A/N: Well I totally planned to write a long and meaningful chapter but like the previous chapter, I ended up with this... It's short, but sweet. I hope anyways. I was going to update this sometime next weekend and spend the week adding to this chapter but after taking one look at my insane schedule this week at work I don't think I will have any time to write. :( . enjoy...
She awoke to soft whispers that evening and curiously she glanced toward the direction of the whispers to find Tony hovering over by the window clutching a bundle of blankets she assumed to be little Julia to his chest. He had that very 'protective' stance about him as he stood there staring out the window as if it were the most natural thing to do. She heard a shuffle of blankets and she remained still, her eyes only peering as she glanced at Jared sleepily climbing onto the chair beside his father.
She smiled warmly when Tony whispered to Jared, "Couldn't sleep, buddy?"
"Not really, I just wanted to see what you and Julia were looking at," Jared whispered softly in return.
"Hmmm…nothing much really," Tony replied softly as he turned his eyes back to the window, "Julia seems to think staring at that street lamp is fascinating though."
"I suppose when you're a baby everything is fascinating because all she's seen for nine months straight was mummy's insides," Jared whispered as he slid his hand around Tony's arm.
Tony bent lower as if complying with Jared's unasked question to bend lower so he could have a look at his little sister. He was always so fatherly, so perfect when it came to Jared and now little Julia. Sometimes it was moments like these that made her forget the Tony she had first met so many years ago. It made it hard for her to remember that once upon a time in his place stood a man that thought fast cars, women, alcohol and numerous parties were the only joys of existence.
It warmed her heart to just think about how wonderful he was let alone laying there in the darkness and actually watching him being all fatherly. It made her heart swell and made her remember all the wonderful things he had accomplished since the day he stood before her and declared his undying love for her. He changed in so many ways that Pepper was certain she could never understand how or why. But she knew she would always bask in the love he gave to her because more than anything she loved that she could love him in that kind of way only possible in fairy tales.
"Do you think mummy will let you buy the hospital?" Jared asked softly as he glanced quickly at his mother.
She feigned sleeping because she was really enjoying just watching father, son and daughter at their utmost element of the night.
Tony chuckled quietly and murmured in return, "I don't think mummy really liked the sound of buying the hospital just so we could paint sunflowers on the walls."
"But it would make this place look more happy," Jared whispered.
"I won't argue with that," Tony murmured softly, "But buying the hospital wasn't really a good idea after I really thought about it. I mean there are a lot of things that we would become responsible for."
"I could help," Jared replied quickly as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
"I'm sure you could, buddy," Tony answered, "And maybe in a few years when you're eighteen I might just go ahead and buy this place so you could practice being responsible. But right now, I think between your school, football practice and big brother responsibilities, my Ironman responsibilities and mummy's CEO Stark Industries responsibilities, we won't all have time for sun flower painting."
Her breath hitched for a moment as she smiled ridiculously at them, trust Tony to come up with such a simple response to steer Jared away from the 'sunflower painting' project. Jared sighed in that moment and she knew Tony had finally swayed Jared's thinking around the right way.
"Maybe…maybe we could paint sun flowers in Julia's room then?" Jared asked softly.
She smiled.