I'm back! No, I haven't given up on this story, not by far. But I apparently decided I didn't need any free time ever again, so I've been working on both the webseries "Earth's Mightiest Women" and a stage version set in the same universe. Plus ongoing stories in other fandoms. Then my computer crashed – thank God for Carbonite backups! And, of course, work. But we're on winter break and I'm going to take advantage! Hope you enjoy – thanks for all your support, and have a fantastic 2013!

Fury had asked Steve and Sharon to stay after the debriefing. Sharon wasn't worried; the director had his ways and she was used to that. What she was not prepared for, however, was the announcement he made. "You're a couple."

That had only been established a few hours ago, and so Sharon was caught completely off-guard. Steve jolted in his seat, looking suspicious. "A couple of what?" Sharon asked, trying to sound casual.

Fury rolled his eyes. "Do I really need to explain the birds and the bees to you, Agent Carter? Since half the planet seems to think you two are an item, we'll be playing to that for your latest assignment. Captain, I'm going to need you on this, too, so you both will be playing the part of a couple on vacation."

"Vacation" sounded good, and it limited the less desirable location probabilities. No couple in their right mind would be vacationing in, say, Baghdad. "I don't suppose we're headed to the Bahamas?"

Fury scoffed. "You only wish. You'll leave Thursday and be spending the week in Vienna. The cover is that now that the two of you have become a couple, you want some time away from the others in order to...do whatever it is you might choose to do."

If Sharon hadn't known Fury as well as she did, she'd have suspected he knew and was trying to gift them with some time away. But she knew far better than that. "And the objective?"

"Rumors have abounded for some time that there is a small HYDRA weapons base building in the slums of Bratislava, just across the Austria-Slovakia border. Look into it. Neutralize anything you find. Call for backup if you need it. This is a new cell and I want it nipped in the bud."

Steve nodded. He had not been happy when he first learned that enough HYDRA agents had survived the war to keep the movement going, if underground. He was always more than willing to help put a stop to their schemes. "I assume you've arranged for our travel documents?"

"Of course." Fury nodded once, clasping his hands behind his back. "They'll be arriving with your dossiers via courier."

As usual. Sharon smiled. "Any other recommendations, sir?"

Fury shrugged – though if Sharon had blinked, she would have missed it. "See Prague if you get the time. I hear it's nice in the fall."

Pepper was accustomed to being recognized in public, if only as Tony's girlfriend/life manager, and it didn't really bother her unless she was being trailed by nosy reporters looking for a scoop. But sometimes it was nice to have a place where she knew she could wait in peace – and, strangely, her doctor's office was one of them. Some people in the waiting room appeared to recognize her, but they didn't approach. She could have easily moved her care to Stark Medical, but for some things, it was a little too close for comfort. Though everyone the company hired were the ultimate professionals, Pepper had no desire to work every day with a doctor who had seen every inch of her reproductive organs. Besides, she loved her doctor, so it worked out

The tech came out, nodding for Pepper to come back into the office. This routine was intimately familiar to Pepper – her chosen form of birth control also stopped her periods, which was why she loved it so. However, it didn't stop her from ovulating, so every three months at refill time she got a pregnancy test. She waited for the results, and when it was clear as always, she collected her prescription and went on her way.

The tech nodded for Pepper to have a seat in the consultation room. "Dr. Goldberg will be with you in just a minute."

Standard procedure. Pepper nodded and thanked the woman, then returned to setting Tony's schedule for next week on her tablet. When the doctor came in, holding the results, Pepper smiled. "So am I good to go?"

There was a moment of hesitation, just long enough to get Pepper's heart racing. Dr. Goldberg shut the door. "Ms. Potts, we need to discuss your results."

It wasn't as if it had been a cancer test or even a blood profile. Either one was pregnant or they weren't. Pepper's hand went to her chest. "There's no way I can be pregnant. I take my pills at the same time every day. Every day." She had Jarvis set a reminder when she was traveling, so she could maintain the same time in different time zones.

Dr. Goldberg sat down on her stool. "Even so, there is a point-three-percent failure rate with perfect use."

It would have figured that Tony Stark's child would have managed to find a less than one percent chance and run with it. Pepper was trying not to panic, though she had perfected the art of staying calm on the outside. She wanted a baby, true, but the time wasn't right. She and Tony had agreed last night that later meant exactly that – later. "How far...I mean, can you tell...? I haven't had any symptoms!" She'd been sleepy lately, sure, but that came and went with her lifestyle.

"Based on your blood levels," Dr. Goldberg replied, "I'd say between seven and nine weeks. We'll schedule an ultrasound to confirm." She frowned at the file in front of her. "You said on your medical update you'd been sick since your last visit?"

Pepper nodded. "Yes, it was just sinus infection." She probably could have used Stark Medical for that, too, but the quick-care clinic had been booked for the day and she didn't want to abuse power by edging in, so she'd gone to an urgent care a few blocks away.

"Did they prescribe antibiotics?" the doctor asked.

Pepper nodded. "Yes, five days." She did the math in her head, knowing the doctor wouldn't have asked if it wasn't related. "That was two months ago." Right in the window Dr. Goldberg had quoted.

"Many antibiotics affect birth control," Dr. Goldberg explained, "and unfortunately, most urgent care providers fail to remind patients to use a backup method. It's in the small print on the handout the pharmacy gives you, but let's be honest...most people don't read those.

Pepper sighed, then grew concerned. "It wouldn't have harmed the baby, would it?"

"Not at that stage," the doctor assured her, "and there have been many, many birth control pregnancies with healthy babies at the end."

Dr. Goldberg was always upfront with her patients, so if she wasn't worried, Pepper was reassured. Anything could happen, true, but she had to focus on the positive. She was going to be a mother. And Tony...was going to totally freak out.

"I..." Pepper was rarely at a loss for words, but there was so much going through her head, she didn't know what to say. "Ultrasound. You wanted to schedule that."

"Yes, our ultrasound technician will be here tomorrow and Friday this week." The doctor smiled. "Either is fine, if you need a little more time to take in the news."

Pepper noticed the doctor hadn't mentioned the option of not going through with the pregnancy, and though that didn't bother her – she wanted this baby, and she would raise it without Tony if she had to – she wondered. It was just her nature, to gather information on all options, even the ones that wouldn't be pursued. "What if...?"

Dr. Goldberg's smile was gentle. "If you decide not to keep your baby, we'll discuss the options. But I've developed a knack for reading women in my line of work – and unexpected doesn't always mean unwanted."

The words struck Pepper deeply. Unexpected, but not unwanted. That summed her situation up perfectly. And she knew Tony would be a good father if he could get past his own doubts. With the Avengers as extended family, this baby would join Nikki as one of the most fiercely protected children in the world.

Pepper was starting to feel this would ultimately be one of the best things that could have happened to them.

Bruce was sprawled on the couch, watching old sci-fi classics with Thor. Well, "classics" was perhaps too gracious a term, but they were certainly old. It was entertainment, at the very least.

Thor frowned at the screen. "But where are the shadows who speak over the film?"

Bruce laughed. "That's Mystery Science Theater 3000, Thor. Definitely an improvement over the originals, I'll agree. This is the original, in all its horrible glory."

Thor nodded thoughtfully. "Your entertainment has come far in such a relatively short time."

"We're clever that way," Bruce said dryly, though he knew it was a compliment. But there was something on Thor's mind – something else that had been there all day. Bruce had hoped cheesy movies would distract Thor, because he was certainly not qualified to play psychologist anyone, especially not someone who wasn't even human. Who knew how the Asgard brain worked? It would make a fascinating research project, but with only one test subject, it wouldn't be very objective. "Something bugging you?" As a friend, he at least had to ask, even if he couldn't do anything about it.

Thor waved a hand. "It is no matter."

Bruce was highly tempted to smile, nod, and leave it there, but his inner self – fortunately, not the green, raging part – nagged at him. "Ah, come on, man. We're friends, here."

Thor beamed, the way he always did when anyone referenced their friendship with him. He was really hard not to like. If anything, Thor was too friendly, considering he'd thanked his brother for attempting to kill him – it made him see reason, he claimed. Also, he'd fallen in love with a woman who hit him with her van. Twice. It was actually rather endearing, but Bruce knew Thor was fully capable of unbridled rage. He rather envied how easy it was for Thor to keep it it check. "It is a trivial concern. In Asgard, I was able to visit often with extended family. It is simple now to use the Rainbow Bridge to visit Loki and my parents, but Slepnir is the only one of Loki's children who maintains a permanent residence in Asgard. The others, they journey amongst the other realms. Their mixed heritage leaves them uneasy in the royal palace, though they are more than welcome."

From a basic primer of Norse mythology, Bruce knew Slepnir was the eight-legged horse, Loki's son. It was kind of odd, Odin using his grandson for a steed, but...he was a horse. Bruce would have asked exactly how many offspring Loki had roaming around out there, but he knew he would end up with a full report of each of their lineages. "So you're an uncle who misses his nieces and nephews. Nothing wrong with that. It's pretty normal."

"Indeed." Thor nodded. "When I visited Loki last, he suggested he might send some of them to reside with us, so they might be closer. I told him I would have to discuss it with the others."

"Um, yeah, sorry, but no." Bruce didn't care how much Thor loved them; he knew he could speak for everyone when he said they didn't need any of Loki's spawn running loose in the tower, never mind several of them. "Might be better to arrange visitation on your side of the bridge."

Thor nodded. "I thought as much. Loki said he would send word, but contacting them can take some time."

Bruce shrugged. "Well, the kids here love you. I'm sure we could arrange for you to visit a couple of schools or something if you want to play with them."

Thor's eyes lit up. "That would be splendid!"

Bruce picked up his tablet computer and sent an email to a couple of his contacts. "Sounds like a plan, then." The kids would love it, Thor would love it, and anything that staved off a visit from Loki's children was a good thing.

If Bruce hadn't known Thor would take him seriously, he would have suggested Thor give the children a lesson on lightning.

Tony had meetings most of the afternoon. Pepper had rescheduled them. She knew he wouldn't complain, and this latest issue took precedence. She had left the office with a prescription for prenatal vitamins, an appointment for Friday, and a general list of do's and don'ts.

Women who were actually trying to conceive spent a lot of time coming up with cutesy ways to give their partners the news, and a part of Pepper missed that, but ultimately, it was a small loss. If they ever decided to have a second child, she could do it then. This time, it had to be both direct and gentle.

Tony had known something was up as soon as Pepper had rearranged his schedule without any begging on his part. He greeted Pepper with a smile and a kiss as she came into their bedroom. "Hey. What's the occasion? Ready for a little afternoon delight?"

Pepper laughed. Soon enough, he'd realize that was exactly what had gotten them to this point. "As if you don't get enough of that already."

"With you, there is is never enough." Tony poured himself a glass of wine, then held a second out to Pepper in invitation. She shook her head. "Your loss. Just got this in from Paris. And as per our agreement about not drinking before noon, it is 12:02 exactly."

Pepper wasn't going to hassle him about the wine; as much as she worried about his alcohol intake, he was probably going to need the emotional buffer. "Tony, we need to talk."

Tony frowned. "You know I don't like those words. Is this a business talk or a 'Hey, I feel neglected, so I'm running off with Happy' talk?"

Pepper glared at him as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "That was once. And you really were being an ass." It had shocked her how hurt Tony was when that happened; they'd been more off than on at the time and she had genuinely thought he wouldn't care. But it was in the past. If they could ever leave it there. Hopefully, her news would be the first step in that direction. "Yes, this is personal. And, no, I'm not leaving."

Tony sat down on the bed, facing her. He sipped at his wine, then set the glass on the nightstand. "I'm listening."

There was no way to say it but to say it. "Tony, I'm pregnant."

Pepper hadn't been sure how she expected Tony to react, but laughter had not been on her list. He grinned at her. "Good one, Pep. C'mon, what's on your mind?"

Pepper looked down at the quilted comforter, tracing its design with one finger, then back into Tony's eyes. "I'm not joking."

Tony had been reaching for his wine, but he froze. "Oh." His eyes registered near-panic and he started to fidget, but at least he wasn't bolting for the door. "Stark super-sperm stormed the barricade?"

She would allow him the bad joke under the circumstances. "Between that and the antibiotics I was on a couple months ago, yes."

"How far...?" Tony looked down at Pepper's waist suspiciously. She wasn't showing yet. She'd noticed some tenderness in her breasts, but had chalked it up to run of the mill hormones. Nothing to worry about. Tony made sure she got her monthly breast exams. He thoroughly enjoyed performing them himself.

"About two months," Pepper said. "I have an ultrasound on Friday; we'll know for sure then and get a due date."

Tony nodded numbly. "Are you sure you don't want to run away while you can?"

Pepper shook her head firmly. "Of course not!" This was what she'd feared most, Tony's self-doubt. "You are not your father. If anything, you learned from him, what a child does need and want. I wish you didn't have to go through that, but you're not genetically doomed to repeat his mistakes. You're fantastic with children."

"Yeah, and then I send them home to their parents." Tony steepled his fingers. "I mean, late-night feedings, fine. I'm up anyway. And the kid couldn't ask for a better mother, but..."

Though she was deeply touched by his last comment, Pepper needed to keep the focus on Tony. She took one of his hands in both of hers. "You're a far better man than you give yourself credit for, Tony. You prove that every time there's a crisis. You like your image, but I think you've bought too much of the hype. The Tony Stark I know is a dedicated, loving man. And any child would be lucky to have him." She didn't stroke Tony's ego like this often – he usually didn't need it. But, sometimes, it was called for.

Tony smiled a little, then nodded, and pulled Pepper into a tight hug. He held onto her like a lifeline. "Did you want me to come to the appointment on Friday?"

"Of course," Pepper assured him. "This is our baby. And don't worry about telling the others yet. We'll figure that out when the time is right."

After an awkward moment, Tony chuckled nervously. "So I guess wearing my 'Baby Daddy' t-shirt to breakfast tomorrow would be a bad idea, then?"

Pepper laughed and pressed her face into the crook of his shoulder. "You don't even have a 'Baby Daddy' t-shirt."

"I could get one," Tony countered, wrapping his arms around her comfortably, with less of the desperation than his earlier hug.

Of that, Pepper had no doubt.

Yay, little Starkling! Next time – Steve and Sharon embark on their European adventure, Pepper and Tony get the first look at their little one, and Coulson's cellist from Portland gets a shock.