Finding One's Heart

The Return

               Three months. It had been three months since Tony was taken. Three months since Audrey had learned she was a mutant. Three months since she met her father. And now, here she was, standing at the airport with Pepper and Happy as a plane landed. The hatch of the plane lowered, and she saw Rhodey help Tony up from the wheelchair, keeping a hold of his hand as he slowly came down the ramp. His other arm was held in a sling, and he looked pretty cut up.

Audrey felt tears come to her eyes and she couldn't stop the smile that came to her face. Pepper was beaming, tears of relief coming to her eyes, though she blinked them back.

"Are you kidding me with this? Get rid of them," Tony muttered when he saw a couple paramedics pushing a gurney up and Rhodey had them go while Audrey chuckled. She jogged up and hugged her brother carefully. Tony wrapped his good arm around her tightly. "Hey, I told you I'd come back."

"Safely. You promised you'd come back safely. Being in a sling and all banged up is not considered safe, you liar," she muttered with a sniffle before reluctantly pulling back to look at him. Tony got a good look at his little sister and saw some changes. She looked... stronger. She had a little more muscle tone to her from what he could tell from hugging her, not so easy to tell through the blouse and skirt she wore. But she also seemed to have a new confidence about her he hadn't seen before. Tony let his eyes soften as he cupped her cheek.

"Sorry I worried you, Rey. Don't get all weepy on me," he muttered, wiping her tears away. Audrey chuckled.

"Just glad I didn't have to fly myself halfway around the world to save your ass," she teased making him smirk. Still his sister. He then looked to Pepper and saw the red rimming her eyes.

"Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?" He asked, mischief in his eyes.

"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting," Pepper replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, vacation's over," Tony muttered before he and the two girls climbed into the back of the car while Happy got in the driver's seat.

"Where to, sir?" Happy asked.

"Take us to the hospital, please, Happy," Pepper answered instead.

"No," Tony immediately denied.

"No? Tony, you need to go to the hospital," Audrey argued, worried for her brother's health and wellbeing.

"No is a complete answer," he said calmly, talking over her.

"The doctor has to look at you," Pepper argued as well.

"I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger, and the other..."

"That's enough of that," Pepper muttered, thinking he wanted a hooker.

"...is not what you think," Tony cut in, giving her a look. "I want you to call for a press conference. Now," he stated.

"Oh? Why, so I can go up and talk about how you went missing for three months? How I worried about whether my brother was alive? You know, because I typically give the speeches," Audrey said while glaring at him, upset he wouldn't go to the hospital.

"No, not this time. I'll be talking to them, promise," Tony assured making her raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Call for a press conference?" Pepper asked after registering the surprising request.