Summary: Morgan is having trouble sleeping.
"Mommy?"
For the second night in a row, Pepper woke up to the voice of her five-year old daughter.
"Morgan? It's four in the morning."
The redhead sat up, rubbing her eyes. Morgan stood timidly next to the bed, hugging her stitched-up Iron Man doll to her chest. It was dark, but it was easy to see how nervous the little girl seemed.
"Sorry to wake you up again, Mommy."
"Don't apologize. Simply tell me why," Pepper said softly.
"I... I had a nightmare." She fiddled with the arm of her doll. "It scared me." She shuffled backwards. "Sorry, I'll go back to bed."
Pepper reached over and turned the bedside lamp on, and immediately saw what the moonlight had failed to reveal—a wet layer of tears covering her daughter's cheeks.
"Did you dream about Daddy?"
Morgan nodded, sniffling, and Pepper heaved a deep sigh, her chest rising up then falling. She blinked, her heart hammered, remembering all the times when she had had nightmares about Tony. Sometimes she still had them.
"Come here, sweetheart," she said, flipping back the covers and patting the mattress. "I am already awake and there is more than enough room in the bed for you."
Morgan's ears perked tentatively, then she crept to the bed, crawling on top and snuggling against her mother, her doll still cuddled to her chest.
Pepper turned off the lights and pulled the summer duvet up around them. She kissed the top of Morgan's head, once, twice, a hundred times. The feel of holding her daughter filled her heart with warmth, like the very first time she held her. That feeling would never go away. She still couldn't believe she and Tony had created such a beautiful, living thing.
"You know Daddy's just on his camping trip with your uncles. You don't have to be scared, baby," she whispered against her hair. "He'll be back on Monday, safe and sound."
"You promise?"
"I promise," Pepper answered, running a hand over Morgan's head while she rubbed her back with the other. "And you can wake me up anytime. Even if you have more than one bad dream a night."
"Really?" The girl tilted her head to look up at her mother.
"Yes, honey," Pepper said, smiling. "I will never be mad at you or send you back to bed, because I love you. And I love being your mommy, and you know what that means?"
Morgan shook her head.
"It means I will always, always be there for you, day and night, whenever you need me." She traced her finger down her daughter's jawline with a warm smile. "Just like Daddy."
"Daddy's not here now."
Pepper laughed softly. "That's right. But, you know, sometimes parents need a little time away from their kids to recharge their batteries. And doing grown-up stuff really helps with that." A frown crinkled Morgan's forehead, and Pepper chuckled. "Maybe I should explain this to you some other time, when you're well rested."
"Can we do grown-up stuff?"
"What do you mean?"
"I wanna go camping."
"With your daddy and me?"
The toddler briefly stared at her stitched-up Iron Man doll, thinking about her father. Then she glanced back at her mother, shaking her head.
"No, you."
Pepper's face lit up with delighted surprise. "Only with me?"
"Yes."
"I would love to go camping with you," she said, smiling.
Throwing her arms around her mother, Morgan hugged her fiercely, and Pepper nuzzled her hair, breathing in her young-girl smells of vanilla oil and strawberry-scented conditioner. She emitted a soft chuckle, thinking of the time when Morgan had wanted to know if she hated strawberries because she was allergic to them.
She had told her she didn't, that she in fact loved the smell of them, and she wished she could taste them. Then Morgan had admitted that strawberries were her favorite fruit. She'd wondered if it made her mother sad when she used strawberry-scented products for her hair—she called it 'washing her hair with strawberries.' I don't want you to be sad when you smell my hair, she'd explained, and Pepper had been smitten with her daughter's sensitive and empathetic ways. Her answer was simple: Not even strawberries could keep her away from her child.
"Why are you laughing, Mommy?" Morgan asked, her voice muffled against Pepper's chest.
"I was just thinking of the day when we talked about strawberries... When you asked me if I hated them, and if you could still use strawberry shampoo or conditioner for your hair. Do you remember that?"
"I love strawberries."
"I know," Pepper said, giggling.
"You have a favorite fruit?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe mangos?"
"And Daddy?"
"I have never asked your father what his favorite fruit is, and I still haven't managed to figure it out. Should we ask him?"
Morgan's head shot up suddenly.
"He's probably already asleep, but we can try to reach him. Maybe he'll pick up."
The little girl sat up. Her eyes were shining and she was bubbling over with excitement.
Switching on the bedside lamp, Pepper grabbed her phone and called her husband, and it didn't take long for Tony to pick up. He looked sleepy, hair tousled, and he yawned loudly, rubbing his tired eyes. There was the sound of snoring in the background.
"Why are you calling? Is everything okay? Did anything happen? Is Morgan okay? Are you okay?"
"We're fine," she said with a chuckle. "Did I wake you?"
"No, not really," Tony mumbled. "D'you hear that? The last few days I've been trying to think of a way to stop that man from sawing logs, but now I'm tempted to just suffocate him in his sleep."
Pepper laughed, then she smiled at him. "I miss you," she told him. "But I'm glad you're having fun."
"Not as much fun as I could have being in bed with you," he quipped, holding the phone closer to his face so Pepper would definitely be able to see the look in his eyes—she did.
"I'm not alone, honey," she replied, smirking.
"Oh..." he muttered. "So then, where's my Maguna?"
He could hear her giggling, but she was burying her face against Pepper's chest. So Tony called out for her, stretching the A at the end of her nickname, and her soft giggles turned into laughter. When Morgan finally looked right into the camera, nestling her head on her mother's bosom, he smiled.
"There you are."
"Hi, Daddy!"
She smiled at her father, her fingers carefully skimming the phone's screen as though she wanted to touch Tony's face. Stroking Morgan's hair, Pepper bent down to kiss the top of her head while Tony watched with an even bigger smile on his face, and a heart full of love. She was such a great mother.
"So you're in Mommy's bed?"
He looked back at his daughter, and she nodded.
"Had another nightmare?"
Her head moved slowly, nodding.
"Oh, Morgan..." He sighed deeply. "Look at me, I'm alive. I'm okay. And you really don't have to worry about me, like, at all, because Daddy's having a really great time in the woods." Holding his prosthetic arm into the camera, Tony grinned. "Caught the biggest fish with this thing today. I should show you. You know, I did this, and then I wrestled the beast like this, and then..."
Watching her father make all those silly grimaces and gestures, as he told her about his encounter with the fish, Morgan started giggling.
"Who needs a fishing rod when you can catch a fish with your bare hands? It was amazing!"
"We get it... You're a hero," Pepper mocked him, smirking.
He smirked back at her. Seeing her face through the phone always reminded him of how much it sucked not to be able to touch her. He loved going on these camping trips with the guys, but he never stopped thinking about his girls.
"I miss you, Daddy," Morgan said, her voice filled with a hint of sadness.
"I miss you too, my sweet child. But I'll be home soon. And you should go back to sleep. It's way past your bedtime. Listen to your mama."
"Your daughter's got a question for you and I'm sure she can't sleep until you've given her an answer."
"What is it?"
"Your favorite fruit," Morgan said.
"You wanna know what my favorite fruit is?"
She nodded.
"That's easy... Your mother's delicious—"
"Tony!" Pepper glared at her husband, warning him to not even think about finishing that sentence.
"What?" Morgan wondered.
"You know, your mom loves bananas, and the bigger the better. She likes to peel the banana and then eat it."
Tony looked at Pepper, his eyes telling her that he was allowed to have a little fun. It had been three days without her. Two nights in a cozy tent without her, to snuggle up to, to touch and make love to. And now she called him, in the middle of the night, looking all sexy, with her hair tousled from sleep and a loose shirt that had slipped off her shoulder at one side, exposing parts of her breast.
"Do you know that your mother can take a banana all the way up into her mouth?"
Pepper hated that he was so funny. She was trying so hard to keep a straight face. "Will you please just answer her question?" she said, laughing.
Tony chuckled, then focused on his daughter again—she was already starting to think that her mother may love bananas more than mangoes after all.
"To be honest, Morgan, I haven't really thought about it, so I'm not entirely sure. But here's an idea... When I'm home, I'm going to taste every fruit that exists in the world and then tell you which one I like most. Is that cool? We can do it together. Maybe there is something that you love even more than strawberries."
"No."
"No, there is not, or no, you don't like my idea?" Tony frowned.
"I love strawberries most."
"Strawberries are the best!"
"Was that Happy?" Pepper asked confused.
"Yes, that was me," Happy said.
"Yes, that's him," Tony answered.
"Hey, Uncle Happy!" Morgan shouted, waving her hand, as his figure appeared on camera.
"Hey, squirt!"
"Begone, snoring beauty! Let me see my daughter," Tony complained, pushing him away gently. "Go sleep."
"I would, if you'd finally stop talking," he grunted. "'Though I don't think I can sleep with that haunting image now inside my head."
"What image?"
"Pepper… bananas… her mouth?" Happy screwed up his face in disgust. "I can only hope I don't dream about it."
"I hope I do," Tony said, cackling.
"Oh God!" Pepper let out, smiling apologetically at Morgan who seemed more confused than ever. "I think this is the moment where we should leave you two alone. Come on, say goodnight to your daddy, sweetie."
Kissing the screen of Pepper's phone, Morgan told Tony she loved him. He blew her a kiss, wishing her sweet dreams. Then he looked at his wife, giving her one of those smiles that he knew would make her instantly smile back. He loved when her smile was the last thing he saw before closing his eyes. He mouthed, I love you, and she said it back to him, with a look in her eyes, not a word. He understood, like he always did when they conveyed so much of what they were thinking with just a quiet, simple gaze.
When Pepper ended the call and put the phone away, Morgan was still lying on her chest.
"Are you feeling better? You think you can sleep now?"
"Mhm-hm," Morgan mumbled.
Lights out, Pepper settled down in bed, one hand around Morgan's back, the other touching the small arm that lay on her stomach. She closed her eyes, just waiting for her daughter to speak up, because she knew there was something still bothering her.
"Mommy?"
Pepper had to smirk—of course she was right. "Yes, baby?"
"Can I have a brother?"
"What?" Pepper's eyes opened in shock.
"A bro–ther." Morgan stressed each syllable of the word to make sure her mother would understand her this time.
"You want a... like a real... You want us to have a baby?"
"Yes," the girl answered, turning to look at her.
"W–Why?"
"I don't need a reason."
Pepper laughed out loud. "That's what your daddy would say..."
"I'm old enough to be a big sister," Morgan argued.
"You're not the only one being a little old," Pepper mused, as she ran a hand through her hair. She pulled her daughter into a hug and sighed. "Is it okay, if we talk about this some other time and not..." She looked at the clock. "At 4.30 in the morning."
Morgan stared at her mother, knitting her eyebrows, obviously thinking about how much she wanted to have this conversation or if it could wait.
"Please, honey... I'm really tired."
"What do I get?"
"Excuse me?" Pepper chuckled, her eyes widening in surprise.
"For waiting."
"You know this is extortion?"
Morgan nodded, grinning with pride. She knew all about that word, thanks to her father.
"Well, you're not getting any juice pops... That may work with your father, but not with me."
"I don't want juice pops."
"What do you want then?"
The toddler put her hand up to her mouth, as though she was holding a microphone, and silently moved her lips.
"Morgan H. Stark, it is almost dawn. We are not going to sing kara—" God, those adorable, big brown puppy eyes were an irresistible force. "Fine," Pepper groaned. "But just one... One song, and then it's bedtime for you, you little monster."
Squealing, Morgan jumped off the bed and ran to her room. Pepper had barely gotten to her feet when the child came back, carrying the small karaoke machine that Scott had given her as a little apology gift for dragging her father into the time travel mess.
"So, what are we singing?"
She was hoping her daughter would pick an upbeat song that would make her dance so hard she'd be exhausted later, but with this ball of energy, she could never be sure. That girl was relentless, which was no surprise knowing who her daddy was.
Grabbing the microphone, Morgan called for the AI. "FRIDAY, play Let It Go."
"Why did I even ask," Pepper wondered, as she took the other microphone, and grinned, shaking her head.
About an hour later, they were lying side by side on the floor, sweating, giggling, and panting out of breath. The redhead rolled onto her side facing the little girl, who was holding her tummy to ease the pain from laughing so much. Tears were rolling down her face. Pepper wiped away her own tears, then reached out to stroke Morgan's cheek.
"You should really be in bed," she said, sighing.
Morgan looked at her, and, in a moment of silence, raised one hand and stroked Pepper's hair away from her face. Cupping her cheeks, she smiled, slowly drawing her mother's face closer to hers. She stared into her eyes. It was a long and deep stare, and the intensity with which she was staring at her, moved Pepper to tears. She only ever saw that much love and affection in another person's eyes when she was looking at Tony.
"Mommy loves you so much, baby girl," she whispered, her soft smile making her face glow.
Morgan pecked her mother's lips in response, and said, "I love singing with you."
"Me too," Pepper answered, stroking her cheeks. "But you know what else I think you will love?"
Morgan shook her head.
"Watching the sunrise."
"I thought I should sleep." Morgan giggled.
"Well, even mommies can change their minds," she said with a grin. "Your dad and I used to watch the sunrise all the time when you were still in my tummy."
"Why?"
"Because… Because for a long, long time, I was always worried I'd never even get to have another day with your father. So to see the sun rise over lake, with him by my side, was..." She paused, swallowing, the words bringing back bad memories, her throat suddenly so dry it was painful.
Her silence encouraged Morgan to speak up.
"Special?"
Pepper nodded and sniffed back a tear, smiling, as she ran a hand through Morgan's hair. "Yes, baby... It was very special. It still is. We just don't do it as often anymore."
"I have never seen a sunrise. Only pictures."
"Then it's about time that you do, don't you think?"
Morgan nodded her head vigorously, the thought exciting her.
Pepper sat down on the two-person swing chair out on the deck. Morgan leaned into her open arms, loving the feel of snuggling against her mother's chest. The sounds of a few early birds lulled her, along with the gentle movement of the seat. She cuddled her Iron Man doll, resting her head against Pepper's shoulder. Pepper drew a light summer blanket over them that she and Tony used to keep them warm when nights were cold. It was almost sunrise, that one moment where the sky was clear and cloudless before the sun lifted above the horizon and threw her first long, golden lance on the shimmering lake.
"How long do we have to wait?" Morgan asked.
"Only a few more minutes, I think," Pepper answered, smiling at her. "Just be patient, honey."
The little girl looked out at the lake, yawning, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Can you sing?"
"Don't you think we've done enough singing for tonight?" Pepper said, laughing.
"Please, Mommy," Morgan begged, "Until the sun comes up."
She sighed and snuggled even closer to her, and Pepper wrapped her arm tighter around her daughter, stroking her shoulder, and then her hair. She started singing Landslide. It was the first song she could think of in that moment. When she was only half way through the song, the sun began to rise. She halted, gasping in awe, then looked down at her child.
"I have seen this so many times and it still takes my breath away," she said softly. "Do you like it?"
There was no response.
"Sweetie?"
Then, there was the sound of snoring.
"So much for your first sunrise..." Pepper laughed quietly in her throat, suppressing it from coming into her mouth. "Well, I guess, there's always tomorrow, huh?"
She squirmed to get out of the toddler's embrace and bent down until she got hold under Morgan's arms. Then she lifted her slowly up into her arms and went back inside. As she was putting her daughter to bed and tucking her in, the girl moved her lips, without opening her eyes.
"Mommy?"
"Shh, it's alright, baby," Pepper whispered, kissing her forehead. "Just go back to sleep."
"I love you," she mumbled, rolling onto her side.
"I love you, too, sleepyhead."
Smiling, Pepper stroked her hair, thinking.
No fruit could ever taste sweeter than the fruits of a daughter's love, no sunrise ever be more awe-inspiring, and more beautiful, than her child. Getting to be Morgan's mother, and being loved by her with all of her heart and unconditionally—motherhood—was the greatest blessing in her life.