He stopped and turned around. Pepper and Stephen had both frozen on the spot, expressions of sorrow and disbelief on their faces. Tony didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

"What is it?" He was actually scared of asking but the anticipation was killing him. Pepper looked at him for a moment, eyes wide and filled with unshed tears before slowly raising her hand up, covering her mouth.

Her words were blurred from her hand and his ears but he still managed to get them. "They didn't tell you, Tony?" Stephen was standing beside her, hands balled into fists, fingernails digging into his skin, reddening it.

Now they were really scaring him.

"What is it, Pepper?" She didn't answer besides releasing a gurgle which could easily have been a suppressed sob. "Stephen?", he slowly whispered after a moment but his friend simply shook his head in defeat, his eyes dropping to Tonys' shoes.

And at last, Tony understood why his mother, who had always been there for him when his father hadn't, wasn't here to welcome her son back.

When the question left his mouth it was dull, completely devoid of all emotion. "She's also dead, isn't she?" Only that it wasn't a question. He knew it to be true. His brain told him, his heart told him.

He had lost them both.

"Tony-", Pepper started to walk towards him but he quickly turned around and continued walking, only giving Hogan a brief nod of acknowledgement and quickly getting into the car. For a moment he wanted to leave his friends behind, simply ordering Happy to get inside and drive off a cliff.

Maybe the impact would be able to numb his pain but he disregarded the idea just as quickly. He couldn't leave. He had a mess to fix. He had to make people pay. So he waited until the other 3 joined him.

Stephen wordlessly slipped in the back seat behind him while Pepper joined Happy in the front. "Where should we go, boss?", his bodyguard asked hesitantly, obviously sensing the tense atmosphere.

Where to go indeed? I have nowhere.

Pepper felt the need to answer for him. "To the hospital, Happy."

"No."

Stephen sighed beside him. "Anthony."

"No." He forced the word out with way too much force but it would be of no use to apologise. He wasn't the one in the wrong either. His friends had to see that. "I still want that press conference. Happy, can you arrange one?" He added a soft "Please." right away.

"You got it, boss. I will take care of it." Happy never questioned his or his father's command. Something for which Tony was thankful. He didn't expect complete obedience from everyone around him but a little more trust and faith, was that really too much to ask for?

"Thank you and that cheeseburger is still priority number one." That is right. Play it off, you idiot. We can't let anyone know that you actually have feelings.

The car ride to Burger King was unnerving, no one really wanting to speak up. Tony was alright with it though. He and Yinsen hadn't really talked the last few days in that cave. Looking back at it, he almost regretted it now.

What happened, happened. No reason to cry about it.

Pepper hadn't made another attempt to talk him out of his idea. Instead, she was pouting in the front seat, clearly unhappy with his decision. Stephen beside him also hadn't said a word but a completely different energy radiated off him.

He was a lot calmer and from right beside him, Tony couldn't help but study his relaxed side profile. He remembered one of the first sentences he had ever uttered to Yinsen.

"You don't know him but he is quite frankly the most beautiful person I have ever seen."

Never had he said anything more true. The goatee only managed to frame his features even better. He didn't know that was actually possible.

His cheekbones could cut steel.

And had he gone completely mad or did his hair also grow longer? It was at the point of almost falling in his face. A few locks at least. The raven black was standing in such a big contrast to his white skin.

Beautiful.

An abrupt stop from the car had him thrown out of his dream and into his seatbelt. The slight choking feeling it created around his throat made him freeze.

Oh god. No.

"Please...", he croaked out in panic, hands going to his throat and pulling on the strap in horror.

"Anthony?", someone asked beside him and he felt the person reaching for his arm but slapped it away. There was no way in hell he would allow anyone to push him under water again. "Get away from me!"

"Happy, stop the car." His ears were buzzing, he didn't know where the voice came from. He only knew that he had to get out of this cage. He fumbled with his unharmed hand for the opener, his erratic movements making the task harder than it actually was.

He couldn't let them get him. Not again. He couldn't.

"Anthony. Tony, please. You have to calm down." A warm hand gripped his. It wasn't rough, it wasn't aggressive. It didn't mean harm. It was warm and soft and-

Stephen.

His vision cleared. He wasn't in the cave any more. He was in a car with 3 terrified pairs of eyes staring at him in shock. Oh god, what had he done? He had just hit Stephen when all he had wanted to do was comfort him.

Speaking of comfort, his best friends hand was still tightly wrapped around his. It appeared to be the only source of warmth right now.

"I am so sorry, Stephen. I don't- I don't know what came over me.", he apologized, trying to pull his hand free. He didn't deserve this comfort from Stephen. He didn't deserve his friendship.

But he only gripped his hand tighter. "Well, I think I do." Tonys' eyes shot up in question. "And considering the fact that you are one of the smartest people of our time, I think you do as well. You should go home, Anthony. You should rest."

"Go home? Staying all alone in that giant mansion? Yes, that is really going to make me rest, Stevie.", he hissed in anger, attempting once again to get free and failing again.

"More than going to a press conference. You know those reporters. They will attack you like the pathetic vultures they are."

"Stephen's right, Tony. And I'm sure you could stay at Rhodey's or mine. Or Stephen's. You shouldn't be left alone without supervision anyway." Peppers comment, while logical, only made Tony angrier.

"I am 17, Pepper. I don't need supervision and besides, I don't think anyone would be willing to actually put up with me for more than-"

"You can stay at my place."

Tony's mouth slammed shut. Stephen just shrugged at him. "I mean I know my apartment isn't big and one of us would have to sleep on the couch but it might be better than a way too big house all alone. Especially with those stupid glass windows."

Tony laughed. He knew his comment hadn't been that funny but couldn't help himself. He just let go of it all.

I probably look absolutely mental.

He threw his head back into the seat and laughed until little tears formed in the corner of his eyes. He didn't know how long this circus continued but at last, he got control of himself and wiped the tears away.

"Are you alright, boss?", Happy asked, on the verge of turning the car around and, following Peppers demand, driving straight to a hospital. Or a psychiatry.

"Yeah, Happy. I am fine.", he started to explain-

"No, you clearly aren't. Tony, something is wrong and I am done with you wiping it under a carpet."

"No, Pepper, I really am. I just.." He shook his head. "Nevermind. I would like to stay at your place for a few days, Stevie but only if it's really-"

Stephen didn't even let him finish his sentence. "Anthony, we have been friends for so long. I will have your back no matter what. You should know this by now." He did until he had started to act like a complete fool.

A genuine smile broke out on his face, the first one in such a long time. "Alright, then but I will take the couch.", he teased with a slight smirk which was followed by Stephens disapproving huff.

"You can try, genius, you can certainly try.", came the dry reply.

After picking up 3 cheeseburgers from Burger King (which were all for Tony in the end and who could honestly blame him, he had lost around 25 pounds during his time abroad) they arrived at the Stark Industries building where all announcements were made and all conferences were held.

"You guys don't have to come inside." He didn't want them to feel forced, knowing how much especially Stephen hated being in the news because of him. But the 2 were relentless and followed him out of the car straight away.

His heart soared when he spotted Obi just at the front entrance, surrounded by a bunch of security guards. For a second Tony thought to see a look of anger on his face but it was gone in a heartbeat, replaced by a bright smile when the older man saw him.

At least I still got him.

"Tony, my boy!", he exclaimed in his usual rough voice, shaped by a life of screaming at staff and smoking his expensive cigars. He opened his arms and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug which had him gasping for breath.

He released him and allowed the air to rush back inside his lungs. "I am so glad to see you, boy. You gave me quite the fright, do you know that?"

Obi softly slapped his cheek, not noticing how Tony flinched back at that. "How on earth did you manage to escape?", he asked but Tony just shook his head. This wasn't the time. He had a lot to make right first.