Disclaimer: I do not own Ironman.

Tony

I couldn't believe it. I'm going to be a dad. Me.

It was a shock at first but after I began to think about it, I couldn't be happier. I was going to have a family with Clare. It was amazing.

I was determined to provide everything for Clare and my child. And I was determined to be a better father to my child than my father was to me. Yes, he taught me how to build an engine and showed me how electronics worked but when it came to actual father and son time, he was too busy with work. I wanted to be a great father, to teach my child the things that my father taught me, to take my child to football games, to teach them to ride a bike.

I was amazed at how much my life had changed. I was no longer the playboy millionaire. I now was in a steady relationship and was going to be a father. Years ago I would have hated this thought but now it made me grin with joy. I know my parents would be proud. It made me sad to think my mother would never meet her grandchild. I never really believed in heaven but I know wherever she was, she was happy for me.

Clare told me not to go about getting things for our chil d yet, as it was way too early but I was too excited to take any notice. Two weeks after she told me that she was pregnant, I went out and bought two bags full of toys. Clare shook her head when she saw them but was grinning nonetheless.

I had heard the saying that a woman became a mother when she found out she was pregnant, but a father became a father when the child is born. I was determined to be different. I wasn't about to sit back and just wait until the child is born. I wanted to help Clare, as I knew this would be hard on her.

Clare

I was amazed at how much Tony was taking his father role to heart. Within a few weeks he had already bought a bunch of toys and a small crib. It made me smile to see him so full of joy. I hadn't given much thought to how he would be after I told him of my pregnancy but he was acting like a proper father. I'd had friends whose husbands hadn't done much to prepare for the child until it was already here. I was glad Tony wasn't like them. He was almost as giddy as me these days.

The morning sickness got worse. Usually I would be in the bathroom by 5 a.m., lying on the floor. By 10 a.m, I would have been sick at least 4 times. But the sickness didn't disappear in the afternoon. Tony was sympathetic and wanted to help but I knew there was nothing he could do. He often joked he knew how I was feeling as as a teenager, he spent most of his time next to a toilet or sink. We both laughed.

I went around Natalia's one day to tell her. She was ecstatic. We talked for hours. I made her promise not to tell a soul. Tony and I had both agreed to keep this from the public for as long as we could. I didn't want to see my face splashed across magazines saying things like I was using this child as a way to get money from Tony.

Two months into the pregnancy I began to get cravings for bacon cheeseburgers. Tony would often send out Happy during the day to get me one. Tony even went out at 11 p.m one night to get one for me. And he knew not to bring back one. Come home with less than 3 burgers and I'm not happy.

We went to see a doctor Tony had specifically picked out who told us the baby would be born on the 4th of June. I also had an ultrasound and we got our first view of our baby. I had tears of happiness in my eyes and was surprised to see Tony did too. The doctor pointed out the arms and the legs. Tony said it looked like a blob. I smacked him lightly on the arm but I still smiled.

My first trimester passed quickly and after 22 weeks, my stomach was getting a definite roundness. I began absentmindedly rubbing my stomach, talking to the baby. Tony did the same, leaning down to croon to my stomach.

I was beginning to feel confided, being stuck permanently indoors. Tony could sense my distress. I wanted to get out, go for walks, go shopping with Natalia but I knew I couldn't. One day Tony surprised me by taking me to a giant store dedicated entirely to baby needs. It had baby clothes, maternity clothes, furniture for babies, toys for babies, and everything more. I found out Tony had paid the store to close its doors just for us. He had also made all the employees sign a contract saying they would not speak to the press about it. This touched me more than anything.

I spent the day with Tony, shopping for everything and anything we would possibly need. When we returned home I was exhausted but happy. I now had some good maternity clothes, that could cope with my expanding belly.

Near the end of my second trimester, I began to put on the weight. Seeing the numbers on the scale skyrocket didn't help my confidence. I was naturally a slim girl so it was hard for me to put on the weight without trying to stop it. But I forced myself to remember why I was putting on the weight.
My ankles began to swell up and my innie belly button became an outtie.

I was sitting on the couch one day when I felt a suddenly pressure on my stomach. Panic rose up in my until I realised it was the baby kicking. Shouting with joy, I ran upstairs to find Tony setting up the baby's crib in our room. He placed his hand over my stomach and grinned brightly when it began kicking his hand.

After some discussion, we both decided we wanted to know the sex of the baby. The next trip to the doctor got our answer. After lathering my stomach with the sticky gel, the doctor told us we were having a girl.

That night while watching the news, I laid my head in Tony's lap and we began thinking of names. Some debate later, we decided she would either be named Samantha or Morgan.

I entered my third trimester and my stomach was continuing to grow. I found out I could rest an ice cream bowl and it and Tony just laughed.

A week before I was due, Natalia surprised me by throwing a baby shower. It was a very small baby shower as we only told a few people. But I was still touched that Natalia went to the trouble. I came downstairs one day to see the living room bathed in pink. Pink balloons, pink tablecloths, pink confetti, even pink lemonade. Natalia was disappointed she couldn't throw a huge party. Tony, my parents, Rhodey and Happy attended. It didn't matter to me that it was small.

I got an array of presents, ranging from a diaper bag to sexy maternity lingerie. I blushed when I opened that one in front of my parents.

The day was fun but it wore me out. I was tired by 6 o'clock. Tony went out and bought home a bacon cheeseburger. I sat on the couch with Tony, eating his own burger, smiling with happiness.

I had just finished my bowl of strawberry and vanilla ice cream and was washing the bowl in the sink when something went wrong. I stood still for a few moments, then I called out for Tony.

He came running into the kitchen a second later, a frown on his face. "What's wrong?'

"I think my water just broke."

Tony went into hyper mode. He carried me over to the couch and then called for an ambulance. We had had a discussion a few weeks ago on how to get to the hospital. Tony wanted to speed me over there in his Saleen. I said no. So we settled for an ambulance. He then ran upstairs to get my prepacked bag for the hospital. It was then the contractions started. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt. As I grunted and moaned in pain, Tony held onto my hand.

The wailing ambulances arrived. I was determined not to be carried out on a stretcher, so before Tony could stop me, I was up on my feet and heading for the door. He quickly grabbed my bag before running after me.

As I was helped up into the ambulance, they told me I had to lie down on the stretcher. I wasn't about to argue as another round on contractions hit me. Tony grabbed my hand again, and as much as I squeezed it, he didn't let go.

When we arrived at the hospital, I had to remain on the stretcher. Tony stayed with me as they wheeled me through the doors and I found out we didn't have to wait as Tony had pre booked a private room ahead of time. I was immensely grateful. Within ten minutes I was in a private room. Tony never left my side.

On the 29th of May at 3:18 a.m. Morgan Elizabeth Stark was born. The nurses said it had been a smooth and easy delivery. I beg to differ. I got to hold my daughter briefly before she was taken away for weighing. Tony was grinning brilliantly at me. I soon fell asleep after.

When I woke up, the clock on the wall told me it was 8:20 a.m. I rolled over in the surprisingly spacious bed to see Tony asleep in the chair beside the bed. I smiled at his messy hair. I was about to press the nurse button when one walked in the room, holding two trays of food. She smiled sweetly at me. "How are you feeling?" She spoke softly, trying not to wake Tony.

"Tired," I smiled back at her. She placed the trays on the small table like thing that swung over the bed. It was then I realised just how hungry I was. My mouth began watering as I looked at the bacon, eggs, toast and hash browns. The nurse told me a few people would be in later to check up on me then I could go see my daughter in the nursery.

I was sitting in the bed, contemplating whether to wake up Tony when he grunted awake. When he saw I was awake, he grinned at me and pulled his chair closer to the bed.

"Hey darling. How are you feeling?"

"Alright. How's your hand?" I recall last night I had been squeezing his hand so hard it had turned purple at one point.

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine."

We then got into our breakfast. I was surprised that they had bought a tray for Tony but I suppose the money he was paying them would get him at least a breakfast. And surprisingly the food wasn't horrible. I had never actually been in a hospital long enough to be fed but all I had heard about it was that it was crap. I voiced this thought to Tony who told me with a sheepish grin on his face that they had hired chefs to cook just for me. I told him that wasn't necessary but I greatly appreciated it.

After we finished our breakfast and brushed our teeth, a different nurse came in to check my blood pressure among other things. I didn't even pay attention to anything she was saying. All I wanted was to see my baby.

Finally they told us we could go down to the nursery to see Morgan. Unfortunately I had to go down in a wheelchair. I argued that I was capable to walk but it was 'standard policy'.

So once I was settled in the wheelchair, Tony pushed me to the elevator where he went down a level. As the doors slid open, all I wanted to do was race down the hallway but I forced myself to stay the in chair.

Finally we were standing at the little viewing window at the nursery. There she was, wrapped up in a little pink blanket. Written on the front of her little tiny bed was Morgan Elizabeth Stark. It look surreal, seeing her name written down. A nurse spotted us and ushered us inside. The only time I had seen Morgan had been when I was blinded by the pain I had just been through. Now I got my first proper look at her.

"She's so much tinier than I remember," I said, looking at her tiny little fingers and toes. I looked up and saw Tony had the same smile upon his face that I did. The nurse asked me if I wanted to hold her but I said I wanted Tony to. He'd only held her for less than half a minute when she had been born.

With a little hesitance, Tony slowly took Morgan out of the arms of the nurse. She showed us both how to hold her properly. And then informed us tomorrow she would help us give her her first bath.

She then left us so we could have a moment alone. Tony was still holding Morgan with a look of awe on his face. "Hello little Morgan," He whispered to her, rocking her gently.

"Can you believe it? We're parents."

We had visitors all day. Before lunch Rhodey popped in and cooed all over Morgan. Then came my parents, proud as punch. Just after lunch Natalia burst into the room with a bunch of giant balloons. She literally didn't want to let go of Morgan once she had her in her arms.

After everyone had left, I held Morgan gently in my arms in my bed. She had a little tuff of blonde hair on her head and golden brown eyes. She was perfect.

That night I fell asleep with my child and the man I loved beside me.