So the last chapter helped me get over the writer's block (for now at least). I hope you enjoy this one and I apologise for the delay in getting it up, it's just between the writer's block and the fact that I need to be completely moved out (as I write this I'm surrounded by cardboard boxes) of my apartment on Wednesday.
Tiny Tony
Pepper was in her 7th month of pregnancy and they were on the way to the doctor's appointment hopefully to be told what they were having, much like their father both Elizabeth and this baby were being very stubborn when it came to revealing important information to Pepper.
"Ok Virginia, you know the drill by now." The doctor greeted Pepper as she prepared for her ultrasound. Pepper lifted her shirt and shivered as the gel was placed on her.
"Ok…so there's the baby and there's the head and oh the baby is turning let's see if we can get a look." The Doctor moved the wand slightly. "I'm fairly certain that that's a little boy!"
Tony's face broke out in to a massive grin, whilst Pepper welled up with tears. After collecting their photographs Tony drove Pepper home.
"Do we have to go home?" Pepper asked "Rhodey has Beth and I've been in the house for weeks."
Tony laughed; Pepper had been forced on to maternity leave in her 5th month after some very painful cramping.
"Where would my lady like to go?"
"The pier, maybe grab some shrimp."
"You want to go to Bubba Gump Shrimp?" Tony asked incredulously, he'd suggested it before and she'd pretty much vetoed the idea whenever he suggested the restaurant before, calling it overpriced and shameless utilisation of a perfectly good movie (what about Disney Land? He argued).
"Yeah, I really do." She said and Tony just laughed. They enjoyed a quiet dinner before leaving, although when they did leave, they found the stalkerazzi waiting for them, obviously tipped off to the fact that Iron Man and his not-been-seen-in-public-for-months-pregnant wife were there. Tony helped force their way through the crowd and put Pepper in the passenger seat of the car before tossing the press gathered his trade mark peace sign and a quick grin before speeding off in the direction of Malibu.
"I don't understand why they're so obsessed with us. This is a town full of A-List celebrities doing all the things that made me famous." Tony whined, he usually liked the attention but at the moment he was finding all the questions about where Pepper had gone and had they split up both offensive and a waste of his time.
"Do the words I am Iron Man mean anything to you?" Pepper responded and Tony had no response, he just focused on the road ahead (meaning that Pepper won that argument).
"Baby names." Tony said as they sped down the PCH "We need to think of a name for our baby."
"I'd rather not have this conversation whilst you are driving 100miles per hour down the highway." As soon as she said she felt the car slow slightly (still speeding, but now double not triple digits).
They arrived home and were welcomed by JARVIS. "Welcome home Mr and Mrs Stark."
"Hello JARVIS." Pepper greeted the AI cheerfully
"Yeah hi, where are?..." His question went unfinished
"Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes and Miss Stark are in the nursery having a tea party." JARVIS said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. Tony went upstairs taking the steps two at a time.
"Would you like some help Pepper?" Pepper said sarcastically "Of course I'd love some help getting my big sat pregnant ass upstairs."
"Talking to yourself is most commonly viewed as one of the first signs of mental incapacity Mrs Stark." JARVIS cut across her angry mumblings.
"It's number 3 JARVIS after working for Tony Stark and marrying Tony Stark."
"Talking about me Pepper?" Tony, had been informed by JARVIS that she needed some help. "Why didn't you take the elevator?"
"I was going to…"
"Well that means your little mental break, or at least that's what JARVIS called it…"
"That's not quite what I said sir what I believe what was said was…"
"Mute." Tony said "it means your little melt down was unnecessary." He walked with Pepper over to the elevator which took them up to the floor with the nursery it was at the very top of the house with the library and the home office.
The sight that greeted them was one so funny Pepper didn't even try and stop Tony snapping the picture with his cell phone. Rhodey was sat at the tiny table with a little cup having the large pink hat on his head adjusted by the 2 year old Elizabeth Stark, who spun around on hearing the muffled snicker from her father.
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" She hurried over as fast as her little legs would carry her to Tony who scooped her up.
"Hello princess" He gave her a kiss on the end of her nose causing her to giggle.
"How was she?" Pepper asked Rhodey who had yet to take off the hat.
"Daddy's little princess was fine." He said sarcastically "So calm, didn't fuss when it was time for her nap and totally isn't as hyperactive as her father."
"I'm sorry Jim." Pepper told him genuinely.
"Seriously Pepper how do you put up with both of them?"
"I think I'm a little bit crazy." She responded.
"You're all crazy!" Rhodey exclaimed "How was the appointment you guys were gone a while."
"It was great we're having a boy!" Tony was excited he could share that news with his best friend.
"A tiny Tony? That's just great." Rhodey sighed "Seriously though man, I'm happy for you."
"Sorry we took our time, we stopped off on the way for food." Pepper said as she tidied up some of the mess Beth had made.
"You took your lady out for food, whilst mine is waiting at her apartment?" Rhodey shook his head and made his way to the door.
"Hey Rhodey!" Tony called as his friend moved towards the elevator
"What Tony?"
"Don't ask don't tell may have been repealed but wearing a big pink bonnet to work is not the way to come out!" The aforementioned pink bonnet soon found itself flying towards Tony.
Later Tony and Pepper were lying in bed after finally getting Beth to go down for the night.
"The next one better be much better behaved." Pepper said as she rubbed her baby bump.
"Tiny Tony you mean?" Ever since the words left Rhodey's mouth Tony hadn't shut up about it.
"We're not naming him that."
"You're no fun Pepper." He covered her hand with his. "No West Virginia, no Tiny Tony."
"Sorry but they're not having ridiculous names." She was adamant about that.
"Edward's not ridiculous." Tony said quietly and Pepper looked at him she was surprised he'd offered a real suggestion. "It's a family tradition." He continued and Pepper looked confused.
"My Great Grandfather was Walter Robert Stark and my Grandfather was Robert Howard, Dad was Howard Anthony and I'm Anthony Edward. You get where I'm going with this?"
"Where do the middle names come from?" Pepper asked
"Dad said they're whatever they wanted them to be although Anthony was a friend of Grandfathers, introduced him to my Grandma and Edward was dad's best friend growing up."
"You want it to mean something." Pepper understood where he was going with this.
"I was thinking James." Tony whispered rubbing small circles on Pepper's bump.
"After Rhodey?" Pepper asked
"No, well yes but No."
"You're not making any sense."
"The kid in Afghanistan the one with the camera his name was Jimmy, so I was thinking we could name him after both."
"Edward James Stark." I like it.
"It goes with Elizabeth Maria." Tony said "Although if we had another we'd need another 'E' name."
"I think two is enough don't you?" Pepper said.
"I don't know Pepper, making them is a lot of fun."
….
A few months later Tony clasping the small hand of his daughter walked her in to the room to meet her new baby brother who was currently sleeping against Pepper's chest.
"Elizabeth this is Edward, he's your baby brother." Tony said as he lifted her on the bed.
"Ehwad" She repeated, attempting her brother's name.
"Close princess let's stick with Ed see how that works out."
"Ed." She stated, seeming happy until the small bundle let out a loud wail and she clapped her hands over her ears. Tony chuckled whilst Pepper attempted to soothe the baby.
"Don't like!" Beth said
"I'm sure she'll grow to like him." Tony said as Pepper looked over a little concerned about the statement.
If Elizabeth Stark did grow to like her brother it took a long time. Once Pepper caught her trying to push the pushchair containing the baby away from her and Happy in the park, Happy caught the runway pushchair and Pepper caught the child. Another time Pepper caught her trying to open the baby gate going down to the workshop, Ed crawled around following her (often earning him a kick and her a time out). Tony laughed at the sibling jealousy and told Pepper that she'll get used to him eventually. Edward was proving to be a momma's boy whilst Beth was definitely still Daddy's princess.
….
Tony was sat in an office chair in the Avenger's base, he'd had to bring his kids with him as Pepper was away on business at the time, and he cast a glance at his sleeping daughter who was napping on another office chair next to him.
"Ducky!" The smaller child in his lap announced loudly as the small stuffed duck he'd been playing with dropped to the floor. Edward James "Ed" Stark was a few weeks from turning one and was now repeating the word "Ducky" at his father, indicating that she should help to retrieve the lost item.
"I got it." A voice from behind said as Natasha bent over to pick up the dropped toy which she handed back to the now happy child. "He looks more like you every time I see him." She points out. "Apart from that hair though. That hair is all Pepper."
Edward was the smaller version of Tony in every way except for the red hair which was clearly from Pepper, although his was a darker shade, more noticeably ginger, thanks to Tony. In comparison Beth was the perfect mixture of them both, Tony's hair and nose, Pepper's eyes and lips, a lighter version of his hair and a slightly darker complexion for the baby.
"His personality is all Pepper as well."
"Not quite the tiny Tony everyone thinks he is then." Natasha smiled as the boy continued to bounce the duck along the desk.
"Nah, but then who'd want another me?"
"Another Tony Stark? I think I'd rather go back to being frozen again." Steve Rodgers walked in to the room as Natasha picked up the sleeping child so she could sit down. "Bring your kids to work day?" He asked Tony
"Now there's an idea." Tony said "Two little suits, I wonder if I could have them grow with the kids."
"No suit!" A small hand smacked on the table drawing the room's attention. Ed's face was scrunched up and he was clearly not happy with the mention of his father's alter ego.
"And people think I'm scary when angry." Bruce Banner commented, he'd been working quietly in the corner of the room
The little group chuckled. "Yeah you're all Pepper aren't you." Tony stood up lifting the child "On that not I think it's time to go home for the night."
Tony left to go back to the small house just outside of New York, before the kids were born he had no problem flying clear across America in one day but tonight he decided he needed to sleep let the children rest. He used to think that this would be an inconvenience but Tony Stark was a changed man and the two tiny humans strapped in to the back on the limo cruising through Manhattan were now the most important thing in his world and that, surprisingly, was ok with him.
TBC…
The next chapter will skip forward a year or two, I hope that's ok. I've also decided things are becoming a little too fluffy (the end of this chapter for example) so expect some angst.