A/N: This is the sequel to my fic 'In Absentia', but unlike the first one is AU to the films. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Still own nothing, and credit again to ohmylaniaison on tumblr whose gifs I used to make the cover image.

'Back from the dead! Three months later and Tony Stark returns to the land of the living after escaping captivity in Afghanistan - though the billionaire's medical state is yet to be assessed after his shocking announcement at the impromptu press conference just after his return to the country. At this point people seem to be asking themselves - has Tony Stark come back the same man he was?'

'Pepper!' his voice called her from the workshop - he'd been spending a lot of time down there since his return. It worried her - especially coupled with his erratic behaviour in regards to the company. She stood from her seat on the couch and headed cautiously down the stairs, worried about what she might find.

'What's this?' he asked as he heard her enter, not looking up from his own desk.

'What's what?' Pepper asked a little impatiently - his rash statement at the press conference had doubled her already crazy workload and she wasn't in the mood for games

'This,' he waved a piece of paper in the air, turning to look her in the eye

She crossed over to him and snatched the paper from his hands, inspecting it carefully.

'It's a piece of paperwork regarding the official launch of the Jericho Missile,' she answered dutifully - she didn't see what was so vital about it.

'Isn't that quite an important document?' he asked, his face unreadable

'Yes, I suppose,' she sighed 'What about it?'

'Oh nothing,' he swiveled his chair back to face his desk again 'Except that it was supposed to be completed and filed six weeks ago - if the post it note attached to it was to be believed,'

She flinched; she hadn't exactly been hugely vigilant about paperwork for the last three months.

'And why do you suddenly care about deadlines?' she asked, trying to sound as casual and nonchalant as possible

'I don't,' he shrugged and turned around to look at her again 'But you do,'

She looked around uneasily - she didn't like where this conversation was going 'So?' well that came out a little too high-pitched to be innocent.

'So why didn't that get completed and filed? Why are there dents and cracks in half the TV's in the house? Why when I ask for security footage for any day over the last three months does JARVIS tell me it doesn't exist? Why wouldn't you be eating or sleeping, Pepper?' his eyes flashed in anger as he rose from his chair to stand in front of her. She stood her ground but kept her gaze fixed on the floor - unable to look him in the eye.

'Pepper?' he asked again, and this time he put a hand on either of her shoulders, shaking her slightly until she relented and looked at him 'What the hell aren't you telling me?'

'I…' Pepper faltered, swallowing nervously 'I just…I got really addicted to a TV show while you were gone,' she shrugged 'I mean - seriously addicted. I was crying and eating ice cream and, yeah, throwing things at the TV - it wasn't pretty…and I was so involved I even got a bit behind on my work,' she tried to look at him but his gaze was too intense.

'A TV show? -really?' he asked sounding thoroughly unconvinced

She nodded insistently 'Yep, it was great,'

'Okay then,' he shrugged and she was about to breathe a sigh of relief when 'What's it called?'

Crap. She bit down on her lip and continued to stare at her shoes.

'Well, Pepper? What's it called?'

'I…' she wasn't going to win this, so she might as well give in 'It's called,' she finally raised her head to look him straight in the eye 'My boss disappears into the Afghan desert for three months and I think he's dead and I'll never see him again,'

Tony winced and let his hands drop from her shoulders.

'It's called watching my boss's godfather take over his company while he forces me to organize a memorial service,' she continued, her anger rising 'Listening to everyone tell me over and over again that my boss is dead and gone while I try as hard as I can not to give up hope just in case he's not and he needs someone looking for him.

'It's called endless arguments with Rhodey over my health while all I want to know is if he's found said boss yet. It's called sitting in an empty mansion day and night watching news reports document the slow failure of the search and the official confirmation of his death. It's called trying to keep on functioning when the person I care about most in this stupid world is so long gone that the news isn't even reporting on his death anymore and all I have for company is a fucking AI that reminds me of him every time it opens its non-existent fucking mouth!'

She didn't normally swear - at least not in front of Tony since he swore plenty for the both of them - but she was fuming, and at this point it was either swear or hit something.

Tony was just staring at her, mouth hanging open and eyes pained 'Pepper-' he began but she cut him off

'No, you know what, forget it,' she gave a short, angry laugh and turned to the door 'let me go and do my goddamned paperwork,' she made to leave but he caught her by the arm and pulled her back to face him.

'Pepper,' he said again, as if it was all he was capable of getting past his lips

'What?' she snapped, eyes blazing, though she didn't get a chance to ask anything else as before she knew what was happening his lips were on hers - hot and hungry and oh so very desperate.

'Pepper,' he mumbled again against her lips as he pulled her stunned body closer, arms wrapping securely around her waist.

It took a little while, but finally her mind caught up to what was happening and then she was kissing him too - wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling into his hair - as his tongue began an almost aggressive search of her mouth. She clung to him, molding her body into his until there was no space left between them and then he was turning them, walking them backwards until she felt her legs collide with his desk and suddenly she was lying on top of it - his body warm above her own. She felt his tongue stroking hers - something almost pleading in the movement - and she opened her mouth wider to him, trying to pull his body even closer in a frantic struggle to just feel him.

Eventually he pulled his mouth back from hers and they both lay there staring into each others eyes, breathing heavy. He ducked his head back down, kissing the dip between her neck and her shoulder with something close to reverence.

'Pepper,' he breathed between the kisses - it sounded almost like a prayer and she pushed gently on his chest to force him back far enough to look at her properly. The look in his eyes was a mixture of desire and hunger and desperate need - but beneath all that there was something else - a look of pure agony that struck her so deeply she could hardly take it.

'Tony?' she asked, her voice barely above a whisper

'I'm sorry,' he replied and her brow creased 'I'm so sorry I left you behind,' she moved a hand to stroke his cheek gently, her eyes never leaving his

'I thought I had it bad - and I did, you know - but even whilst I was missing you, even whilst I was sitting there just praying I'd live to see your face one last time, at least I knew you were alive. I knew that you'd be safe and well back here because Rhodey knows - I told him a long time ago - I told him if anything happened to me to promise to still look out for Pepper or I'd come back and haunt him. Even in those moments when I just wanted to die - at least I knew the thing I cared most about was safe and protected,' his head was back at her neck, kissing her almost feverishly.

'I can't imagine…I don't want to think. God, if you'd gone missing Pepper - no word, no news, no idea whether you were dead or alive - I don't think I could've coped. I don't think I'd have wanted to cope - not with you gone. Not even a body to bury just a stupid memorial service…I'd have gone insane,'

'Tony,' she sighed, sadly but he cut her off with another frenzied, passionate kiss

'I didn't think about it, Pep. I hadn't even thought about how it was for you - not until you answered the phone and you said that stuff about not eating or sleeping,'

She hid her face guiltily in his neck.

'I didn't know why you wouldn't have been - and when I realized it might have been because of me I didn't…God, I didn't know what to do, Pep. I asked JARVIS to show me the footage and when he said there wasn't any…I just didn't know what to think because then there's all the TVs I mean…what happened to the TVs, Pepper?'

He rushed through his words at a pace impressive even for him, and it was the sheer pain behind them that finally resolved her to show him.

'JARVIS?' she asked quietly

'Yes, ma'am?' the ever faithful AI responded

'Show Mr. Stark the…TV incidents,' she sat up nervously. Tony followed suit and, after looking at her questioningly, turned his attention to the huge screen that JARVIS had projected in front of them.

The screen came to life showing Pepper - a rather stressed, tired looking Pepper - sitting watching the news. On the TV a woman was saying that it had been three weeks since Tony had disappeared and was questioning whether he'd ever be found. All of a sudden a black high heel was hurtled at the screen and Pepper was snapping at JARVIS about being clever.

The screen went blank for a second but then came back to the same room, practically the same situation only Pepper's clothes were different and she was looking even more tired and stressed. This time the news report was saying six weeks, and explaining how the search for Tony had been called off. The shoe that hit the screen was grey with a bright red sole.

Then the same scene again, only different clothes and an even wearier Pepper. The news was saying seven weeks - and that Tony had been officially declared dead. Pepper hurled her laptop at the TV and both appliances cracked and broke.

There were more, all around the house. Short clips of Pepper watching news reports and object after object - usually shoes - flying at the screens.

When it was over Tony turned back to look at her, misery mixing with something else in his dark eyes 'I didn't know you had it in you, Pep,' he tried to joke, but it was a very half-hearted attempt, and Pepper didn't respond.

'JARVIS,' she sighed again 'Show him the rest,'

'All of it ma'am?' he asked sounding slightly surprised

'Whatever - just choose a bit,'

The screen sprang to life again and showed an image of Pepper sitting, unmoving, staring at a TV screen. Rhodey came in and told her to try and go back to normal, go back to work, go live life. She shouted that Tony was her life - and that she couldn't live life like normal if he wasn't there. Eventually she promised to go back to work. Rhodey left. She went back to staring.

Another image of her sitting staring. This time the news report was saying that it had been ten weeks. Tony was dead and they'd even had a memorial service. Pepper just sat there. There were no shoes thrown at the offending television, no laptops, Rhodey didn't come in and tell her to get up again. No one even rang. Pepper just sat there - unmoving, unblinking, expressionless. Not even JARVIS broke across the quiet drone of the television. Pepper just sat there.

She watched him carefully as the images played across the screen - she didn't want to watch it herself and relive her pain; it was still too fresh for her liking. When it was over he turned back to her again, his face so tragic you'd think he'd just watched his family die.

'Pepper…' he was crying, actually crying. She saw the small tears glistening as they ran silently down his cheeks

'See,' she said quietly 'I was addicted to a TV show,'

He laughed - a tiny quiet chuckle that didn't hold much humor - but a laugh nonetheless.

'I…Pepper I don't…I don't know what to say,'

'Don't say anything,' she shrugged 'Just don't leave me again,' she realized as he stepped forward and pulled her back into his arms - holding on as if her never wanted to let go - that her voice was small and almost begging. Strangely enough she didn't care.

'I promise,' he murmured into her hair 'I promise I won't…God, Pepper, I'm sorry I'm so sorry,'

'I'm sorry too,' she replied, voice still quiet

'For what?' he asked, leaning back and frowning at her

'For not telling you - before you went - for not telling you to be careful. Not telling you to look after yourself - to come home in one piece. I'm sorry for not letting you know how much it would kill me if you didn't,'

He smiled gently and kissed her again - some of the desperation gone, though the need was still present.

'You don't have to apologize for that, Pepper, it's not like I deserved it,'

'Doesn't matter,' she mumbled as she pulled his lips back to hers yet again 'still should have told you,'

'If you say so,' he grinned as her teeth found his bottom lip 'I should have told you to look after yourself while I was gone, even if I didn't come back. I should have warned you that I wouldn't want to come back if you weren't there waiting for me,'

'You didn't need to - Rhodey let that much slip right after you disappeared,' she smirked around his mouth

'He what?'

'Yeah,' she shrugged 'Said something about you flying straight back to Afghanistan if I starved to death worrying about you. Not that I believed him…or understood him for that matter,'

'You should have,' he moved his mouth to her neck once again, kissing right down it and along her collar bone - making her shiver in pleasure 'sounds about right,'

His mouth began to move further down her chest, apparently determined to kiss every inch of exposed skin. With a quick glance to the door Pepper kicked off her shoes and led Tony by the hand to the couch in the corner, pulling him on top of her as she lay down. She let her hands travel over him - feeling for certain that he was really, truly there with her - as his mouth continued its exploration of her chest.

'Pepper,' he whispered against her skin, and it still sounded like a prayer.

'Eighteen weeks since Tony Stark disappeared into the desert. Six weeks since he's been back - and by God, has he been busy. Not only has he begun to shut down the weapons manufacturing section of Stark Industries - but he also seems to be getting pretty busy in his personal life. He and personal assistant Pepper Potts were seen looking pretty cozy at a Starbucks on Monday morning - apparently a three month disappearing act is what was needed to eventually get the girl,'

A five-inch Prada stiletto crashed against the television.

'Whoa, Pep, what's going on?' Tony stuck his head around the door, before looking at the TV screen and rolling his eyes 'Why are you even watching that crap, Pepper?'

She turned eyes full of ice on him 'Because Rhodey called and told me to - now I can see why. Do you have any idea how much clean-up this is going to take?' she asked, voice razor sharp.

'Hey,' he protested, stepping completely into the room 'you're the one who wanted coffee,'

'Needed,' she corrected 'Needed because I had five very important meetings in one day - thanks to your clever decision to change the face of the entire company - and, also thanks to you, I got no sleep the previous night,'

He grinned 'Yeah but that was fun though, wasn't it?'

She huffed, trying very hard not to let the smile she was holding back appear on her face 'That's not the point - the point is the press are onto us and now I have to clear that up on top of everything else,'

He shrugged, and she noticed that he did actually look a little guilty 'Sorry,' but there was still too much cheek in his face to let it pass.

He only just ducked out of the way in time as the other shoe hit the wall.

'Three months later-and Tony Stark's been found. Against all odds the billionaire CEO was found by Air Force Colonel James Rhodes after somehow managing to escape his captors. The military will not go into detail on what exactly happened,'

'Pepper have you seen my…Pepper?' he asked noticing her face 'Pepper are you crying?'

'No,' she sniffled, standing up and wiping her eyes quickly

'You are - why are you crying?' he asked his voice a balance of bewilderment and amusement

'I'm not crying!' she sniffed and Tony turned his attention to the paused TV screen

'Is that…Pepper are you watching old news reports?'

'Not just any old news reports,' she murmured under her breath

'Play,' he instructed and the screen began moving again

'All we know for certain at this point is that Tony Stark is alive, well, and on his way back to the US,'

'That's…the report from when they found me,' he frowned at her 'Why are you watching that…and why's it making you cry?'

'I…' she faltered 'It's not…I'm just…I watch it sometimes,' she tried to shrug it off

'Why?' his voice was incredulous

'Just to…you know…remind me…that it's true,' she felt a couple more tears run conspiratorially down her pale cheeks.

'That what's true?' he was looking between her and the TV screen in complete confusion.

'That you're home,' she breathed 'That you're really back here and alive again,'

He motioned at himself with his hands, his mouth gaping open but his meaning explicit. He was there in the flesh - so why did she need the news reports?

'Sometimes I think I'm dreaming you,' she replied simply, as if it were obvious 'sometimes I think that my mind's just playing tricks on me and that you're not really back. That you're cold and dead somewhere in the middle of the desert. Watching the report helps reassure me that I'm not hallucinating,'

'But why does it make you cry?' he asked, his voice a lot gentler - dark eyes soft.

Her gaze dropped to her shoes and she shrugged again 'I never cried,' she mumbled by way of explanation 'When you were gone - all those weeks, those months - and I never cried. Not once. Not one single tear - don't know why - I just…I just couldn't,' she looked up to meet his eyes again

'Then when you got back - it was like the gate opened. I can cry again now you're here - and sitting watching that news report - it reminds me that I can. It reminds me that you're home and I can cry - because I was empty before, so empty. It was agony for a little while and then it just stopped, it stopped hurting - like my body shut down and went into self-preservation mode. It knew it couldn't cope with the pain - so everything flooded out and I was empty. Numb. And now you're back and I can feel again - so every now and then I need to remind myself of that. I need to cry,'

His frown deepened but he walked to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and dropping soft kisses to her hair

'I think that's probably the craziest thing I've ever heard,' he let out a short, bemused laugh 'but then I can hardly talk - some of the things I do,' he sighed 'So if you want to cry, Pepper,' he lifted his head so their lips were mere millimeters from each others, his eyes meeting hers - filled with warmth and life and love 'Then you just go ahead and cry,'

Hope you liked it, please review :)