The last chapter was short I know, with not much imagination. You all deserved better than what you got. I was having withdrawals from my story. So here goes. Please, please, please tell me what you think. Be honest. If you don't like it tell me. It will help me improve my writing.
Chapter 11
"What time is your appointment?"
Pepper snuggling up to Tony in bed, "One. I don't want to get out of bed. I was never like this. It's always you that I have to drag out in the mornings."
"You weren't pregnant before." Squeezing her up tightly and rubbing his nose up to her neck. "Mmm….you feel so good. Just stay here. It's fine by me."
"Oh…kay." Pepper yawning.
They laid there for another hour. "Tony."
"Hmm?"
"I'm hungry."
"Hmfff. Imagine that." Playfully.
"Oh shut up. You're not growing a person." Ruffling his hair. "Well, I'm going to get something to eat. Come on, get up."
Tony slowly opened up his eyes. "No." and pulled the pillow on top of his head.
"Come on Tony the Tiger. Time to get up. We've got an appointment and a baby crib to buy today….. that is, if you want to go."
"Oh, I am going. No way in hell I'm missing it. Oh man...I think you finally did Tony Jr. in last night."
Pepper laughed. "Yeah, I bet. I'm sure that was not your only marathon you have ever had, big man."
He said with his head under the pillow again, "No comment, on the grounds that I don't want to incriminate myself." And pulled the pillow down to give her a big grin. "That was really fantastic, wasn't it?" He raised his eyebrows up and down. You are one hot firecracker. I'm going to start calling you my hot Pepper".
She gave him a mischievous grin and ran her fingers through his hair and lightly laughed.
"How 'bout you get in the shower and I go downstairs and make us some tea and bagels with cream cheese and you meet me on the patio?"
"Sounds good." Yawning. He put his arms around her swollen waist and put her on his lap. "You know how much I love you, don't you?"
"I think I have an idea." and kissed him quickly. "Time to get in the shower."
"Yes Mam." Gently sliding her to her feet.
Tony got in the shower while she went downstairs. She toasted their bagels, put them on a tray with the hot tea and cream cheese and walked out on the patio by the pool and placed the breakfast tray on patio table. She heard a noise and looked up to scan the patio to see where the noise was coming from and she laid her eyes on a really… large… possum with babies on her back on the other side of the patio. She started backing up very slowly. "Where did that come from? We actually have things like that around here?" Under her breath. "Okay, Pepper, do not freak out." She was trying to stay calm. The mamma possum saw her and it showed its ghastly teeth and hissed at her. She had one hand over her mouth and one hand on her belly. "Okay, little mamma, I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me." All of the sudden it started running her direction and she let out a screech that could be heard a mile away and started backing away from it very quickly. "TONY!"
Tony was drying off when he heard the scream and immediately froze. "Oh God." He dropped the towel almost slipping as he ran out of the bathroom, down the stairs like a streak of lightening. "Pepper...PEPPER, where are yoouuuuuuuu? "Patio, patio!" He reached the patio door and quickly slid it open seeing her standing on a chair pointing at something. He turned his head and jumped back. "What the hell?! It was standing on its hind legs baring its teeth hissing at them. "Holy, shiittt, where'd that come from?!" In a rush.
"That is what I thought."
He quickly, but carefully made his way over to Pepper to keep her from falling off the chair. "Good grief that thing is ugly." He lifted her down and stood in protection mode.
"She's protecting her babies Tony." sounding panicked.
"Well, sooo am I!" Fixated on getting rid of the thing. "Pepper, stand behind me. Shoo possum, shoo." He picked up a pool toy and threw it at the ugly thing.
"Don't hurt it Tony!"
"Wwwhatt?!" Turning his head looking at her dumfounded.
"It, it has babies!" Looking at him for a second.
Tony sighed, rolling his eyes at her. "Okay Pepper, but I want to make sure you and our baby are okay first, alright?"
"Okay." Scared of it but didn't want it hurt, especially with it having babies.
"There's food on the table. Maybe I can coerce the ugly thing."
The possum was still hissing and showing her teeth. "Stay…..here." He slowly walked over to the table and grabbed a couple of bagels and gave them a hard throw off and away from the patio area. The possum shot off after it and away from the patio and it was gone. He turned around and looked at Pepper, looking rather frazzled, running his hands through his hair, shaking his head. "You scared the shit out of me with you up on that chair." Holding his hand on his arc reactor, still looking quite alarmed. "I think I'm going to keep you within arms-length for the rest of this pregnancy." Looking at her baby belly. "Are you okay? That thing didn't bite you did it?"
"No. I'm…okay." Looking and sounding a little sheepish.
"Is the baby okay?" Putting his hand on her belly to feel movement.
"Yes."
"It's a wonder I didn't have a heart attack." Awww,..phhewww." Running his hand down his face. "Monday, remind me to get some fences put up around here. We can't have us or our baby put into a situation like that. Where did that thing come from?"
Pepper put her hand over her mouth and started bending over with laughter. Tony looked at her bewildered. "What are you laughing at woman?"
"If you do not get back inside Tony Jr is going to get a sunburn and you and I both, will not be happy." Between laughter.
He looked down and realized he was still naked. He had ran out of the bathroom so fast that was the last thing on his mind. "Well, not the first time that's happened." Looking a little coy and then joined in her laughter.
In between their laughter, "You should have seen yourself running out here naked trying to shoo that thing away. That is one," holding up her long, pointer finger, "for the memory folder. Jarvis, save me that video, please."
"Yes, mam." Jarvis responds and he actually sounded a little amused himself.
Looking a little deadpanned, "Okay, enough laughing at me, let's bring the food inside and let's eat some breakfast that is…. after I get dressed. But then again, I could eat in the nude. Doesn't matter to me." Shrugging his shoulders sniggering.
"Tony, get your rear up there and put some clothes on. I am pregnant and hungry." Slapping his behind and hard.
"Oww," grinning.
She was still sniggering. "My hero saved me from a possum."
He walked up the stairs smiling. He thought, 'Oh, how I love my life now.' He knew there would never be a dull moment now.
After eating what she had prepared and then some, Happy drove them to their 'baby' appointment. They signed in and sat down. Tony couldn't be still. He would cross one leg and then swing his foot, cross the other leg and then swing the other foot.
"Tony, are you nervous?"
He looked up at her sheepishly. "Ya…..ya want to know what the sex?" Out of the side of his mouth, not looking at her.
"What? I thought you were the one that wanted it to be a surprise."
"Pepper, I'm bustin to know." His lips curving up on both sides, smiling up her like a kid in a candy store.
She giggled and looked at him smiling, "You know what Tony?"
"What?" looking a little timid.
"I love you." And gave him a peck on his lips.
The nurse stepped out. "Mrs. Stark."
They both got up and walked through the doors hand in hand. The nurse walks them to their room and Tony assists her on the table.
"Well, Virginia, Mr. Stark, how are we doing? I imagine that little pumpkin in there is moving around a lot?" Raising an eyebrow all the while smiling.
"Oh, yes. I think he or she, is doing somersaults right now, as a matter of fact."
Dr. Brady lifts Peppers blouse and places her hand on her belly. "Oh, you are going to have your hands full." Looking a little amused.
"Um," clearing his throat. "That's from my gene pool. But we knew that didn't we?" Looking a little guilty at Pepper. Tony was holding Peppers hand rubbing circles on her smooth skin.
Dr. Brady looked up and grinned at Tony, amused. "Mr. Stark, I bet you gave your mother a heck of a time when you were a child, am I right?" Being lighthearted.
"Sometimes… I did." Looking a little embarrassed and rubbing the back of his neck.
'Hm. Well, let's see how strong that little heart is. I'm quite sure that it will check out well. You don't have much longer, about seven weeks now."
"We are counting the days, well…at least I am." Pepper rubbing her belly, poking Tony in the side as he grunts.
"Hey!" Grabbing her hand back and bringing it up to kiss.
"You are progressing nicely. Still don't want to know the sex?"
Tony and Pepper looked at each other. "We do, what is it?" harmoniously.
"Changed our mind have we?" Sliding the wand around till she stopped at one particular place. "See right…. here?"
They both stared as she pointed her index finger at a certain spot on the sonogram.
Tony stretching over and squinting for a closer look, "Hm, I'd say we've got a girl." Looking at Pepper with a grin as big as daylight, looking so proud. They both looked at the Dr. for confirmation, both squeezing each another's hands.
"Yep, you are right, you have a girl. Congratulations! You are doing great. Keep doing whatever you are doing, Virginia. Mr. Stark, keep doing whatever you are doing taking care of Mrs. Stark. See in in two weeks. If you have any problems call us right away. Oh, you are cutting down more on your days, aren't you?"
Both Pepper and Tony both said "Yes." in unison while he helped Pepper slide off the table.
"Good." Ushering them out.
They walked out of the doctor's office grinning like a kid that just hit the candy mother-load.
"Our little girl is going to be spoiled rotten."
"Tony! Do not make a monster out our little girl." Looking a little whimsical. "But, you're right." Snorting.
"I bet she will look just like you, beautiful in every way. She'll probably have that temper of yours." Beaming, holding her hand. They were both swinging their hands like a couple of kids walking to the limo. "Let's go shopping. We still have to get the baby bed." Both looking at Happy standing there with the limo door open for them. "It's a girl Happy."
Happy grew the biggest grin and kind of laughed. "Congratulations. How much longer?" He was so happy for the both of them. (He was with Rhodey. If Tony messed up, he would be there hanging him up by his gonads.)
"About seven weeks. Let's go feed them.. again." Winking at her. "Then we can go shopping for her some little pink and red dresses, purple dresses…" Tony was so giddy and giggling like a little kid."
She was still grinning and she snorted at how excited he was. She was so happy. She thought that she was happy before, being married to Tony, finally both of them getting together after years of having feelings for each other, and then falling in love with him. She never imagined she would have all of this. She was elated. He helped her buckle up and she grabbed him and crashed her lips to his and savored every second. When they came up for air, they both went to grinning again. "I love you Tony Stark."
He licked his lips. "Mm, I married a tiger." Sounding kind of impish as they drove off.
After he fed them, both the baby and Pepper, they finally chose the baby bed they had been looking at on line. They chose a couple of stores to shop at and Pepper wore herself out picking out baby clothes with Tony. He would picked up a dress or a jumper, or a bib. "Look Pepper. Look at this, she will be adorable in this." He would grin and then he would straighten up when someone walked by or he thought someone was watching and would clear his throat and try to look contained. Pepper rolled her eyes at this. She loved this, really, loved this. She never imagined he would act like this. She was falling in love with him all over again.
Tony noticed she was looking a little tired and holding her back. "Okay, we have quite a bit here. Time to go."
She took his hand and agreed with her lips curling up on the sides looking at him with adoration.
A couple of weeks went by and her belly had grown. A LOT. She was very uncomfortable and her mood swings would go from ballistic to tears. Sometimes he didn't know what to do. He tried to be as understanding as he could and would say, "Okay baby and sure honey" a lot and kept up the affection as usual because he loved doing that. He still couldn't keep his hands off her. Her breast had increased in size and he would look at her and get a problem very quickly. But they both took care of that frequently because her hormones still were raging. Before she was pregnant they couldn't keep their hands off of each other. She figured they better enjoy it now because there will be a six weak celibate period while she healed. They both figured they would be too tired taking care of a newborn anyway. She was not going into SI at all now. She tried doing what she could at home from her laptop but he would make her put it up. He would go into SI while Jarvis acted as his 'Pepper… sitter.' He would get up in the middle of the night if she was hungry and fix her something to eat. He even did a Burger King run for them both a couple of times after midnight. He loved taking care of her. It made him happy. They would be sitting in the bed at night or on the couch and he would start rubbing her belly and say, "Rub the belly, rub the belly. Kiss the baby in the belly." And kiss her belly. She would just snigger and he would just beam.
He had gone on a couple short missions in the last month but Fury knew Pepper was pregnant and about due so he didn't give him anything major. He knew Pepper worried so much when he went on these missions and just didn't want to put her and the baby under that stress.
Some of the ladies at Stark Industries were throwing Pepper a baby shower, even though they certainly did not need any help providing for their little bundle in the oven but they wanted to do it. They loved Pepper. She was awesome to work with. I mean, who wouldn't love her? They had planned it at five on a week day so while they had their little fun feeling of her tummy, unwrapping gifts and eating cake and punch, Tony met Rhodey for a drink at a restaurant down the road from SI and sat at the bar.
"Man, I can't believe you." Rhodey grinning at his friend slapping him on his back. "A girl. Ha! Fixing to be a daddy." Shaking his head. "Ya' know I did not see this baby thing coming my friend. I am happy for both of you." Looking at his friend affectionately. "I hope you know how good you got it. She is the best thing that ever happened to you.
Tony took a gulp of his tap beer and wiped his mouth. "Well, some unexpected things can turn into really big gifts. Who would have known?"
Rhodey gave him a very serious look, staring at him straight up. "If you screw this up… I…. will personally….hang you up by your gonads man." Rhodey pointing his finger at Tony.
Tony looked at Rhodey. "I won't Platypus. I'm not that stupid. I've done some really stupid things in my life… but I'm really not that stupid."
"Okay Tony, I'm holding you to it."
"Man I did not meet you for beer to have a father son talk man." Taking another drink of his beer.
"Okay, okay." And then he got quite, very quiet. "Man, we've got a new terrorist group building out there and they are not anything like we have seen before. They have more funding than the al quada. They have people joining them from outside of the country. They are very dangerous man. We have a big problem. We will have to end up sending a large number of troops over there. It ain't gonna be nottin nice."
"So what's the plan, man?" Looking at his friend seriously for a moment and then out of the blue, some brunette walks up behind Tony. Rhodey looks at the chick and Tony turns around to see what he was looking at as she plants one on his lips and tries wrapping her arms around him before he knew what had happened. Tony pushed the girl off of him. "What the hell?! Are you crazy lady? …..Do I know you?"
Rhodey just stood there with his mouth open.
"No, but do you want to know me…. Iron Man?" Being completely obnoxious and eyeing Tony up and down, raising one eyebrow.
He scowled at her looking incredibly disgusted. "Get away from me lady. Platypus, I think it is time to go."
"I couldn't agree more Tony."
They both chugged their last sip of beer and left. Walking out, Rhodey sniggers at Tony. "Man, I wish I had that problem."
"No, you don't."
Tony and Rhodey thought nothing else of it and both went to their perspective homes. Tony waited for Pepper to arrive home from her shower while he fiddled around in his workshop, blaring his ACDC. He was lonely when she wasn't there. He didn't like it; he didn't like it at all. The house felt so empty without her and he thought to himself how utterly lost and miserable he would be without her. He couldn't imagine how life would be if he didn't have her now. He didn't want to think about it. It pained him to think about it so he tried not….to think about it…So, he waited for Happy to being his two girl's home. 'His two girls.' He thought. 'Wow.'
Meanwhile, Pepper was having so much fun opening up gift bags with all kinds of cute little girl clothes, stuffed toys, little booties and baby bibs. One of them had Daddy's Little Girl, Iron Baby; one of them even said 'Stark Property' on it. Pepper laughed, looking at all the cute things she would get to put on her little baby girl. The ladies kept oohing and awing over everything. They played baby bingo and Traci who she worked close with when she was on campus at SI, won the game. At the end, all the girls and Happy loaded the limo with all the sweet things for the baby and she thanked everybody for the wonderful shower and exchanged hugs. Pepper shed a few tears of joy.
Happy drove Pepper home and pulled into the garage where Tony greeted Pepper with a long, drawn out kiss. "Mmmmmm." I missed yoouuu." Tony giving her a pouty face placing his forehead on hers.
"Ahhh, you poor babyyyyy." Scrunching up her mouth. Well, I'm home now, so you won't have to miss me anymorrreee." Letting him squeeze her up.
They heard someone clear their throat.
They looked up out of their world. "Oh…sorry Happy." Pepper looking a little embarrassed.
Happy grinned, "So kay boss." He was halfway finished getting everything out of the car. "Where do you want me to take all this? I guess you have a nursery upstairs somewhere?""
Tony being the smartass that he was. "Aww, naaahh. We thought we would just let her sleep down here. She doesn't need any place special."
Pepper slapped at Tony's arm. "You're such a cad sometimes." Grabbing a set of bags and walking to the elevator.
"What?" Looking at Happy with the corners of his mouth creeping up.
Happy just grinned at him.
Both Tony and Happy finished bringing everything up to the nursery and made Pepper get off of her feet.
Happy took in the whole nursery. "Wow. Niiicce. Veryyyy…..baby girlish." He thought he better mosey on home and leave them alone.
"Wow, you got a lot of stuff. Those ladies love you Pepper. I mean, huh, who wouldn't? Really."
"Ohh." Holding her back. "I am so exhausted and I'm hungry. Do we have anything left from last night? That shrimp was really good." Looking up at Tony with puppy dog eyes.
He got up close and rubbed noses with her. "Coming right up. Keep those feet up dearie."
After they ate, they went back up to the nursery. Pepper wanted to show Tony what all the girls had given them for their baby and then Tony had to put his exhausted, pregnant wife to bed and cuddled up with her and went to dreamland himself.
The next morning Tony made Pepper breakfast and brought it up to her and made her stay in bed. He saw how tired she was and he knew it was getting harder and harder for her the closer she got. "No work, Pepper. You rest. I mean it." Looking at her seriously.
She rolled her eyes at him and smiled. "Okay. It is very hard for me to let things go and give it over to someone else. You know that don't you?"
"Yep, it'll get easier. I promise. Oh, and don't use the stairs, remember. Use the elevator if you go to the kitchen to feed peanut. Okay?" Reaching to her face softly, caressing her soft skin and giving her a peck on her cheek."
"Okay." Yawning. "Love you." Sinking back down into the bed closing her eyes already falling back to sleep.
"Love you too babe." Be back threeish."
Walking out the door, "Jarvis, you know what to do. Take care of them."
"Yes, Sir."
And he was off to SI.
On the drive he called Rhodey. "So, Rhodey, about this new terrorist group…"
Pepper rested and then she got bored. She really was tired and her back really needed the rest along with her swollen feet. She napped. She ate. She watched a movie. Tony called to check on her a couple times and got updates from Jarvis. Both times he called, he asked what she was doing.
"Ahh….eating…." Sounding very self-conscious as Tony sniggered at her. "I will only be a couple more hours. Love you baby." Saying that with a glimmer in his eye.
"I miss you, hurry home."
She opened her laptop, updating herself with news, scanning baby things, when she came across a tabloid, "Tony Stark at it again. One woman was never enough. Taken last night at the Wings Bar & Grill"
It pictured him with some brunette all over him and kissing him.
Pepper starred at the picture. And starred at it some more. She pulled her hand up to her mouth as the tears started flowing down her face. "How could he do this? How could this?" She looked down at her swollen belly. "I can't believe," in between crying, "I can't believe he would do this to me. I thought he was…." She didn't know what to do. She thought he would never hurt her like this. She felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. She curled up on their bed and laid there and cried and cried and cried. She didn't know how long she had laid there when she finally had to relieve the pressure the baby had on her bladder.
When she finished, she walked over to the bathroom mirror in a daze. She looked at herself. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her hair was in disarray. She looked at where their baby laid and she bent over and put her face in her hands and the pain in her heart was just too much. She sunk down to the bathroom floor and sat there and the tears kept coming. She felt numb. Her whole world had just collapsed around her.
Tony pulled up in the garage. "Jarvis. How is Pepper doing? Is she still resting?"
"On the contrary Sir, something has upset her profusely and her vital signs have been elevated. I tried to reach you but your phone kept going to voice mail."
He became alarmed and quickly, "Shhitt! What'swrong?WhathappenedJarvis?" He sprinted up the stairs, two at a time. "Please let her be okay, Oh God, please let her be okay. Where is she, Jarvis?"
"The master bedroom."
"Pepper?! Pepper!" Racing to the bedroom.
As soon as she heard him she reached over and shut the door and locked it. She didn't know what she was going to do but she knew couldn't just sit there and cry. She was Pepper Potts. At least she used to be. She was strong. She could get through this. She had too.
Reaching the bedroom. "Pepper, where are you?" Not getting his answer he saw the bathroom door was shut and reached to open the door and found it was locked. "Pepper Honey, open the door. What's wrong? Are you hurt? Is there something wrong with the baby?... Unlock the door!" Then thoughts of her passed out or hurt started to make him start to panic.
"Go away and leave me alone." Very quietly and in control, but still sniffling.
He stopped, not believing what he was hearing and totally confused. "What?... Pepper?" Lowering his voice. "Pepper, please unlock the door. Please tell me you're okay. What's wrong?" His mind started racing and his vitals were up now.
"How could you?" She put her face in her hands and started crying again.
"What did I do to upset you? I….I..don't….." Standing in front of the door and starting to panic. "Please tell me you're okay, Pepper." His heart was racing.
"We're okay, now leave me be." Still crying.
He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Now he was absolutely frantic, running his hands through his hair, talking to her through the door. "Oh God, Pepper, what did I do? Please unlock the door." Real fear setting in thinking of life without Pepper and their baby. "Oh God please baby let me in! I don't know what's going on here." He was now pacing the floor. He thought about breaking down the door. Very quietly, "Jarvis, where is she?"
"She is near the door, Sir, on the floor."
"Shedidn'tfalldidshe?" Looking pretty crazed by now.
He could hear her sobbing. He was at a loss at what to do.
"No Sir. She was on her laptop when she became so upset. I have scanned the internet and I believe I have found what has disturbed her."
Tony grabbed her laptop off the bed to see what she had been looking at, the tabloid she had pulled up earlier, a picture of the brunette from the night before when he was out with Rhodey just having a beer. Someone had taken a picture of him when that idiotic lady grabbed him and kissed him. His legs went weak and he sunk down to his knees by the bed and he grabbed his head, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!... She thinks I cheated on her. Oh, God." Under his breath. "How am I going to explain this? I can't lose her over this." The room stared spinning. 'That stupid slut and the damn paparazzi.' With his past, he could see how she would think he cheated but it still hurt because she didn't trust him. He was terrified he was going to lose her. He was worried what this was doing to her physically and to the baby. He knew this had to be too much for her with being pregnant. Rage set in and he picked up the computer and threw it. It smashed up against the wall and broke into a thousand pieces.
With the smash, Pepper jumped.
"Pepper, please open the door. Let me explain. I swear I didn't…. I didn't have anything to do with that woman. Rhodey was with me. We had a beer and the lady just came up from behind me. It happened so fast." He was in tears now. "I would never hurt you like that Pepper.
She wasn't saying anything. All he heard was crying. "Pepper, I'm so worried about you." Leaning on the door. "Rhodey was there. He can tell you what happened." He had never been so scared in his life, not even in the cave with a bag over his head. "I love you Pepper." No answer. "Are you alright? Say something?"
All he heard was crying. He was losing it and fast. "Baby." He pulled out his phone. "Rhodey. I need your help."
Rhodey could tell by his voice there was something majorly wrong. "What wrong, man? Is Pepper and the baby alright?"
"Someone snapped a shot at the bar last night, just in time to get me with the.."
He didn't have to finish. "Oh, Tony. Will she listen to me?"
"God, I hope so or I have nothing left Rhodey."
"Pepper, will you listen to Rhodey. He wouldn't lie to you baby. Please open the door. I've got him on the phone. He can tell you what happened, please."
Pepper slowed her tears and gained some control. She unlocked the door and Tony opened it and reached in to hand her the phone.
Pepper put the phone up to her ear. "Rhodey?"
He saw how red and swollen her eyes were and her hair was in disarray but she was still beautiful. His Pepper was always beautiful.
She listened and her facial expression changed and then she dropped the phone and started crying again. "Oh, my God, Tony. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Crying into her hands.
Tony fell to his knees and wrapped her up in his arms and they cried together. Relief starting to seep into both of them. No Pepper, there is nothing to be sorry about." Whispering into her neck.
"No, Tony, I'm so sorry." Between the tears.
"Shhhhh baby. It's okay. I'm sorry for making you cry. Not your fault. You need to calm down." He was gently rubbing her back, trying to calm her and kissing in her hair and on her forehead as her tears began to lesson. "Shhh. It's okay baby. He sat down and brought her into his lap and put his hand on her belly and to his relief he felt their angel moving around under his hand.
She was hiccupping now. He squeezed her up as tight as he could. "It's over." Running his hand through her hair. "Were gonna be okay."
They just sat there for a while and he thought she needed to lay down. He lifted her up and laid her on their bed and covered her up.
"Tony." Looking up at him.
Knowing what she wanted, "I'm not leaving." And leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm just going to get undressed Pep."
"Jarvis, how's her vitals?"
"Vitals have decreased Sir."
He sighed and stripped down to his boxers and scooched up next to her. His hand right hand automatically going to her belly and the other in her hair.
"Tony." Barely a whisper.
"Yes." His barely a whisper too.
"I love you so much." Her voice cracking.
"I know baby, I love you, more than anything. Please don't cry." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "You sleep now."
She rolled over to face him and grabbed his hand to entwine with his with both their hands resting where their baby slept. They laid their looking at each other. He ran his fingers across her face and then kissed her eyes as if he were trying to heal them. She scooted closer and laid her head in the crook of his neck and finally went to sleep.
He felt their baby moving around under his hand. He felt as if he had been in a war zone. He was exhausted from the emotional ordeal and adrenaline of it all. He was worried what affect it had on the baby. He knew she had to be exhausted after this. He hated to see her in that much pain and hurt. It broke his heart to see her crying as she had. He never, ever wanted to see her hurt like that again.
He awoke at about eight that night and found her side of the bed cold. "Pepper….Jarviswhere'sPepper?"
"In the kitchen Sir."
And he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and he rubbed his hand down his face. "Okayyyy."
He found her down stairs eating cucumber and cottage cheese. He stood inside the doorway. "Hey."
She turned to look at him, "Hey." Timidly and looked back down at her food.
He walked up to her and gently took her face in his hands and made her look at him. "Pepper, are you still upset?" He saw her eyes dampen.
"Yes, I'm upset….. I'm upset at myself. I should have trusted that you wouldn't have cheated on me. I know that must have hurt and I'm sorry Tony." Her eyes started to tear up.
"Don't cry. I can't stand to see you cry." He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her and took her hands. "Pepper…..if I would have been in your place and you lived the lifestyle I lived before I stopped being a total ass, I would have thought the same thing. I'm not upset with you and I don't blame you. Quit being so hard on yourself. Who I'm really angry with is that tramp that walked up and tried to grab what she wanted and whoever published that picture. They caused great stress to both of us and I will be suing whomever it was."
She sat there listening to every word he was saying as he held and caressed her hands. He looked down at their hands for a minute. "There are so many people that think I can't be monogamous but I can…because it's you. I've told you before, you are my world Pepper, and that will never change. The moment you walked into my life years ago, I knew there was something special about you. As you started working for me I grew very fond of you and I became very attached to you, besides you being so damn hot."
She squeezed out a little smile.
"I didn't want to do anything that would make you leave because I wanted to keep you around. I still, to this day don't know how you put up with me. You have always been special to me. I fall more and more in love with you every day. I literally cannot live without you. I would not be able to function. I might as well give up the ghost if you left because that would be it. That would be the end of Tony Stark. When I woke up a while ago and you were gone, I thought you were gone,…..gone. You don't ever have to worry about me sleeping around or ever leaving you because it will never happen. So, if you ever, ever see anything like that again in a magazine or on the internet, please, please, do not believe it. Okay? I can't go through something like that again and neither can you."
She put her hands around his neck and pressed her lips to his, lingering with him returning the same. He pulled her to him and they came up for air and went for a second lingering, loving kiss. It wasn't lusty kiss or 'I want sex kiss'. It was a kiss that meant I will be here for you forever kiss or 'I will not let you go kiss.' They were going to be okay.
They pulled apart and held on to each other. His stomach was squeezed up to hers and he felt their baby kick really hard and she jumped a little bit.
He looked at her belly, "That really hurt, didn't it?"
"Ah, kinda." With her hand rubbing her very large baby bump.
"Listen here, little Abigail. You better behave." He laid both hands on her bump and leaned down to kiss it and the baby got very still. "I think she knows my voice."
She does. She settles down when you talk to her. She will know you when she is born by your voice. You just watch. Won't you little Abigail Marie?
Both were counting the days now.