Ok, so this is one of the hardest chapters I've had to write, so if it totally sucks please don't shout I tried! Sorry it took a while, work and college work are taking priority and things are getting a little hectic.

Coming Clean

"So you finally decided you want to talk." The Therapist stated, although the tone implied it was more of a question than a statement.

"No I decided I'd like to go home." Tony told the man

"What changed your mind?"

"My wife came to visit me she said some stuff and showed me these…" He threw the magazines Pepper had brought on the table. "I don't want my kids seeing this stuff."

"Is that all you don't want them seeing?"

"I don't want them to see me drunk. I grew up in a world where the scotch meant power and the word alcoholic wasn't mentioned, my wife grew up with an abusive father who loved the bottle more than his own wife and kids. Beth and Ed are young enough not to remember this. They can grow up with stable…ish parents."

"Stable-ish?" The therapist asked

"Yep."

The therapist filled that away, they'd bring it up later. "So you've done the whole therapy thing before after the plane crash that killed your parents?"

He knew it was true but thought he'd check anyway "Yep, didn't stick though I had more pressing matters to deal with." He'd spent the months after his parent's death at age 17 celebrating the loss of his virginity by working his way through sleeping with every playmate of the year for the last five years.

"Well we'll start with the incident that brought you here and then we'll work back over the next few sessions and introduce you to group therapy. But right now we're starting on your 12 steps to recovery. The first step is admitting you have a problem and that you need help, you've done this. Congratulations."

"Gee thanks." The sarcasm was dripping from his voice.

"Tell me how you ended up here Tony." The therapist told him "Don't just say I got drunk and cheated on my wife either." He added for good measure.

"It was the day before my wife's birthday and my best friend got engaged the night before, so we went out to celebrate but the night before my wife's birthday is the day I left for Afghanistan."

"What happened in Afghanistan?"

"Everybody knows that, I was kidnapped."

"Yeah, that's what the media said but I want to know what happened."

"We were driving along and we were hit, I took cover behind some rocks when a missile landed next to me and I freaked out. Then I saw the words on the side Stark Industries, it was my own damn missile and then it exploded.

The next thing I know I'm in a cave and it's just blurry memories but I remember pain and being awake as man called Yinsen put a car battery in my chest."

"A car battery?" The therapist asked shocked at what he was hearing.

"Yeah, the shrapnel from the explosion lodged in my chest and is working its way towards my heart. The car battery was powering an electro magnet keeping it in place.

Then they, the guys who kidnapped me, wanted me to build them a Jericho missile and I refused so they tortured me, ramming my head in water and pulling on the wires in my chest. It was then I decided to put in a self-contained power source." He wasn't about to talk about arc reactor tech to a man he didn't know.

"So I told them I was going to do it, but the whole time I worked on a way to escape. They tried to kill Yinsen when they realised what we were doing. I couldn't let that happen so I convinced them I needed him and when what we'd planned was nearly ready he sacrificed himself so I could escape.

Before it all happened he asked if I had anybody…a family, I told him I didn't and he told me he did. But then I found out they were already dead. So I escaped and came home, became Iron Man and the rest is all available on the internet."

Pepper would've been proud, it was the most he'd ever shared. He was drained emotionally.

"I think we're done for today Tony." The therapist told him. "Tomorrow I'll start you on group therapy. Well done I know this is difficult."

… … …..

"Hey Pepper." Tony said down the phone.

"Hello Tony." She responded.

"I went to therapy today, I talked about Afghanistan."

She was shocked, not really sure if she believed him. "You did?"

"Of course I did, I want to come home."

"It's not about coming home Tony it's about getting better." She scolded him.

"I want to get better so we can you know…be happy again."

"Tony…"

"I love you and I want to come home."

She thought for a moment. She knew he really was trying the therapist in charge of his treatment had called to tell her he was finally participating and she knew he loved her. "I love you too Tony and I want you to come home."

He was ecstatic, she'd finally said it. It had been nearly a month since she gave him any indication she still felt that way about him. "Pepper…"

She knew whilst he felt good now what she was going to say was going to hurt him anyway. "Tony, I still can't let you come home yet and I still don't want you to see the kids."

"I get it no really I do just next time you come to visit bring something I can work on. I'm one go-fish, nobody wants to play black jack or poker with me, game away from opening the case and dismantling my suit just for something to do."

"I'll be in New York with the board this weekend, but Rhodey's coming up on Saturday."

… … ….

Tony was sat in the garden when James Rhodes found him.

"Hey Tony." He greeted grabbing the billionaire's attention.

"Platypus you come to save me again?"

"Don't call me that." Rhodey whined

"Sorry sour patch."

"Tony, I swear to go I'll take my gift back to Malibu…"

"What did you bring me?"

"I may have asked nicely if I can bring the hot rod for you to work on."

"I love you."

"Loving other people's what got you here in the first place."

"Ouch. I take it back."

"One condition though..."

"Oh here we go, always with the fun sucking Rhodes."

"You need to teach some of the kids in this place some engine basics."

"I could do that…" He said uncertainly, Tony Stark had little patience for people who didn't work at the same level as well as he did.

"Good, now give me a tour of this place and tell me how it's turning you in to a functioning member of society."

…. ….

It had been a month since Tony's conversation with his therapist and he'd moved on to group therapy, he was also moving forward slightly with Pepper, she'd started to come up every week to visit. Although Tony was well aware of the fact she'd not forgiven him for cheating on her, he just hoped that she'd forgive him eventually. Together they'd been using some of her visits to work through the issue of his infidelity, so when it came to this week's visit he was no longer surprised when he went to kiss her and she turned her cheek.

"Hi." He said softly taking her hand in his and leading her away from the main garden to a smaller one, usually reserved for yoga overlooking the ocean.

"How are you feeling?"

"Jeez Pepper you have to ask that too?" He joked, then he looked at the figure they were approaching "There's somebody I want you to meet."

"Hey Tony." Rob greeted his friend

"Rob, this is my wife Pepper," He looked at Pepper "Pepper this is Rob Wallis, he's going to be my sponsor when I blow this join next week."

"Nice to meet…Next Week?" She was shocked.

"Yep, apparently after two months they get sick of me too."

"They just got bored of you dismantling their computers and kitchen equipment." Rob joked

"I was improving things." Tony tried to defend himself

"Just keep telling yourself that." Pepper said voice remaining neutral, although nobody missed the sarcasm in the sentence.

"Rob when do you leave?" Pepper asked politely

"I leave tonight actually. I'm just waiting for a ride down to LA."

"You live in LA?" Tony asked

"Yeah, there's a halfway house that's willing to take me in, then I'm going to try and find a job."

"A halfway house?" Tony asked

"Yeah my mom's not keen on letting me back in the house and I blew through the cash I got when I left the corps."

"Marine?" Pepper asked him

"Yes mam. I was an aircraft mechanic, working on helicopters mostly." Rob finished and Tony looked at Pepper.

"I think we've got something at Stark Industries if you're interested."

"Seriously? That'd be amazing!"

"Yeah, just come up to my office at…" She grabbed her blackberry and checked the schedule "…8:30am and we'll get you set up in the aircraft division."

"That's…wow, thank you so much." Rob didn't know what to say. "I'm gonna leave you guys alone now." He hurried off to finish packing, leaving Tony and Pepper alone.

"You could've told me you were coming home next week." She said, voice not betraying how she was feeling.

"I found out this morning. Pepper, I know what I did was unforgivable but…"

"I'm trying Tony, I really am."

"Do I get to come home?" He asked, showing his emotions to the one person he could trust with them.

"Of course you do!" Sure they were having some trust problems, he cheated on her and she shipped him off to rehab, but she wasn't leaving him and she wasn't kicking him out of his own home.

"Do I get to come home to you?" It wasn't something many people knew about Tony Stark but people had a habit of leaving him and it left him feeling vulnerable.

"Tony, we may be having problems right now but as long as you do come home I'll always be there waiting." Then for the first time in two months she leant in and kissed her husband.

…. … …..

Happy pulled up the car in front of to door to Tony's mansion and the man in question got out of the car smiling at his driver and looking at his house.

"Glad to have you home boss." Happy said cheerfully, he'd missed Tony, yeah he was mad at him for what he did to Pepper but his friend had finally sort out the help he'd needed.

He'd opened the door and walked through the mansion until he found the kids play room and he couldn't help but smile, presiding over the tea party were two little girls and suffering were three teddy bears a sulking three year old and a robot with a pink bonnet (usually seen on the head of Rhodey) stuck on top.

"Daddy you came home!" She ran over to him and he scooped her up in his arms and gave her a huge hug and a kiss before he picked up his son, who was wearing one of Pepper's old skirts. He silently thanked some all-powerful deity for not giving him an older sister.

"Of course I came home. I couldn't miss your tea party!" He sat at the tiny table and took the offered empty cup and spent the afternoon with his children enjoying just being home and knowing that everything was ok for now at least

TBC…

Feedback appreciated, will try and update soon but I've got an assignment due over the summer!

Thanks to everyone who's sticking this out, there is an actual plan believe it or not =)