AN: What if Pepper had met with the President on Tony's behalf instead of Rhodey and Steve?

This takes place during I will see your nation cast down and is an AU scene

"Thank you for seeing me… for seeing us, Mr. President," Pepper said, holding out her Sadler extended his hand to take hers in his own, and with a nod, firmly shook it. He then gestured the man standing beside him, "Mrs. Stark, this is the Attorney General of the United States, Alexander Harris."

The Attorney General extended his hand to Pepper, "Mrs. Stark."

"Mr. Attorney General," she shaking his hand too.

When you're with the leader of the free world, you pretty much follow his lead, and Pepper did just that as she allowed the two men to select where they wanted to sit. Once they were sitting down, she decided it was probably polite to wait for President to take the lead in the conversation. She was surprised when he was not the one to break the silence.

"Mrs. Stark," Harris began, "I know that you had hoped to meet privately with the President today."

She nodded, "I did."

"I'm sorry but that wasn't ever a real possibility, because what I already know what you're going to say to me," President Sadler said. "I asked the Attorney General to be present, and I now give you the only answer I can give under the law. I am sorry, Mrs. Stark, but I must deny your request for clemency."

"But I haven't even made it yet, Mr. President. How can you deny it when I haven't asked you yet?"

"Because whether or not you say the words, Mrs. Stark, I still can't grant your request."

"But you're the President of the United States!"

"Which is precisely why he cannot grant your request, ma'am," Harris interjected.

"But Tony is innocent!"

"Not according to a legally seated jury of his peers who found Mr. Stark guilty on two counts of federal capital murder. The same jury who sentenced him according to their findings after hearing all the the evidence presented in court," the Attorney General countered.

The President nodded in agreement, "I'm sorry, I wish that I could do as you're here to ask me for, but I won't overturn a jury's decision. Mrs. Stark."

"Please, Mr. President," Pepper said, barely keeping her voice from breaking, "I'm not asking you to pardon or free Tony. I'm just asking you to commute his sentence to life in prison. Please, sir, I don't want to have to face my children and tell them that their father is not ever coming home again. Please, Mr. President, I'm… I am begging you with fiber of my being to save Tony's life. Please, don't let him die like this! He's innocent."

Sadler sighed, "I'm sorry but as the Attorney General has pointed out, a jury of Mr. Stark's peers found otherwise."

"So that's it then? Your final answer is no?"

The leader of the United States sighed, then gave a firm nod of the head, "Yes, it is. I'm sorry but no has to be the only answer that I can give you."

"If you won't save… won't save my husband's life, then why did you even agree to see me, Mr. President?"

"I would say it was out of personal respect for you, Mrs. Stark, or out of respect for what Mr. Stark's family has done in the past for this country. But given the circumstances, I don't believe you'll accept that as an answer."

"No, you're right, I won't. Not when you're simply going to allow Tony's execution to go through and you won't do anything to stop it when you have the power!" She knew that she should at least thank him for taking the time to meet with her but instead she fought to not break down completely in front of the the President of the United States.

The politician opened his mouth to re-iterate about how he wished things could be different but then he closed it. He decided that the last thing she wanted to hear was empty words, especially when she was long the battle not to cry in front of him. Instead, while Harris handed Pepper a few tissues, the politician quietly got to him feet then slipped away towards the agent standing at the back of the room. He spoke a few quiet words to the agent while he waited for the attorney general to join him.

"Yes, sir, Mr. President. I'll escort Mrs. Stark out when she's ready to leave."

"Thank you, Aaron."

It was only five minutes when Pepper raised her head, looked around, and realized that she was the only one still sitting in the room. She jumped a little when she heard an unfamiliar voice speak from behind her.

"He asked me to express his regrets but the President had a previously scheduled meeting he had to get to, ma'am."

Pepper nodded, and reached forward to snatch another few tissues, wiping her eyes, "Please just give me a minute and I'll be ready to leave."

"President Sadler said that you're free to use the room as long as you need to, so please, ma'am, take your time."

"Don't you need to go be where he's at? The President I mean?"

"Because we're in the White House, a very secure locale, it's not as urgent that I stay with the President at this time."

Pepper picked up her things, "Still I don't want to keep you from doing your job, Agent…"

"Pierce, ma'am."

"Agent Pierce," he replied, raising his hand to stall her, "and it's fine if you want to take a few more minutes in this room to collect yourself. I know that you didn't exactly hear what you had hoped you'd hear from the President."

She looked at the man, and when he looked like he was being sincere, she sank back down in her seat, "Thank you."

Pierce nodded, then moved as far away from her as he could without leaving the room to give her some privacy.