A Different Path

Baby Makes Four

"Dad, I did it!" Aurora exclaimed excitedly.

"I knew you could, star!" He said, throwing one arm around her shoulders. She's eleven now and growing up way too fast.

They looked at the IronMan suit suspended in the air, held there by a force field. Over the passee few months, they'd trained in the garage with objects, starting with a pebble and working their way up to this. She could create force fields around herself effortlessly.

Five year old Peter and just-turned three year old Harley hugged their sister. Tony wrapped an arm around his wife, watching them. Pepper's stomach had grown bigger in the passed few months, it was only a matter of time before their fourth child came into the world.

"Okay guys, it's time to wash up for dinner. Your Dad cooked lasagna." The children whooped in joy. Aurora picked up Harley and the three made their way toward the bathroom.

Tony placed his hand gently upon Pepper's stomach, feeling the baby kick. She kissed him and they started to make their way toward the kitchen.

"How close were you to burning the lasagna?" Pepper asked.

"Very, but I didn't."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Good job honey. How is vibranium production going?"

Once they had gotten every electronic device kicked off, Tony had started making vibranium. They hadn't shared it with the public yet, but they were thinking of enforcing buildings in hazardous areas with it.

"Great, I'll run it by the board tomorrow or Thursday."

At this point, SI was the largest company in the world. They had holograms in 1997 and the technology had only improved from there. There were natural energy towers all across the world and now planes had Arc Reactors and nanotechnology to make them safer.

With their different departments combined, they employed nearly two million people. It was something Tony had never fantasized, nor his father, but it was amazing to be able to help so much.

"Nick is dropping by tomorrow at noon to watch the kids during the meeting." Pep said.

Director Nick Fury may have been The Spy, but when he was around Tony's kids he was just a softie. He bought them candy, toys, and played with them. When none if their friends could do it, he one to jump at the chance to babysit.

"Cool," Tony grinned. The more he got to know Nick Fury, the more he had started to trust him.

"Natasha might be coming, too."

"Really?" He hadn't seen her in a while as she was busy with super secret mission stuff.

"Mhm. She wants to see her niece and nefews."

"I can't imagine why," Tony said jokingly. He wouldn't be able to stay away from his kids for long, it sucked when he had to leave them for a mission or even just a meeting. Pepper told him she felt the same with doing SI work.

They walked into the dining room, seeing that the kids had set the table with the lasagna sitting in the middle.

Tony clapped. "Let's eat!"

/

Pepper went into labor during the night.

They called Fury, Rhodey, Happy, Yinsen, and Natasha as they left for the hospital. Rhodey arrived seconds later in the War Machine suit to keep an eye on the kids who were still asleep.

Six hours later, Morgan Hannah Stark was born.

/

- six months later -