Chapter 14

The lights in the kitchen suddenly turned on and by the door stood a disheveled looking Tony Stark. He was panting loudly and his eyes were wide as saucers as he stared down at Pepper lying face down on the floor. He lunged himself towards her and skidded behind her onto his knees before he picked her up and held her close to his chest. He brushed away the hair from her face and frantically checked her body for any sign of major injury. "Pepper, talk to me," he pleaded to her. "What happened? Why did you scream? Are you alright?"

The redhead's eyes were wide and red with rivers of tears, and as soon as she felt Tony's body near hers her hands flew toward his chest. She desperately clawed her way up to his shoulders and pushed herself up to hug him, resting her chin on his left shoulder. "He was here, Tony! He was here!"

Tony surrounded her and pulled her trembling body closer to his, hoping that he could somehow provide some comfort to the obviously frightened girl. He buried his face in her neck and combed her long hair with his fingertips, randomly placing kisses on the side of her face as he did so. "Who, Pepper? Who was here?"

"Gene," she whispered. "He tried to kill me! He was dirty, and then he was dead, and then he was alive!"

Tony looked up from her neck and took a look around them, trying to make sense of Pepper's words. The kitchen was intact, and no sign of forced entry was immediately visible to him. There were no footprints, no broken glass, or any sign of blood anywhere. In Tony's mind, the only thing that was out of place was the shaking girl in his arms. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?" Responded a disembodied voice in a thick British accent. Pepper stopped sobbing for a moment and looked up to a black box that was above the kitchen entryway. She was certain the speaker had not been there when she had moved in, so it could only mean that Tony had installed it there at some point during his stay.

"Are there any records of breaking and entering?" The genius asked while still holding on to Pepper and mentally getting his suit ready for action if he needed to resort to it.

This time the voice took longer to respond, but Tony knew his new AI prototype was just reviewing the information he had requested of it. "There are no records of intelligent life forms other than you and Miss Potts, sir."

"Tony? What was that?" Pepper inquired, momentarily forgetting about her brush with death in the hands of Gene Khan.

"That's Jarvis, or JARVIS, all caps."

"What is a 'Jarvis'?"

"Just a Rather Very Intelligent System; initials." Tony clarified. "He will be replacing my old AI from now on."

"And why is it here?"

"He is here to watch over you and your dad."

"Well, he's not doing a good job so far," Pepper spat. "Why is he saying that Gene wasn't here? I saw him, Tony. He was standing in front of me and he had a sword in his hands!"

"He didn't say Gene wasn't here. He just said that it's only you and me here right now."

"Same difference," she said as she pushed herself away from him. Tony looked down at her and noticed she was calming down, so he pulled both of them up to their feet. She still held onto him as she took deep breaths, and he rubbed her arms up and down to help some with the relaxing gasps she was taking. "Maybe you're right," she finally said after a moment of silence. "Maybe I was having a nightmare or sleep walking. I don't know."

"Maybe, maybe not." He shrugged. "Do you mind if I install infrared cameras inside the house?" He began pulling her out of the kitchen by the hand and led them back to the stairs to return to her room.

"You'll have to ask my dad, Tony." She pressed her forehead against his back as she followed him up the stairs. "I'm not sure how he's going to feel about all the other upgrades you've done."

"OK. I will, and I'm sure he'll agree with me."

"Overconfident much?" She pulled away from his back once they reached her room. He closed the door behind them and turned off the lights once they both climbed onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. "Just, please don't tell him why you want to install the infrared."

Tony frowned. He did not agree with Pepper's request to keep the truth from her father but he understood why she was asking for it. Life after a heart attack was not easy, and if Virgil was under the impression that Pepper was somehow in danger, it would make his recovery that much more difficult for him and for Pepper as well.

"Tony?" Pepper elbowed his side when he took a long time to respond.

"I won't, but I expect you to keep me informed if this happens again. If it does, and after I install some equipment around here, I can run some diagnostics and try to pinpoint where he's coming from."

Pepper nodded. She was not fond of Tony turning her home into an electronics shop or Makluan Temple 2.0, but she also did not want to worry about Gene hurting her dad. "Any chance you can add me to your server? I'm going to buy some equipment myself and set it up in my room to help with this and also Iron Man."

Tony shook his head. "You don't have to do that, Pepper. I can hook you up to my server but you don't have to do anything else."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do? I thought you said I still had a job with you. Are you taking it back now because I'm seeing things? Am I not passing your mental evaluation test for Stark Solutions?"

"Whoa, babe! What just happened?" he turned to his side to face her – or whatever he could see of her in the dead of the night. "I just…I had other plans in mind, that's all."

"What other plans?"

"Well, I don't have to go to MIT until January, and you still have time to start college next year, too."

"So?"

"So, I was thinking that, if you want me to, I can help you study so you can take the GED and the entrance exams for college. We only have three months but I'm sure we can make it work."

Tony heard Pepper inhale in surprise.

"T-Tony…I…I couldn't…I mean, you can't…you don't have to…"

"I want to, Pep. What good am I to you if I can't help you?"

"But, I live here, and you live in New York."

"So? There's this thing called the Internet; I'm sure you've heard of it, and I can come visit you often. It only takes half an hour with the suborbital feature of the suit."

"Tony…I…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything…but you can give me a kiss as a down payment."

Pepper chuckled lightly before her hands patted around for his face. When she found it, she pulled him down to her and gave him a long kiss he returned with as much emotion as her. She finally pulled away and could see Tony's smile, making her feel as content as he seemed to be. She then turned on her side and adjusted her position so that he could hug her from behind.

"Good night, Pepper."

"Good night, Tony."

xxxXXXxxx

"Sir, there's a matter that requires your attention," the voice of Jarvis said in the living room. Tony had just returned from the mall where he had bought a few more changes of clothes to replace some of the ones he had lost in the accident, and Pepper was in the kitchen making them something to eat. Tony muted the news channel he was watching where coverage of the pileup was being displayed in order to address his AI.

"What is it?"

"You've asked me to inform you of when arrangements for your departure to New York were confirmed. Your jet will be ready for takeoff tomorrow at 10 AM, and a taxi will pick you up at this location at 8 AM."

"Alright. What about the research I asked you to look up for Pepper?"

"Miss Potts will receive an e-mail confirming her enrollment in Safety Cars Driving School, and also a ticket to sit at the December 18 testing session for the General Education Development exam."

"Did you order the practice guides?"

"They should arrive in 7-10 business days."

"How about the college application forms?"

"They've been sorted through and categorized by the order of interest of Miss Potts. She has stated she will review them sometime before the end of the week."

"When is the cab picking us up today to go get Virgil?"

"3:30 PM."

"What is Pepper making us for lunch?"

"Seafood soup."

"What is the meaning of life?"

"42."

"Damn, Jarvis!" Tony said as he looked up at the ceiling. "How did I live without you for so long? Where were you hiding all this time?"

"In your head, sir." The AI deadpanned, causing Tony to chuckle.

"Anything else I should know?"

"Not at the moment."

"Alright. Thanks, Jarvis."

"You're quite welcome, sir."

Tony returned his attention to the television and unmuted the channel to hear the continuation of the report.

"Preliminary reports of the tragic 15-car pileup that occurred days ago stated that all four traffic lights granted the right of way to the entire intersection, an error that is currently being attributed to a glitch in the programming. The company that developed and maintains the software, however, has denied any wrongdoing or liability for the accident in an official statement released this morning. The family of the only victim that did not survive the crash is demanding answers and wants the responsible parties to come forth. So far, a finger-pointing game is the only action the surviving fiancée of the victim is seeing, and he is threatening legal action against the city. The local Department of Transportation's records indicate that three out of the four lights were in fact red as one – the one directing westbound traffic – was green. At some point during this transition, the other three lights turned green simultaneously, and thus the accident took place."

"Tony, lunch is ready," Pepper said as she began bringing bowls and silverware to the coffee table.

"Do you need help, Pep?" He said as he began standing up from the couch but Pepper shook her head at him and pushed him back onto it.

"Nope. Just wait here." She smiled at him before she disappeared into the kitchen again. Tony's eyes landed on the television again and this time a pre-recorded interview with a victim was being shown.

"Yeah, man! Iron Man just showed up out of nowhere! I mean, now we know it was Tony Stark and that he was driving around with his girlfriend – who by the way is h-h-h-ooo-t – " the man emphasized his point by biting his lower lip and performing a suggestive movement of his hips. "But, anyway, I was lucky he was around or me and my buddies would've been toast! Our SUV crashed into – and I mean INTO – a car, but we all made it out thanks to Tony. Thanks, Tony! I love you, Pepper!" The man waved at the camera.

"See, Tony?" Pepper began as she returned to the living room and began pouring lunch into their bowls. "You're a hero."

"Yeah, and apparently you're h-h-h-ooo-t,"the inventor said in a mocking tone and with a roll of his eyes before he thanked her for the food. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I have some competition."

Pepper chuckled, sat next to him, and they began to eat.

"What is your theory about the cause of the accident, sir?" The reporter asked in another recorded interview of witnesses.

"Well, ma'am, if I didn't know any better, and I don't, I'd say some witch or psychic, or maybe even one of those darned mutants did this."

At the mention of the word 'mutant' Tony and Pepper stared at each other and set down their bowls.

"Care to explain?" The reporter asked.

"Well, isn't it strange that all the remaining traffic lights turned green at the same time, like if someone around had just 'willed them' to do so? I mean, I was also waiting for a green light myself but, last I checked, my desperation with traffic laws didn't make me control any machines with my mind."

"Control machines with your mind?"

"Yeah, like it's rumored some mutants can do, right?"

Pepper opened her mouth to say something but she then heard Tony gasp. She turned to her side to face him and his demeanor made her concerned for him. He was as rigid as a log, his eyes were wide, and his mouth hung. His fists were shaking and she swore some snarling was coming from his throat but he did not give her a chance to confirm her suspicions when he stood up from the couch and ran to the door.

"Tony? TONY? Where are you going?" Pepper asked as she too stood up and ran outside to follow him. Tony ignored her cries and only sped up in the direction of the nearest intersection. Once he arrived at the corner, he looked up at the traffic lights above them and confirmed one was green while the opposing traffic one was red.

"Tony, what's going on?"

"Wait, Pepper," was his only response before he stared at either side of the streets to make sure no cars were coming. The place where Virgil had chosen to buy a home was not very active, and not much traffic was found at any given point during the day. Tony's eyes then stared at the traffic light that was red and his mind took him back to the brief seconds before the accident.

"I'm staying on the couch?" He placed the keys in the ignition. "I thought you'd share your bed with me, Potts!"

"Tony!"

"Just kidding…" he chuckled and started the car before he added, "…mostly."

"You're awful, Stark." She shook her head but still smiled.

"But that's how you love me." He said, shamelessly fishing for compliments as he waited for the red traffic light to switch to green, his fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel.

"Yes, that's how I love you," she agreed as she bent over to turn on the radio when the car was set in motion again.

"The light was green," Tony mumbled and Pepper walked closer to him. She placed a hand over his arm to catch his attention and tried to understand what he was doing. "The light…was green," he repeated again as he stared up at the natural flow of the traffic lights. The one that had been red was now green, and the one that had been green had turned red. Tony's eyes then focused on the red light and in the blink of an eye the red light turned green, leaving the intersection with two lights that gave both opposing traffic lanes the right of way.

Just as it had ben during the accident.

Pepper's eyes also landed on the lights and she gasped when she finally understood what Tony was doing. A second later, and after another stare from Tony, the light that should have not been green returned to red, and the lights resumed their normal pattern. Tony felt Pepper's grip on his arm tightened and she pressed her face against his back. "Tony, you… you couldn't have known."

"I should've had known," he responded as his head hung in shame. "I never stopped to see if Extremis had any long-term side effects. I…I should've ran some tests."

"And you would've looked for what, exactly? You had no symptoms that would've told you something was not right. I reviewed that data with you, remember? Everything was clear. Don't blame yourself for it, Tony. It was just an accident. We…we don't even know if it was you…"

"Seriously, Pepper?" Tony pulled away from her to point at the traffic lights. "Did you not see what I just did? The same thing I did before! I wanted the light to be green! I wanted to hurry the hell up and come home with you!"

"Tony, please…"

"NO! I caused that accident, Pepper! I put everyone…I put YOU in danger! I… I killed someone's fiancée!"

Pepper covered her mouth with her hands, unable to think of something comforting to say to him. She knew that Tony's ability to control computers was there, and the likelihood that he had unwillingly controlled the traffic pattern was rather high. Mutants had been reported to live in California, but that did not discard the possibility that the only "mutant" that could have caused this accident had been Tony.

The redhead then took a step toward him and tried to hug him but he took a step back. "Don't, Pepper. I just…I need to think…I need to be alone." Before he finished his sentence, the suit of armor was already on its way to him and was quickly covering his body. "Can you save me my lunch? It was good," he said before the helmet closed over his face and he took to the skies.

Pepper stared at him until he disappeared from sight, and she sighed deeply before she returned home. The lunch was now cold and she was no longer hungry, so she stored away the leftovers in the fridge. The cab would come by in a couple of hours, and she hoped that Tony would return before that. If he did not, she had no trouble picking up her dad without him, but if she did not hear from him soon, she would have a difficult time concealing her concerned face from her dad.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

"Can you track Tony?"

"I can."

"Can you talk to him?"

"Yes. Would you like me to relay a message for you?"

"Yes. Can you…can you tell him that I'll be waiting for him? Can you tell him I said for him not to do anything stupid?"

"Do you want me to use that exact verbiage?"

"Sure."

"I will do so. Oh, and, Miss Potts?"

"Yes?"

"Your antibiotic pills are due."

Pepper scoffed as she walked to the kitchen to pop the pills the doctor had given her to take to prevent any infection that could be caused by the accident. She washed them down with some water and she then returned to the living room to clean up. "Please watch over him for me, Jarvis."

"He just asked me to do the same of you for him," Jarvis responded, leaving the redhead with a sad smile on her face, and the fear of what Tony could do in such a disheartened state.

A/N: DUN DUN DUN! That is all until next weekend!