(A/N Month 4! I still do not own IMAA! Very sad….but oh well! Oh and I thought I would mention that Pepper's dad is in England on a very top secret undercover mission it will be mentioned later.)
Month 4
Pepper zoomed around the house cleaning every surface. Tony watched with confusion.
"Pep. How do you have so much energy?" Tony asked tiredly. Pepper held a laundry basket on her hip she smiled at Tony. "I'm sleeping better and the nausea stopped soooo I have more energy than normal." She said then she headed up the stairs to Tony's room to get his laundry.
After a while Pepper came back down stairs with a very full basket of clothing. Pepper smiled and handed him the basket. "Tony I will clean up and everything but I'm soooo not going to be a housewife." She said moving to sit on the couch. Tony smiled "I wasn't expecting you to." He said taking the basket from her and placed a kiss on her head before going to the basement to do laundry.
Meanwhile in China….
The news of Pepper and Tony made it across the world about a month after it was announced. Gene gritted his teeth. Pepper is mine. Not his. Baby or not Pepper is mine. Gene thought as he watched the news. Gene sighed and he walked into the room where he held Howard.
Howard looked up from his book and frowned at the teenage boy that held him captive. "Stark…I want you to see something that will give you more motivation to help me." Gene said with a smug smile that seemed pained as well. Howard raised an eyebrow. Gene turned to the TV and turned it on the news. Howard watched as a Chinese woman smiled "An important message from S.H.E.I.L.D was made a month ago in America. Tony Stark's friend and now girlfriend Pepper Potts was kidnapped and experimented on by an evil doctor from A.I.M. She was rescued by S.H.E.I.L.D and Iron Man the same day she was captured. Later it was discovered that the experiment was to impregnate her with Tony Stark's DNA to create something…we don't know what it is because S.H.E.I.L.D isn't talking. All we do know is that Pepper Potts is pregnant with Tony Stark's child. The new young couple have been spotted at the hospital and at their school in New York." She said and her co host laughed and they started another segment. Howard dropped his book. I'm going to be a grandfather? He asked himself. Gene turned off the TV and handed Howard something. A picture of Tony and Pepper cut out from a magazine. Howard took the picture and looked at it carefully. Tony had his arms wrapped around a girl with fire red hair. And he looked happy. The girl held Tony's arms with her own and she smiled happily. Howard was too busy looking at the picture to notice that Gene had left the room. Howard made the picture his new bookmark.
Back with Pepper and Tony:
Pepper sat on the couch and folded clean laundry while Tony read a book on babies and childbirth. That to Pepper was really amusing. "How's the book?" Pepper asked laughing. "Very….er…..interesting….." Tony said looking up from the book. Pepper smiled and placed the folded laundry in the basket to be put away. She looked over at Tony and smiled at him. Tony glanced up to see Pepper looking at him with a small smile. "What?" he asked smiling a little too. "Nothing…just smiling because you're….you…." Pepper said with a small sigh. Tony chuckled and moved from the chair to the couch and wrapped his arms around Pepper. They sat there for a while enjoying each other's company. Pepper sighed deep in thought. "What's up Pep?" Tony asked looking down at the redhead. Pepper smiled "Just thinking of names….been doing that for a while." She said taking Tony's hand in hers. Tony chuckled "did you come up with anything?" he asked curious. Pepper smiled and nodded "for if it's a boy I came up with Michal Alexander, and Shawn Lucis. And If it's a girl I came up with Melody Joy, and Elizabeth Paige." She said and Tony thought for a moment "I like the first girl name and the first boy's name." he said and Pepper smiled.
Tony made Pepper and the Rhodes dinner that night. Steak with a leafy salad and wheat rolls. "The book said you need iron during this time of the pregnancy…soooo hehe." Tony said putting all of the food on the table. Roberta looked impressed and Rhodey laughed and shook his head. Pepper smiled and kissed Tony on the cheek. Everyone ate in silence when the door bell rang. Tony stood up and went to answer the door. They all heard a startled shout and thud. Pepper shot out of her chair and went to the door to find Tony knocked out by the door. "Tony!" Pepper said gently kneeling next to him she noticed that his arm was bleeding pretty badly. A shadow fell over Pepper. Who she saw made her gasp. "Gene." She said then saw complete darkness.
Tony woke with a start. He was lying on a stone floor and someone was leaning over him bandaging his arm. Tony sat up quickly and looked at who was patching him up. Tony gaped at who he saw. "Dad?!" he asked surprised. Howard gave Tony a small smile and nodded. "Tony I'm sorry this happened. Gene wants more than the rings…he wants-"Howard started but was interrupted by a door slamming open against the wall. "Well finally you're up!" Gene said pushing Howard out of the way and crouched down where Tony sat. "What do you want gene!?" Tony asked furious. Gene just smirked "You found me 4 rings Tony…yes you just wanted to study them. But you found them none the less. And your father found me 2. I think both of you together will be much faster! Don't you think?" Gene asked with a smug smile. Tony just shook his head "Gene you are insane! The rings are an obsession! Get over it!" he said trying to convince Gene to let it go but it didn't work. Gene sighed and stood up "I knew it would take a lot of convincing Tony….Soooo I brought something to keep you working." He said as he walked over to the door and pulled someone through it. Pepper was tossed on the floor. "Pepper!" Tony gasped and looked at Gene with fury. Pure hatred and loathing. Howard moved down to Pepper's side to make sure she's ok as Tony flew off the ground and shoved Gene up against the wall violently. Howard was shocked that his son used so much violence. "Gene! Pepper is pregnant! You can't do this!" Tony yelled and Gene laughed. "I know she's pregnant." He said and Tony tightened his grip on Gene. "Go to hell Gene." He said letting go and went over to Pepper. Tony picked up Pepper and brought her to the other side of the room far away from Gene.
Gene chuckled and left the Stark family alone. Tony checked Pepper over to make sure she was ok. Only some rope marks on her wrists. "Pepper? You ok? Does anything hurt?" Tony asked gently. Pepper shook her head and sat up. "I'm fine Tony…" she said a few tears escaped her eyes. Howard moved forward and smiled at Pepper as if to tell her everything is going to be ok. Tony wrapped his arms around Pepper and guided her to a chair. "You call the armor?" she asked and Tony shook his head. "It's to far away I sent a message to Rhodey it's going to take a little while though." He said sighing. Tony then remembered that his dad was there with them. "Dad…this is Pepper….Pepper this is my dad Howard." He said. Howard stepped forward and held out his hand and Pepper took it. "It's nice to meet Mr. Stark." Pepper said politely. Howard smiled "Please call me Howard. And it's nice to meet you to Pepper." Howard said and turned to his son and gave him sly thumbs up. Pepper chuckled when Tony blushed but smiled. "Well I guess you heard Pepper's pregnant…." Tony said after a minute of silence. Howard nodded and looked at the two teens. "I saw it on the news. I hope that everything is ok at home…" he said a little worried. Tony sighed "Stane made Stark International one of the biggest weapon manufacturers in the world…then he went crazy because he got fired because I caught him with a known criminal…he fell off a building and went into a coma then a few months later Justin Hammer bought Stark International. Then all of this happened." He said frowning. Howard ran his hand through his graying hair and sat down.
Pepper yawned and her eyes grew heavy. Tony sat down in a corner and motioned for Pepper to come sit with him. Pepper got up and sat down next to Tony who pulled her onto his lap so she would be more comfortable. Pepper curled up and snuggled closer to Tony's chest. "How did you two meet?" asked Howard quietly. Tony looked up and smiled at his father. "It was my first day at school. I had a free period and Rhodey said I should go up to the roof and hang out. I was up there spacing out when all of the sudden Pepper was there. She stated everything she knew about me like it came from a file…which it did. Her dad is an FBI agent…." He said with a small chuckle. Howard smiled and let his son continue. "Pepper likes to hack into her dads files and cases….He's been in England undercover for the past 5 months. Pepper has been staying with me at the Rhodes house but I've been looking for a house and apartment…I don't know which one she wants…." Tony said moving to different topics. Howard laughed quietly. "I'm rambling…wow you can tell I've been with Pepper…..a lot!" he said his eyes wide. Howard smiled. "Tony you seem to be very happy…..that's very good! She makes you happy and if she makes you happy then she defiantly welcome into the family." He said and Tony smiled. "Ya she makes me really happy. At first I didn't know what it was but then she got kidnapped and everything happened….I love her….I really do." He said glancing down at Pepper and smiled. "And speaking of her being part of the family….are you going to propose?" asked Howard curious. Tony chuckled "after the baby is born and things settle down. Pep doesn't need that much stress." He said sighing. Howard nodded in understanding. After a few hours of talking the two Starks fell asleep.
The door flew open with a crash scaring Pepper and Tony awake. "Whoa!" Tony said using his body to cover Pepper so nothing hurt her. Howard moved quickly toward Tony and Pepper to see if they were ok. War machine stepped through the open door holding a black backpack. "Got the message man. That was smart thinking putting a tracking device in Pepper's promise ring." Rhodey said ignoring Tony shaking his head behind Pepper but stopped when she turned around to Tony with her hands on her hips. "We are going to talked about that when we get home." She said giving Tony a look. Tony sighed and said "yes dear." Howard and Rhodey laughed. "Here man. Armor up." Rhodey said tossing Tony the backpack. Tony put it on and turned into Iron Man. Tony gently took Pepper's hand and pulled her out the door firing his repulsers at anyone who tried to stop them. Rhodey followed with Howard. Tony then picked Pepper up and flew home.
It was a real shock for everyone that Howard stark was alive. He got back Stark International from Justin Hammer. Tony and Pepper moved into Tony's old home until they could find one to call their own. Tony now sleeps next to Pepper since she started to have strange dreams.
Pepper woke up gasping and crying. Tony stirred and opened his eyes to see Pepper upset. "Pep…hey what's wrong?" Tony asked sitting up and pulling Pepper to him. Pepper sniffed and hugged Tony. "J-just a bad dream." She said shakily. Tony gently rubbed Pepper's back to comfort her. "Tell me about." He whispered. Pepper took a breath "Gene….killed you in front of me and the baby….." she said sniffing. Tony sighed "Pepper I'm not going to die. Gene won't kill me. I promise." He said pulling Pepper closer to him and made them both lay down. "Go to sleep Pep. I love you." Tony whispered and kissed Pepper gently. Pepper kissed Tony back "Love you too Tony…." She said closing her eye and fell asleep instantly.
Tony held Pepper as she slept and started to think. Almost there…..am I going to be a good dad…or am I going to screw up? He asked as his eyes closed. Tony started to dream about his future family.
(A/N ok….sooooo Month 4 done! Thought I would add a little action in there to jig things up. Please review!)