Heeeelllloooooo! I just got my soul back from a summer job at a factory. It sucked the life right out off me and with it all energy to do pretty much anything. Sorry bout that. So y'alls have been waiting for a long time…

Chapter 14: A Few Tears for Long Lost Love

The scene changed again, showing an Air Force plan touching down at an airstrip. Pepper and Happy appeared on the screen, Happy with a supportive comforting hand on the red head's back. Pepper's freckled cheeks were flushed red with tear tracks trailing down to her chin. Her red teary eyes were puffy and her eye makeup was smeared from rubbing at them.

Everyone in the room snuck glances at Pepper Stark who they had never seen anything less that put together really. She seemed to be holding her breath as she stared at the TV screen with a small twitch at the corners of her lips. Phil who was sitting beside her was patter her back. This caused the avengers to pause a moment (Except Bruce really because again he had been pulled somehow into the little Stark family. He knew). They hadn't realized Agent Coulson was so close to Pepper. That likely meant he was close to Stark too and they really hadn't imagined that.

Steve suddenly remembered how upset Tony had been when he believed Phil had died. Something cold seemed to fill his chest. He had thought it had just been that Stark realized what he was doing was actually dangerous. That people died and he could just play hero. That Stark was facing the reality of being a soldier. That people died.

"We are not soldiers!" he had hissed.

But they had been friends. Possibly good friends based on the slightly saddened look in Coulson's eyes. Steve sank down in his chair.

Tony and Rhodey's silhouettes were shown. Tony stood from the wheelchair he was in and they moved to leave the plane. The two men were then shown from the front, tony was dressed in a fine suit though he looked ruffled and uncomfortable with the sling on his arm.

"Watch it, coming up here." Rhodey warned, pointing out a gap in the open hatch as they neared. Tony looked down tiredly at his feet and made sure not to stumble over it.

Again the team took the time to take in Tony looking less than suave. They watched as he moved carefully and allowed Rhodey to direct him with a hand on his back. Clint thought back and realized that even in all their battles where Tony was hurt through the armor, he had never let any of them hold him up so to speak like Rhodey was here. He shook off hands and kept going. That was upsetting Clint realized somewhere in his chest. He was use to working alone that's why this team thing was weird to him at first. But it had grown on him and he wanted the team to enjoy working with each other as much as he enjoyed working with them. Clint looked around the room.

'Really,' he though, 'Only 'Tasha and Cap seem to have real problems with Tone.'

But as Clint looked over Natasha's hardened features and Cap's seemingly uncomfortable expression he thought that maybe it wouldn't be as hard to pull sticks out of butts. He just had to figure out Natasha's problem.

As they stepped off the plane, medics began to approach with a gurney fully prepared to take him away. Tony spared them a glance before he passed, causing the team to hesitate.

"Are you kidding me with this?" He asked, glancing to Rhodey. "Get rid of them."

"Tony," Bruce groaned quietly with a shake of his head.

Pepper smiled and patted his shoulder. From the corner of his eye Bruce saw a concerned look cross Steve's face. Internally he heaved a sigh of relief. The Captain was learning.

Rhodey made quick work of waving them away. At the same time Tony made eye contact with his wife.

"Pep." He breathed.

And it was at that moment that some of the viewers began to understand how much Tony Stark actually loved his wife if the desperately happy face was anything to go by. Steve sank a bit lower. He had often thought awful things about Tony solely based on what he assumed about their marriage… He tried to swallow the growing knot in his throat and tried not to pay much attention the Natasha who was side eyeing him.

He quickly made a beeline for her and she was approaching just as swiftly. They met somewhere in the middle and she had her arms around him in an instant, clutching at his suit. He pushed her away gently to look into her face. A blinding teary smile spread across her face and Tony's eyes started to well up.

"Your eyes are red." He murmured. "A few tears for long-lost love?"

She let out a shaky desperate laugh before kissing him long and slow.

"Tears of joy. You know I hate sleeping alone." She replied after they pulled apart.

"Is that some sort of inside joke for you two?" Clint asked. "I've heard you say that to each other a few times."

Pepper looked to Clint with a small smile. "Yes. It started when we were dating. This is our greeting when we see each other after some time apart. I couldn't believe him when he said it then though." She said nodding to the screen. "Like he had just been gone for a meeting and not lost somewhere in the desert. Looking at it now, really I should have smacked him."

"I love you."

*Holds up hands in surrender* Don't shoot! I know this was really REEALLY short, but I like the suspense xD And I really want to get lots and lots of Pepper/Tony feels for the next chapter.