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That drawing.
That was all Tony looked at the three months he was gone.
That was what was giving him the strength to make it out of there, go back home- to her.
And when he finally did escape, he felt like he could cry clutching onto the piece of paper that just barely made it out of the desert.
He was finally going to see her again.
Lennon didn't know this though and honestly felt like she was living in a never ending nightmare ever since that morning Tony left.
When they first found out about Tony being taken, Pepper tried her hardest to keep it from the young girl for as long as she could- until a week had passed and Lennon finally had enough of all the obvious lies, yelling at her and Happy, wondering where her father was.
That's when they told her the truth and as expected, there were many sleepless nights in the Stark household.
Pepper and Happy were trying to do everything in their power to make the little girl happy but it seemed like no matter what they did, she wouldn't budge.
It was that same morning when Tony finally escaped that they were finally about the reach their breaking point.
"I don't know what else to do, Happy. She's been shutting me out. She won't talk to a therapist- she's locked in her room all day or in Tony's lab and when she isn't she's crying because she had a nightmare."
"I don't know if there's anything we can do Pepper. We're already worried about Tony as it is- imagine how she's feeling. That's her father and-"
Pepper stiffened up when Lennon walked out, covered in the foam from the fire extinguisher.
"What happened to you?"
"Fire," she mumbled before walking off, not even bothering to explain herself.
"See what I mean?" Pepper whispered when she left the room, "She's like a robot. And I have no problem staying here until Tony gets back but..."
"But what if he never comes back?" Happy finished.
"I hate thinking like that but- oh shit."
"What?"
"Rhodey's calling."
"Well? Answer!"
Pepper did just that, speaking to Rhodey briefly before feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. By the time she hung up she was both a happy but emotional wreck.
"What happened?"
"They got him. Tony's okay. They- they're bringing him back."
"Yes! Okay- you get her ready and I'll clean whatever mess she made downstairs and then we can head out."
