Pepper woke up alone the following morning. She removed herself from the bed, with some difficulty, and made way into the living room. She heard noises from the kitchen, and followed them, cupping her belly. Tony was at the stove, staring at a skillet filled with sizzling bacon strips. On the other side of the stove was a plate of scrambled eggs.
"Good morning," he said, briefly glancing at her. He stared at the TV that was playing in the livingroom.
"Good morning," Pepper replied, standing between the living room and kitchen.
"In other news," a reporter on television spoke. "Ironman aka Tony Stark of the newly-restored Stark Enterprises, apprehended a dangerous criminal last night, using his new suit-which becomes more and more famous everyday."
Pepper stared at the screen as a familar mugshot photograph appeared in the top right corner. The reporter rattled on about the man breaking into multiple residences, being armed, having a warrant out for his arrest...the same man who'd screamed at her to get against the wall and close her eye.
"That the guy?" Tony asked, pointing his spatula.
Pepper looked at him. "You went after him?"
Tony shrugged, moving the skillet from the heat. "Gotta keep the peace." He brought a plate of bacon and eggs to the table, and then went to pour some orange juice. Pepper eyed the food, rubbing her bulge.
"Breakfast-" Tony pointed, proceeding to clean up his mess.
"You waited until I feel asleep," Pepper said, ignoring the freshly cooked food.
Tony pretended to clear his sinuses, turning the other way. "You want some toast? A bagel maybe?"
Pepper sat the table, still watching Tony, who busied himself with imaginary kitchen chores. She cocked her head slightly, squinting skeptically and said, "You know, I would like a bagel."
Tony spun around so fast he risked whiplash. "You would?" He hurried towards the refrigerator and retrieved a half-package of marble bagels. He popped two of them into the toaster, and went back to the fridge for cream cheese.
"Look at you," Pepper chuckled, sitting herself at the table. "Mr. Domesticity."
Tony raised his eyebrows. "Yah, right. ONly until you're back on your feet hopefully."
Pepper took a bite of eggs and immediately set her fork down, making a face. Tony's brows furrowed. "No good?"
"I'm going to be sick." She rushed towards the sink and began heaving. Tony reached over and turned on the faucet. When she was finished, he wordlessly handed her a wet paper towel.
"Thank you," Pepper croaked, rinsing her mouth out. She remained hunched over the sink for just a bit longer.
"Still sick?" Tony asked, leaning beside her.
"No, I think I'm good," Pepper sighed, removing herself. She placed a hand to her forehead. "You should be thankful men can't birth babies."
Tony chuckled quietly, but his smile faded quickly. He knew was referring to his promiscuous lifestyle. He shifted awkwardly, turning around and leaning his elbows against the counter. "So...does the father know about this child?"
"No," Pepper said quietly. She cleared her throat. "But it actually works out better."
"Oh?" Tony straightened up. Was she trying to hint at something? That there was no other man?
"Yah." Pepper nodded. "I know I can do this by myself." She managed a half-hearted smile.
Tony nodded too, looking away. He fidgeted. "You know, I'm willing to help with...whatever you need..." he scratched his head.
Pepper smiled more. "You wear your heart on your sleeve, Tony Stark," she said quietly.
"No." Tony tapped the reactor through his shirt. "Right here."
Pepper didn't move in exactly. She still had her condo, and it still had her furniture inside, but over the course of the following months, more and more of her personal belongings wound up at the Stark estate. She still managed Tony's schedule, made his calls, and checked his emails. Running errands was more difficult, but she tried her best. Tony seemed to eat dinner at the table more, and spent less time in his workshop. When he absolutely could not get away from his work, he brought Pepper down with him.
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"So are you hoping for a girl or boy?" He asked, tinkering with a device.
"Either will be fine," Pepper replied from her chair-the chair he'd installed just for her. "But if I had to pick..." she patted her swollen belly. "A boy."
"Why?" Tony held the item up to the light, squinting.
"I already take care of one," Pepper chuckled. "So I know the routine."
"You know," Tony said, turning to her. "It's going to need a father."
"Yes," Pepper nodded. "Maybe I'll find one."
Nearly seven months into her pregnancy, Pepper struggled to keep up with her schedule maintaining Tony's schedule. She went to bed much earlier, and woke up later. Her feet had started to swell, and Tony forbid her to do any of his errands.
"I'm so fat," Pepper moaned quietly, giving up on putting her shoes on. She was glad she was currently alone in the house. She didn't want Tony to see her cry. She leaned back into the sofa, breathing heavily. Her chest ached. She wondered if it was heartburn, which she'd frequently gotten since the start of her pregnancy.
"Jarvis?" She said aloud, her breathing becoming shallow. "Where is Tony?"
"Out, Miss Potts," the home computer replied. "Discussing company matters with prosperous business partners."
"Oh." Pepper closed her eyes. "Jarvis, could you maybe call an ambulance?" She broke out into a cold sweat, trembling. "Something's wrong."
Jarvis was not programmed to call 911. Tony didn't believe in hospitals, so he contacted Tony himself, who immediately answered the call.
"What's up, Jarvis?" He asked. "Is Pepper alright?"
"She's in pain, Sir," the computer replied. "She is experiencing chest pains, hypertension, and-"
"I can't breathe," Pepper panted.
"Shortness of breath-" the computer continued.
"I'm on my way," Tony said, hanging up before Jarvis could say anymore.
If Pepper wasn't in so much pain, she'd laugh when Tony crashed through the living room ceiling in his Iron Man suit. All she could do was grit her teeth and clutch her stomach. Tony barked something, and robotic appendiges appeared from the wall, floor, and ceiling, removing the armor. He rushed over to Pepper, placing his palm to her sweaty forehead.
"Tony," she panted. "Tony, something's wrong with the baby." Tears filled her eyes. "Something's wrong."
"It's okay," he reassured her, gingerly helping her up. He supported most of her weight. "We're going to get you out to the car, and take you to the hospital."
Pepper nodded, tears flowing freely from her eyes, one hand on her stomach. They went out to the car, and Tony drove, speeding like a bat of hell.
The hospital was crowded, and a few heads turned, smiles breaking out all around. Tony did smile back. He stood in the crowd and shouted, "I NEED A DOCTOR! NOW!"
A doctor bustled up to him. "Yes, Mr. Stark." A young man. Possibly a new doctor.
"Not you." Tony moved past him, towards an older doctor, a female one at that. "Hey, I need you." Before she could say anything, he led her over to Pepper.
"Sir, you really must fill out-"
"There's no time, something's wrong, she needs medical attention this second," Tony said quickly. "I'm a multi-billionaire. I can handle the financial garbage later."
The doctor obviously seemed to realize he meant business, and she knelt down in front of Pepper, asking her questions and listening to her heartbeat. When she stood back up, she said, "I'm going to go find a specialist, but it looks to me like it could be Preeclampsia."
"What's that?" Pepper asked through clenched teeth.
"Preeclampsia is a pregnancy condition in which high blood pressure and protein in the urine develop after the 20th week of pregnancy," the doctor explained.
"Will she be okay?" Tony asked.
"Will the baby be okay?" Pepper asked.
The doctor nodded briefly and disappeared. When she returned, a male doctor was with her, and he nodded slowly. "Definitely Preeclampsia," he said. He turned to the other doctor. "We'll need to start some pre-natal steroids and schedule an emergency C-section."
"What?" Pepper looked at him. "No, no, no. I'm barely seven months."
"Everything's going to be okay, Ma'am," the doctor said, somewhat curtly. "I'll be back with a nurse shortly. He turned to Tony. "Have you filled out the insurance paperwork? We can't do anything without the paperwork."
"My assistant normally does that," Tony joked dryly, but Pepper didn't laugh. "I'll get on it. Thanks."
The doctors disappeared and Pepper began to cry. Tony knelt down and brushed some sweaty strands of hair away from her face. "It'll be fine," he said. "I promise."
"I'm so scared, Tony," Pepper wept. "What's going to happen to my baby?" She sniffled and touched her stomach gingerly.
"The baby's going to be fine," Tony said. He held her hand. "You're going to be okay."
"I have a confession to make," Pepper said, swallowing hard. She inhaled sharply, leaning forward. Tony waited.
"It's yours," Pepper whispered. "I was so scared, Tony, I was scared..." she broke down all over again.
Before Tony could say anything, the specialist reappeared with two nurses and a wheelchair.
To Be Continued...