The sound that was approaching her brought her suddenly back to her senses, forcing herself up off the floor and brushing down her skirt, forcing herself to smile at the figure that was about five meters away her.

"Miss Potts?" The voice was light, airy as usual and relaxed her a little; this younger blonde woman had been one of the latest interns from the office. She'd caught Mr Stark checking out her legs when she'd first arrived and Pepper had elbowed him in the ribs for it. She wouldn't confess to wanting to keep his attention to herself, she was too mature for that. Finally managing to straighten up she offered her smile to the blonde, receiving one in return accompanied by a white paper envelope: "It's from the hospital, they promised to send you constant updates on Mr Stark's condition." The office girl had explained, noticing the mild confusion on her bosses face.

Pepper nodded, turning the envelope over and tearing it open as she turned away from the blonde, not wanting her to see the water that was pulling at the corners of her eyes. She'd been holding it together ever since the accident, not that she'd forgiven Stark for it. He hadn't had to do that to her. Without a word she'd vanished back into her office, leaving the other standing awkwardly in the corridor. The pains in her stomach burnt again as she forced one foot in front of the other, wishing that this dammed office was smaller. The pains could be from whatever was happening in her stomach, or just because of the letter in her hand.

She knew nothing would have changed, nothing had in the past month, every one of these sheets was full of the same information, the same story written over and over again by every doctor she'd sent to his bedside.

He wasn't awake and he wasn't going to wake up.

Yet.

And she had to keep thinking that way.

Settling on her office chair again she turned the papers over, smiling a little as she recognised the name, Dr Donald Blake. Of course, Pepper had thought he'd hold up to that promise, scanning the papers her expression settled again, the tears starting to fall from her eyes. She wasn't crying. She couldn't bring herself to cry anymore. She'd worn herself out with it. This water was just a technicality. It seemed even Asgard didn't have a solution to her heartbreak. The searing pain in her stomach doubled again and she curled up, tucking her legs underneath her chin and wrapping her arms around them, this had to stop. By now he'd have forced her to go to the hospital about this, or at least the doctors. As much as Tony disliked them going anywhere near him he'd always insisted she was properly looked after. Closing her eyes she rested her forehead on her knees, thinking it through. The hospital was too far and the doctors asked too many questions, and she couldn't cope with any more questions. Biting her lip she finally convinced herself to move, leaning down and pulling the laptop towards her, at least online she could ask the questions.

Little under an hour later and her stomach was filling with butterflies and a strange sick making burning in the back of her throat, no matter how many times she'd searched it, or whose medical website she'd check, the answer was constantly coming back the same. But that surely wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible, she was always so careful. Shoving the laptop away she pulled herself to her feet, padding across the room to glare in the mirror, taking in her own reflection.

Pepper knew she looked terrible, but she'd avoided the mirror as much as possible even with her full mask of makeup on. Eyes ringed in black from the restless nights, the destroyed eyeliner adding to the effect, lips stained red from being constantly bitten in worry and her hair loose down her back, unkempt and flyway. She looked like her emotions had just punched her in the face, and she felt like they had.

Punched her in the face, the heart and then the stomach for good measure.

Almost as if her body knew where her mind had wondered to it burnt again, forcing her thoughts back to the reason for standing up. Turning to the side she pressed her hand to her stomach, gazing at the reflection, she'd barely eaten lately but somehow...

…There seemed to be a bump. A very small, very secret bump forming under her hand.

Panicking in horror she pulled up her blouse, not breaking eye contact with her own reflection, it seemed the lack of clothing just made the lump bigger. Surely it couldn't be that, she was probably imagining it.

"You've wound yourself up Virginia…" She muttered, still gazing at herself, it had been a habit Stark had always found adorable; apparently she did it in her sleep to. The thought of him just seemed to make the entire situation worse, pulling at her heart as if it was on strings, attempting to rip it apart again. Mentally shaking herself she padded back across the room, bending down to hunt through the bottom drawer of her desk again.

She'd been keeping pregnancy tests in her desk, along with enough painkiller and assorted other medications to stock a small hospital since the first woman had been caught crying in the break room when she'd had a panic like this. She'd been so flippant back then, secretly thinking the other woman was an idiot because she didn't even have contact with the supposed father.

Did she have contact with him? He was asleep, he hadn't even moved in a month. Was she any better than that woman ten years ago?

Pepper had to convince herself not to throw up as she found what she'd been looking for, gazing down at it for a moment.

Pregnancy Test. 99% accurate.

The thing in her hand would probably tell her truth. She'd finally know what was wrong with her. Steadying her nerve she pulled herself back to her feet, tidying herself up before heading toward the bathroom. Pepper knew if she didn't do this now she probably never would do, in some ways, the pains were less scary than that possibility.