Work began hours later, probably making it the next day. It's very hard to tell time down in a dark cave without any sunlight to hint at the time and, therefore, how long you've been imprisoned. But soon both me and Tony had a lot more to worry about, mostly in the convincing of our 'gracious' hosts that we were doing exactly what they wanted. But, really, we had to get the final lifelines, otherwise…well. We were screwed in that case.

And, yes, Tony got his cookies. Had to mention that.

About the biggest help I was in everything Tony needed was cannibalizing the equipment we had brought in, playing steady hands when it was absolutely necessary. Of course, I did have my own job. Even though the laptop was a good ten, if not fifteen, years old, I managed to hack my way into their rudimentary security system, record a few clips from all the available cameras, and start feeding loops, especially when we were working on very sensitive material. The most sensitive of this was (by my personal estimation) two days later, when a crystal device, about one and a half inches deep and two in diameter, glowed to life on the table, nearly overloading the generators that powered our temporary home.

I stared at the beautiful miniature arc-reactor in awe. By then, it wasn't just Tony's reactor; it was our reactor, our job. And can I be blamed for starting to jump up and down in joy once the clear blue light was gleaming solidly?

"We did it!" I crowed victoriously after a few fist pumps. "I knew we could do it!"

Tony grinned a little as he unplugged the powered reactor from the wires and cradled it a little, dirty fingers rubbing against the surface gently before he got up and made me stop jumping.

"All right, this's all yours," he said firmly. "Let's get you plugged in, c'mon…"

I froze at that. Mine? Tony was giving me the first one? But…no, no, it wasn't going to happen like this….

"But what about you?" I stammered, clutching the heavy car battery to my chest. "You still gotta get hooked up, we've gotta make another before the batteries die!"

I prevented my hysterics by steeling my gaze and raising my chin defiantly at Tony, finishing with, "I'm not putting it in until you make one for yourself."

"Then I'll put it in you while you sleep," he huffed, and the look he met my gaze with showed that he was serious. He wanted to save my life first. "Now stop being a stubborn ass about it, I'll have plenty of time."

"Not if I stick it in you first," I shot back with a glare of defiance. No way was I going to let Tony die just so I could rot down here alone. I'd been alone long enough.

We stared at each other, waiting to see who would bend first, and, eventually, Tony shook his head and sighed, setting the reactor aside.

"Then I need more palladium…"

"Comin' right up!" I laughed before diving into a nearby, torn-apart missile. Somehow, being with my brother again had activated my own engineering genes again, or maybe it was just playing copycat, like always. But I worked my ass off for a whole other day, at least, before, right next to the first one, a second arc-reactor glowed to life. I grinned as I lifted it off of the table, the blue light beautiful and clear before I turned to Tony and presented it with a small smile.

"Consider it making up for six years' worth of birthdays."

That did it for him. Tony grabbed me in a fierce hug, and I nearly choked before the small girl inside me, that adored her elder brother, softened immeasurably, and I hugged back as tightly as I possibly could.

"You just beat everythin'," he croaked, and I felt wetness on my neck. Tony was crying. I sniffled weakly and stroked the back of his head a little. I felt like I was five years old again, after Mom's death. Dad had never liked me, and he made sure I knew it. And after every time he'd made me feel useless, that I had no right to exist as his child, Tony would always come find me, always hug me just like this, and we'd hold each other until we'd both cried our share of tears. I had the feeling that Tony had forgotten just how much I loved him…or vice versa.

Of course, I took a chance to again come through on the annoying part of my description. I managed to slide out from his grip, enough to where, in just a few seconds, I wrenched out the upper part of the car-battery-electromagnet and in went the reactor I'd built. Tony lurched a little when the reactor got plugged in, but he looked at me with a faint scowl. I just smirked innocently back at him.

"That didn't hurt, now, did it?" I asked sweetly. He gave me a long look before he tapped experimentally at the reactor. At least it was staying in place, right?

"No, but at least you didn't get me worked up over it," Tony finally conceded, picking up his reactor, before waving me towards the cot. "Get over here, that battery doesn't suit you, sis."

"Good," I replied briskly as I settled, carefully unbuttoning the blouse I'd borrowed from Pepper. Note to self: buy her a new skirt suit and shirt and shoes. Poor woman was probably worried out of her wits over us. "This damn thing annoys."

I gently pulled the shirt open, doing my best not to overexpose myself. For a brief flicker of memory, I remembered Stane, pinning me down, right as he tore my shirt off. I stopped the mental images before they became more painful and disgusting, but I was again asking myself when will I tell him?

"If I'm too slow, feel free to slap me," Tony informed me as he sat next to me, jolting me back into the present. Later. I'd tell him later. I gave him a cocky smirk and willed him to not keep me hanging like this.

"If it didn't hurt for you, it shouldn't for me, right?"

It did. It stung vilely. And yes, I did smack Tony soundly.

"Sorry, sorry!" he pleaded, and I stopped my attack because he sounded like he meant it. Obvious improvement over the Tony before this mess happened. "You know I tried…"

"All right, I'll give you that," I conceded, before I sat up, massaging my chest. I finally felt about as close to normal than I had been for awhile, if only that damned stinging would stop. I turned to a small stash I kept on the wall side of the cot, and pulled out a small stack of the thin wax papers we'd been provided for planning. I smirked as I offered the pile to Tony.

"Just guess what this is," I offered. Remember what I'd said about how being around him again had gotten my engineering side to peer out again? Well, this was the result. Tony gave it a glance, trying to make sense of it.

"… you being competitive again?" he ventured. I rolled my eyes at the obvious answer before getting up and flattening the papers over a fluorescent light. Tony peered over my shoulder as he looked closer.

"If you want to know better," I pitched quietly, "it's our ticket home. Or at least out of this damned cave."

I waited, heart racing as Tony surveyed it. I'd almost forgotten that, oh yes, I am a genius. Sometimes it does run in families. But what was so surprising for me right at this second was that I'd done it in an area that really wasn't my smart-person area. It made me closer to Tony, in a way.

"You're gonna wanna hit me," he muttered, "but I forgot you were this good."

I had to laugh at that.

"I try, really I do," I chuckled. Of course, I was a little stunned as Tony stepped away, motioning to our stack of stuff left over from the arc-reactors.

"Have at."

"Bro, I do the planning part," I retorted. "I don't build the damn thing." He raised his brows at me in that stupid 'oh lemme please' way he has. Other women may consider it extremely sexy, but this is my brother, so I say it how it is.

"Then you're gonna need help."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," I informed him with a grin. Soon enough, we were right back to work, each working away on our specialties as w ended the loop. Ah, relief. Sort of.

It was quiet for a bit before Tony looked up from where he was welding together a few plates.

"So," he began, very carefully, "you never did say what you've been up to for the past few couple years…"

I did my very best to be nonchalant about it and shrugged. I wanted to wait longer, didn't want to get him involved in my issues right now. I just wanted to enjoy the simple pleasure of being around him again. So I shrugged.

"Not much, really," I answered. "Mostly hacking, gaming some, causing minor havoc around the world… wonderful little habit, maybe you try it sometime."

"Sounds like I've got a new hobby," Tony answered with a smirk, but it vanished pretty quickly. "I was being serious."

"And I told you. Hacking away in seclusion, minor work on my hacking interface."

"You've been lookin' like something's bugging you," he pressed. I looked away, trying to ignore him as Tony continued, "Bad memory or something. Don't tell me you got into that much trouble just hacking…"

"Well, I dunno," I half-lied, "I think China's got a price on me for screwing over their space program for a few years…maybe North Korea, I forget."

"And you're lying."

Crap. I fell stonily silent at that. Fine, he could play mentalist all he wanted, but if only he'd let me get to it on my own time…

"Talk to me, Andy," Tony said after a minute of silence. I scowled a little.

"No."

"You know I'll get it out of ya eventually."

"You'll be wondering awhile."

"Oh, I'm gonna find out, because something's up."

I dropped my gaze, staring blankly at the plans. To tell him…not to tell him… especially with our lifespans successfully returned to normal length, I didn't feel the need to get rid of that burden. But Tony had been with Stane a lot longer than I had, been influenced by him much more thoroughly. I didn't want him to dismiss me like Dad would have.

In the meantime, Tony pressed on, "Somethin' happened when I wasn't around, and I don't mean a little random thing. Something big."

I didn't reply. I was too scared to have him suddenly toss me aside, say I was just being childish. Not after he'd saved me.

Tony eventually mumbled something I didn't entirely make out, but I cried myself to sleep later. Quietly, though; I didn't want him to work it out of me just yet.