Happy started the oversized SUV, with Hill jumping into the front seat along side him, leaving Steve, Clint and Natasha to squeeze into the back. Clint laughingly said, 'Nat has to sit in the middle', as he climbed behind Happy. Steve letting her in first, then climbing in behind her. The trip was a short four hours, in which Steve learned some new things about Natasha. Only 30 minutes into the road trip, Natasha fell asleep leaning her head against Steve's shoulder, with Clint whispering, trying not to wake her.
"Every time we have a mission that involves driving, either she is trying to break a speed record or she is passed out for the whole trip." Clint tells him.
"Or she is trying to find music to listen to, playing with radio and driving at 100mph." Hill added, joining the conversation. Everyone laughing in hushed tones.
"Just because it looks like I am sleeping doesn't mean I cant still hear you." Natasha saying in a flat tone. "Clint, what about the car you totaled two weeks after having your license?" Natasha giving him a raised eye brow.
"Well someone would not talk to me. I had to break ice some way." Clint replied, "Plus, they should not just leave Tanks sitting in the parking lot for anyone to hit. Like, my donut skills are good... whenever there aren't Tanks in my way." Clint said, laughing, with everyone else giggling with him.
"Nat, how long did you go without talking to him?" Hill questioned.
"Like, three days. He wanted to be mister 'Bad Ass' bragging about bringing in the Russian spy. He was going to have to work harder to have me forgive him." Natasha reminiscing. "Plus, Coulson just lectured you about driving his car recklessly." Steve realizing that he didn't really know the whole story.
"I remember Phil telling me that you two were uncontainable, always fearing you two were going to be the reason he would lose his job." Hill following Natasha's thought process.
"We almost did, a time or two." Clint laughed.
"How old were you two when you met?" Happy asking, trying to get to know them a little better.
Natasha removing her head from Steve comfortable shoulder, thinking back, looking at Clint.
"I was 14 and Clint was 16." Natasha getting the nod in aggrieve from him. -WOW! He knew the basic story, Clint was sent out to kill her, because she got on SHIELD radar in a bad way, but they were just children. The car became quiet from the confirmation that, Clint and Natasha were, in fact, children soldiers.
"Who is up for a road trip game?" Clint asked, looking to Hill to decide what game they would play. Natasha putting her head back on Steve's shoulder as he placed his arm around her, giving her a firm squeeze. He then felt her body drift into a deep sleep.
Natasha awoke from the stopping of the car. Clint, Happy and Hill all exited the SUV at a gas station. Steve letting Natasha stay asleep on his shoulder with an arm wrapped around her. Sleepy green eyes look up at him as he places a chased kiss on her forehead, as they were alone.
"I didn't realized how young you were when Shield tried to kill you." Steve said.
"Clint saw to it, that would not happen, plus I gained a best friend and life I have enjoyed." Natasha saying, very quietly with a tone of happiness in her voice.
"I know and I am thankful for Clint and Coulson for bring you in, but I knew you had to endure terrible things at a young age, but I didn't know to what extent." Steve saying as he held her closer to him. "I realized that there is a lot of things we don't know about each other."
"Steve there is a lot of darkness that follows me, some of it I can't... things I have to push down to be able to carry it. I am not sure if you truly want to know it all, or if you could look at me the same after." Natasha telling him very quietly as she sits up, his arms still wrapped around her.
"I think we should talk more about this soon, and I want to be part of your life. You just have to let me in and carry the burden with you." Steve said ending the conservation, as their fellow companions neared the SUV to continue on the road.
"Look, Sleeping Beauty has joined us." Clint teasing her, tossing some pork rinds at Steve and gummy worms at Natasha.
"It won't be for long. Or does Happy want me to drive?" Natasha questioning, raising an eyebrow, looking at Happy in the rear view mirror.
In unison "NO!" Everyone said. Clearly no one wanting to be exposed to her racing skills, or victim. Then bursting out in laughter.
"Whatever. I would get us there faster." Natasha saying as she repositions herself against Steve's shoulder, before acting like she was asleep.
The drive would be short after this pit stop. Natasha closing her eyes, thinking of everything she would want to tell Steve. The first time she saw him, not on the haliocarrier, but when she was apart of the team that brought Steve body back to New York. Meeting Laura and how she felt in her heart, that this person was for Clint. Being there for each of the Barton's children's births, and how she loves being their Aunt Nat. How she loved James before... -or 'Bucky' to Steve.
But this would pain Steve, knowing she knew that Bucky was alive. Not only alive but that he was her first love. The pain that Steve would feel, but it would cause her pain having to relive the fact that one day her and James, they were kissing and wrapped into each other arms, and the next he was erased and frozen asleep. Natasha not seeing him again until he shot her. She could not live through the list of people she knew she killed or the list of people she potentially killed. Or the fact her first mission was to kill one of Shields agents, at the age of 9 she choose to take his eye rather than his life.
Her secrets have secrets.
She thought, as her list grew longer. She's a master assassin, this has been the way of her life when it was chosen for her since she was a young girl. Could Steve love her even knowing that he would have to live with the baggage she carried? She wants to bring him behind her walls, but that could leave her over-exposed and vulnerable. Deciding that when the time would come, she would open herself to him and give him only a small bit of a preview of her past and see how much more she could share with him. Pressing against him she nuzzled her face into his shoulder as she pushed away her thoughts and let sleep overtake her.
Steve felt the heaviness of sleep weighing on Natasha's small frame as she lend against him. Dear God, how I love this woman. He thought as he refrained from kissing her. He wants to know her better and wants to know what she had in mind for their relationship. Are they boyfriend and girlfriend? Are they a couple? Would she want to get married and have kids and the House? What is her end goal in her line of work? Does she want to retire soon? Could she let me inside, and allow me to help carry this darkness of her past?
Feeling overwhelmed, but in a good way. He would want to know these answers before they we publicly 'out there'. He did relish in the feeling of her against him, though. Soon, he thought. Soon enough.
The road changed from smooth asphalt to rough, bumpy dirt road. Even through the bounciness of the drive, Natasha stayed asleep. They drove almost an hour alone on the dirt road, if Natasha was awake to see, they were driving through heavy concealment of thick trees. Steve was in a little awe of the scenic route. He thought maybe, if everything worked out, he may even get to go on a hike and enjoy the wilderness that they drove through.
The road became gravel, as they approached a massive- Stark-like, log cabin. Happy placing the SUV in park, both heads in the front sit turned to look at the three in the back.
"So... how are we going to do this?" Hill asked.
"We walk in there and see how it goes." Natasha said, being the only to make a suggestion. with that, everyone took a deep breathe as they exited the SUV, taking their time to help Happy unload the suitcases before walking inside. Happy lead the way, maybe the first time in his whole entire life, while everyone else made a awkward line behind him. Hill as the second, then Clint and Natasha following in third and fourth with Steve at the end. Happy entered a pin code to open the door.
"Happy, is that you with the bags?" Yelled a voice from a distance, everyone recognizing it as Pepper. A sense of relieve was given, hearing her voice. There was no pain or hurt in her voice. The look on her face as she rounded the corner to see, Happy and four unexpected guests might as well killed her. Shock, anger, happiness and joy, flashed on her face very quickly as she took in everyone she was seeing in front of her.
"What are you all doing here?" She asked in a very quite tone.
"We knew you didn't die in the crash and thought you were kidnapped." Hill said, giving her a hug. Then whispering, "I freaked and needed help finding you. They know that your pregnant.", she said, releasing her to the rest of the group, her eyes wide with worry.
While hugging all of them, "I know there's been some disagreements, but I am still really glad to see you all." Pepper saying. "Lets go and see how Tony takes it?" Motioning them to follow her.
Everyone followed Pepper, remaining in their awkward line. Natasha waiting a step to walk alongside Steve, his fingers brushing lightly against the back of her hand. She feeling brave, grasped his hand giving it a hard squeeze, and looking him in the eyes. His icy blues filled with worry and fear of the outcome, Natasha giving him the- I got your back – look, as they entered a large living space that was a conjoined living room and kitchen, with floor to ceiling glass windows, that were tinted. The back of Tony Stark standing in the kitchen, making a something to eat. He turned, almost placing a chip in his mouth but putting it back down as he looked at everyone.
"Tony, they were worried that we had been kidnapped. They wanted to make sure we were safe." Pepper trying to catch him up, and answer why they were there.
"We are alive and safe. Clearly we will have to move sooner than we liked. Thanks for blowing our cover." Tony said in a very short, flat tone.
"Tony, you didn't honestly think that I would not investigate your death or the crash itself? I am chief of operations for you, I was worried there was a bigger play here then you two deciding you had enough." Hill's voice breaking as she spoke, clearly was sadden at the loss of both Tony and Pepper. Working for Stark industries was the only civilian job she had, and other then that she had always been a secret agent.
"Ms. Hill, to you and the rest of the world we are dead and there was no reason to investigate our deaths, simply all of this is an end to a chapter of mine. We are starting new." Tony saying in his flat tone.
"Tony, they were worried. It's nice having friends that will ensure we are safe." Pepper said trying to play nice between her boyfriend and their friends.
"We care Tony..." Natasha said, but Tony had enough, walking outside on to the patio, slamming the door behind him.
"That went... Like I imagined it would." Clint said.
"I got this." Steve said as he walked towards the patio where Tony was pacing. Walking outside Tony only looking up to confirm who he thought would come outside to talk to him. Always so predictable. Tony thought. Steve moving towards one of the rocking chairs and sat, waiting for Tony to speak. Steve knew that Tony hated the quiet and would speak first.
"All I wanted was to make our lives easier. Having someone else to choose when we go, not having us all going and going. I wanted to keep all of us alive and safe. The downfall of Shield and Clint getting shot, by the way Clint has a family, him playing super hero. tI would of cost his family to live without a husband and father, because I didn't try hard enough. I would have gotten him killed. All of us, I would have killed all of us. My greatest fear is that I didn't try hard enough or I gave up or that my ego got in the way. When I saw where these Accords landed Sam, Scott, Clint and Wanda, god- Wanda is just a kid. I was trying to protect us from ourselves. When I saw Rhodey struggling to walk again and us 'Avengers' torn into pieces, I thought, this was it, I am done, I will not be judged from 118 countries when they think we could have prevented someone's death, or destruction of a city, because once again we are protecting the world from the unknown truths from worlds we don't know of. Ross made the connection about our 'Disagreement' in Siberia, he gave me two options, turn over my suits and to only use them when 'ordered' too,- which I don't like it when someone takes my stuff, or go into hiding to start over." Tony stopping to take a breath. Steve remaining silent, knowing Tony had more to say.
"I had Happy make the arrangements to have this house and at least six others ready so Pepper and I can move without detection. Ross gave us new passports and lives to be able to start over. But we could not just leave mysteriously, because then people would go looking for us. But I had Vision help us fake our deaths. Too well, it seems. Obviously it sent you back to find me. So now what, you're here, you know my secret, where do we go from here?" Tony said, sitting in the rocking chair next to Steve, letting the words that have been said settle.
"Tony, I made a mistake by not trusting you and not telling you the truth. I hope we will move passed my deceitfulness. We were scared that we lost you before we could repair the damage done. If you had truly died alongside Pepper, we would have found the person that had caused your death. We would have mourned the lost of you two from our family. Tony, you may not see it, we may have not been the most agreeable family recently but we care very deeply for you and Pepper. Other than that, your fear that you kill the Avengers. I don't know what to tell you to that, other then I would stand toe to toe with fear and fight everyday. What I have seen so far is that you are doing just that. You make us better at every chance, and you have given us every opportunity to improve so no one dies. I just want my friend back, and to see you happy. Especially now that your going to be a father. Howard would be proud." Steve said, then quickly realizing that Tony wasn't aware of the fact that Pepper was pregnant. Tony eyes getting big, mouth hanging open, a pale color flushing his face and for a second Steve thought Tony was having a heart attack. "Tony, are you ok? Is your right arm feeling numb?" Steve asked.
Standing up and briskly walking across the patio into the log cabin. The remaining group standing around analyzing what Tony and Steve could be talking about when Tony, starting walking towards them. This cant be good, Natasha thought seeing Tony face and how Steve was chasing after him, with an guilty look on his face. Like that time he and Natasha were sparing and he accidently miss aimed his kick, nearly kicking her directly in the face rather then in the chest. Hill looking over at Natasha giving each other the look. Steve cant keep a secret.
Tony stopping a few feet away from Pepper. "I know I should of told you about the plan, before I placed you in danger, but is there anything you want to tell me?" Tony saying, his voice shaking.
"I was going to...I wanted to wait...I had just found out myself...I didn't think we were going to be in a helicopter crash..." Pepper said as her voice was quite. Everyone was getting a little excited for the exchange between the couple.
"Are you saying, that... You are... We are... Pregnant?" Tony asking, Pepper shaking her head variously, Whispering YES! As Tony picking her up in his arms and holding her close, only pulling away to lay a kiss on her lips. Everyone very happy with the end result of their arrival. Steve catching Natasha eyes, giving her a wide smile. Ease rushed through Natasha as she knew things were going to be ok.