Hey everyone! Here's another chapter! I hope you like it, please let me know! Now that it's getting closer to the end, it also makes me sad. However, I've made my decision. Question to all of you, what were your favourite moments? But not just at all, but a) concerning romance b) the most exciting moment c) the saddest moment d) the best plot twist. Of course you don't have to answer that, but by now, you should all know that I'm terribly curious! :)

I don't own the characters or places!

"I've got it!" Tony exclaimed loudly. "How could I have been this blind?"

"This time the Extremis?" Steve asked and looked up from his book. They were in the lab again, a few days after they'd met Coulson and his team.

Tony grinned. "Yes, I know what we've missed!"

Steve raised his eyebrows. "Will I understand it or would it be better not to ask?"

He hesitated. "Well, let me say it this way. The Extremis has metabolised in a different way than back when Pepper had the same problem. So that's why we've missed a certain substance it formed in the course of -"

"Alright, I get it. Too complicated for me!" Steve interrupted him quickly and Tony laughed.

"You wanted to join me in the lab, Steve." He reminded him.

"I like being here with you." Steve shrugged. "But now that you say it, I should look after Sam and Bucky. They wanted to go to the gym today." He smiled apologetically.

"It's alright, don't worry." Tony smiled slightly. "Now that I know the problem, it won't be difficult to fix it anymore. JARVIS, tell Bruce to come to the lab as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir." Was the simple reply.

"And after that you'll go to LA?" Steve asked.

Tony nodded slowly. "Yes, after that I'll head to LA." He muttered thoughtfully.

On his way to LA, he had an interesting conversation on the phone. Everett Ross had called him from Wakanda. The coronation of T'Challa would be celebrated soon and the Avengers were invited. First, Tony wondered why Ross called him, but when he heard how he spoke of King T'Challa, or just T'Challa, he understood it. He'd already thought that they were very interested in each other back in Vienna and this proved his assumptions.

Tony grinned to himself. Slowly, Wakanda was ending its isolation. And maybe, just maybe their king wouldn't marry someone from their country, but a former CIA agent. He wished them all the luck in the world because they would surely need it.

Suddenly, Tony couldn't wait to see that country in a few weeks.

He found Pepper sitting on the beach outside of their home. She was looking at the water thoughtfully when Tony approached her. He didn't tell her that he would arrive in LA today, he wanted it to be a surprise.

She was so lost in thoughts that she didn't notice Tony sitting down next to her. "It's beautiful." He said and looked at the sunset as well.

Next to him, Pepper stiffened,but when she recognized his voice, she relaxed again. "It is." She agreed, still without looking at him. "You didn't tell me that you'd arrive today."

"I wanted it to be a surprise." He explained and turned to her.

"Well, that worked." She smiled slightly when she glanced at him.

"I've missed you." Tony whispered.

"You already said that on the phone the other day." She noted.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's true." He replied. "I've been an idiot. I think I can't apologize often enough, Pep." He ran a hand through his hair. "I hurt you and I'm sorry. All those things I said have been terribly unfair. And not true at all. I know that we can work this out together. If you want that, of course." He remembered the conversation between Natasha and Bruce he'd heard. That Pepper needed time for herself. Maybe she'd realized that she didn't need him after all?

"Why shouldn't I want this?" She asked. "All I've ever wanted was you." Pepper hesitated. "I won't say that it didn't hurt, because obviously, it did. A lot. First, you've been so happy and then this sudden change of mood... I didn't understand what was wrong."

"I got overwhelmed and I let out all that frustration on you. It was all too much. First Alaska and the events in Sokovia, then the Extremis and the pregnancy..." He shook his head. "When I think of it again, my head still starts spinning." He remembered the events after he'd been captured very well. Ever since he wasn't sleeping next to Pepper anymore, the nightmares were haunting him. It wasn't hard to miss. The dark rings under his eyes wouldn't vanish and he could only sleep with bad dreams when he got himself far too exhausted before. In public, he was always wearing sunglasses, but otherwise, it was hard to miss that something was wrong. The other Avengers were already worried.

"You're not sleeping." Pepper whispered and reached out to touch his cheek. After a few moments of hesitation, she did. "Nightmares?"

He nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked carefully, knowing that he didn't like to talk about such things. In all those years, he'd never told her everything about Afghanistan.

"Not yet." He muttered. "I'll be fine."

"Did you tell the others the same lie? I bet they didn't believe it. Especially Steve, he's your best friend. And Rhodey, of course."

Tony sighed. "This is not about me." He tried to change the subject.

"It is." Pepper argued softly. "It's about both of us. We need to talk if we want to make this work."

"Yes, I dream of it. Every night. Sometimes, I don't even try to sleep." He muttered. "Better?"

The pain on her face made his heart ache. Especially the fact that it was there because of him. "Not at all. I wish I could help you with this."

"You do." He said. "Every time you're with me, it gets better." He ran a hand through his hair again. "It's just another point on the list of things which are haunting me." Tony laughed dryly. "I'll be the best father in the world. Shouldn't we help our children with problems instead of not even being able to deal with our own?"

"You'll be a good father." Pepper argued. "Do you feel like your problems stand in the way when you're with Peter?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Not at all. The kid even helps me to forget them."

"And you think that it will be different with our own child?" Pepper asked and took his hands. "Everything will be fine, Tony. It's alright to be scared."

"How do you know that I'm scared?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I know you." She said simply and smiled slightly. "There's not much you can hide from me."

"I would say nothing." He joked weakly. "You know me so well."

"I'm also scared." Pepper admitted. "That I'll mess this up."

"You could never do that."

"I already thought I did." She didn't look into his eyes. "I thought you were angry at me because of the pregnancy."

"No." He muttered. "Of course not. I could never be angry at you. You surprised me with it, that's true. But it was all about me, not you. All those troubles. I'm sorry that you thought that this was because of you."

"Did you solve the problem with the Extremis?" She asked suddenly.

He nodded. "It was easy, after all. Give me a few more days and I'll be completely fine again."

Her lips twitched and he already expected her to roll her eyes, but it didn't happen. "I knew that you could solve that problem."

"I love you." He whispered before he could stop himself.

"I love you too." This time, her smile was honest. Without thinking about it, he leaned in to kiss her. It was just a short kiss, barely a touch of the lips, but it was enough for now.

"So you want to keep the baby?" She still sounded insecure.

"Of course we will." Tony said simply. "And we still have months to argue about the name."

Pepper chuckled. "And the wedding." She reminded him.

He grinned. "And the wedding." He agreed. "Though I think there won't be too much to argue."

"You know that the baby will be born shortly after that, right?"

He nodded. "That will be scary. I mean, a baby. Can you believe it? That we're starting our own family?"

"You've started your own family a long time ago." Pepper shook her head. "You've also got Rhodey and Happy, the Avengers, Peter..."

"But this is about us." He threw in softly. "Just the both of us, together with our child. That's something different."

She smiled. "But the baby will have many uncles and the best aunt anyway."

Tony laughed when he imagined that. "Many crazy uncles with superpowers, you mean."

"If it will be a girl, the boys won't have it easy when she gets older." Pepper noted.

He raised his eyebrows. "You mean because of me." He stated. "Tony fuckin' Stark, remember?"

This time, Pepper really rolled her eyes. "Remind me why I'm so happy to have you in my life?"

"You love me." This time, he kissed her deeply.

"I do." She whispered when they parted. "More than I ever thought possible."

"That's my line." He complained. "And even after all those years, it still amazes me that there's someone who can love me."

"It's not that difficult." She said. "Maybe a little exhausting sometimes, but it's alright."

He grinned. "You're the strongest woman I know."

"Don't let Natasha hear that." Pepper noted.

He rolled his eyes. "You're not like Nat at all. Luckily."

Pepper smiled. "I've missed you."

He wrapped his arms around her carefully and pulled her close. "Do you know that we're invited to a party in two weeks?"

"We are?"

He nodded. "In Africa."

"The coronation in Wakanda?" Pepper sounded surprised.

"Yeah, well, celebrating it. He's already king. We're all invited, I bet it will be awesome. The first people to see the real Wakanda. Well, with one exception."

"Luckily, I'm not showing yet." Pepper muttered. "Otherwise, I would have to buy clothes first."

He laughed. "You're always beautiful."

"Say that again in a few months."

He kissed her cheek. "My Pepper." He stood up and held out his hand. "Come on, let's go inside. It will get dark soon."

She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. "I already know that you don't just want to go inside because of the darkness." She smiled slightly and there was a gleam in her eyes.

"You know me too well." He muttered.

That night, after nothing else than some kissing, he fell asleep in her arms.