I literally just wrote an english test and come home with 45 new emails from - best gift ever. I'm happy that you guys are liking my ideas so far, and that you still somehow think it's a nice fanfic. That is ... sorta weird.

I find it really funny that I don't have that many visitors from my own country (Nur weil ich Bayer bin!), we germans usually go together in packs.

I really, really don't like this chapter. It's just ... nah, I don't know. I had to write this on short notice, I will be going to Italy for the next week, starting this saturday. And I wanted to update this before leaving, but the ending's kinda flat. I literally have to write a three page essay in French and have 2 tests to study for. Angst is always way easier for me than fluff, fluff needs time and exercis, both of which I lack of at the moment. Apologies. Maybe I'll rewrite after being back, but at least I know the next chapter won't be as hard because Bruce will be in it (*squee*) and he's such a pleasure to write.

The ride to the supermarket had to be the most awkward ride Pepper ever had to experience. Even weirder than that one time her mom caught her making out with a boy (She felt sorry for him, she didn't even remember his name) in the park and demanded she'd go home (while also telling her about the thing with the flower and the bee). That had been uncomfortable on so many levels, this was just unnecessary awkwardness. He didn't know what to say and neither did she, they weren't really the type of relationship to buy groceries together.

But Pepper couldn't concentrate on that right now, her head was spinning into different directions and the bumpy road made it worse. A sinister face kept on creeping its way into her thoughts, blurring her vision and making her anxious like she was just not sitting in a car with Iron Man driving her, a literal mutated version of a human being, to the supermarket to go grocery shopping. For the Hulk. Not to mention the disastrous ABBA song that was playing on the radio.

"I never knew you had it in you, Potts."

Her body tensed when memories came flooding back to her, tearing holes in her so carefully designed walls. Tony was next to her though (She was trying to imitate his own steady breath), which made her feel a little bit better. Pepper Potts could not stand small places and silence anymore, but being with him helped.

The confessions she had spilled earlier had been mind freeing, but moments like that only lasted for so long until they were overshadowed by the ticking of the bomb in her brain. And the laughter.

"Careful now, phase 2 is always the hardest. Hang in there, there is only so much pain until there's release."

He was wrong. The pain was ever present, forcing her to crawl on her hands and knees afterwards. Being in Tony's arms afterwards also helped, but her bones still ached like they were broken in between. It still felt like that at times, like somebody had torn her insides out and nonchalantly put them back together.

"You know, I always had something like this planned out for you. Red really suits you."

Her mind wandered back to her days at AIM, Killian's aggressive mood swings and she wondered ... "Tony?" He'd already turned the engine down, they were just sitting there, waiting for the other to break the silence. Tony let out a relieved sigh when words filled the air again.

"Yeah?"

Her hand grabbed his, not too tight (she'd already broken Rhodey's hand once). "When do you think he implanted the virus in himself?" Neither needed to even pronounce the name, they were both thinking it. Damn him, he was taking a toll on their relationship, even from his grave.

"I don't know, the idiot probably got himself a shot the minute it was stabilized." He massaged his own forehead, they both weren't the youngest, soon they'd become the 'old married couple' type, harassing teenagers - she had to smile at the thought. His question was a mere murmur in the back of her head. "Why're you askin'?"

"He never seemed to be satisfied with himself, you know ..." she started. Tony's eyes searched for something in hers, signs that told him he should react, if she would break down again. She wouldn't. They were in the middle of a dirty parking lot, next to an Audi with a barking dog inside, she wouldn't let her guard down in this setting. "He could hardly walk straight, let alone run, and I had to drive hours just to buy him special medicine for his asthma, or his daily migraines. His condition made him unhappy, I could tell-"

"He kidnapped and tried to kill you, Pepper!"

"I'm not trying to justify his actions, just listen. What I meant was that he wasn't the type of villain you'd imagine, but suddenly, with the blink of an eye ... he seemed changed. From the outside, he was just the same, but he got ... violent. He used to punch walls whenever I found him in his office, every little error seemed to bug him. That was also around the time I got suspicious that maybe AIM's contracts weren't all that legal as I thought they were ... Do you think he changed so drastically because of ... because he ..." She was at a loss of words, staring holes into the palm of her hand, the other one gripping Tony's loosely.

"You're scared you'll turn out like him." The statement was absolute and it made Pepper shrink together. "Pepper, you won't. You've Rhodey, and Happy, and me, and Bruce Banner who got your back." As if to convince her more, he started stroking her back. They did that a lot these days. Ever since she got kidnapped, it was as if he occasionally had to remind himself that she was still here, that she was really breathing and that she wasn't burnt to ash. He barely left the house and he always asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital and visit Happy with him, or if she wanted to go out with Rhodey with him (Rhodey always went on and on about getting her a therapist - he'd be thrilled to know that Dr. Banner was visiting). She'd always assure him that she'd be okay, that she'd call Stark Industries and handle things, but truth be told, she mostly just watched reality TV when he was gone. Or read a book. Or anything really, everything that didn't include her having to be involved into business again. She avoided Stark Industries like the plague, it was always reminding her and, not to mention, the knowing stares she would receive. Pepper couldn't stand it, her official excuse was that she was on holiday for the next year (for PR reasons, obviously) - having a mental breakdown didn't really sit well with the press.

'Oh god, he's staring again.' She gave him a warm smile and he looked somewhat reassured. "I'm fine," that wasn't entirely a lie, "it's just that there are so many thoughts swimming in my head at all times and it gets difficult to sort them out."

"I'm happy you're telling me." He really had changed these past years. He seemed to read her like an open book, and vice versa. "I'm just not happy you're having those thoughts at all. And I'm also not happy you're forgetting the most important thing." Pepper furrowed her eyebrows. "I need you, too. Come on, I'd be lost without you." His eyes wandered to the big red doors, and the people and carts, before them like they were sworn enemies. "Tony needs his Pepper if he's gonna survive this." Pepper wondered for a moment if getting a cart would be wise. Tony would probably demolish it. Or worse, demolish a person with it.

Tony stood in front of boxes of cereal and looked more like a little lost puppy than a super hero, while Pepper grabbed things out of random. She wasn't good at this either, but at least she was moving. Tony, on the other hand, was now moving around her and whispering things not even she could understand. "I've never been shopping, you know, at least," his fingers pointed towards their surroundings, "not like this."
"Oh, really? I didn't notice that, at all." It was astonishing how changeable they could be - Pepper had just spilled her heart out in front of him, and now they were sassmouthing each other. That had always been the most unique thing about them, even when they hadn't been a couple. But Tonny really needed to shut up sometimes.

"Hey, marshmallows!"

"... No."

"But they're strawberry flavoured!"

"NO."

"How long have we been here for?"

"... 15 minutes."

"That's way too long, can't I just wait in the car?"

"... No."

"Hey, Pep, you want some Chilli?"

"Don't even start."

After just a few minutes, Pepper could hear a bomb ticking in her head, and it wasn't Extremis.

He reminded her a lot of her when she was younger, always on about something, holding her mother's hand like she would be lost the minute she let go. Her mother had always told her to act like an adult, but sadly, this was adult Tony, or as adult as he could get in a situation like this. Well, at least he hadn't broke anything. Yet.

"God, just take something!"

"I am taking something! You're the one who criticizes all my ideas!"

"I'm sick and tired of Pizza, To... Tobias." He raised his eyebrows, like he was challenging her, and took some indian tea. When he stepped next to her, he winked at her and she felt like slapping him.

"Look, it's indian, Ginny." She growled at the mention of her old nickname. She hadn't been called that in years, her friends used to mock her because of it. Tony was the one to rename her Pepper, after a very embarrassing encounter with Tony's assistant (that totally didn't involve Pepperspray in any way). "I'm pretty sure our friend will like it. What do you say?"

"Vegetarian would also suit him well, don't you think?" Tony hated vegetarian and Pepper was almost 90 % sure the Hulk wasn't too fond of it either. Maybe she would just buy it to annoy Tony. Yep, she'd definitely buy it.

Especially after noticing that Tony was off, bickering with a 10 year old boy (well, that was pretty normal).

"Do you have ADD or something?"

"No."

"Cause you behave really weird for an adult and you kinda act like my sis."

"Well, is your sister Ir-" Pepper dragged him away.

It took them approximately an hour to agree upon all the things they needed. Tony, apparently, thought it would be best to buy easy food, while Pepper wanted something nice for their guest. They refrained from mentioning their names though, afraid that there might be a camera nearby. The cashier seemed to have some suspicion that they were just really, really passionate fans.

Pepper Potts would never ever go grocery shopping with Tony Stark ever again. He didn't even stop talking for the ride home, she'd given up trying to catch up and now just caught a few glimpses of his sentences.

"Hey, Pep, I could cook-"

"If Bruce comes-"

"Those were really great marshmallows-"

"I should send a 'Screw you, I'm Iron Man' card to that kid-"

When Tony stopped talking, Pepper was already asleep, mouth agape and snoring a little.