"I don't understand why you can't come with me, mummy," Dane whined again.
"Because you're going to spend the weekend with your dad. It'll be fun, just the two of you," she said while taking out a couple of t-shirts from his cupboard. It had been two weeks since they'd come back to Virginia and it was now Tony's turn to have Dane for the weekend.
"But last time you were with us," he moaned.
"I know, baby, but last time was an exception," she took some underwear from the bottom shelves and packed them in the bag with the rest of his clothes.
"But why… "
She stopped what she was doing and sat next to him on the bed, "Come on baby, we've already talked about this."
"I know but I want you to be with us," he fiddled with his hands.
She sighed, putting a hand on top of Dane's small ones to stop the nervous habit, "Ok let's make a deal. This time you're going to spend time with your dad alone, and next time I might come with you."
For the first time since the argument started, a small smile appeared on Dane's face,"How about you come with me this time and I'll go alone next time?"
Laughing, she grabbed him and started to tickle him, "Oh no no no mister smarty pants! You forget, I know you, you say that now and next time you'll find another excuse," Dane giggled under his mum's touch. After a few minutes of playing, she sat him on her lap and talked to him seriously, "Look baby, let's just give it a try. I told you already, if at any moment you want to come back, either I'll come to pick you up or Tony will bring you back. So you don't have to worry," she assured him. He nodded slowly. "I swear it will be fun. Do you remember last time when we went to New York with grandma?" He nodded again."You loved it right?"
"Yes I did but…"
She cut him off, "No buts. You'll have so much fun that I'm sure you'll even forget to call me," she teased.
"No, that will never happen," he said and hugged her tightly.
She patted his hair slowly and thought amusedly, 'Oh yeah, it will happen one day, but the later the better!'
The next morning, Tony arrived on time to pick up Dane. He knocked on the door and Pepper with a shy Dane at her side opened the door.
"Tony Stark, on time," she commented, "I thought I'd never be able to live long enough see that happening!"
He gave her his biggest charming smile, "See! I'm just full of surprises."
"Definitely," she chuckled.
Tony turned his attention to his son, who was gripping his mum hand, "Hey buddy, how are you doing?"
Dane gave a faint smile, "Good."
Tony looked at Pepper, puzzled. Pepper turned to Dane and bent to be at his level, "Baby, can you tell grandma that your dad is here and ask her to pack the cake you both baked for your breakfast tomorrow?"
Dane smiled at his mum and ran toward the kitchen, "Grandma, Tony is here!"
Pepper stood up again and looked at Tony, "Come in," she said and moved to let him pass, "He is a bit stressed by the whole weekend." She closed the door and led them toward the couch where Dane's bag lay. "If you see him getting stressed, just bring him back."
"Sure."
"It's just a night, he should be alright. He already slept at his friend's place a few times before." She opened the bag and started to tell him what he needed to know, "So I put his pajamas here, I put three t-shirt so he has a change of clothes in case he gets dirty." Tony nodded. "I put a spare pair of jeans, a light jacket, socks and a couple of underwear. He doesn't have accidents anymore but you never know."
"Yes definitely," He agreed.
"I didn't know what you planned to do with him, so I also put a swimsuit."
"Perfect."
"He is not allergic to anything. He is supposed to go to bed around 8PM but as he is with you, you can do as you want, but please not too late."
"Sure."
"Don't forget to make him brush his teeth. Oh, I also put his teddy bear; do not forget to give it to him before he sleeps. And also, call me if you need anything, or if he is asking for…"
Tony put his hand on her arm, "Pepper, Pepper, Pepper," he laughed, "Relax, everything will be alright."
"Be careful Tony, he is smart kid and he will try to fool around you'll see," she warned him.
He smiled, "Don't worry you can't teach an old dog new tricks."
She smiled at his remarks, "Yes, you're right. Oh my god he isn't your son for nothing. I'm just scared to leave you both alone and that you would wreck the entirety of New York."
Tony gave her a charming smile and mentioned again, "Then come with us so you can keep a close eye on us."
"Look, the cake is ready," Dane said proudly while arriving in the living room with his grandma.
"Tony," greeted Edna politely.
"Mrs. Potts, it's a pleasure to see you again."
Edna rolled her eyes as if to show him that she was not falling for his charms, "Here, Ginny," she gave the cake to her daughter. "You can put it in his bag," she added.
"Sure."
Dane came closer to his dad and whispered, "Tony?"
"Yes buddy?" He answered, whispering also while Pepper was busy placing the cake in the bag carefully.
"What should I call you?" He murmured.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, should I say Tony or Daddy?" He mumbled, uncertain.
Tony bent to his level and smiled at him, "You can call me whatever you feel comfortable with."
"Ok," he answered, scanning at Tony expression to see if the right answer was hidden there.
"That was a quite skeptical 'ok,'" Tony got closer to him, grabbed him in his arms and stood up, "Don't worry about it, it's not a big deal at all."
"What's not a big deal?" Pepper asked curiously.
"Nothing, it's something between father and son," Tony said with a wink at Dane, which was returned in the form of a big, bright smile.
Pepper shook her head in disbelief, "Right, I think this weekend will be interesting."
"For sure!" Tony exclaimed, "You will be missing a lot," he added teasingly.
"See mummy, I told you, you should come with us," Dane said innocently, not aware of the teasing going on between his parents.
Pepper sighed, "You two are really incorrigible."
Tony burst into laughter.
After few more recommendations and a long goodbye between Pepper and Dane, they were gone. Pepper stayed for a long moment on the porch, gazing at the horizon where Tony's car had disappeared. The day passed slowly for her. She got a few messages from Tony with some pictures to reassure her that everything was going alright. After a light dinner with her mum, Pepper changed into some comfy clothes and rested on the couch downstairs.
"It's been years since you wore that tee-shirt, Ginny," Edna's voice came from behind her.
"You think?" She asked, knowing clearly that her mom was right. It was one of Tony's old MIT t-shirts. She was wearing it on the top of a long sleeve tee shirt, the evening being a bit chilly and humid, rain probably on its way.
"I'm sure!" Edna confirmed.
'If you say so," Pepper commented flatly.
"What are you doing here, Ginny? You should be with them sweetheart," sighed Edna
"I'm at my place mum, I'm home," Pepper tried to convince her mum as well as herself.
"No you're not! I mean for sure it is your home and it will always be but this is not your life. You have nothing of a girl from a small town in the countryside, baby. Your life has never been that. Your father and I saw it when you were young. And Dane won't be neither. With the parents he has I have no doubt he will be a smart boy who will need challenges that he won't find in a farm." Pepper sighed. "Ginny, since you came back after your break up with Tony, I prepared myself for you to leave again one day. You can stay here as long as you want, there no rush in anything. But you can't put yourself in such a state every time he comes to pick up Dane."
"I know," she admitted, "All of this is so overwhelming, I just need to adjust to the situation. I'll be alright mum, it's just a matter of time," she comforted her mum.
"If you say so," her mum smiled sadly. She kissed her daughter temple, "I'm going to bed, have a good night."
"Good night mum," Pepper said, looking at her mum leaving the living room. She heard her mum slowly climbing the stairs in rhythm with the rain that started to fall outside, the words of her mum echoing in her mind. She grabbed the remote to turn the TV on and try to take her mind off things.
It was almost midnight and the rain was pouring outside. Pepper was still sitting in front of the TV, not able to fall asleep. She was just flicking through channels, not finding anything to keep her mind focus anymore. On the last channel she switched on, the guy was talking nonsense and Pepper's mind finally started to wander to Tony… again… as always… She drifted to the day he came back from Afghanistan, and all that happen after that. She thought at that time that working for him for so many years had immunized her against him. Then he had told her she was everything he had.
She blinked a few times, turned the TV off and stood up. She took a big deep breath and tried to clear her mind; dwelling on the past was not going to help her in anyway. "I got you for the other 8," Tony's voice resonated in her mind.
If she had to be honest, it was really that day, at the charity event, that she had brought herself to admit she might had feelings for him, feelings she had actually been having for years. Yet, she had buried that thought deep because admitting that she was in love with him would have broken her. Tears started to build up at the corner of her eyes and she sat on the floor, on the small step that was boarding the living room. She had not been strong enough to push him far away, even though she had tried hard. But truth was that he had always meant more to her that she could ever admit. All that had happened to them during those ten years indubitably led to them to kiss on the rooftop that night. At that time, she had let herself believe he could be the one… But the season changed and now she knew they were done. Were they?
She was crying now. The memory of her almost dying, his crazy decision to make her leave, her begging him, shouting at him to make him change his mind, her crying and even throwing the mansion keys at him. Everything was racing in her mind. If only he had listened to her… She shook her head and hurriedly wiped the tears away. She stood up and sighed. Pepper made her way upstairs slowly feeling all the pain she had accumulated the past few weeks taking a toll on her. She had stayed strong, she had let only a few tears escape her eyes during those weeks. She made her way to the Dane's empty bedroom. She sat on the edge of his bed and the tears fell down even harder. She was letting go of all the tears she'd been keeping in, all of them at once.
In the morning, when the sun was not yet high in the sky, after a night with almost no sleep, she sat up outside on one of the step of the porch. She was drained, looking so painfully sad. She started to tangle around her fingers a necklace that Tony had gifted her few days only before they had fallen apart. She sighed deeply and looked up at the sunny sky that had replaced the clouds and the rain of the night. Dane's laugh filled her mind slowly accompanied by the ones of Tony's. Her mind wandered on the week she spent with Dane and Tony in Los Angeles. Tony and Dane playing together in the mansion, Tony and Dane in one of the Tony's car, Tony trying to teach Dane how to swim, Tony hugging Dane in the car while waiting for her to come back from the store. And finally, Tony and Dane on that last day they had spent together in Los Angeles. Dane had begged to have the same hat than Tony. He had proudly walked around the full day holding Tony's hand with their matching grey hats. When Dane's little legs had been too tired to carry him, Tony carried him around, kissing him randomly on the cheek on the way. Pepper was now smiling brightly. All of a sudden she realized that it was the first time she smiled since Dane and Tony left the house the morning before. Her mum's words echoed in her mind. What are you doing here, Ginny? You should be with them.
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