A/N: This is where my timeline gets a little funny. Clint and Natasha's nightmares were in chronological order, but starting with Tony's, they have begun to run backwards. Tony's, Pepper's and Steve's all follow this rule, but I am still trying to decide if I am going to have Bruce's follow that path. Thor's and Loki's will be concurrent, I know that much, and both on Asgard, but that is as much as my muse has allowed me to know. I will figure it out later, I guess.

In other words, in order, from beginning to end, the nightmares run Clint, Natasha, Steve, Pepper, Tony, then possibly Bruce, Thor, and Loki. However, reading order is as posted on my profile; i.e. Clint, Nat, Tony, Pepper, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Loki.

Hope that's clear as mud now.

Again, much thanks to my wonderful beta MountainRose for keeping me on track and making sure that no mutants were formed from my errors. (Though I have nothing against mutants, they have their own fandom. It is not here.)

Warning: Rated T (finally!) for semi-graphic descriptions of… well, too much and I'll give my plot away!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Avengers that is not legal merchandise.

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She'd made it through the entire funeral without shedding a single tear.

The cameras had found her dry-eyed and steady, and even if she hadn't been able to stand quite on her own, even though she'd had to hang onto Steve for support, she had the best excuse in the world.

Tony Stark, her boss, her nightlight, her lover, her hero, was dead.

Pancreatic cancer, of all things.

Sometimes not even science had all the cures.

The funeral had been a hero's; more widely televised than any former President's and with all the pomp and decorum of a state funeral. Director Fury, Steve, Bruce, Clint, Rhodey and Happy had all been pallbearers. Natasha had held her hand throughout the procession, and Thor had led the way to a specially prepared empty space in Central Park and lit an Asgardian funeral pyre with a bolt of lightning summoned by Mjolnir.

The funeral had been all seriousness, and Pepper knew that Tony would have hated it. The reception afterwards though?

That was pure Tony, through and through.

The booze was flowing, video clips and holograms of Tony and Iron Man were everywhere, and just a general party atmosphere permeated the place. Even Pepper had to smile when JARVIS played a series of AC/DC songs at full volume while a holographic Iron Man played air guitar.

Tony had programmed him to do it months ago, of course.

No, Pepper didn't cry until she walked into her own bathroom for the first time since Tony had taken a turn for the worse (was it really only six weeks ago?) and seen her surprise for him laying there on the sink.

Her pregnancy test. Her positive pregnancy test.

The tears leaked out of their own accord; Pepper didn't even notice them at first.

She was only three months along and she hadn't told anyone but Tony (and he'd already been in a coma). She was barely showing, but she was positive Natasha had figured it out already, so both she and Clint knew, and Bruce probably-

Stop. Even though it was just in her brain, she could tell she was babbling.

She stripped out of her all black business suit, leaving it crumpled on the floor. Normally not something she would do, but these were exigent circumstances. She held her hands to her ever-so-slightly rounded belly and told her tiny fetus,

"If you turn out as stubborn and annoying as your father, I swear to God, I'm shipping you off to boarding school the first chance I get."

Then she sighed. "That's a lie. You're not leaving my side. I'm going to be that freaky, clingy mom that all of your friends are afraid of. We've got a while to get to know each other, and I will make sure you know all of your adoptive uncles and aunt. They'll tell you everything about your father. They'll tell you he was… is, a hero."

From the internet searches, she knew that their baby already had arms and legs, knew it was moving, knew that it was already developing its gender. Knew that, in about eight weeks, she'd start to feel it… feel him moving inside her, just a flutter. He already had a heartbeat, lungs, and tiny facial features.

In just another month, he'd start to suck his thumb, and she'd start needing maternity business suits.

She wiped her face angrily with the back of her hand. Stupid hormones…

She stepped into the shower and turned the water on full, savoring the icy shock of the spray at first, then the slow warmth. She wrapped her arms around her torso and let herself, for just a moment, believe it was Tony.

She let herself remember…

Pepper could hardly believe her eyes. Her breath echoed in her ears. Years of not-quite-trying, not-quite-trying-not-to, and now, even with the chemo…

Positive. She and Tony were pregnant.

"Ms. Potts?" JARVIS was always polite when his sensors read she was in the bathroom. Actually, he was always polite, but moreso in the bathroom.

"Yes, JARVIS?"

"It's Mr. Stark. His breathing has grown erratic. I…"

She'd never heard JARVIS at a loss for words before.

"I think it's time."

As Pepper remembered that long ago moment, setting the test down on the counter and rushing to Tony's bedside, she slid down the tile wall of the shower, water beating down on her in torrents.

Her arms were still wrapped around herself as she sobbed.

Slowly, through the fog of her emotions, Pepper realized her pain wasn't just in her heart, it was physical.

Her abdomen was cramping. Hard.

"No!" Her sobbing picked up its pace. "No!" She was screaming, and she could hear JARVIS asking if she needed anyone, or if she'd like him to call emergency services. "Not you too!"

Blood. There was blood.

Oh, God, so much blood.

As Steve started pounding on the bathroom door, as Natasha began speaking quietly to her through the glass door of the shower, Pepper could do nothing but cry as the last part of Tony Stark was taken away from her.

.0.o.0.o.0.

Please review! I look forward to each message in my email saying someone cared enough to write one…