''Well, that went well.'' Tony smiled as he walked out of the Senate.
''That went horribly.'' Pepper shook her head, walking with him back to the car.
The Senate hearing had lasted only a few hours and ended up being adjourned due to Tony's ability to anger Senator Stern with his response to each question. Rhodey had been called in to read an assessment made on the Iron Man suit, but he was on Tony's side, making sure the Senate heard the positive contributions of the suit instead of only the negatives. Justin Hammer was also called in, being the weapons expert, and had his say about the Iron Man suit, siding with the government, but Tony wouldn't back down. They weren't getting their hands on the Iron Man suit or anything relating to it, and Tony was making sure of that.
''So, Ben's Chili Bowl hotdogs?'' Tony looked over to Pepper with a hopeful grin. ''For the ride home...''
''I don't care, just get in the car.'' Pepper rolled her eyes, wanting to go home.
''You're angry...''
''I'm not angry Tony, I just want to leave.'' she sighed. ''But you could have handled it a bit better than that.''
''Maybe next time.''
Pepper went back to answering emails on her BlackBerry as Tony pulled out his phone as well. One thing Tony hated about being Iron Man was all the time he had to spend away from Logan and he really didn't want to miss anything that was going on right now. Every minute minute counted and he just wanted to spend them all with her. Being dragged away thanks to the government wasn't something he wanted to do.
''You couldn't have played nice, could you?'' Logan answered the phone without greeting him.
''I've missed you too.''
''Well, I've been watching you all morning.''
''Have you now?'' he asked, and the smirk was evident in his voice itself.
''Oh yeah, walking out of the Senate and telling everyone they can count on you to pleasure yourself. So charming.'' she smiled, trying not to laugh as she thought about it. ''I'm glad the world got to see how mature you are.''
''I could've said a lot worse you know.'' he chuckled.
''Well you're lucky you didn't. I gave Pepper permission to hit you if you did.'' she chuckled.
''Oh come on, for me that was well behaved.''
Pepper shook her head as she sat in the car next to him, listening to him justifying his actions, smiling as she thought about how childish he could be. The media loved it though, and Pepper could tell that Stark Industries would have many reporters outside their doors the next day.
''So how's everything at home?''
''Exactly the same as you left it.'' she rolled her eyes, walking into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator. ''Actually, we're out of ice-cream, so you better pick some up on the way home.''
''Are you giving me orders?'' he asked.
''I'm giving you a suggestion.'' she smirked. ''Oh and blueberries.''
''What did you eat, the whole house?''
Pepper looked over to him with wide eyes and Tony knew he shouldn't have said that. He had been warned that pregnant women were easily irritated and he had seen it firsthand when Logan was going through one of her many mood swings. Tony braced himself for whatever Logan was about to tell at him, but instead he just heard the ringing of a dead line.
''Guess I deserved that.''
Tony returned home just after dark that night, walking inside with a bag full of food that he was hoping would ease the pain of whatever wrath he was going to suffer from his pregnant wife. He expected her to greet him at the door with a slap or an insult, but instead he found her in the living room laying on the couch, her hand resting on her rounded stomach while she stared at him wide eyed.
''What's wrong?'' he asked, his expression matching hers.
''It...it's kicking.'' she told him with a gasp.
Tony dropped the groceries on the floor and rushed over to her, kneeling down beside the couch where she was laying. His hands immediately rested next to hers as they sat in silence, waiting for movement. Tony's heart almost stopped beating in his chest as he felt the kicking against his hand. Logan laughed loudly as she smiled at him, marveling at the feel of their baby moving about.
''That is so weird!'' she laughed, her hand moving around to feel. ''Oh my god, they're moving around so much.''
So far in her pregnancy, the baby had been moving around but there was no distinct kick until just a few moments ago. It was moments like this that Tony was reminded of how real this all was. They were having a baby that would be here in a few months, and it wasn't just theory anymore, he could feel the baby kicking and moving around, he knew it was happening.
Surprisingly, Tony had been rather calm throughout the whole pregnancy so far. From Logan telling him to even buying furniture and toys for the nursery, he was totally fine. Now, feeling his child kicking and moving, he couldn't help panic that he would be ready. He wanted to be the best father in the world, but he didn't know how much time he had left.
For the past few weeks, Tony had been hiding a secret from Logan and everyone else in his life. He had palladium poisoning from the arc reactor. He was dying. Every day it was getting worse and he would sit in his workshop until early hours of the morning trying to find a cure, but nothing was working. Feeling his child kicking for the first time was supposed to be heartwarming, it was supposed to be exciting, but Tony had never been more afraid in his life.
''Tony?'' Logan looked at him with concern. ''Hey, you okay?''
''Yeah, I'm just...this is crazy.'' he smiled. ''This is amazing.''
Later that night Tony sat in the workshop looking over the tests he had been running on all his computers, desperately searching for a cure to his palladium poisoning. There was nothing though, and all the tests were coming back with negative results. He was dying and he couldn't fix it. Tony picked up a small device and pricked his finger, looking at the screen as it projected his blood toxicity level. It was 30%, and that meant it was growing each day.
''Unfortunately sir, the device that's keeping you alive is also killing you.''
Tony sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He hadn't told Logan yet, and that was hurting him more than any of the poisoning. She was everything to him and she had no idea what was going on. Tony didn't want her to worry, thinking that he could solve what was wrong with him in a few weeks, maybe a few months, buying himself time, but so far it wasn't working.
The idea of not being around for Logan made him sick, but it wasn't just her he would be leaving if worst came to worst. He was supposed to be a father in a few months, he was supposed to watch him child grow up and teach them things, give them the perfect childhood that he longed for when he was younger, but instead he might to even be here.
''Mrs. Stark is approaching sir,'' Jarvis informed him.
Tony quickly shut down what he was working on and looked over to her with an innocent grin. It was close to midnight and Logan looked like she had just woken up, her hair a mess and she was wearing sweats and one of Tony's shirts that was stretching over her stomach.
''What are you doing?'' she looked over at him with tired eyes.
''Uh...just finishing some stuff up, done now.'' he stood up, walking over to her. ''Let's go to bed.''
''No, Tony,'' she caught his hand as he tried to walk past. ''What's up?''
''Nothing,'' he shrugged casually. ''Just been a bit busy with the suit, that's all. And hey, we're going to Monaco in a few days, I'm preparing.''
Logan laughed loudly.
''You? Preparing?'' she followed him up the stairs. ''Okay, now I know you're lying.''
''It's the truth,'' he defended. ''Now, where's that ice-cream?''
Logan's eyes widened.
''Touch it and I will end you!''
Pepper had been by Tony's side for over ten years, helping him run the company and making sure he did what he was supposed to do. She practically ran the company for him, but never had the title. Stark Industries was still going and a success today because of Pepper Potts, and as Tony walked around his workshop a few days later while being yelled at by Pepper herself after he sold a collection of art that he shouldn't have, his decision was made.
''Here's an idea, why don't you do it?'' he told her in the middle of her rage.
''Do what?''
''Run the company.''
''Yeah, I'm trying to run the company, but you're not...''
Tony sighed as she continued lecturing him, not grasping what he was trying to say. Tony was never good at being clear with people about things that were important, most people thought he wasn't being serious or just waved off whatever he was saying.
''You're not listening to me,'' he tried to talk, but Pepper kept rambling. ''I'm trying to make you CEO! Why won't you let me?''
Pepper stopped then, her eyes growing wide at his words. She leaned in close to him as if to analyze whether or not he was truly serious.
''Have you been drinking?''
Tony rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch they were near.
''I've been thinking about it for a while now, I can't manage it with everything else I have to do and I don't want to put my family in the same position my father did when I was kid. I'm going to be a dad Pepper, I don't want anything to get in the way of that.'' he explained. ''And you know the company backwards. There's no one else I'd trust with this or think was even mildly capable of it, but you. It's always been you.''
Pepper sat down next to him silently. She didn't expect this, especially not while she was yelling at him for something stupid he had done. It was true though, she did know the company backwards and better than anyone else, and to Tony, there was no other choice, it was her.
Tony didn't want to succumb to the fact that he was dying, that he didn't know when his time would be up, but the poisoning was getting worse everyday. He was still trying desperately because he didn't want to leave his family, but there were certain things he knew he had to let go of, like the company. He had set the Expo up, the company was going well, and it was the perfect time to hand it over to Pepper. No matter what happened now, he knew Stark Industries, his family legacy, was going to be taken care of by the woman he had trusted for more than ten years.
''I don't know what to say,'' she laughed, still in shock.
''Don't say anything,'' he turned and lifted a glass of champagne from Dummy's tray he was carrying, handing it to Pepper. ''Just drink.''
Tony woke up to an empty bed a few days later, his tired eyes searching the room for his wife. He rolled out of bed and sleepily walked over to the bathroom, rubbing his eyes. They were leaving for Monaco in a few hours and it was probably the first time he had been awake for something on time, only because Logan was missing from the bed. When he walked into the bathroom though, he found Logan leaning on the sink with a pale face and a washcloth in her hands, dabbing at her skin.
''Sick again?'' he asked sadly.
Logan nodded her head and took a deep breath. Morning sickness was worse than she thought it was going to be and it made her feel horrible, but she did her best to deal with it. Silently, Tony moved over to her, taking the damp washcloth from her hand and dabbing it on her forehead for her as she rested back onto the sink behind her. Tony didn't like seeing her like this, but he knew it all came with being pregnant and there was no way around it. He tried his best to make it easier for her, helping out anyway he could.
''What's the time?'' she mumbled.
''Seven.''
''Ugh, we leave in three hours.'' she took another deep breath, her hand massaging her stomach. ''I still need to finish packing.''
''Don't worry about it, I'll handle it.'' Tony shook his head. ''You take a long, hot bath.''
Logan smiled to herself. She was a lucky woman to have Tony. He was more caring than anyone she had ever met and he always made her feel better no matter what she was going through. Normally, she would argue that she was fine and insist she done things for herself, but right now she didn't have the energy to protest.
''Mm,'' she nodded, her hand sweeping over his chest. ''Thanks.''
Tony smiled and kissed her forehead before walking out of the bathroom and leaving her. He hadn't even started packing himself yet but he didn't want Logan to worry about it. If she was going to be sick and endure all sorts of horrible feelings because she was pregnant than he was going to do all he could to make everything easier.
Once he heard the water running in the bathroom, Tony pricked his finger once again and held the device to the blood. His toxicity level was 33% and his heart sunk at the results. Nothing was working. He had been drinking a mix of chlorophyll to slow down the symptoms and the toxicity, but it was barely working. He was running out of time, he needed to find a cure soon.