A/N: Hmm...I think no matter how profusely I apologize and grovel I doubt that would be enough for such a EXTREMELY late update after a SUPER EVIL cliffhanger in the previous chapter. I suppose my usual excuse of "life is so hectic" has run dry but I do try my best. Either way, I'm not entirely sure if my fans are still out there eagerly waiting to read this chapter or have long forgotten about this story, but here it is. I'm still writing and still juggling life. I promise I'll try to update in a more weekly or somewhat routinely fashion.

Nothing felt real to him.

Nothing more than the fear that overwhelmed him with the simple thought of losing her. Nothing felt more real in that moment as he glanced for no more than a second at Fury before he turned and instructed Jarvis to suit him up. He was sure that the commander was questioning his priorities and probably his lack of dedication as well. But frankly as he thought of her and the fearful tone of the message Happy had left in his voicemail, he really couldn't give a damn right now.

He could care less whether the commander thought any less of him or whether the rest of the Avengers thought him to be selfish. He could care less whether the world slipped through his fingers or whether his once chance of fulfilling that mission had simply come and passed right there and then. He could care less that he spent three months planning this mission; three months of gathering Intel, of ensuring that he had in fact correctly identified the right passage to take to enter the secret enemy's compound. He couldn't bring himself to care that if he had carried out his mission today that he would in fact save hundreds or even thousands of lives.

Because right now all that mattered to him was her. Right now all he could think about was her. All he could even begin to dream and hope and want to be with more than anything is her.

He was nothing without her. He was nothing but a hopeless fool and a bastard without a heart to care for anybody other than himself. She was the only one that made him think otherwise. She was the only one that stayed around long enough to make him realize that there was more to life than one night stands and alcoholic fuelled nights. She cared for him enough to see through his arrogance and cocky attitude. She cared enough to be there for him when the rest of the world wasn't. That to him meant more than anything anybody could ever give. And without a doubt she gave him Jared. The little boy, his son, their son. His joy and wonder, his pride and dreams all rolled into one. She loved him enough to give him her heart and her trust. He could never betray her and never for a second choose anything else than her.

Not even the world that he vowed to protect.

Happy had never realized how dull coloured hospitals were. He never realized how the colours seemed to depict neither happiness nor sadness. He theorized that perhaps whoever designed hospitals wanted to convey the appropriate emotion for the patient's current situation. He could only think about how thoughtful that designer was because right now the colour white seemed completely appropriate to how he felt.

He glanced to the little boy beside him. His little face filled with a multitude of expressions. He wanted more than anything to make things right, to somehow reach into the world and pull the spirit of god or whatever it was that watched over them to make her okay again. But he knew it was out of his hands, he knew that he had driven as fast as he could. That he probably had a dozen or so speeding tickets clocked to his name already from all his speeding earlier in the day.

"Uncle Happy," his little voice murmured. His little eyes staring into his. "Is daddy going to be here soon?"

He nodded and stretched a hand to gently rest behind the little boy's shoulders. That was the only comfort he could give now, the only warmth and reassurance he could provide in moments such as these.

"Your father is on his way as we speak," he replied softly as if any louder and the walls of the hospital would start rumbling.

"Do you think mummy will be okay?"

He sighed and turned his eyes to the empty doorway to the waiting room they were currently sitting in. That was the only question he wished he could answer.

She could hear voices and she vaguely remembered what exactly or rather where she was. She was sure she was still in the office because the last thing she recalled was sitting at her desk typing another one of those long and insanely boring emails to the board of directors. She remembered she had that finance meeting to attend and she briefly hoped she hadn't fallen asleep at the meeting. It would be incredibly annoying and incredibly unprofessional to degrade herself to another replica of Tony and his lack of attention at the monthly board of directors meeting.

"Pepper…can you hear me?"

She frowned and managed to grunt in response to her name. The voice seemed completely unfamiliar and judging from the lulling beep and shuffling of many footsteps around her she was completely sure she was not in the board of directors meeting or in her office for that matter.

"Pepper, my name is Dr Welsh…"

At the mention of a doctor her panic and thought flew straight to the baby in her womb. She grasped around, forcing her eyes to adjust to the light as she blinked and cast her hands straight to her swollen stomach.

She felt the familiar lump and the weight of her baby sitting in her womb. She mildly relaxed back into the bed as she turned her eyes back to the doctor.

"Your baby is fine," Dr Welsh's words fell deaf on her ears as she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"What…What happened?" she whispered her voice barely able to mumble any louder.

"You fainted," the doctor told her. "Which in your condition is highly cautious. But your blood tests have returned perfectly alright. The only conclusion we could draw is perhaps the contribution of lack of sleep and dehydration coupled with stress."

"Oh…"

The doctor smirked and said softly, "I'm pretty sure your GP repeated extensively about taking time off work?"

"I wish," she murmured.

"It's hard I know, but for the sake of your baby perhaps you should. You are after all eight months pregnant, Pepper and with a husband like Tony, I'm pretty sure you're not only stressed at work but at home as well."

She laughed softly and nodded.