My first attempt at an Iron Man/Avengers story. Don't be too hard on me, please.

Receiving and Sharing the News

Pepper paced the bathroom, wearing nothing but Tony's old MIT sweatshirt. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth all the while casting glances at the small plastic stick on the counter.

"Jarvis?" she mumbled.

"One more minute, Mrs. Stark," the AI's voice said. "May I just tell you, that I could perfectly…"

"Jarvis, please, I need to have some proof in my hands, I know you're capable of playing doctor and tell me I'm…well…like that," Pepper groaned, rubbing a hand across her face.

"Pregnant, Mrs. Stark, is the word you're looking for," the AI said, oblivious that Pepper didn't say the word of her own will.

"Thank you, Jarvis," she snapped, now biting her nails.

She sat down at the edge of the bathtub and sighed. What was she going to do? How in the world had she gotten pregnant? They never talked about children. Ever. Pepper didn't know what to expect. Two years ago, when their relationship officially started, they only talked about being happy, making Stark Industries grow and keeping Iron Man as a solid symbol of protectiveness of the people. Even when they got married a year ago did they talk about children. Hell, in all of the time she'd known Tony, he never expressed the wish about being a parent. Now this?

"Mrs. Stark?" Jarvis asked.

"Yes?"

"The minute is over, the test is ready for you to see," he informed.

"Thank you, Jarvis," she whispered staring at the plastic stick like it was some kind of alien thing.

Pepper was frozen. What was she going to do?

"Mrs. Stark? Mr. Stark will be arriving in ten minutes, shouldn't you look at the pregnancy test before that? Or are you waiting for Mr. Stark?"

"No," she jumped from where she was sitting. "Jarvis, not a word to Mr. Stark about this, ok?"

"Are you not telling, Mr. Stark?" the AI seemed a bit unsure.

"We'll see about that, Jarvis, maybe there's nothing to tell," Pepper shrugged and picked the test, looking down. "Two pink lines? What the hell does that mean?" she muttered looking for the box.

"It's positive, Mrs. Stark," Jarvis said calmly.

Pepper stared blankly at the test. It was positive. She was pregnant. Pepper Stark was pregnant. She was having Tony Stark's child. She sniffed, cleaning the tears that were streaming down her face. What was she going to do now? How was Tony going to react?

"Is it sad news, Mrs. Stark? In general opinion, a pregnancy is a celebration motive," Jarvis said.

"I don't know Jarvis," Pepper mumbled.

"Is this child a bad thing?" the AI asked.

"No. Of course not. I mean…I'm scared, Jarvis," Pepper said, sitting down again, not raising her eyes from the test. "I'm scared for Tony."

"Do you think Mr. Stark will not be a good father?"

"God, Jarvis, is not that. Tony will be a wonderful father if he wants too!" she replied.

"Are you afraid he refuses the child?" Jarvis tried.

"Yes," she sobbed.

"Unfortunately, Mrs. Stark, I cannot give you a direct answer to that fear. You should talk to Mr. Stark to obtain answers," Jarvis said after a minute of silence. "But, congratulations, Mrs. Stark."

"Thank you," she chuckled through her tears.

"Mr. Stark has arrived," Jarvis said.

Pepper got up, putting the test on one of the drawers and watching herself in the mirror. She looked awful. No make-up, her hair was a mess and her eyes were now red and puffy. Splashing some cold water on her face, Pepper brushed her hair and giving herself a once over in the mirror, opened the door.

"Pepper!" she heard Tony yell. "I'm back. I could've died, I want a kiss," he demanded, his voice getting closer.

The redheaded woman shook her head with a small laugh. Every time Tony came home from some SHIELD mission or even just a reunion he would go like "I could have died, I want to be spoiled", and Pepper happily obliged. Actually, she wondered if one of those moments where she was spoiling him, resulted on the little human being growing on her stomach.

"Here is my ever beautiful wife," Tony's grin was wide as he walked towards Pepper and encircled her waist. "Missed me?"

Pepper nodded, placing her arms around his neck and looking up to him. Without her high heels, she looked small at his side. "A lot," she mumbled kissing him softly on the lips.

"I could've died," he pouted. "I want more than a peck!"

"It was a meeting with Fury and the team, how much deadly danger could you have put yourself in?" she chuckled teasing him with a small kiss again.

"I don't know. Cap could have hit me with his shield. He sure looked like he was about to after I interrupted him for the third time," Tony said with an evil glint in his eyes. "Oh, and let's not forget about our friend Hulk! He could've make an appearence..."

"Can you stop provoking your teammates, Tony?" she sighed with a playful smile.

"Too much fun to stop," he grinned like a little boy. "Now, give me a real kiss, Mrs. Stark!"

Happy to grant his wish, Pepper pulled his collar and kissed him deeply. Tony's arms gripped her tighter against him as he deepened the kiss, savoring her. It was incredible the love he felt for the woman on his arms. Never once in his life, did Tony think he could love someone like this. It was consuming.

Coming back for air, he noticed her red rimmed eyes. "Were you crying?" he frowned.

"Huh…I…well…" she stuttered and he raised an eyebrow. When did Pepper (Potts) Stark stuttered? "I was watching sappy movies all day," she said lamely.

"Oh, Titanic?" he guessed and she nodded. "Should've figure it out. Are you better?" he asked concerned. That morning, before he left, she threw up her dinner from the night before and even after she slept through the whole night, she claimed to be exhausted. Worried, he wanted to stay, but she almost kicked him out saying that it was a bug and he had a job to do.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said stepping away from his embrace. "Never better," she smiled. "It was probably something I ate," Pepper gave him an unsure smile.

Tony looked at her for a few minutes before pursing his lips. "Jarvis?"

Pepper groaned.

"Mrs. Stark is alright, sir. She only threw up twice after you left and she rested through the afternoon," Jarvis said and Pepper breathed a sigh of relief when the AI didn't mention what she was doing for the past four hours (she was locked in the bathroom deciding whether to take the test or not and then deciding to do it, but changing her mind, until she decided to do it once and for all). "My only concern is that Mrs. Stark didn't ate anything!"

"Pep! I thought you were the responsible one," Tony said.

"I'm not hungry, everything gets me sick," she cried sitting on the bed.

"Sir, can I make a suggestion?" Jarvis asked.

"Always," Tony said.

"Probably some lemon tea and a few crackers will do Mrs. Stark some good," the AI said.

Pepper rolled her eyes. Jarvis, by now, was researching and uploading info on pregnancies and babies.

"Alrighty, then," Tony smiled extending his hand to Pepper who took it. "Why don't you go down to the living room, pick a movie – except Titanic – so we can watch together, and I'll get your tea and crackers ready?"

"Sounds like a plan," she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Ok, let me just change," he said.

Nodding, Pepper left the room, leaving Tony alone. He picked up some sweats before entering the bathroom. There, he changed and then was looking for his tooth brush when he came across something. He frowned at the little thing before shock colored his features.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"What's this?" Tony asked.

"A pregnancy test, sir," the AI replied vaguely.

"Positive?" he whispered.

"Yes, sir," Jarvis confirmed.

Tony swallowed closing the drawer shut. This was probably the reason Pepper was crying, not some damn movie.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Pepper was racking her brain for a way to tell Tony about the pregnancy. Would he be excited? Sad? Horrified? She sighed and rubbed a hand across her face. He heard him come downstairs and gave him a small smile.

"You ok there, Pep?" he asked in a light tone and Pepper nodded. "Awesome, going to make you that lemon tea…"

He was the sweetest man when he wanted, she thought watching him leave to prepare something for her. Tony could be a perfect father. Imagining Tony with a mini him at the workshop, or creating chaos around the house, brought a smile at Pepper's face.

What would they child look like?

If it was a boy, Pepper wondered, it had to have his father's brains, smile and brown curls. With her blue gaze, little Stark would be unstoppable.

The girl would have her father's temper and personality, so Tony could feel what the people all around him suffered sometimes, and she would have his eyes and definitely have her father wrapped around her pinky.

With all these thoughts running across her mind, she couldn't help being excited and she also didn't realize that Tony was in front of her.

"Pepper!"

Her blue eyes snapped towards his. "Huh?"

"I've been calling you for the past minute," he said amused giving her the steaming mug. "You had this dreamy look…what were you thinking?"

Pepper accepted a mug and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she said taking a sip. "Oh, nothing…just…stuff," she replied with a small shrug.

"What kind of stuff?" Tony insisted.

"Oh, just…" Pepper was at a loss of words. "Everything and nothing," she smiled sweetly at him and drank her tea.

Tony raised his eyebrows. So she wasn't telling him?

"Ok," he said making himself comfortable. "Did you pick a movie?"

"No," she mumbled. "Maybe we could talk?"

"As you wish, Pep," Tony grinned at his wife. "What about?"

"Tony, do you like children?" she asked bluntly.

He smirked. Here we go, he thought as he choose his words carefully. "Depends," he said.

"On what?" she frowned.

"Are the children mine?" he replied with a question.

Pepper paled for a second but then smiled with an excellent poker face. "What's the difference?" she asked.

"Well, other people's kids wouldn't be as amazing and unique as ours," he said. "With our dashing looks, my genius brain and our personalities, it would be awesome, don't you think?"

"Yes, I do know that," Pepper said softly, setting the now empty mug on the coffee table.

Pepper cuddled to his side, staying silent. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her body against him.

"Pep?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, Tony?"

"Do you have something to tell me?" he inquired innocently.

"Hm," Pepper bit the inside of her cheek. "Maybe…"

"Then move on with it," he persisted.

"Tony?" she asked.

"Yes, Pep?"

"Have you being going through my bathroom drawers?" she guessed with a small grin.

This woman knows me too well, he thought with a roll of his eyes.

"Huh…maybe," he said using her words against him.

Pepper nodded, the only sound in the room coming from his arc reactor.

"Tony?" she asked again, a bit more softly.

"Yes, Pep?" he grinned against her hair.

"I'm pregnant," Pepper whispered.

"I know, Pep," Tony whispered back, pulling her chin up so he could see her eyes. "I love you," he said brushing his thumb across her cheek.

"I love you too," she said leaning into his touch. "This is good news, right?"

"Of course," he said. "Why wouldn't it be?" Tony asked confused as Pepper sat down next to him and blushed.

"I didn't know what to expect from you," she confessed.

"Is that the real reason you were crying and not because DiCaprio had the misfortune of freezing to death?" he asked, slightly teasing her.

Pepper nodded. "I was afraid…that you didn't like the news…I mean…we never talked about it…" her vision blurred due to the tears. "I was just scared."

"You're so silly sometimes," he chuckled pulling her for a comforting hug. "No, we never talked about children, but that doesn't mean I didn't thought about it. Why wouldn't I like the news? In the past, being a father was the furthest thing away from my mind, but it was solemnly because I didn't had the right woman by my side," Tony explained. "Pep, we can have all the children that you want, as long as you're the Mom…and I'm the Dad, of course."

She laughed through her tears. "Sometimes you have your way with words, Stark!"

"Thanks, Stark," he replied. "I love you, Pep, and this baby too!"

"I love you too, Tony," she whispered before closing the space between them and she kissed him.

"I'm going to be a Dad. Ah! My life is better than your life right now!"

Steve chuckled reading the message. He was happy for Stark, he really was. The man sometimes could behave like a heartless bastard, but Steve knew he loved Pepper more than anything else in the world and that he was going to be a good father.

"Have you read the news, Cap?" Maria Hill asked coming to the training room.

Steve waved the phone at Maria. "Finally getting the hang of this thing," he sighed. "But, good for him," he smiled.

"Yes, I think so too," Maria nodded with a smile.

"Agent Hill?" Steve asked after a moment.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Call me Steve and…are you free tonight for a dinner?"

Maria grinned. "I thought you'd never ask!"

"I'm going to be a Dad. Ah! My life is better than your life right now!"

Natasha looked from the message on her phone, to the plastic stick on her hand, to the wooden door in front of her.

"Well, this is ironic," she said.

"I'm going to be a Dad. Ah! My life is better than your life right now!"

Clint grinned at the message, getting up from the bed and knocking at the bathroom door. "Tasha, Stark's going to be a Dad," he said.

"I know," came her voice from inside. "He's not the only one!"

"I'm going to be a Dad. Ah! My life is better than your life right now!"

"I really hope the kid is like Pepper, I don't think the world will survive with two Tony Stark's," Bruce chuckled to himself.

I excluded Thor because I don't think they have phones in Asgard. Reviews?