"I know it's not much, but it's the best we could do on such short notice." Pepper quickly straightened out the covers on the bed she'd prepared for James, glancing sadly at the make shift pajamas he was wearing. An old shirt and pair of shorts from the boys "hopefully we'll be able to get you some better clothes soon."
"It's okay," James said with a shrug "I don't mind. Besides," hopped into bed, bouncing softly after he landed "This bed is huge. You could fit three of my old one in here."
Pepper smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Anyway, it's been a long day. Try to get some sleep okay?"
"Okay. Goodnight Pepper," said James as he got himself into bed.
Pepper looked at James in the bed, his pale blue eyes completely void of fear or worry. "Goodnight." Pepper turned off the light and headed into the living room, where Tony was waiting with a glass of wine. "How's he holding up?"
Pepper sighed. "Surprisingly well. Guess he feels pretty at home here."
"Well the point of Avengers Tower was to give all the Avengers a place to crash in case they ever needed it."
"And Natasha certainty does a lot of traveling," Pepper took a long sip of wine "God, I just can't believe it. That little boy is Natasha's son?"
"Got to admit. I did not see that coming," Tony paused as he took the time to refill his glass with scotch "Do you think it was good idea?"
"What?"
"Telling Natasha about James," Tony explained.
"Tony, she's his mother," Pepper emphasized. "besides, James wants to see her. He needs someone to watch him while I'm off on meetings and you're stuck in the lab with Bruce."
"We got JARVIS," Tony offered, receiving a glare from Pepper in return "I'm just saying, I don't want to be the one to set the kid up for a heartbreak."
Pepper's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Pepper, this kid is from 12 years in the future," Tony reminded "How do we know that the Natasha he knows is same one that we know? What if they are and that's not a good thing?" he went on "What if Natasha goes on missions for days, weeks, maybe months at a time, and doesn't eve nbother to check in on her kid? Pep you gotta admit, Natasha isn't exactly the most motherly woman on the planet."
Tony had a point, Natasha had been with the Avengers for awhile now, and sometimes Pepper felt like she was just starting to let her guard down around them. "I guess," we'll just have to wait and see.
Tony sighed. "I guess so."
Natasha arrived at the Tower late that night. She had been Switzerland when Tony had called. Since then, she hadn't been able to focus on much else but getting back to New York. To him.
She was a mother. Or at least, she would be, someday. Natasha could handle aliens, gods, magic and HYDRA any day of the week, but the very thought of becoming a parent made her head spin. It went against everything she knew about herself. But Tony had sent her the DNA results. There was no denying it.
Natasha walked toward her room and paused when she noticed the faintest movement coming from one of the guest rooms. Queitly, she walked over to the door and peeked inside. And there he was.
His hair was the same color as hers, bright red like fire. His nose was the same shape as hers, his skin just as fair. Natasha could feel here heart beating at a million miles and hour. As he murmured and began to stir in his sleep, Natasha jumped, fearful that she had been spotted. She ducked behind the door and when she was certain that she hadn't been seen, turned around and headed straight to her room.
James slowly brought his head up from his pillow, his drowsy eyes doing their best to focus on the door in front of them. "Mom?"