"Oh man, you're here again?" Cara questioned incredulously as she once again saw Darcy in the clinic. "Why?"

"I'm Jane's intern and she's got to work too." Darcy replied huffing before taking a glance at the blonde's stomach. "So, are you gonna freak out if I talk about the mini-Avenger this time?"

Cara scowled at her. "No, I won't freak out," she began, "but I am gonna swat you if you call it that again."

"'It'?" Darcy raised a brow.

"Well I don't exactly know the gender, so it's 'it' until then." Cara retorted and crossed her arms, but instead of continuing on towards the waiting room, she furrowed her brow. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Are you asking me to be your doctor? 'Cause I ain't qualified to be looking after a pregnant lady." Darcy said reeling back a little.

"No, nothing like that." Cara said rolling her eyes. "But, how do guys normally act around pregnant women? My knowledge on men is limited."

Darcy looked at her like she had gone crazy, but then it changed to a look of pity which made Cara's brow tick. "Well, men can either get really nervous or really controlling I guess." She shrugged.

Cara thought about how she'd been able to get this appointment done alone. She'd asked Natasha to say she'd gone with her and to disappear until she got back, so she still had to sneak out. Her thoughts to the guys; how Steve, while well-meaning so far, had been a bit too controlling-and he really had the nerve to call her controlling?-how Stark, while still getting on her nerves had her motorcycle smashed because it was 'too dangerous' and he'd better really not have smashed her bike or else she'd hit him right in the face. And finally she thought about how Banner…was awkward.

"Oh crap, if they're like this now, then what the hell are they gonna be like when I really am starting to show?" Cara muttered to herself and felt her self-loathing grow more intense as she thought of her own actions ever since she'd told them, though it wasn't really because she had wanted to and only did it since Steve found out and said he'd tell them himself.

And even though she tried not to, she was too busy keeping her temper in check to do something about it. Cara grimaced as she placed a hand on her stomach, imagining all too well how it would be if Steve and Stark were allowed to keep acting like they were doing her favors. If anything their 'smothering' was making it worse.

Now, she really did think that maybe in their own overbearing way they were trying to be helpful, but neither of them had any idea how it was for her to handle this, and to go around and try and order her around was not the same thing. She was a part of the Avengers sure, but that and being pregnant wasn't the same damn thing.

Darcy, oblivious to Cara's internal thoughts, answered her question. "Dude, their dudes; who knows what their thinking."

Cara raised a brow, but figured this had some grain of truth to it as aside from hurt and betrayal she certainly didn't know what the men in her life had been thinking. Or what she'd been thinking for trusting any of them in the first place. She'd gotten tired of being bossed around by them and now it was time to put her foot down.

And while she was here she could think of what to do.


Cara got out of the cab and walked up to the tower, glancing over to the side to see Natasha walking over, raising one brow at the bag she was carrying. "Talked to the doctor about how to get the guys to deal with this, she suggested buying them the same book I had for them to read. And," she held up a note, "even got her to sign this saying that exercise is good for me and the kid."

"And here I thought you didn't like doctors." Natasha quipped.

Cara shrugged. "It's necessary."

"And what exactly brought this all on?" The redhead questioned as she gestured to the bag.

"I had an epiphany of sorts earlier," Cara began and her lips twisted into a grimace, "I didn't like how docile I had to be to try and keep my emotions in check, so it stops now." she said and they walked into the building, splitting up and Cara walked into the kitchen to grab a water before heading down to the gym. Cara lifted up her note and slowly waved it around for JARVIS to see. "This is a note from my doctor saying that it's alright for me to exercise, now open this door."

"Very well, Agent Barton." JARVIS said and the door unlocked and slid open.

Cara walked into the gym and set down the bag and shrugged out of her jacket before doing some warm-ups to stretch her muscles. Even if she was only going to do a few laps around the gym, it would still be nice to return to her old routine before she really did have to take it down a notch as she started to progress through the pregnancy.

But hearing the doctor say that exercise would actually help the pregnancy was a relief of sorts. And she wanted to do some working out first before she had to go through the motions of getting the guys to read the books she'd bought and telling SHIELD, that last one was going to be last though.

She was still thinking of whether or not to actually tell the whole truth.

After running laps around the gym, Cara took a gulp of water and smiled slightly over at the door as Steve walked in. She picked up one of the books and sprinted over to him and held it out. "My doc said exercising is good for my pregnancy and suggested that I should give you guys this book to help you understand what is I'm actually going to go through."

Steve blinked and took the book before something akin to confliction. "You mean keeping you out of here was bad for you?"

Keeping in mind that Steve was from a different time, Cara kept back the bite in her voice. "Yes, if you wanna go that way." She said neutrally and tapped the book pointedly. "This will help you understand what it is I can and can't do, so when I do something…don't say anything about it." She muttered.

"And Tony, Bruce and Natasha?" Steve pressed.

"They're next." Cara said before gathering her things up and walked past the blond to make her way to the elevator and to Stark's lab, where she'd be able to catch both of them in. Well, she knew Banner never really seemed to like leaving it, so maybe she could just catch one of them.

When she heard the ding of the elevator to let her off, she scanned the lab and caught sight of both Banner and Stark. So she would only have to do this once more after this it seemed, but she wouldn't seek Natasha out as it would be almost impossible for her to find the redhead.

Cara walked into the lab and over to the two science guys, though when she took the books out of her bag, she resisted the urge to smack Stark with it for wrecking her bike. And she still held true to her promise of punching him if it really was gone. "Where's my bike?" But as Stark was about to make a no doubt smart-ass retort, Cara beat him to it and thoughtfully weighed one of the books in her hands. "Did you know that World's Best Markswoman was a title I had way back when? And it's not just arrows I'm proficient in using as a weapon at long range."

The unspoken threat hung in the air and Stark warily looked at the book and his expression dictated whether he would be able to make a run for it or not. "You can have your deathtrap back when you have your kid."

"The Captain rides the same kind of 'deathtrap' I do you know." Cara retorted.

"Well Steve ain't the one who's pregnant." Stark shot back.

Cara scowled at him and held out the books. "Here, thought you might want to read up on the fact I'm not as breakable as you seem to think. I am on this team too after all."

"But only one of us got compromised." Stark muttered, but grimaced and Cara's eyes widened in rage.

Before the blonde could start hitting Stark with the books; Banner deftly stepped in. "Thank you for the book, though I hope you realize I'm not that kind of doctor."

Cara felt the corners of her lips quirk up and the anger gradually fade away. "I'm aware of that, but it'd still be useful for you to read up on this." She sent a scowl Stark's way and put the second book down on the counter beside her as she didn't trust herself not to slap him with it at least once. "And I'm holding you to your word or I will hit you with something."

Stark waved the issue away dismissively. "You women and your moods."

Cara gritted her teeth and stepped forward menacingly, but Banner was still in her way. "What about Steve and Natasha?" he questioned quickly.

The blonde pulled back. "Right, I still have to give Natasha her book." She said and with one final glare at Stark, she made her way back to the elevator.

Banner looked over at Stark with exasperation. "Keep that up and she's really going to hit you."

Again, Stark waved the issue away nonchalantly as he went back to work. "Eh, she'll be too busy with that kid."

"You do realize that babies are loud and wake up in the middle of the night, right?" Banner questioned.

Stark paused for a moment. "JARVIS, remind me to work on soundproofing Barton's room."

"Yes, sir."