Chapter 5

"I didn't… I mean, I didn't say anything to him, I swear…" Tony explained.

She cut his words off hard. "You swear?" an incredulous laugh escaped from her, "Do you know what yours promises mean to me?" she snarled.

Tony could feel his blood freeze in his veins. Her tone was so sharp; it was the first time he heard this in her voice usually so sweet and so kind.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"You're sorry?" she repeated in disbelief. "You're sorry?" she shook her head "It must be the end of the world!" she exclaimed wryly, "The great Tony Stark is sorry!"

He opened his mouth to reply but the words stuck in his throat.

After ten longs seconds of silence, she sighed heavily and asked, "What are you doing here?"

He didn't know how to answer. Her gaze was so cold that it was unbearable; he looked at his feet, still silent, without an answer.

"What the hell are you doing here, Tony?!" she repeated, shouting.

His eyes automatically went back to hers at her cry. They were full of anger and sadness. "I don't know," he started, "I'm not sure," he continued, "I was working in the workshop, thinking about you, reading again and again that note, the one you left for me that day. Then, I found myself in front of your door." He paused, looking for the right words, "I guess I just wanted to know how you were." He concluded.

"You wanted to know how I was?" she repeated in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You wanted to know how I am after 5 years?" She asked.

Tony felt emotion well up inside him again. "I'm sorry Pepper, I'm really sorry," his voice was shaking.

"My name is Virginia!" she burst out, "Don't ever call me Pepper again. Pepper is dead! She died 5 years ago!" she said harshly.

"Don't do that, please," he begged her, tears filling his eyes.

"Don't do what?!" she exploded. "You made the decision; you and you alone killed Pepper!" She looked him in the eyes, "You threw me away, Tony," Her jaw was almost trembling. "You ejected me from my house, from my job, from my friends… You took everything I had away from me… You ruined my life!" Blunt distress flowed through all her words. "What did you seriously expect coming here, today, Tony?" She asked.

"It didn't happen like that at all, and you know it… I did it for you safety, you were…" he started to claim.

She cut him fast "Oh please! Spare me this stupidity! None of that was for me; it was for you, Stark! As always! Everything you do or ever did always was for you! You didn't leave me for my safety, but because I was the only flaw in your nice Iron Man suit!"

"Pepper!" Tony exclaimed, hurt.

"No! Tony, listen to me! I tried to understand you, believe me, but every time I came to the same conclusion; it was not fair. You didn't have the right to make that decision alone! You ruled my life without asking my permission. It involved us both, but you were the only one to decide!" she paused, closing her eyes, in order to control the emotion threatening to overwhelm her. "And I pointed this out to you, that day, Tony. And do you remember what you told me?" she asked him, her blues eyes locked on his, her jaw was trembling; "You told me that you didn't want to share your life with me anymore." She said sadly, feeling those words shattering her heart again as they had five years ago.

"You know that I didn't mean it," he pleaded tears rolling on his cheeks. "I was tried to get you to leave!" he said slowly.

"But I didn't want to leave you Tony!" She blew up, tears filling her eyes. "I stayed beside you all over those years. I took care of you; I never stopped to taking care of you, despite everything. Despite alcohol, drugs and a thousand one night girls, despite yours whims, your bad will for everything, and your lack of care, and even despite yours innuendos. I never walked out on you Tony. How could you imagine that after being in love with you it would change? Because, yes I was in love with you Tony, so madly in love." Tears escaped her eyes. "And you know well that I did everything to avoid this. I held back my feelings for you a long time because I was afraid of being hurt. Then, you swore and you made me believe in it. You promised me that we would be happy together, that you had changed and you loved me! And I believed you…"

"But I do love you Pepper!" he begged, all his body shaking.

"Yes, you love me, but you love Iron Man more, and your self most of all, your self and your self-image." She stated gravely. "It never mattered to me to risk my life everyday by your side. I knew the danger when I started dating you; I knew that I was dating Iron Man and everything that went with it. But you decided otherwise. And not because it would be good for me but only because it was easier for you being Iron Man without me bothering you!" Anger came back in her voice.

Tony felt his knees went weak, "Pepper, don't…"

She quickly cut him off "You know what Tony? When I left the mansion that day, I truly thought that you would come back to me," she swallowed her tears. "That I would be something you missed," she added, hands shaking. "That you would love me more than this stupid Iron Man!" she finally blew up. "But you never came back," She said sadly gazing at her feet to not let him see her tears.

"But I'm here now," he said, trying to move toward her.

She gazed at him at this sentence. Her eyes were so dark and full of rage that he froze. "You're kidding me?! Right?!" she said wryly, "5 years Tony, 5 long and painful years!" she highlighted, "During 5 years, I loved you, I wanted you to come back, I hoped you would come back, I cried for you! Oh yes, I cried! But now it is over, I won't shed any tears for you anymore!"

"Please Pepper, you're being unfair,"

"I'm unfair?" She repeated in disbelief, "That's definitely the best one of the day!"

"I mean…" He tried.

"I don't give a shit about what you mean Tony! I just want you leave this house right now! I want you to get out of my life forever!" she shouted at him.

He fell to his knees, overwhelmed, tears rolling down his face. He gazed at her, imploring, "But Pepper, you… I mean… You know, He…"

She cut him off fast when she figured out where he wanted to go with this "He is my son! Do you understand? My son! You don't have any right to Dane's life!" she stated abruptly. "Now, go away, I can't bear to look at you anymore." She concluded.

Tony cried like a baby, like he couldn't remember ever having cried before. He was so desperate, gazing at the floor, as the tears fell onto it.

Pepper looked at him, looked at this ghost of him and stated sarcastically "Poor Tony, poor great Iron Man!"

He looked at her eyes, his hand held out to her, begging forgiveness. She stared at him proudly, almost scornful.

She turned her heels, ready to leave and told him "And that will be all Mister Stark!"

On that note, she left the barn with her head held high.