Spencer rubs her back as she heads through the living room, checking it out, today is the day that a camera crew and news reporter come into their home to talk to them. In the end she and Tony had agreed on one reporter, a woman with her own children, adds a more sympathetic edge for them. Spencer looks up as she hears the front door followed by Pepper's heels.
"Pepper" she greets not looking up.
"Hey, Spence, what are you doing?" Pepper asks amused.
"Tidying up, Tony decided that he and Trinity were going to play with all her toys this morning....and left them all out" Spencer answers and then turns, she notes that Pepper is not alone. "Hey, Dahlia" Spencer offers as the reporter follows Pepper into the room. "You're early"
"Spencer" she greets back warmly. "Traffic was good" she offers. "How are you feeling?"
"About this? Or in general?" Spencer counters with a smile, Dahlia offers her own smile, she knows Spencer's nervous about this.
"We can postpone this" Dahlia assures her. "If you need more time.." Spencer shakes her head.
"No, I should get used to this, right?" Spencer asks. "Press and reporters are going to be part of my life...." Tony moves towards her as he walks into the room, Trinity on his hip. Tony kisses Spencer's cheek, his hand curling around her stomach before he pulls back. He notices Dahlia and her team.
"Hey, you're here" Tony offers shifting Trinity on his hip a little. Dahlia waves at Trinity who waves back. "Where do you guys wanna set up?"
"Here is perfect" Dahlia motions to the cluster of sofas, a few scattered children's toys, Trinity's art stuck on the wall around the tv.
"But I haven't cleaned in there yet" Spencer worries.
"No, it's really perfect" Dahlia assures her as she touches her arm. "Family isn't tidy, family is messy...." Spencer nods a little, Tony kisses her head.
"Relax, beautiful" he whispers softly in her ear. "It's going to be okay" she takes a deep breath and looks to him before reaching for Trinity, he lets her go willingly knowing that Spencer needs the comfort of having her child in her arms.
..........
Trinity sits between her parents playing with her little learning phone. Tony smiles watching her as Spencer runs a hand around her bump, Dahlia looks to her camera and sound men who both nod back at her.
"Alright," she turns to Tony and Spencer. "Ready?" Tony glances to Spencer who nods.
"Yeah, we're ready" Tony answers for Dahlia, she takes a breath and turns to the camera.
"This is Dahlia Anders for WHiH World News reporting from Malibu; joining me today is Tony Stark, who has agreed to let us into his home, and his family, to announce some news" the camera shifts to Tony, centering him, keeping Spencer out of view for now.
"On May 28th, 2007 I got married in a small and intimate ceremony" he looks to Spencer, the camera follows his eyes "To this incredible woman. Spencer" he reaches around Trinity and takes Spencer's hand in his, Spencer looks to him and softens slightly, her nerves ebbing away.
"Let's get the questions out of the way" Dahlia starts. "And then we can have a look around your home" Tony nods and rubs his thumb into the skin of Spencer's hand, soothing her. "So how about we start with something easy?" She offers. "When and where did you meet?" Spencer looks to Tony
"October 2005" Tony answers easily. "A little bar in New Orleans" he brushes his thumb over the back of Spencer's hand. "She was sat alone at the end of the bar reading from this huge engineering book....and she ignored me"
"I was trying to" Spencer corrects looking back to the journalist who smirks. "Even if he wasn't being loud, his jacket sure was"
"Hey" Tony whines a little. "You love that jacket"
"I do now" Spencer counters. "But I was trying to read and it was right there..." she motions to the corner of her eye. "Watching me" Tony chuckles, Dahlia smiles amused.
"So how did you win her around?" Dahlia asks, Spencer raises an eyebrow at Tony.
"I bought her a drink, a few drinks, and we talked...." He answers. "It was probably the longest I spent trying to wear a woman down" he teases. "Like ever...." Spencer rolls her eyes fondly with a smile. "There was just something about this one" Dahlia almost melts with the way Tony is looking at Spencer. "Over the following months, we met up...." Tony adds. "Friendship blossomed....then something more"
"I know this is a serious turn now" Dahlia admits. "We spoke a little before the cameras turned on...but how did you find out about the pregnancy?" Dahlia asks Tony who leans back, setting his arm along the back of the couch and plays with Spencer's hair.
"Spencer was in a car accident" Tony admits. "It was pretty bad, I was called to the hospital by her brother who knew about our...I don't know if relationship is the right word, I don't think we were fully there yet"
"No" Spencer agrees. "Not yet" she whispers.
"Anyway," Tony touches her shoulder. "Her brother told me about the baby at the hospital"
"My chances of survival were thin" Spencer adds. "My brother did what he thought was best, and it was the right decision, if I couldn't tell Tony myself then at least someone did, just in case"
"It was really that bad?" Dahlia asks, Spencer nods.
"They were surprised when I woke up" she admits. "Called it a miracle"
"Obviously you pulled through, thankfully" Spencer nods in agreement. "What happened next?"
"I'd only found out a few hours before the crash so I still had to deal with the news myself, I took some time, and Tony was very supportive of me whilst I explored our options"
"And your daughter, Trinity" Dahlia starts softly looking to the girl leaning against Tony now, the little girl had completely won her over. Spencer nods. "How old is she now?"
"She's 19 months" Spencer answers.
"And you're expecting again" Spencer nods again. "How far along?"
"About 21 weeks now" Tony answers.
"Are you excited?" Dahlia asks.
"Yeah, we're very excited" Tony looks to Spencer who smiles. "I love my daughter, she is absolutely my entire world" Tony admits, Spencer watches him warmly. "And I can't wait to do it all over again"
"Is he a good dad?" Spencer turns to Dahlia and nods.
"He's an amazing dad" she answers. "He is patient and soft and gentle with her, he makes her laugh and he dresses up for her.....yeah, he's great, she adores him...." Dahlia smiles.
"And I can personally say that she is by far the most charming individual I have ever had the pleasure of meeting" Dahlia admits.
"It's her superpower" Spencer teases stroking Trinity's hair. "The ability to wrap everyone around her tiny little finger"
"Now, I know this will come up, many will be asking" Dahlia shifts in her seat a little. "Why now? Why have you waited so long to announce that you are married, that you are in a serious and committed relationship? You introduced your daughter to the world not long after she was born but not her mother?" Tony nods and leans forward, the mask of arrogance and that Stark smirk slips away from his face. He's being serious now. Showing them what Spencer gets to see. The softer, caring side of him. The concerned husband and father.
"After her crash, after Trinity's birth, Spencer...fell ill" Tony starts. "And we were told that chances of her surviving that were....slim, that we had a year at best...." Dahlia looks between them.
"That's...some serious bad luck" she offers.
"The beginning of our relationship was difficult" Spencer agrees. "And unconventional...but perhaps fitting for Tony" Tony smirks a little, Dahlia nods a little.
"And you'd been seeing one another a while before Trinity's birth" Dahlia points out, Spencer nods.
"About 16 months" she answers. "9 of which I was pregnant..."
"And how did he propose?" Spencer smirks.
"At dinner with family..." she answers. "Just blurted it out in front of everyone"
"You seem so suave and charming but you're just a teenage boy at heart, huh, Mr. Stark?" Dahlia asks as Spencer chuckles.
"It's this woman" Tony teases back wrapping an arm around Spencer. "It's like I'm 15 again and trying to score the hot nerd sitting at the back of the library" she rolls her eyes back softly. He kisses her head and then pulls back. "I would have asked Spencer to marry me eventually anyway, because I knew...I knew, and I still do, that she is it for me" Spencer smiles softly watching him. "But I asked so that we would have that time together as a family, as husband and wife, with our daughter. And we didn't tell anyone outside of close friends and family because...I didn't want to put the stress on her. Being in the public eye can be stressful at the best of times, but doing so whilst ill and whilst caring for a newborn child, and dealing with that first year of marriage....keeping it to ourselves, keeping it to those closest to us, we did so we could enjoy it..."
"And all of that is extremely reasonable" Dahlia agrees. "But the year has passed by....and you're okay now?"
"Uh-huh," Spencer answers with a nod. "Yeah, ticking over rather nicely now thanks to some very talented doctors and scientists" she lies, it's a story made up to keep the truth between them and whilst still giving a good enough reason that they've waited this long. This whole story was written up by Pepper who covered all corners.
"And you're both happy?" Dahlia asks, Tony glances to Spencer and smiles.
"Yeah" he answers. "Yeah, we are....." Spencer looks to him.