A/N: Welcome to the LAST CHAPTER of You're Killing Me Smalls! It's been a long journey, but as Tony Stark has said, "Part of the journey is the end". I want to thank all of you who have read and reviewed. Those reviews have brought me so much joy, so I apologize for having to end things. This is a very short chapter, but I feel it was time for things to come to an end. This doesn't mean there won't be any future stories involving Tony and Peter, but no guarantees of when that'll be.

Chapter 74: Happily Ever After

Peter's POV:

They were nervous, the both of them, and it was absolutely hilarious. I spent the past hour going back and forth between my parents' rooms calming each of them down and assuring them that the everything would be alright. I was now entering my dad's room as it was time to get started. Locking eyes with Rhodey, we shared looks of amusement and exasperation.

"Took you long enough, Underoos," Dad remarked, jumping to his feet. "Let's get this party started!" he exclaimed, a huge grin appearing on his face as he headed for the door. I snorted, all the while shaking my head in bemusement. Here he was acting like he hadn't been panicking the past couple hours.

Rhodey rolled his eyes as he followed behind Tony, throwing me a long-suffering look that I mimicked.

"How's Pepper?" the older man whispered to me as we trailed behind Tony, who seemed to be speed-walking to our destination.

"Pretty much like that," I answered, pointing towards Dad, who now looked the epitome of calm, confident, and collected.

A chuckle escaped Rhodes's lips. "Tony doesn't surprise me, but I'll admit to not expecting Pepper to be so stressed. No matter," he sighed. "We just need those two to lay eyes on each other, and then it'll be good."

I nodded in agreement. I was sure the second my parents saw each other that they wouldn't have eyes for anyone other than each other, their previous nerves completely forgotten.

"Hey, slowpokes!" Dad hollered at us. "If I'm late to my own wedding because you can't walk fast enough…," he trailed off, leaving a threat to our imaginations.

"Well, we wouldn't be rushing if you hadn't been having a nervous breakdown," Rhodey commented, giving his friend a teasing look.

"Pfft!" Dad responded, looking affronted. "I wasn't having a nervous breakdown. It's just normal, pre-wedding jitters."

"Sure, sure," Rhodes retorted disbelievingly.

Whatever Dad responded was lost to me as we'd arrived outside.

"Wow," I murmured in awe. This place is beautiful, I couldn't help but think. The hotel we were at had a huge multi-level deck that jutted out just above the rainforest, giving us an amazing view of the surrounding area. It was covered, which was a must since rain seemed to come and go at random. The decorations were sparse, which worked as the lush surroundings were more than enough.

As we walked up the aisle, I waved and threw smiles at the guests, glad to see that I not only recognized, but knew everybody that was here. The Avengers were here, of course, including Clint's family. Scott was here with his daughter, Hank, and Hope. My friend's Ned, MJ, and Flash were also able to come along with their families. Happy and Amanda were obviously here along with Dr. Cho, Maria Hill and—holy shit, was that Nick Fury?!

Both eyebrows rose in surprise as I watched the one-eyed man approach my dad with a smirk.

"Nick!" Dad exclaimed in mock shock. "You came back from the dead for me?! I'm flattered."

Fury simply rolled his eye before pulling Tony in for a brief one-armed hug. "Congratulations, Tony," the man said.

Dad's eyes were wide and full of shock when Fury pulled away from the hug, and I gathered that this display of affection from the former head of SHIELD wasn't normal. So shocking, in fact, that Dad's mouth opened, but nothing came out, which only caused Fury to smirk before his attention turned to me.

His eyes were appraising yet kind as he looked me over. "Nice to finally meet you, Peter."

"Um, you too, Mr. Fury, sir," I replied nervously as I shook his hand. The man's smirk widened at my nervousness, and he looked at me intently for a few moments. I wasn't sure what he was doing, so I looked to my dad for help since I was starting to feel unnerved. Dad didn't seem as unnerved as me, though, because when Nick looked back at him, Dad was sporting an expression that was part arrogant and part pride. Fury just snorted, patting my shoulder once before walking away to take his seat.

"What just happened?" I asked, feeling like I'd just missed out on something.

"He likes you," Dad replied simply, wrapping an arm around me as we walked the last several feet of the aisle. The officiant greeted us warmly before directing us to where we'd be standing. He asked Dad if he was ready, and although he suddenly looked a little too pale, Dad sported a confident grin as he nodded at the elderly man.

With a nod, the officiant gestured to his left, and music began to play. I realized in pleasant surprise that the musician was Amanda. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been, but it brought a huge smile to not just me but Dad's face at seeing her. She graced us both with loving smiles before her attention was drawn in a different direction. Following her eyes, I watched as everyone stood to their feet, and then finally settled my eyes on Mom.

I realized the second her eyes locked with Dad's because all tension and nervousness seemed to leave her, and the look on her face seemed to radiate pure happiness and love. Eyes flicking to Dad's, I noticed the same change happening to him. At this moment, I knew that these two were seeing no one else but each other.

Happy guided Pepper up the aisle, Natasha following behind as she carried the train of Pepper's dress. Her walk down the aisle took less than a minute, but from the looks on my parents' faces, it seemed to have been much longer, because it was only Happy and Rhodey's arms that were keeping the couple from seemingly rushing towards each other.

Happy finally handed Mom over to Dad, throwing me a wink before sitting down in the front row. The two love birds gripped onto each other tightly as they stood in front of us all. Their eyes never left one another's, and I knew they probably had no idea what the officiant was saying, especially when it took gentle prodding from both Rhodes and Natasha for them to speak.

The only moment they seemed to hear the officiant was when he asked them to make their vows, and when he officially pronounced them husband and wife. The words had barely left the man's mouth before the couple was pulling each other in for a deep kiss.

I cheered and hollered along with everyone at first, but when the kiss continued, I had to intervene. Rushing over, I placed my hands in between them, loudly exclaiming, "Okay, okay, save it for the honeymoon, or for whenever I'm not around!"

Laughter was heard from the guests as both adults parted. Dad's face was flushed, but he was smiling wider than ever, and Mom's expression mirrored his. As Mom pulled me in for a hug, I watched Dad turn to everyone, spread his arms and proudly shout, "I'm a married man!"

Mom giggled at his antics, grabbing hold of his hand that he now held out to her.

"Mrs. Stark," Dad called.

"Mr. Stark," Mom said, and corny as it was, I couldn't help but grin as widely and as stupidly as my parents were.

As the two made their way back down the aisle, accepting everyone's congratulations, Rhodes slapped my back before letting out a relieved sigh.

"It's about damn time," he remarked with a long-suffering sigh. "You've got no idea, kiddo, how long I've been waiting for this moment."

Raising a curious eyebrow, I had to ask, "How long?"

"From the moment I met Pepper about twenty years ago or so," he answered. "I knew the second I saw how Tony acted with her that she was the one. Hell, I think everyone knew those two were meant to be before either one of them did."

"How did they meet?" I then felt the need to ask, and Rhodey looked at me in surprised confusion. Frankly, I was surprised too that I hadn't asked this before.

"How about you ask your parents during dinner," Rhodey suggested, a grin of amusement slowly spreading across his face. Frowning at him, I huffed as I headed towards my parents.

After congratulations, we took more pictures than I thought strictly necessary. I grinned and bared my way through it though as I saw how happy my parents were. This was their day, and I'd take as many pictures as they wanted to keep those looks of utter joy on their faces.

The reception started afterwards, and we didn't travel far as it was just the level below us. Tables had already been set up with assigned seating, and the center of the room was bare, no doubt to allow for dancing later. Quiet music was playing, allowing for conversation as everyone began to eat.

I sat at a table with Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Natasha, and Amanda. I let the adults dominate the conversation, but when it looked like everyone was finishing up, I finally had to ask.

"How did you two meet?" I questioned out of the blue, and my parents exchanged first surprised and then amused looks before turning back to me. Amanda and Natasha both looked interested as well while Rhodey just smirked.

"I called him out at a board meeting on a mathematical error he'd made," Mom explained, causing my eyes to bug out.

"Dad made a math error?" I gasped, finding that hard to believe. Looking to the aforementioned man, I found him grinning sheepishly as he nodded his head.

"Uh, well I was kind of under the influence of…some stuff when I did those calculations," he admitted, looking less sheepish and more ashamed. Shaking his head, he suddenly looked smug as he said, "That wasn't a great first impression, but I redeemed myself when I beat the shit out of Pep's boss."

"What?!" was mine and Amanda's flabbergasted response.

Mom shook her head, giving Dad a mild glare before adding, "The old man was a little more handsy than I appreciated." Oh. Oh, I thought I alarm. I wanted to ask if Mom was okay, but looking at both parents, I could tell that whatever happened must have ended well because they were now both exchanging loving looks as if the memory was one to be treasured rather than forgotten.

"Oh no," Amanda stated with a shake of her head, "You cannot just leave us hanging like that. I need details," she demanded, and I totally agreed.

Exchanging looks again, Dad shrugged which caused Mom to sigh.

"Alright, I guess I'll be the one to tell it," she said, and I gave her my undivided attention. "It was about twenty years ago when we first met."

…

Pepper's POV:

…So, this is the great Tony Stark, I thought to myself as I watched a young dark-haired man sporting sun glasses plop himself down next to Mr. Stane. He obviously didn't want to be here, as he barely paid attention. More than once, Mr. Stane had to force him to stop playing with some device in his hands, or to give input and actually participate.

I was not impressed, but nor was I surprised. It seemed the rumor mill wasn't exaggerating. Tony Stark really was uncaring, spoiled, and arrogant. A party boy as well, it seemed, as the distinct scent of alcohol was coming off of him even with the expensive cologne he wore to no doubt cover it. The sunglasses were probably because he was hungover.

Oh, and he was a definite playboy, I thought in distaste, watching him minutely lower his sunglasses for the first time just so he could unabashedly ogle the secretary that came in to take our lunch orders.

The more I saw, the more unimpressed I became with the young CEO. He was a genius, clearly, but he was in no way fit to run a lemonade stand, let alone a company like Stark Industries. It was no doubt due to Mr. Stane that this company was still up and running.

The meeting was long, or at least it felt that way, and it was all Mr. Stark's fault. When the billionaire wasn't being urged to pay attention, he was making snide and childish comments. He was so unprofessional I was appalled no one said anything but judging from the annoyed yet resigned looks on everyone's faces, it seemed this was the norm.

Periodically, I could feel the man's eyes on me, and any time I'd look over, he'd shoot me a cocky grin that unfortunately caused me to blush in embarrassment. This seemed to amuse him, so I forced myself to avoid eye contact with him. No way was I going to allow some spoiled, over grown child to fluster me. Yes, he was handsome (like really, really handsome) but that didn't mean he could treat me like another piece of meat! I got enough of that from coworkers, like my lecherous boss.

Yes, my boss was clearly infatuated with me. From day one he'd been attracted to me, which I knew was why I'd been promoted quickly through the ranks until I was assistant manager, a position unheard of for someone only a year in the company. I knew I was good, but I also knew I didn't really deserve the position. There were so many people better qualified, but my boss, Marcus, wouldn't hear of my protests. He wouldn't let me turn down the promotions, especially the one that led me to working closely with him. I knew what he was hoping for, and feeling sick to my stomach I also knew I should quit, but this was too good an opportunity. Admittedly, Marcus had also made a not so thinly veiled threat that if I quit he'd make sure I never worked in the industry again…so, yeah, I was doing what I could to make the best of this situation.

Already I was getting treated poorly by those I worked with, many thinking I was sleeping my way to the top, so I did everything I could to prove them wrong. I arrived at work earlier than everyone and stayed later than everyone. I took on more and more responsibilities, learning quickly that in addition to being an old perv, my boss was also lazy. By this point, I was basically doing his job. I didn't have to be at these board meetings, but I insisted on coming, wanting to become more knowledgeable of the company I was working for. I was hoping to eventually take my boss's job, so I had to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible.

Right after lunch, Mr. Stark finally stood up to give his own presentation. I had to admit, he clearly knew what he was talking about. His ideas were brilliant, innovative, and for the first time I saw actual excitement in the man as he spoke. His presentation finished, and when Mr. Stane complimented him on a job well done, I was taken aback by how pleased Mr. Stark seemed to get. I didn't think the arrogant man would care what anyone thought.

Discussions began on what Mr. Stark had brought up, and I looked over the numbers as everyone talked, frowning when I saw a serious error. This didn't make sense. Stark was a genius, and there was no way he would've made an error like this, and if he had, I couldn't see how he wouldn't have caught it. This error was so egregious that it could cause the company millions of dollars if it wasn't rectified. How could Stark have not noticed this?

Glancing around the room, my frown deepened when I realized I was the only one actually looking through the paperwork. Everyone else just seemed to trust that Stark's work was perfectly done.

Feeling that something had to be done, but also realizing I probably wouldn't be taken seriously, I grabbed Marcus's attention. He gave me his sad version of a charming grin as he leaned closer, listening intently as I explained to him the error I found. When I finished, he gave me a pitying look, quietly asking me if I really thought I knew better than Tony Stark. Offended, I repeated myself, insisting that I was right, but he once again dismissed me.

"Drop it, Virginia, you don't know what you're talking about," Marcus whispered firmly, which only served to incense me. The two of us argued back and forth, both of growing more irritated before a loud clearing of a throat caused us to go quiet. Face heating up, I realized we now had the attention of the entire room on us.

"Something you'd like to share, Mr. Pierce?" Mr. Stane asked with a disapproving look. Next to him I noticed Stark was smirking, clearly enjoying someone else being the object of Mr. Stane's ire.

"Uh, no, sir, I apologize for the disruption," Mr. Pierce apologized, shooting me a disapproving look. "My assistant here is just having trouble understanding what she's reading."

I went red at his words, both in embarrassment and anger. Opening my mouth, I blatantly ignored his warning look as I looked directly at the smug genius and declared, "You made a mistake, a serious mistake that could cause this company millions. Frankly, I have no idea how you didn't notice," I finished, letting my confusion and disapproval show.

Heart pounding, I fought a blush as everyone stared at me in shock and maybe a little awe. Did no one really ever stand up to Stark?

Marcus immediately went to reprimand me, but Stark waved him off before asking, "Where?" His tone wasn't defensive or angry, but curious, which helped calm some of my irritation. For the first time today, he actually sounded serious as he looked at me. Struggling to maintain my composure with everyone's eyes on me, I showed Stark the pages with the calculation errors, explaining exactly what the repercussions for the company would be if they weren't fixed. Marcus once again tried to speak, but it was Mr. Stane who shut the man up this time.

"Tony," Mr. Stane prodded with poorly disguised anger, "is she right?"

I knew I was, but I wondered in sudden anxiety if Stark would admit it. Stomach twisting painfully, I realized that he probably wouldn't. Who would everyone here believe, anyways? Tony Stark or some random girl from finance?

Something had to be said, though, I argued internally. If this error were found out after the company had already lost millions, it would be my department that would be blamed.

"She's right," Stark finally spoke, and I couldn't pin an emotion to his tone. His eyes were still covered by sun glasses, which I found frustrating as he continued to stare at me. "Thanks for pointing that out, Ms…"

"Potts," I supplied unsurely. "Virginia Potts."

"Well, thank you, Ms. Potts," Mr. Stane spoke up instead, giving me tight smile. It looked fake, though, and I could tell he was rather upset. He threw Stark a dark look, and I felt sudden sympathy for the genius as it looked like Mr. Stane was ready to throttle him. It seemed Stark realized this as well as he gave a nearly imperceptible flinch when he looked at his mentor.

The meeting ended minutes after, Mr. Stane stating that things clearly needed to be looked over more closely, so we'd continue this discussion tomorow. I happily left the room, letting out a shaky breath. I was planning on heading home, suddenly feeling exhausted, but it seemed Marcus had other ideas. Dragging me into his office quite forcefully, he began to yell and lecture me on my behavior the second his door closed. I listened in stunned silence as he described me as impertinent and defiant.

"You completely humiliated me in there," he yelled, and I finally had enough. Temper snapping, I yelled right back, defending my actions and condemning his.

"I can see why you wanted me in this position, because clearly you need me to do your job since you are so inept at it. You're only embarrassed because I saw what you should've," I argued furiously, past caring about ramifications.

Marcus was a man with a fragile ego, so my words unsurprisingly enraged him. Instead of telling me I was fired, as I expected, he immediately got into my personal space. I backed up until I hit a wall, and he loomed over me with a sneer.

"Oh, I see what this is about," he spoke icily. "You flirt and tease me, taking advantage of my generous nature. I mean, you'd still be a glorified pencil pusher if it wasn't for me. Now, however, that I can't give you anything else, you're trying to get me fired."

I stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What the hell are you talking about?!" I screeched in disbelief. "You've only promoted me because you were hoping to get lucky."

Marcus suddenly slammed his hand against the wall, and I gave a yelp of surprise and fear. I really needed to learn when to keep my mouth shut, I thought dismally as the older man leaned his face down until it was mere inches from mine. I could see the anger in his gray eyes, but what scared me more was the growing lust I saw.

My heart began to race, my throat going dry as I realized what he wanted to do. Leaning down further, Marcus put his lips on mine, and I immediately pushed him off me. I was completely stunned by what he'd just done, and I knew I should be screaming or running, but my legs felt like lead and my jaw seemed to be clamped shut.

Get away from me, I shouted in my head over and over. Time seemed to slow as Marcus came back towards me, and this time when he attempted to kiss me again, I finally managed to let out a loud shriek. Unfortunately, he'd grabbed hold of my hands, so I wasn't able to fight him.

"Shhhhh, Virginia, there's no need for such hysterics," Marcus crooned as he caressed my cheek. I was glaring fiercely at him as he placed a hand over my mouth. "Now, here's what's going to happen"—

Whatever more he was going to say was cut short by the door opening abruptly. Both our eyes turned to stare in surprise at the one and only Tony Stark. The genius's eyes were full of surprise as he took in the scene, but that surprise quickly turned to rage as he growled out, "Let her go."

Marcus's grip on me loosened, and I slowly inched myself away from him. I figured Marcus would attempt to come up with some excuse as to what was happening, but he only looked between me and Stark before a humorless laugh escaped his lips.

"God, I should've known," he sighed in exasperation. "You're sleeping with that goddamn playboy?! That's what this is all about?"

"You're insane," I choked out, and Marcus raised a hand as if to strike me, but the hit never landed because Stark got in the way, roughly shoving the man away from me.

"What the fuck are you doing?! You don't ever raise a hand to a woman, you overgrown ball sack!" Stark roared in furious disbelief. "Get the hell out of my building and consider yourself fired!"

Stark's words only seemed to add to Marcus's rage, because the older man immediately threw a punch at the billionaire, knocking him to the floor. I screamed in horror, watching Marcus reach down to grab hold of Stark's waist coat. He raised his fist to punch Stark again, but Stark let out a yell before tackling Marcus to the ground. It became a full out brawl at this point, both men rolling around the floor, crashing into furniture. Marcus clearly had an advantage of size and strength, but Stark made up with it with his youth, speed, and tenacity.

My common sense seemed to return at this point, for I rushed to the office phone, calling for security before rushing over to my purse. Quickly rummaging through it, I found what I was looking for: pepper spray. I waited mere seconds before I found my opening. I locked eyes with Stark, who immediately noticed what was in my hands, so he scrambled out of the way as I sprayed Marcus in the face. As he screamed out in pain, hands going to his face, I grabbed hold of a vase and slammed it over his head causing him to fall unconscious.

I stared in disbelief at Marcus's prone form, unable to comprehend what I'd just done.

"He's still alive," Stark muttered as he pulled himself to his feet. I just stared at the young genius, noting his split lip and bruised cheek. His previously pristine suit was rumpled, blood from his lip staining the white shirt, and his hair was a mess. His trade mark sunglasses had been knocked off, so for the first time I was able to look into his brown eyes.

"Are you alright?" Stark then asked hesitantly, concern in his eyes as he stepped closer to me.

"Yes," I found myself saying, surprised by how quickly I found myself calming down. "Thank you," I told Stark, looking at him in slight awe and gratefulness.

Stark just shrugged, wiping away at his lip before giving me a grin. This grin was different than any I'd seen from him before. It was genuine. It was sweet, and it made him seem even more handsome than before.

Security finally showed up, and while they took in the situation Stark complained loudly about how long it'd taken them to arrive.

"I could totally be dead by now. I mean, honestly, what took you so long?" he griped. The guards stammered excuses, all of which Stark ignored. He then quickly filled them in on what had occurred before stating that he was leaving. The guards insisted he seek medical attention, but Stark just rolled his eyes before looking over at me.

"Coming, Ms. Potts?" he asked, holding a hand out to me. Without thinking, I grabbed hold of it, allowing the billionaire to lead me into the elevator. We both said nothing as it took us down to the garage. I honestly was so stunned by what happened, I had no idea what to say. Was I in shock? Should I go to the hospital?

The elevator doors opened and we both stepped out. It was only now that I realized I was still holding on to Stark's hand. Looking down as I let go, I noticed the bruised and bloodied knuckles.

"You really should go to a hospital," I blurted out, and Stark looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "You probably need stitches," I expanded, concern blooming through me. This man had saved me, and I couldn't let him just leave. What if he had a concussion?

Ignoring my suggestion, Stark turned towards me, looking very serious as he quietly asked, "Has he done that before?"

"No," I answered, noting as his tense posture relaxed.

He looked down at the ground, looking rather upset before then stating, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. Trash like that shouldn't be within 100 miles of my company let alone working inside of it. I'll have to work on the vetting process, so this never happens again."

I was taken aback by the apology, the man in front of me such a contrast to the childish playboy I'd seen in the board room. Without his sunglasses, I was able to see the guilt and concern in his eyes. He wasn't pretending. He really did feel this was his fault.

"It's not your fault," I asserted softly yet firmly, "but thank you, once again, for helping. You really did save me."

Stark seemed embarrassed by my words, his mouth opening and closing as he figured out what to say. Eventually, he settled for just giving me an awkward smile.

"Yeah, well, what kind of man would I be if I just stood back and let that swine take advantage of a beautiful woman such as yourself?" he asked rhetorically, a teasing gleam in his eyes.

I just shook my head before coming to a decision. Heading in the direction of my car, I yelled over my shoulder, "Come along, Mr. Stark, I'm taking you to a hospital."

"But I don't want to go," Stark whined, and I rolled my eyes in both amusement and exasperation before leveling the immature man with a stern look.

"I don't care if you don't want to go, because you're going and that's that," I declared, placing my hands on my hips. "Your lip hasn't stopped bleeding, which means it needs stitches, and you were knocked about, which means you might have a concussion. So, get in the car before I pepper spray you and drag you," I threatened, internally panicking as I realized I'd just threatened one of the most powerful men in the world.

Stark stared at me with open mouth shock, but instead of glaring or walking away, he let out a loud huff before walking over towards me.

"Fine," he grumbled unhappily, giving me an angry expression that looked more like a pout. "Lead the way, Pepper."

"Pepper?" I asked in confusion, and Stark smirked as he walked alongside me.

"Yup," he stated, not expanding.

"My name is Virginia," I corrected, and Stark gave a chuckle.

"You just pepper sprayed your boss, and then threatened to pepper spray me, Tony effing Stark," he remarked in amusement. "You are officially hereby to be called Pepper Potts."

I glared, trying to come up with something to say, but before I could, Stark added one last comment.
"Oh, and by the way, from this day forward, you work for me. Congratulations, Ms. Potts, you are now my personal assistant," Stark announced casually.

Peter's POV:

"And, that's how I ended up as his PA," Mom finished. "I argued, of course, and even refused, but"—

"But, my charm got her in the end," Dad added.

"More like your annoying stubbornness," Mom amended, and Dad maturely stuck his tongue out at her.

"Why am I not surprised that you two meeting couldn't be anything normal?" Natasha asked rhetorically, looking at the two with fond amusement.

I was simply silent, my eyes wide as I had no idea what to say. "That's crazy," was all I eventually managed to get out, and my parents simply laughed.

"Despite his heroism, I still can't believe you managed to put up with him for so many years," Natasha remarked teasingly, but I'm sure there was some honesty to the comment. I was well aware of what Dad used to be like, so Mom must've really cared about him to have stuck around in spite of all his antics.

Conversation continued for another twenty minutes before I saw Rhodey take a deep breath and stand up. Time for the best man speech, I realized.

"Oh god, no," Dad mumbled as Rhodey loudly tapped his glass to get everyone's attention. Rhodey was smirking while Dad looked concerned. I smothered a laugh at his expression.

Everyone went quiet, all eyes turned towards the colonel.

"It was my first year of college when I met the famous Tony Stark," Rhodes began and Dad gave an audible groan that elicited some laughter from the crowd.

"Like the hard-working student that I was, I was attempting to get some studying done," the best man continued, "when this scrawny kid poked his head out from under the table I was at and told me to either stop mumbling to myself or to find a new table." Rhodes paused as people giggled at the image he presented. Dad was leaning his head on Mom's shoulder in embarrassment, but I could see a smile on his face.

"After getting over my shock at being told off by a grumpy shrimp, I found myself inexplicably drawn to this kid, so instead of changing tables, I made it a habit to come back to the same table every day," Rhodey recounted. "There were days, believe it or not, where he'd never talk, except to offer me some of his never-ending supply of food. Eventually, I managed to coax him out from under the table and get him to talk, and he's never shut up since." There were a few snorts of laughter at that, and Mom turned her face towards Dad to give him a kiss to his forehead.

"I honestly had no idea at the time what that first meeting would lead to. I had no idea that I'd just met the best, most annoying little brother I could ever ask for," Rhodey proclaimed, his eyes soft as he turned them towards Tony.

"I've known Tony almost his entire life, and I've seen him go through some of his worst moments and some of his best moments. When he was younger, there were more bad moments than good," Rhodes admitted, putting a hand on Dad's shoulder. "But then…then comes in Pepper Potts into his life like a goddamn whirlwind, and I start to see more and more good moments."

"From the second I saw these two together all those years ago, I knew they were meant to be, and I think anybody that saw these two together knew that as well. Anybody but them, that is," he said with a chuckle, one shared by several others. "It killed me to watch them dance around each other for all those years, and so many times I wanted to smack Tony upside the head for being such an idiot, but I knew as we all do that one does not tell Tony Stark what to think or do. He has to figure it out for himself, and for a genius, he can be goddamn stupid."

Mom giggled while Dad just scoffed at his words.

"Now, the first time I saw these two kiss, I'll admit that while I was ecstatic, I was also grossed out," Rhodes admitted, giving a bit of a grimace as he stepped out of arms reach of Tony, who'd attempted to elbow him.

"You see, it was just after the Expo disaster back in '09," he recalled. "I've just escaped these huge explosions and am collecting myself on this roof when Tony lands heavily with Pepper in my arms. They clearly don't notice me because they start arguing. Yeah, I was surprised too," Rhodey commented sarcastically, which incited another round of laughter.

"So, Tony here is attempting to justify his actions while Pepper is freaking out and exclaiming how she can't handle the stress and no longer wants to be CEO," the colonel continues, edging away from Mom now, who looks like she'd like to smack him. "They're going back and forth, Tony attempting to be understanding while Pepper tries to justify herself. All the while, these two love birds are walking towards each other, and bam! Out of nowhere, they go from arguing to totally making out," Rhodey exclaims before laughing loudly.

"These two can't do anything normally, y'know," Rhodey says, giving my parents a fond smile. "I can honestly say that I'd never seen Tony happier than when he and Pepper began dating. Tony has always been a good man to me, despite some of his less than stellar decisions. With Pepper, though, he's a great man. I was starting to think life couldn't get any better, but then along came a little spider," Rhodey spoke, and I blushed as I felt everyone's eyes land on me.

"Tony and Pepper took to parenthood like a duck takes to water, and knowing Peter seemed to only bring them closer. I thought I'd seen Tony happy, but this scrawny little hero brought a whole new level of joy to his life." Rhodey gave me a loving smile that I returned as he went back to stand between Pepper and Tony. He placed a hand on both their shoulders.

"The point of my long rambles," Rhodes finally said, "is that I will be forever grateful to not just this wonderful woman, Pepper, but to this wonderful young man, Peter, for the sheer joy they've brought my brother. I know he can be a handful, but with you two watching over him, I know he'll be alright."

Holding up his champagne glass, everyone followed suit. "To Tony, Pepper, and Peter Stark," the man announced, and I blushed once more as everyone repeated his words before drinking from their glasses.

"You're an ass," I heard Dad grumble in mock annoyance before he stood up and pulled Rhodey in for a tight hug.

"I'm so proud of you," I heard Rhodey whisper into Dad's ear, and I noticed how Dad's arms seemed to tighten.

"Thank you," Dad replied in a voice full of emotion, and I heard the even quieter "I love you" before the two parted. Rhodey then hugged Pepper tightly, who thanked her just as Tony had. Rhodey then came over and pulled me into a hug, ruffling my hair before placing a kiss on the top of my head.

"Love you, shrimp," he stated, and my eyes widened as this was the first time I'd ever heard him say that to me. I mean, I knew he cared, but I'd never head him say it out loud.

"Love you too," I responded, hiding my ever-persistent blush against his chest.

After all the emotions, the party went into full swing. Loud music began to play, and the dance floor began to fill. I found myself avidly watching as some of the worlds' most powerful people pulled off the funkiest and dorkiest dance moves. As the night wore on, everyone began to see who could pull off the coolest or funniest dance move. Clint and Scott were at the top of both those lists to the utmost joy of their children and embarrassment of their significant other.

At one point, Mom threw her bouquet, which MJ somehow managed to catch without trying. This, unfortunately led to some good-natured ribbing from many people about when MJ and I were going to announce our engagement. It was only the ferocity of MJ's glare that eventually got people to back off. It didn't escape my notice, though, that she kept the bouquet.

It was past midnight when things began to wind down, people milling off towards their hotel rooms with plans to meet tomorrow for brunch before most flew back home. After I bid MJ a private goodnight, I ambled over to my parents who were speaking with Natasha and Bruce. I bit back a smile at seeing them holding hands. Everyone knew those two were together, but it was rare for them to openly show affection towards each other in front of anyone.

Right as I was nearing them, I heard Nat ask a question that had me freezing in place. "So, should we expect a new Stark in another nine months or so?" Natasha asked with a teasing look.

My parents exchanged glances before Mom responded, "Well, we haven't actually talked about it, so probably not."

I didn't hear much of the conversation after that, my mind now filled with thoughts of my parents having a kid of their own. What would that mean for me? Would that change things? Would they even want a kid because of me?

"What is going through that mind of yours?" I heard Mom ask, jerking me from my panicked thoughts. Glancing around, I realized we were now the only ones here besides the cleaning staff.

"He's probably stressing about Tasha's question regarding kids," Dad stated confidently, which caused me to briefly look down at my shoes in embarrassment.

"Do you guys want kids?" I forced myself to ask before I lost my nerve.

Again, my parents exchanged glances before Mom replied, "We honestly haven't discussed it. Would you mind having a sibling?"

"It's not really up to me," I felt the need to reply.

"Peter, you're our son, so of course your opinion matters to us," Mom insisted. "If you aren't comfortable with having a sibling, then we won't"—

"No, I'm not uncomfortable or anything," I interjected rapidly. "I just, I dunno. I guess I was caught off guard by the question."

Both parents looked at me in concern now, and I wanted to kick myself for being an idiot. It was their wedding day, and now they were worried about me.

"Whether we have another kid or not," Dad stated, "you're still going to be our son, and we'll love you just as much as we'll love your little brother or sister. Just because they'll share our blood, that won't change the way we feel about you. You're our son, now and forever," Dad said simply, giving me a kind smile.

I found my muscles relaxing, my heart beat slowing down as he'd told me exactly what I'd wanted to hear. It was dumb, but I had been worried that things would change if they had a biological child.

"Tony's right," Pepper agreed, giving my cheek a light caress. "Please don't stress about this, honey. We have no intentions of having a child at this point, and if we change our minds, then it will be a family decision."

I nodded my head in understanding before feeling the need to say, "I'd be okay with a sibling. If you wanted to—I mean, you don't need my permission, but I, uh, I wouldn't mind having a sibling."

My parents exchanged a look before smiling at me. Walking closer, Dad wrapped an arm around both me and Mom.

"I don't know about you two, but right now, I'm content with our little family. Besides, I'm not sure the world could handle a mini-me," he stated with a laugh as we broke apart.

"What makes you think our child would be a mini-you?" Mom asked in mock annoyance. "What if they were like me?"

"That'd be even scarier," I teased, which caused Dad to laugh loudly.

As my parents began to bicker good-naturedly back and forth, I found myself feeling content. This past year had been a whirlwind of good and bad, but I could say that in this moment, every thing was perfect.

The End

A/N: As previously mentioned, this is the last chapter of my story. Hope you have enjoyed it as I certainly have.