Title: The Long Road Home

Characters: All Mains - TS/PP (later)
Genre: Comic, Drama, Angst, Romance, Action
Rating: PG-13 (mostly sexual content and language)
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!!

Spoiler Warning: Iron Man movie--pretty much all of it.

Summary: After an event that leaves him physically inept. Just when he loses faith and hope in himself. She steps in and believes for him. (TS-PP)

He could feel his heart pounding in his ears as Jarvis and Rhodes tried to remove his armor. The sweat trickling down in his eye caused them to burn. The pain in his back and side were escalating and throbbing now. The pain was almost unbearable. He was surprised he managed to fly back home.

“Hang on man, we’re almost there,” Rhodes said pulling one of the last few pieces off.

Tony let out a sigh of relief and a grunt as he fell to the ground on his hands and knees free of the suit from the waist up.

“I’m reading four broken ribs, a fractured disk, and a mild concussion Sir.”

His gaze moved to the pool of blood forming underneath him. He felt weak. He was going to die. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He was going to die…here…now. He tried to move, but his body didn’t respond.

“They’ll be here any second and then we’ll get you to a hospital Tony. Just hold on,” Rhodes said as Tony closed his eyes trying to breath. Trying to ignore the pain.

He heard the clicking of heels on concrete. It echoed in his mind. He was about to die. She couldn’t see him like this. No.

“Go…,” that was all that escaped his lips.

He glanced up at the redhead. She was panicked, her face lined with tears and her hands shaking. He imagined he looked like a sight. His hair plastered to his forehead from sweat and blood. His grey shirt soaked with blood from the deep gash in his back. He was pretty sure he had tears coming out of his own eyes.

“Oh my God,” Pepper said as her knees grew weak and dropped out from underneath her. She collapsed hard on the floor as the Military dressed man swarmed in with a stretcher and various medical supplies. They were all shouting and giving orders. She couldn’t hear any of it. All she could do was stare at him. He met her stare that he held desperately as a lifeline. His eyes pained and tears streaming down quickly. Hers were also a perfect match. The same pain and tears.

He grimaced as he shifted giving a painful growl. Pepper felt her breath hitch in her chest.

“We need to air-vac him to Milton Base! Now!” Rhodes shouted. Four of the men scrambled to Stark’s side.

“Sir, your heart rate is spiking.”

Pepper’s eyes grew wide as the man picked him up and eased him on the stretcher. He gave a pained scream. She reached out for him suddenly, but she was too far away.

“Tony!” He heard her yell. He felt his heart beat faster. He was about to loose consciousness. He could feel it. He was going to die here. In front of her.

“I’m…I’m alright…Pepper….I’m okay…”

“Tony!” She yelled again. He breathed heavier as his vision went black. The last thing he heard was her voice calling his name.

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:) Andrea