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“Mommy!” Morgan knocked on the bathroom door, “Petey won’t share the tv and you said sharing is important and I don’t understand when it will be my turn because I asked him and he said that it will be my turn when it’s my turn.”
Pepper sighed. Tony could not get back from his mission with the team soon enough. He had just left yesterday and she already missed him. They worked better as a team.
“Mo. I’m using the potty. You guys need to work this out.” Pepper told her first grader.
Pepper didn’t know what was wrong with her body but she knew something wasn’t right. She had noticed a weird smell the last couple of days downstairs and weird discharge. This was what she got for forgetting to pee after—Another knock sounded. Pepper groaned.
“Mom!” Peter’s voice yelled, “Morgan is standing in front of the TV!”
“Peter! I’m dealing with some lady stuff and unless you want me to go into detail—Figure it out, please!”
It got quiet for a second, “You’re okay though, right?” The teenager asked.
“I’m okay but I think I need to go to urgent care. Can you watch your sister and not kill each other?”
“Of course. I’m sorry for fighting.” She heard Peter walk away.
~
Pepper had the results hours later and was waiting at the pharmacy for her medication.
He walked over and said, “Ever taken this medication before?”
“No. I haven’t.” Pepper smiled kindly.
“Okay, well no alcohol.” He started explaining, “Not even hand sanitizer. It will make you throw up violently.”
Pepper nodded and listened to the rest of the instructions. She was out the door in minutes and breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been out of the house all day. She wondered what she would be walking back into.
~
She was pleasantly surprised when she walked into a house that had been cleaned though and no one was yelling or fighting, “Peter? Morgan?”
“Oh hey mom.” Peter walked down the stairs from his room, “You good?”
“Nothing some medication won’t fix.” She hugged the teenager, “Thank you for cleaning.”
“Oh, it’s no big deal.” He blushed, “Figured you wouldn’t want to clean on top of everything else right now.”
“Well I think it’s a very big deal and I’m treating you to whatever take out you want tonight.” Pepper glanced around, “Where is your sister though?”
“Oh. I let her play on my tablet for a bit and then I found her asleep on her bean bag chair.”
“She was up really early this morning.” Pepper nodded, “Did your dad call you?”
“He did and then there was arguing from the team about who got to talk to me next and suddenly the call dropped.”
Pepper didn’t miss the way Peter’s eyes teared up a bit. She hugged him again, “I’m sure he’ll call again at bedtime if he can.”
“You’re right.” Peter was still ready for his dad to come home.
“I’m going to take my medication and then we’ll figure out dinner and a movie for tonight.” Pepper walked toward the kitchen.
~
It was 10pm. The kids were in bed. Pepper poured herself a glass of wine and waited for the video call to connect. It finally did and even though the signal wasn’t strong she was so happy to see the love of her life safe and sound, “Hi.”
“Hi. Peter said you went to urgent care. You’re okay?” Tony’s face was filled with concern.
“Yeah. Bacteria Vaginosis.” Pepper sighed.
“Sorry, Babe.” Tony’s face showed his empathy, “They give you medication though?”
“Yeah. Two times a day for seven days. No alcohol.” Pepper said as she sipped her wine.
Tony frowned, “But Pep—What would happen if you had alcohol?”
“Violently sick.”
“I don’t know how to tell you this. There is alcohol in wine!” He stressed.
Pepper’s eyes went wide, “SHIT. It was a habit!”
“How much did you drink?”
“I was sipping on it even waiting for you to answer.” Pepper pushed the cup away.
“I’m coming home.” Tony ended the call.
Pepper sighed. She was not going to like this evening. She had a feeling.
~
She heard the front door open at 3am and soon Tony was opening the bathroom door. She shook her head, “Go away, please. I’m disgusting.”
“Babe. I watched you give birth. This is nothing.” Tony rolled his eyes.
“I feel it in my belly. Go. I’m about to go through another round of bad poops.” Pepper told her husband, “I mean it. Go check on the kids.”
“I’m going but I’m coming back to check on you even if you close the door. We said in sickness or health.” Tony reminded her.
“We didn’t say in health and bad poops.” She called after him.
~
Tony checked on Morgan who was in a deep sleep. She clutched her Iron Man bear in one arm and her Spider-Man one in the other. He kissed her head gently and covered her back up.
He went down the hallway and found Peter’s bed empty. He sighed. Where was his favorite spider? He went to the lab first.
Peter had his back turned to him, “Dum-E—You’re a bad influence. I can’t believe you think we should stay up to test the new suit we just made.”
“Me neither.” Tony said casually.
Peter jumped turning around, “When did you get home?”
“Just now. When did you get out of bed?”
“Just now.”
“Nice try. Shut it down for the night.” Tony raised a brow.
“Fine.” Peter sighed, “You heard the man, Fri. Save everything for the night.”
Tony made sure Peter got into bed before heading back to his bedroom where Pepper was laying in bed with a heated blanketed. He kissed her gently, “I missed you, Beautiful.”
Tony wiped at the tear that fell down her cheek when he said this, “Why are you crying?”
Pepper shrugged, “I think I’m a teeny tiny bit sick.”
“Just a little? I thought the word was violently.” Tony teased.
“Sorry you had to come home early—”
Tony was already shaking his head, “—You’re my best friend, Pep. I love you more than anyone. There is nothing I would not walk away from to get home to you if you need me.”
“Can you just cuddle me until I feel better?” Pepper asked.
Tony wiped more tears off her face as she cuddled close, “I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”
~
“MOM! PETER IS BEING MEAN!” Morgan yelled at toward her parents bedroom.
“AM NOT!” Peter yelled back.
“Those are your kids.” Pepper mumbled at Tony, “Go do something. Make them love each other again.”
“We could give them away.” Tony suggested.
“To Rhodey.” Pepper offered, “He thinks they are angels.”
“We’d miss them though.”
A knock sounded at the door and then it opened, “Can we please sell Morgan back to the hospital?” Peter pleaded.
“No.” Tony and Pepper said at the same time.
“She’s being unreasonable.” Peter told them.
“She’s six.” Tony reminded him, “You’ve got a few years on her, Bub.”
“I’m locking her in the lab.” Peter said as he walked away.
“He wouldn’t?” Pepper questioned.
“I think he would.” Tony sighed, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this too.”
“Love you!” Pepper told him as he got out of bed.
It wasn’t long before she heard, “PETER BENJAMIN PARKER-STARK!”
Yeah, she was going back to sleep. Peter and Morgan have a superhero for a dad—Surely he can handle mediating through an argument. Then she heard something break. She groaned and got out of bed putting her feet in her slippers, “If I get downstairs and something I love is broken—Someone is wearing the get along shirt!”