So again Tony is about to make a celebrity sports appearance, I feeling the charitable stuff at the moment. Soccer Aid is a British Charity in aid of UNICEF, it's great fun to watch Will Ferrell charge down a professional footballer. Robbie Williams is one of the key organisers, so here we go, shameless plugging of one of my favourite bands (Take That of which Robbie Williams is a member) and really good cause.
Charitable Vacation
"You've had some more appearance requests." Pepper said as she walked in to Tony's workshop balancing Beth on her hip.
"Anything worth my time?" He asked scooping his daughter out of Pepper's arms when she reached for him.
"One very sweet hand written letter to appear at Michael Smith's tenth birthday" Pepper smiled at him "and I received a phone call from Anthony Lake…"
"The head of UNICEF?" Tony asked
"The very same. He wants to know if you'd be interested in appearing in an event with UNICEF UK." Pepper popped up Beth's play pen.
"I like UNICEF." Tony said smiling as his daughter blew bubbles in his face.
"I would hope so, they made you an ambassador after your work with prosthetic's for kids who've been hurt by mines." She was proud of her man and his charitable work, a lot of which came out of his own pocket. "Anyway this event is called Soccer Aid, it's a soccer match organised by some British pop star, they have England versus the Rest of the World it includes celebrities and 'legends'…"
"I'd be a legend." Tony interrupted
"No, the legends are ex-professionals."
"What do you think princess?" He asked his daughter who smiled when she realised she was the centre of daddy's attention. "A vacation to England?" She just giggled in response, running her hand along her father's goatee. "Call UNICEF and tell them I'm in."
It was a few days before Tony was scheduled to play in the Soccer Aid match when the Stark Industries plane touched down in London. There was a car and Happy who'd flown out the day before waiting and the family went to immediately went to Coleridge's hotel, the world famous hotel in Mayfair. Later that evening with Happy watching the little Stark, Pepper and Tony left to meet the rest of the Soccer Aid team for a dinner it would be the first time the teams were together.
Tony and Pepper walked in to the ball room where the event was taking place, it was a quiet event, no press thankfully. They were greeted by an enthusiastic man covered in tattoos who introduced himself as Robbie Williams, captain of the England team and organiser, the rest of the evening progressed nicely, Tony chatted with a number of celebrities including Gary Barlow, who he'd never heard of but was in the same band as Robbie, chef Gordon Ramsey, Woody Harrelson and Will Ferrell whereas Pepper found herself dancing with David Beckham and Prince William, which made Tony slightly jealous.
When they returned to their hotel they found Happy asleep on the couch balancing Beth on his chest, surrounded by toys and both fast asleep, until the closing of the door made Happy snap awake and tighten his grip around the sleeping toddler. "Oh hey boss." Happy greeted the couple.
"She wasn't a problem was she?" Pepper asked as Tony took his daughter from his bodyguard.
"Nah, just a little hyperactive." Happy stretched and bid Tony and Pepper goodnight.
"Hyperactive huh? I wonder who she gets that from." Pepper knowingly shouted after her husband who'd gone to put the still sleeping toddler
"Sorry Mrs Stark, I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that one." Tony appeared back in the room of the hotel suite; he grabbed her hand and pulled her in to their room, to show just how hyperactive he could be.
The next day Tony shuffled out of the bedroom smiling as he saw Pepper trying to feed Beth who, apparently did not want to eat her breakfast. "Good morning."
"You need to be ready in 15 minutes you have training." Pepper told him, she had resorted to PA mode to deal with a reluctant baby and a husband who would probably not want to go training.
"Training?"
"Yes Tony training. You need to practice with your team."
"Do I have to go?"
"Yes." She sighed "Elizabeth take a bite for mommy."
"I don't want to."
"Well you need to. It's not optional."
Tony huffed "What are you doing all day then whilst I'm at practice?"
"Me and your daughter are going shopping."
"My daughter? She's your baby too Pepper."
"Only 12 per cent." She smiled; the 12% thing had been a running joke between the two ever since he'd said it the night Stark Tower in New York became self-sufficient.
"Nah, you did all the heavy lifting an argument could be made for 15."
Pepper laughed and pointed towards the bedroom, indicating to Tony that he should be getting dressed at this point.
Pepper returned to hotel suite after a tiring day, accompanied by an equally tired Happy Hogan who was carrying the (many) bags of shopping whilst Pepper carried her daughter in a harness on her chest.
"You really know how to shop Pep." Happy said depositing the bags by the couch. Even though Pepper was now his boss, the informality of their relationship from when they both worked for Tony continued. Pepper just chuckled in response, she'd splurged a little. When Tony left that morning he'd placed his credit card in Peppers hand as he kissed her goodbye, she was tempted to point out that their personal accounts were joint, but it was the symbolism of him handing over his card to his woman that she knew he loved.
"That she does Happy." Pepper and Happy both jumped at the sound of Tony's voice. He walked over and stroked a finger along his daughter's cheek "What did you do to her Pepper?"
The little Stark was flat out. "She hasn't quite developed shopping stamina yet." He chuckled and turned around to thank Happy for looking after his girls for the day.
"It's no problem sir, I'll be seeing you guys tomorrow to drive you over to the game."
"I can't believe I agreed to play soccer."
"Have you even played before?"
"Nope, but I saw it on the TV it can't be too difficult."
Pepper shook her head and started putting the baby to bed, Tony just hovered in the door.
"I never thought you'd be all domesticated like this."
"I've been cleaning up after you for years." She said as she walked past him.
"That's not true!" He protested.
"If you say Mr Stark."
"Mr Stark? Really Mrs Stark?" He raised an eyebrow in challenge to her.
"Goodnight Tony." She said as she went in to the bedroom.
The next day they had a quiet breakfast and spent the day watching bad television before Happy picked them up in the afternoon, to go over to Wembley Stadium. Pepper found herself sitting in the VIP box with the other families, Beth asleep in a carrier at her feet, her blackberry rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey Pepper."
"Jim!"
"Am I really up at 8am on my only day off to watch Tony play soccer?"
"You're watching?"
"Yeah, Joanne works in the regional office for UNICEF in LA." Pepper chuckled at Rhodey. "He hates soccer you know!"
"I had a feeling, but he likes kids and charity and being the centre of attention."
"Well that's true, hey it looks like it's going to kick off, and I'll let you watch your man embarrass himself."
"Good-bye Jim."
"See ya Pepper!"
Happy put himself in a seat next to Pepper, red and gold suitcase attached to his wrist.
"Hey Hap."
"Hey, he on?"
"Not yet, he's sat on the bench." Pepper pointed down to the pitch, where Tony was obviously restless as he sat on the bench.
He eventually got to play, he ran up and down and was taken down by a very large player, Happy tried to supress a chortle as the boss tried to shake off the tackle, Pepper looked sufficiently worried. England ended up being declared the winner.
"So that was fun." Tony said as he slid in to the car next to Pepper and his child.
"You helped raise a lot of money tonight."
"I might of helped raise the money but I hear Mrs Virginia Stark handed over a very large check."
"Cite your sources Stark."
"The UNICEF guy."
"I'm sure he has a name."
"Not important." He went to press a kiss on her lips but a small noise from the car seat drew their attention. "Hey Beth, you want a hug from daddy?" He moved to undo the car seat.
"We're still moving Tony." She said and Tony stopped unbuckling the baby.
"Sorry princess, looks like you'll have to wait."
The next morning, Pepper gave Happy the day off to explore the city via text and made herself a coffee in the kitchenette
"What's the plan boss lady?" Tony asked from the couch where he was sat with his boxers and T-shirt on with Beth snuggled in to his chest watching cartoons.
"Hamley's"
"Sounds like a shop."
"It's a toy shop."
"I could live with that." He made no move to go and get dressed.
"You need to get dressed"
"It's Saturday morning, me and my daughter are bonding over cartoons."
"There's drool on your shirt Tony."
"Peeeeepppppppppper" He whined "Come on watch cartoons with us." He pleaded, Pepper just smiled took the baby out of her arms, he went to protest but she settled herself on the couch snuggled up to Tony with Beth in between them.
They emerged in the afternoon and went to the toy shop, Tony spent an hour playing with the Lego and the science toys whilst Beth was happy with her Hamley's teddy bear. They left for a ride on the London Eye and bought a copy of the photo with the Houses of Parliament in the background. They boarded the plane for the flight back to California.
"So not bad for the first Stark family vacation?" Tony said as they flew across the Atlantic he cradled his sleeping daughter in his arms.
"Shame she won't remember it." Pepper stroked Beth's hair.
"We'll go when she's old enough to remember." He suggested.
"You mean when they're both old enough to remember?" Pepper said quietly.
"Pep?"
"I took the test a little while ago, for some reason you keep them in the bathroom on your jet." She took in his shocked face. "This is good news right?"
"The best." He picked up Beth and placed a kiss on her head. "You're going to have a baby brother or sister."
Pepper smiled and snuggled in, Tony had one arm wrapped around Elizabeth and a protective hand on Pepper's stomach. This is how Happy found them when he walked in after making his sandwich, he snapped a quick photo of the content family, sure that his bosses and friends would appreciate it when they woke up.
TBC…
As usual feedback appreciated =) Hope you enjoyed reading this!
Hamley's by the way cracking toy shop I go every time I'm in London and I'm 20 years old!