AN: This is a sequel of sorts to A New Day Has Come and I have other news... I will be writing a series of stories for this universe which will be called GREATEST REWARD.

"Ma'am, Colonel Rhodes has just pulled into the front driveway," JARVIS intoned.

As she offered the baby another spoonful of half peas and half applesauce Pepper responded, "Tell him when he gets to the front door that we're in the kitchen, JARVIS."

"Of course, ma'am."

Rhodey arrived just in time a few minutes later to see his godson spit out the pea half of his latest spoonful, which Pepper expertly caught with the spoon. "Judging by the amount of green I see on a previously white bib, I think it's safe to say that he definitely doesn't like peas." The observation came with an amused smile.

"No, he doesn't." Pepper agreed giving the combination one more shot and getting the same result as all her previous attempts.

"Wait a second, did he just spit out the peas while eating the applesauce?" Rhodey asked incredulously.

"Uh huh, he did and now you know why he's so messy right now." With that she put the spoon down, and began wiping her son's face clean with a moist wipe.

Rhodey watched her clean off Ethan for a minute before saying, "So, I guess Tony's not here right now."

Pepper shook her head. "I know you came over to talk with him about upgrades to your suit but he got called into a board meeting this morning."

Rhodey snorted, "Given how allergic Tony is to board meetings, I'm surprised he actually went and didn't ask or find a way of bribing you to go instead."

"Well the board members made it very clear that they wanted to see Mr. not Mrs. Stark today, and since they weren't taking no for an answer he had no choice but to go."

The colonel chuckled at the thought of his friend's plight, "Oh, poor Mr. Stark." The tone of his voice said he was more amused than sympathetic. Pepper had finished cleaning Ethan, and was about to pick him up from the high chair when Rhodey said, "Here let me it's been awhile since I got to hold my nephew." Pepper stood aside, and they both watched as the baby's face lit up with a smile when he saw his favorite uncle.

"It might take Tony a long time to get back because now that the board members have got him there, they'll throw every issues they've been wanting to cover with him at him," Pepper said as they relocated into the living room.

"That's okay," Rhodey said, giving a toy to Ethan who was in his lap, "I cleared it with my CO. He knows I was coming here to talk about upgrades for my suit and I'm off the rest of the day."

"Oh good, you can stay for dinner then, that is if you don't already have plans."

"No, no plans."

They passed the time waiting for Tony's return with talking like friends do and watching Ethan play with the various toys they both made sure were in his reach. When Ethan began to get sleepy, Rhodey adjusted the baby's position in his arms, and watched as his godson began to fall into a peaceful slumber.

"Thank you, Pepper," he said in quiet seriousness.

She was a bit puzzled by the sudden expression of gratitude from him. "For what, Jim?"

"For how happy and content you've made Tony," he said, "We've been friends for over twenty years now, and not once in all those years do I ever remember a time when I knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tony was truly happy with his life. You and Ethan really do mean everything in the world to him. You're both what's made him this happy. You know that right?"

She shrugged in response, "I hope so, because he deserves to be as happy as he's made me."

"He is. Believe me, he is."

"Did you know Tony's parents?" Pepper asked softly after a long silence.

Rhodey nodded, "Well, it's more accurate to say I met them a handful of times. I actually met Tony's dad a few more times than I did his mom."

"What were they like?" Pepper saw the hesitation in his eyes. "Please, Jim, I'm only asking you this because I can't ask Tony. He never talks about his childhood, and I can count on one hand the number of times he's mentioned his father around me. He always has such a... pained look on his face whenever Howard has come up in the past. Was he really that horrible?"

He thought about his answer for a full minute before saying, "I'm not so sure it was the fact he was that horrible. It was more like there was a cold indifference from him. Oh he would smile, and he would be polite enough with me, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. I really think the only reason he tolerated my being friends with Tony is because he knew I had plans to go into the Air Force after graduation, because he did at least have a lot for respect the military."

Pepper hadn't wanted to believe what she had heard Tony saying to their son on the night of his birth, because she could hear the hurt in his voice. The sad truth was, she hadn't needed Rhodey to confirm anything she'd heard Tony say because why would he have lied about the state of his relationship, or lack thereof, with his father? And if Howard had been that indifferent with his son's best friend, how much worse must he have had been with Tony?

The knowledge of it hurt her, and Pepper found herself blinking away tears because she knew there was nothing she could do to stop this from hurting the man she loved so much any further. She jumped a little when she suddenly felt Rhodey's hand on her arm.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his eyes full of concern.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, "I'm all right. It just hurts me for him to think he might always be hurt because his father denied him a real relationship. I mean I remember how it was with my dad, how loving he always was with me. I've watched Tony with Ethan, and I see how much he loves him. He loved him from the moment we found out I was pregnant, and if he ever acted the way with Ethan like his father did with him, I believe it would physically hurt him."

"That's not ever going to happen."

"I know."

"That's not ever going to happen because like you said Tony loves Ethan too much. Then there's the fact that between the two of us, he'd get knocked to kingdom come if he ever started being that way with my godson!" Rhodey said with a smile and a mock-serious tone.

Pepper smiled and being in need of some tangible comfort, she reached out to stroke her son's dark, soft locks. "What was Tony's mother like?"

"Maria was the complete opposite of Howard. I'm not trying to sound like a cliché here but where he was like the frozen Siberian tundra, she was like the warm sunshine on a spring day. Tony actually has her eyes, you know. You know how his eyes look when he the smile on his face is real because he actually is happy instead of faking being happy? That is how Maria's was whenever she saw us together. I think she was truly happy that Tony had finally found a real friend."

The implication that Tony's childhood must have been even lonelier than she had already imagined made Pepper's heart twist painfully.

"You know when they died, he was able to really grieve for the mother he'd lost and losing her like that totally devastated him. And of course he grieved for his dad too but with Howard I think it was more like he grieved over what he never got to have with his dad instead of just being able to mourn as a son does for the father he's lost because sadly Tony never had a father in that way."

"Sir has returned home." JARVIS announced and consequently warned them.

Knowing they only had a few seconds to spare before her husband came in, Pepper whispered, "Thank you, Jim." Tony appeared a split second later, and went straight over to kiss his wife before yanking off his tie.

"How was the meeting?" Rhodey asked, smiling at his godson who had immediately begun reaching for his daddy the moment he saw Tony.

"Let's just say there's a reason it's called a board meeting because it is just that, boring and repetitive," Tony replied while taking a now very wide awake Ethan into his arms. "I swear they have a gift for making it sound like they're actually going to want to cover new ground so they can trap me in that room for hours on end discussing things we've already gone over at least a thousand times before!"

"Welcome to what has been my world since you hired me to be your PA, Mr. Stark," Pepper replied smoothly with a smirk.

"Touche, Mrs. Stark."

Rhodey cleared his throat a little louder than necessary, and it was obvious by the looks on their faces that they'd forgotten he was still there. "I'm sorry to interrupt but my suit isn't going to upgrade itself."

"Upgrades, right."

"Here, let me take him so you two can get to work on the upgrades." As Pepper spoke she held her arms up ready to take their son but he was having none of it. He began to whimper and pressed his little face into Tony's shoulder. Ethan did the same thing again when she tried to take him just a moment later. "It's okay, Pep. He can stay with me and I'll just take him down to the workshop."

"He needs a nap though," she replied, watching as the baby rubbed at his eyes.

"Yeah, the little guy was almost asleep when you came in," Rhodey added.

Tony shifted Ethan in his arms so the baby's head was resting against his shoulder, and he began rubbing his son's back. "Well since all we're doing is talking about upgrades for your suit and that is all we're going to be doing right? You definitely didn't bring it with you because I don't see it and you wouldn't have left it in your car. And it doesn't have an invisibility feature since such a feature would have needed to have been first invented, then installed by the only one person standing in this room could have done both. And I know I haven't either invented or installed anything like it in your suit..."

Rhodey held up his hands and rolled his eyes, "All right, I think you've made your point!"

With a triumphant smirk that told his friend that he was aware of just how irritating he was being, the billionaire said, "JARVIS, the next time I work on my suit remind me of the great invisibility feature idea I've just had."

"Will do, sir."

"I believe you know the way to my workshop. After you, Platypus!"