I came across the fact that Nick Fury has a secret cabin in the woods by a lake (according to a recent Agents of SHIELD episode) where he let Steve stay for a time to fully defrost and adapt to the new world he was in. Coulson called it his "secret safehouse for people with powers", I believe.

So, that set me to thinking. What IF Nick sent Pepper to hideout in his cabin during the whole Ultron debacle? It would be completely off the grid, right? Ultron can't infiltrate technology that's not there, so what better place to hide Tony's girlfriend for him until her safety could be guaranteed again? With that, I give you REUNION, or MY version of what should happen with Tony and Pepper directly AFTER AOU anyway. I hope you enjoy!

(Oh, and it's mighty smutty. Just fair warning! You know the rule! Be of legal age or be gone! Happy reading!) :D

XxXxXxXxXx

I hear we won and we're safe, a text from Pepper read.

Tony was walking the deck of the helicarrier, going to meet Fury, when his phone alerted him of the message from her. He smiled, glad to be able to communicate with her again.

"Word travels fast," he texted back. "And yes. We did and we are."

Moments later, his phone buzzed again, and he opened her reply.

When can I see you? I have something to tell you.

Tony cocked an eyebrow. "Something to tell me?" he muttered. "Not sure, but why wait?" he replied.

Pepper's response soon came. Very well, it said. Are you sitting down?

Tony frowned, and didn't answer back right away. After the last few weeks, he didn't know if he could take anymore surprises.

But Pepper apparently didn't feel a response from him was necessary, because moments later, an image from her showed up. He downloaded it, and watched as it appeared on his phone. He squinted to make it out, turning his head at first and then rotating the screen to enlarge the image. It appeared to be a picture of a long white stick, the length of a pencil, and the width of two, sitting on what looked like a bathroom counter top. The end of the stick had a purple cap on it, and in the center of the stick were two digital screens, one with a plus sign, and the other reading a single word.

"Pregnant," Tony muttered. His eyes suddenly went wide, and he stopped walking, becoming paralyzed as he stared at the image. He swallowed hard, his mind racing.

Another message soon came from Pepper. "Told you you should be sitting down," it said.

XxXxXxXxXx

That night, Tony landed a quinjet at some GPS coordinates Fury had given him, touching down softly right outside the location. He cut the engines, and fumbled with the restraints nervously, anxious to get outside. The exit ramp slowly lowered and he took a deep breath, eagerly awaiting the sight of who he knew would be there to greet him. The cool, dewy night air blew across his skin as he walked down the ramp, and out into the open. He looked across the grass to see the front door fly open and a long-legged red head come running out. "Tony!" she cried.

His face lit up, and he opened his arms wide, as she ran to him and jumped into his arms. He spun them around, as she squeezed him tight, crashing their lips together and kissing him voraciously. He set her down, and continued to kiss her, reveling in the taste of her lips and grateful to the heavens above she was alive and well, and safe in his arms again.

They broke the kiss, and Pepper's cheeks were moistened with streaming tears. "You came back to me," she murmured, stroked his cheek and looking into his eyes lovingly.

Tony smiled. "Always," he assured, wiping away her tears with a thumb. They both chuckled happily, and Pepper kissed him again. When the kiss broke, Tony grasped her hand, interlacing their fingers, and Pepper wrapped her other arm around his affectionately as they walked toward the front door of the cabin.

XxXxXxXxXx

"So this is it, huh?" Tony said, looking around once they'd walked inside. "Fury's super secret safe house?"
Pepper closed the door behind her and sidled back up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Tony put his hands on her sides, and Pepper sighed, happy to feel his touch again. "Yep, it's been home sweet home these last few weeks," she said, looking around as well.

The cabin was the quintessential picture of what a lakeside retreat would be. Most of the walls were hewn logs chinked in traditional log cabin style. It was filled with pine log furniture and the plank floors creaked when you walked on them. The faint smell of wood smoke filled the air as a big stone fireplace, the hearth blackened from many years of use, stood on the east wall. It looked to Tony like it was large enough to heat the entire house. It appeared there were two bedrooms, one large master and one small spare, and, from where they stood at the main entrance, the kitchen was just off the living room to the west, with a door leading out to the back porch.

The soft glow of the lamps Pepper had turned on in the living room bathed them both in dim yellow light. "Seems...cozy," Tony commented, turning his gaze back to his girlfriend and smiling at her fondly.

"It is. Especially now that you're here," Pepper purred, reaching up to nibble his earlobe and trace delicate kisses down his throat. Tony smiled, loving the affection, but he had to stop her advances for just a moment. There was still the matter of the image she'd sent him.

"Pepper, hold on, baby. We need to talk. Don't you think?" he urged.

Pepper stopped and pulled back to look at him. She bit her lip and nodded cautiously, unsure of where Tony was going with this.

"From the picture you sent me, you're...you're..." Tony said, stammering and pointing awkwardly at her stomach.
"Pregnant, Tony," Pepper said, smirking and folding her arms.

Tony smiled awkwardly. "Yeah," he said. "Is this...I mean...are you..." he began again.

"Am I what?" Pepper asked, a lilt of annoyance in her voice.

Tony examined her face for a moment before he spoke again. "Is this what you want, Pepper?" he asked softly.

Pepper face fell. "Are you asking me if I...if I'm..." she said. This time it was she who was tongue-tied. She cocked her head and frowned. "Tony, are you telling me you want me to..."

Tony's eyes went wide at the realization of what she was thinking. "Oh! No!" he cried. "Oh, God, no. No!That's entirely up to you. I'm just..." he said, shaking his head in disbelief. He sighed. "Pepper," he said. "You have to admit this is...unexpected."

Pepper frowned. "Of course it is," she agreed. "It's not like we were planning to get pregnant. It just happened."
"Right, so..." Tony said, shrugging. "I'm just asking you if this is what you want. Are you happy about this?"

Pepper examined his face silently for a moment. "Well, I was," she murmured. "But I can see you're not."

Tony frowned. "I didn't say that," he assured.

"You didn't have to," Pepper said. "If you were happy about this, we'd be having a very different conversation right now, Tony." Pepper spun around and left his presence. Tony stood stone still in the middle of the living room, watching her storm off into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. He put his hands on his hips and looked to the ceiling. "Shit," he muttered.

XxXxXxXxXx

Pepper closed the bedroom door, and immediately the tears started to fall. Her shoulders shivered as she made her way to the bed. She sat down heavily on the edge, and grabbed one of the bed pillows to cry into. She knew her being pregnant would take Tony by complete surprise, but she never thought he'd question her desire to keep the baby. She knew he wouldn't go so far as to tell her to terminate the pregnancy. And for that she was grateful. But, by his reaction, it didn't seem he wanted much to do with it. And that broke her heart.

She never intended to get pregnant, but when she saw the indicators on the test tell her she was, she was instantly overjoyed. She had, in the past, thought about what it would be like if she and Tony had a baby, and the thought had always been an exciting one. But now, it was like it was more of burden that Tony was asking her if she really wanted to carry. Beyond a shadow of doubt, she knew she wanted to keep the baby, and raise it. And if Tony didn't want any part of that, then she supposed she'd be a single mother. She wanted him to know this wasn't done on purpose, and she wasn't trying to trap him into anything. Yet, bitter tears fell down her cheeks at the thought that she and Tony would part ways, and she'd be left to raise their child alone.

A soft knocking came from the door."Pep?" she heard Tony call from the hallway. "Can I come in?"

She didn't answer. She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to him right now.

"Pepper?" he said again. "Fine, I guess I'm pleading my case from the hall." She heard him exhale sharply. "Pep, I..." Tony started. "I never imagined myself being a father..."
"Then you don't have to be," Pepper called out.

"Wait, let me finish," Tony pleaded. "I never imagined it because I...never thought I'd find a woman who I'd want to be a father with," he continued. "But honey? You've put to bed any preconceived notions I ever had about being a..." Tony paused. He smiled to himself at what he was about to reveal to her. "A husband. And a father." He nodded, proud of the fact of the fact that he'd confessed this to Pepper. The timing never seemed right before. Life had taken over, and he and Pepper had just become comfortable in their relationship where it was at. But considering what had happened in the last few weeks, and now, with a baby in the picture, he couldn't think of any better time to say what he was going to say next.

Pepper heard his words, and instantly raised her head, staring at the door he was standing behind with her eyes wide. She tossed the pillow back onto the bed and stood up abruptly. She walked briskly to the door, and yanked it open to find Tony standing there. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Husband?" Pepper said. "Who said anything about you being a husband?" she asked.

Tony smiled, relieved he didn't have to talk through a door anymore. "Pepper," he said. "If you're having my baby, you're going to be my wife," he assured. "Call me old fashioned, but..."
"Really?" she asked, staring at him intensely. "Are you really asking me?"

Tony's expression softened. "Oh, you don't think I'm serious?" he said, smirking. Pepper didn't know how to respond. Tony raised a cautious hand in front of him. "Hold on," he said. Pepper watched him curiously as he dug into his pants pocket, and produced a little black velvet-covered box. Pepper gasped. She put a hand to her mouth and shook her head. Tony smiled. He bent down in front of her on one knee and looked into her eyes. She was crying. "Pepper, being without you these last few weeks was hell. And it made me realize that I can't wait one second longer to do this. Especially now." He smiled at her, and Pepper smiled sheepishly back, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Pepper Potts?" he murmured. "I want you to be my wife," he said, popping open the box. "And the mother of my child."

She watched as he opened the box. Inside, was a single stone round cut diamond ring that must have been at least three carats, by Pepper's estimation. It was set in a very classic, very elegant platinum setting. Pepper gasped again, smiling widely. "Oh Tony!" she exclaimed.

"So how about it, Pep?" Tony said softly. He faced the box towards her and looked into her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

"Oh, Tony! Yes!" she said breathlessly. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

Their kiss broke and Tony took the ring out of the box. She held out her left hand as he gently slipped the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. She looked at him. "How did you know my size?" she asked.

"I...I didn't," he stammered. "Wow," he said to himself. He picked her hand up and studied the ring on her finger. "It fits perfectly," he murmured. He had a look of shock on his face.

Pepper looked at him curiously. "What's the matter?" she said, shifting her eyes between his face and the ring.

Tony realized how odd he must look, and snapped back to reality. "This ring," he said as he shifted his gaze to Pepper. "Was given to me by my mother not long before she died. It was her engagement ring. And before her, it was my grandmother's, and so on. Ma told me when she gave it to me to save it for the woman that I knew I'd want to spend my life with."

Pepper's breath caught in her chest. She pressed her fist to her lips as new tears formed in her eyes.

Tony smiled and continued. "Who knew all those years ago that you'd be the one I'd be giving it to. And that it would fit your finger so perfectly. Like it's..."

"Meant to be," Pepper said finishing his sentence.

Tony smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Meant to be," he murmured. He looked at her tenderly. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she said softly, smiling lovingly.

Tony stood back up, and Pepper pulled him to her, kissing him hard. He lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his hips, walking them over to the bed as they continued kissing eagerly. He set her down so she stood at the edge of the bed, and they hastily pulled off their clothes, anxious to get to each others bodies and feel each others touch.

Once they were completely unclothed, Tony gently laid Pepper on her back, and moved over the top of her. She opened her legs for him, and he carefully positioned himself between them. He slowly slid into her and gently began to thrust. "Oh, yeah. Missed that," he murmured.

He continued to thrust, and kiss Pepper's lips. Each time he broke the kiss, she'd smiled sweetly at him and he'd smile back, their eyes sparkling with blissful love.

Soon, after settling into a rhythm, Tony looked down at Pepper, and cocked an eyebrow. "So, just so we're clear, you are going to marry me, right?" he said, looking at her. He squinted his eyes and pursed his lips, faking skepticism.

She giggled. "Yes," she said sweetly.

He grinned. He loved hearing her say it. He thrust deeply inside of her and she moaned in approval. He bent to kiss her lips tenderly. "How about now? Are you still going to now? Is the answer still the same?" he teased, when he pulled away. He quirked an eyebrow at her playfully.

She giggled again. "Yes, I'm still going to marry you."

"Good," Tony said. He faked a serious look. "I'm going to keep checking, though. Just to make sure you haven't changed your mind and you still want this guy around," he said, pointing his thumb at his chest. Pepper grinned.

"Oh, I want you around," she purred. "I want you around for a very long time."

Tony smiled and pumped his eyebrows at her. He bent to kiss her lips again. She pulled him to her and he thrust harder and deeper. She moaned. "Yes, do that," she cooed.

"What, this?" he teased. He did it again.

Pepper inhaled sharply. "Mmmmhmmmm," she hummed dreamily. She closed her eyes as he thrust in and out of her harder now. She moaned and sighed. He felt her opening tightened around him and he bent to kiss her neck, keeping the pace, thrusting deep inside of her rhythmically.

"Ooooo!" she squealed. She undulated her hips with his hips. "Yes, Tony, yes!" she cried. "Oh, just like that!"

"Yeah, Pepper, ohhhhhhhh," he moaned, his hips jerking as the waves of orgasm began to rush over his body. Pepper wrapped her arms and legs around him and felt her body squeeze him hard inside of her. Tony groaned, thrusting quickly now.

"Oh. Oh! OH! OHHHHHH! Huhhh!" Pepper said, her body writhing as she came. She closed her eyes tight, feeling her opening contract and release over and over as Tony pulsed against her g-spot. They rode the waves together, and Tony groaned as he let go inside of her. He pumped her until his muscles released and they laid together, their limbs numb, and their skin damp and warm. They breathed heavily together for a few moments as they held each other close.

He looked into her eyes and smiled. "Still marrying me?" he teased her.

"Oh, yes," Pepper assured.

Tony smirked. "Just checking," he said, shifting off the top of her and to the side. He propped himself up on a elbow and smiled at her lovingly.

"And you do want to be a daddy, right?" Pepper teased.

"More than anything in the world," Tony said, smiling broadly. "Really? We're pregnant? You're not pranking me just to make me put a ring on it, or something?"
Pepper giggled and smacked him in the shoulder. "No, of course not! And what was all that 'are you happy about this' talk, anyway? You made it sound like you didn't want the baby," Pepper said.

Tony frowned. "No, that wasn't it at all. I had it in my mind that I was going to propose to you when we were together again, but I wanted to make sure that being pregnant didn't make you feel trapped with me."
"Trapped with you?" Pepper asked in disbelief. "Why on Earth would I feel trapped? If anything, I'd think you'd feel trapped. From your reaction, you had me thinking we'd break up, and I'd be a single parent," Pepper stated.

Tony grimaced. "God, really? I'd have to be a real asshole to do that to you, Pep. Are you kidding? I love you. I mean, clearly," Tony said, holding up her left hand in front of them. They both smiled at each other.

"Pregnant," Tony mused, shaking his head in disbelief. "Whew! Didn't see that one coming."

Pepper giggled. "Neither did I, honestly," she agreed. "But isn't it amazing?" she cooed, laying a hand on her lower abdomen.

Tony smiled lovingly. "Completely amazing," he said. He put his hand over the top of hers, and bent to kiss her lips.