It's been a while I know, and I apologise. As I said in the last chapter this one is a little bit of a jump forward a few years.
First Day of School
"First! Day! Of! School!" The small girl announces as she bounces on her parents bed, waking them from the blissful sleep they'd been in prior to her unruly wakeup.
"Mpmph." Pepper groaned and rolled back over
"Good morning Princess!" Tony wrapped his arms around the five year old, tickling her.
"Daddy!" She half berated and half giggled.
"What?" He asked still tickling her.
"It tickles!"
"That little Miss Stark is the point."
"Mommy!" She tried a new tactic, Pepper reached over and tickled Tony's side causing him to do a (what he would later argue was in fact) a very manly giggle.
"Not fair." He said leaning over to kiss his wife.
"Eeeeeew!" Beth scrunched up her face. "Mommy boys are icky!"
"Yes they are. Very, very icky!" Tony told her seriously, Pepper just rolled her eyes.
"Shall we go get dressed?" Pepper asked the five year old
"Can I wake Ed up?"
"No, honey leave him sleep."
"But it's the first day of school!" She huffed.
"Not for him, he's still too little." Pepper was convinced her daughter had ulterior motives for wanting to wake the three year old up. Despite what Tony had argued he still wasn't Elizabeth's favourite person.
They walked in to Beth's Disney princess bedroom and begun to pull out some clothes. "No mommy the red one! Like daddy's suit." She tried, Pepper just shook her head. It was ridiculous how much like her father the small girl was.
By the time they made it down to breakfast Tony was trying to convince Ed to eat some toast.
"Nope." He shook his head "I want that one!" He pointed to the large chocolate cereal box on the counter.
"That's daddy's silly." Beth announced.
"It's big boy cereal." Pepper told him.
"Ed a big boy!" The child said fixing his chocolate brown eyes on his mother.
"Yes you are, and do you know what big boys do?" Tony asked and Ed shook his head.
"Big boys eat toast." Tony said and the child looked for confirmation from his mother who nodded.
One family breakfast later and they were loaded in to the back of the limo, Beth just talking about how excited she was for school and then Tony received a phone call.
"Morning platypus!" He said after he saw the caller id
"Uncle Jim!" Beth shouted
"Hey Tony..." He chuckled when he heard Beth "Tell her I said hi. I've got some news! Great news in fact."
"You're giving me my suit back?" Tony joked
"Hell no!" Rhodey said "I asked Joanne to marry me..."
"About time it's been what 4 years?"
"About that yeah, anyway she said yes!"
"Rhodey that's great news, I'll let you tell Pepper." Tony handed the cell to his wife
"Hey Jim, what can I do for you this morning?"
"Hey Pepper, I asked Joanne to marry me and she said yes!"
"Oh, Jim I'm so happy for you!" They talked for a little bit longer and then handed the phone back to Tony.
"Rhodes, drinks tonight 9pm. You know where." And he hung up without further words, and just smirked at the look on Pepper's face; they dropped Ed off at day care and then proceeded to the private elementary school in downtown LA where they'd be sending Elizabeth and eventually Edward.
They joined the group of parents, most of who were amongst the wealthiest in the city, yet were still a little star struck by Tony and Pepper.
"Daniel Crawley." A man introduced himself to Tony "Cardiologist at Cedars Sinai"
"Tony Stark." Tony shook the man's hand. "Super hero." Tony's joke drew a chuckle from the man and a pointed glare from Pepper.
"Which one is yours?" The man asked "Mines the one in the yellow shirt playing in the sandbox"
"Mine's the one in the red shirt playing with your daughter." Tony said and the two men smiled as the two girls continued to play, the two men continued to talk about their daughters, and Tony eventually remembered to introduce his wife to the man.
"They're calling the class in." Pepper points out and the small group departed, with a promise of Pepper to set up a play date with Daniel's daughter (Sarah). Tony and Pepper stayed with their daughter for the first hour, whilst they met the teacher and the class was introduced.
By the time Tony and Pepper made it in to the office it was nearly lunch time, so they ordered some takeout and Pepper joined Tony in his office where soon their attention was drawn by the report on the television.
"Today marks the 8th anniversary of Tony Stark's disappearance in Afghanistan. It comes on the day his eldest child starts school and the day after his wife, Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, birthday. We'll look briefly at the incident and the still less than clear circumstances surrounding the abduction including how after he returned the loss of Obadiah Stane has influenced him and the relationship he has with his PA turned Wife/CEO, the report will be shown in full tonight at 7pm pacific time but for now we'll show you the condensed version.
In September 2008 billionaire industrialist, fresh from his no-show at a Vegas awards ceremony jetted out to Afghanistan where the day after his arrival and on return from his Jericho Missile display the convoy he was travelling came under attack and for three months nobody knew where Stark was, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes heads the search whilst Stark suffers through unimaginable and unknown struggles at the hands of a group known as the Ten Rings…."
"Mute." Pepper cut the reporter off, looking at Tony, whose eyes had gone dark, she reached a hand out. "Tony…"
"Its fine Pepper, they do this every year."
"And every year you shut yourself off from me, the kids, Rhodey…everyone."
"Pepper…"
"Tony, please don't think about…"
"How can I not think about it?" He was getting angry now "I think about it every time I see the blue glow, or climb in that suit or look at you, the kids and think how close I was to losing everything!" He'd gone from angry to yelling.
"Don't yell at me Anthony Stark." She said firmly "Take the day off, go home. Have a drink work on the cars but don't dwell on it. It happened."
So Tony took her advice, he went and had a drink or seven, Pepper stood nervously whilst an oblivious five year old re-told the story of her first day at school to a father who was too drunk to remember it and then he left to go and see his friend against Pepper's advice.
"RHODES!" Tony called from the VIP room, champagne bottle swinging in his hand.
"Hey Tony, started the party without me?" Rhodey who'd already been briefed by Pepper on his state (not that he needed reminding of the date).
"Brigadier General Rhodes, congratulations on the promotion and the whole getting married thing."
"Thanks buddy. Do you think maybe you should calm down a bit?" Rhodey said he never had enjoyed the part of the relationship where he'd had to babysit Tony.
"It's a party Rhodey! A celebration, let's drink and be merry!" As Tony said this, Rhodey was already texting Pepper. "Did you know this time last year a man named Yinsen was attaching a car battery to my chest!"
"Tony it was 8 years ago, not last year."
"8 years, last year, last week! What does it matter?" Tony took a swig from the champagne bottle, emptying it. "The booze is gone, I'm going to find more." With that he stumbled off in the general direction of where he thought he saw a waitress.
Rhodey made his way outside to call Pepper. "Pepper can you come pick him up?"
"How bad?"
"Pre-Afghanistan."
"I'll send Happy out now, I need to stay with the kids. Look after him Jimmy."
"I'll do my best Mrs Stark."
Happy arrived 20 minutes later and was greeted by Rhodey outside. "Hey Happy."
"Hey General Rhodes. Congrats on that and the engagement." Happy shook his hand. "Where's the boss?"
"I don't know, I've been searching for him for the last 30 minutes." They walked in and saw a group of people gathered around the coat check, Rhodey stood on tip toes and was horrified to see Tony pants around his ankles sharing a cigarette and scotch with a blonde 20-something.
"Get up." He told him sternly.
"Rhodey! Oh and you bought Happy! Good, I was wondering how Cr…Crystal…no…Brandi! I was wondering how we're going to get back to the mansion."
"Only you are going back to the mansion Tony. You know, that big ole' house on a cliff where your wife lives."
"Enough of the wife jokes Jim! Pepper and I may act like we're married, but the ice queen is never going to give it up for me. What time do we leave for the Jericho thing?"
"Tomorrow. It's early as well Tony, that's why you're going home to get some rest."
Tony jumped up. "I'll rest when I'm dead. Happy!" He called out
"Yes boss?"
"Remind me to look up common-law marriage. See if I can get Potts that way."
"What's wrong with him?" Happy whispered as they helped the boss to the waiting car.
"A mixture of booze and PTSD."
"Pepper's going to kill him."
"I hope so. He deserves it."
Tony didn't remember last night, all he was aware of was the splitting headache and the nausea he was feeling.
"Get up." Ah…he thought, he recognised that stern voice. It belonged to Pepper.
He cracked his eyes open, thankful the room was still dim.
"Get up." She repeated.
"Jesus Pep, let me wake up a bit."
"Its 11am Tony, I've already been up for hours, dealing with your children and the mess you created!" She threw a paper on the bed and even in his hung over state he could read the front.
"COSY IN COAT CHECK! Iron Man's alter-ego Tony Stark made reappearance last night after nearly a decade in hiding. Mr Stark was seen getting cosy in the coat check booth of an LA club with a mystery woman who was definitely not Mrs Stark…"
Tony looked at the photo, of himself in an incriminating position with a young blonde.
"Pepper…"
"I don't want to hear it."
"Pepper, please it was a mistake!"
"Pack a bag."
"You throwing me out?" The devastation he was feeling, rivalled that of the feelings when he'd been told his parents were dead.
"No. Against my better judgement, I'm not throwing you out." She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe "I'm sending you to get help. I should've done it 8 years and 3 months ago but I didn't. I should've done it the first time this happened."
"I'll do whatever it takes Pepper." He reached out a hand towards her and was horrified when she jerked back "Pepper I love you." He looked at her expectantly
"Don't ask me to say it now Tony. Not after this…"
"Pepper…"
"Up, shower, pack. Happy will be here in 30 minutes." She left, heels clicking on the floor and only then did Tony really start to think, that'd he'd lost it all.
TBC…
So there we go, I lured you in with fluff then stomped all over it. It's all too fluffy, and don't worry everything will be sorted in the next chapter or two.
Rhodey needed a promotion or two it's been 8 years he can't stay Lieutenant Colonel forever! New characters introduced, hmmm they could be interesting…
Thoughts? Loved it? Hated it? Want to attack with an angry mob? Feedback and constructive criticism always appreciated =)