Disclaimer: I do not own them.

Author's Note: Thank you guys for your support! I finally got a chance to reply to your reviews and catch up on my emails. Sorry for the delay, and for any mistakes you might find in here. Keep reading, I'll keep writing!

Pepper was irate.

How could Tony ever think that sending her away was the best option? Ever.

"But I'll know you're safe if you stay with your parents while this blows over. I can't have you hanging around. What if they use you to get to me? You know that's how this works." Tony argued with her to try and make her see things his way.

"We're stronger together than apart. You know it, and I know it." She retorted while she looked down at her feet. She was afraid to look at him and what she would see in his eyes. Perhaps fear. Worry.

"You're so damn stubborn." He grinned at her.

"So are you. How many times have I tried to talk you out of going after this guy on your own?" She questioned with raised eyebrows. She knew he had no argument there. He only nodded and silence held the room for a few still moments.

"Pepper, I just want you to be safe. That is my number one concern. I'm not taking this guy down for Fury. I just…I hope I can protect the one thing I can't live without." Tony sighed deeply and looked down to fidget with his watch as Pepper stared at him from the entrance of the workshop.

She shook her head slowly. "I know, Tony. But if something happens to you…what am I supposed to do then? We've been through this before. You're all I have, too."

Tony looked up and smiled sadly at his redhead. A strong need to have her near came over him as he walked towards her. He embraced her and exhaled. "I'd give my last breath if I knew it would help keep you alive."

Tears threatened Pepper as they slowly built up in her eyes. "I wouldn't want you to. Living in a world where you didn't exist would no longer appeal to me."

It took all of Pepper's will power not to cry. She never liked to cry. Especially in front of Tony. Not because she thought he would see her as weak, but because he would worry more than he had to. So instead of crying, Pepper talked. Lectured, really. Until Tony got the point. And being the man that he was, one that respected her opinions and loved her resiliency, he at least listened to what she had to say.

She had known all along what she would be getting into if she gave into him. Being with him was a continuous rollercoaster ride. One she never wanted to get off of. Even if it did make her a bit queasy at times, and the risk of a disastrous malfunction was ever present. The majority of the ride was fun, exhilarating, and fulfilling. Yet she knew that without him on it, it would be just another cheap thrill. And she didn't want that. She always worried he would leave her to ride through life on her own, but she rarely liked to show it. Unless she knew there was a real chance it could happen.

After she calmed herself by breathing deeply against his neck, she pulled back to look at him. Before she could say anything, Tony interrupted her. "I'll be careful, but I'm not going to back down. I'm not afraid of them, I'm only afraid of losing you."

Pepper sighed in frustration. He was persistent when it came to her wellbeing. "Don't do this on your own, Tony." She caressed his cheek.

"There's no one else that can fight my battles for me."

"This isn't your battle. You're being selfish. This is everyone's battle. It's not about you. It's not even about me." She paused to gauge his reaction. "Get the team to help you out."

He shook his head. "Thor is in Asgard dealing with a lunatic who thinks he can rule the realms of the universe. Bruce left to Calcutta shortly after the awards celebration. Steve is in New York on an assignment. And the two spies are out spying in…wherever they like to spy."

"Call Rhodey." Pepper stated flatly.

The idea was not totally dismissed by Tony. A small comfort resided within her. Perhaps he would consider it. "Rhodey's the Air Force's mascot now. He doesn't have time to help." Not much luck. Pepper wanted to smirk. She should have known better than to think he would agree to it right off the bat.

"He's our friend. He'll help."

Tony grinned before he nodded. "I'll talk to him."

She knew that it was a start. So Pepper chose not to continue pushing him. A little at a time was good enough for her. A small smile spread across her face before they both moved in for a kiss.

He wanted so much to feel her. To know that she was safe and alive in his arms. Naturally, he deepened the kiss. Her hands wound around his shoulders to pull him closer. His weren't idle as they clung to her at her lower back.

"Sir…" Jarvis began to say, but Tony jumped in right away to prevent any further disruption.

"Not now, Jarvis." He managed to mumble with his lips against Pepper's. She chuckled into their kiss.

"Sir I believe that…"

"Jarvis!" Tony rolled his eyes this time, but never separated from the woman in his arms.

"Tony!" A very familiar voice shouted into the intercom that was located at the front door.

Splendid timing. Tony huffed as he dropped his hands from Pepper's waist and looked at her smiling face. "Seriously…this timing thing." He shook his head. "Platypus, what do you want?" Speak of the devil.

"Are you going to let me in or do I have to stand out here in the cold some more?" Rhodey's face was contorting to show just how cold he actually was.

"Jarvis let him in, please." Pepper spoke when she saw the evil twinkle Tony had in his eyes. He would have let him stand there longer. It was her turn to shake her head with a smile.

It was a few moments later when Rhodey joined them in the workshop after having entered his access code. He stood in front of them grinning from ear to ear as he removed his coat. The couple stared at him with knitted eyebrows. "I'm sorry. I'm still not used to seeing you two together." He chuckled as he witnessed Tony and Pepper holding onto each other.

Pepper smiled and dropped her arms from around Tony's neck to face Rhodey. Tony rolled his eyes at his friend. "You better have a good reason for being down here, Rhodes. I'm this close-" he moved his thumb and index finger close together to signify how close, "-to the edge right now you have no idea what I'm capable of."

Rhodey shook his head and smirked. "Obviously I interrupted something important. Did I come at a bad time?"

"No."

"Yes."

Pepper and Tony countered at the same time as Tony draped an arm around Pepper. She smacked his stomach softly.

"Right." Rhodey walked to sit on the leather couch, making himself more comfortable. A sign that what he had come for was rather important. "So your friend Fury contacted me."

Tony sighed before looking back and forth between Rhodey and Pepper. "He didn't." Tony replied with a 'how dare he' tone of voice.

"He did." Rhodey shrugged and nodded. There was a long silence among the three of them.

"Alright. I think I'm going upstairs to check my ever-growing list of emails. You guys behave." She smiled at the men before she turned to Tony and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "Play nice."

Tony smiled as he watched her exit the shop. His eyes didn't move back to Rhodey until she disappeared up the stairs. Rhodey watched amusedly at his long-time friend. A low chuckle could be heard coming from where he sat on the couch.

"What?" Tony's eyes squinted along with his knitted eyebrows.

"Nothing." He shook his head and laughed some more. "Tony Stark is a one-woman man, now."

Tony let out a puff of air and rolled his eyes. He made his way to one of his work stools and sat behind his desk. "I have been…for a long time now…Pepper's the one who…" he faced Rhodey. "But that's none of your business, Platypus." He cleared his throat. "What did Fury want from you?"

The the air in the room became still, and the seriousness of the situation became evident. Rhodey stood and began to pace while he attempted to formulate his thoughts. "He wants me to help you, Tony. I got debriefed by SHIELD."

"No." Tony stated quickly and without real emotion as he typed on his desktop keyboard.

"Hear me out, man." His steps stopped echoing in the shop as he stood still to face him.

"Rhodey. No. You don't work for SHIELD. You have no obligation to them or to Fury. I can handle this."

A bit of anger rose within Rhodey as he walked to stand towering over Tony. "I don't work for SHIELD…I'm an Airman, but I am your friend first. I want to help you out because you would do the same for me. Right?" He tilted his head to try and capture Tony's reaction to his statement. "Right?"

He didn't want to accept help from anyone. Doing so would only mean that one more person would be in danger of losing too much. That was a concept Tony was not comfortable with. The typing stopped when he hung his head and shook it from side to side. A heavy sigh left his lips. "I appreciate the gesture, Rhodey. I do. But this is something that I was told to take care of. I don't want you involved."

Rhodey felt for his friend. It was a burden that Tony was trying to carry all by himself. Again. He did it when his parents died. He did it when he was recovering from Afghanistan. He did it when he was dying of Palladium poisoning. He did it when he carried that nuke out of Manhattan and into space. And now, he was doing it with this latest trial. It seemed Tony was trying to make up for his wrongs.

"Listen man, you have nothing to prove." Rhodey stuffed his hands in his jean pockets. All Tony could do was look up at his friend's statement. His eyes were fixed on him, not believing that he had almost read him down to the core. "You've done so much already. On your own." He shook his head and chuckled softly. "Let someone else in on the glory." Tony chuckled along with him this time.

Between having Pepper ask him to let someone help him, and hearing Rhodey offer him his assistance, Tony nodded in agreement. A few moments passed between them before he stood look at his friend. "Thanks, Rhodes. I'll tell you what, if you want to help, then I have a very important task for you." Rhodey nodded and encouraged Tony to continue. "I need you to work with Nick's people on finding a way to stop this guy."

He knew Fury might not want him hanging around SHIELD headquarters, but Rhodey agreed. "I can do that."

"How much do you know?" He walked over to his suits and asked with his back turned to him.

"The basics. The…Mandarin, right? Super powerful. Has rings of destruction. Likes to experiment with human lives. Doesn't care who he runs over as long as he's left standing. Currently pissed off that you are trying to take down his lab."

Tony nodded and turned around to face him. The expression he wore on his face was serious. "That about covers it. I need something that will help me stand a chance against this guy."

"You don't currently?" He walked to stand beside him as he gestured to the line of suits he owned. "Look at your arsenal."

"Not enough." Tony let out a sigh. "This guy must be stopped. He's not only experimenting with human lives, but he possesses information that could create a weapon more powerful than the suits. I can't let him finish what he's started. I won't. None of us will stand a chance if he succeeds at what he is trying to accomplish."

"What is he trying to accomplish, exactly?"

"Could be anything. But the technology he currently has his hands on could mean that he's about to perfect what everyone else could only dream of starting. Super soldiers."

"Seriously? Again? How many people are going to try that before they give up?"

"This is a bit different than what my dad and others did with Steve. Far more advanced."

"So you want me to stick around SHIELD and see if they're doing their own experiments?"

Tony shook his head. "No. I'll handle that. I think I have a good source for that, actually. Just help SHIELD with your knowledge of weapons and stealth technology. Come up with something." He patted Rhodey on the shoulder. "Looks like joining the Air Force helped for something, bud."

Even at a time like this Tony could find some time to liven up the situation. Rhodey laughed and shook his head. "Sounds good."

To be continued...

102 days! I THINK I can wait. I think I can.