Another non-Friday update! I just can't help it! :D
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I screech into the parking lot to find it's an ambulance. The back doors are wide open, and the EMT's are pushing a gurney through the ground floor entrance.
I scream into a parking space, and jump out of the car. "Who are you here for?!" I demand loudly, following right behind them as they roll through the lobby to the elevator bank. They don't answer, as they barely register I'm there, and keep chattering amongst each other. I see one of them punch the 4th floor button, and I panic.
"Virginia Potts! Number 402? Is it her?! Are you here for her?!" I cry.
One of them looks at me with disdain. "Come on, buddy. We can't tell you that. It's an invasion of privacy," they inform me. The doors ding, and they roll in to the elevator as soon as they open. There is no room for me to join them, and it's doubtful they'd let me anyway, so I lunge at the panel of buttons to call the next one, watching them disappear behind the closing doors.
"Come on, come on!" I mutter, teeth clenched, wriggling with anxiety, as I watch the digital display stay frozen on the top floor for an eon. "Fuck!" I bark, and sprint for the stairwell. I take two at a time, bounding up the eight flights of stairs to Pepper's floor in what's gotta be record time, and yank the access door open. Right about that time, I hear the elevator doors ding at the other end of the hall, and the EMT's come rolling out. They're headed in the direction of Pepper's, and I gasp. "No," I mutter to myself. "Please, no."
I reach her place just before they do, and I start banging on the door wildly.
"Pepper!" I yell. "Come on, baby! Open up! Are you okay? Honey?! Can you hear me?" I'm breathless, and frantic.
The EMT's come up behind me, and I just know, right then, that my worst fear is confirmed. Pepper's in trouble. She's pregnant, and alone, and in trouble, and I am looking like the world's biggest asshole right now.
Then, the guy that spoke to me earlier steps up beside me, and I watch him with wide eyes as he raises his hand and starts knocking. But he's not knocking on Pepper's door. He's knocking on the door next to Pepper's. I look at him, confused, not computing that they aren't, in fact, here for Pepper as I'd assumed. But they're actually here for...
"Tony?!" I hear Pepper exclaim, as I see her door swing open in my peripheral vision. "What on Earth is the matter with you?"
I swivel my head to look at her, and instantly exhale in relief at the sight of her. "Oh my God, you're okay! I thought it was you! I thought they were here for you, and I just happened to..." I gulp and take a big breath to try to calm myself. She's just silent, glaring at me.
I bend over and put my hands on my knees, and take a few more deep breaths. Then I straighten up to look her in the eye again. "Whew! Holy HELL, that scared me to death! I thought they were here because you were hurt, or something happened, or..." I babble.
She purses her lips and narrows her eyes. I stop talking, and just stare blankly at her. "Pepper, we..." I start to say, but then there is a bunch of commotion next door, as the EMT's are let inside by one Mrs. Severson, who's looking a little worse for the wear, and they start talking to her, asking her questions about how she's feeling.
Pepper grabs my hand. "Come on. Come in here," she says hurriedly, pulling me through the doorway, clearly flustered by everything that's going on. I obey, and step inside, and she closes the door behind me. Then she plants herself in front of me, firmly, arms crossed, and eyes blazing.
I swallow hard. "Okay, let me just..." I start cautiously.
"You know, before we go any further, I'd just like to point out that I didn't have to let you in just now. I could have just left you out in the hall..."
"I know, Pepper, and I'm..."
"Looking like a complete nutcase," she finishes snidely.
"...Grateful," I mutter. "That you did let me in, honey."
Pepper raises a pointer finger in warning. "Oh, you do not get to call me honey! Or baby! Or maybe even Pepper, at this point!"
I look at her with dejection. "Really?" I ask. Ouch.
She huffs. "I don't know. I'm still thinking that one over," she replies, looking away.
I watch, silently, not sure of what to do next, when I see her chin start to quiver. She bites her lips together to try to stop it, but then tears spill down her cheeks. I reach for her, but she swiftly steps out of my grasp. "No," she warns, keeping her eyes turned away. "Don't touch me."
So I put my hands on my hips, and look at the floor. The silence between us is deafening. It rings in my ears shrilly, to the point where I don't think I'll even hear the next thing she'll have to say, it's so loud. But I do.
"You left me," she says softly. She sniffs and raises her eyes to look at me, as more bitter tears fall down her face. "I can't believe you left me."
"Only because it was such a shock. And I guess I wasn't as prepared as I thought. But I'm better now," I hurriedly assure her. I raise my hands in surrender, and take a step closer to her. "I swear."
"But you lied, Tony. You lied about everything being fine, about how you'd be happy if the test was positive..."
"I know that it seems like I lied, Pep, but..." I say, trailing off. I huff in frustration. "Truth is, I meant every word. I just didn't know what to do. It was all so sudden."
She gives me a wry smirk. "You don't say," she chides. "I guess I wasn't there, too. Feeling just as freaked out as you were."
I wince. "No, I mean I panicked, and left because I didn't know what else to do, and I just needed a little time to..."
She rolls her eyes again. "Gee, thanks for clearing that up. What a revelation! How would have I ever come to that conclusion without..."
I don't blame her for being angry, but I wish she would just listen. "Pepper, cut me some slack, here! I'm just trying to explain..." I argue.
"Oh, cut you some slack?! You?!" she retorts viciously. "Are you serious, Tony?! I thought you'd really turned a corner, you know? All of this, 'we'll be fine, baby, whatever happens'," she seethes, in a mocking tone. "And then the second reality hits, you run for cover!"
"I wasn't running for cover, Pepper! I was completely stunned! And I needed a minute..."
"Away from me," she finishes. "That's what you mean to say, isn't it. You needed a minute away from me."
I grit my teeth, trying to keep it together. Gotta hand it to Pepper. She always knows what buttons to push. And when. "If you'd let me talk, I was going to say I needed a minute to think," I say in very measured tones.
"About what?!" she cries, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm pregnant, Tony! We're having a baby! What else is there to think about?!"
I scoff in disbelief that she is being so simplistic. "Actually, there's a lot to think about, Pepper! Okay?! And in case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly the best parental specimen!" I bark back. I throw my hands up in the air, now, too. "I mean, Christ almighty! What example do I have to follow, huh?! Teaching him how to ride a bike, or tie his shoes, I'm lost. But if you need me to show him how to mix a mean Martini, or adjust the axis on a hydraulic rotary joint, I'm your man!"
She huffs. "Wow. You are...unbelievable," she says, shaking her head back and forth.
I work my jaw. "Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately," I reply coolly.
Pepper frowns. "What are you talking about?" she asks.
I purse my lips. Shit,I think. "I...kinda...told Rhodey that you're..." I impishly start to admit.
Her eyes widen. "You told Rhodey?! Already?!" she chirps.
"Yes!" I say defiantly. "He is my best friend! So I told him what happened between us last night, and..."
"He said you were unbelievable," she replied knowingly. "Yeah, you mentioned that."
"Worse. He called me a dumbass," I replied, to which Pepper burst out laughing.
"It's not funny," I said, pouting.
"Oh, I beg to differ," she argued, looking at me with a sardonic smirk. "And remind me to hug him next time I see him? Maybe I should just go have this baby with him, instead. At least then it would be with someone who's emotionally mature, and not going to tell me he's fine when he's so clearly not."
I grouse at her. "That's not funny, either," I reply.
"I wasn't joking," she counters, cocking an eyebrow. She straightens her posture, and tosses her hair behind her, squaring her shoulders. She glowers at me. "So, are we done here?" she pointedly asks.
I look at her in complete bemusement. "Done? You're asking me if we're done here?" I parrot. "No, we're not done here! I haven't had a chance to explain myself yet! Somebody keeps interrupting me!"
"Fine!" Pepper yelps. "Explain your insensitive..."
"Yeah, I was getting to that..."
"Immature."
"Right. So..."
"Ridiculous...insensitive,"
"You said that one already," I point out flatly.
"Shut up! I'm trying to make a point here!" she spouts. But she stops talking.
I look at her expectantly. "And that point is..." I urge.
Her chest heaves. "Oh, who gives a damn what my point is. You'll just turn right around and walk out, anyway," she says, before swiveling around on her heels and marching toward the bedroom, away from me.
I'm stunned at her words, so I watch her walk away for a moment. And then I snap out of it, and go after her. "Pepper, wait!" I call out to her, but its too late. She's shut herself in the bathroom, and locked the door.
I jiggle the door handle, and knock repeatedly. "Damn it, Pepper. Open the goddamn door," I grumble.
"I heard that!" Pepper shouts from inside.
"Good! 'Cause this is ridiculous!" I shout back. I slam the palm of my hand against it, rattling it loudly, but it's futile. I growl in frustration, and then take a step back, hands on hips, to take a deep breath and cool my jets a little. "Pepper, come on. Why can't we just talk?" I plead, after a moment.
"Oh, now you wanna talk!" she retorts.
"Yeah! I do!" I state.
"Yet, I had to sit here. Alone," she says, her voice faltering. "When I needed to talk to you." There's a long pause, for what I can only imagine is her trying to get her composure back. I frown. I hate it when she cries. Especially when it's because of me. I turn around and put my back to the door, slowly sliding down it to sit on the floor. I rock my head back against it, and listen for any signs of life on the other side. I can hear her sniffling and softly weeping.
I scrub a hand over my face, and sigh exasperatedly. "I know, Pepper. And I'm sorry," I say. "Honestly. If I could go back to yesterday, I never would have left."
After a few moments, I sense movement from inside the bathroom.
I hear her speak again. "I'm scared, too, you know," she says. Her voice is obviously still muffled, but considerably closer than it was before. She's right on the other side of the door, now. "But we have each other to lean on. Or at least I thought we did," she says glumly.
I close my eyes. I'm a schmuck. I'm a schmuck, I'm a schmuck, I'm a schmuck, I think to myself. "We do, Pep," I assure her. "I promise you. Nothing's changed between us."
I stop talking, and she remains silent.
Here's your in! So plead your case, schmuck. It's now or never, if you even want to see her again, I goad myself.
So I take a deep breath. "Pepper, you were the most important person in my life until yesterday. Now, I'm afraid you'll have to share the spot light with Junior, there." I smile in spite of myself, and continue. "Baby, I can't wait to meet the life we've created. I'm blown away by how fast it's all happened, yes, but..." I pause trying to find the right words. "But I'm ecstatic none the less. All I want to do now is take care of you guys. And give you both the life you deserve. I know. It sounds funny coming from me, but..."
I hear her turn the knob and the door starts to give way. I sit up and swivel around to look at her. I've come up on one knee and she's standing over me, her eyes red. She takes a couple of steps near me, and rests her hands on my shoulder, her eyes hopeful. And I can't help it. I wrap my arms around her middle and rest my head on her stomach. "I'm sorry," I whisper. I close my eyes. "I'm sorry I'm such a schmuck. And a pussy. I'm sorry I left, and that you were here by yourself," I confess.
She chuckles, and runs her fingers through my hair. "That was pretty schmuck-y," she jokes. I raise my head to look up at her. She smiles. "But I know you want to be a part of this."
"You do?" I ask meekly.
She smiles again, and nods. "I've always known. It just took you a while to know it, too, I think. You're a good man, Tony Stark. Better than you give yourself credit for. You just get in your own way, sometimes."
I nod in agreement. "I know, baby. Believe me. I do," I assure.
"I know you do," Pepper says. "And as frustrating as it is to have to watch you trip over yourself, I always know you'll eventually see your mistake. And you'll try your damndest to fix it."
I smile. "It wasn't always that way," I remind her.
She moves to sit on my knee and wrap her arms around my neck. I take her into my arms. She pecks my lips, and it's the greatest feeling in the world. A wave of relief rushes over me. She breaks the kiss, and moves to whisper into my ear. "That's the past," she says. "This is now. And that's all that matters."
I close my eyes for a moment, relishing her sweet words. And then I pull back to look into her eyes. "When I saw that ambulance outside, it scared me to death. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself for leaving you alone if something bad happened after I'd left."
"Well, it didn't. So you're off the hook," she teases, smiling.
I chuckle, and then feign seriousness. "Yeah, but my other girlfriend is the one being carted away, it looks like," I remark. "Remind me to send flowers."
Pepper laughs, which makes me laugh. "Oh, poor Mrs. Severson," she says, shaking her head pitifully.
"Yeah. Karma's a bitch," I say, and Pepper smacks my shoulder.
"Tony! That's awful! You shouldn't say that!" she says, with a smirk.
I shrug. "All I'm saying is, you can't go through life being nasty. That just doesn't pay off." I nod toward the wall Pepper shares with the old bat. "Clearly," I finish.
Pepper purses her lips, and looks at me in thought. "My, my. Sage advice. Sounds like you've learned a thing or two in recent years," she muses.
"Only because of you," I coo. Then I teeter-totter my head from side to side. "And some unpleasantness that happened in Afghanistan. But we don't need to rehash all of that."
Pepper giggles again, and kisses my lips. I move to scoop her up in my arms, and stand up. She squeaks in surprise, but keeps kissing me as I carry her to the bed, and gently lay her down. I then lay down beside her and cup her face, pulling back to look at her. She smiles at me lovingly.
"Much better," I murmur, gazing back at her.
"Mmmmm hmmm," she agrees.
I break my gaze to look down at my hand, as I clasp hers, interlacing our fingers. She watches too, and then looks back up at me. "What a crazy last couple of days, huh?" I comment. "Thanks for not dumping me."
She chuckles. "Thanks for not leaving for good," she replies.
I smile, but then work my jaw in thought. "Never," I say, looking at her with great consideration. "I'm never leaving you. You have my word, Pepper."
She smiles coyly. "Good to know," she teases.
I smile at her teasing me. Then I let go of her hand, and sit up, shifting down to plant a kiss on her belly. She watches, gently laying a hand on my head and stroking my hair. I raise my eyes to look back up at her, and give her a grateful smile. "But most of all, thank you for this," I say, pointing to the baby. She grins, and I lay my hand over her stomach. I look at it for a moment, in thought, and then look at her again. She watches me, smiling lovingly, and lays her hand over mine.
"No, thank you," she says, looking deeply into my eyes.
I looked at her in curiosity. "You mean it? You're not wondering how you ever let a schmuck like me knock you up?" I joke.
Pepper laughs. "Well, there is that," she jokes back.
I gasp at the jab she takes at me, and chuckle.
"But you're my schmuck," she finishes. "So, you know. We're good."
I chuckle again, and move back down beside her."You're damn right, I'm your schmuck," I purr, and she giggles. Then I wrap her in my arms, and we start to melt into one another. I can feel the burn of our desire ignite as we start to make out. All I want right now is to make love to her, slow and deep. I want to feel every inch of her body against mine, just to put a seal on our love again. We might squabble, and fight, and do dumb stuff to each other ( or I might do dumb stuff to her, more like), but we always come back to center. She somehow keeps hope alive that I'll try to make amends. And I try to make it right, in return. Like I said, it wasn't always that way, God knows. And, yes, what happened in Afghanistan changed my life forever, obviously. But you know what? I could easily slip back into old ways if it wasn't for one thing- her. She's what makes me want to be a better man. And as long as she's around, I'll never stop that pursuit. She's perfect for me. Especially now, more than ever.
