I don't own Marvel. Period!

Sixteen years later...

Pepper Potts stood happily, applauding as her daughter walked to get her diploma. It might not be her high school diploma, but Pepper was happy all the same. In fact, she'd been happy when her daughter got the high school diploma as well. Ironically, since her name last name was Potts, she was two-thirds of the way through the students. Once they were all on, the Valadictorian was announcced. Her daughter, of course. And she just had to make a speech.

"Hello everyone! I'm Maryah Potts, and I'm you're graduating Valadictorian. Now, I know I'm like...six years younger than your kids, but still hold me at high account when I say this. We all want to be special, even if it is for the slightest second. And I thank all of you, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, annoying aunts and uncles, cousins, and that special someone for coming and watching us grow. Now," she said, turning towards her fellow students, "no partying to hard, people. I'm not gonna be there to whipe the...well...never mind." People laughed, chuckling lightly at the words of the teenager. "At any rate, and I think we all know this, but we're the minds of the future! So let's make it a good one!"

People stood up and clapped for the speech. Maryah Potts smiled and gave them a familiar peace sign and walked off the stage, taking off her hat and throwing it up with the rest of her class. Pepper ran over to her daughter, enveloping her in a hug at the hats came flying down. Everyone began to mingle.

"You did such a good job, honey. Not exactly what I imagined...but still good." said Pepper, smiling as her daughter caught a hat hurtling towards her.

"Thanks, mom! And I know it was amazing, I wrote it." she said, shrugging as her and her mother began to walk out of the school campus. "And don't worry about the cap'n'gown! I payed for it, so I'm keeping it! This is the last year they're using them anyway."

She stopped to take off the robe, slipping it over her head after first taking off the cap. The silky fabric found it's way to her mother's arms, the tag sticking out slightly. Pepper's eyes bulged at the weathered name clipped to the tag.

"You got Tony Stark's gown?" asked Pepper in shock, shaking her head lightly and shutting her eyes. This was a common thing that happened whenever the name Stark ever came up, because of her 'troubled' relationship she never told her daughter about.

"Yeah, and I know you don't exactly like your old boss, mom, but I find it a great honor." replied her daughter, smiling weakily as they reached Maryah's Mustang Shelby. It was a dark, eletric green, and it went fast. Very fast.

Pepper shook her head lightly. "Oh, honey, it is. Trust me. It's a huge honor, and I'm not mad. Just a bit shocked that they put you in his robe." They both stepped into the car, not before Pepper put the cap'n'gown in the back, and drove off from the campus.

"Okay, good, because I thought you were. And if you were...ah...never mind." said her daughter who's tan skin and rose lips turned upwards into a sheepish smiling.

The two kept talking about...well...everything. Pepper had known most of what her daughter went through, being the only teenager in a very advanced school(MIT), and related up to what she had gotten out of Tony. He had had some what of a rough time, but it seemed like her's was worse. Partially because she wasn't a Genius-Billionaire-Playboy-Philanthropist. They had gotten so into it that Pepper wasn't paying much attention to the road, and then something happened.

"Mom! Truck!" screamed Maryah, pointing towards a rushing object that was blaring it's horn loudly. Pepper cursed quietly to herself and tried to swivle out of the way. But she wasn't fast enough, wasn't observant enough.

And they crashed.

Tony Stark lazily crashed on his couch, inhailing the stuffy air of his roomy house. He wa sick, he knew it, because he'd been coughing all day. He lazily grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, switching it to Fox News to see 'what was what'.

"A graduate from MIT, Maryah Potts, and her mother, Virgina, were caught in a car crash earlier this eveing. Sources said that they were picked up and taken to a local militaized hospital because of Ms. Pott's so-called association with the goverment. Now, let me confirm that this is the old CEO of Stark Industries, and that she indeed has been found. We''ll keep you all updated on how the situation turns out. In other news..." said the anchorman, his eyes glued to the screen as he spoke.

Tony's mouth fell open, blocking out everything the man had said after 'in other news'. Pepper, his Pepper, was alive and well, and she was doing fine! Good, very good. He new that he would probably get in deep trouble for nosing around the SHIELD office when he was supposed to be sick, but if the goverment picked her up, if was definetly Fury.

All he could think about as he geared up was how happy he was that Pepper finally resurfaced.