ＩＭＰＥＲＩＡＬ ◼TONY STARK◼

ｆｉｆｔｙ－ｆｉｖｅ

Alone in the woods, Tony Stark wasn't sure what to do next. His suit had no power, he was miles away from his home, JARVIS was gone, and the love of his life probably believed he was dead. Without a direct way to contact her, to send a signal, Tony new it was time to send a hail mary and transmit a message to all active Stark servers. There was no way to guarantee that she would receive the message, but it was his last option.

Closing up the suit and dragging it toward the road, the billionaire stumbled upon an abandoned car and ripped out a rope from the trunk, fastening it around the suit and tugging the rest over his shoulders, dragging it behind him as he walked the five miles down the road in the direct of Rose Hill.

Arriving finally at a small, local gas station just outside the main town, Tony let the suit fall to the ground just outside the old payphone before moving inside the box. He picked up the phone, depositing the necessary coins from his pocket before dialing what he needed to.

"Stark Secure Server: Now transferring to all known receivers,"

"...Dell, it's me,"

◼ ◼ ◼

Night had fallen, a chill breeze running through the night air. Emergency rescue crews and news reporters lined the driveway of the Stark household, cleaning up the damage and broadcasting the breaking news around the world.

Audelia Motter stood on the rocky cliff where the living room used to be, staring out at the ocean before her. Her suit laid on the ground beside her as she let the wind blow through her hair and the faint smell of smoke envelop her on the edge. It hadn't been long, but the tears had dried. Now, she was just numb.

"Deli!"

The woman turned on her heel to see a frantic Pepper Potts running through the debris toward her, Nathan Porter hot on her heels. She let a sad smile dance across her lips as she took a step away from the edge, allowing Pepper to throw herself into her arms and embrace her.

"We came as quickly as we could," Nathan told her as he caught up, pulling Pepper away from the woman to give her a hug himself. She noted the way they were both dressed: suit and a dress. Definitely on a date. "I asked the babysitter to stay longer with Rora. We would've been here sooner but it was impossible to get up the  driveway with all the cars blocking the way."

"That's why I didn't call," she told them, her voice soft yet hoarse from the crying, causing the pair before her to frown at the state she mentally seemed to be in. "That and I needed to just be alone...needed to think."

"As CEO I should probably head out there and make a statement," Pepper commented, grabbing onto Nathan's arm as she tugged him back toward the front of the house. "We'll try to calm the crowd, give an impromptu press conference and gain some control over the situation so you can process."

"We'll be just over there," Nathan reiterated to Deli, sending her what he hoped was a comforting smile. "It's going to be okay, we're not going anywhere."

"Thank you..."

Audelia's voice trailed off as she watched them walk away, watched the reporters storm Pepper the second she was in sight as Nathan tried to calm the situation.

Her gaze were turned back to the rubble around her, the remains of her home. It hadn't been her home for long, but it was Tony's home. Tony Stark was her home.

Lying on the ground, near the hole that led to the now destroyed lab below them, was the helmet of one of the many Iron Man suits. Audelia held in her new round of tears at the sight of it, kneeling down on the ground and taking the helmet into her hands.

A crack ran down the side of the helmet, cutting through the eye as it laid in her lap, broken. A tear slipped down Deli's cheek as she leaned her forehead against the mask, trying to contain herself as she imagined the face of Tony Stark once again.

Until she heard a faint beeping.

Flipping the mask over, Audelia caught sight of a blinking red light inside, one that she knew meant a message was awaiting. Without wasting a second, she slipped the helmet onto her head as she watched the display come to life before her, the message finally ringing out through the helmet.

"...Dell, it's me," Audelia Motter let out a choked sob at the sound of Tony's voice. He was alive. "I've got a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time. So first off, I'm so sorry I put you in harm's way. That was selfish and stupid and it won't happen again. But I'm even more sorry for putting Aurora in harm's way. I didn't think, as per usual, but I can never say sorry enough for that. Also, it's Christmas time, Rora's birthday, the rabbit's too big. Done. Sorry. And I'm sorry in advance because...I can't come home yet. I need to find this guy. You gotta stay safe. That's all I know. But I also know you, and I know you're going to try and get to the bottom of this too. Just...stay safe, please. I just stole a poncho from a wooden Indian. Dell...god, I'm not good at this, but if I don't say it now I never will. I'm in love with you, Audelia Motter. Stay alive so I can say it in person, please."

Another tear slipped down Audelia's face as she took the helmet off her head, the wind whipping her hair across her face. He loved her, the same way she loved him. Tony Stark was in love with her. But he was also right: she wasn't going to let him do this on his own. They were a team, and she was going to have his back no matter what.

Her red rimmed eyes moved back to the front of the house, locking in on Maya Hansen as she sat in the back of an ambulance, getting checked over by the EMT's before her. Deli's eyes narrowed as she moved across the ground toward the brunette woman.

She knew more about this then she'd probably ever admit, and Deli was going to figure it out.

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Hi, no bottom gif thing cause I'm writing this on my iPad in my finance class oops! But yes, that did just happen. He finally said it ladies and gentlemen!!!!!