Second Chances

F O U R T E E N

One of his suits catch him but it doesn't hold up, I try to grab him but the tower snaps. He falls down and I try to find him, everything is blurry. I see a fiery Killian as he approaches Tony. I land in front of Tony as he looks us over.

"No more false faces. You said you wanted the Mandarin. You're looking right at him. It was always me, Tony. Right from the start. I am the Mandarin!"

As I go to move forward someone hits him and he flies to the side. It's Pepper, she breathing really heavily.

"I thought I told you to get to safety."

She smiles as Tony stands up, he looks at her.

"I got nothing."

His Repulsor starts to power up.

"Jarvis, subject at my 12 o'clock is not a target, disengage!"

It doesn't listen as it tries to attack us. I pull Pepper out of the way.

"What? Oh, what, are you mad at me?"

Pepper runs towards Tony, flips in the air, punches through the Iron Man suit, destroying it. She uses the suit to blow up Killian. I smile as she just turns to us.

"Oh, my God. That was really violent."

"You just scared the devil out of me. I thought you were..."

"I was dead. Why? Because I fell 200 feet? Who's the hot mess now?"

"It's still debatable. Probably tipping your way a little bit."

I step closer to her and smile, I grab her hand.

"You know, with how you've been acting lately. I might just switch to the other side, Stark can find someone else to Harper on."

She laughs as Tony just watches us, he looks at me and points to her outfit.

"Why don't you dress like this at home? Hmm? Sport bra. The whole deal."

"Number one: I do, when training. Number Two: I don't wear them around you because your always in your lab and you don't need any distractions."

"You know, I think I understand why you don't want to give up the suits. What am I going to complain about now?"

"Well, it's me. You'll think of something. Come here."

He goes to grab her shoulder as she backs up.

"No, don't touch me."

"Don't worry about it"

"No, I'm gonna burn you."

"No, you're not. Not hot."

"Am I gonna be okay?"

Before he could say anything stupid, I step in.

"Yes with his smarts and my technology I believe we can help you."

"What about you."

"Well I kind of already exploded, I don't know if I still have the serum or not. I'm still going to go through the same thing as you."

I look at her and smile as Tony touches my back. I hiss as Stark starts to look me over.

"And all your distractions"

"Well its not much of a distraction anymore, we still need to talk but I think it's getting somewhere. As for Tony...."

"Uh... I'm going to shave them down a little bit. Jarvis. Hey."

"All wrapped up here, sir. Will there be anything else?"

"You know what to do."

"The Clean Slate Protocol, sir?"

"Screw it, it's Christmas. Yes, yes."

Tony quickly kisses me as I let go of the shock. I slowly move my hands up his chest and around his neck. The Iron Man suits began to blow up as I pull away.

"Okay, so far? Do you like it?"

"It'll do, but now we need to get home."

I look at pepper and smile, I hold out my hand.

"How would you like to fly."
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It's been a few weeks, the Vice President and The decoy got arrested. Rhodes got a few new metals, Pepper has been cleaned out and Tony finally got the shrapnel removed from his chest. The entire time I was worried, Pepper and Rhodes being with me every step of the way, happy is out of the hospital. My healing must have helped him a lot more than I realized. Tony and I decided to make it official, I guess after both of us had almost died many times it's good to make a big decision. We helped a kid with redecorate his small lab, it was Tony's idea and I was glad to help. He even let me throw away the old reactor that was stored in his chest, he grabbed my hand as we walked away from the old mansion.

"You know Mr. Stark, you haven't taken me out on our first date yet."

"Where you want to go."

"With you, absolutely anywhere. But I do think we have a few things to do before hand."
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We walk into the lab as I smile at the sleeping figure. I'm sitting down next to him as Tony is laying down in the couch.

"To be able to share all my intimate thoughts and my experiences with someone, it just cuts the weight of it in half. You know, it's like a snake swallowing its own tail. Everything comes full circle."

I smile at Bruce Banner, asleep.

"And the fact that you've been able to -help me process..."

Tony stops and looks over as Bruce rubs his eyes.

"Are you with me?"

"Sorry... I was, yeah. We were at, uh..."

"Are you actively napping?"

He starts to stammer as I touch his shoulder.

"was... I... I drifted."

"Where did I lose you?"

"Elevator in Switzerland."

"So, you heard none of it?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not that kind of doctor. I'm not a therapist. It's not my training."

I laugh as I look between them, tony seems to be doing a lot better.

"So?"

"I don't have the..."

"What? The time?"

"Temperament."

"You know what? Now that I think about it... Oh! God, my original wound. 1983, all right?"

"Yes."

"I'm 14 years old, I still have a nanny. That was weird."

I laugh as I grab Bruce's hand and start to pull him away.