Okay first of all I'm terribly sorry for the long, long wait for this update. I've been doing heaps of other stuff, and to be honest, suffering a little writers block. I do plan on continuing this story despite it seeming like I've kinda abandoned it. If any of you could send me some ideas or things you'd like to read about, I'd really appreciate it. I plan on going into the Avengers now, but I really would like some ideas to fuel my writing. I'm doing creative writing major works for school right now, so my creativity is so drained, I really need some ideas. Anyway, thanks and sorry for the wait.
One year later...
When Tony Stark wants something built, it's amazing how fast it gets done. Over a year after Tony first pitched the idea of Stark Tower to Pepper, it was not far from being complete. There was plenty more to be done, but so far it was coming along better than expected, and within a month or two, Stark Tower would be finished, apart from the final touches Tony wanted to apply himself.
The family visited the tower regularly now, staying for a few days up to a week while work was being done. Pepper couldn't believe how proud Tony was of how it turned out. She was happy for him since this whole idea was his and it had proved to be a big success with Stark Industries already setting up conferences to work on the zoning for even more towers across the country and, eventually, internationally.
Pepper noticed how different it was now having kids when they went somewhere other than home for a longer period of time since the tower was already littered with toys and all sort of objects that Abby and Lucas brought along with them to entertain themselves while Pepper and Tony worked.
''Mama!'' Lucas yelled from the other side of the room. ''It's gone!''
Pepper turned around and walked over, a handful of papers in her hand as she paused signing them.
''What is?''
''Bunny...bunny's gone.'' his bottom lip trembled.
Pepper picked up her eighteen month old son, looking around the room. ''Well he can't have gotten far.''
As they searched the main room of the tower on the top floor where they spend most of their time, the elevator soon opened up to reveal Tony and Abby walking hand-in-hand back into the room. Abby was carrying a big lollipop that they'd picked up on their journey through New York to find whatever it was Tony was looking for, and the sibling drama started immediately.
''I want lollipop!'' Lucas whined.
''This is mine!'' Abby argued back when Lucas reached for hers. ''Stop it!''
''Hey, hey,'' Tony walked over, pulling the two apart. ''You've got one too Luke.''
Lucas watched intently as Tony pulled another lollipop out of his pocket, unwrapping and handing it to his son. Lucas smiled in appreciation before taking the treat and forgetting about the search for his bunny toy.
''Happens every time you get one of them something.'' Pepper shook her head with amusement.
''But I'm always prepared.''
Pepper rolled her eyes, walking back over to the couch and signing some more papers. She had spent most of her day reading through them, double-checking as she knew Tony wouldn't.
''Did you get what you were looking for?'' she asked with a yawn. ''Wait, what was it you were looking for?''
Tony shrugged his shoulders. ''Nothing in particular.''
Pepper looked over to him. ''Not that hot-dog place again?''
''Pepper, I can't find it anywhere! I swear it's still here somewhere.'' he argued in his defense. ''I've looked everywhere.''
''Wow,'' she shook her head. ''I'm sitting here signing these papers and you're out looking for hot-dogs.''
Tony looked around guiltily. ''I was going to bring you back one. And I signed all the documents I needed to before I even left.''
''Luke! Mom! Luke's throwing stuff at me!'' Abby yelled. ''Stop it!''
Pepper sighed and looked over to Tony. ''You gave them the sugar, you deal with it.''
Tony nodded his head guiltily and walked over to his kids, knowing Pepper had a point. Sugar was their downfall, and it was always Tony who gave it to them.
''Jarvis, anything important for me while I was gone?'' Tony called out, walking into his workshop.
''As usual sir, anything important has been sent to you while you were in New York.''
''Right, so a whole bunch of nothing.''
''Actually sir, there were a number of government notices-''
''Like I said, nothing.'' Tony clapped his hands with a sigh. ''No Fury business? No SHIELD check-ups? Wow, must be a good week.''
Lately, Tony had been noticing a lot more involvement on SHIELD's part in his life. He had the most advanced security system on everything and it had been picking up trackers and bugs from SHIELD trying to get to his information, but as usual, Tony stopped them before they got too close, prompting him to get into contact with Fury himself.
Director Fury was not the most pleasant man and Tony didn't really trust him since he was always so secretive about everything, even if it involved the people he was hiding it from. However, he was in charge of SHIELD, and there was no avoiding having to deal with him. He was the one who gave Tony the resources to save his own life when he had palladium poisoning, and he made sure Tony got out of trouble when they had to deal with the fallout, but nothing would make Tony trust him.
''Tony, we're going now.'' Pepper walked into the room with Lucas in her arms and Abby by her side.
''Oh right, girls day.'' Tony remembered, taking his son from Pepper's arms. ''Have fun, I know we will, won't we buddy?''
''Uh huh! We play, daddy!'' Lucas smiled.
''As long as it's not in the workshop, you can play all day.'' Pepper kissed her son's cheek before moving over to kiss Tony. ''I mean it, workshop's off limits.''
''But Pep-''
''No buts.'' Pepper shook her head. ''You know the rules. Just because we've been gone a few days doesn't change it.''
Tony huffed. ''Fine. Guess we'll go play something less...dangerous.''
Pepper and Tony had always had the rule of not having the kids in the workshop when things were dangerous, and since Tony's suit was under repairs and upgrades were laying about, Lucas wasn't allowed in there.
''Bye daddy,'' Abby waved before chasing her mother out of the room, running up the the door where Happy was waiting to take them for their day together.
With working so much and taking care of Lucas, Pepper had vowed to make a day each week where her and Abby would spend the day together. She knew how important it was the be close to your daughter, and she didn't want Abby ever feeling like Pepper was too busy for her. This meant Tony also had his own bonding day with Lucas, and every time Pepper came home, Lucas was always fast asleep after a day of sugar-fueled fun with his dad.
''Well...I guess we could go somewhere...'' Tony thought out loud before a smile spread across his face. ''I know, we can go pay someone a much needed visit.''
Abby held onto Pepper's hand as they walked into a little coffee shop outside of town, looking around the quiet room at a few people sitting at their tables. They walked over to the back corner where there was a woman and a small baby in her arms, smiling as Pepper and Abby approached.
''Aunt Sarah!'' Abby beamed, rushing over.
Sarah put her arm around the little girl and kissed her forehead as she greeted her, doing the same as Pepper walked over as well. The baby in her arms was no more than six months old and Sarah rocked her in her arms lovingly.
''How's little Cooper?'' Pepper asked, smiling at the little baby boy.
Sarah grinned down at him in her arms. ''Still perfect, just like his daddy.''
Pepper could see the resemblance Cooper had to his father, it was undeniable he was Rhodey's little boy from his big brown eyes and gorgeous smile, but she could also see how he had Sarah's features as well, he was the perfect mix of both his parents. Sarah was a wonderful mother, just as Pepper expected, and she was so in love with her son, just as Pepper was with her own kids.
''Can I hold Cooper?'' Abby asked, sitting up at her chair.
Sarah carefully placed the baby in Abby's arms, noticing how cautious and gentle the four year old was being. She loved holding her little cousin and watching him smile, and Sarah loved that Abby didn't feel any jealously, at least not yet anyway. Sarah had been her aunt for a long time now and they would always do fun things together and play around, she was glad that wasn't gone.
''And how's Lucas?'' Sarah asked as she sipped her iced tea.
''He's great, so's Tony. As we speak, they're enjoying their boys day...which I'm scared of returning to really.'' she chuckled. ''Tony had this way of bringing out the wildest side in both of them, the house is always a mess when I get home.''
Sarah laughed with her. ''Well, I guess I can expect the exact same from my boys when Cooper gets a little older.''
''And then he can come play with me and Luke.'' Abby suggested.
''You bet Ab, he'll love playing with you guys.''
Tony pulled Lucas into his arms from the car and walked inside the military zone, thinking about Pepper's reaction if she knew he had brought their son here. Rhodey was monitoring everything in the aircraft warehouse for the day, and everything was safe, so hopefully Pepper would see his justification.
''Can you see him anywhere?'' Tony asked Lucas, looking around the huge room filled with air crafts and cadets.
''Rhodey!'' Lucas reached his arm out, pointing over to his uncle who was walking around looking rather bored.
Tony smiled as Rhodey spotted them, walking over with a surprised look on his face. Lucas grinned at one of his favorite people nearing them, and he was immediately mesmerized by his badge he was wearing.
''Shiny,'' he reached out to it.
''You like it buddy?'' Rhodey asked, taking the clip off and attaching it to his shirt. ''There you go, you can be in charge for the day.''
''Rough day at the office?'' Tony asked, noticing Rhodey's bored attitude.
''Useless day at the office. I'm basically baby-sitting these crafts, there's no need for me to be here.'' he sighed. ''When did you get back?''
''Yesterday. New York was starting to get on my nerves, figured we'd come home for a while.''
Rhodey chuckled. ''Still can't find that hot dog place?''
''I swear to god, I've looked everywhere.'' he shook his head with disappointment. ''I'll find it next time for sure.''
''When are you going again?''
''Maybe a week, I don't know, never really plan it.''
''We miss you 'round here,'' Rhodey told him sincerely. ''Sarah and Coop, it's weird when you guys aren't over or we're not over there. You know he's crawling a bit now, it's...it's terrifying.''
Tony had noticed Rhodey had been a lot more open with him since Cooper was born, and he relied heavily on Tony for advice on how to raise his son. Rhodey was scared about most things concerning being a parent, and Tony helped him through it. With the Stark Tower being built in New York, Rhodey was left without his best friend, and without his moral support.
''Wait 'til he starts walking,'' Tony laughed. ''that's when it's really terrifying.''
''I still don't know what I'm doing man,'' Rhodey shook his head. ''I shouldn't be here looking around a big room of jets, I should be with my kid and my wife. When I took on this job, I never thought I'd have a family and now that I do...I don't know what to do. I thought after Cooper was born I'd have it figured out, maybe a few months later, but it's been six months Tony, and I'm still here.''
Tony looked down at his own son and remembered feeling the exact same way when Abby was born, and even before it. Nothing else mattered but them, and whenever he was out being Iron Man or at Stark Industries doing something, he couldn't help feeling guilty that he wasn't there with them. It had taken a long time to realize that what he was feeling was normal, but he would always feel bad whenever he was away from either of them, as well as Pepper.
''It will get easier, trust me.'' Tony gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. ''I know what it's like, that feeling, but it does get easier, sort of. Sarah knows you're doing all this for them, and I bet the best part of Cooper's day is when you walk in the door in the afternoon. I know it's hard, but you're a great father, okay? Don't doubt yourself on that. Your pilot skills maybe, but not your skills as a father.'' he joked.
Rhodey smirked at his teasing. ''You know you're good at that, you should do it more often.''
''Do what?''
''Not be a dick-'' he looked at Lucas in Tony's arms and corrected what he was saying. ''...tator.''
Tony chuckled. ''Yeah, I'm told I'm not so bad at it when I try not to be a dictator.''
''Well I gotta get back to...doing nothing I guess, it was good to see you.'' Rhodey smiled.
''Right, well how about you, Sarah and Cooper come 'round tonight. Pepper's on a cooking high and well, we miss you guys too.''
Rhodey nodded his head. ''Yeah, uh, sounds good, we'll be there.''
Tony nodded his head and after Lucas gave his badge back, sadly, they left and headed back home. Tony couldn't believe how much had changed within the course of just one year. He had a tower being built in New York, his best friend was a father, and life seemed like it couldn't get any better. Somehow though, in the back of Tony's mind, he worried. It wasn't like his life to run smoothly, and he knew something was coming soon that would change everything, but for the time being, he just went with it.