Chapter 18
Tony barely slept. He was so worried about this man finding Tiffany and all he could see was naked Pepper tangled up in bed with someone else. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t leave Tiffany alone to get Pepper and if he stayed with Tiffany then he knew this guys hands woulds be all over his lady and the thought of that made it hard to breathe. It was a Saturday and Pepper’s date was for the evening.
“Where are you going?” Tony asked.
“Moon shadows” she said referring to an extremely romantic restaurant on the coast.
“And then?” Tony asked.
“Well if all goes well then I’ll be going with him and staying the night” Pepper said.
Tony felt as if someone had stabbed him in the chest. It was no longer jealousy. It was the real pain of love. The image of Pepper tangled up in bed with someone else returned and he couldn’t get it out of his mind.
“Nat said that the car that exploded had no tech and they had no cellphones on them. So they couldn’t report back to this guy that they had seen Tiffany. She wasn’t safe at school because they knew Malibu and they were there waiting. They know kids have to go to school. Nat said they don’t know she’s my daughter so they wouldn’t have a reason to come here. You should be safe but can you please wear one of my tech watches so you can contact me if anything looks shady. I won’t be able to see or hear anything if you have it off. Just turn it on if you suspect something” he said putting one on around her wrist and showing her how to turn it on.
It was time for Pepper’s date and Tony felt completely hopeless. He was handing Pepper over to Dean. He watched as they walked out the door and he slumped down on the couch. He put on the television not that he could retain anything. All he could see was Pepper naked in this guys arms.
“You just let her leave. Dad this is the third date” Tiffany stressed.
“You don't think I know that” he said full of despair.
“So what are you going to do about it?” Tiffany asked trying to pep talk her Dad.
“Tiffany what can I do?” he asked feeling helpless.
“You march up to her and tell her you love her and kiss her. That’s what she’s been waiting to here. If you do that this guy is gone. He can’t compete with what you and Pepper have” Tiffany said reassuringly.
“Let me call Nat inside. I can’t leave you alone”
Natasha came inside and agrees to help.
“Ok what should I wear”
Tiffany helped him pick out an outfit he looked very handsome in. She also combed his hair but let a little piece hang down on his forehead.
“You look very boyish and cute” Natasha admitted when he came down the stairs.
“I’m not coming back without Pepper, so this could take awhile” Tony said.
“Go I can handle this” Natasha said reassuring him.
Tony looked at the time and he hurried to Moon shadows they would be leaving soon. He got there and combed the entire restaurant and they were gone. He didn’t know where this Dean guy lived and then he remembered the watch. He had given it to Pepper turned on and he hadn’t seen her turn it off. He checked the tracking and sure enough it was still on. He pulled out onto the pch and started out towards his calabasas home.
Tony pulled up in front and rang the bell. A minute later Dean answered the door. He had a look of confusion on his face.
“Mr. Stark is everything ok?” he asked.
“No everything is not ok. I need Pepper” Tony said.
Pepper appeared in the doorway.
“Tony what is it? Is it Tiffany did something happen?” she asked.
“It’s you. It’s always been you” he said nervously.
“What are you talking about?” she asked confused again.
“I can’t let you do this” he said.
“Do what?” she asked getting nervous herself.
“Do you like this guy enough that you think it could be love? Is he what you want?” Tony asked firmly.
“Tony I just met him” Pepper said annoyed with the fact that he interrupted her date for no good reason.
“If you can say yes I will walk away. Do you want him or me?” Tony asked.
Pepper stood there for a moment in shock. He apparently did have a good reason to interrupt her. This was what she has been waiting for since she started to have feelings for Tony. She looked at Dean who was expecting her to choose him and then she looked at Tony whom expected her to choose him. But the truth was that only one of them still gave her butterflies even after all these years.
“You Tony. I’ve always wanted you” she said.
Tony walked across the room and pulled Pepper in for a kiss. She kissed him back and wrapped her hands over his neck so she could play with his hair.
“Pepper I’ve been in love with you for a very long time” Tony confessed after he came up for her.
“I love you too Tony. I just wanted you to see. I needed to get your attention” she said as she followed him outside.
“You always have my attention. You should have told me how you felt the other night when you were naked” he said not caring that Dean was listening.
“You should have told me how you felt” she said as she smiled at him and gave him goo goo eyes.
“I tried to Pep when I gave you the bracelet and the list” he said brushing her hair behind her ear.
“And then you were mean again” she said as they headed to the door.
“You almost had sex with that guy. I just couldn’t let it happen. I kept seeing you naked all tangled with him and I couldn’t deal with it” Tony said.
“Well you just wait. The only person I’m going to be naked and tangled with is you” Pepper said as she placed a hand on his thigh.
Tony hit the gas at full speed and they were home in about five minutes. When they got out of the car they started kissing immediately. They kissed on the way to the door and going into the house. The were kissing deeper and harder and making there way to the stairs when Nat spoke.
“I found our guy. He’s in an abandoned warehouse about twenty minutes away” Natasha said.
They broke away.
“We were just-“Pepper said.
“We saw” Tiffany said as she smiled at her Dad.
“Right now?” Tony asked to be sure he had heard her right.
Natasha nodded.
Are you kidding me? Why now? Why would the universe do this to me? he thought.
“I gotta go Pep. I gotta take care of this. And when I come back we are picking this up where we left off” a very frustrated Tony said.
“I know. Please be safe” Pepper said leaning to kiss him.
Tony kissed her passionately so that she would still want him when he got back.
Tony called his suit and hurried to follow Natasha.
“Well that only took you a century” Natasha said.
“Yeah it took me that long to convince Pepper to love me” he said.
“I’m pretty sure she always has” Natasha said as they walked out the door.
“Since you and my Dad are finally going to do it when he gets home are you going to wear something special?”Tiffany asked.
Pepper felt herself flush.
“I don’t have anything special. Just regular bras and panties” Pepper said.
“Well let’s go to the store before they close” Tiffany said.
Pepper agreed and hurried out to Tony’s car. He wouldn’t mind if he knew what it was for.
They got inside the warehouse and Tony flipped open his mask.
“You’re looking for my daughter and I’m here to tell you that it ends here” Tony said approaching the guy.
He waved his goons over to attacking Tony who put his repulsor hand out and shot a blast at them. Natasha took out the other two in hand to hand combat.
“She saw my face. She must die” he said sending another set of goons.
Tony pulverized them as he got closer and closer to the man. He was getting angrier and angrier.
“Did you love her mother? You should have heard her screams when we found her. She begged me not to kill her when I pulled the trigger” the man said taunting him.
He turned and pulled his gun on Tony.
“You took a mother away from a child and you took away someone I loved very much” Tony said angrily.
“And what are you going to do Tony Stark?” he asked.
“You killed Rachel and you will pay with your life” Tony said as he opened all the weapons in his suit.
The man fired the gun at Tony but it just grazed him.
“Big mistake” he said as he set off all the weapons in his suit.
“Natasha get out of here” Tony warned as he tried to run to beat the explosion.
Natasha was outside waiting and Tony had not come out behind her. She gave the smoke a minute to clear and then she saw him limping with his crushed armor.
“Let’s go home” Tony said as he got in the car.
“Jarvis run vitals” Tony said.
“You have multiple contusions a wound in your right leg and a sprain in your right leg. Recommended treatment is rest and no strenuous activity” he said.
“Nope not happening. Pepper is waiting” Tony said.