Three weeks later

Pepper was so nervous she could hardly breathe. Her stomach was in knots and she was sweating. She sat at the table in the diner and she kept tapping her fingers on the table.

"Don't be nervous. You got this," Tony said as squeezed Pepper's hand.

She looked around waiting for her to arrive and then a tall, thin redhead walked through the door and she knew it had to be her. Pepper stood up and waved stupidly and the girl made her way over.

"Are you Virginia?" she asked.

Tony took one look at her and nearly choked on his coffee. She was the spitting image of Pepper only in her twenties.

"I am. Tiffany?" Pepper asked and unexpected tears came to her eyes.

She nodded and smiled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect to cry. You're so beautiful," she said.

"You too. I can't believe how much I look like you," she said.

"Before we sit down let me introduce you to my boyfriend Tony," she said.

Tony stood up and shook her hand.

Tiffany smiled at Tony and then Pepper.

"Not bad, not bad at all," she whispered to Pepper.

They all sat down at the table and Pepper was feeling overwhelmed she didn't know where to start.

They stared at each other in awkward silence for a few moments and Pepper decided to go first.

"Let me start by saying that I was nineteen when I had you and my parents died the year before so I was living with my cousin and I gave you up to give you a better life," she said, feeling guilty for not swaying the truth a little. She couldn't tell her daughter she didn't want her.

"I read all about you once I found out who you were, it all sounds very exciting. I was kind of hoping Iron Man was my dad but that's ok. What can you tell me about my father? Do you know how I can get a hold of him?" she asked.

A look of pain washed over Pepper and Tiffany knew something was wrong.

"He's dead isn't he?" she asked.

"I don't know. The truth is I don't know who your father is. When you were conceived I was attacked. It was my first time," Pepper confessed.

Her therapy has helped immensely and she no longer felt ashamed of what happened to her.

"So I'm the product of a rape," she said quietly as she took this information in.

Pepper nodded and looked back down at the table.

"That doesn't mean I didn't love you. It was a tough time for me. I lost my parents and I was attacked by a stranger five minutes before going on stage to play a show that was ultimately going to determine the course of my future. I was so traumatized I bolted and I never told anyone. I lived with my cousin and I gave birth to you at home. I was all alone and scared and I ended up blocking all of it out of my mind because the rape was so traumatizing. It's called dissociation. It was your letter that made me remember it all. I remember one day sitting in my room on my bed and I was thinking of what I wanted to name you and I'm so thankful they kept your same name because I named you after my finger singer Tiffany. She was the first redhead singer that made me feel a music career was possible for me as a redhead lead singer," Pepper said with tears pouring out of her eyes.

Tiffany felt her eyes well up with tears as well.

"It makes sense now why you never tried to find me, I thought you just didn't want to find me,"

"That's not it at all. I couldn't wait to meet you. I felt so guilty for giving you up, I opted to not get any pictures or updates from your adoptive parents. I didn't think I deserved it. How are your adoptive parents? Are they nice people? Have you had a good life?" Pepper asked.

"My parents are wonderful loving people. For two people so in love it's a shame that they couldn't get pregnant. I have two other adopted siblings as well. It was really hard to find you. Most of the records were sealed, I hired a private investigator," Tiffany explained.

"I'm so glad you had a nice life. I deeply regret asking for no updates and no contact. Perhaps if I hadn't done that I would have fixed my dissociation sooner," Pepper said.

"It doesn't matter. I'm just glad I found you,"

"I want to know everything. School, work, boys," Pepper exclaimed with a smile as she wiped at her eyes with a napkin.

"You first. I want to know all about Iron Man and your time at Stark Industries and this band you were singing for," Tiffany said.

"We have all the time in the world now," Pepper said.

"We do and we will take it one day at a time, birth Mom," Tiffany said.

Pepper felt truly happy for the first time in a long time.

"Yes we will,"

The End