"JARVIS, where's Tony right now?" Pepper asked.
"Sir is in his workshop with General Rhodes and Doctor Banner. Shall I inform him that you have need of him, Ma'am?"
"No, JARVIS, thank you. I just wanted to know where he was," she replied before picking up her phone. "Amelia, could you come in here for a minute? Thank you."
The woman who had been Pepper's assistant for almost a decade now stepped into her office, "Yes, Mrs. Stark?"
"I know we have a lot to take of before Thanksgiving in four days, I need you to clear my schedule for the rest of the day," Pepper said.
"Is something wrong?" the younger woman asked, concern clouding her eyes.
"Oh, no, nothing is wrong. I'm just feeling a little extra tired today, and I want to take advantage of the fact everything will be quiet in the penthouse for a few hours will Tony is in his workshop and the kids are in school."
Amelia nodded, "Do you need me to do anything because clearing your schedule?"
Pepper shook her head, "No, that'll do it." She stood, and gathered up her things. "I'll see you tomorrow, Amelia."
"Alright have a good rest of the day."
"Thanks, Amelia."
Forty-five minutes later after a change of clothes from her office attire to the way more comfortable of yoga pants and one of Tony's old sweatshirts, Pepper sat on the toilet lid of the master bedroom bathroom staring at the stick in her hands. Two pink lines on the stick confirmed what she had suspected for a few days now but had been in denial about.
She was pregnant.
Or was she?
"JARVIS, is Amelia still here?"
"Yes, Ma'am, she is although I believe she is getting ready to end her work day."
Pepper left the bathroom, and quickly went to grab her phone."JARVIS, would you please have a pregnancy test delivered from one of the nearby pharmacies under the name Amelia Sands?"
"Certainly, Ma'am."
Pepper hit the speed dial on her phone, and a second later when her assistant answered, she blurted, "Amelia, I need to you to stay for a few more minutes and receive a package delivery for me that will be coming in just a little while."
The younger woman was silent for a moment as she processed what her boss had said, "Alright."
"Thank you. I'll be waiting for you, just right on up to the penthouse."
Ten minutes later, Amelia stepped off the elevator into the penthouse where Pepper was waiting to take the small paper bag from her. Because of her job, this wasn't the young woman's first visit there, and so being there wasn't what was phasing her. No she concerned about why her boss had put the delivery under her name instead of her own.
"Mrs. Stark, is there something wrong?" she asked as she handed over the bag.
"No, not really. Why do you ask?" Pepper said, her eyes on the bag.
"Well, it's just that you used my name instead of - oh!" Amelia said, understanding dawning, "I think I have an idea why and don't worry, Mrs. Stark, I won't say anything."
Pepper smiled, "Well without either confirming or denying what you are thinking, I know I can trust you to be discreet and keep this to yourself."
"Of course, and congratulations if it is what I think it is."
Pepper smiled at her again, and watched the younger woman return to the elevator.
Half an hour before the kids were due to get out of school, Tony stepped into the penthouse to wait for them. His eyes immediately locked onto Pepper's things that she had put down throughout the room when she had come home earlier.
"JARVIS, where's Pepper?" he asked.
"In the master suite bathroom, Sir."
Tony immediately started down hallway, "How long as Pepper been home, J?"
"Approximately two hours, Sir."
"Why didn't you tell me that she had come home?"
"She did not request that I do so, Sir."
"Hmm," Tony said as he neared their room. "Pepper?"
"I'm in here."
There was something in her voice that made his concern grow, and he hurried to the doorway. "Pep?" She was seated on the toilet staring at something in her hands, and he came closer to her, she looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Honey, what's wrong?" When she didn't answer him, he added, "Come on, you're starting to scare me!"
"I… I think I'm pregnant," Pepper said, still not looking at him.
It took a moment for her words to register with him, but when they did, Tony's mouth opened and closed before he finally asked, "What did you just say because I thought I heard you say you think you're pregnant."
Her eyes shot up, "I did say that. I think I'm pregnant!" Her eyes went back to the two positive tests in her hands.
"How…" his voice trailed off at the withering look she gave him. "Okay, I know **how** but really I thought that Eva would be the last one for us!"
She laughed, "Yeah so did I." They had actually talked about and tried for another child a year after their daughter's birth but it had never had happened.
"So are you sure?"
Pepper held up the tests, "As sure as I can be with home pregnancy tests!"
"Aren't those things supposed to be not the most accurate things in world?"
"Yes, which is why I took two different tests and used two different brands. Both say I am pregnant. The only way to be absolutely sure is to go see my doctor."
"JARVIS, would you please schedule Pepper an appointment for tomorrow?"
"No don't, JARVIS!"
"Pepper-"
"Tony, besides the fact that Thanksgiving is just days away, there is no way in the world I can get an appointment with my doctor by tomorrow."
"After all this time, you are still underestimating just how much Stark money talks."
"Tony!"
"Well, it does! I guarantee you that once they know that the request is coming from Mrs. Virginia Stark, they'll make sure you get to see the doctor tomorrow!"
"Yes, no doubt that they would! But if they have a full schedule tomorrow like I am sure they do, I am not going to have them cancel another woman's appointment just so we can confirm that I am pregnant a few days earlier! I'll get an appointment for next week and we can find out for sure then."
"But you'll go next week, like first thing next week?" Tony asked, not caring if he sounded like one of the kids anxious to open their gifts on Christmas morning.
Pepper couldn't help the smile that came with her eye roll, "Of course! As soon as I can get an appointment, I'll go to the doctor."
"Promise?"
"Tony!"
The responding twinkle in his eye reminded her so much of their children just that for the first time since realizing that she was probably pregnant, Pepper felt excitement for the new baby. She had a sudden urge to kiss him, and did so, taking Tony completely by surprise.
"Wow," he said a bit breathless when she broke off the kiss.
"Yeah, wow."
"Let's do that again."
"Pardon the interruption, Sir, Ma'am, but class is about to be excused for the day." JARVIS warned.
Tony sighed, "And that, I suppose, is my cue to be there when the kids get off the elevator."
"Tony, let's not tell them about this yet. I want to be sure that they're actually going to have a baby brother or sister on the way before we say anything."
He nodded.
"Oh, and Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"When I say them, I am including everyone else too."
"Awww, Pep! I can't even tell Rhodey?"
"No, not until the doctor confirms it."