Battle Scars {An Iron Man FanFic}

Chapter 10: Stay

A/n: Thanks to @Downeys for helping me make bonding moments awhile ago. Last one, I'm no longer in debt guys! 

Tenth Chapter, Woot!!! Haha well I plan on this being a pretty short chapter, but as you know I write these before I actually write the chap, so yeah. Hope you all enjoy!!

Also, play the song on the side :P

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Chapter 10: Stay

Tony

I literally blasted through the door without a care.

"Straight ahead sir" Jarvis told me and I pinpointed her standing next to two guys. Well one was standing beside her and the other unconscious on the floor.

"Tony?" she turned to me, tears in her eyes.

"We're going home" was all I said as I pulled her into my arms and flew off through the hole I made. I shot up to the air and she rested her head into my shoulder. I could hear her crying softly and my mind instantly thought up of every possible horrendous moment that could cause that. Half way home she talked to me in a shaky voice.

"You know, a car would have sufficed" she said before chuckling softly.

"Yeah that's what Pepper told me" I said absentmindedly. I mentally cursed myself for mentioning Pepper but Andy showed no intention of saying anything of it.

"You okay, you're heart's beating pretty hard there" I asked her.

"I'm sorry" she said after a brief moment of silence.

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"I tried to make friends, I really did. Apparently all I'm good for is....is" her words got choked off and I wished I wasn't in this metal suit so that I could comfort her in some way.

"Hey, don't say that. You just haven't found the right type of people yet. You're still new at it all, cut yourself some slack." Jarvis monitored her heartbeat again and it gradually slowed down after an episode of irregularity. We made it home and I dropped her off in the garage and was about to have my suit removed when I remembered my attire.

"Um, go meet me upstairs sweetie. I have to take care of something" she nodded once and started up the stairs slowly. I quickly scanned the room and blessed Pepper's name when I saw a pair of jeans waiting on my chair. I got out of the suit and jumped around the room, trying to get both feet in at the same time. I fell to the floor with a grunt and squirmed around to get them to my waist. I quickly buttoned them up and ran up the stairs.

                I stopped once I reached the top and froze as I saw Andy crying harshly into Pepper's arm. I instinctually started back down the steps but cut short when I heard Pepper cooing to her. I took a deep breath and walked forward. I put a hand on Pepper's shoulder and she looked up at me with teary eyes. She nodded to me and I took it as my approval of escape. I put a hand over Andy's head and she looked up at me with miserable eyes.

                I felt my breath hitch in my throat and she placed her head back down on Pepper. I stalked off towards the workshop, knowing I would have to work to rid of my sudden anger.

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Pepper

                Tears stung at my eyes and I tightened my grip on Andy's quivering body. I fought the need to break down and only held her tighter. She had climbed up the stairs slowly and towards me only minutes before. Once she sat down next to me, she broke down in tears, muttering only parts of sentences. Someone had done something to her, and at that moment I would have gone down to that party and knocked them out myself.

"Pe-pepper?" she asked, her breathing shallow.

"Yes sweetie, shhh, I'm right here. What happened?" I asked in a soothing voice. She burst out into fresh tears and I held her closer to me.

"He... he..." she struggled for air as she tried to come up with the words, "I didn't want to... I tried to..."

"Oh my gosh, Andy did someone rape you?!" I asked, pulling her away to look straight in her eyes. She shook her head somberly and tears poured freely down her face. "He was about to" she murmured before diving back into my arms.

                We stayed like that for a few hours until she fell asleep. I held my arms around her and didn't make a move to leave even when Tony climbed up the stairs. He saw our position and I raised a finger to my lips, telling him to stay quiet. He went behind the other staircase and grabbed a blanket from some hidden closet. He threw it over her and sat on the other side of the sofa.

"What happened?" he asked in a low voice. I felt warm tears begin to bubble and I looked down at her clear face.

"Her friends ditched her at the beginning of the party. She called us five minutes after she walked in and waited three damn hours by herself. One of the boys tried to rape her," my voice choked on the word, "but someone else helped her. I don't know Tony." I finished as tears fell from my eyes.

"Did he-" he cut off, unsure of what he was asking.

"He didn't. But he was damn close to it. I don't want her going back to that school Tony; she'll be forced into a living hell. There'll be even more attention to her now that Iron Man saved her from some school party." He stayed silent and I saw his knuckles whiten. He stood up, pounding his hands together after swaying them to his sides. He walked closer to me decisively and grabbed Andy from my body. He grunted as he began to ascend the staircase and I waited for his return.

                I stood up when he came back down and grabbed my phone from the table. I started to leave when his voice caused me to stop.

"No please, stay."

"I really shouldn't" I said, heartbroken. If we hadn't been... it was our fault for this. We were immature and irresponsible; if we had just answered the first time then we would have been able to get her safely out of there.

"She's going to need you, when she wakes up" he said in a soft voice, walking over to me.

"Then I'll be here then. Good night Tony" I gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before walking out the door and heading to my car.

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Tony

                I couldn't find sleep for the rest of the night. I tossed and turned, trying to force myself unconscious. But my mind couldn't stop wondering who that guy was and, most importantly, who was on the floor. Just as I turned over for the hundredth time, a scream reached my ears and I bolted out of bed immediately. Al was barking just outside her door and once I opened it, he bounded for her bed at the far corner.  I reached her bed and grabbed her hand, then her shoulders to try and wake her up.

                She was thrashing around, screams radiating from her mouth like bombs. I called out her name and shook her again. Her eyes opened, wide and fearful. Her breathing was heavy and she looked at me with panic in her eyes.

"It's okay, you're okay" I muttered to her as I pressed her hair down slowly. She mumbled something and her hand found my arm. She squeezed it tightly and tears slowly made their way out of her eyes. She shook her head at me, as if telling me no, and continued to grip my arm tightly. I wiped away her tears with my thumb and the look on her face, her own shattered gaze, made me feel broken.

"Scoot over" I said in a rough voice, and I realized that my throat was tight. I rested myself on top of her covers and placed an arm around her. She burrowed near my chest and I patted her hair down gently.

"You're going to be okay Andy. I won't let anything happen to you, nothing will hurt you." Her body shook as she tried to regain her breathing. Before I knew it she was asleep again and I only wiggled slightly to get a bit more comfortable. I fell into a sleep that lasted only for another hour, before tears sprung out of her eyes again and she shouted out "No!"

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Editted November 6, 2013. Remember to vote and comment! Let me know what you think! :D

((  Hey guys, so this was short and sad. Poor Andy, I'm seriously regretting I put her through this :(. I don't know what else to say... ))

-Ela