I've always loved Happy Hogan. He's a very endearing character whose loyalty knows no bounds. And my love for him has only grown MORE since seeing Spidey. (How could it NOT, right?) So I'll be writing more for him in the immediate future (working out another little Happy-based ditty as we speak, in fact!)

And I know. I've always been one to strongly advocate the need for an Iron Baby to join our little fandom, evident throughout a great many of my fics. But especially NOW that we know our lovebirds are back together, I just can't help myself. It's safe to say I am in full-on Iron Baby mode! Because, as the saying goes, FIRST comes love, THEN comes marriage, THEN comes...well, you know the rest! ;)

I'm hoping to get this one done by the end of the week, but here are the first few chapters. And it'll only be a few chapters long in total. Review if you like! Happy Reading and LONG LIVE PEPPERONY! :D

Pepper walked through the lab doors at the Avengers compound in upstate New York on a sunny Monday morning to kiss her husband goodbye, as she was soon going to be headed to the city for a quick meeting, and would be back later that evening.

However, walk was the operative word, as it was more like a waddle than anything. A very pregnant waddle.

Looking up from what he was working on, he noticed her enter, and instantly beamed. "There's my beautiful bride!" he hooted. "And good morning."

Pepper grinned back, and laid a loving kiss on his lips when she reached him. "Good morning," she cooed.

Tony ran an affectionate hand over her very swollen belly, and bent to give it a kiss. "And Mini-Stark? How is she this fine Monday?" he asked, raising back up to look into his wife's eyes.

Pepper patted her stomach, and exhaled sharply. "Active," she replied. "Like a little jumping bean in there. They say babies are supposed to settle down the closer you get to your due date. But apparently not this one! Who could've guessed a Stark baby would be so restless?" she joked, with a knowing smirk.

Tony chuckled at her. He glanced down at Pepper's middle, and then quirked up an eyebrow at his wife. "Any more contractions?" he asked. She had had a series of random, sharp pains over the last few days that had felt different to her than the Braxton-Hicks contractions she'd had since month five. There really had been no rhyme or reason to them, as they would come and go, off and on. But, as a precaution, Tony had insisted she get examined by their Obstetrician, concerned neither of them had realized she was in early labor. And while Pepper was reaching the end of her pregnancy, she hadn't yet started to dilate. So the doctor made the decision that, indeed her body was getting ready to give birth, but that she hadn't yet reached a point of urgent concern. The baby also hadn't yet turned, but some of her movements were causing nerves and muscles to react, creating the sharp pains. It wasn't fun, but she also wasn't in any state of emergency.

Pepper rolled her eyes, "Would you stop? They're not contractions. And no. I'm fine. It's like the doctor said- this is totally normal. I could have these for days. Weeks even, before she decides to make her appearance. But as long as they stay random, we've got nothing to worry about. They're just getting a little uncomfortable, that's all," she reminded him.

"All the same, Pep, you know I don't like the idea of you travelling any distance alone right now. Even if it is only a couple of hours away," he reminded her. "It's like you're suddenly a ticking time bomb." He huffed in frustration, and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with?" he asked.

She cocked her head, and gave Tony a look down her nose. "Yes,I'm sure. What I want is for you to do us all a favor, and busy yourself with..." she began, pausing to gesture toward the miscellaneous bits of metal Tony had strewn across a workbench. "Whatever this is, so you can stop being paranoid," she told him. "It's only going to be a few hours! I'll be back before you even know it."

Tony frowned and kissed her lips again, this time deepening it, and cupping her face in his hands. When it broke, he opened his eyes, but kept frowning. "Okay, fine. But just promise there won't be any pre-mature hatching?" he joked, though his eyes held a look of genuine worry.

"If it makes you feel better, then I promise," Pepper assured, giving her worried husband a sympathetic smile. She laid her hands over his, and patted one tenderly. "I'll return to you as rotund as I am standing in front of you right now. I'm sure of it."

Tony smiled, and nodded, uncupping her cheeks and taking a step back. "Fair enough. Fly safe, baby," he said. Then he bent down so he was eye level with her stomach, and pointed a finger at it. "And you. No monkey business. Mama's got some stuff she has to handle today, so just chill out in there, alright?" he instructed his unborn daughter, sealing it with a loving kiss to Pepper's belly. The baby gave her father a defiant kick in response, right where his lips were, which made him flinch. He looked up at Pepper in surprise, and they both chuckled.

Tony looked back down at his wife's stomach, and gently smoothed his hand over it. "Remember, Daddy loves you. Even if you are a rebellious little squirt," he murmured softly back to his daughter, not noticing the admiring smile he was getting from his wife. "And I love you, Mrs. Stark," he told her, raising back up to look her in the eye, again. "Be careful, huh? You start feeling anything that's not right, you call me. And then you get to the nearest hospital, understood? I'll be there in a flash."

Pepper smiled, and then playfully saluted him. "Yes, sir," she quipped, with a smirk, before giving his lips one last, farewell peck.

XxXxXxXxXx

Pepper had just boarded the Stark helicopter waiting for her on the launch pad when she heard someone calling out loudly from the ground. She turned to peer out her window, finding Happy waving his arms wildly and yelling, "Wait! Tell him to hold up!" as the husky man ran as quickly as he could in the direction of the chopper.

"Winston, wait for Mr. Hogan to board," Pepper requested of the AI pilot. He complied, and remained grounded for the moment as the Head of Security, dressed in his customary black suit and tie, ducked to avoid the rotors and clamored up into the cockpit, out of breath. "Boss...says...I'm coming...with you," he explained, huffing and panting. Pepper frowned, but caught sight of Tony standing at the edge of the clearing where the helipad was located, near the entrance into the compound, hands in his pants pockets, and wearing a smug grin.

She motioned to him through the window with shrug and a look of confusion. He just shrugged back, still smirking.

Pepper shook her head in disbelief, and glanced back to Happy, who was sitting in the seat across from her, still struggling to catch his breath. "Honestly? I'm landing on top of the building in which I'm attending the meeting. And when it's over, I'm going right back up to the roof to fly back here! Why on Earth do I need you to..."

Just then, Pepper's phone rang. She hastily yanked it out of a side pocket of her purse, and saw it was Tony. She huffed in exasperation, and swiped her thumb to answer the call.

"I know you're probably grilling Happy right now, but don't be too hard on him. He's under direct orders from me to follow you around. In fact, I told him this was called 'operation: lost puppy'. Because he likes it when I name the things I give him to do something official-sounding? So it would be good if you could just pretend to..." Tony immediately began.

"I made you stay back, so you send reinforcements?" Pepper cried. She glanced at Happy, who was looking at her with eyes wide and innocent. Lost puppy indeed, Pepper thought, rolling her own eyes. Just then, she felt the helicopter lift off. The baby did too, as she squirmed a little when the initial thrust jerked her mother's stomach. Pepper ran a comforting hand across her belly, and the little girl quickly quieted down.

"Shoulda' let me tag along, Potts," Tony quipped back. "I woulda' made a much better traveling companion."

"I should have you committed," she fired back, though unable to contain an amused smile.

"Yeah, maybe. But for now, just come back to me as soon as you can. And take good care of that cargo you're carrying, huh?" her husband lovingly replied.

"Who? Happy?" Pepper quipped, tongue firmly planted in her cheek.

"You know what I mean, smart ass," he replied. "I love you. See you tonight."

Pepper heard him disconnect. By that time, they were well off the ground and flying south. She replaced her phone in her purse's side pocket and eyed Happy suspiciously.

"Operation: Lost Puppy, hmmm?" she asked skeptically.

Happy just shrugged. "Like he said. I'm just following orders," he replied.