Here's a little piece for those who like gap fillers from the movies

Rhodey spoke to him, he heard him say that the government were going to take his suits, he heard him saying how he was wrong with everything he said about the technology.

'Tony, are you listening to me?' Rhodey said leaning against the Hot Rod.

He heard him but he didn't know what to say, nor whether there was anything to say. Rhodey was right. He messed up.

'You ok?' Rhodey touched his arm.

Tony's head lulled to the side, he felt weak, he barely managed the strength to look Rhodey in the eyes. Rhodey's expression changed.

Tony quickly nodded, 'Let's go.' He eased himself out of the car, he felt Rhodey's eyes on him, he felt himself lose balance, he grabbed on to the car, Rhodey rushed to his side and stopped him from falling.

'Tony, you ok?' He breathed.

'Yeah, I should get to my desk.' Tony managed, 'see the cigar box, it's palladium.' He breathed.

Rhodey helped him into the chair, and opened the box pulling out a cartridge of palladium. Tony handed him the reactor, Rhodey's face hardened.

'Is that supposed to be smoking?' He muttered.

Tony looked at him sideways, 'if you must know, it's neutron damage.' he explained.

Rhodey replaced the damaged cartridge with the new one and handed it back to Tony, he replaced the reactor and took a sip of the chlorophyll.

Rhodey stood behind him, 'and what about the high-tech crossword puzzle on your neck?'

Tony glanced back at him, 'road rash.' he said sarcastically.

After a few moments of silence Rhodey pulled up a chair and sat beside him, 'you don't have to do this alone.'

'I would really like to believe that.' Tony said quietly.

Rhodey sighed, 'what's going on Tony?' He asked him finally.

Tony shook his head, 'nothing.'

'Tony, you can't lie to me.' Rhodey looked at him intently. 'You can tell me.'

Tony sighed, 'it's nothing you need to know about.'

'I'm not leaving until you do, man.' Rhodey said sternly.

'Rhodey.' Tony looked at him, 'there's nothing to tell.'

'Tony, you don't just develop cross words on your neck, and produce smoking palladium from your chest, there's definitely something to tell.' Rhodey looked at him.

'I can't, believe me, if I could, I would.' Tony tried to reason with him.

Rhodey rubbed his face with both hands, 'what are you afraid of?' he asked him quietly.

He leaned closer to him, the dark circles under Tony's eyes were pronounced, the exhaustion was evident.

Tony smiled weakly at him, 'everything.'

'This is bad, isn't it?' Rhodey gestured to the damaged core.

Tony nodded.

'How bad?' Rhodey questioned him.

'Really bad.' Tony breathed.

They looked at each other knowingly.

'How long?' Rhodey looked away from his friend.

Tony leaned back in his chair 'four or five weeks, give or take.'

Rhodey nodded, 'but you're going to fix it, right, you're working on something?'

'There's nothing, I've tried everything.' Tony admitted.

'There has to be, you figured this out in a cave, you can do it here, with everything you need.' Rhodey rambled on.

'It's not that simple,' Tony began, 'there are no elements which are a suitable replacement for palladium, there's nothing left.'

Rhodey stood up, he paced back and forth, 'you can't give up, there has to be something.' Rhodey said finally.

Tony sighed, 'if there is, I'll find it.' He stood up and clapped Rhodey on the shoulder.

'If?' Rhodey questioned him.

Tony nodded, 'if.'

Tony motioned for Rhodey to follow him, he needed to get upstairs and get on top of the situation, damage control was needed, and he needed to be the one to do it.

They walked up stairs together, Rhodey cleared his throat. 'Does Pepper know?' Rhodey asked as they made their way up.

'No, she doesn't need to.' Tony said quietly.

Rhodey sighed, 'she cares about you, I think you should tell her.'

Tony shook his head, 'no, I can't do that to her.' Tony took the stairs two at a time, widening the space between them, not allowing Rhodey any more opportunities to question his choices.

Rhodey stood by the door as Tony made his way to talk to Pepper and Natalie. He watched on as Pepper chastised him, he watched on as Natalie tried to defend him, and he watched on as Tony put up a façade of calm. He lied better than any person should be able to. No one saw the change in him, but Rhodey did. He saw the ever defiant Tony Stark, defied by his own creation, falling farther and farther into an abyss, an abyss which terrified him. He saw the look of panic in his eyes as he slowly lost control of the world he clung to. Everyone saw his retreat from the world as an attempt to hide from the political backlash of the events in Monaco, Rhodey knew otherwise, he knew that he was bracing himself, preparing for the inevitable.

I always, secretly wished that Tony told Rhodey what was going on, at least to have a friend in the situation! So let me know what you think :)