Scared To Be Lonely

Chapter 8: Not Everybody Runs On Batteries

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On Tony's private airplane, Pepper was sat in a seat with Nick next to her, the little girl asleep with her head on the pillow on the woman's lap. Pepper was brushing the girl's hair out of her face gently, but looked up when Senator Stern showed up on the television.

"It's just unbelievable. It proves that the genie is out of the bottle and this man has no idea what he's doing. He thinks of the Iron Man weapon 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 ten years, and here we are in Monaco, realizing 'uh oh, these suits exit now'.-"

Tony had come in with a plate, but paused by the door to listen a bit, before speaking up. "Mute." And the tv mutes. 

Tony then moves, setting the plate on the little table between the chairs as he sits in the one across from the girls. "He should be giving me a medal. That's the truth." Then he glances around, "Where's the boy?"

"I told Natalie to take him home, but Nicolette wanted to wait for you." Pepper nodded down to the sleeping girl, who had unknowingly worn herself out with her newfound abilities.

And Tony hadn't known about Jack being taken home early because he had been at the prison at the time, talking to Ivan Vanko.

But also in that time, the girls had changed into different clothes. Pepper had changed into another business-y dress with her hair now down, and Nick (after a shower) had changed into black sweatpants and the dark red sweater Pepper had gotten for her all those months ago.

"What is that?" Pepper looked towards the plate that had a lid covering it, and Tony lifts up the lid to reveal the slight burnt food. "This is your in-flight meal."

"Did you just make that?" Pepper questioned in confusion, a small smile on her lips, and Tony nods. "Yeah. Where do you think I've been for three hours?"

Pepper looked at the food, before looking to him, knowingly, as he looked out the window. "Tony? What are you not telling me?" 

Tony looked away from the window and to her. He knew he had to tell them soon, that he was dying, but he also didn't know how. Especially not after now having a daughter he just found. "I don't want to go home. At all. Let's cancel my birthday party and, uh... We're in Europe. Let's go to Venice, Cipriani."

Pepper sighs, and Tony adds. "Remember?"

"Oh, yes." Pepper nods with a small smile, and Tony adds. "It's a great place to- to... be healthy."

"I don't think this is the right time. We're in kind of a mess." Pepper tells him, unknowing that Nick was beginning to wake up but still pretended to be sleeping. Tony didn't realize either as he said, "But maybe that's why it's the best time. 'Cause then we can-"

"Well, I think as the CEO, I need to show up." Pepper nods, but Tony still tries. "As CEO, you are entitled to a... leave."

"A leave?"

"A company retreat."

"A retreat? During a time like this?" Pepper shook her head, and Tony adds, Nick hearing that he even sounded tired. "Just a ride. We need to recharge our batteries and figure it all out."

Pepper looks out the window, before looking back at him. "Not everybody runs on batteries, Tony."

He looks up at her, the two sharing a smile, but Pepper didn't realize that there was something else behind his smile.

Nick pretends to just wake up as she sits up with a yawn, rubbing her eyes. Pepper smiles at the girl before looking at Tony, "And I'm gonna use the restroom since she's been asleep the three hours you were apparently cooking."

When Pepper leaves, Nick looked at Tony after he sighed, and knowingly looked at the girl. "How much did you hear?"

The girl pulled her legs up to her chest, "Why do you badly not wanna go home?"

Tony just looks out the window with another sigh, making Nick furrow her eyebrows. She recognized the look in his eyes, recognizing it because she had the same look in her eyes whenever she looked in the mirror. Making her ask, "What are you keeping a secret, Starky?"

Her nickname made the corner of his lip twitch upwards momentarily, but then he looked towards her. "You know that what you did back there was beyond stupid, right?"

"Right back at you." She said with a look, of which he copied as he asked. "How did you even get to the track that fast?"

Nick just shrugged, placing her chin on her knees. "I'm a fast runner. I mean, I had to be back in Havana. Can't exactly fight off Policías when you're only 7."

"You got chased by the cops when you were 7?" He raised an eyebrow, which made her just nod. "I got good at running and hiding."

"But apparently that didn't go into the instinct when you see danger and are supposed to run the opposite way and hide." He shakes his head, before adding. "Do me a favor, please stay safe and try to keep out of trouble." When she gave him a look at his seriousness, Tony cracked a forced small smile. "I mean, between the two of us, we're gonna end up giving Pepper a heart attack."

Nick thought for a moment, before putting her legs down and she leaned forward, holding out a hand. "I will if you do, okay?"

Tony thought for a moment, before leaning forward like she had, and taking her hand. "Deal."

When they both let go and leaned back in their seats, Tony suddenly realized something, making him then look at her with furrowed eyebrows as he asked. "Hey, wasn't there a tall fence around the track? How'd you even get through that?"

Nick glanced down at her hands, before pulling at her sleeves and shaking her head and looking out the window. Then she looked back at him and gave him an innocent smile with a shrug, "I found a way."