This is the last chapter of this up-fluffed mini-arc. I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

No copyright infringement is intended. Only fluff is intended. A lot of fluff, mind you...

TapTap

Pepper had a terrible feeling. Seated heavy and deep in her gut, she worried about her husband. Tony was taking the private plane home from a short business trip, and he ought to be perfectly safe.

Still, something in Pepper gnawed so hard it almost physically hurt. It was almost like somehow, from deep inside her, she knew how close she had come to a life where this was the very worst of days.

She didn't mention it to anybody, though Happy clearly picked it up and worried about her state of mind. And she caught her and Tony's little girl Morgan several times tilting her head, watching her. Pepper decided she needed to get a grip.

After putting her now five-year-old daughter to bed, Pepper found herself in Tony's workshop, wandering amongst the many suits he'd built. She idly traced a hand, almost caressing, over the shoulder plates of the mark 301, entertaining herself with the image of her in some of Tony's work. She had to laugh at herself. Maybe when he turned his attention to heels. She bet he'd make some that were actually comfortable.

Tony yawned as Happy drove him from the airfield and to the tower. His driver seemed a little concerned about something, but maybe he was just tired. It was late.

So late, in fact, that Tony was deeply surprised to step into his and Pepper's suite and find the lights still on. His wonderful wife, who he was so blessed to get to spend his life with, was sitting on their bed. She was dressed in her pyjamas and her hair was down, but she had cleary not gone to bed and she was looking a little haggard.

Putting his suitcase down, he went over to her; her head snapping up as she noticed his steps. He knelt by her, frowning at the expression in her eyes.

"Pep? What the matter?" He heard how soft with concern his voice had gotten. "Is something wrong? Why are you still up?"

"I don't know... I... just felt like I was losing you somehow - it is silly. I..." she shrugged, looking exhausted and a little embaressed.

Tony shook his head, taking her hand trying to get her to focus on him. "Love, it's all good. I'm home. I'm fine. We're all fine," When this gathered very little attention, he put all the emotion he could into the words while squeezing her hand, actually getting her to look at him this time. "Pepper, look at me. We're okay. You can rest now."

She smiled gratefully at him, and tugging at the hand which still held hers to get him to rise she kissed him tenderly.

Tony wandered back out of their now dark bedroom as Pepper finally settled in to sleep. They'd wake up passionately together the next morning and he would make her blueberry pancakes, but he didn't know that yet. Still in the depth of night, he wandered through their living space trying to settle down enough to join her.

"Dad?" A small voice interrupted his reviere, and he turned already smiling to face his sleepy daughter. "Since you're home now, can we get a cheeseburger?"

Tony laughed. She was his daughter alright - cheeseburgers were his priority at odd moments as well and besides - she was the only one he knew besides himself who wanted proper food, not just a snack, in the very dead of night. "Sure, my star, of course we can." Pepper might not approve, but she was very well used to his particular brand of crazy by now.

"Happy," Tony called down, sure his driver was not asleep yet; they still hadn't been home for long. "What to you say to going to get some cheeseburgers with me and the princess?"

Unsurprisingly, the driver thought this was about as nice an idea as Tony did. Maybe he was nostalgic, too. Maybe he was just perfect like that.

All in all, Tony thought as he took his five year-old-daughter out for cheeseburgers at three am, he had been so lucky. He was so blessed with his two favourite girls, and he hoped he was here for many, many years to come to care for them both and give them all the love he had.

He got his wish, and they all lived blissfully happy, ever and ever after.