Chapter 27

"I'm sorry," the small voice of Dane broke the silence.

"Sorry? For what, baby?" Pepper asked him gently.

"For not listening to Jarvis when he told me to not walk alone in the house," Dane said ashamed as he looked at Tony who was still standing in his spot not far from the entrance of the room. An entrance that he also planned to use as an exit if things went badly. Pepper and him had kissed, but he was still not so sure where they stood right now. And he was even less sure of where they would stand when he told her the truth about Dane and SHIELD's interest in him.

"It's ok sweetheart," she consoled Dane while patting his hair, "Jarvis should have call us," she lied, and looked at Tony with eyes full of guilt. Pepper and Tony hadn't needed any words to communicate for years and the meaning of her look was clear for him, it said, 'this was a mistake and it won't happen again'.

"I think he did mum," Dane said, looking at his mum. "He told me that you and Tony were busy," he added while turning his head between Tony and Pepper "What were you doing?" he asked them.

Pepper turned to Tony and then to Dane, trying to figure out an answer, when Tony finally started to move. He walked to the other side of Dane's bed and asked, "Remember our first conversation back at the farm buddy?" Pepper looked at Tony trying to figure out what he was saying and curious to know what they talked about the first time they met. Dane gazed at Tony, not sure what he was talking about, "I told you that it was too late to apologize to your mum and you asked me how did I know if I hadn't asked her."

"Yes I remember that," Dane announced proudly. Pepper smiled internally, imagining the scene between them.

"Then I decided to follow your advice and I tried to apologize. Even though I thought it was too late," He said the last part looking at Pepper directly in the eyes. Then turning back to Dane, he added, "That's why Jarvis told you we were busy, it is because we were in a very serious conversation where I was trying to make up to your mum for my past mistakes."

Pepper was amazed at how quickly Tony came up with this answer while she was still taken aback by Dane's question. She was so emotionally drained that she had almost lost her cool. Then she remembered the "make up conversation" Tony was talking about. It was more a "make out" one, she closed her eyes at her internal witticism, remembering the flow of emotion of that moment. But the voice of Dane shook her out of her thoughts, "And did you forgive him mum?" he asked while looking at her hesitantly.

"Not quite yet," she said, eyeing Tony. Dane followed the gaze of his mum and looked at Tony's face. He looked so hurt, a deep sadness flickering in his eyes at his mum's words.

"I asked Jarvis why you hated Tony that much," Dane said flatly looking back at his mum now. Pepper gasped and put a hand on her mouth to stop a sound coming out of her mouth. "But I didn't really understand what he said," he added, as an afterthought. Pepper felt a bit relieved, she didn't want Dane to discover the truth through Jarvis. This was one more hint for her that she had to tell the truth to her son before someone else told him or worse, he figured it out on his own. She had to tell him, and now seemed to be a good idea as the three of them were together in the same room. Moreover, she was sure her mum wouldn't come back anytime soon. She had left for the food but Pepper knew it was just an excuse to leave the three of them alone.

"What did Jarvis tell you baby?" Pepper asked softly. Tony held his breathe at Pepper's question. He thought she would have tried to change the subject, not go deeper into it.

"He said that you two were living together in Malibu and that you got hurt by one of Iron Man's enemies but that Tony had saved you. So I didn't understand why you're mad at him if he saved you," Dane said, his face adorably scrunched up in confusion.

Pepper gave a sad smile at the conclusion of her clueless son. "Yeah I know sweetheart, you are right, I shouldn't be mad at him, because he did save me," She looked at Tony when she emphasized the second part of her sentence. As if to prove to him one more time that this situation was his fault.

"But I got scared that your mom would get hurt again," Tony said surprising Pepper as she didn't expect him to say anything. "I thought she would be safer if she lived far away from me and all my Iron Man craziness," he said his voice flooded with emotions.

"That makes sense," Dane agreed. Tony stared at Dane; for the first time someone seemed to understand why he did it. But then the fact that it was a 5 year old kid that was understanding him was probably saying a lot about him and the maturity of his behavior at that time.

Pepper, on the other hand, was not even surprised that Dane understood Tony's decision as he was pretty much like him. Yet she knew that he didn't really understand the concept of living together at his young age. She took a deep breath and decided to continue with her explanation, "So I went back to live at Grandma's place," she said, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "And a few weeks later I realized that I was pregnant." There was a deep sadness in her voice that crushed Tony's heart.

Dane smiled widely and said excitedly, "With me!"

"Yes with you, baby," the voice of Pepper was constricted, as if she was trying hard to hold back the tears that were threatening to pour out of her eyes. Tony could sense the cascade of misery that she tried to push down. The only thing he wanted to do now was to run to her, hug her tight and try to make her feel better. He hated himself so much more now than he had during the past few days. What had he done?! This was not fair, he had caused them to go through so much, it was all one colossal mistake and now he could feel all the consequences. If only he could turn back time, if only he could change the past, he would give everything for being able to that, his suits, his fortune even his life itself.

"Mummy?" The small voice of Dane took Pepper out of her trance.

The time was now; she had to tell him. It was the best opportunity she would ever have. Pepper had never been that stressed in her entire life. She felt like she had the weight of the entire world on her shoulders. Every part of her body was tensed, Tony on the other side of the bed was in the same state, his jaw clenched and his knuckles painted white with the strength of how strongly he was clutching the sheets of the bed. So angry, so angry at himself for making Pepper's life a living hell.

"Tony is your father," she suddenly blurted.