A/N; Hello :-) A chapter for you all!
Heres the thing; theres this chapter then chapter 27 and then the Epilouge. So I'm super sad but really happy all at the same time.
Have fun reading this one ; hope you like it..
Please REVIEEW!
x
Chapter 26 : Five Days.
Pepper POV.
Five horrible long days coupled with boring meeting had really strained on me, I knew it wasn't a very long time but it felt like a decade until we would travel up to see Tony again.
It felt as if I was a single parent for a few days.
Tony almost constantly rang me and skyped me complaining about Fury or a stupid training exercise.
So, today was finally the day that Evelyn and I caught the jet and travelled down to New Mexico, and I couldn't wait to get there spending my time with Tony, probably not much relaxing but I can hope right?
"Ready to go, boss? Few hours till we touch down in New Mexico." Happy voiced himself at the entrance of the master bedroom. As smartly dressed as ever. Bluetooth in ear, tie tightened to the very top of his crisp, clean white shirt that was also buttoned up to the very top. His suit jacket buttoned up, Happy wore his usual happy-go-lucky expression.
"Yes absolutely, Happy thank you. Can't wait to get down there. You couldn't give me a hand, could you?" I asked frantically rounding up the last of the luggage I had packed around three days ago. All of Evelyn's things were packed and ready to go and she was all dressed.
" 'Course no problem, Pepper. Want me to strap Evs in?" I happily agreed trusting Happy with everything.
I only knew that the whole journey down there would either be a breeze or a completely horrendous experience, of course it depended on Evelyn's mood I wasn't really sure whether she knew where we were going even though I had told her a million times due to my excitement. It was probably quite pathetic really, so very overly excited to travel cross country to see my husband only after 5 days. Oh well; that is and will always be our relationship.
Finally on the plane I was so ready to get to New Mexico.
... ... ... ... ... ...
Natasha POV.
Clint had been acting so odd around me lately, like he didn't want to touch me at all, before the training exercise yesterday he seemed reluctant I participate. What's more, he had absolutely no reason to be acting like this did he? I mean, I hadn't told Clint about the baby yet.
"Bruce? Give us a minuet will you, please?" I asked Bruce who sat silently with Clint and I in the tower's main living area all team members shared, Bruce was sat in one of the comfortable, 'antiquey' looking dark brown leather arm chairs. Every now and then his only movements consisted of pushing his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose and turning the page of one of Tony's sketch books with all of the billionaires late ideas of calculations, equations, weapon ideas of drawings, some measurements ,rounds per ammunition and upgrade codes for JARVIS and his Iron Man suits upgrades.
"Oh, uh. Course. Sorry." Bruce apologized, springing up to grab his coffee from the table and wonder out of the room still reading probably wondering downstairs to quiz Tony on something scientific.
"Spit it out then, Hawk." I huffed out standing in front of him blocking his view to the window he stared so intently out of.
"Huh?"
"Your pissed. At something or acting weird, I can normally read you so easily but right now? Nothing."
"I don't know what your on about, Nat." He didn't even meet my eyes, surely burning a hole in his skull.
"Sure you do. Your acting weird." I snapped at Clint. Getting annoyed from his calm and reserved mood while mine was turning rampant.
"I think you're the one acting weird right, Nat? Oh... You didn't want me to know?" Clint replied equally as harsh, finally meeting my eye contact. When he did, my heart leapt.
"Know what?" My voice retracted. Small and innocent as I felt guilty.
"You're pregnant."
I gave it a second before answering.
"I am."
"You didn't tell me?"
"No. I was... Scared." I said feeling frightened for a proper reaction.
Clint sighed heavily. Leaning forward picking up a paper from the coffee table in front of us.
"I suppose you've booked an abortion then?"
"I'm sorry? What? I'm not getting rid of it. Even for you Clint, that's low." I snarled stomping off towards the huge (and thankfully empty) kitchen.
"Nat! Hang on a sec!" Clint followed me in catching my arm. I turned around.
"What?"
"You-you want it?" Clint gasped, eyes bulging wide open.
"Yeah. Look, I know I said in the past if I ever had the misfortune of becoming pregnant I would terminate it the first chance I had. But this is different. It feels different, I'm having this baby Clint whether your with me, or watching from the sidelines." I cried out desperately watching his face morph into a different expression.
"Really? You mean that?" Clint sweetly uttered, grinning goofily. Clint took my hands in his tightly, stepping forward so they pressed against both of our stomachs.
"Wait-What? Hold up, what are you saying? Your with me on this?" Babbling away to him, I realised we were both smiling.
"When I found that pregnancy test in your bag it really devastated me to think we would never go through with it. I want this with you Nat, this baby. With you. 'Kay?"
"Deal, Barton. Oh and just so we're clear were double barrowing it's name." I winked at Clint tugging him in for a kiss.
"Barton-Romanoff. Sounds good… Hm. Love you Nat." He hummed against my lips.
"You too, Barton." Smiling into his hug, I looked forward to the future.
"Oh! Sorry guys! I was trying to find Tony's room." Pepper laughed quietly from the doorway. Evelyn obviously in the baby carrier that Pepper rested in the crook of her arm.
"Oh hey, Pepper!" Clint called from where we were standing, I pulled away. Simultaneously, Pepper and I shushed Clint. He instantly surrendered up his hands.
"Sorry, Clint. I've just sent her off to sleep. She's had an ear infection and missed her dad. So Evelyn's week has been a bit rubbish." Pepper yawned clip-clopping over in her heels to set Evelyn on the kitchen worktop to give her arm a rest.
"Bless her." I whispered stepping over to see her sweet little face deeply asleep.
"Eight months today." Pepper said peering down at her daughter tenderly.
"Really? She's so cute. Evelyn's not walking yet, is she?"
"Oh god no! She's crawling like a trooper though! And pulls herself up with something to hold onto," Pepper giggled replying to my question. "Evelyn'll be more lively when she wakes up."
"Come on, I'll show you to Tony's room."
I quietly lead Pepper into Tony's room and ordered Clint to collect the rest of her luggage standing by the lift.
... ... ... ... ...
Tony POV.
"Sir I would see it fit to inform you-"
"JARVIS, mute." I grunted pulling my hand out from the wiring of the RT chest piece of the Mark VII finally reconnecting a loose wire. I wiped my oiled greasy hands down the front of my grey cotton t-shirt standing up from my desk chair and admiring my work, hands on hips.
I heard the swoosh of the door swinging open although I didn't turn presuming it was Bruce returning with my notepad again.
Unexpectantly, warm arms wound around my waist from behind their hands meeting in the centre of my stomach.
"I swear to god Steve if this is how you apologized in the 40's you really need a reality check."
"I leave you alone for 5 days Tony, what have you done to Steve now?!" I whipped around, almost falling over in my haste, to see Pepper now with her hands on her hips scolding me for my behaviour.
"Pepper!" I cheered like an ecstatic child. Picking her up and spinning her around I listened to that satisfying 'Pepper Potts' sound when her 6inch heels hit the concrete flooring again with a click-clack.
"I've missed you!" Pepper hugged me tightly obviously ignoring my oily shirt. I encircled her tightly into my arms deeply breathing in her smell of Dior. Holding her adoringly for what seemed like forever, I leaned back still keeping a firm hold on her and kissed her enduringly.
"JARVIS! I told you to tell me when Pepper got here!" I shouted at the ceiling. Pepper intervened with a laugh.
"I was about to sir, only when you muted me." I 'tsked' at his reply.
"Evelyn. Where is she?"
"Upstairs in your room, finally fell asleep after that horrible plane ride." I felt Pepper groan against my arc reactor.
"It's our room now by the way- come on then, I want to see her now." I pouted pulling away to tug on Pepper's arms in direction of the stairs.
"Just let her rest for a bit!"
I pouted more.
"Please c-"
"No."
"Now?"
"No, Tony!"
"Sir, a change in Miss. Stark's breathing pattern suggests that she is now awake." I jumped up from the sofa at JARVIS's message, all members of the team were seated on in the main living area of the tower. Even Betty and Jane were sat with us.
As usual, Thor was keeping up a lively conversation being sure to include everyone about his previous battles in Asgaurd, Clint and Natasha were more excluded from the group sat on the far end of the huge ring shaped beige sofa situated in the centre of the room. Bruce was sure to voice his opinion on what ever subject was being discussed every now and then and Steve read a book but still involved himself every now and then.
"I'll go." Pepper laughed pushing me gently back down on to the sofa only to have me follow her anyway.
"Hey baby, happy nine month birthday!" I whispered gently caressing Evelyn's skin in my palms picking her up. She still seemed pretty drowsy as Evelyn's eyes fluttered open and closed several times not even bothering to notice who was settling her on their chest. Evelyn let out a sigh at the same time as letting her head fall underneath my chin her eyelids drooping shut again. Although, I had sensed Evelyn did know it was me holding her she appeared very placid. Probable clues ; my individual touch, scent and voice obviously.
"Someone's happy that daddy's back."
"I'm so glad you both came up." I spoke running my hand up and down Evelyn's back with a feather light touch.
"We were dying to. But seriously, what happened with Steve no one will tell me and you two've been glaring at each other since I got here?" Pepper pressed a kiss to my shoulder wrapping her arms around my bicep.
"We fought. Violently-
"Oh you didn't?! Tony you need to work on your people skills some times!" Pepper interrupted me.
"Pepper, I have people skills! People skills brought Evelyn here," I pointed at Evelyn erratically, "I just tend to retaliate when Steve thinks to saw me in half with his shield or attack my face and suit with a car door!"
"So you're saying you stayed completely calm throughout this situation then? That you didn't fight back or anything?"
"No. Maybe-Yeah. I may have shot at Steve making him land flat on his face which, oh my God! Was. Hiliario-"
"You're incorrigible."
"And I love you too, honey."
… … … … … …
"Aw! Well, isn't she just the cutest?!" Jane squealed from her place in the kitchen just finishing up her making of a coffee.
"You wouldn't have been saying that at three in the morning."
"Apparently they're worth it, Tony."
"They are. I take it you and Thor aren't making an heir then?" I asked her. Jane gave me an astonished look.
I perched on a stool behind one of the breakfast bars. The kitchen in a way, it reminded me of my kitchen back home in Malibu. Jane and I were the only ones to occupy the kitchen.
"It's not that. I just-I don't know, I'm not saying never but she really is beautiful, Tony." Jane smiled fondly over to Evelyn.
Evelyn was just staring to squirm in the closed vice of my arms she tried to change her position several times before deciding it was time to wake up properly. Evelyn obviously seemed to have noticed the arc reactor glowing brightly through my Black Sabbath t-shirt before snapping her gaze upwards and meeting mine.
"And how are you?" I greeted against her skin, kissing her forehead and cheek feeling her soft skin raise upwards forming into a smile. Evelyn gave me a small giggle.
She gazed around shocked at this weird and new mysterious place surrounding her.
"Can I hold her?" Jane set her coffee back down on the table, she was wringing her hands out in front of her. Hesitant.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure." I said lifting Evelyn from my hip and towards Jane I only took my hands away when I was sure Jane had her safely.
"She looks so much like you."
"No way, more like Pepper and my mom."