had quite a night. Leave us alone."

Tony caught the door before she closed it. "Please Sister, I think Darlene can help me find my friend. Please."

Sister Rita frowned. "She's not Darlene."

"Who is she?"

The nun shrugged. "She doesn't know."

Tony got a strange twinge in his gut. Rhodey sucked in breath behind him. "We're here to help, Sister. I promise. I just need to see her."

She stepped aside and let them in. The house was small; the three of them could barely stand together in the kitchen. In the living room, Tony spotted a dark haired woman curled up in an afghan on the couch. Her thick hair covered most of her face. Sister Rita put a hand on his arm. "Be careful. She's had a rough night. Lester beat her up."

Tony sat in a chair across from her. "Darlene?"

"I'm not Darlene." She put a hand in front of her face as she talked. Tony stared at her hand. He remembered asking Pepper about her small hands; the precision with which she replaced his titanium heart. These were the same hands.

"Rhodey?" His breathing started to deepen.

Rhodey stood behind him. "I know, Tony. Take it slow."

Tony leaned forward. "Can I see your face?"

She shook her head.

"Pepper?"

She stirred. "Is that my name?"

He got up and she pulled the afghan around her more tightly. He sat down next to her gently. "Please. I have to know."

Her dark, unruly hair was light at the scalp. He saw strawberry blonde roots. "Pepper, I'm going to look at your face now."

She flinched when he touched her, and he drew back until her breathing settled. "You don't remember who you are?"

"I'm not Darlene."

"I know. You're my friend, Pepper."

He reached over and carefully pulled her hair off her face. The first thing he saw was the blue and purple bruising around her eye. "I'm so sorry, Pepper."

He tried to push more hair away, but she caught his hand. "Don't look at the scar."

"Pepper?"

She traced a line across her face, but it was imaginary; there was nothing there but skin and freckles.

He looked back at Rhodey. "I don't understand what's happening here."

"I don't know, Tony."

Tony turned and took both of her hands. "Look at me, please."

She raised her face to him. It was her face, the one he'd dreamed about every night since she'd disappeared, but it was her sad, frightened eyes that struck him. "You're going to be okay. I'm going to help you."

She pulled away form him, shaking her head. "I don't know you."

He pulled her back. "Look at me, Pepper. If you look at me, if you concentrate, you'll know who I am."

"No!" She stood up, shedding the blanket. "No more! No more tricks or games or lies. She backed away.

"Pepper, it's okay. You're going to be okay."

She found Sister Rita and stood behind her. "I'm not Pepper! I don't know Pepper!"

Rhodey pulled him back. "She's scared. Give her space."

Tony grabbed him by the shoulders. "We found her!"

Rhodey looked over his shoulder at the wounded woman. "I know, Tony, but from the looks of things, I would say we've still got a ways to go before she really goes home again."

…………………………………………………………………..

Tuesday