A/N: I'm baaaaaack! Hi, how the heck are ya? I must admit this is really a filler chapter but alas I haven't posted in a minute. Sooooooo….yeah. I also noticed this story has been going for a year now. The last time I posted made a year exactly. So yay! Kk. Happy reading.
Rhodes stared at his friend as he poured the brown contents into a glass. "Tony, it's early. Maybe you should get some real food in you and some sleep." Tony looked up at the man before raising an eyebrow.
"What are you, my mother?"
He opened his mouth to respond but Bruce walked back in the room, commanding attention. "How's the kid?"
Releasing a sigh, Bruce shrugged. "About as can be expected. I think he's in shock."
"Yeah, I would be too if someone just dropped the ball like that," Bucky mumbled.
Tony sent a glare towards him. "Look I said I was sorry. Jesus, what do you people want from me."
"I want a DNA sample from you."
All eyes turned to the door where Natahsa and Sam walked through. The Black Widow's eyes roamed around the room, landing on Tony, Steve and Bucky. "For what?"
"Did you learn anything?" Steve asked, getting straight to business.
Sam licked his lips before cracking a smile. "Oh, we learned a lot. The chick confirmed that the kid is hers-"
"We should still get a DNA test to be sure." Steve voiced.
"Yeah, yeah. She said Hydra wants the kid because I guess they are a tight knit family or some nonsense like that."
"I'm sorry, I don't see Hydra as the Brady bunch," Tony said while sipping his drink.
"Be that as it may. What she said next was more interesting. She said she believes SHIELD is after the kid because of who his father is."
"And who might that be?" Bruce asked but as the words left his mouth, the connection was made. "Oh."
Natasha smirked and nodded confirming what he was thinking. "Bingo, doc."
Rhodes looked between the two. "Am I missing something?"
The two looked at him in disbelief. "Think about it, the kid is fifteen." Just as the words escaped her mouth, a string of curse words followed. All eyes moved to Bucky who looked like a poor puppy taking it's first bath.
"That's right. She couldn't be sure who the father is but we have it narrowed down to at least three people. Natasha says four but I say three. So congratulations Steven Grant Rogers, James Buchanan Barnes, and Anthony Edward Stark. One of you has a kid."
Silence greeted them as they looked around at each other.
"It has to be Tony's," Bucky said, breaking the silence.
"Excuse me?" Tony walked around the counter towards him. "Why do you automatically assume he's mine?"
"Maybe because you are the one who sleeps around the most."
"Not anymore."
"Yeah but this would have been about fifteen years ago. You were still pretty active during that time, right?"
"First of all, I don't even know if we slept together. Second, he could very well be yours. Who knows how much fun you actually had while you were with Hydra." Bucky's eyes grew dark as he sent a glare towards the man but that didn't stop the billionaire. "You have to admit, he is channeling a little bit of you with the long hair."
"Hair. That's the best you can come up with. Hair."
"Enough," Bruce shouted, silencing everyone immediately. "They said three possibilities. You two and Steve."
Everyone looked at the blond man before Tony shook his head. "Nah. I don't see it. I definitely think the metal man here is the kid's father."
"You know, the simplest way to figure all this out would be a DNA test," Natasha announced as she looked between the two arguing men.
"Yeah. I will go and get a DNA Sample from the kid," Sam voiced as he started to make his way to the room but Friday's voice stopped him.
Boss my sensors are going off for the window in Mr. Parkers room. It appears he might be trying to break it.
Everyone exchanged glances before running down the hall towards the kids room. Tony reached it first. Grabbing the door knob, he forced it open only to find it locked. "Friday, unlock the door."
"Are we sure that's a good idea?" Steve voiced. "I mean the kid is probably freaked out enough as it is. Do you think it's wise for us all to go barging in there?"
"Steve's right," Bruce added. "The kid doesn't trust us. I know that for a fact."
"How?"
"He told me."
"He actually spoke to you?" Tony questioned with narrowed eyes.
Bruce nodded once. "Yes. He was quiet but I heard it."
"Friday, is the kid still in the room?" Steve questioned.
Yes.
"Hey kid, open up!" Tony shouted as he banged on the door. Bucky reached over and grabbed his wrist with his metal hand causing the other man to freeze.
"Do you really think scaring the kid is going to make him open the door?"
"Let go before you lose that arm again."
"Enough, both of you," Rhodes sighed. Looking at the door, he directed his voice to the ceiling. "Friday, is there any way the kid can leave?"
Not with the lockdown still in place.
"Alright, why don't we all just take a break for a second. We can revisit this later."
"What about the DNA test."
"We can get it later."
Everyone nodded but nobody moved. Steve decided to make the first move. He grabbed his friend and dragged him off to another room. Slowly one by one, the others dispersed. Rhodes looked at Tony who stood glaring at the door. He lifted a hand, no doubt to pound on it again but Rhodes grabbed his shoulder. "Relax Tones, the kid is going to come out sooner or later. Besides we need to talk."
Before Tony could protest he was being dragged away from the door and into another room where he was pushed onto a bed. Looking around he noticed it was his friends room. Lifting an eyebrow, he tilted his head to the side. "You do know I am a taken man right."
"Tony," Rhodes groaned as he pulled up a chair. "I need you to be serious for a moment."
Falling back on the bed, the former playboy stared at the ceiling. "What do you want?"
"What are you going to do?"
"What am I going to do about what?"
"Tony."
Silence.
"Would you stop sulking like a child, sit up and have a conversation like an adult?"
Tony slowly lifted his body into a sitting position only to be faced with a curious look from his friend. "I don't sulk."
Ignoring him, Rhodes continued his line of questioning. 'What are you going to do?"
"You mean if the kid is mine?"
"Yes."
"I don't know. I'm not exactly father material."
"You need to start thinking about that."
Tony shook his head as he glanced at the door, begging for someone to come and drag him away. "Why not just wait until we have the DNA results?"
"You still need to start."
"I don't even know if I-"
"If you slept with her. Yeah I heard you the first time. But the fact is you don't know. That means you could very well be this kid's father."
Tony opened his mouth but a knock at the door stopped him. Bruce walked in moments later showcasing a cotton swab. "Natasha is getting DNA from Miss Foster and the other two," he explained as he waved towards the door.
"Miss Foster, is that what we are calling her now?" Tony grumbled.
Bruce and Rhodes shared a glance as they heard the bitterness enter his voice. Choosing to let the Colonel deal with that, he walked forward until he was in front of his science bro. "Open."
Tony glared at the cotton swab. "The kid is not mine."
"Then this test will confirm it," Bruce said patiently. Huffing the man on the bed opened his mouth and allowed for his DNA to be taken. "Thank you. Now we just need to wait to get the DNA from Peter." Without another word, he left the two alone.
"I'm telling you, I don't think the kid is mine."
"We'll see."
Steve punched the punching bag with as much force as he could muster. It swung on the chain, arching high into the air before coming back towards him. Not allowing it to get any closer, he sent another punch.
"You're going to break it if you keep doing that," Bucky finally called out from his spot on the bench not far away. Steve glanced at him before sending another harsh jab to the heart of the punching bag. The metal chain creaked but held strong. "I mean it Steve. You're going to break it."
Ignoring the man, Steve once again punched the bag; it still held strong. "Are you going to say anything or are you going to continue to ignore me?"
Steve responded by sending a round of punches in quick succession. The chain creaked and groaned before Steve delivered his final punch. The metal broke with a snap sending the punching bag flying across the room where it hit the wall.
"Told you."
Steve looked at him from out of the corner of his eye before shaking his head. Instead, he looked at the punching bag with distrust. It's supposed to hold. As if reading his mind, Bucky spoke up. "You were using the wrong punching bag."
Instead of responding, Steve walked towards the corner of the room where the punching bags were located. As he reached down to pick up one that was designed for him, he froze. Coming to his full height he turned only to come face to face with his friend. "I'm not going to allow you to ignore me."
"I'm not. I'm trying to work out."
Bucky gave him a look before allowing a knowing smirk to grace his face. "So little Stevey is not a virgin."
Steve rolled his eyes as he tried to step around the other man but Bucky blocked his path. "Move, please."
"Not a chance. This is something that we must discuss."
"Why? There is nothing to discuss, we slept together once and that was the end of it."
"Steve I need more than that."
"No."
"How did it happen."
"Bucky, enough."
"Come on man."
"Fine, if you want to talk about it, let's talk about how you were kidnapped by Hydra, supposedly tortured yet you managed to have relations with someone." Bucky closed his mouth at that. He noticed the bitterness in his childhood friend's voice. "That's what I thought."
Steve brushed past his friend and headed towards the locker room. "I don't think they say 'relations' anymore," Bucky called out, stopping the other man in his tracks. Steve turned around and glared.
"That's the part you focused on."
"No, I just needed something to get you to turn around because I'm not having this conversation with your back."
The two stood in silence but it was interrupted when the door opened. Both men turned to see Natasha walk in. She took in the temperature of the room while looking between the men. "Am I interrupting?"
"No," Steve said quickly, leaving Bucky to raise his eyebrows. "What do you need?"
"DNA," she said as she held up two cotton swabs. "I already collected DNA from Vanessa and Bruce is getting DNA from Tony."
"Did you get it from the kid?"
"No, he's still locked in his room."
Both men nodded and allowed her to take their DNA. As she secured the swabs she looked between the two. "So if you don't mind me asking. What's the likelihood that either of you could be the father? I mean, you both said you dated her. How many times did you guys have sex?" Steve gave her a look. "Quit being an old man and answer the question."
"Once." Steve announced.
Both turned to Bucky who looked away. "Well?" Natasha asked.
The Winter Soldier sighed before shrugging. "I don't know. A lot."
"Well," Natasha said as he looked between the two men. "I'd say the odds are in Tony and Bucky's court."
Steve nodded. "Keep me updated. I'm going to hit the showers." With that he turned and left. Natasha looked after him. "Was it something I said?"
"No, he's pissed at me," Bucky admitted.
