The Unknown Variable

(Edited as of 5/7/14 by Espacole)

I'm just going to have to get used to saying it, won't I? I OWN NOTHING THAT BELONGS TO DISNEY, MARVEL, OR JK ROWLING.

Are you happy now?

I coughed harshly as I reflected over the past five months. So much had changed, and yet…so much had stayed the same; it was astounding.

Mortem was really starting to worry about me…and frankly so was I. There was finally (not that this was a good thing mind you) enough poison in my system that I was starting to show it.

My skin was now deathly pale, which for my already pale skin was saying something. I had dark bags under my eyes, my face was gaunt and most of the time, I had no appetite.

My chest was also in almost constant pain. Sometimes, it was just a steady throb that I could ignore. Other times it was an excruciating, intense burning so bad that I screamed and sobbed in Mortem's arms until it faded.

Also, the coughing. I was sure the coughing was almost the worst part of it. My throat was almost always dry, and there was nothing I could do to sooth it.

I had lost weight. How much I had no clue, but I had defiantly lost a good amount. I was also almost constantly tired… I never had as much energy as I should have.

I slept a good eight hours at least every night, and yet each morning I was running on fumes. My fatigue also was affecting my thought process and my strength. I had stopped going into work with Jane, because eventually they would notice something was wrong with my behavior. I was having a hard enough time hiding it from Tony.

I had also started wearing a Hologram around me constantly, to hide my zombie like appearance.

My hair was also thinning…slowly but surely. Personally, I was terrified…too much of this reminded me of how Mom was before she died.

Mortem had stayed by my side through it all, the nights I couldn't sleep because of the pain…or the moments were I would end up coughing for twenty minutes straight…practically suffocating.

The poison was spreading faster than I anticipated…Mortem and I estimated that I had a little over a month. That meant that Dad had about six months or so…

We also discovered that my sparks were another factor in the equation. They were speeding up the poisoning any time I used them.

Mortem had discovered that one…I still wasn't sure how, but I was sure that it had something to do with his 'mystic entity powers' that he wasn't allowed to talk about.

Sometimes, I would swear that Mortem and my music were the only two things keeping me sane.

I had become quiet around Tony…I tried not to, but I was withdrawing and pushing him away.

After everything we had been through, I was hurting him.

I saw it every time I made an excuse. I saw it every time I went to bed early. Every time I ditched him for one reason or another.

I just couldn't face him though. Not knowing that I was dying…that I was leaving. That knowledge would break him. Crush him…totally ruin him.

So, I kept it from him; and in the process…it placed a wall in-between us. One that Tony didn't even know what there.

I stopped Flashing to places, which meant I stopped visiting Bruce whenever I was really bored. Mortem now took me everywhere, but he didn't take me to see him because of Hulk's extreme reaction to his presence. I stopped using my invisibility to hide the scars. I just always wore long sleeve shirts. …I stopped using my hovering to pull pranks on Tony. I really miss doing that.

Another thing that was happening with my Core…the actual Palladium would burn out incredibly fast.

Tony had updated our Arc's again a few months ago. These were easier to replace and manage, so the whole 'snag' incident never repeated.

Tony also modified the base plates in both of our chests so that they held a few minutes of charge, in case something like Stane ever happened again.

Because the Palladium burned out quickly, I had to change it often. At first I only had to change it once, but it was steadily increasing; and soon, I would have to do it every few days.

If my calculations were correct that is; and they usually were.

I leaned back against Mortem's chest as I breathed a sigh of relief. The pain had finally faded. My chest had flared in unimaginable pain about fifteen minutes, and it was finally starting to fade.

"This stinks." I muttered sleepily under my breath, wiping the tears from my eyes. The large pain spikes were always the worst, they left me exhausted, sore, and emotionally drained.

Not to mention that they were getting worse. Slowly, but surely the spikes of pain were growing, lasting longer, and wearing me out more.

I snuggled deeper into Mortems embrace as he wrapped his arms around me tucked my head beneath his chin.

I am inclined to agree. Mortem signed for me, and I closed my eyes.

"…I'm gonna sleep now…" I whispered before yawning.

Mortem pulled a blanket around me and I sighed contently.

The pain was still there, a constant throb around my Core, but with Mortems arms wrapped around me, and his breath in my ear…it didn't seem to matter.

Most people would say my life was going down the drain…but I was inclined to disagree. Sure, I was dying, but I still had my family, and I still had my mind.

That was all I really cared about.

The rest of the world be damned.

Tony's POV

My smile faded as I entered the lab only to find it quiet and empty. Penny wasn't here.

My eyebrows furrowed as I dumped my stuff onto my desk and called out to Jarvis, "Jar, were's Penny?"

Jarvis' reply was swift, but caused worry to appear in my gut. "She has yet to leave her room sir. I am also locked out."

Penny locked Jarvis out of her room all the time, so that didn't bother me. It was the fact that Jarvis hadn't seen her that concerned me.

Nodded to myself I quickly slid open the hidden door and entered Penny's room.

I instantly noticed that the lights were off, I wouldn't have been able to see my hand in front of my face if it hadn't been for the light pouring in from the lab.

"Pen?" I called softly, noticing the large bundle of blankets on her bed.

I smile softly as I saw something shift, and moved part of the comforter away to see Penny's sleeping face.

My eyes instantly noticed her pale face covered in a sheet of sweat and the dark bags under her eyes.

'God, she looks awful!' I thought to myself.

As I brushed a strand of her red hair away from her face she stirred.

"Daddy?" she whispered hoarsely, her eyes barely open.

My heart clenched in concern as I knelt down beside her bed.

"Hey Pen." I spoke softly, and stroked her pale, warm check.

"…I'm not feelin' good…" She whispered softly as her eyes closed again.

A grim frown that I tried to turn into a smile appeared on my face as I asked, "Anything I can do?"

"Hmmmnnn," Penny mumbled with a small shake of her head.

"You just try to sleep it off," I suggested as I tucked the blanket in tighter around my teenage daughter.

"I'll make you some tea." I stated, and I thought I saw a small look of question flash across Penny's face before she relaxed and her breathing deepened.

Shaking my head, I turned to exit the room, though at the last second I froze. Narrowing my eyes I glanced back around her darkened room.

I swore I had seen something…

Trying to convince myself that it was just a trick of the light I left her room and kept the door cracked; just enough room for some small light, and a cool breeze to enter.

I glanced down at my watch as it started beeping. I had another meeting in New York, relating to Iron Man, and then a Board Meeting to discuss the new direction Stark Industries was trying to take…

Trying the key word.

I took off the watch and threw it onto my desk.

I knew that I hadn't been the most attentive father the past few months but I tried to make it up to her when I was home. I froze and my heart almost stopped with the horrifying realization…I was doing almost the same thing Dad had…he was never around, and when he was…he was doing stupid things to try and make it up. (At least, he had before Mom died…then he just drank)

Determination set in as I strode up the stairs, there was no way I was following my father's path.

My daughter was sick and I was going to be there and take care of her.

Rest of the world be damned.

(I was going to cut this out but I liked it too much)

I hummed to myself softly as I moved the kettle onto the stove, and pulled two mugs out of the cabinet.

It had been years since I made this tea, the last time being when Evanna had been sick.

It was an old family recipe…from my mother's side. She had taught it to me when I was ten and had been sick with the measles.

The tea itself was a mixture of Chai, Green Tea, cloves, and Chamomile, you boiled the water with the tealeaves and cloves inside so it would steep faster, and the flavors mixed.

I pulled out the bottle of honey, and the jug of milk out of the fridge.

"Tony?" Pepper's voice drifted into the kitchen and I groaned, I didn't need her nagging at the moment.

"You're supposed to be in New York right now…not…wait…are you making tea?" Pepper stated as she walked into the kitchen and froze in shock.

The kettle whistled and I quickly turned off the stove and, after putting a strainer above the mugs, pored the steaming liquid into the cups.

Putting the kettle down I quickly added the honey and waited for it to dissolve.

"Tony," Pepper stated, and I glanced at my old friend who was now standing behind my shoulder.

"You need to be on the east coast…not making tea." Pepper stated but I didn't reply. "Which I didn't even know you could do."

I refrained from rolling my eyes and added the milk to the steaming mixture.

Closing the milk and placing it back into the fridge I picked up the mugs and made my way back down to the lab.

"Tony!" Pepper exclaimed, now upset…perhaps I shouldn't have ignored her. "Don't ignore me!"

"I'm not," I replied, pausing at the top of the stairs.

I sighed and said, "There's a lot you still don't know about me Pepper."

Seeing the confusion on Pepper's face I slowly made my way down the stairs, I had a sick daughter to take care of.

"But what about the meetings?!" Pepper asked, trying to get me to come with her.

"You take care of them. I don't care." I stated.

"But…" Pepper protested as I entered the lab, leaving her at the top of the stairs by herself.

I knew why she was confused. I had been planning for these meetings for a week, and now I was just not going.

Nothing was more important than my daughter, and it was high time that I remembered that.

Oh, I just love it when Tony goes into father mode! Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks to all of you who've reviewed, favorited, or followed.

Thanks to Espacole for Beta'ing
Cp