Chapter One

"Close your eyes, close them, CLOSE them, Pep," Tony Stark ordered Pepper Potts as he helped her enter the living room.

Pepper Potts laughed. "Tony, my eyes are already close, besides I'm wearing a blindfold," she said pointing to the pink blindfold that she had around her eyes.

"I don't want you to see anything," Tony insisted. "I want you to be surprise, and you're kind for ruining the surprise here."

"I don't have to see, to know what the surprise is," Pepper smiled. Today was her and Tony's first year anniversary and Tony had promised a "surprise" and Tony Stark was unexpected when it came to surprises. "I smell Chinese. . .barbecue ribs. . .and pizza?"

"No fair," Tony pouted as he removed the blindfold. "It was suppose to be a surprise."

"Then you should have cooked it yourself," Pepper teased as she saw the table filled with Chinese food, Italian food, and barbecue ribs with white candles. Tony's Stark, idea of romantic. She grabbed a noodle. "Hmm, delicious. . .edible. From which Chinese restaurant is this?"

"Wong's," Tony replied grinning. "I wanted to surprise you, but every time I offer to cook for you, you refuse. That makes Tony sad."

Pepper smiled. "Well, maybe you should try making edible food once in a while."

"Ouch," Tony pretended to be stabbed in the heart. "That hurt, Pep. That really hurt."

"Well, let me make it better," she said as she kissed him. "Thank you, Tony, you're so sweet. Maybe I'll even forgive you for nearly sacrificing you life."

"You mean I can stop sleeping on the coach?" he asked hopefully.

"Yep," Pepper teased. "You've been a good little boy."

Tony grinned as he picked her up wedding style. "I should bring you Chinese every night if you're going to be this forgiving."

"Well, I do love Chinese food," Pepper said thoughtfully. "So I think you've been punished bad enough." Pepper leaned over and kissed him. "I love you, Tony. Thanks for doing this, sweetheart. . .I really appreciate it."

"I was happy to do it, Pep," he whispered. "You deserve so much more for dealing with me all the time."

Pepper giggled as Tony turned the other direction.

"Hey, where are we going?" she asked lightly not really caring.

"Where do you think?" Tony grinned mysteriously. "To try out our new bed."

Pepper pursed her lips. "Oh, really Mr. Stark do you think that's appropriate? I am your assistant after all."

"Really?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "I though you were my girlfriend who has been by my side for a year."

"Nearly eight if you count my years as your assistant," Pepper retorted.

"All right, eight," Tony agreed. "Come on Miss Potts we have a lot of work to do."

Pepper blushed. "As you wish, Mr. Stark."

LOVE TIES

"Are you still not feeling well?" Tony asked as he sat gently besides Pepper, on the bed and pushed back her strawberry blond hair to feel her forehead. "No fever. Are you sure your sick?"

"Of course I'm sick Tony," Pepper growled next to him on the bed. "I feel like crap. And I've been throwing up for almost a week straight."

"Maybe it was something you ate," he pointed out.

"You've been eating the same thing and you're not stuck in bed," Pepper moaned. "I feel so useless."

"You're not useless," Tony grinned as he kissed her cheek. "I mean I'm the one whose useless, I can't even remember my social security number. You can remember all of your information and mine. Not many people can do that."

Pepper grinned, but felt something rise in her throat. She pushed Tony aside and ran into the bathroom like she had done for the past week. She threw what little food she had in the toilet and sat back wheezing.

"Come on," Tony said gruffly as he handed her a green coat. "We're going to a doctor."

"Tony," Pepper moaned. She hated going to the doctor, because it was like admitting that something was wrong with her. And Pepper Potts was never wrong.

"No arguing allowed," Tony said as he helped her up. "I'm the only one that is allowed to argued."

Minutes later they were in SHIELD's medical wing. Pepper looked annoyed and like she wanted to strangle anyone who looked her way. Tony was calmly looking through a TIME magazine.

"I don't know why we couldn't just go to a regular doctor," Pepper gasped as she saw an Agent bleeding from his eyes. "I mean people are dying here, I'm just having a little stomach flu."

Tony frowned and looked at her like she was the dumbest person around. "Pep, you've been sick for over a week. I hardly think that qualifies as little." he returned to his magazine. "Besides I don't trust any doctor, but Bruce."

Pepper sighed.

"Pepper Potts?" Bruce Banner called out. He smiled when Tony and Paper stood up. "Tony nice to see you again. Ah, you must be the famous Pepper Potts. First of all let me congratulate you for keeping up with Tony. It takes a very special person to deal with him."

Pepper chuckled. "It's hard, but I manage."

"Yep," he smirked at Bruce. "We celebrated our one year anniversary three weeks ago."

Pepper blushed.

"Well, congratulations," he said. "Now what seems to be the problem?"

"Just a bit of the stomach flu," Pepper said weakly.

"I keep saying it's anything, but little," Tony insisted. "She's been sick all week."

"You're exaggerating."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Ok, you two enough," Bruce interrupted as he handed her a paper cup. "I'm going to do a urine sample and that should do the trick. Anything else that's bothering you?"

She shook her head.

"Well, then take a seat and I'll tell you the results in a few minutes." Bruce said as he disappeared.

Bruce came out a few minutes later looking pale and nervous as he clutched the results in his hands.

Pepper nervously squished Tony's hand.

Tony bit his lip in nervousness as he forced himself to ask. "Is something wrong, doc?"

"No," Bruce chuckled nervously. "Nothings' wrong. . .depends how you're going to take it though."

Pepper gasped and she felt that she was going to burst out crying.

Tony gulped and for the first time felt in a no joking mood. "Well, what is it?"

Bruce looked at the results. "Miss Potts is pregnant. She's carrying a three week old baby. You're going to be a Daddy, Tony"

-End of Chapter One-

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