chapter xvx.
(   iron man 2   )

i wanna spread my wings and fly
to all the people in the coach (yeah),
and my first class folks (yeah)
we'll show you how to scrape the sky
scrape the sky ─── can't stop won't stop

queens, new york
april 22, 2011
(   one year after   )

"I'm not gonna make it," Dad's voice whispers panickedly.

My knee is bouncing in desperation.

"Oh no," Dad voice is hoarse and low as he grows more defeated, "Oh God, I'm not gonna make it."

I look around quickly, trying to find someone who can help.

"Oh God!" he yells loudly.

He's sobbing now and painfully crying out. I cross one arm over my stomach and I'm biting onto the back of my free hand. He gasps for air and keeps whispering, mumbling things to himself.

"Oh, God, I'm done. I'm serious," Dad's face is pretty much in the toilet bowl as he waves us away, "Give me a little space. I can't,"

There is literally no one around who can drag him out of the mini bathroom he's planted himself in. I purse my lips at Pepper who is holding Dad's Iron Man helmet under her arm. She looks just as irritable and impatient as I do. I groan as he keeps gasping and mumbling. Pepper sighs and leans her hand against the doorway.

"Get up," she shakes her head, squinting at him.

"Oh, God," Dad moans, "I can't go through with it. I'm telling you," he leans up and his metal hands grab onto the edge of the toilet bowl.

"We don't have time for this, Dad! We have to go!" I snap.

"Oh, God, you don't wanna see that," Dad puts down the toilet's lid and flushes it.

"Ew," I scrunch up my face.

He groans as he stands up. He stumbles over to the doorway and stares at us as we blink at him, unimpressed with his dramatics.

He's breathing heavily as he asks, "Where am I? Do I look weird?"

I snort, "Don't you always?"

He ignores me.

Pepper goes on, "Ya, you look like you do everyday," which is, again, 'weird', "you look like you have a hangover."

I sigh and roll my eyes as I follow his stumbling body towards the back of the plane. He squints and tries to see himself in the reflection of one of the big windows. He doesn't look too disappointed with what he sees. I can't say the same thing for Pepper and myself. Oh. Wow. Talk about bitter. Yikes. Dad looks around the cargo hold with hazy eyes and a red face. He's mumbling different things, but I really can't hear a word he's saying and I'm not sure Pepper can either.

"I literally just almost died there," he breathes out, "Give me some toast! Give me some crackers! Ginger ale! Anything," he bumps my arm quickly.

"Oh right," I nod, scowling as he plops down on the bench, "because I just happen to have some toast and ginger ale in my backpocket."

"Advil," he does the little kid grabby hands in our direction, "Pep, give me some advil."

"I don't have advil. I've got motrin," she tells him as she helps him get situated on the bench.

"Motrin! I'm telling you there is something seriously wrong with,"

"Yes! There's something seriously wrong with you!" Pepper interrupts, yelling and leaning down to his eye level.

Dad continues, "With giving a grown man motrin."

"What's wrong with motrin?!" I ask in a high voice, "It's a brand name!"

"I am not on my cycle, Lisa!" Dad shouts at me.

We both let out a heavy breath, grumbling about each other. Pepper groans and rubs her forehead, irritatedly. The warning alarm goes off and it blares loudly in our ears. The pilot's voice begins to announce that we're getting close to the mission's drop zone.

Dad yells lowly as we pull him to his shaky feet, "Abort mission!"

"No! No!" I yell, looking up around the room quickly, "He's just kidding! Don't abort mission!"

He's still gasping and groaning. Pepper and I struggle to keep him balanced as the plane bounces a little. The alarm continues to blare as I run my fingers through my hair. Pepper fumbles with the helmet as she tries to hold onto Dad's back.

"There it is," Dad points to the oxygen mask in the corner before screaming in my face, "Abort!"

"Ow, my ear!" I give his arm a shove.

"Tell him to stop saying we're droppin'!" he makes it to the wall of the plane.

"We're not," Pepper shouts.

"Ugh," I'm getting a headache.

"We are not doing this mission!" Dad shouts lowly.

"We're not aborting the mission," Pepper awkwardly laughs, trying to convince anyone who's watching into thinking Dad's completely and utterly fine.

He's not completely and utterly fine.

He's a mess.

I grab onto Dad's shoulder as he puts on the oxygen mask and I hiss, "Do you have any idea the level of work it took to get the D.O.D. to approve this?!"

Dad gasps in the clean, bottled air, "Send them flowers!"

My palms burn in anger.

I hear the bomb bay doors whirring and I know they're about to open.

Pepper puts a hand on his back, "We are nearing the drop zone!"

Dad yanks off the mask and turns to face us before asking in a surprisingly calm voice, "What?"

"Yes!" Pepper says, trying hard to be exasperated, but failing.

My scowl falls when I notice how close their faces are and that they're staring into each other's eyes.

Oh.

Dad breathes deeply, "Let's do this, baby."

My eyes roll and my lips form a thin line. Nice. He turns away from her and walks towards the opening bomb bay doors. I hear explosions outside the plane and the plane shakes a little from turbulence. Pepper and I follow Dad over to the open air as he stares off into the dark night that's waiting for him. Once she reaches him, Dad takes Pepper's arms and stares into her eyes.

"I know I can selfish sometimes,"

"Most of the time," I add too quietly for them to actually hear over the loud wind.

His face is serious as he says, "And I know I don't say it enough,"

Pepper just stares at him in shock. Oh my gosh! What is happening right now? I mean, I'm still so ticked at him, but is this seriously happening right now?

"But," he keeps going, "how's my hair?"

I hate him.

So. Much.

Pepper blinks, "You've said that before."

"I know," Dad quickly responds, "but this time I mean it. Is it piecey enough? Do I need more product?"

"Oh, Lord," I groan.

"Yeah, you're lookin' good."

He whips his head around, shaking out his dark hair in the wind, "Ya like the wind-blown look?"

Pepper nods with an amused smile, "Yeah."

"Okay, gimme a smooch for good luck. I might not make it back; this is," he nods towards the outside of the plane, "heavy stuff."

As he waits with a straightened posture, I roll my eyes. Pepper picks up the helmet and plants a long, lingering kiss on the mouth slit. Dad just watches in dismayed jealousy. Pepper then turns and throws the helmet out the back of the plane. We all watch it disappear from view.

She turns back to Dad with a smile, "Go get 'em, Boss."

He smirks before turning back to face us just before he jumps off, "You complete me!"

I hope you guys thought it was fun! I was so sad that this was a deleted scene from the movie! It was so great! Next chapter we'll get more into the story!

Future quote from ma story:

"'Uh oh, Supernanny is on. Is my father lying unconscious somewhere, tased?' I joke as I move into the room."

- Lisa Stark to Phil Coulson, Iron Daughter (Iron Man 2)