Tears
The two Shield agents left the house leaving Pepper alone. She plopped down limply on the closest chair. It couldn’t be true. Tony couldn’t be dead. He wouldn’t let himself die. Not before their daughter was born. Their daughter… a realization hit Pepper like a ton of bricks. He didn’t know-- no. He would never know that their child was a girl. How could Hill have done this? Why would she? Pepper was friends with her. She had never done anything to show she wasn’t trustworthy. None of what Pepper had just heard made sense.
Pepper finally found her strength and got to her feet. She needed air. Pepper stepped out the back door, and was embraced by the cool wind blowing up from the ocean below. Massive angry dark waves crashed angrily against the cliffs. These were not the tall even waves of high tide. These were the angry frothing waves that came before a storm. Dark storm clouds were beginning to form in the night sky on the distant horizon. A tear slipped down Pepper’s cheek. What was she going to do?
“Pepper?” She nearly jumped out of her skin as a hand grabbed her shoulder gently. She spun around to face Rhodey. She didn’t even speak before throwing herself helplessly into his arms. She was done holding back, she let her tears come in great sobs.
“He’s gone… Rhodey hes gone!” She wailed into his shoulder. Rhodey held her close to him, and rubbed her back.
“Shhh,” He whispered and rested his chin on her head; he rocked a little.
“He can’t be gone!”
Rhodey said nothing to this, and just hugged her tighter.
“The baby is a girl! He never found out, and now he will never know!” Pepper sobbed uncontrollably, “This isn’t fair!”
“I know, I know.”