You guys are asking so...this is gonna be a four part short story.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel characters or story lines!
It had been three days. Three days in the unknown. Three days where it was just Pepper, Hill, Shuri, the remaining Wakandans, and the baby. She didn't want to listen to Stark, but she agreed that staying behind was best now that she knew the truth behind her moments of illness that she had pushed aside as stress or nerves. Shuri had showed her a scan...a sort of high tech ultrasound, proving what she was told.
Shortly after the group dispersed and grabbed a bite to eat before retiring for some sleep, they got comfortable in the tent next to Happy and Parker. He found it best to leave the kid there, since Happy had practice babysitting him before, it would be less annoying to the rest of the team. Plus, things were just starting to settle with Cap, and it wasn't worth the argument when they had a planet to save. Being alone, they slept eventually, and when Tony woke from a hot sweat just before the sun rose, Pepper pulled him up off the floor to fix him another glass of water.
"Please...be careful," Pepper had told Tony, placing a soft hand on his cheek after he downed it.
He had looked at her sorrowfully, knowing he had to leave with the team in the morning. Rescue was sitting out, as he requested. He knew this was a life or death fight, and he might not make it back to her, but it was his only chance at making sure she was safe; there was no way he'd let her fight, suit or no suit.
Carefully, Tony had placed a palm on her stomach, smiling as he looked down. "Pep, I gotta do this. For the world...for both of you..."
"You're something else, Mr Stark." She smiled faintly and ran her hand through his hair, earning his gaze again. "I thought you were worried about...parenting."
"I was. I am." Then he had grinned. "When I get back...how bout we start planning this wedding. What do ya think?"
Pepper kissed him lightly, tapping his nose once she pulled away. He wore his smile proudly, then content and actually looking forward to having a family. Who would've thought?
"Just promise me you'll come home," she had whispered. "I can't do this without you, Stark."
"I'll do my best, Pep," he had answered, knowing he couldn't make a promise he wasn't sure he could keep.
She hated it, knowing he could very well not make it back...any of them could be lost. This was the worst the planet had ever seen, and the idea of the rest of the world being run over by an alien attack shook her to the core. They had discussed it at dinner...what bringing a newborn into a world like this would mean, but somehow, Tony had decided he was on board (despite his very present fear of becoming his own father)...and so was she.
The fear had consumed her eventually, and she found herself desperately throwing herself at Tony, her hands gripping the collar of his worn out shirt. He had eagerly kissed her back, winding his hands in her hair and bringing her down with him onto one of the cushions. They were both senseless, needing to feel each other in case...in case the worst happened.
He had nipped at her neck and had brought his hand up under her shirt, earning a whimper from her; he loved that sound...it was something he dreamed about for years while she served as his assistant, and now that she was is, so was it. That was all that had time for, though.
"Hey, Mr Stark!" a sleepy, young voice then called just before he entered the tent. "Oh, I'm...my bad, I didn't...there's no where to knock and..."
Tony had groaned and pushed himself off Pepper, who was blushing profusely on the floor. He turned toward the kid in the spider suit, which was all he needed to know it was time.
"Shuri has the suit in the lab," Pepper whispered, her heart aching. "She was working on it when Natasha came to check on me..."
Tony swallowed and dismissed Parker with one nod of the head, then had held a hand out to his fiance. He kissed her on the forehead and had promised to say goodbye after they finished suiting up; normally, he'd just take one of the compact models, but the world was compromised...there was no knowing what waited for them outside of the shielded city.
Then, after almost a half an hour of her nerves making her feel worse than the morning sickness had made her, the team had united on the launch pad, ready to board the Milano and head out. She had watched Tony toss his helmet to Cap momentarily, and then he was before her, which killed them both.
Pepper had tried to contain her tears, but they were slipping out, and she bit her lip to keep from busting out in an ugly cry. Tony didn't seem to mind; a metal finger had wiped the tear away, and then he forced a smile.
"I love you, Pep," he had told her.
Her watery blue eyes met his chocolate ones, and she had studied his face harder than she ever had before. That was worse than Afghanistan, or the Expo, or the oil rig, or New York...or...she could have gone on and on. She didn't anticipate him to go on those missions...and especially not without her on purpose.
"If this...if I..." he had stammered out, trying to figure out what the hell to say to his pregnant fiance in such a situation.
"Don't," she had begged; she couldn't handle it if he said it.
He had blinked ferociously, obviously trying to fight his own feelings as he always did, and instead pulled her in for a tight hug. Then, his lips met hers and she had shut her eyes so tight she thought she made herself blind, trying to savor the moment. She had only opened them again when he had pulled away and knelt down, his metal knees clanking against the ground. She felt his same lips meet her stomach, their warmth flooding through her shirt, and she found her hands once again brushing through his hair as she choked out a sad little chuckle to try to lighten the mood. They had kissed again, and then before she knew it, Tony was boarding the Milano, and that was the last she had seen of him or the team.
Now, she sat in the lab, watching Shuri work on some kind of hologram of a new suit for Rescue using the Vibranium they mined in Wakanda. She admired her for her intelligence, and she found it comforting...it was like being back in the mansion they had had in Malibu, all those nights she had spent trying to get him to go upstairs and go to bed or all the days she had to physically drag him to his office. They certainly had come so, so far.
Her mind snapped out of her own thoughts as she noticed a flicker in the lighting, and then an alarmed Shuri meeting her confused gaze.
"Is this...should we-" Pepper asked nervously, preparing herself for the worst.
"No," she determined in her heavy accent. "I spoke with T'Challa yesterday; Thanos was already summoned."
"What?!" Pepper snapped, now angry that no one had told her.
The girl looked at her with confusion. "Where did you think Hill has been all day?!"
Potts glared at the other woman, but instantly forgot it as the fear replaced her anger.
"This is something different," Shuri murmured, rushing around to focus on the screens that displayed maps of the city next to her work station; she had brought them up when the team left to keep tabs of the tracker they installed in Quill's ship. "Something..."
"What's happening?!" Pepper asked urgently, standing to go to her side. "Are they okay? Did they win?"
Shuri narrowed her eyes, reading the red pangs on the screen, until she realized the flicker of the power must have been someone penetrating the force field around Wakanda.
"They're back!" she gasped, making Pepper whip her head toward her and away from the screens.
Potts had pushed back, rushing up to the top of the shaft using the elevator; Shuri was not far behind her, putting the lab on lock down just in case. When they surfaced, Pepper scanned the sky, desperately waiting for a glimpse of the ship. They were home. Tony was home. They would be okay.
Finally, she spotted it, and the two girls were met with a huffing and puffing Maria Hill, who had ran from her spot in the city all the way to the launching pad.
"Did you get a read on them?" Hill asked, not taking her eyes off the ship as it touched down.
"No, nothing," Shuri answered with worry. "I did not know they were coming home."
"Fury didn't tell you?" Pepper asked, turning toward the third female.
Hill shook her head, frustrated. "I lost connection last night when..."
The ship's hatch opened suddenly, slowly lowering and stealing their attention. Pepper twisted her hands nervously, remembering the last time she had waited for Tony like this. It had been three months that time, not just three days.
Finally, she saw Cap surface from the darkness, aiding Black Widow, who limped down the walkway and toward them. Then a beat up Doctor Strange walked with a shaking Bruce Banner, who was wrapped in a blanket and looked like he was having cold sweats.
Pepper's eyes stopped counting the people on board as they dispersed and focused on trying to locate Tony instead. Or Happy. Or Peter. Or...any of her work family.
"We did it," Cap whispered, his voice heavy and tired.
Her heart fluttered, knowing they were safe, but it still didn't feel right. Thanos might be defeated, but it wouldn't be finished until Tony was back in her arm. She focused on Cap until he sadly met her eyes, and her heart sank. She turned back to the ship at the touch of Hill's hand on her shoulder, knowing there was something they weren't telling her. The Guardians came down, then the Ant team, Wanda, then the rest...until finally, behind them was someone she recognized - Peter Parker, who looked like he had just lost his aunt...had he?
"Miss Potts..." Peter spoke up, approaching Pepper as he wildly twisted his hands together. "Pepper..."
"Where is he, Peter?" she asked evenly, trying to keep her voice steady and her face encouraging.
"I..." he stuttered, looking around for some kind of backup, but no one wanted to meet his gaze. "Mr Stark..."
He didn't have to finish. The loud footsteps of Thor sounded down the metal walkway and time stood still as Pepper watched him carry her worst fear in his arms; Tony's body, still in the iron suit.
"Tony..." she managed, just a whisper as her body caught up. Then, it was a shout. "Tony! No...no!"
Cap closed his eyes, not able to listen to the pain in Pepper's voice as she pushed her way over to meet Thor half way. Carefully, she looked down at Stark; his suit had very visible claw marks down it, a hole through the front plate of his chest, and...
"Is he..." she breathed.
"He lost it trying to block Vision from Thanos," Natasha spoke up, her voice cracking as she tried to explain why Tony was missing his right arm. "Vision...didn't make it."
Pepper felt sick to her stomach and spots were clear in her eyes, but she couldn't pass out; not now, not here. She focused on his resting face, placing her hand against it and kissing his cold lips lightly, desperately trying to get him to wake up.
"Come on, Tony. Please," she begged. "You promised, Stark. You can't...I can't..." She kissed him again. "You gotta wake up, Tony. You can't die. You can't leave us alone."
Shuri pulled her away after another moment and replaced her in her spot, inspecting him. Then, she rushed the God of thunder down to her lab, apparently already trying to come up with ideas on how to save him.
"I might be able to...now...the Vibranium can..." Pepper heard, her ears now ringing; it was coming in in bits and pieces and she felt flush.
Then, they were off, and Pepper couldn't move her feet. She was forgetting to breathe, and then, to make matters even worse, she felt a pain in her lower stomach. She clutched herself, bending over slightly to try to muffle it out, but her gasp alerted the others.
"Pepper?" Rogers questioned, letting go of Natasha. "Hey, come on now, you're okay," he promised, aiding her. "Can someone take my place and make sure Fury takes a look at Nat?!" he asked as he scooped Pepper up instead and followed Thor and Shuri. "Everything's gonna be okay, Pepper."
"He's gotta be okay," she whispered, clutching onto Cap's neck.
"I need you to be okay," Steve answered, trying not to talk about Tony.
Pepper grimaced again as she closed her eyes, grinding her teeth in pain as another pang hit her lower stomach. Cap swallowed hard as they boarded the elevator to go back down.
"Something's wrong, Steve," Pepper announced, even though it was obvious by now. "I can't..." She opened her eyes and met his, all of her worry pouring out of hers. "Is the baby gonna be okay?!"
He exhaled slowly as they dropped down, not knowing how to answer her. Instead, he promised her something else. "I'll stay with you until we get you looked at, promise."