Hi everyone. Thanks for all your reviews and favorites and for joining me on the ride that is this story. I'm glad you all are enjoying the different format this story is taking and i hope you continue to enjoy this one. So i choose to switch between 1st and 3rd person perspectives and the first couple ones are related to the same story and the last one is a different time. Hope i don't lose you.

read, enjoy, review.

H: Home

"Keep On Tryin'" –Poco

(Post Avengers, Pre IM3)

So I've been thinking on the past today. It's the day my parents died thirty years ago and I don't know how I got to where I am now, but here I am in some bar. I've been drinking for maybe an hour now, yes by myself. I'm with Pepper now and maybe two years ago you would have seen me flocked by women, but now I'm a changed man. I am Iron Man and much to my immense pleasure, Pepper's boyfriend. It's a weird title, I know, but she insisted it was better than boy toy, but that's not my point in all this. I've been sitting here for maybe an hour, when this song started playing and it really connected to me. It's called Keep On Tryin'. Some small band named Poco wrote it. Weird name if you ask me but I'm getting side tracked again. That usually happens whenever Pepper isn't around to keep me focused and even sometimes that doesn't help because then I just distract her- and where was I? Oh right, yes, the song. So I was sitting here, drinking my beer (yes I do drink things other than scotch) when I started listening to the song and I flash-backed a couple of times. So I'll play the song and share my memories with you.

XxxxxHomexxxxxX

"I've been thinkin' bout, all the times you told me 'You're so full of doubt' . You just can't let it be, but I know. If you keep on comin' back for more then I'll keep on tryin'. I'll keep on tryin'."

"I just…I can't do this Pep…I…I'm not…good enough." Tony said softly casting his eyes down to the floor of the workshop.

"Anthony Edward Stark, you look at me right this instant." Pepper demanded. "The hell you aren't good enough. You are the single bravest man I have ever met. You always put the well-being of the world before yourself. You care about the people you protect and you wear yourself out to the point of exhaustion. You put yourself in harm's way so the men and women in the military can return home to their families all the while forgetting about the family you have standing right in front of you. I don't want to ever hear you doubt yourself about not being good enough." Pepper said sincerely, fighting the proud tears. Tony cast his eyes up at Pepper and she could see they were glistening with tears and affection.

She wrapped Tony in her arms and placed a comforting kiss on his head as he cried into her shoulder. "Come back home safely after you rescue those people in Africa." She said, her voice cracking slightly.

XxxxxHomexxxxX

"And I've been drinkin' now just a little too much and I don't know how I can get in touch with you. Now there's only one thing for me to do; that's to get home to you."

I lost track after I had four shots of rum, four of vodka, and three of tequila. All I knew was that I had to drink the image from my brain. Africa has some pretty strong drinks surprisingly. And it was enough to push the morbid images of dismembered children from the forefront of my mind. But now it's two a.m. (Africa time) and honestly, it's a little difficult to see more than two feet in front of me. All I know is my suit won't make it all the way back to Malibu, all my communications are down, and that I should be in a hospital so they can treat however many cuts I have and give me some painkillers for my cracked ribs (there was a little explosion that may or may not have thrown me into a building sans suit).

The only thought that's running through my mind is that my girlfriend is probably freaked out and worrying about me. I stumble my way outside where my new tech is waiting and I walk in. "How far will the suit be able to take me J?"

I know my speech is less than eloquent and probably sounds like baby babble after all the beverages I've consumed, but somehow JARVIS understands what I've slurred to him because he responds with the information I need. "At twenty-one percent, going supersonic, the farthest you can make it Sir is New York."

"Set a flight plan for Stark Tower."

"Rendering…flight plan complete Sir."

"Auto-pilot JARVIS."

"Yes Sir." My AI answers dutifully. I'd be just as lost without JARVIS as would be without Pepper. Don't tell her I said that.

The suit launches into the sky and I pass out. The next thing I know, I'm waking up as the suit is disassembling. "Shall I call Ms. Potts Sir?"

I mumble something that I hope sounds like yes and stumble my way to the couch temporarily forgetting about my ribs and throw myself down and even in my drunken haze the pain is intense enough to push its way past the numbness the alcohol has provided. I scream out in pain and a single tear escapes my iron will.

That's when I hear her sweet angelic voice surround me. "Tony?"

"Pep." I slur through a mix of pain and alcohol.

"JARVIS, is Mr. Stark alright?" I could hear the evident worry in her voice.

"No ma'am. Mr. Stark had sustained multiple cracked ribs as well as abrasions and he is currently drunk. Mr. Stark is also experiencing some post-traumatic stress."

Traitor, I thought venomously. Pepper didn't need the added stress of knowing just how banged up I was. "M' fine." I tried to sound convincing, really I did, but I couldn't muster sobriety long enough to sound serious.

"JARVIS call 911, I'm on my way to the hanger now. Ignore all of Mr. Stark's protests."

"Pep-"

"No Tony. You're going to the hospital so you can't hurt yourself anymore. I want you to come home but not like this."

"My home is wherever you are." I hope she was able to understand that. It seemed like she did.

"I love you Tony."

"Love you too."

XxxxxxHomexxxxxxX

"And I feel so satisfied when I can see you smile I, I want to confide in all that is true. So I'll keep on tryin', I'm through with lyin'. Just like the sun above I'll come shinin' through. Oh yes I'll keep on tryin', I'm tired of cryin'; I got to find a way to get on home to you."

"You're the one thing that keeps me coming back home Pep. There's nothing else that keeps calling me back here…but you." A smile engulfed her face and Tony knew he had finally said something right for the first time in three days of being hospitalized. "Just like the sun above, I'll come shining through for you Pepper." He kissed her tenderly and he knew that that moment was why he kept on trying to get home to her after every mission. And he knew he would always find a way to return home to her.

XxxxxxHomexxxxxxX

"I've been thinkin' bout all the times you held me. I never heard you shout. The flow of energy was so fine. Now I think I'll lay it on the line and keep on tryin' to get home to you."

The first time she held me was after three years of working for me. It was the twenty year anniversary of my parents' death. She held me in her arms, ran her fingers through my hair and rocked me slowly whispering words of comfort into my ear. The second time was just months later when I came back drunk and angry. She didn't yell at me for being wasted at ten in the morning when we had a meeting minutes from then. She just hugged me and said she was sorry for whatever had gotten me so upset. Now she's held me so many times I've lost track, but whenever I'm in her arms I feel safe and loved. It's always so easy when she holds me. Her arms are what I long to return to. Her warm embrace and caring caress; that's what I keep on trying to return back home to.

XxxxHomexxxX

Good song, I know. Well, I've shared enough for tonight so if you don't mind I'm going to return to my beer and introspection so I can get on home. This is Tony Stark, part time Co-CEO, full time Avenger and boyfriend saying, good night.

On a side note i found out the scores to my AP exams and it was not at all what i wanted. We needed a 3 to get college credit and of the three exams i took i got a 2 on all of them. :/ yeah, bummer. But anywho, let me know what you thought of this chapter. I rather liked writing in Tony's perspective. The next chapter I, i will be using the song Glory of Love.