Tony is enjoying some peace, mid leisurely flight through New York City in his standard red metal attire.

It's a brisk Wednesday evening in November with a wife who is about to pop at any moment and a team all in fall break mode.

His coms beep haphazardly, suddenly aware of an alert from Fury directed to Natasha. He answers with a bit of a nasally snap, allergies unappreciative of the leaves changing colors;

"Yeah what."

'Don't you dare take that tone of voice with me-!'

Tony lifts an eyebrow over hearing Maria Hill's voice, double checking the numbers on the inside of his helmet;

"What did you do to Fury?"

'There's a situation in Queens that demands some attention.'

"What kind of situation? I'm over Broadway."

'Just get there. I'll contact the rest of your team. Forwarding the live footage now.'

"Great. You're so helpful. Has anyone ever told you that you lack decorum? Professionalism? Manners?"

She hangs up. Tony sighs, calling his wife next, "Pepper?"

Potts answers his call immediately, 'I'm here.'

"Duty calls. Can you handle business while I clean up the streets?"

She huffs, 'Do I have a choice? What streets? I'm supposed to be heading out in ten minutes-and there goes my pen…I can't bend over. Jesus Tony-!'

"Are you alright?! Is it the baby? I'm twenty minutes away-!"

'I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, the baby isn't coming anytime soon. These are false contractions. Just! Ow- let me get to my meeting-.'

"There won't be a meeting unless I can settle this issue in Queens. It's on the same strip. Stay home. Call in sick."

She scoffs, 'I'm out of sick days. And maternity leave is already going to put a dent in the reserves-.'

"Hey look! You just got 10 more. How did that happen?! Magic!"

'Keep both hands on the wheel.'

"Your scolding is irrelevant. I'm flying."

'You know what I mean. Stop getting distracted, stop worrying about me, I'm fine,' her voice pauses on the opposite end, 'Good luck in Queens.'

The buzzing of Clint Barton's device demands pausing in his woodworking.

The archer moves to push up the sleeves of his light sweater and calls for his girlfriend still inside the small cabin;

"Yo Laura?"

"Coming."

The brunette steps out in her light fall wrap and nods toward his phone, "Was that an alert?"

He nods and moves toward her to peck her cheek, "I'll grab my bow- are you good? Up here by yourself?"

"I'll crash my sister's,' she shrugs, 'Maybe I can drag her up here with me to do some refurbishments."

He squints curiously, "Really?! Your sister likes the wilderness?"

"No. But if I pay her she'll help me work on the cabin a bit. Hey,' she catches the collar of his leather jacket, 'Don't come home with another black eye. And don't let her boss you around."

He lowers his head to throw the bow over his shoulder, "Nat's fine- get to know her-."

"You still haven't told the rest of your team about me have you? And I wasn't talking about Nat. You know I like her. I meant the other one."

Clint groans with a frown, "Oh...her."

"Yes Maria, I heard you the first time," Natasha wipes a drop of blood from the corner of her mouth, red hair damp and sticking to her forehead when she checks her wristband for a detonator.

Romanoff glances over her shoulder for a sign from Fury before blowing the facility. She holds a smug grin with a finger still on her earpiece;

"Did you call Barton or are you asking me to do that-."

Maria sighs heavily, 'Just get your ass to Queens. It's not looking good.'

"Do yourself a favor before you give yourself a heart attack. Go home tonight and draw a hot bath. Sip some wine. Calm down. Okay?"

Maria pauses, 'Check in once you get to Queens.'

The director steps alongside Romanoff as they move into their vehicle, "Did Maria debrief you?"

"There's always something," she takes the towel he offers with a pant.

Nick climbs into the car first, starting the engine while he enters into the passenger seat with a huff;

"You still owe Bruce and I a honeymoon."

"You're still bitter about that," he chuckles playfully.

Natasha tilts her head, "You called the second I dropped my bags at the Costa Rica hotel. Yes, I'm bitter."

Nick snickers, turning the wheel, "I'll make it up to you."

She rotates her wrist and bites down on the release to remove her cuff, "I want to believe you, but it's already November. In case you forget, I got married 5 months ago."

"I was there."

"I must have enough vacation time to work with at this point."

He nods thoughtfully, "Take December off."

Natasha tilts her head with a light scoff, "During his birthday and Christmas?"

"You've never asked me to take time off and now you're being picky. What's wrong? Is a month too long?"

"December is…rough."

He increases speed as they hit the highway, "The Nightmare Before Christmas?"

"It's not our favorite holiday, for obvious reasons. He's usually miserable all month long. Bruce just hates his birthday. And the holiday,' she stretches her fingers, 'He spends all of December in the lab with or without Tony. Stares at the wall…"

"And is he, the only one with Christmas PTSD?" Fury smirks over Natasha's scoff.

"Stay in your lane. Literally, you're drifting."

"Okay. I'll give you January."

"Fine."

"Where do you want to go? Back to Costa Rica?"

"Is Russia clear criminal wise? Safe enough for an ex assassin? Trouble free if I were to visit?"

He refuses to answer and reaches for the radio to turn on the news.

Natasha crosses her arms and takes his not so subtle answer. She crosses her knee and looks out the window with a mumble, "Of course not."

An incoming video call grabs Banner's attention as he answers the hologram in the lab.

"Thor- wow you get reception up there…?!"

The figure reaches to shrug in his Asgardian gear, "I have returned from a hunt and I wish to share exciting news with one of my closest companions!"

Banner's elbows find the desk as he hunches over to shift his weight, "What is it?"

"I have intentions of proposing to Lady Jane! I am quite nervous and require assistance!"

"Of course, anything."

Thor lifts the decapitated head of a toothy, 3 eyed lion into view, "Is this beast's head large enough to win my fair Queen?"

Bruce cringes over the absurdity, choking down nausea, "Wow. That's…something-."

"I must look elsewhere for just a short moment…"

"Take your time. I'm not getting nauseous over the bumpy camera angle."

The camera shakes as the demigod walks, turning upward to show a high vaulted ceiling plastered in gold. Thor returns into view and holds up a large diamond studded gold band, "I have also embraced the customs of midgard as you have suggested to me and have invested seven-thousand pieces of gold in this fine jewelry of which Jane will adorn herself."

Bruce nods slowly, scratching his head in surprise, "That's a lot there- You spent how much…?!"

"Lady Jane deserves the world."

"Here's my advice; I'd do the ring over the uh, the animal head."

"Do you not believe that she will embrace the traditions?"

"No! Yes! I mean yes. Jane is very interested in your traditions-."

"Good! She will accept this gesture as a token of my great strength."

"I…just think as a human, she might like the ring… more?"

"I see, I quite understand. I will save the ring for last and present all of my other gifts first! We will throw a fine feast instead and I shall present this gold as a grand finale to a wonderful-."

Bruce's screen flashes with an alert, as he tugs at his sleeves, skimming through Maria's message, "Hey Thor?"

"Yes my friend!"

"I hate to cut you off but- Fury just sent a message so, you know- hulk's gotta come out. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Yes! May many enemies fall at your feet. I only wish I could slay alongside you, large green warrior."

He laughs nervously, "Okay. Thanks."

Steve rounds the corner in his sweatshirt, a full sized shepherd running alongside the super soldier.

Alex barks as they pass another bicycle with a desire to play with his neighbor friend. Steve raises a hand to wave, release Alex from his run with a command and pauses when the cyclist does the same.

The young boy parks his bike and crouches to greet Alex;

"Hi Steve."

"Greetings young man. It is a little cold out today."

The younger one laughs when Alex licks his knee, "Yeah."

"Where are you off to?"

The boy shrugs, "Meeting some friends at the arcade. You should come! No one believes I actually talk to the Steve Rogers and play with the hulk's dog."

Steve lays his hands on his hips with a proud stance, "I would be honored to import wisdom to you and your comrades. I'm afraid I have some commitments this evening."

"Mm. Okay,' he waves politely after giving Alex one more scratch, 'I gotta go. Bye Steve."

"Keep out of trouble young man."

Rogers checks his device, rotating it from its upside down position before answering;

"Rogers here-."

'STEVE!,' Maria shouts, 'There's a problem in Queens.'

"Elaborate?"

'Some creep is targeting the medical facility. He broke in about an hour ago with twelve others. Our agents are down-.'

"I'm on my way,' he ends the call and motions toward the Banners' dog, 'What's your, 'hurry up and run' command? Iti? Idi? No. Nevermind, I'd just butcher Natasha's language. We've got to move. Keep up, okay?"

Alex tilts his head, ear flopping over a lack of direction and consents to keeping in pace with Steve as he speeds up.

Steve catches up to Clint and Banner, grimacing over his attire;

"Oh man!"

Bruce whistles to keep the dog at his side, tussling his ear;

"Hey buddy."

Once Alex sees Bruce, he's under the doctor's control. Greeting with tail wags, a lick and a desire to please his 'mom' and 'dad' above anyone else.

The Iron Man landing next as they observe their target from a distance.

"It really doesn't feel smart to let the hulk out- I'm not just saying that," Bruce clarifies as he crouches to analyze a path.

Barton meets him at the same level and adjusts an arrow, "I'm with you man."

"What did we miss," Natasha moves down the alley, brushing against Tony who moves without warning. Alex greets her so she pets his head and gives him a command to 'wait' and 'sit'. The shepherd might as well be their teammate.

Tony points to the team, "Why don't we do this the same way we do everything."

"Blow it up?" Barton asks.

Steve adjusts his top, having no time to change, "Alright, I'll go in first, see if I can't get our guy to come out and surrender."

"I wanna go!" Tony grumbles and moves to keep pace with the Captain.

Clint nods, "I'll wait."

Bruce agrees silently, looking up over Natasha's brush over his shoulder. He smirks, giving her a passing glance;

"Hi stranger."

"Hi," her hands over his back while she crouches between him and Clint.

The archer points, "If we need a hulk, he's gotta come up that way. Stealth mode."

Banner scoffs coldly, "Hulk has a stealth mode now, huh?"

"Why not take the left?"

Bruce lifts a hand over the spies planning his attack, "Just cross your fingers and hope we don't need-."

Natasha charges for the escapee who dodges past Tony and Steve and moves to aim her pistol in a rash attack, "I see him-."

"-Tasha!"

"Nat, wait!"

Clint and Bruce are unable to call her back as she makes a charge to tackle their primary target head on with her dog at her heels.

Barton sets his arrow and moves forward, "So much for stealth."

Bruce cringes uncomfortably when Natasha moves to break the arm of her opponent when he reaches for his pistol.

Tony makes a call over the come for backup in the building, "We could use some green in here!"

"Yep! Okay, coming," Banner takes his hint and focuses on Stark's voice.

Maria relinquishes 'the chair' upon Fury's entry and once the battle ends. She messes with her communicator absentmindedly, offering Fury his position back with a flare;

"All yours."

"Comfy?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

She smirks and holds her hands behind her back, "I admit I'm quite confident giving the orders."

He nods, "It's yours when I die one day. Provided Romanoff refuses like I think she will."

"She won't sir, she enjoys the leadership roles."

"Not as much as you think."

Clint enters the jet as the doors automatically open for him, bow in hand;

"The douche has been apprehended along with his goons. Can I go home now?"

"My shoulder is- ow! Brucie! Easy!" Tony whines as Banner walks beside him. The physicist moves to lay his hands firmly over Stark's injury, trying and failing to get the engineer to be still for long enough.

Natasha crosses her arms, taking her spot in the corner with her boot up on the wall behind her, "If you'd hold still, it wouldn't hurt as much!"

Bruce removes his hands at Tony's final tug, the two men sharing a solid glare. Bruce sighs over his friend's childlike behavior over a dislocation. Tony inhales and caves begrudgingly;

"Okay fine, hurry up."

"Shut up and breathe," Bruce snaps aggressively, somehow still agitated from his latest explosion.

"Breathe what? I can't breathe. It hurts-!"

"Three, two," Bruce lifts his friend's shoulder back into place. A pop and a scream from Tony tells the room the job is done.

Tony shrugs and rolls hi shoulder back, "Okay- you were right that's better."

Clint interrupts, "How the hell-,"

"Hulk tried to catch me when my thrusters went out. He grabbed and twisted my arm instead," Tony explains to a confused Barton.

Bruce points, his tone soft and yet firm, "He could've let you fall. Did you ask the hulk if he was okay? Cause my shoulder is hurting-."

"Hurt where?! You have layers of green rubber to keep you safe!"

"Really? Okay! How about you be the wrecking ball and I'll take the metal suit next time."

Steve crosses his arms, "Are you two actually mad at eachother or…?"

Tony laughs, "I'll get over it."

"He won't," Bruce moves to shove his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants.

"You owe me and you know that."

"I'm pretty sure we're even."

Fury ignores and moves to push through his wrap up.

Tony's device goes off from his pocket, answering an incoming call from Pepper. He grins and puts on speaker;

"Pep my dearest-."

'ANTHONY STARK,' she screams in a panic on the other end, 'Where are you?! I'm- oh god! The baby is coming.'

He nearly drops the phone with his eyes wide, looking at the team with a meeker;

"…Come again?"

'THE BABY IS COMING! Happy- ow! Happy is driving me…'

Natasha reaches for the door, stirring the team into action, "Alright let's go."

Fury lifts a finger, "Take a SHIELD car, it'll be faster."

"I'll drive!" Clint pushes ahead with Natasha at his side.

Bruce reaches gently to take Tony's device, helping his friend up with a tug under his bad shoulder;

"Pepper? Can you put Happy on the phone? What hospital? Tony is on his way."

The engineer's jaw remains slack, vacant in his stare while everyone else moves to take over.

Rogers holds back once they arrive at the hospital, deciding to wait with Clint in the lobby and immediately take their seats.

Happy Hogan enters and sits next to Clint.

He nods, trying to start a conversation, "Great weather we've been having, am I right?"

"If you say one more word, I will take the rubber band that is around my wrist and shove it down your throat until you are suffocating," Clint retorts as casually as possible.

Happy nods, clearing his throat with a tug to loosen his tie a bit, "Alright."

Bruce finds his wrist latched onto by a panicking Tony Stark, spewing with his eyes wide;

"What are you doing?!"

"I was trying to sit? With Clint?"

"I frickin need you right now! I can't do this-!"

"Yes, you can. Deep breath."

"I can't."

"Go. For Pepper. You'll be fine."

Natasha finally settles on kicking Tony behind his knees, spewing a Russian ramble that frightens him enough to run into Pepper's room.

"Nice," Bruce mutters to his wife with a hand in his pocket.

Natasha shrugs causally and sits beside him, fusses his messy hair and reaches for a magazine with Steve on the cover;

"What are the chances Steve got all of the credit for our last five missions?"

"Hey,' Steve chuckles, 'So. While we await the arrival of Tony's baby, maybe I can run with the dog? He seems worn out. Training? Does he need training? I'm not one for hospitals. Needles, serums. Flashbacks. Waking up in New York. You know, way back when, my neighbor used to have a mutt that looked just like Alex; Rover. That was his name-."

"If you want to do something with my dog,' Natasha looks over her magazine with a crossed knee and nods toward the dog resting on Banner's shoe, 'you can take Alex home and wash his gross paws. He needs food and a nap."

"Is that helpful?"

"Yes, it's helpful. Bruce and I will stay and be the moral support, representing the team here. It's not like we have that much of a choice. God knows Tony can't do anything without Bruce around."

Banner frowns, reaching to steal Natasha's magazine to skim through it for himself.

"Yes ma'am." Steve salutes, standing with a tap at his thigh and reaches for the shepherd's leash.

"I'll stay," Clint sinks further into his chair.

Natasha glares, suspicious of her friend with his limited exterior feelings.

He defensively snaps, "What?! Don't read into it!"

Tony fixes his eyes on his wife once he reaches the room, swallowing heavily when her screams echo off of the walls.

The nurses try their best to console her, keeping her comfortable through her labor;

"Breathe Mrs. Stark, it's okay."

She pants, feeling Tony brush his hand over her forehead;

"You're doing great honey, I'm right here."

"Tony," Pepper mumbles, a sweaty mess.

"Yeah. And everyone else is in the lobby. Gross and fresh from a mission. But. They're here."

Pepper snaps when Tony moves to brush her forehead again. She clenches her teeth;

"If you ever touch me again I will have Nat thrash you into the wall!"

Tony nods shakily, crouching at her side to grab her hand, "Okay. That's fair. This looks painful- are you sure you want me here?"

Pepper retorts with an evil focus and addresses Tony, "You're going to stay, in this room, and see what you've done to me!"

Stark chokes on his swallow, "Okay. Okay. Okay, alright. Alright. Cool, cool!"

A nurse looks up from her position, "Okay Mrs. Stark it's almost time to push."

She shrills over a contraction, wanting so badly to throw Tony's hand from off her shoulder;

"Do not touch me!" Pepper moans with tears streaming down her cheeks, "I'm so tired! I can't do this."

Tony swallows, "Hang on honey, it's okay-. If it's any consolation you look beautiful. Did you curl your hair for the meeting?"

She snaps, "Will you, just, shut up!"

Pepper groans with a scream, finally reaching for Tony's hand he's all too happy to provide.

Pepper is a bubbling mess when the baby is placed in her arms, squeezing her crying daughter. Tony's eyes fill, scooping his family close. He can't look away from his baby, his heart breaking for her cries. He's speechless, eager to look into her small squinting eyes.

"You did it Pep. Look at her!"

Pepper nods, latching onto her husband's mouth with a soft peck and an exhale as they hold their baby.

Tony invites Bruce and Natasha inside the room first, closing the door behind them.

The redhead is hugging herself with a distant stare. She looks back up toward Banner who appears equally emotionally distant with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Watching the Stark couple show off their small princess, Natasha tries to focus on Pepper and gently rubbing her shoulder;

"She's beautiful. Are you doing okay?"

"I'm okay," Pepper nods, holding Natasha's elbow as she sinks in her pillow. She watches proudly from the sidelines when Stark reaches to pass the baby to an unsuspecting Banner;

"Come on Uncle Brucie. You're holding her first."

"What-oh," the doctor scrambles to secure the newborn in his arms. And Natasha eagerly crouches at his side.

She reaches to brush Bruce's curls, silently sharing in their moment and greeting the baby with soft 'hellos'.

Banner breaks with a smirk, "Cute."

Tony crosses his arms with his steady wide smile, looking at his daughter with pride;

"Antonia, that's my Antonia. She's got my eyes. Did you notice? The shape is mine."

Pepper scoffs from her bed, "No. That's my shape. All she has is your name."

"Wow. Love you babe."

"Love you!" She chuckles obnoxiously and adjusts her pillow.

Bruce mumbles as he holds her comfortably, his eyes moving from off her only momentarily, "No one and nothing is going to touch your little girl. That's a promise."

Tony nods, taking in his friend's words and much softer than usual in his reply, "Thanks."

Natasha smiles in agreement, a careful finger brushing her small cheek, "She deserves that much."

"Where's the kid?" Clint interrupts uncharastically, knocking and then plowing through the door.

"She's busy with her tetya," Natasha reaches to take the baby from Banner. She swallows hard and takes his chair, holding the child close to her.

"Natasha has that natural mom hold," Pepper almost whispers and shifts in her bed.

Tony laughs, "Yeah, she does. Y'all look cute with a little one."

Bruce silently rubs at Natasha's shoulder and tries to ignore after realizing it's gone over Natasha's head. Or at least, she's giving off that impression. Whether it's truly rolled off her shoulder is yet to be determined.

"Now let's see,' Romanoff fiddles with her pink bonnet, 'are you going to be a techie Avenger? Like Uncle Bruce and your dad?"

"God no," Clint groans, settling in the corner while he unwraps a piece of gum for himself. Natasha looks disgusted over having not been offered any. Barton notices only to shrug carelessly, snapping louder to get on her nerves.

Tony laughs and leans in to scoop his baby, "We have years before we deal with Avenger, heroine stuff."

"Do we? Mr. 'I'm going to make her a suit at 10?'" Pepper scoffs from the corner.

Rhodes knocks at the door next, addressing Bruce who opens it for one of Tony's closest friends. He steps carefully into the room, holding a vase full of flowers;

"Where's my niece at?"