The last chapter. I'm feeling bittersweet about this. It didn't take very long to write, so it seemed to be over so quickly! Ah well. Now I can write more of other things. And school's about to get crazy. :P So. Well, I hope you like it and I hope you've enjoyed it so far and thank you everyone for reading and favorite-ing and reviewing. You're my heroes! 3

FIRST OFF: I'm not a big fan of Pepper in the Iron Man comics. So, none of this will make sense if you're trying to fit it into the comic's stories. It won't work. I don't like Pepper and Happy together. Sorry. I just don't. Now. Things you have to assume before you read this: The first one is that Pepper is almost 35 in the second Iron Man movie. The second is that she began working for Stark Industries as soon as she graduated from college. The third is that, like she said in the second movie, she'd been working for Tony for 10 years.

Tony Stark didn't fall in love very often. In fact, he only believed he'd actually only been in love once. And that was back in 1990 when he was in college. But that's a different story. For Tony, falling in love wasn't something that just happened, like love at first sight. It had to go through certain steps. The steps were different for every girl, so it's not like Tony could decide 'I'm going to fall in love with this girl today by following the steps.' But if he didn't follow the steps, it simply didn't work for him. And these steps took time—something Tony didn't have a lot of. But when he really did fall in love, he fell hard.

Step 7: Father—Mother

The honeymoon went by and the next few months at work went by. Three months after their wedding Pepper and Tony were cleaning up after Tony's birthday party, which (luckily) wasn't as disastrous as usual. "Tony?" Pepper said quietly, "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course, Pep." He said, setting down what he was doing. "What's up?"

"I… I don't know how to say this, but… Tony…" She sighed and handed him a wrapped present.

"Pepper? You already gave me my birthday present. What is this?" he asked, confused.

Pepper smiled. "Just open it. I wanted to wait until everyone was gone." Tony shrugged and started taking off the wrapping. Inside was a picture frame that said 'Worlds Best Daddy.'

"Are you…" Tony was speechless.

Pepper nodded and grinned. "I'm pregnant."

Tony grinned, hugged her, and then kissed her. "Pepper, are you serious? This is amazing! How far along?"

"Three months. It was the magical honeymoon." Pepper joked. Tony and Pepper couldn't stop smiling, but neither of them wanted to.

Six months later Tony and Pepper were sitting in a hospital holding their baby girl. They'd named her Kari Renee Stark. Right now Pepper was pretending to be asleep while she was really watching Tony with the baby.

"Hi Kari!" he whispered. He just started babbling about nothing, about how she was going to love going home with all of her toys and clothes and new presents. He was silent for a few moments as he starred at the sleeping baby in his arms. "You know, you're going to be one amazing little girl, Kari. With both of your parents brains and looks, well, I'm sure you'll notice but your mom is a real hottie and she's pretty much the smartest person I know."

Pepper couldn't keep her giggle in. "Well Kari, if you have a brain that's anything like your father's you'll be solving equations in three weeks. And he's pretty attractive too."

Tony grinned. "You'll be a heartbreaker, that's for sure." Pepper giggled.

Three years later, Tony came home to see his three year old mini replica of Pepper running down the steps of the Stark mansion to welcome her father home. "Hi Kari!" he smiled.

"Hi daddy. How was work today?" she asked, completely out of character for a four year old.

"It was good. Do you know why your mom picked your up from preschool at lunch instead of picking you up from the babysitter later?" he asked.

Kari giggled. "Mommy had a surprise for you. She's been in the kitchen all afternoon trying to decide what to make you for dinner. She has something important to tell you. Actually, she told me to tell you."

Tony raised his eyebrows, "Okay sweetheart, what are you supposed to tell me?"

"I was supposed to have you look at my new t-shirt if you didn't notice it on your own." She said.

He peered down at her neon green shirt that said in sequins 'Big Sister.' Tony was, again, speechless. He scooped his daughter up and walked to the kitchen where Pepper was standing over the oven. He set Kari down and she ran off to go play with her hot pink calculator. She might've looked like Pepper, but she was her father's daughter through and through.

Tony pulled her across the room and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "How far along this time, Pep?" he asked.

"Five months. Because we've been so busy I didn't even think about being pregnant even though I've been missing my period and everything for five months but I just put it off to stress but I'm kind of showing now and people asked about it at work so I tried a pregnancy test. I mean, I think it's five months, I'm not sure so—"

Tony kissed her to shut her up.

*Four years later*

Pepper and Tony drove to first to the elementary school and then to the preschool to pick up seven year old Kari and four year old Steven. Just as much as Kari looked like Pepper, Steven looked like Tony. Unfortunately for Pepper, they all had their father's personality.

Later that night once the kids were in bed, Tony and Pepper were also in bed. Tony was paying with some tool and screwdrivers while Pepper was reading a book. "Pepper?" Tony asked. Pepper ignored him. "Pepper? … Pepper? … Pepper?"

"God, Tony, what?" she exclaimed, glancing up from her book. "Ugh, I feel like I'm raising three Tonys!"

Tony flashed her a grin. "What's wrong with that?"

Pepper smiled, put her book aside, and crawled on top of him. "Nothing. But I should really only need to raise two. One's all grown up." She was whispering in his ear by not.

Tony put his screwdriver and tools aside. "So, thinking about wanting a third kid? Maybe it'll be a Perfect Pepper instead of a Terrible Tony."

Pepper snorted. "One, I don't want another kid. Two, I'm on birth control. Three, I wasn't perfect."

With Pepper still on top of him, Tony put his arm around her neck, pulled him town and kissed her.

Twenty-one years ago, Tony Stark was a drunk in his early twenties, always running girl after girl after girl through his house. Twenty-one years ago, Pepper Potts was in her first year as an employee at a huge weapons company like Stark. How was anyone supposed to know that they would run companies, become super heroes, fall in love, have a family?

Tony Stark didn't fall in love very often. But when he really did fall in love, he fell hard.