A/N: THANK YOU to the favs and comments on this. This is something I was actually quite proud of. For some stupid reason, it just seems to all click..like even the dialog that's in the movie already, as you'll see in the next and final part. If you'd like to see a prelude to this, of sorts, check out my new story How To Save Tony Stark...it'll background what his video entailed.

Pepper and I took a much needed rest after the wedding. The following days were, let's say, fun filled. Besides taking her back that night and screwing her brains out, we also spent some quality time figuring out where in the new facility we'd keep the baby's room, since the suite wasn't exactly built for it. Long story short, I gotta tear down a few walls and redesign some stuff.

Happy called before we headed back to the United States on the jet, giving us the details on when he would be packing up the last boxes of the Tower. He forwarded the article and accompanying video feed of Parker's achievement, updating me on the news of how he saved his class. What do ya know, the kid's got game.

When the jet touches down, Happy's waiting with the car, escorting us back to the Tower for a last look around before we settle into the new facility upstate. Pepper's seated next to me in the back, and the window is up; Happy's taken the protective uncle thing a little too far with the kid and now it's rubbing off on me, since I need watching...from what Pepper says. I agreed to it, so whatever, but for now, we have some private stuff to discuss.

"What's that?" I hear Pepper ask after I've pulled up the video on the holo display in the car. "Is that the kid?"

She's watching with me as he swings from the Washington monument and disappears back into the world. One thing I can't figure out - what happened to get them in that situation to begin with?

"Yeah," I answer, shutting it down. "Saved his class on this field trip thing."

"He picks up fast," she comments.

I let the conversation fizzle out as my mind wanders to the move again.

"You know, I've been thinking," I begin, turning in my seat to look at her.

"You always start like that and every time I can feel whatever plan it is you've come up with unraveling before you even start it."

I smirk at her sarcastic comment and place my hand on her knee. She blushes, but doesn't lift her head from her tablet.

"What if I just tell Rhodey?" I try to sound hopeful.

"No," she simply states in return.

"But it's...come on, your mom knows."

"My mom knows because I couldn't tell you."

"You told her before you tried to tell me," I correct.

She flicks her eyes up at me and tries to keep a straight face, but then she's grinning ear to ear.

"I just wanna make sure before we start telling people," she tells me, covering my hand with her own. "I mean, I'm sure, but...a lot has happened and I just think we should check up and make sure everything is still okay."

"Fine," I pout sitting back in the seat.

She's right. I had Friday pull the latest pregnancy stats and theoretically, we should have the sex at this appointment she's making. An in house call. Then we can tell them.

"You know, I appreciate how excited you are," she murmurs, leaning over to steal a kiss.

I grumble in response but can't help but smile. Wow. About a week ago I didn't even know the meaning of the word...

Then I figure, why not start practicing on this whole 'how to raise a child' thing?

"Hey, uh, I think I'm gonna call the kid. You know, give him a pep talk, that kinda thing."

As I pull out my phone again, Pepper raises an eyebrow and shakes her head. She's onto me.

"Okay, I'll just be over here rearranging your meetings so we can make this ultrasound this afternoon..."

"Sounds good, honey," I answer as the call connects on the hologram in front of me.

It's amusing, really, how Pepper and I are so used to this kind of tech. Every time someone else catches us on a call or scanning something all hell breaks loose with a storm of questions. Then the call connects and...did I just hear him say 'don't answer'?

"Mr. Parker. Got a sec?"

"I'm actually at school."

I check my watch...it's six thirty. Something's up.

"No, you're not."

Okay, so do I call him out on this or do I let it go? I glance at Pepper and she's not paying the slightest of attention, so if it didn't bother her, I probably shouldn't be alarmed, either... Okay. So what am I saying? A nice congrats on your friends not dying? Yeah. Water that down a little.

"Nice work in D. C." Fuck is this awkward. "Okay," I admit, "my dad never really gave me a lot of support...and I'm trying to break the cycle of shame."

"Ahh, Mr Stark," he interrupts, breaking all the will in me to be somewhat fatherly for a second; this is actually tough stuff. "I'm in the middle of something."

"Don't cut me off when I'm complimenting you. Anyway, great things are about to-"

Is that a...boat horn?!

"What is that?"

Shit. My chest is tight. The kid's up to something, and I'm panicking. Great. Don't alert Pepper...don't alert Pepper...

"I'm at band practice," he lies, and it makes me revert to the phone call with Happy from earlier.

"That's odd. Happy told me you quit band six weeks ago. What's up?"

"I...gotta go."

What the fuck? The kid just hung up on me. Yeah, his ass is grounded. That's how this works, right? I can do that? Maybe not with him. But he doesn't actually have parents so...

"Happy why are we stopped?" Pepper asks as she rolls down the center window. "I don't want to be late."

"Commotion on the city side," he answers nonchalantly. "Some accident or something up ahead, the usual."

His eyes flash to me protectively and receive a roll in return. Jesus Christ, I'm in a car, with my girlfriend. What could I possibly do, even if I wanted to? I snap my attention outside; we're on a bridge headed in. And oh, there's a boat. And a spider...kid. Son of a bitch.

"Hap, tell me you have the case in the back still," I say without moving my gaze from whatever the fuck is going on on the water.

"The suit?!" Pepper snaps, suddenly alert. "Oh no no no, you are not about to-"

"Pepper, I have to," I plead, tearing off my sunglasses to look at her. "I promise, sweetheart, promise nothing is going to happen. You can...you can listen in, if you want."

"You want me to give you full access to a personalized weapon after you tried to commit suicide?!" she shrieks, tossing down her tablet, and it reminds me of the time I fought Vanko on the raceway in Monaco.

I suck in a breath, frustrated, and open the door to get it out of the trunk myself. The cars are honking, slowly rolling around Happy's stopped vehicle, but they won't dare say anything to us once they pass and realize it's Tony Stark.

"Tony, don't you dare-"

"Pepper, if I don't go, the kid could die! He didn't listen to me when I told him we'd fucking handle it," I yell as I slam down the trunk, realizing there is apparently now a full on battle going on and if I don't get there soon, that thing's about to split and sink.

She turns toward the explosion that comes from the water and growls in frustration like I've never heard before as I let the suit expand over my body until Friday is loaded up and the face plate closes.

"Fine! Fine. Whatever. Just put on a damn jacket, it's not summer anymore," she demands.

Okay, hormones? Maybe. But oddly hot. Very motherly. Okay, Stark, get your head in the game. I have Friday pull up my helmet feed on display in the car so she can see me, and then I'm off.

"I'll be back as soon as I get him out of there, okay?" I promise. "I love you and our son too much to ditch."

There's a pause as I approach the boat, powering the jets in my feet, but then I hear her manage something out in reply.

"...Son?" she asks finally. "You think it's a boy?"

"I can just feel it," I smirk.

To be honest, I don't think I could handle a girl. I can't really handle a kid, at all. But if I had to choose...a boy might be the safe play.

"Yeah, well you'll be feeling a lot more if you don't get back here in time for this appointment..." she mutters.

Then, suddenly, whatever Peter's doing backfires and I can see the boat slowly fall into the water. People are yelling. Shit. The only way to do this is going to require some physical exertion.

"Friday, I need all power focused on the jets, and magnetize the repulsors for a sec, would you?" I instruct.

"Powering the jets, sir," the female voice responds, and then I'm shoving myself into the boat, trying to press the two sides back together long enough to weld them back into place.

What he fuck did he do to this thing?!

"What the hell?!" I hear from inside, so I lift my head, suddenly annoyed and pissed off.

"Hi, Spider-Man. Band practice, was it?"

Someone cheers for me, but I can't stop to interact. A, the boat's falling apart, and B, Pepper will make sure I live a very, very miserable life if I do.

Once the two pieces meet, I retract the magnetization from my palms and fly underneath to seal her shut.

"Okay, uh, let's get that laser up and running," I ask the AI, and thankfully, that seals the iron for the time being...or at least until the can evacuate the boat.

"Mr. Stark!" I hear as the kid follows me. "Hey, Mr. Stark, could I do anything? What do you want me to do?"

What do I want... I almost laugh out loud thinking about it. I can't do this right now. I gotta cool off, and Pepper needs to hear from me before I deal with him.

"I think you've done enough," I answer before flying back across the city to let off some steam.

A few minutes pass, and eventually, Potts chimes in.

"Don't you think you were a little hard on him?" she asks quietly.

I look at her feed on my hud display. "Hard? Pepper, he almost sank a boat! I told him I'd handle it, and did he listen? No. Happy called the FBI. They had it under control. And yet he's still out here causing problems because he thinks he can do it better."

She chuckles suddenly, and all of my pent up energy suddenly dissipates.

"Something funny?" I snap, hovering in the air as I slow to a stop.

"No, no," she mumbles. "You're right, it's just..."

"You sound like his parent," Happy calls from the driver's seat, and though I can't see him, I realize I stupidly let it slip about the baby earlier when I mentioned my gender guess.

"Shit, Pep, I'm sorry," I sigh. "I forgot you had the divider down and..."

"Tony, it's fine," she assures me.

This is why I love this woman.

"So you're not mad?"

She shakes her head and heaves out a breath. "Oh, no, Mr Stark, I'm very mad. But not about that. Just...go get the kid. We'll talk later."

I swallow, thinking, then agree. "Fine. But I'm taking the suit. The little shit completely disobeyed my orders."

"Okay, Iron Dad," she jokes again before I groan and launch myself toward wherever the ping from Parker's tracker is coming from.

Finally, I make it to a rooftop of a building not far from the boat; something he could easily get to with the web shooters. He's sitting with the mask off, legs hanging off the side. He's slumped over; obviously my words had an effect on him. But I'm not done yet.

"Previously on Peter Screws the Pooch..." I announce, slowing down to a hover above the roof. "I tell you to stay away from this. Instead, you hacked a multi-million dollar suit...so you could sneak around behind my back. Doing the one thing I told you not to do."

Man, I was really panicking on figuring out how the hell to handle this, but it's just flowing naturally. Maybe I will be good at this dad thing.

"ls everyone okay?" he asks solemnly.

"No thanks to you."

"No thanks to me?" Suddenly, he's just as pissed and he's standing up to face me.

Great, what the fuck do I do now? He's a teenager, I forgot. He's gonna retaliate and rebel. Babies are silent. I mean, they cry, but they don't talk back...yet. This is just great.

"Those weapons were out there, and I tried to tell you about it..." he stammers, searching for words as they come. "...But you didn't listen. None of this would've happened if you had just listened to me!"

He walks toward me until his nose is almost in my chest and I flinch from inside the suit. Hold your cool, Stark. You have the high ground here.

"If you even cared, you'd actually be here," he adds, and it's like a knife stabbing me.

Believe it or not, I do care about this kid. He's good practice for my own, now that I found that much out, but outside of that...he's stubborn and smart, just like I am. I know how to handle him, and he deserves much better than what I ever had growing up.

Getting annoyed again, I immediately snap back the suit at his words and step out to face him, in the flesh.

"I did listen, kid. Who do you think called the FBI, huh?"

He looks scared now. Good. Keep pressing him back, make him realize you're the mentor and he should've listened. Be the parent.

"Do you know I was the only one who believed in you?" I ask, thinking about the first time I brought him to Happy and Pepper's attention. "Everyone else said I was crazy to recruit a 14-year-old kid."

"I'm 15," he corrects, which makes me snap further.

"No!" I scream, my jaw tightening as I fight off the tension in my chest again. "This is where you zip it, all right? The adult is talking! What if somebody had died tonight? Different story, right? Because that's on you."

Suddenly, my mind flashes back to Pepper and how terrified she looked when she walked in on me. How she told me she kept the pregnancy a secret because she didn't know if I could handle it... Fuck, I get it now. I mean, I did before, but now it's so...real.

"And if you died..." I continue, realizing the last time I saw the kid was right before I went home to try to take my own life. "I feel like that's on me. I don't need that on my conscience."

I try to remain strong on the outside, bu to be honest, all I'm doing is fighting to hide the sadness from inside. I suddenly feel that fear Pepper had...still has. And I have no idea how to fix it, but I get why she's so upset...why she won't let me out of her sight for even a second. If I actually went through with it...she wouldn't have forgiven herself. I'd like to think she would, but that would be on her shoulders...for the rest of her life, especially with this baby coming.

"Yes, sir," he whispers, breaking me from my trance. "I'm sorry. I understand."

He looks terrified, but I can't let this go. Not after relating so hard to what Pepper's dealing with. There is absolutely no way I'm letting this end like that, so to speak.

"Sorry doesn't cut it."

"I just wanted to be like you."

What the hell is with everyone telling me that this weekend?! I stare at him, my eyes stinging silently. I swallow uncomfortably. No, kid. You don't. You don't want to be anything like me. You can't be. I'm a disappointment. A coward. I fucking tried to kill myself to just run away. And you have absolutely no idea... You need to be stronger, and...

"And I wanted you to be better," I sigh. "It's not working out. I'm gonna need the suit back."

"For how long?" he asks, and I can see the panic in his eyes.

"Forever. Yeah, that's how it works."

Is this fucked up? I don't know. Maybe I'll give it back after some time without, but he needs to learn when to listen to his teachers.

"No, no. Please!" he begs.

I look away. "Let's have it."

"Please, this is all I have. I'm nothing without this suit!" he almost cries,

"If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it," I answer easily, my eyes back on him.

Doesn't he realize that? I am Iron Man and Iron Man is me, but I'm so much more. Iron Man doesn't exist without me. Spider-man doesn't exist without Peter Parker. And just like Pepper had me do...he has to learn to be okay with himself, first.

"Okay? God, I sound like my dad," I toss in, and it is, what I assume, Pepper would say about my little rant.

"I don't have any other clothes," he protests.

I think for a moment, then realize I can fly him back to the Tower and we can figure something out before I have Happy drop him back at his place during the doctor's visit.

"Okay, we'll sort that out."

I mean, maybe I took it a little too far and went over the top embarassing him, but what else am I supposed to do? If I'm gonna put up with this shit, I'm at least gonna humor myself while I'm at it. So, I stopped to grab some clothes from a souvenir shop in Times Square, making a brilliant appearance to the Iron Man fans who were as stunned to see me there as I was, myself, then took the kid to the Tower and had him change out of the suit. He wasn't at all happy when I shipped him off with Hogan, but whatever.

Thankfully, Happy got Pepper to the new facility in time to meet the doctor, and it would just be a short flight for me if I took the suit, so I didn't bother changing out of it. Instead, I jetted upstate and prayed she'd go easy on me for dashing off into danger like that.

"Shall I call Miss Potts for you?" Friday asked as we neared the building, but I waved her off.

As far as she knew, Happy would be driving me back, so I didn't want to give her more to he upset about. Plus, I think I kinked by neck jumping down from this thing to confront the kid, so I might not make it out alive if she resorts to physical punishment. Unless...well, she's been known to-
Okay, nevermind. You don't need to know that. Just imagine it, it's more fun that way.

Finally, I landed outside on the launch pad similar to the suite level at the Tower and stepped into the building. Friday opened the suit for me as I stumbled out into our small, personal kitchen in search of something alcoholic to numb that pinch in my neck. Yeah, yeah, I should have ice. But fuck ice, since when does that really help? It's cold and uncomfortable and has never let me relax like scotch does.

Anyway, yadda yadda, long story short, whatever, I'm downing a short shot of one amber liquid or another. I'm not really sure which, I just grabbed the nearest bottle.

"Oh thank God!" Pepper's voice sounds from behind me, causing me to startle and drop the glass.

It shatters and I groan; I wasn't expecting to be up and about when the appointment we had was, well, now. Dum-E is kinda still trashed since the Mandarin, so I don't really have a droid to handle this mess, either. Cursing, I kneel down and try to pick up the bigger shards to make it more sweepable.

"Fuck!" I howl suddenly; one of them knicked my knuckle, and now there's blood oozing slowly out.

"Tony?" I hear her concerned voice, followed by the pads of her feet on the hardwood.

Then, she's bending down to clean, I think, but she grabs my hand instead and forces the pieces I've collected back onto the floor pile. She's turning my arm back and forth, inspecting it relentlessly.

"What the hell, Tony?!" she yelps, focused on the cut now. "You promised. You fucking promised!"

"Promised what?!" I ask, irritation building.

"You said everything would be fine. That you'd talk to me. And then...damnit, right in front of my face?" she yells.

Her eyes are watery. All I can do is stare. Is she fucking serious?

I blink. "I had a drink."

"I'm not talking about the drink," she snaps, reaching up to grab a towel.

She dabs at the cut on my hand and I watch, trying to process.

Oh. I get it. God forbid I get a scratch.

"Pep, it was an accident," I tell her, trying to remain calm. "Okay, they happen. You can't keep assuming-"

"Assuming what?" she interrupts, and suddenly we're talking over each other.

"-I'm trying to hurt myself. I didn't purposely fucking destroy a glass just to-"

"Do you even get it, Tony?!

"-have something sharp. I would've went for a knife or...literally-"

"I can't keep doing this!"

"- anything else...damnit!" I hiss, now completely lost to my anger. "It's not even on my wrist or something, it's my knuckle!"

"Close enough!"

"Uh, no, not even in the slightest. Jesus, Pepper, it's like you want me to fucking do it!"

A bit too far? Yeah, maybe. I regret it immediately. But it's true. I can't live in a glass bubble forever.

"Are you kidding me?!" she's yelling next, standing up and leaving me alone with the broken glass.

"Pep, come on, I-"

"No. I can't...I can't deal with you right now."

I watch her breathe for a moment, silently cursing myself for that last part, but then we're met with heels clicking through the halls and I stand to see the doctor Pepper had called in waiting for us.

"Oh, there you are!" she says, eyes landing on the two of us. "I'm all set up in the...sorry, am I interrupting something? Your security system let me up."

I scrunch up my face, trying to find the reasoning behind that one. Friday was stricter than Jarvis, if anything. Unless...

"Friday is currently programmed to take my orders," Pepper tells me calmly. She turns to the doctor. "Sorry, we just made a little mess."

"I'll get it later..." I mutter, tossing the now red towel on the counter.

"That's not a good habit," the doctor states.

"I said I'll clean it up later" I repeat, still annoyed.

"Not the glass," she mutters. "The drinking. But the glass isn't good either, especially in a house with a baby."

"Right..." I mumble, receiving a glare from Pepper.

To my surprise, she grabs my hand and takes me with them to the lab. It's the first time I've been allowed in there since we were still under construction early last week, but I'm sure Pepper's shut down everything to lock down, or she wouldn't have let the doctor in there alone. There's a seat out for her to climb onto, and a machine to the side to display her ultrasound. Call me a dick, whatever, but I'm standing off to the side with my arms crossed. It seems appropriate after fighting.

"You know, I could've just had Friday do this..." I say under my breath as the doctor lifts her shirt above Pepper's stomach; she's just barely starting to show, and it's becoming very grounding.

She sighs and gives me a hard stare as the woman dabs some gel on her skin and starts up her machine. "For once, would it kill us to have something done the normal way?"

"We made a baby the normal way," I point out, earning a snicker from the doctor and a roll of the eyes from Potts. "Well, that's if normal is bending over that table at the Tower and-"

"Tony!" she snaps back, hushing me.

Inappropriate, I guess. Whatever. Have I ever been appropriate around company? No.

Then, the doctor interrupts the awkward silence that follows and tilts her head at the screen.

"Well that's interesting," she says sweetly, as if it isn't going to make me panic.

"What is?" Pepper asks.

I stare at the floor, trying to remind myself to breathe. Suddenly, the fight doesn't seem to matter much anymore. In a second, she could tell us something's wrong with the baby, or worse, something's wrong with Pepper... But queue the stopping of my heart for real this time, because then a quiet thumping is audible and my head snaps up at the black and white photo on the screen. It's uneven.

"Well, it seems," she says, smiling at Pepper warmly. "I'm picking up two heartbeats."

Her face doesn't change as she blinks at the doctor, apparently thinking, so I pipe up.

"That's...weird," I say, cocking my chin up and refusing to make eye contact; it's kinda a weird thing I can't control when I feel uncomfortable. "Last time I checked, a baby only has one heart."

She chuckles and it annoys me. "Well, in most cases, yes. But in your case..." She points to the screen. "There's two. Congratulations, you're carrying twins."

I nearly choke on my own saliva as I take in what she said. Tw..twins? I can't even handle one child, and now there's gonna be two? Not to mention Parker. That's like, what, two and a half? Oh God. What if they're boys. Two and a half men. It'll be the running joke. Fuck.

Apparently my panic is not that well hidden because Pepper's nervously calling out to me. I rest my eyes on her eventually and she looks...afraid. Shit. I'm not helping. But I can't breathe.

"Tony," she repeats carefully, placing her hand on my arm. "You in there?"

I can't form words.

"...Is Mr Stark going to be okay?" I hear the doctor ask her through the blood rushing in my ears.

"I'm...I'm fine," I stutter and fall down into the chair of my desk, running my hands over my face an through my hair to try to settle myself down.

"Do you want to know the sexes?" she asks lightly, more toward Pepper than myself.

I guess she nods because then I hear her tapping on the screen again. I can't look up. I can't do it. I feel almost...sick. I don't hate this, but...what the hell am I supposed to do? Pepper squeezes my arm, her hand still rest there.

"Well, they're fraternal. A boy...and a girl."

I inhale sharply and hear Pepper gasp in surprise. After that, I honestly couldn't tell you what happened next. I guess she printed out the ultrasound and handed it to her and went over some guidelines and rules before setting up another appointment. Pepper could tell I was on lock down as we moved out of the lab, keeping me from being there alone -her orders, as per my house arrest protocol - and escorted the doctor out. She left me to sit in a few moments of silence on the couch, instead. I should really be cleaning up that glass, but I'm not about to touch it after her earlier panic. I stare it it, as though it's gonna help.

Eventually, I can hear Pepper shuffling back into the room, but I don't look up at her. My hands are twisting, another habit of mine, as I fidget and try to find something to say. She sits next to me, sighing, and runs her hand back and forth across my shoulders. She's perfect.

"You have to say something eventually," she whispers finally, resting her hand on my thigh. "How are you feeling?"

I blink when her warm skin touches mine through my jeans and somehow manage to pull myself out of my own spinning thoughts.

"Uh. Panic," I grunt out. "Fear."

She rests her forehead on my shoulder. "Where should we start?"

I sigh, forcing myself to turn my head toward her and plant a kiss on her hair. God, I love that hair of hers. Matches her personality perfectly.

After a moment I spit out whatever comes first. "So, um...twins, huh? Like, two. More than one."

She giggled and lifts her head, kissing me gently. "Yes, that's generally what 'twins' means," she confirms. "Aren't you supposed to be a genius or something?"

I force a smile but it isn't quite there and she notices.

"You're...okay with this...right?" she asks me, her happy face dissolving into something less.

I look back down to my hands and take another second to come up with a decent response. "I dunno, Pep," I admit quietly. "This is-"

"Unexpected?" she guesses. "I know. But...it can be good." She goes back to rubbing my back soothingly, helping me relax a little. "I heard you lay it to the kid earlier."

"He hates me." I'm pretty sure he does, anyway. "I took the suit back."

"He's just upset," she assures. "But you did good."

I huff out a small laugh and meet her eyes again. "Sounded like my dad, huh? At least, what I knew of him..."

She brushes my hair aside and smiles back. Maybe this won't be so bad.

"You, Anthony Stark, are going to be a great father. But I need you here. With me."

I watch as her mood changes again and I know she's talking about earlier. Honestly, I don't know how this will ever change.

"Tell me what to do," she continues. "Please, Tony. I just...I can't keep walking around here baby proofing everything...for you."

"Pep, I swear I wasn't trying to do anything. And I know you didn't mean-"

"It's okay," she agrees.

"You want me to talk to you about feelings and all that fun shit, right?" I try to joke. "Well...if you thinking the worst of me, I'm never gonna be able to move past it," I continue. "Everything can't be a reminder, Pep."

She nods, listening. "You're right."

"I know," I grin, and she smacks my knee lightly.

"Careful, Mr Stark, your ego's showing," she counters. "I just...can't bare to lose you, Tony. You don't know what it'd do to me."

And then suddenly she's too focused on my eyes.

"You deserve so much...and I want you to be happy. With or without me. But I never, ever want you gone or missing or...dead, Tony. It terrified me when I realized what you were trying to do. I mean, part of me always knows what you're risking when you take that suit out, but I never imagined you'd go...by taking your own life. Not like that. Not to run away. You're better than that."

I inhale, taking a long, deep breath, and lean in to kiss her neck lightly. She runs her hand through my hair, sighing as my lips meet her skin. I have no idea what to do anymore. She's right - I might feel better, but those thoughts are...still there. Somewhere. Just waiting for the next thing to go wrong.

"I still think you should talk to someone," she tells me. "And not Dr Banner. Someone...professional."

"Like a shrink?" I speak into her neck in disgust.

"A therapist," she corrects. "It would help."

I think it over. She's right, it might help. I just don't want to do it. I don't like...talking. She's different, she gets me. But I've never been one for that sappy 'you matter' stuff they'll try to feed me. Being Tony Stark is a little different. Everyone thinks I 'matter'...just not always positively.

But I give in. If that's what Pepper wants, I'll do it.

"Fine," I sigh, ending my feathery kisses. "But only if you really believe me when I tell you I'm not going to try anything again."

"I do," she answers without missing a beat.

I believe her.

"Thank you," she adds. "But I'm still keeping an eye on you...for a little while."

Then , she pulls out a piece of paper from the other side of her body before I can argue.

"I thought...maybe you'd like to look at this now."

She hands me the ultrasound and attempts to point out the shapes, but to be completely honest? No idea what the fuck I'm looking at. Are they peanuts? Or...marshmallows? I don't see it. Friday could've done a better scan.

But then she takes my hand and places it on her stomach so I feel her tiny baby bump. It isn't much, but she'll probably have to get a new wardrobe in a couple weeks when she starts to grow. As much as I love those tight, form fitting dresses she walks around in, I think I might enjoy her walking around with my babies a little more. Ugh. Babies. Plural. Weird.

"I know you're a little scared, but so am I," she says kindly. "But that's the first photo we have of our children, Tony. Yours and mine. Both in here."

I focus on my hand on her stomach after glancing at the ultrasound again and slowly a smile creeps onto my face. I try to hide it, but I know she can see.

"Kinda unbelievable, isn't it?" she presses.

I look back at the photo she's holding and pick it from her grip, holding it up to inspect it further. An idea creeps into my head somewhere.

"You think I can borrow this?" I ask and she raises an eyebrow in question.

"Of course. Why?"

"I thought...maybe Friday could scan it for me," I admit, thinking about all the times I had the AI pull up Pepper's photo in my hud display when I've been away or on missions. "So I can keep a copy with me."

Pepper places her hand on mine over her stomach and squeezes gently and then the anxiety I had earlier starts to fade. We can do this. I think.