Side note: I got the tattoo Downey and the rest of the OG Avengers got today and I'm so excited about that! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Iron Man or Marvel related!

"Tony!"

The voice has come from over Friday's speaker while he was working in the lab. Modding the suit, preparing new tech for the nano parts...the same as usual. He had the AI set up a feed to Pepper, just in case it happened to be the day. She refused to step down, so she holed herself up in the office, making sure to keep up with Stark Industries even in her third trimester.

"Friday, video feed?" Stark had demanded, dropping what he was doing to focus on her.

There had been a groan on the other end of the line, and then Pepper appeared on display, pushing away from her desk with her hand on her belly.

"Tony," she huffed again, voice shaky. "Tony, it's time. I - I think the baby's coming."

And then there had been panic. Panic about getting everything together, panic about shutting down the lab, panic about driving to the hospital... Happy had the night off, of course, but agreed to take them, arriving in a matter of minutes.

And then, he had dealt with a very...emotional...Pepper, and several curses and blames later, here they were.

"Okay, Mrs Stark," the doctor announced, making her eyes widen in horror. "It's time to push now, okay?"

"I...I can't, I..." the red head stammered, sweat already glistening from her forehead after the last few hours of contractions.

"Honey, you can do this," she heard Stark try to reassure from her side. "Okay, you...fought off a guy made of lava and still came back to my sorry ass, I know you can do this."

Her eyes whipped to meet his, fear very present in their blue depths, despite his smile. She felt him grab her hand at her side, wrapping his palm around it tightly. Then he kissed the back of her hand before the doctor was back to instructing her.

"Mrs Stark, we need to do this now, okay? The baby can't wait!"

She nodded, focus turning back toward his direction, as another horrible pain tightened in her gut and she felt the urge to do as the doctor requested. Pepper didn't even notice she was squeezing Tony's hand, it just happened, and soon she was sitting up, her eyes closed tightly as she yelled out in pain again.

"Ahhhh, son of a bitch!" she swore, making Tony smirk; Pepper never swore, not even in their worst arguments.

"Keep pushing, that's it," her doctor instructed, but it was all faint compared to the agony spewing from Pepper.

She groaned gain, giving another push, squeezing Tony's hand harder than before and not letting up. And then she gasped for breath, a tear leaking from her eye as she cried softly.

"Tony, I can't, I can't..."

"You've got to keep pushing, Virginia," the doctor reminded her.

"Pep, I know it hurts, but you're almost there, okay? Remember how much we want this. It'll all be worth it," Tony promised from her side, causing her to shoot him a glare as she yelled out in pain with another push.

"This is all your fucking fault!" she screamed through clenched teeth. "Don't you dare tell me you know how this feels!"

He lifted an eyebrow, trying to keep a level voice. "Maybe not this, but I kinda fought off a giant alien trying to kill half our planet. Sorta the same. I got stabbed."

"That is not the same-ahhhh!" she screeched, her eyes squeezing shut again.

"Pep. Pep, hey. Can you uh..." Stark stammered, trying to pry her hand from his for a moment. "I just-"

"What the hell are you doing?!" she growled, watching him shake his hand.

Then, Tony pulled back his sleeve and tapped his watch, extending the nano tech into the gantlet from his latest Mark, letting the cool metal cover his hand and forearm. He grinned sheepishly, flexing the fingers, then put his weight on his elbow again and offered her his hand.

"Are you kidding me?!" his wife yelled; even in childbirth she was scolding him.

"What?!" he snapped back. "You were crushing my hand!"

"I am having your baby!" Pepper snarled back, diving into another groan.

She sat up once more, crying out with a strong push which involuntarily had her gripping Tony's hand again, regardless of the iron gauntlet. And then...finally a little relief.

"I can see the head," the doctor announced to them, ducking under the sheet again. "Just a couple more big pushes, come on, you can do it!"

Holding her eyes shut, Pepper groaned and gave it everything she had left, and then the sounds of crying broke the room and she quickly forgot the pain when their baby was finally born. She broke out in laughter the moment she saw them have Tony snip the umbilical cord with his non dominant hand, and then they wrapped her in a blanket, handing her to her mother.

"Congratulations," the nurse smiled as she leaned down and handed the bundle to Pepper, who greedily scooped her up in her arms and sat back, trying not to think about the afterbirth effects to come. "We still have to take her for records, but why don't you say hello for a few minutes?"

"Tony," she gasped, pulling the blanket aside to further reveal their baby's face. "Tony, she's beautiful!"

He shook his arm, pulling back the nano tech to keep his hand bare, and then leaned over, gently kissing Pepper on the top of her head. "You did great, honey."

"She's perfect..." she sighed. "She has her daddy's nose, don't you, pretty girl?"

Stark couldn't help but chuckle lightly, leaning his forehead against her hair. "And her mother's beauty and grace, I'm sure..."

But it was all cut too short when the nurse returned, alerting them that they had to take her to get her cleaned up and take her stats and vitals.

"Do we have a name?" she asked, holding a clipboard in hand.

Pepper nodded, not taking her eyes off of their daughter. "Morgan. Morgan Maria Stark..."

She didn't have to say anything else; she felt Tony's eyes flutter closed against her, his lips meeting her hair again as he enjoyed the first few moments of fatherhood...and so far, he was everything he thought he wouldn't be...everything he promised them.

"I love you, Pep," he whispered softly, which made her grin, still bouncing their child in her arms before the nurse returned.

"I love you too, Iron Dad," she joked lightly, never feeling more content.