"Rhodey, do you ever wonder why it's called 'practicing the law?'" Tony asked, his eyes focused on something only he could see.
"No, I don't," his friend replied, an amused smile on his face.
"I mean, it's like when doctors perform surgery. Are lawyers actually musicians and surgeons actors? All the world's a stage… Are we all just puppets, or is there some actually some point to life?"
"I think you've had too much to drink," Rhodey said, taking the glass away from Tony and placing it out of the billionaire's reach.
"Seriously though, who comes up with these things? I mean, who was it who said we park in a driveway and drive in a parkway? It doesn't make sense. The world should be logical, but it isn't."
"That's enough buddy, you're starting to get looks," Rhodey said, glancing at the nearby patrons openly indulging their curiosity about the famous Tony Stark.
"Like it would be logical for parents to be able to stay with their kid. Instead, here I am, getting drunk twice a week because-"
At this point Rhodey clamped his hand over his friend's mouth. "Alright, that's definitely enough. Let's get you home, Tony."
"But I'm not drunk yet," Tony protested weakly, letting himself be let outside.
Rhodey stared at him. "I think you are."
"Really? Oh. Maybe I am. You're a real pal, platypus."
The Air Force pilot rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Tony."
"I wonder what Pepper's doing now?" the genius murmured, slurring his words slightly.
"Hopefully not getting drunk to high heaven."
-CTS-
"I swear this was easier the first time," Pepper said, panting and squeezing her mother's hand.
"The first time you were only having one child," Mrs. Potts said from her position next to Pepper's hospital bed. "And even then it took over ten hours of active labor. The second child's usually easier, but I doubt it'll be in this case. You can always take up the doctor's offer of some drugs to numb the pain."
Pepper scowled. "You know how I feel about that. I'm having another natural birth."
"Yes, dear, I know."
"You're doing great, Ginny," the nurse at Pepper's feet reassured them. "You're six centimeters dilated, so you still have some time to go."
"Only six?!"
"I know," he said. "Giving birth can take a while, but it's best to let nature run its course."
Pepper groaned at the reminder. "I wish nature had made this less painful."
"Honey," Mrs. Potts said, clearly trying to distract her daughter, "are you sure you don't want to notify the father? Even if he won't be an active parent, he should still know about the birth of his children."
"I'm sure, Mom," she said, panting as the contraction ended. "I already know what he'll say. Besides, I doubt he'd take my call in the first place."
"Okay. Would you like me to check on Tony and your father?" her mother asked.
"Yes please. I'm sure Tony Jr. is wondering where his mom is and what's taking so long."
"I'll go give the boys an update and come right back," she said, patting her daughter's hand reassuringly.
"Thanks, Mom."
-CTS-
"Alright, Tones, down you go," Rhodey said, lowering the genius onto Tony's couch before taking a seat himself.
"I went to church again, you know," Tony said, his words slurring as he sunk more firmly into the couch. "I did the mass thing. Years ago, I went once with her and her parents. I thought going again might help."
It was all too clear who Tony meant by "her." However, Rhodey had a different question. "Help with what?" he asked.
"The loneliness. I miss her. I visited her a few months ago when she graduated from Harvard."
"You did what? Tony!" Rhodes stared at his friend, an incredulous expression on his face.
"Yeah, that was kinda her reaction too. Well, after we slept together. I woke up the next morning and everything felt right. But she threw me out." His voice quavered at the end, and he turned sideways to burrow into the cushions. "Rhodey, she threw me out."
"I would have too if you'd done that to me. You decided it was in her best interest to leave her."
"I know," Tony mumbled. "But I can't stand it. I can't stand the loneliness."
"You do realize I'm sitting next to you, right?"
"You don't count."
"Way to make me feel loved, Tones," Rhodes said.
"You're Rhodey. You're my best friend, not my girlfriend. Besides, the Air Force owns your ass. You can't do anything fun and you're always gone."
"I know. I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay. I'm used to it. At least I've got my robots."
Rhodey turned away so his friend couldn't see his melancholic expression. In the awkward silence that followed, he said, "So, uh, tell me about your 'mass thing.'"
"It wasn't my mass thing. I wasn't the one running it. A priest was."
"I know, just tell me more about it."
"What do you want to know? It was mass. A priest said some words, people prayed together, and stuff happened." Tony laughed cheerlessly. "Pepper wasn't there to tell me about everything, so it was all really confusing. I just did what everyone else did. Sitting, standing, kneeling. Holding hands. I still don't believe in God and stuff, but I thought the tradition of it all would help. It's a religion that's survived thousands of years. A lot of people go to church once a week. They believe in all that stuff despite there being no proof of anything. No proof there's this being out there that loves and cares for them. Yet they believe anyway.
"You know," he continued in a slightly different tone, "a lot of religious people are assholes. But the people at that church didn't seem like assholes. And my mom wasn't." Tony slumped even further into couch, pressing his face down against the cushion. He mumbled, "My mom believed in that stuff and told me about it. I forgot about that until now. She was a good person. She was there for me when she could. Parents shouldn't leave their kids. But then she died. It wasn't her fault. What even is unconditional love?"
Rhodey ran his hand comfortingly over his friend's back. "I think you understand a lot better than most people," he said.
Snores greeted his words.
-CTS-
"Things are looking great, Virginia," the doctor said. "You're fully dilated and it's time. When your next contraction hits, I want you to start pushing."
"Okay, okay, I can do this," Pepper said, attempting to psyche herself up.
And soon enough, ten minutes later they heard the cries of the first baby. After the nurse cleaned the child off, he announced, "It's a girl!"
Pepper smiled. "Ginevra Potts. That's her name."
"Naming her after you?" her mom asked, smiling.
"Ginevra's a good name. Besides, if I was really naming her after me, I'd call her Virginia. But Ginevra's a pretty name; I like it."
What Pepper didn't add was that even though he wasn't present now at the births of their second and third children, Tony deserved to be acknowledged in some way. She couldn't think of anything more suitable than honoring his suggestion from years ago, back during Tony Jr.'s birth. Although Tony may have been partly joking, she felt it was fair to respect his suggestion of naming their next children after her.
When the next child was born and turned out to be a girl as well, Pepper smiled. Although another boy would have great too, a second girl made her choice of a name even easier. "Pepper Potts," she said.
Her mother smiled, although she looked somewhat puzzled. "Pepper? Not something more traditional?"
"If anyone asks, it's for Pepper Adams, the jazz musician. But really, I just want someone to have the name. I like it and miss hearing it every day."
"If you'd prefer," Mrs. Potts began hesitantly, "I can call you 'Pepper' instead of 'Ginny.'"
"No thanks," Pepper said, smiling. "I appreciate the gesture, but-"
She paused as the nurse carefully handed her the infants, both wrapped warmly in blankets. Pepper continued, gazing at her daughters' faces, "-but I think Ginevra and Pepper go well together. It's also the name their father knew me by."
Pepper wasn't looking at her mom, but if she had she would have seen the strange look in Mrs. Potts' eyes, having correctly guessed the infants' father.