p class="MsoNormal"A/N: Guess I'm somewhat back? Got a random burst of muse so here's a chapter. Let me know what you think!/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal" Pepper was worried. He would never admit it of course, especially not to Toni herself, but he was worried./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt had been a month since her miraculous return and she refused to speak more than a couple of words about it. He knew that it had obviously been a traumatic experience, something he couldn't even begin to understand, but she played it off like everything was fine. That she was back to normal and working on getting her company back on its feet after the news of the stopping of weapons manufacturing and her sudden disappearance./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe knew that she was not back to normal./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanJARVIS was sending him alerts constantly during the night of her screaming herself awake and when she did so, he watched the cameras the next morning to find that she had spent the rest of the night tinkering in her shop./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe wished he could do something about it but he knew that if he even brought up the idea that she wasn't okay he would get his head chewed off and she would bottle herself up inside./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe rest of her friends didn't seem to find anything the matter with her. They were just thankful that she was back and not too harmed in the process. She had suffered some burns and a few cuts from her escape or her time in the kidnapper's nest, but she refused to say how she had escaped./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper had seen to it that Yinsen had his family brought over to the United States and that they were living happily together in a small house, but he had also refused to discuss what had happened. Whenever he had asked the man all he got was a sympathetic look./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I promised her I wouldn't say." He had said softly though he had explained how he had gotten to the group in the first place and some of his time during their capture of him, but nothing after Toni had gotten there. "She just needs time. She'll come around, especially with you." Yinsen gave him a soft smile. "She told me all about you." And the things left unsaid made Pepper blush. He could fill in the blanks though he wished he hadn't./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanNow Pepper was watching Toni sit hunched over at one of her stations, welding something tiny by the looks of it. She had kept her position for the 10 minutes Pepper had just watched, not even noticing that he was at the windows. He sighed and punched in the key code./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I brought you some lunch." He called out as he made his way over to her./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Thanks, you can leave it on the bench." She said, without looking up, too focused on her project./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper stood for a moment and very nearly just sat the meal down but then he straightened with resolve. "No, you need to eat this now." He said in a strict voice that reminded him of his own mother./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni frowned but she still didn't look up. "I'll eat when I'm done with this." She replied./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper narrowed his eyes and walked right in front of her and set down the place with a loud clatter. "No, you'll eat now." He practically hissed./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni looked up in astonishment, pushing up her safety glasses. "My, my, Pepper. So forceful." She said with a wry smile and leaned back in her chair. "Did Happy get your bonnet in a twist?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper glared at her. "This isn't a joking matter Toni. You haven't eaten practically anything in a month and you're always down here tinkering with something when you should be interacting with the outside world. I know you think these robots are your friends but newsflash, they can't talk back."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"JARVIS talks to me." Toni sniffed in a mock hurt voice./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"I talk whenever Ms. Stark needs me."/em JARVIS piped up and Pepper sucked in a deep breath in annoyance and looked up at the ceiling./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"There, see? JARVIS talks to me." Toni chuckled and patted the monitor in front of her like she was patting a small dog./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why don't you go see Rhodey? I bet he would love to see you." Pepper suggested and Toni's face twisted into annoyance./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I don't want to see Rhodey. He's busy anyways." Toni shrugged./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper sighed. "I'm worried about you Toni. You aren't sleeping and when you do sleep you're waking yourself up with nightmares. You're always messing with something down here and not seeing your friends. I've had to cancel your calendar for the last week and next week. It's not healthy."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni's eyes narrowed. "I understand the concern Mr. Potts, but I'm fine." She said in a stiff voice before nodded to the plate of food. "Now thank you for the food, but I need to get back to work."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper sighed, knowing that it was a lost cause and he gave a little nod. "You know where I'll be." He said rather sadly and excused himself out./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe wished he could say how he really felt and force Toni to discuss her fears, but he knew that for now at least, it was a lost cause./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"-/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"emBreaking News: An unknown object was seen flying over Saudi Arabia this morning. Sources from the Air Force report that after multiple explosions in a small town, they were alerted to the flying object. One jet was taken down and the other lost the object during the explosion. The pilot of the jet has been found unharmed. Pictures taken by the jets show a large haul of rockets being destroyed by some sort of metal man that is also being assumed to be the unknown object. There is no other information at this time."/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni winced as she walked to the couch in front of the TV but her wince didn't last long as she listened to the report. She could still hear Rhodey's voice in her head./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Toni Stark you are one crazy motherfucker."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe laughed at the thought but the laugh made her wince again. She definitely needed to reinforce that chest plate. She had a feeling that at least one rib was broken and others were bruised. She looked at the quick medical scan she had taken of herself and didn't find anything too detrimental but she would need to bandage it tight before going to bed./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe wasn't sure how she would go to bed after that experience though. She laughed again at the sheer audacity of the situation./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAfter many test runs around the LA area, she had decided it was time to test it out in true Stark form: by winging it and hoping for the best. And the best it had become./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBesides the whole Air Force getting involved and getting shot by a rocket midair and taking down one of those really expensive jets, but other than that it had been a successful run and now a village would be safe from missiles with her last name on it./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe sighed as she realized that she was going to have to have Pepper wrap her ribs for her. She reluctantly rang for him and he was down in a moment./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You rang?" He asked as he stepped inside the shop./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah can you wrap my ribs for me?" She asked nonchalantly wondering if that would work for not getting him to ask questions./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You want me to do what?" He asked in both accusation and confusion./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFigures it wouldn't work./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Just grab some Ace bandages and wrap my ribs for me." She said, not giving any other information./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Only if you tell me why."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Because one of my lower ribs is broken and some are bruised, that's why."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And you don't want to bother giving me an explanation, is that right?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nope."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper crossed his arms and stood there, waiting. She sighed and rolled her eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Okay I fell down weird after trying to fix Dummy over there." She shrugged then winced as the movement sent sharp pains through her side. Pepper's resolved seemed to vanish as he saw the pain on her face./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe brought over the bandages that she kept in emergency kit and raised up her shirt. He hesitated before closing his eyes for a moment and opening them. "Um, I think you're going to have to everything off ma'am." He said awkwardly with a flush appearing on his face./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni felt a grin form and she chuckled softly. She had never been very self-conscious, especially when it came to her body and being naked. She hadn't been naked in front of Pepper before, at least as far as she knew, but the embarrassment on his face made her fell a little self-conscious as she stripped her loose shirt and paused a moment before taking her bra off as well. Thank god she wasn't wearing a sports bra, otherwise it would have been even more of an awkward and painful maneuver./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, get on with it." She said, making Pepper move again. She felt his warm fingers against her skin and it brought goosebumps. She shivered slightly and realized she hadn't been touched like this in a while, and especially not by Pepper./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe watched his face of concentration as he wrapped the bandage around her body, trying hard not to brush against her breasts as much as he could./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How does that feel?" He asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Better." She breathed softly, the edge of her personality softened by his touch. "Thank you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe looked up into her eyes and looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last minute. He straightened and cleared his throat. "Is there anything else I can help you with Ms. Stark?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni gave him a soft smile and shook her head. "No Pepper. Thank you." She repeated and reached over for her shirt and pulled it on over her head. When her head popped out again, Pepper was gone and she was left feeling like she had imagined the entire thing but the bandage's tightness told her otherwise./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThis was going to be bad./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal" Pepper was worried. He would never admit it of course, especially not to Toni herself, but he was worried./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt had been a month since her miraculous return and she refused to speak more than a couple of words about it. He knew that it had obviously been a traumatic experience, something he couldn't even begin to understand, but she played it off like everything was fine. That she was back to normal and working on getting her company back on its feet after the news of the stopping of weapons manufacturing and her sudden disappearance./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe knew that she was not back to normal./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanJARVIS was sending him alerts constantly during the night of her screaming herself awake and when she did so, he watched the cameras the next morning to find that she had spent the rest of the night tinkering in her shop./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe wished he could do something about it but he knew that if he even brought up the idea that she wasn't okay he would get his head chewed off and she would bottle herself up inside./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe rest of her friends didn't seem to find anything the matter with her. They were just thankful that she was back and not too harmed in the process. She had suffered some burns and a few cuts from her escape or her time in the kidnapper's nest, but she refused to say how she had escaped./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper had seen to it that Yinsen had his family brought over to the United States and that they were living happily together in a small house, but he had also refused to discuss what had happened. Whenever he had asked the man all he got was a sympathetic look./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I promised her I wouldn't say." He had said softly though he had explained how he had gotten to the group in the first place and some of his time during their capture of him, but nothing after Toni had gotten there. "She just needs time. She'll come around, especially with you." Yinsen gave him a soft smile. "She told me all about you." And the things left unsaid made Pepper blush. He could fill in the blanks though he wished he hadn't./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanNow Pepper was watching Toni sit hunched over at one of her stations, welding something tiny by the looks of it. She had kept her position for the 10 minutes Pepper had just watched, not even noticing that he was at the windows. He sighed and punched in the key code./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I brought you some lunch." He called out as he made his way over to her./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Thanks, you can leave it on the bench." She said, without looking up, too focused on her project./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper stood for a moment and very nearly just sat the meal down but then he straightened with resolve. "No, you need to eat this now." He said in a strict voice that reminded him of his own mother./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni frowned but she still didn't look up. "I'll eat when I'm done with this." She replied./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper narrowed his eyes and walked right in front of her and set down the place with a loud clatter. "No, you'll eat now." He practically hissed./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni looked up in astonishment, pushing up her safety glasses. "My, my, Pepper. So forceful." She said with a wry smile and leaned back in her chair. "Did Happy get your bonnet in a twist?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper glared at her. "This isn't a joking matter Toni. You haven't eaten practically anything in a month and you're always down here tinkering with something when you should be interacting with the outside world. I know you think these robots are your friends but newsflash, they can't talk back."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"JARVIS talks to me." Toni sniffed in a mock hurt voice./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"I talk whenever Ms. Stark needs me."/em JARVIS piped up and Pepper sucked in a deep breath in annoyance and looked up at the ceiling./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"There, see? JARVIS talks to me." Toni chuckled and patted the monitor in front of her like she was patting a small dog./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why don't you go see Rhodey? I bet he would love to see you." Pepper suggested and Toni's face twisted into annoyance./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I don't want to see Rhodey. He's busy anyways." Toni shrugged./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper sighed. "I'm worried about you Toni. You aren't sleeping and when you do sleep you're waking yourself up with nightmares. You're always messing with something down here and not seeing your friends. I've had to cancel your calendar for the last week and next week. It's not healthy."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni's eyes narrowed. "I understand the concern Mr. Potts, but I'm fine." She said in a stiff voice before nodded to the plate of food. "Now thank you for the food, but I need to get back to work."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper sighed, knowing that it was a lost cause and he gave a little nod. "You know where I'll be." He said rather sadly and excused himself out./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe wished he could say how he really felt and force Toni to discuss her fears, but he knew that for now at least, it was a lost cause./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"-/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"emBreaking News: An unknown object was seen flying over Saudi Arabia this morning. Sources from the Air Force report that after multiple explosions in a small town, they were alerted to the flying object. One jet was taken down and the other lost the object during the explosion. The pilot of the jet has been found unharmed. Pictures taken by the jets show a large haul of rockets being destroyed by some sort of metal man that is also being assumed to be the unknown object. There is no other information at this time."/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni winced as she walked to the couch in front of the TV but her wince didn't last long as she listened to the report. She could still hear Rhodey's voice in her head./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Toni Stark you are one crazy motherfucker."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe laughed at the thought but the laugh made her wince again. She definitely needed to reinforce that chest plate. She had a feeling that at least one rib was broken and others were bruised. She looked at the quick medical scan she had taken of herself and didn't find anything too detrimental but she would need to bandage it tight before going to bed./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe wasn't sure how she would go to bed after that experience though. She laughed again at the sheer audacity of the situation./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAfter many test runs around the LA area, she had decided it was time to test it out in true Stark form: by winging it and hoping for the best. And the best it had become./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBesides the whole Air Force getting involved and getting shot by a rocket midair and taking down one of those really expensive jets, but other than that it had been a successful run and now a village would be safe from missiles with her last name on it./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe sighed as she realized that she was going to have to have Pepper wrap her ribs for her. She reluctantly rang for him and he was down in a moment./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You rang?" He asked as he stepped inside the shop./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah can you wrap my ribs for me?" She asked nonchalantly wondering if that would work for not getting him to ask questions./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You want me to do what?" He asked in both accusation and confusion./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFigures it wouldn't work./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Just grab some Ace bandages and wrap my ribs for me." She said, not giving any other information./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Only if you tell me why."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Because one of my lower ribs is broken and some are bruised, that's why."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And you don't want to bother giving me an explanation, is that right?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nope."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPepper crossed his arms and stood there, waiting. She sighed and rolled her eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Okay I fell down weird after trying to fix Dummy over there." She shrugged then winced as the movement sent sharp pains through her side. Pepper's resolved seemed to vanish as he saw the pain on her face./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe brought over the bandages that she kept in emergency kit and raised up her shirt. He hesitated before closing his eyes for a moment and opening them. "Um, I think you're going to have to everything off ma'am." He said awkwardly with a flush appearing on his face./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni felt a grin form and she chuckled softly. She had never been very self-conscious, especially when it came to her body and being naked. She hadn't been naked in front of Pepper before, at least as far as she knew, but the embarrassment on his face made her fell a little self-conscious as she stripped her loose shirt and paused a moment before taking her bra off as well. Thank god she wasn't wearing a sports bra, otherwise it would have been even more of an awkward and painful maneuver./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, get on with it." She said, making Pepper move again. She felt his warm fingers against her skin and it brought goosebumps. She shivered slightly and realized she hadn't been touched like this in a while, and especially not by Pepper./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe watched his face of concentration as he wrapped the bandage around her body, trying hard not to brush against her breasts as much as he could./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How does that feel?" He asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Better." She breathed softly, the edge of her personality softened by his touch. "Thank you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe looked up into her eyes and looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last minute. He straightened and cleared his throat. "Is there anything else I can help you with Ms. Stark?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanToni gave him a soft smile and shook her head. "No Pepper. Thank you." She repeated and reached over for her shirt and pulled it on over her head. When her head popped out again, Pepper was gone and she was left feeling like she had imagined the entire thing but the bandage's tightness told her otherwise./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThis was going to be bad./p