I have an exam next week, and because I'm the master procrastinator I'm beginning to find ways to avoid studying such as writing another chapter or two.

Hot Dogs and Baseball Caps

From: VPotts

To: AEStark

Tony,

Don't forget we've got a lunchtime appointment with the caterer for the wedding. Just because you've broken an ankle doesn't mean you can get out of it!

Love

Pepper xxx

From: JOsman

To: AEStark

Mr Stark, Miss Potts wanted me to remind you that you've got a lunchtime appointment with her and then you're both travelling out to NYC to do the late show. Please don't forget, Mr Hogan will be around with the car at 12:30 to pick you up.

Jeremy.

Tony chuckled as Jarvis. He'd projected the two emails on Tony's screen. He'd programmed Jarvis to always show messages from either Pepper or his PA, because Pepper threatened to withhold sex if he didn't. He checked his watch it was 11:45 so he figured he'd better go and get dressed, of course what was another 15 minutes tinkering away. "Jarvis mute."

"Anthony Stark!" Pepper turned down his music and shouted his name to get his attention. "You are two hours late for our lunch!"

He picked up his crutches and hobbled over her. "Sorry, I thought I had time to finish installing the new fuel pump on the hot rod, I muted Jarvis so I guess he couldn't remind me. I'll change that, Jarvis make a note, I'll be adding a new protocol when I get a chance. Now, I'm going to go shower, we have a plane to catch!" Pepper stood there mouth open staring at him, she couldn't deny that the man was always able to surprise her.

Pepper was sat in the audience of Letterman as he announced his next guest Tony Stark, who hobbled on stage to the music of AC/DC's Iron Man.

"Welcome Tony, it's good to have you here. Maybe you could start by telling us what's wrong with your leg."

"I missed a meeting with the caterer for my wedding so my fiancé punished me." He was straight faced as he said it and the audience chuckled, eliciting a small smile. "No I uh, misjudged the stability of my balcony landing to surprise Pepper when I got back from my last outing as Iron Man."

The audience howled with laughter. "Ah yes…Miss Potts, current CEO of Stark Industries. Your engagement announcement caused a little bit of a stir. Nobody even knew you were together!"

"Now that's not true, Jeremy my PA, Carol Pepper's PA, Rhodes, Pepper's mom and brother and her whole high school class, Happy Hogan…" He smiled "We weren't even trying to be secret, we went to dinner, saw a movie all that coupley stuff that people do. It's just people were so used to seeing us together it, nobody suspected anything."

"Any dates in mind yet?"

"Uh…next week, I think." He looked at the audience like he knew the answer. "Pepper, we're getting married next week right?" He looked in to the audience and the camera panned to Pepper.

"Yes Tony next week. Don't be late ok!" She called on to stage.

The interview continued in jokey manner, eventually moving on to Iron Man and saving the world. Pepper met Tony back stage after the interview.

"You're a charming bastard you know that." He grinned and kissed her.

"I know. I'm amazing." He grabbed her hand and led her out of the studio to Happy who was waiting with the car.

"Great show tonight boss." He greeted cheerfully, they got in the car and began driving, and Pepper noticed the route they were taking wasn't to the hotel that she thought they were staying at but found they were instead heading to Brooklyn.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously staring at the passing cables of the Brooklyn Bridge.

"My parent's house." She looked surprised, she knew he kept the property but as far as she was aware never visited it. He had a penthouse on the Upper East Side, beach house in the Hamptons and he was very fond of the penthouse suite in the Waldorf Astoria with a view looking over the East River and Central Park.

Pepper stood in Tony's old bedroom and looked out of a telescope pointing out of the Window; she could see the lights on a Ferris wheel and an old rollercoaster illuminated by lights. "Tony is that Cony Island?"

"Yeah, I used to love staring at that, Dad would always take me over and ride it on a Sunday after church."

"Tony Stark in a church?" Pepper laughed at the idea.

"Maria Stark is not a woman to be messed with." There was a hint of sadness in his voice so Pepper reached out and grabbed his hand. "We'll go over tomorrow, we'll have a Nathan's and we can ride the cyclone and the wheel, walk on the beach."

"Sounds wonderful." She led him over to bed "But right now it's time to sleep." Tony smiled, but not for the reason she was, he was up to something and she had no idea.

Pepper rose early out of habit, it was a Saturday morning at it was 7am. She tried to get out of bed.

"To early Pepper, come back to bed." He grabbed her waist and pulled her back down. 'What's one morning of just cuddling in bed watching the sun come up?' she thought and she allowed herself to be pulled back in to Tony's embrace.

It was nearly 11am when Tony woke her with a cup of coffee he was showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt "wakey wakey eggs and bacy!" he wafted the cup in her face. She smiled and took the coffee "eggs and bacon?" she looked at him expectedly.

"Not for you Pepper. Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs are the breakfast of Champions!" She drank her coffee and within the hour found herself in the back of a car driven surprisingly by Tony and not Happy.

"I wanted him to have the day off. He never really gets to explore the city." Tony smiled at her in the passenger seat. They pulled up outside of the Cony Island pleasure park and got out of the car. "First stop is breakfast." He pulled her towards the Nathan's stand and sat her down at a table whilst he went and grabbed the food.

"For my lady I present 2 large hot dogs with chilli and cheese, onion rings, fries and two lemonades." Tony placed the tray on the table in front of her.

"Tony think of the calories…"

"Virginia Potts do you trust me?" Tony looked her, going for serious but the corners of his lips held the faint hints of a smile.

"You know I do." She responded taking his hand

"Well then, stop thinking and eat the hot dog Pepper." She smiled and picked up her hot dog.

Tony was about to pick up his own when he felt a small arm tugging at his side. " 'Scuse me mister, are you Iron Man."

Tony grinned at the child. "Sammy, leave the man alone he's trying to eat!" Tony presumed it was the boy's mother.

"But Mommy! He's Iron Man!" The little boy protested. "I don't care Samuel, you don't run off and you don't listen to strangers." She looked at Tony "I'm really sorry Mr Stark, I didn't mean to interrupt your lunch."

"It's fine, I like meeting the fans. Maybe he wants a picture?" Tony smiled at the woman and her son. The woman pulled a camera out of her purse and was about to take the picture.

"Ma'am maybe you'd like to be in the picture?" A voice said behind her, Steve Rodgers held out his hand and took the woman's camera from her. A photo later and the boy and his mother disappeared in to the crowd.

"Can't even get a hot dog without causing a fuss can you Stark?"

"What can I say the people love me." He shifted round the bench to sit closer to Pepper. "Take a seat twinkle toes."

Steve joined the two at the table and they ate their hotdogs. Tony was unhappy as Pepper and Steve seemed to be spending the whole time mocking him. "I'm going to have to go. Stark I'll see you around, Miss Potts it was wonderful to see you again."

"What are the odds of two super heroes being at the same hot dog stand together?" Pepper asked as she finished off her Lemonade.

"I could text Jarvis and ask for you if you want?" He offered as he stood, held out his hand and pulled her with him. They wandered the park, Tony winning Pepper a small stuffed frog off of a game in Luna Park, he then took her on the Ferris wheel, laughing when she freaked out when the carriage made the drop in to the inner wheel and kissed her at the top. He held her hand as the rattled around their seats on the cyclone, took her down on a walk towards the Brooklyn Cyclones a minor league team that Tony financially backed out of his pocket, buying her a cap and watching as she pulled it on her head. Pepper Potts in a baseball cap, he laughed at the thought. It was so un-Pepper.

The sun was setting as they drove back to Tony's house and she gasped when they pulled up to the drive way. The house was illuminated by fairy lights.

"There's something for you in the guest bedroom go and put it on." He kissed her led her to the bedroom, before returning to his room to put on his own suit.

15 minutes later Pepper was shaken out of her own little world by her mother and brother knocking on the door.

"Sweetie are you ready?" Susan Potts asked, nearly crying at the sight of her daughter in a wedding dress.

"What's going on Mom?" She asked, she was confused, well confused was an understatement.

"Tony organised everything, I think he wanted to surprise you."

"Well he did." Pepper said as her mother sorted her hair. She left the room and was embraced by her bother.

"You ready to get hitched baby sister?" Pride seemed to be stuck to his face.

He led her from the kitchen to the back garden, she was shocked to see Rhodey, her mother, both hers and Tony Assistants, the head of R&D (Tony's only real friend in the company), Obadiah Stane's wife (that surprised her the most), her brother's wife and two twin boys, a few of Pepper's friends from California, her friend Becky Owens and her husband, Happy, Natasha, Steve Rodgers, Bruce Banner and Betty Ross and Clint Barton. All in all there were about 30 people in the back garden of Tony's secret Brooklyn house.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Anthony Edward Stark and Virginia Potts…" The Justice of the Peace started the ceremony and talked about marriage and commitment and then stopped. "Mr Stark I believe you had something prepared…"

"Pepper, for 10 years you ran my life and now I can't imagine it without you. I know this isn't the wedding you planned but it's our friends and our family and that's what's important. So today in front of the people who know us best I'm promising that I'll never leave you, never hurt you and always love you. Because you Pepper Potts are my entire world and I want everybody to know it."

Pepper had tears in her eyes when Tony finished talking the Justice of the Peace asked if Pepper wanted to add anything. All Pepper could manage was an "I love you so much Tony."

The Justice of the Peace started again "Do you Anthony Edward Stark take Virginia Potts as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer till death do you part?"

Tony took the ring from Rhodey and slipped it on to Pepper's finger. "I do."

"Do you Virginia Potts take Anthony Edward Stark as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer till death do you part?

"I do." Pepper took the ring from her Jenny, her brother's wife (his high school sweetheart) and slipped it on to Tony's finger.

"By the power vested in me by the State of New York I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Tony in the cheesiest way ever took Pepper in to his arms and bent her over as he kissed her. "Ladies and Gentlemen it is my pleasure to introduce you for the first time to Mr and Mrs Anthony Stark!"

The small party clapped and cheered as Tony led Pepper back down the makeshift Isle in to the house, making sure to carry her over the threshold before taking her to his room.

"How did you pull it off Tony?" Pepper said after he put her down on her feet.

"Well I made some calls, got hold of the people on your list who I knew you really wanted there and had your dress shipped, I've been organising this for weeks Mrs Stark." He broke out in to an enormous grin as he said it.

He slipped her wedding ring off her finger and held it up for her to see, it was slightly thinner than the one she's placed on him. It was platinum like her wedding ring and had a group of diamonds in the middle and if you looked closely the diamonds formed the shape of an arc reactor. If you didn't know what you were looking at you'd think the ring was flawed. The inscription on the inside of the band said "Proof that Tony Stark has a heart" She looked like she was going to cry again, Tony slipped the ring back on her finger kissing her ring finger.

"Pep, you should really start reading what you're signing. It was so easy for Carol to trick you in to signing our marriage licence."

Pepper laughed, she always read what Tony signed, but since she was now the person who had to sign everything she realised why he just scrawled his signature on documents, there was just too many.

"Vacation's over. We've got guests waiting." Tony led her from the room back towards the party in the back yard.

TBC…

So much mushiness these last few chapters… it's almost cringe worthy. There is a little bit of angst coming, but it's not Iron Man without it. Feedback is always appreciated as well as constructive criticism. The next chapter will be the reception and the honeymoon.