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were several explosions and unfriendly fire. I couldn't find Tony afterwards, and his body hasn'tbeen recovered. Everyone is saying he's dead, but I know he's not. I think someone took him. Theyare letting me lead a search and rescue, but I know Tony would have killed me if I didn't take carePeter first so that's why I'm here." She nodded."Is there someone he could stay with? Maybe Pepper? I want to help look for Tony, in my ownway, of course." She told him. He nodded."Pepper is prepared to look after him for however long it takes to find him. And we could use allthe help we can get. I know you will probably go off the grid to do this, but if you find anything Icould use, please find a way to send it my way." She nodded, her mind already preparing for hermission."Peter!" she called, and a few seconds went by before they both heard the sound of pattering feetcoming towards them."Uncle Rhodey!" he called, bringing a smile to the older man's face. He rushed over to Rhodes andshe watched as the man bent down to pull him into a hug."Hey bug." Rhodey said, kneeling down in front of her son, who met her eyes over his head. Hewatched as Peter's small face turned confused."Wait. You're not wearing your funny face." He said, taking good care not to call her mom in frontof Rhodey."It's okay Pete, I told Uncle Rhodey about Mommy and Daddy. But only he knows okay? It's still asecret." Natasha said, kneeling down next to Rhodes to address her son."Okay. Am I going with Uncle Rhodey?" Peter then asked, looking between the two. Natashanodded."Yeah, baby. Mom's got to go to work, and Daddy has to be gone a little longer than he said. Youare going to go stay with your Aunt Pepper." She tried to put as much calm into her voice as shecould. She didn't want to let Peter in on something being wrong until they absolutely had to."Why don't you get your stuff, bug. And then we will head out." Rhodes said, and they both stoodup as they watched Peter skip out of the room."I don't want to tell him anything until we know for sure either way. And Rhodes. Please don't tellanyone else about this. The more people that know, the more risk my family is under." Natashasaid quietly, in case Peter came back. Rhodes nodded seriously, before Peter returned.Right before Rhodes and Peter headed out the door, the man turned, hand in Peter's small one."I never did get your real name." He said. She gave him a smirk."Natasha." she answered. He nodded thoughtfully."Well, Natasha if you find anything send it my way yeah?" he asked. She nodded and closed thedoor after them. As soon as she closed the door, she let herself fall apart for approximately fiveminutes, before she suited up and went searching for answers.And three months later, she was the one who sent the anonymous tip to Rhodes that helped themlocate her husband.

--"I know about Natasha, Tones." Rhodey's voice said from beside him. It was said so quietly, hewas almost sure he had missed it."How?" he asked simply, hoping his wife's cover was still safe, he didn't know if he could handleany more stress."She told me, when I went to get Peter, when we couldn't find you." Rhodey answered, and Tonyfelt himself relax, "She was the one who found you. She sent me an anonymous tip. She seemsgreat, Tones." his friend said gently. He turned to look at the genuine expression on his best friendsface, and searched for any hint of resentment or anger. And surprisingly, he found none."I'm sorry I didn't tell you.it's just." he trailed off, not being able to find an excuse for the yearsof secrecy."I know. You did it to protect them. I get it. I haven't told anyone, not even Pepper. Your secret issafe with me." Rhodey said, Tony nodded but remained silent. He couldn't get his family out of hishead, longing for the moment he could hold them in his arms."Mr. Stark, we have landed." A voice said to his right. He nodded and allowed Rhodey to help himstand up, and even let him walk him down the ramp. But the second he crossed onto the asphalt hebecame the Tony Stark he knew they would want to see. He could feel Rhodey tense up besidehim, already knowing what he was doing. He sent his friend a reassuring smile, before walking togreet Pepper."Your eyes are red. Few tears for your long lost boss?" he stated, playing on his charm."Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." she responded, and he relaxed."Yeah, vacation's over." he finished, earning himself an eye roll from the woman. They bothheaded for the car, Tony allowing himself to stop and give Happy a nice hug before he got in."Where to, sir?" Happy asked after he settled in the front seat. Tony opened his mouth to answer,but Pepper beat him to it."Take us to the hospital, please Happy.""No." Tony interrupted."No? Tony, you have to go to the hospital." Pepper responded exasperatingly."No, is the complete answer." Tony interjected over her. She sent him an annoyed look."The doctor has to look at you." She tried one last time to convince him."I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want todo. I want an American cheeseburger, and the other is to hug my son. But first, I want you to callfor a press conference, now." Tony responded, his tone giving no room for argument. Pepperfurrowed her eyebrows at him."Call for a press conference?" she asked, disbelief and confusion evident in her voice."Yeah." he responded simply, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone."What on earth for?" she then asked, but he ignored her, tired of the third degree.

"Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first." He ordered, and they both finally grew quiet. He scrolledthrough his phone, trying to remember what name he had saved Natasha's information under. Whenhe had finally found it, he clicked on it quickly, typing out a quick message.I'm home, and I'm okay. Thanks for looking for me. I'll see you at home soon, I have something Ineed to do.He put the phone back in his pocket, knowing Natasha wouldn't say anything back."Who could you have possibly been texting." Pepper asked, suspicion lacing her voice. Tony rolledhis eyes and let out a tired breath as Happy passed back a bag filled with cheeseburgers. Heunwrapped one quickly and stuffed his face with it, letting out a sigh with how delicious it was."Old friend." he responded, watching as Pepper's face filled with disgust as he talked with hismouth full. She rolled her eyes, turning back to her work.--Hours later he walked into his seemingly empty house."Really? Ending the weapons manufacturing. That's a big move." a voice spoke from the livingroom. He walked further into the room and saw Rhodey sitting on the couch with Peter fast asleepin his lap. He walked over and sat down tiredly on the couch next to them, careful not to jostle hisson."Yeah. I know. You can yell at me later. I just want to hang with Peter.and find Nat." Tony said,feeling weird mentioning his wife to his friend, after having to keep it a secret for so long. Rhodeynodded, and eased himself out from under Peter, who didn't stir."She went upstairs, in case you had brought Pepper with you. I'll leave you guys alone. I'm goingto come check on you tomorrow okay?" Rhodey said, quietly. Tony just nodded, out of energyfrom the excitement of the day.and the trauma of the last three months. Rhodey gave his shouldera squeeze before exiting.Tony sat there silently for a few minutes, content in watching his son sleep. He watched as Peter'snose scrunched up in his sleep, and he let his first genuine smile in a while grace his face."He missed you a lot, so I've been told. I was in and out." His shoulders slumped at the familiarvoice that spoke up behind him. He let out a sigh of relief before spinning to find his wife sittingnext to him on the couch."I missed him too. I missed you. I thou-I thought I was never going to see you guys again." Tonysaid, voice breaking. He took in a few rattled breaths, before Natasha gathered him in her arms, andhe finally let himself go. He sat there silently sobbing, for who knows how long, his wifewhispering soft words while running her fingers through his hair, before he finally slumped furtherinto her lap in exhaustion."Hey, why don't you wake up Peter? Huh? Just hold him for a bit, and then we can all have asleepover in our room tonight yeah?" his wife's soft melodic voice swept over him, and he nodded,finally extracting himself. She gave him a kiss on the forehead, and he noticed her eyes were a littlered too. He gave her hand one last squeeze before she headed to their room, leaving him to wakePeter.He turned to look at his son, and gently shook his shoulder. He watched as Peter's face scrunched,

before his eyes slowly opened. It took a while for him to register who woke him up, but the secondhe did, he jolted up."DADDY!" he yelled, launching himself into Tony's already outstretched arms."Yeah baby. Daddy's home." he whispered, feeling grateful he was able to have the feeling of hiskid in his arms again, holding him tighter than necessary."You were gone sooo long. But I'm glad you're home. Is Mommy back too?" Peter asked, pullingaway after a moment. It was too soon for Tony's liking, but he let it happen. He gave Peter a kisson his nose, causing the boy to giggle before he answered."Yeah, bud. She's upstairs waiting for us. We are going to have a sleepover." Tony said, standingup, bringing Peter with him. He knew logically his son was a little too old to be carried around, buthe couldn't help it."No way! That's so cool!" Peter said, before his attention was drawn to the arc reactor in Tony'schest."Daddy? Why do you have a light in your chest?" Peter asked, and Tony stiffened a bit as hewalked into their secret bedroom. Natasha was sitting on the bed, and had heard the question,because she was now sitting up straight, her eyes trained on his chest."It's a battery to help Daddy's heart." Tony answered, helping Peter get comfortable in their bed.Peter seemed to accept this answer, snuggling in between the two adults, before quickly fallingback asleep."A battery?" Natasha's whisper made him look up from where he was watching Peter. He gave hera smile, that was more like a grimace."Shrapnel. It's an arc reactor, it's keeping the shrapnel from reaching my heart. It's okay, I'm okay."He assured her, giving her a kiss over Peter. She nodded before settling down, reaching out a handto hold his, both of them facing each other."I'm so glad you're alive, любовь." Natasha whispered, when Tony was on the edge of sleep. Hejust hummed in response, already losing the battle of consciousness, as she pressed a kiss into hishand. He drifted off into the first and last dreamless sleep he would have in a while.--"Are those bullet holes?" an incredulous voice spoke out, catching him off guard. He turned to theside to see Natasha staring at him incredulously."Uh.let's face it. This is not the worst thing you've caught me doing." Tony replied, hoping hishumor would diffuse the situation. But naturally with his luck the red head just got angrier."Anthony Edward Stark, you have some explaining to do." Natasha replied, her face giving awaynothing, but her tone told a different story.Once he finally got rid of the suit, he stepped down to stand in front of his wife."Uh.I assume Coulson briefed you on how I escaped?" Tony chose to start at the beginning.Natasha nodded, lips thinning into a straight line. He could see the worry and anger in her eyes,despite her trying to hide it.

"Well, um I found out that Obie's been dealing under the table.the uh the night of the charityevent? And I was already working on another suit by then.and now I can use it to get rid of myweapons. All of them. I need to make sure they are all gone." He tried to defend his actions, theones he had done without telling Natasha, but he figured it was in vain.He watched as several emotions played through Natasha's eyes. Normally she would be able tohide what she was feeling, from her face, from her eyes, no one could ever read her. But it hadtaken years of marriage for him to learn her tells, and for her to let her guard down around him longenough to let him see.He watched as the fire lit behind her eyes, and he knew he was in for a lecture."You're crazy. You've lost your mind. I know why you built the first one, Tony. It brought youback to us. Back to me.back to our son. What about Peter, Tony? Did you think of him? Huh? Heis already at risk if anyone ever finds out about me.and you just what? You want to become asuper hero so people can use him against you for revenge? Is that what you want? Because if that'swhat you want then you have gone crazy.and I don't know if I like this person you're choosing tobe." Natasha was fuming, he could feel the emotion coming off her in waves.He didn't dare move closer to her as she started pacing, sending him venomous looks as she saidher piece. He knew she needed to get this out, before she would even listen to him at all.As he watched her pace, he debated in his head what he really wanted. Did he want to endangerPeter when they found out he was tied to him? The world didn't know about Peter yet.but theywould figure out eventually. Did he want to put him in danger? And not to mention Natasha, heknew she could handle herself, but if she ever got hurt because of him he'd never forgive himself.But if he became this person, if he used this armor he built, he could protect them. He could makesure no one, especially not his family, could be hurt because of him again. And at that moment hemade his decision, so he chose his next words very carefully."I shouldn't be alive. If not for a reason. I'm not crazy, Tasha. I just finally know.what I have todo. And I know in my heart that it's right. I want to be able to protect you and Peter. I want toprotect those I couldn't when all I did was make weapons. Tash.this is what I need to do." he said,voice quiet and pleading. He kept his eyes toward the ground, so as not to lose his nerve by lookingin her eyes. There was a small brief moment of silence, before he heard her approach him. Soon hefelt her hand tilt his chin up, and his brown eyes met her striking green ones."You're all I have you know? You and Peter? You guys are it for me. I don't want either of you inharms way." She took a deep breath, and Tony prepared himself for her rejection, "But Iunderstand why you have to do it. I get it. If this is what you need to do, then I support you." shefinished in a whisper, touching their foreheads together. He let out a sigh of relief."I love you, Tasha." He stated. She gave him the most beautiful smile, before pressing a kiss to hislips."Okay. I'm going to go get Peter, and take him to Ben and May's until this Obadiah thing blowsover okay? I don't want him to have to hear all of the fighting that I'm sure will inevitably occur ifwhat you say he's doing is true." Natasha said, after she pulled away a few moments later. Tonynodded."Okay. Now don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." She said, giving him a smirk, before takingthe secret elevator up to their floor. As soon as she left he heard the clacking of heels that signaledPepper's arrival.

"Hey you mind if I send you on an errand?" he asked her, right as she walked in. And thus startedthe most dramatic night in his life, next to being kidnapped by a terrorist organization, that is.--"I thought I told you not to do anything stupid while I was gone." Natasha said the second he gothome from the press conference. She was sitting on the couch in their private room, a slumberingPeter on her lap."I thought you were taking him to Ben and May's?" Tony asked her, choosing to deflect theoncoming interrogation for a few minutes. She raised a perfectly raised eyebrow at his deflection,before continuing."Well, by the time I dropped him off and got back here, everything was already over with. I'm sad Imissed all the fireworks. I went back to pick him up just in time to catch the tail end of your pressconference. I am Ironman? Really?" She asked him, sarcasm dripping from her words. Tonywinced slightly before picking Peter up gently, careful not to wake him up.He stayed silent as he walked Peter over to their king sized bed, and tucked him in. He sat downnext to his son, and silently watched him sleep for a few moments, before his wife cleared herthroat behind him."I know. I didn't know sending Pepper to hack into Obie's files would start that shit show. And bythen it was too late to call you. I'm glad you were with Peter though." Tony said quietly, still nottaking his eyes off his son's sleeping form."And what about Ironman? Are you sure about this?" She spoke up then, joining him on the bed,her eyes also falling onto their child. She ran her hand through Peter's bangs gently, as heanswered."Yeah. It's the only way to make sure I can keep you guys safe." Tony said. Natasha nodded besidehim, before grabbing his hand and pulling him up to face her."You know Nick is going to try and recruit you." She said next, joining their foreheads together."Tell your boss that I don't want to join his super-secret boy band." Tony rebutted, earning a laughfrom his wife, before she pressed a kiss to his lips.-----TONY STARK WILL RETURN

Ironman 2Chapter NotesIronman 2!!Also just know that Ironman 2 takes place 6 months after Ironman. But then after thatthe timeline gets a little shaky so I'm just gonna make my own. So yeah.I hope you enjoy!See the end of the chapter for more notes"You do it." He retorts, after landing back on his feet. Pepper gives him an incredulous look."I do what?" she snaps back."Excellent idea. I just figured this out. You run the company." He said, the decision finalizing inhis mind. It made sense, he needed a successor, who better than Pepper?"Yeah, I’m trying to run the company." Pepper says with an eye roll. He felt frustration bubble upinside at her oblivious response, signalling the upcoming argument. They started speaking overeach other."Pepper, I need you to run the company-""-You will not give me the information ""I’m not asking you to try-""-in order to-""I’m asking you to physically do it. I need you to do it.""I am trying to do it.""Pepper, you’re not listening to me!" he shouted, regretting it instantly at the look on her face."No, you are not listening to me." her voice reaching a high volume in her annoyance."I’m trying to make you CEO. Why won’t you let me?" he says simply, sounding a bit like apetulant child."Have you been drinking?" she asked, narrowing her eyes to study him."Chlorophyll," he deflected quickly before continuing."I hereby irrevocably appoint you chairman and CEO of Stark Industries effective immediately.Y

darkness will be rewritten Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/21364294. Rating: Not Rated Archive Warning: Choose Not To .