Three months had passed since Tony Stark went missing. In his absence, Obadiah took over Stark Industries, but it was Blair who had the last call on the decisions. She had set up an office in Stark Industries, which was next to Tony's. She couldn't have herself getting in a place that rightly belongs to her brother. She attended her classes distantly while managing the company's affairs.

During one of her sessions, pepper rang her. "Blair," Pepper said, her voice shaky. "They found him. Tony's been found. Happy is on his way to take you to the airport."

Blair let out a sigh of relief, tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you, Pep. I- I'll be right there." She quickly gathered her things and rushed to the car where Happy was waiting.

"Happy, can we stop at Burger King first? I need to get some cheeseburgers," Blair said as she got into the car.

Happy smiled and nodded. "Of course, Miss Blair."

They made a quick stop at Burger King before heading to the California Military Base. Blair, Pepper, and Happy waited anxiously as the flight touched down and the ramp lowered. Tony, supported by Rhodey, emerged from the plane, his right arm in a plaster.

Rhodey called out, "Watch it, coming up here."

Tony waved off the medics who rushed towards him. "Are you kidding me with this? Get rid of them."

Ignoring the medics, Tony walked straight to Blair and enveloped her in a hug, kissing her forehead. "Shouldn't you be in Boston right now?" he asked with a teasing smile.

Blair responded by smacking his uninjured shoulder and hugging him tightly again. "You idiot. Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

Tony then turned to Pepper. "Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?"

Pepper tried to hold back her tears. "Tears of joy. I hate job hunting."

Tony laughed. "Yeah, vacation's over."

The group made their way to the car, with Happy behind the wheel.

"Where to, sir?" Happy asked.

Blair interjected, "Take us to the hospital, please, Happy."

"No," Tony replied firmly.

Blair looked at him incredulously. "No? Tony, you have to go to the hospital. Stop whining like a toddler."

"No is a complete answer," Tony shot back.

Pepper joined in. "The doctor has to look at you, Tony."

Tony shook his head. "I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger, and the other..."

Blair interrupted, rolling her eyes. "That's enough of that."

Tony smirked. "...is not what you think. Geez B! I want you to call for a press conference now."

Pepper was puzzled. "Call for a press conference? What on earth for?"

"Just do it," Tony insisted.

While Pepper called the PR team to arrange the press conference, Blair reached into the takeaway bag and handed Tony a cheeseburger. Tony's eyes lit up as he took the bag. "I love you, sis. You know me so well."

Blair smiled, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. "Just eat it, you big dummy." Tony kissed her head and bumped it with his. Despite the overwhelming relief of having Tony back, Blair had a sense that something was off.

Tony glanced over at her, sensing her worry. "Hey, stop sulking, baby. I'm here now. All fit. Except for this." He pointed at his fractured arm. Blair nodded, squeezing his other hand.

Happy drove them up to Stark Industries HQ, where a crowd had gathered, including Obadiah Stane, the press, and many of the company's employees. As they stepped out of the car, the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.

Obadiah Stane approached with open arms. "Look at this! Tony. We were going to meet at the hospital."

Tony waved him off. "No, I'm fine."

Obadiah looked him over and then nodded towards Blair, who was holding a bag of cheeseburgers. "You had to have a burger, yeah?"

Tony grinned. "Well, come on."

Obadiah's eyes lit up. "You get me one of those?"

Blair, holding the last burger tightly, shook her head. "There's only one left. I need it."

Obadiah looked slightly annoyed, but Blair just smirked at him. "Hey, look who's here!" she teased.

Obadiah took Tony to the stage where the press was eagerly waiting.

From behind Blair, Agent Coulson approached. "Miss Stark?"

Blair looked back, still chewing on her burger. "Yes?"

"Can I speak to you for a moment? We need to debrief Mr. Stark about the circumstances of his escape." Coulson stayed in the back of the room.

Blair nodded. "So, is he on the recruiting list? Anyways, I'll put you up later."

Agent Coulson smiled politely. "Thank you. And please let us know your decision whenever you can."

Blair turned back to the stage, where Tony had taken a seat before the podium. She took another bite of her cheeseburger as everyone else sat or squatted down, while she, Rhodey, and Pepper stood at the back.

Rhodey leaned over to Blair. "What's up with the love-in?"

Blair shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't know what he's up to. No one does."

Tony began speaking, his voice steady and solemn. "I never got to say goodbye to Dad. I never got to say goodbye to my father. There are questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."

Blair's mind raced, trying to understand what her brother was doing. What had happened to him during those three months? A reporter called out. "Mr. Stark! What happened over there?"

Tony stood up and moved behind the podium. "I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be."

Blair choked on a bite of her burger and started coughing. Pepper quickly offered her some water. Obadiah seized the moment, taking over the mic. "I think we're gonna be selling a lot of newspapers."

Tony continued, "What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well."

Tony left the stage, and Obadiah tried to smooth things over. "What we should take away from this is that Tony's back! And he's healthier than ever. We're going to have a little internal discussion and we'll get back to you with the follow-up."

Blair quickly followed Tony as he walked off the stage. "Tony, wait up!" she called.

The group headed to the cars, but Blair stopped them. "I'll drive Tony. The rest of you take the other car."

Tony didn't argue as Blair took the wheel. They drove in silence for a while until they reached a quiet beach cliff. Blair turned off the engine and they both got out of the car.

Tony stared out at the ocean, lost in thought. Blair stood beside him, waiting for him to speak.

"What happened, Tony?" she finally asked softly.

Tony took a deep breath. "The group that captured me, they were using Stark weapons. Someone is supplying them illegally. I couldn't believe it."

Blair looked at him with concern. "Who?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't know. They call themselves the ten rings. But there's more." He held her shoulder and looked in her eyes, " don't freak out. I have shrapnel near my heart. The only thing keeping me alive is this." He lifted his shirt, revealing the arc reactor embedded in his chest. "It's repelling the shrapnel."

Blair gasped, tears filling her eyes. "Tony..."

He turned to face her. "I don't know what to do next, Blair. Everything's changed."

Blair placed a hand on his arm. "We'll figure it out together, okay? You're not alone in this."

Tony looked into her eyes, finding comfort in her determination. "Yeah, we will."

Blair smiled through her tears. "First things first, let's go home."They got back into the car, the tension between them easing as they drove back to the mansion.