Chapter 4: SOS

Hello! Yes I am indeed alive! I just wanted to get this update in because I HAD TO WRITE THIS. Partially because Miss Starfire demanded it so, and well I don't know when I'll have the time to write anymore.

I'm not quitting, it's just that I'm moving to my dorm tomorrow… and I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to sit down and write another chapter or such… BUT WE SHALL SEE!

Anyhoozies, thanks for those still reading! I'll do a shout out in the next chapter because I still have things to pack! OH AND HAPPY BACK TO SCHOOL DAY FOR YOU STUDENTS!

P.S. One bad word shall be used! :O I know… Scandalous.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my story! It's true… I swear.

Tony continued leaning on the railing, looking over the harbor. The humid Boston air made his hair act weird and had it die to a flattened style that made him look Goth. With a scoff, he turned to Pepper, whose eyes resembled a child looking at a humongous lollipop.

"Oh! They're turning back!" Pepper exclaimed pointing to the coast guard boat. It did stop, slowly swirling the murky waters behind them. And once The Royal Jewel passed a buoy, the boat turned around and sped back to shore.

Tony felt a shudder cruise down his spin (no pun intended). HE just realized that they were in international waters. Laws and rules didn't apply in another country the same way they did in America. There were things he wouldn't be able to do, such as attacking personnel if he felt threatened. Because that didn't apply overseas, and he would be arrested and deported back in a heartbeat.

Plus, if someone were to get hurt on board, or something drastic happened, they were miles away from shore and it would take days for a rescue party to come get them.

Maybe it was for the best that Tony didn't think about all those things. And he didn't, because Pepper was suddenly not next to him.

"Pepper?" Tony kept his tone calm, but couldn't keep the panic that spread through his body. "Pepper? Where are you?" He raised his voice an octave.

His eyes quickly started scanning the crowd, and boy he was never so grateful for being Iron Man. He often depended on his own sight when flying over Manhattan, and it wasn't all easy either. His sight became more focused on details, such as the red of Pepper's hair, and that became his sole objective.

Find the redheaded female.

It wasn't even five minutes into the departure, and Tony already lost sight of her. But soon, his ears picked up a faint laughter in his proximity. It was Pepper's laugh for sure, but what exactly was she laughing at?

After locating his girlfriend, Tony was both surprised and not surprised that David was next to her. He was leaning against the railing that overlooked the massive pool in the middle of the party deck, arms crossed over his muscular chest. The leather jacket tugged on his arms, revealing muscles, which seemed to be flexing in Tony's opinion.

Pepper was right in front of him, obviously laughing, but also indicating that her guard was up. She was well away from David, her arms across her chest, and legs apart in a stance that said, "Don't test me."

"Pepper!" Tony called, walking up to her. He slid an arm around her waist, drawing her to his side. Never did he feel so relieved.

Pepper stifled her giggle, and smiled at David before looking at Tony. But her smile quickly disappeared after noticing Tony's look. She turned to him, placing a hand on his chest. "Hey, you okay?"

Tony nodded, warily glancing up at David, who only smiled in both of their directions. "Yeah, it's just you just walked away without really telling me where you were going. I got worried is all."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I did say that I saw David and wanted to say hello. I guess you didn't hear me?" Pepper reasoned. The wind on the top deck was relentless, and they did have to talk in somewhat of a higher register to be heard. Maybe he didn't hear her?

He gave a nod, forcing on a smile. "You're probably right. Sorry, just overreacting."

"You're not, sir." David said, jumping in. He pushed off the railing and tucked his hands into his black leather jacket, bouncing on his heels. "On a big boat like this, you would want to know where your girl is at any time… anywhere."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tony asked, more harshly than he intended to sound. It wasn't like David actually did anything; it was more that the way he behaved gave Tony some anxiety.

David's smile didn't disappear, if anything, it became more amused. "Well, Mr. Stark, we are far from home. And there are thousands of people on this boat alone. If you came with someone, then, well, you would want to keep them in your line of sight, don't you think?"

His eyes darkened, entailing something darker, something important. Was that supposed to be a clue to something? What did he mean?

Tony narrowed his eyes. His grip on Pepper became stronger, and he realized how silent she was, cautious about commenting between the two men. "That's true. But it seems as though you have no one to look after, David."

David looked taken aback by the question, but it was too quick for Tony to see if anything changed on his smirking face. "Ah, yes. I indeed did come alone, but that's only because I'm picking someone up at our first stop. I already paid for their tickets, it's just a matter of meeting and picking up."

Tony didn't say anything, but tugged Pepper away from David. "Okay then. Pepper and I are going to go back to our room. We have things to do, and plan, so hope to see you around, David."

"Don't worry, Mr. Stark, you will."

…

"What was that all about?" Pepper asked cautiously. She sat on the edge of the bed, drawing her legs up onto the sheets.

They came right back to the room, just as Tony said, and they've been here for over fifteen minutes. Tony was digging through his bag, pulling out gadgets that Pepper hadn't realized he packed.

Tony didn't look up at her; his focus was solely on something in his bag. "I don't like that guy."

"What, David?" Pepper asked surprised. What was wrong with him? There didn't seem anything out of order, other than the fact that he seemed very… guarded. "Oh come on, Tony. You're really overreacting. What is wrong with him that you don't like?"

"You didn't notice the way he talked? Especially about you?"

Pepper frowned. So far this anniversary wasn't going as planned. "He never said anything about me."

Tony growled in frustration, dropping his bag to the floor. "Damn… I thought I had the phone in there." He turned his attention to his girlfriend, who was carefully watching him from the bed. Tony had no intention of startling her, but he couldn't help but feel protective every time David was near them. "Pepper… I don't know okay. I just… I'm getting a bad vibe from him. This whole cruise just doesn't feel right."

He quickly noticed how her eyes fell, and her cheeks flush. "Oh, Pepper, not like that! It's not because of you… or because of… him." Tony came to her, sat on the edge of the bed, and placed a gentle hand on Pepper's shoulder. "I can't help but feel concerned about something. Whether or not it's dangerous, I feel like something is off, and well, I promised your dad to keep you safe."

Pepper's hand came up to cradle Tony's cheek. She brushed her thumb across his jaw line, forcing out a smile. "I know. But, please, forget about it? For me? If something happens, then fine. But nothing is happening. So forget about it, and let's get some lunch."

Before Pepper could make a move to leave, Tony snagged her around the waist and slammed her onto the bed. He moved to be on top of her and smirked down at her shocked face. "How about we order room service?"

…

The boat had been across the sea for over five hours.

Tony and Pepper enjoyed lunch in their rooms, and stepped out onto the balcony to watch the setting sun and the blue waves crash against the hull of the ship.

Later that evening, they even decided to go out for dinner. It was in the VIP lounge that was hosted right below the Captain's Deck. It overlooked the ocean, and the party deck. Since it wasn't the fancy night yet, Pepper and Tony dressed in semi-casual wear, eating delicious cuisines made by the chef himself.

After dinner, they walked hand in hand back to their room, ready to turn in for the night.

Pepper was already in her night shorts and a tank, and Tony was already in his PJs too. He slipped on his robe before pushing back the balcony door to step out with Pepper. He put a hand on Pepper's waist, leaning against the guardrails that kept passengers from tumbling out into the ocean.

"Wow, that's some sunset." Pepper said, watching as the orange fireball sank below the water's horizon. Beautiful shades of purple, blue, red, and orange ombred across the sky, darkening in shades until there was nothing but black and stars.

Tony kissed the top of her head, pulling her into his body. "Yeah. But of course, nothing can beat you." He gave her a wink and kissed her.

Just after pulling away, Pepper let out a yawn. "I never thought going on a cruise would result in so much walking from place to place." She said smiling up at him. She grabbed Tony's hand pulling him inside with her. "How about we go to bed? That way we can go to the pool in the morning!"

"Sounds good, Pep."

And they slept like no other once their heads crashed onto the pillows.

But the sleep didn't last long. Because, suddenly, a scream resonated outside in the hallway.

BOOM! A cliffhanger! I'm evil, I'm cruel, but I'm sure you know what just happened? I apologize for the bad word there, but it seemed fitting in that situation!

Please tell me what you think! I'm moving in tomorrow, so I'll have to see when I'll get some time to write more! I'm sure I will, but I make promises and never keep them… Sorry!

Thank you for reading as always…. Y'all are fabulous in every way possible, and I enjoy every review I get. Thank you so much for sticking through this story! And thank you to all those who review!

Shout out in the next update!

REVIEW!