Sorry this took a while, I can't get access to the internet in my new house which is why all 3 of my WIPs have been updated at once, and usually I try to stagger it.

Changes

"…no that's great. Thank you I'll definitely consider it. When do you need to know? Thank you good bye." Pepper hung up the phone and looked at Tony.

"Who was that?" Tony asked

"It was the Dean of the UCLA Anderson School of Management she was offering me a job."

"You've got a job." Tony points out.

"Yeah I know. They want me to teach in the graduate school and a few undergrad classes."

"What about Stark Industries?"

"I could stay on as a consultant but I'd have to resign as CEO…"

"Who'd take over?...Are we seriously having this discussion?" Tony looked up from the schematics he was working on.

"I think we are." Pepper was as surprised as he was.

"You're actually willing to leave Stark Industries?" Tony was shocked after all these years he didn't think she'd quit now.

"It's not like I'm leaving you." Pepper countered

"But teaching!" He tried "I don't have the patience for that."

"Well I'm still with you after nearly twenty years so I think I can handle some college kids."

"Exactly twenty years Pepper. That's how long you've been working at Stark Industries. Two in the secretarial pool, 10 for me and 8 as CEO."

"I think I need a change."

"What if you hate it?" Tony tried

"Then I'll come back to SI." She reasoned

"What if the new CEO doesn't let you."

"I think you'd find it very difficult at home if you refused to hire me."

"It's not up to me, it'll be up to your replace…oh." It hit him. "I don't think I'd be very good at it."

"You did fine."

"No Pepper, you did fine."

"If you're that against it we'll find somebody else. Someone we both trust."

"You're who I trust!" He yelled.

"Tony, calm down!" She snapped back. "I hardly see you and the kids anymore I miss that."

"So work from home…"

"Tony you're acting like a petulant child." She looked him straight in the eye. "I don't enjoy the job, I'm irritable and I just want to spend more time with my family." Anything seemed to cause an argument these days. He'd been home from rehab for a month.

"Pepper…" He reached out a hand to take hers when she spun on her heels and fled the room. He would've followed her but a tiny hand tugging on his pants legs stopped him.

"Daddy?" The little boy asked.

"Yeah buddy?" He looked at his son.

"You and mommy fight?"

"No, we weren't fighting." The little boy seemed unsatisfied with his answer and looked at his father, who picked him up, sceptically.

"Play hide and go seek?" Ed had moved on to another conversation.

"Sure." He set the boy down and walked in to the main living room. "I'm going to count to 20 and try and you hide."

"No JARVIS to cheat." Ed told him sternly.

"Pinkie promise." He held out his finger for the child to shake. Tony covered his face with his hands "1, 2, 3…10…18, 19, 20. Ready or not here I come!" He called out.

Tony started by checking all of Ed's usual hiding places and began to panic when he couldn't find him. It was a large mansion and he didn't want Ed to get lost or scared. He moved on to some other hiding spots near the kitchen and after 10 minutes he still couldn't find the child.

"JARVIS!" He called out.

"Yes Sir?" The AI responded.

"I've lost Edward." He said worriedly.

"How may I ask did you manage that?" JARVIS asked

"Well I stood in the hall counted to twenty and he hid." Tony said.

"I believe that's a game known as hide and seek?" JARVIS checked.

"Yeah, JARVIS we were playing hide and seek!" Tony was panicking.

"Well it appears the young Mr Stark has won." JARVIS told his master, who was in no mood for the AI's jokes.

"JARVIS, tell me where he is or I'll rewire your circuits!"

"At the bottom of the stairs leading to the work area, talking to Mrs Stark." The AI told Tony who rushed to the stairs.

"Hey Ed! I thought we said this area was off limits for hide and seek!" He told the boy who was sitting on a step looking at his mother.

"Sorry daddy." He said looking at the floor.

"You look worried Tony." Pepper said.

"I couldn't find him." He looked at Pepper, who looked like she was about to go out. "Where are you going?"

"To see my doctor."

"Are you ok?" He asked quickly.

"I'm fine, I'm just feeling a little run down and I'm having mood swings, I just want to check everything's ok."

"If you're sure." He kissed her cheek, glad that she didn't pull away. "When you get back we'll talk about the UCLA thing ok?"

She kissed his lips. "Thank you." And went in to the workshop to find her car.

Tony picked his son up. "Just me and you buddy what shall we do?"

.. … …. …. ….. ….. ….. ….. …. ….

Pepper came home a few hours later to find father and son watching the adventures of Shrek on the TV, the smaller of the pair had long since fallen asleep.

Tony looked up as she walked in and curled herself against the side of him that was unoccupied by the sleeping child. "Where's Beth?" He asked

"Sleepover." Pepper said softly, as she stroked her son's hair. "I'm sorry Tony."

"About?" He asked, wrapping his free arm around her shoulder.

"How I've been acting these last few months."

"I think it's justified." He whispered, he'd not been helpful and the night he got drunk and cheated on her would haunt him forever.

"It's not." She kissed the hand that was wrapped around her. "I was getting you confused with him."

"Pepper…"

She cut him off. "No Tony, let me say it." Pepper took a deep breathe. "My father was a nice man before he started drinking, but he had a temper. Then after Joe was born he got worse, cheated on my mom with lots of women, spent his nights drinking."

It explained why Pepper's mother had been so sceptical of him when she first met him, this was also the most Pepper had told him about her father all he knew was that he was an alcoholic who walked out on his wife and kids.

"He used to hit mom, he tried to hit Joey but mom wouldn't let him. Although when I showed up he was so hateful and resentful of me that Joey took a beating once to save me and after that he wouldn't let up on Joe until Joey got big enough to hit him back. When he wasn't drunk he was still mean and the day he walked out on us is the best thing that ever happened to me, before you and the kids."

"Pepper…" Tony was at a loss for words, he just pulled his wife in closer. "I'm not your father and I never will be."

"I know, but that night you got drunk and slept with that waitress was the worst night I've ever had since you came back from the desert and all I could think of, was my father blames my mother for trapping him in with a kid and that's how the abuse and the drinking started."

"I love you and our kids are the most important things in the universe, I'll never leave you or them."

"I know Tony, I panicked."

"I'm sorry Pepper. So very, very sorry." Tony was hurting, he hated the man that did this to his wife and he hated himself more for making her relive the pain.

"I know."

"I love you so much Pepper."

"I love you too Tony." He squeezed her shoulders "That's not all I want to tell you."

"Please, don't tell me there's more to this story." He didn't even want to think about what else Pepper could tell him.

"I'm just over 3 months pregnant."

TBC…

I threw in a little bit of humour in there if you can find it. Things will get more cheerful from here on out as this story reaches its conclusion. I'm unsure as to whether Pepper should leave Stark Industries or not so if you have an opinion share it.

The Avengers will be making reappearance soon as will someone else, but no hints (guesses are welcome).

I've actually got the epilogue written already and will try and update soon, but people have been securing their wifi networks, which whilst being the right thing to do is annoying for those without a connection.