A special shoutout to this guest review I got on the last chapter:

"So Pearl a whore NOW. *shakes head in disbelief*"

First of all, whores turn tricks for money. And second of all, have you been paying attention? Like, at all? After everything I've written, this is the chapter that makes you start slut shaming?

And to RegisterdAccount… Thank you for taking the time to write a review. In some ways, you're right. I set out to write a different story, a happy love story, but the more I kept writing… It became obvious that wasn't going to happen. I'll be the first to admit this isn't a perfect story and I should've written the whole thing first before ever posting, but I do have reasons for everything I'm doing. If they're not that clear from the writing, then maybe that's something I need to work on. I do, however, believe that I am going in the right direction. I know you're not the only one who thinks I'm not and I get it. You guys signed up for a Bucky story and this is clearly not that. But I hope you realize it's impossible for me to know whether or not you (and others like you) just have a bias for Bucky or if the story is actually getting worse.

Anyways, back to this thing. You guys probably noticed the name change and that's something I've been meaning to do for awhile… I've also edited some past chapters, nothing major but I've added some scenes here and there. Let me know all your unfiltered thoughts about everything, it does help. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I had time, I'd re-write the whole thing.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
WHERE WE LEFT OFF

"Is this where you've been staying all this time?" Pearl asks, following Steve down a hallway.

A quick five minute drive from Bucky's little hut, sits a little cabin. Situated in a secluded, lush forest, right at the end of a winding road, it looks nice and modest, but Pearl is sure the walls are lined with heavy duty material and the trees are full of surveillance cameras. The driver carries her bag inside and leaves, a friendly smile on his face.

"No. We just came back to check on Buck," Steve says.

"We?"

Steve smiles. At the end of the hallway, they turn right to reveal a cozy little living room—and a man sitting in it.

"Sam?" Pearl asks, eyeing the back of the man's head.

Sam turns his head, and a smile immediately appears on his face. "If it isn't my favorite alcoholic."

He nearly jumps up from the couch, rushing over to her with his arms spread out ready to hug the life out of her, but then he spots her stomach. "Whoa," he says, his pace immediately slowing down. He wraps his arms around her, gently, while eyeing the huge bump. "What's this?"

"A very long story," Pearl says with a laugh. "Don't you guys follow the news?"

"Of course."

"No, but like the important news? TMZ, Us Weekly?"

"You haven't changed," Sam says with a chuckle. "But wait, why TMZ?"

"They do this weekly feature called Tony Stark's Baby Mama's Baby Bump Watch."

"That's… a mouthful," Sam says.

"And raises even more questions. I thought this was Bucky's?" Steve asks.

"Like I said, long story."

Over a cup of tea, a special Wakandan blend that somehow manages to taste like tea while simultaneously lacking all the disgusting qualities of tea, Pearl breaks down the situation. She drones on about the night on the rooftop, goes into way too much detail about her last trip to Wakanda and talks them through the circumstances of Pepper's sudden insanity. The articles, the tweets and the annoying PR reps. The whole thing from beginning to end, leaving nothing out.

And they just let her. They don't interrupt or tell her to get to the point. They just sit there and listen intently, like her life is the best story they've heard in months. And it could be. Maybe they're starved for entertainment on the run or they just don't want to accidentally offend her and cause a hormonal episode. Maybe they just want to keep her distracted from asking too many questions about what they've been up to lately, as every time she tries, they direct the conversation back to her.

In a way, it feels as though no time has passed. It's not awkward, like it sometimes can be when old friends meet. It's just really, really nice. Even if they don't quite understand what she's going through, they're still miles better than Penelope, who can't get over the fact that Pearl even had to ask herself the question "whose baby is this", or Patrick, who hasn't returned any of her phone calls since the press started writing about Tony Stark's unborn child.

Sam is the first to speak after she's finished. "So, you thought it was-"

"Yes."

"When it's actually-"

"Yes."

"Damn. You've been busy," he says and, seeing her expression, continues, "I'm not judging. Get yours, girl."

Pearl laughs. She's definitely missed Sam a lot.

"Tony Stark is going to be a father," Steve says.

Pearl nods. "Whether he wants it or not."

"You don't think he'll be happy?"

"You guys know him as well as I do, or better, even. He doesn't like children."

Sam reclines back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I don't think he cares too much for adults, either."

"Tony may be a selfish pain in the ass, but he's a good man. He'll do the right thing." Steve's voice sounds sure, obviously. Doing the right thing is his area of expertise.

"I know. That's what worries me." Pearl sips on her tea. "I just don't want him to wake up one day and not recognize himself."

"I think you're overthinking this."

She wants to tell Steve it's not possible, since she's literally had about five minutes to think about the whole thing, but she refrains and simply shakes her head. "I am not. He literally told me children ruin lives."

"When was this?"

"The day after I told him I'm having Bucky's baby."

"This would also be the day after he said he loved you?" Steve asks. Apparently he really was listening intently if he's got the timeline memorized. And although technically, Tony said he was falling for her and couldn't stop thinking about her and never said love, that was kind of the gist of it.

Pearl shrugs. "Well, not in those exact words."

"And what did he say? Did he seem relieved?"

"He just asked if I was sure."

"Sounds to me like he was trying to hide his disappointment."

"You know, like when you don't get a job you applied for and then convince yourself you didn't really want it in the first place," Sam says. "It's basic rationalization."

"I think I'd know if he was overcompensating like that," Pearl says sternly, looking from Steve to Sam. They share a look, and hesitation creeps in. "Right?"

Steve shrugs one shoulder. "Maybe. Or maybe you were quick to believe him, because it was easier for you."

"And it's understandable. You had a lot to think about," Sam says.

Stunned, Pearl stares at the two men before her. Could they be right? It never even occurred to her Tony might be disappointed about it not being his. About the pregnancy and how that effectively messed up his plan to date her, sure, but the baby? No, absolutely not. Right? Maybe?

Tony doesn't like children. Well, he likes Peter, most of the time. But Peter barely counts since he's old enough to drive. In Germany, he'd be old enough to drink. He can walk, talk and do really advanced math. And there's the superhero thing, so he's not exactly a normal child. Peter definitely doesn't count.

As Pearl is about to tell Steve and Sam just how wrong they are, her phone beeps on the table. Glancing at it to see it's just a newsletter from Starbucks, Pearl notices her background picture. She's in the middle, sitting cross-legged on mom and dad's sofa, holding Penny's twins one in each arm. Jack is sprawled across the floor while Olivia sits neatly beside Pearl with Zachary in her lap and Grace is upside down with her feet resting on Pearl's shoulder.

Pearl set the picture as her background to remind herself of the horrors she went through that day. To remind herself, that no matter how much her baby ends up crying, it'll never be as bad as two babies crying in stereo. That no matter how annoying her baby gets once it learns how to talk, it'll never be as annoying as four children all asking about different things at the same time and hanging on every single limb she has. That even the most well-behaved children can be complete menaces if they're tired enough.

And if there was ever a reason to believe in divine intervention, this might be it.

Because if she's being perfectly honest, Pearl doesn't really like children, either. She loves her nieces and nephews, obviously, because they can be really awesome people, but if they weren't family, there's no way she'd ever, ever voluntarily spend time with them. Not even one.

But they are family.

And sometimes, family just happens. Someone you just met gives you a ride to your brother's funeral and after that, they're always there; a condom breaks and suddenly you're about to become a mother; your boyfriend disappears on a trip you dragged him to and his best friend isn't mad at you, but actually comforts you and becomes number three on your speed dial.

Or you get shot and some guy you barely know pays your medical bills and proceeds to fall in love with you when you're not even looking.

"So, what, I just walk up to him and be like 'hey, this is yours' and he'll be, what, happy?" Pearl asks.

"Don't you think that's a possibility?" Steve asks.

"We are talking about my life here, right? What if he's not happy? Or what if he is, and we get to be a happy family for like five minutes, and then he dies? Or I die? Or the baby dies?"

"Why does anyone have to die?" Sam asks, shooting a look toward Steve, who wraps an arm around Pearl.

It has an immediate calming effect, as most muscular forearms tend to have. She sinks a little closer to his chest, and he tightens his grip. Looking from Sam, who's looking at her with his best 'everything will be fine' expression, to looking up at Steve, who looks down the same way he would a lost puppy, Pearl asks, "What if he hates me for ditching him with a crappy letter? What if he sues for custody? He'd win, you know. It wouldn't be hard to prove that I'll be an unfit mother and he's got billions of dollars. That could pay for, like, millions of lawyers."

Steve smiles. "Or what if he's happy, you're happy and that's it?"

"A good friend of mine once told me, that there's an infinite number of things that could happen, and you can't live your life thinking what if," Sam says with a smug look.

Pearl shoots him a glare. "She sounds stupid."

"She can be."

Steve's comment makes Sam laugh. He laughs even more when Pearl elbows Steve in his stomach. Lightly, of course, but he still feigns hurt.

As Steve leaves to prepare their jet for take-off, saying they've already stayed in Wakanda for too long, Sam pours Pearl and himself another cup of tea.

"I bet you could sell your life story," he says.

"You think?"

"It would make a great soap opera."

Pearl laughs and dips a biscuit into her tea. "All I need is an evil twin."

"What do you see in him, anyway?" Sam asks. "Stark?"

Pearl takes a sip of her tea, wondering if they sell it around here somewhere. She's been to Wakanda twice now and hasn't bought a single souvenir. "Besides the obvious?"

Raising an eyebrow, Sam asks, "What's that, money?"

"I've already got half the country calling me a gold-digger, I don't need you to start with that," Pearl says, making him laugh again. She rolls her eyes. "I mean, he's good looking, he can carry on a conversation and the sex…"

"Don't make me regret asking."

She smirks, but it quickly turns into a warm smile. "And he's just… He's always there for me. Even if sometimes his idea of helping is to just throw money at things, his heart is in the right place."

"He has one of those?"

"Sam, come on."

Sam throws his hands up. "I'm just saying. How many times are we going to forgive his mistakes? First Ultron, then the Accords."

"I'm not going to defend Tony, but on paper both of those were good ideas."

"Just give me a heads up if he comes up with another great retirement plan, and I'll run in the opposite direction."

"As if I'd ever let him retire."

"Might not be up to you," Sam says. "The next big threat could be just around the corner, and I mean something bigger than a dude with wings stealing alien tech."

"I know that. I wasn't kidding before; I am actually terrified that he might die," Pearl says. "But I could not live with myself if I let him stand back and watch the world end. Baby or no baby, the world needs Iron Man."

"So, how are you going to tell him?"

"I saw an Iron Man onesie on Amazon. Maybe I'll give him that," she says. He cringes, making her laugh. "Too corny?"

"Maybe a little."