IRON MAN ANNUAL #1
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
By: Nathan Banks
In the bedroom of Stark Manor in Los Angeles, Pepper was helping Tony, fixing his tie as the man wore slacks, purple button shirt, nice shoes, including the tie Pepper was fixing. Pepper wore a black dress that showed all of her curves, which Tony liked but wouldn't show it for this special occasion. This was all for Thanksgiving dinner since Pepper's parents and Tony's uncle were coming. To be honest, you would think that Tony would be the one so he can put on a good impression for his parents since he has not met them, but the one who was nervous was Pepper. She worried that her parents, mostly her father would not accept Tony as the man who is with his daughter. Brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear, Tony noticed that his tie looked better but Pepper continued working on it before he put his hands her hands to stop.
Tony: Relax Pepper...everything is going to be alright.
Pepper: *Sighs* How can you say that Tony? I mean my parents are coming and all I want is for everything to be perfect.
Tony: Not everything in this world is perfect and neither are us Pepper. We are all flawed, so I am sure that the dinner will have some bumps in the road but we'll be okay.
Pepper: I know, it's just that I want my parents to know that I am happy being with you, especially my dad. I don't think he would like you
Tony: Why? Because I am a billionaire, the owner of a world wide company, and as Iron Man? Or is it because I am dating his beautiful redhead daughter?
Pepper: Both.
Tony: *Chuckles a bit* Pepper, everything is going to be okay and on the bright side my uncle is coming over. I told him about you and from what he told me, he likes you, so that should ease some of the awkwardness. Whatever happens at the end of the day, we are still together and no one can stop that.
Pepper: Not even The Mandarin?
Tony: Yeah, not even him as well and don't worry. Let's just say that I have some...friends of mine that are keeping an eye out for him or anyone that is doing his dirty bounty. What happens now is that families come together for Thanksgiving, where we give thanks and we are thankful to have the people in our lives that count.
J.A.R.V.I.S. : I apologize for bothering you Mister Stark and Miss Potts but Mister Edward Stark has arrived.
Tony: Thank you Jarvis. I will meet him at the door, how's the food coming?
Pepper: Well everything's done, including the turkey which I finished last night before going to bed.
Tony: See...that solves half the problem, at least the food will be good.
Pepper: Yeah yeah yeah...go and meet your uncle. I will put the food out on the table and hopefully when my parents come everything will go smoothly.
Pepper brushes her lips onto Tony's before she leaves the room with Tony following her down the stairs. Tony walked up to the door and opened it, seeing his uncle Edward standing by the door.
Tony: Hey Uncle Edward, long time no see huh?
Edward: You got that right. I haven't seen you in a long time Tony, but one things for sure. You've grown so much you look like the stunning image of your dad.
Edward and Tony chuckle a bit before the two men hug each other before Tony lets go and welcomes his uncle inside, closing the door.
Tony: Well this is my humble abode Uncle Edward. What do you think?
Edward looks around and nods his head as the look on his face shows he is impressed by this.
Edward: All of this looks great Tony, you've kept yourself in the loop all your life. Where's that pretty girlfriend of yours?
Tony: She is in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner before bringing it out in the dining room. In the meanwhile, how about we go into the living room and watch some sports, maybe Football?
Edward: Sure, that sounds good.
Tony and Edward head into the living room as Tony turns on the wide screen HDTV television. Taking the remote, Tony changes the channel using the buttons on the remote to NBC as Football Night In America comes on.
Tony: There you go Uncle Edward, would you like anything to drink or eat?
Edward: No thanks Tony, I think I am going to just relax and watch the upcoming game.
Tony: Alright, I am going to go check up on Pepper and see what's going on with the good. Oh and one more thing...is Morgan coming?
Edward: I haven't spoken to him lately so he's probably busy with something.
Edward shrugged his shoulders as Tony nodded his head before he left the room to check on Pepper in the kitchen. Once he went inside, Tony saw Pepper place the food on the table in the kitchen except for the Turkey as he nodded his head and smiled at her.
Tony: Looks like my best girl in the world has everything handle. Need anything though?
Pepper: Yeah, I need you to take the potato salad and gravy in the dining room for me? When you come back you can take the other food there too, the Turkey is almost ready honey. How's your uncle doing?
Tony: Sure, anything for my lady and Uncle Edward is doing good, watching some football.
J.A.R.V.I.S. : Sorry to interrupt again Mr. Stark and Miss Potts, but Mr. and Misses Potts have arrived.
That's when Pepper looked at Tony with that 'Here We Go' but Tony knew what to do.
Tony: You go on in and meet your parents, I will get the rest of the food in the dining room and good luck by the way.
Pepper: Yeah sure...but really Tony...thanks
Walking up to her lover, she kissed him softly on the lips before she left Tony in the kitchen so that he can take the food. Leaving the kitchen, Pepper walks up to the door as she opens it, seeing her parents Virgil and Veronica Potts by the door.
Pepper: Mom! Dad!
She gives them both a hug before Virgil kisses her on her left cheek and Veronica kisses Pepper on the right cheek.
Virgil: There's our little girl who's all growed up all these years, you look beautiful honey, even though that dress shows a little bit too much.
Veronica: *Giggles* Oh Virgil, she looks fine to me dear. Anyway Pepper take us inside and introduce us to that hot boyfriend of yours.
Pepper nods her head before she allows the two of them inside before closing the door behind them. But as the three of them are in, Tony walks up to them and smiles.
Tony: You two must be Pepper's parents, i'm Tony Stark, Pepper's boyfriend. Nice to meet you two.
Stark put his hand out as Veronica shook his hand, then Virgil reluctantly shook Tony's hand as Pepper sighed and shook her head...it was going to be a long Thanksgiving.
Part 2
Virgil reluctantly shakes Tony's hand as Pepper barely sighs in relief, thinking that her father and Tony would start some kind of fight, but luckily it didn't come down to that.
Virgil : Nice to meet you too Tony. This is my wife, Pepper's mother, Veronica
Veronica: Nice to meet you dear, Pepper told us everything about you.
Tony: Well i'm sure she did, you two raised a beautiful,young and dashing daughter. Thanksgiving dinner is almost ready Pepper?
Pepper: Yes, actually dinner is ready in the dining room. Mom, dad, i'll take your coats, Tony you can get your Uncle Edward and take him to the dining room, tell him that dinner is just about ready.
Once Tony and Pepper did those things, everyone met in the dining room before Edward walked up to Pepper.
Edward: A pleasure to meet you Pepper, this must be the woman who shares my charming nephews affection.
Pepper: It's nice to meet you Edward.
The two shake hands before Pepper looks at her parents.
Pepper: Mom, dad, this is Tony's uncle, Edward Stark
Edward turns and walks up to her parents before shaking their hands.
Edward: Nice to meet you two i'm Tony's uncle, Edward.
Virgil:I'm Virgil and this my wife, Veronica.
Veronica: Nice to meet you Edward.
Everyone starts to sit down at the dining table seeing all of the food that Pepper made. When all are seated, Tony raises his glass of champagne before speaking.
Tony: I would like to make a toast for everyone that came today because what it about is that family is everything. For me...I don't have my mother and father here but I do have my closest allies, my uncle Edward, the woman I love and her parents with me too on this day. Thanksgiving is where we give thanks to what we are grateful for in life and for me, it's who I have in front of me. Cheers everyone.
Pepper: Cheers
After the toast, everyone starts to eat before Virgil speaks.
Virgil: You know something Tony, I will just get this out of the way and say...I think you deserve my daughter.
Pepper looked at her father confused and kind of shocked that her father said something like that.
Tony: Well thank you Virgil. I mean ever since I met Pepper on the first day she worked for me you can say that I didn't have feelings for her at first but down the road we admitted our feelings, started to date and here we are. It wasn't easy at first with my status as Iron Man but Pepper has stayed with me through thick and thin, we make a pretty good team together. Don't you think sweetheart?
Pepper: Yeah, we do. Were like the Ying to the Yang as people called it.
Virgil: Sorry you two...but I wasn't finished. At the same time though when I first heard that you were not only working for my daughter but dating her, it made me sick to my stomach, that someone who was flashy, loved the attention and couldn't keep it in his pants when he was banging every woman in the world.
Pepper: Dad!
Pepper shot a glare and narrowed her eyes at her father before Vernoice nudged him in the ribs with an elbow.
Veronica: Virgil!
Virgil: What? All I am doing is just being honest of how I first felt about Tony Stark.
Edward: Honest huh?
Edward puts down his fork and stares at Virgil before he spoke
Edward: For your information Virgil if that's your real name, my nephew over here isn't perfect. Yes he may have banged more woman in his life but did you know that he was kidnapped in Afghanistan and held hostage until he escaped. Ever since then, Tony has had a change of heart and he's a freaking hero for crying out loud. So the Tony of now is not here anymore, this is my nephew, Anthony Edward Stark, Iron Man, and who is with your daughter. So I think you should show my nephew some respect Virgil, because if you dont like it, then too bad.
Virgil was about to say something until Tony said something.
Tony: Okay everyone let's just calm down and relax, i'm sure that we all have our different opinions about each other.
Pepper: You're right, if you all excuse me I need to go outside and take a breather. All this crap coming from my father's mouth is making me sick.
Pepper immediately got up and left the dining room, stomping her feet as Tony was about to go after her but Edward told him not to, as Virgil got up and quickly went after her daughter. Pepper went outside of the home and sighing, just wanting some fresh air to get away from the tense situation her father started. It didn't bother Tony that much since it was no surprise on what Virgil said but it bothered Pepper as Virgil leaves the house, seeing Pepper outside.
Virgil: Virginia...
Pepper doesn't even look back at his father as Virgil sighed a bit
Virgil: Sweetheart, I didn't mean any of that of what I said about Tony. I was just trying to get everything out in the open of what I wanted to say about Tony. In no way Pepper that I want you to think that I hate him or something like that, but I don't want him to hurt you. I mean look at you, you are some kind of female version of Iron Man!
Pepper turns around and looks at her father in the eyes
Pepper: Yeah, I am a female version of Iron Man, called Rescue! It may not have been something I wanted to do but I feel proud of what I did as Rescue. Whether I am a hero or not, I know that working at Stark Industries with Tony has made me see him as a good man who's making a difference in the world. Just not as Iron Man, but as Tony Stark too, that's why I fell in love with him.
Virgil: Well...if he makes you happy Pepper...I am not going to be the one, or even your mother to stand in your way of happiness. I love you Virginia Pepper Potts, and I mean that.
Pepper sadly smiles as she runs up and hugs her daddy.
Pepper: I love you too daddy...
She buries her head in Virgil's shoulder before she looks up at him.
Pepper: Can we just go back inside and continue to eat dinner daddy?
Virgil: Of course sweetheart, we don't want good food to go to waste from what you cooked don't we?
Pepper nods her head and smiles before the two of them went inside Stark Manor then to the dining room where they saw Edward, Tony and Veronica.
Virgil: Tony...I want to apologize to you for what I said. There's no malice or hatred in my heart for you because I can see that you're a good person. Virginia is happy and I am glad she is because of you.
Virgil then walks over to Tony and puts out his hand for the two of them to shake as Tony shakes Virgil's hand.
Tony: It's alright Virgil. I understand where you're coming from because I love your daughter and actually she's made me into a better person to be honest.
Pepper: Good, now that you two are getting along, let's eat we don't want dinner to get cold.
Once everyone is seated, everyone starts to eat dinner and talk, chatting among themselves, just relaxing and enjoying the holiday. For Pepper, seeing Tony and her father talk and get along was good. She loved her family and she loved Tony, so on this day of Thanksgiving, she had a lot of to be grateful for too as long as she has the people that matter in his life, that's all that counts.