Yes... Mr Stark?

[15] Drunk Party

We spent the rest of the week, hanging out in Monaco although there were more than enough Paps and fans surrounding us that would come up to bother all of us. Apparently many of the girls really appreciated the looks of my family as they were quite popular between them all. The jet dropped in Seattle airport and I said goodbye to the boys unhappily. I wouldn't be able to see them for a while because of the new position and dealing with Senator Stern. Tony was nowhere to be found when I stepped back in, Pepper and Happy were up near the front so I just sat back down and began to read the book I brought in case this happened. About an hour and a half passed and I was still trying to relax in the uncomfortable seat. I sigh and put the book down, looking up to watch TV instead. Unfortunately, it was Senator Stern's face that filled the screen and I sigh, thinking about all of the things he was going to spread about us.

"It's just unbelievable. It proves that the genie is out of the bottle and that these people have no idea what they're doing. They think of the suits as a toy. I was at a hearing where Mr. Stark, in fact, was adamant that these suits can't exist anywhere else, don't exist anywhere else, never will exist anywhere else, at least for five to 10 years, and here we are in Monaco realizing, 'These suits exist now'. " I feel a presence emerge from behind me. "The only reason why the two are keeping together is because they are obviously in a secret relationship. They're close, they keep secrets who knows what they do when they aren't in front of the camera."

"Mute." I turn towards Tony and he walks forward, holding a tray of some strange smelling food. He places it down with some cutlery and sits back. "He should be giving me a medal. That's the truth."

"What is that?" I point to the stuff sitting on the plate. It was slightly black and it had yellow stuff melted all over it. Cheese, maybe?

"This... is your in-flight meal." I look at him confused and made no effort to dig in.

"Did you just make that?" I ask him, is that where he's been all this time?

"Yeah. Where do you think I've been for three hours?" I snort a little, leaning back.

"More like an hour and a half." He sighs and looks out of the plane window, I noticed that he looked upset and I knew why.

"Tony," I speak gently. "Please, you need to stop all of this." I tell him.

"I don't want to go home. At all. Let's cancel my birthday party and... Let's go to Venice, Cipriani. It's a great place to be healthy." He places his hand on the arc reactor and I just look at him pitifully.

"I... I don't think this is the right time. We're in kind of a mess with this whole Iron Twin thing and me being CEO..." I try to express to him but he sits forward, begging me.

"Yeah, but maybe that's why it's the best time. Because as CEO, you are entitled to a leave." He tells me.

"A leave?" I exclaim, shaking my head.

"A company retreat." He pushes me a little further, frowning.

"A retreat? During a time like this? Tony if this is about the-" I try to tell him.

"Well, I'm just saying, to recharge our batteries and figure it all out." He assures me, interrupting what I was going to say. I knew that, he didn't want to mention the poisoning around the two people making-out near the front.

"Not everybody runs on batteries, Mr Stark." He looks at me and smiles. Not a smirk that he normally does, but an actual smile. The light was hitting his eyes and half of his face making him look healthier than he usually was these days. Right now I felt... happy. Just happy about being in his presence, happy about even being in his life. I smile back at him and the rest of the ride was spent in silence.