REVAMPED!

Mark XVIII: Keep Me Sane, Baby Girl

He didn't know how he got here, but he's suddenly back in The Battle of New York. His comrades are below, taking a break from fighting the Chitauri because all their eyes are looking up towards him. They're looking at the portal he just flew the nuke through. And he watches the bomb disappear into the darkness, a thumping sound fills his ears - it sounds like his baby's heartbeat - and explode into the brightest yellows and oranges he's ever seen.

But then it goes black for him and he feels like he's falling again.

He knows what happens next only because his teammates told him: he fell out of the sky, they closed the portal, and the Hulk caught him before he could land on the ground.

But that doesn't happen this time.

Still in his suit, he shoots up awake. Before he could get a better understanding of what happened, he feels something pricking at his faceplate. Panicking, Tony backs away, ripping off his helmet. As the fresh air enters his body, Tony looks and sees that he's on a cement landing. When he looks to the side, he sees what was poking at his faceplate.

It's a little girl. She looks at him with a goofy smile as she crosses her legs.

At first, Tony has no idea who this child is. But he looks at her closer and recognizes her. She mostly has Pepper's face but his dark hair and charm.

It's his little girl.

-o-

Tony wakes up. He takes a moment to catch his breath and wipe the cold sweat that formed on his face. Tony sits up in bed, careful not to wake up his sleeping wife next to him. He looks down at her growing baby bump and sighs out of relief because his child isn't born yet.

Pepper looks so peaceful with her strawberry blonde hair sprawled across the pillow. He knew that husbands could gain sympathy weight as the bump grows, but he didn't think they could get those pregnancy nightmares as well.

He still can't believe that he's going to have a baby. That the universe trusts him with the responsibility of another human life. A little life that was half of him and half of Pepper. Hell, if their daughter ends up more like him, he wishes Pepper all the luck. At least she already feels like family. He can already sense what it'll be like to meet her.

But there's still so much out there that he doesn't know what else is out there. The Battle of New York didn't sit with him well as it did with the others. Hell, it was probably another day in the park for Thor which doesn't make it easier for him.

Marrying Pepper and having a baby with her helped distract him from that. It told him that the world was safe for now and he doesn't have to worry. For now.

But he does because it's now his wife and daughter on the line.

The irony is that they're the two people in his life who can keep him sane but make him insane at the same time. The true power of a woman.

He glances over at the baby bump that faces him since Pepper is asleep on her side. Tony turns over and faces it, gently putting his hand on top of it so he won't wake Pepper up.

"I should've stayed downstairs if I'd known I couldn't sleep," he says to the bump, turning over to face his sleeping Pepper. "I need someone to talk to and I guess I can talk to you. I think is a bit better than talking to Pepper since you can't say, Tony, no. I hope your mother didn't hear that."

There's no response which makes this perfect.

"I'm going to tell you what to expect when you enter the real world. You're going to be scared but that's okay because sometimes being scared is good. You can't always put up a brave face like Clint and Natasha." He lights up a little. "Oh, let me tell you about them. They're assassins. Master assassins. He's the archer and she's the kick-ass spy. They sound scary, and that they'll kill you if you make them mad, but they won't. Believe me, if they did, I'd be dead so many times already. But they're having a baby so I got to see their soft sides."

Then he proceeded to talk about everyone else. Because it's what gives him so much joy.

"Then there's Thor and Jane. Thor's the King of Asgard which is the land of gods and mythology coming to life. He may seem all big and tough, but he's the biggest softie you're ever going to meet. And Jane. She's smart. The fact that she's with Thor still astounds me. But they seem to work out."

"Oh, Steve and Peggy. They're something else. Steve's still rocking a 40s mindset and Peggy's a woman ahead of her time. Steve is from so long ago that he knew my father as a young man. Oh crap...if you are ever in need of a grandfather, Steve's your man."

"Then, Bruce and Betty. Ah, the cute scientists. Also, put Bruce on your list of people you should not tick off. It'll be even worse than making Clint and Natasha mad. Say, you know what, if Bruce and Betty have a baby boy, you're marrying him one day. Boom. Already made it official."

"And Hank and Janet…I love Janet like a sister but Hank can kiss my ass."

He laughs a little but then Tony's mind wanders to another topic. He shifts his place in the bed and takes a breath.

"We're all having babies," he continues. "I even hear that King T'Challa is expecting a princess in Wakanda. It's a shock but we all are. It'll be fun. And to think, we saved the world together, and now, we can be parents together. Then you and all the other kids can grow up and be friends and do stupid things together. Or are you going to be the one dragging the others into it? You probably are since you're my daughter."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to talk about me. Pepper would be laughing. I could spend a long time talking about me and your mother, but you're going to be seeing us soon. I won't spoil that part since we're the best. Although, if you want a sneak preview, you could ask my best friend Rhodey. Good luck with that since he's in the army but he's your godfather and would do anything for you."

He thinks about something else. Something he's been feeling kind of guilty about for a while.

"I'm sorry that I wanted a boy. I was so preoccupied with my future that I didn't accept what I have in the present. A daughter. After your mother gave me a talk, I realized that I'm fine with the future. I'll be building inventions and machines that will be around for a long time. But just like my old man told me, and I'll say it again, you're my greatest creation. You will be the one to inherit my name and I'm so damn happy that it's you."

He lies down on his back and reflects on the emotion of what he said. He's calmer, satisfied. This is his daughter and she always will be. Nothing will change her and he knows that unlike any of his machines, he can't change her to perfection because Tony knows that she already is.

"Goodnight, baby girl," he says closing his eyes. "See you soon."

A few seconds later, he opens his eyes again and looks at the baby oddly. He scratches his head and leans forwards.

"You have ears, right?" He asks.

[*cries because of fluff*]