"No no no no." Toni was pacing in her bathroom, staring at the pregnancy test as if it will change. But it the the sixth one. And yet is still unchanging. It's been weeks since her ordeal at the Gala and it's been two weeks since she missed her period, felt nauseous all the time. And now it was obvious as she looked at the six tests, all positive. Shes was pregnant and at the moment she can't think of the last time her and Steve had sex.
She knew she was going head first into an anxity attack but she wants to know who wouldn't in her situation. She leaned down the wall, her knees up to her chin as she attempted to get her breathing under control but the walls felt like they were closing in, talking to her. Calling her whore and should have fought better. Her hands went into her hair, gripping it so tightly. She wasn't sure when she started crying, sobbing into her knees. She was moments away from passing out from lack of oxygen from all the hyperventilating and sobbing when the door slammed open.
It was Steve who got notified from JARVIS that Toni was in the middle of a severe anxiety attack and needed help before she passed out. He kneeled down to her,touched her shoulder, making her jump,her breathing still not completely under control. "Steve...Oh God..." Steve frowned, holding her shoulders. "It's ok Toni, just calm down." She shook her head. 'No...I can't...I can't do this..." Steve held her close, cradling her head to his chest. "Yes you can. Listen to my breathing ok?" She clung to him, listening to his heartbeat, his breathing and she hated it how much it soothed her. This is not a time of calm, this is a time of panic. She was carrying that monsters baby. Once she calmed Steve spoke. " What happened?" Her eyes watered but she didn't move. She just spoke quietly. "Look at the sink." Steve looked confused before looking over at the sinks counter top, seeing the six positive pregnancy tests. He swallowed. "Oh." Toni glared, moving away. " Oh? All I fucking get is Oh? Do you understand what this means Steve? It means I'm carrying that monsters baby and I won't, I can't, I don't care how much you want me to cause the babies life is all Innocent-" "Toni calm down."
She stood, pacing. "No Steve! I will not calm down! I already have enough blood on my hands now I have to add a baby to that-" "Toni.." "Because of that monster, god I can't do this, I can't carry his baby-" Steve stood up in her rambling and pacing, grabbing a hold of her arms, keeping her still. "Toni! Stop for a moment and think ok?" She looked in his blue eyes, swallowing. "Think about what?" "Do you remember the last time we had sex?" She looked away, attempting to think but her head kept freezing up with panic. He smiled softly. "The night of the Gala." She looked at him surprised, feeling horrible for not remembering. He smiled softly, holding her close, petting his hands up and down her back, feeling her soft hair. "You were in the middle of getting ready, wearing nothing but your bra and panties with her hair put up in a bun for make up. You were in the middle of putting your pantyhose on, like a scene out of The graduate. I couldn't help myself." She swallowed down her hope, looking up at him. "So theres a chance it's...ours?" He smiled, cupping the side of her face. "A good chance. We can talk to Bruce, get a test done to find out for sure."
she nodded, feeling a little better. 'I'd like that." She frowned, looking away. "I'm sorry, we haven't had sex for weeks." Steve chuckled, kissing her head. "You don't have to apologize. Your going thru some shit right now. But when you think your ready I'l be here." She sighed, feeling calmer, listening to his heartbeat. "Lets go see Bruce."
Bruce sighed, cleaning his glasses. "I need supplies. We'l need an Ultrasound machine for starters. I can make a list." Toni nodded. "I can get you anything. Easily. You name it." Bruce smiled weakly before frowning. "You doing ok?" Toni smiled weakly. "Other then the i could-be-carrying-a-monsters-baby, fine." Bruce smiled, nodding. "I'm gonna have to agree with Steve, theres a strong chance it's his, especially with the super serum." Toni swallowed. "God I hope so." "Once we get the ultrasound we can see how far along you are, probably not more then two weeks right now and to do any prenatal tests it will have to wait at at least 14 weeks." Toni's eyes bugged out. "14 weeks? Thats nearly four months!" Bruce sighed. "Thats the earliest and safest time to extract cells to test. Any earlier and we risk miscarriage which can threaten not just your baby but you." Toni swallowed down her nerves. "I'l talk to Steve about this and get back to you."
Bruce nodded. "Of corse." Before Toni could stand up from the couch in Bruce's lab Bruce put a hand on her shoulder. "You know whatever happens and whatever you decide, were all here for you." Toni frowned. "I would think one person that would be against aborting it would be peaceful-everyone-should-get-along Bruce." Bruce smiled weakly. "normally but in a circumstance like this, if it is that monsters, I will personally be rid of it for you." Toni smiled, chuckling weakly, standing. "I like this protective side of you." Toni hugged him. He sighed, hugging her back. Toni smirked. "I bet Natasha would like it to." She chuckled when she saw Bruce blush up to his ears before leaving the hug to go to the kitchen.
She went to the stove, starting the tea kettle and getting a mug for hot cocoa. The others were in the adjoining living room, she could hear the walking dead on the TV. She walked in there, arms crossed. "Anybody want tea or something? I put on a pot of water." Clint spoke up. "Hot cocoa!" Natasha slapped that back of his head. Clint winced. "Please." Natasha smiled. "Very good. Hot cocoa sounds great Toni." Steve chuckled, getting up. "I'l help with it."
Toni walked back into the kitchen, suddenly feeling nervous with Steve in there with her. Steve spoke up, once he was close to her. "What did Bruce say?" She sighed. "He said that there is a way to test the paternity without waiting until the thing is born but we have to wait like three or so months before he can do that safely." Steve nodded. "And you are going to wait?" He placed a hand on her shoulder gently, going to rubbing her back. She shook her head. "I don't want to, I wish I could just get rid of it then start over with you that way we know for sure but I couldn't because there would be so many what ifs.." She felt herself rambling. Steve held both her shoulders, forcing her to face him. "Hey, I'm with you whatever you decide. But I think your right. There would be too many what ifs. Least this way we'l know for sure whats going on." She felt her eyes water. "Yeah."
So she waited and waited thru morning sickness, cravings and mood swings and Steve, sweet, apple pie Steve was so supportive thru it all. Finally the 14 weeks were up and during that time Bruce got all the equipment he needed. Once the cells were extracted and Toni had to wait. (luckily they had state of the art machines of her making, so waiting would only be a matter of hours)
She hated the waiting. Her and Steve were in her room and if not for him she would have already had about three anxiety attacks right about now. Her eyes were watery and red as she paced. "What if it's not yours?" Steve frowned. "Then we'l figure out what you want to do from there." "God how can you say that? What if this ends up being that monsters child? I don't want to carry it, it's not mine, it's not ours." Her breathing started getting faster, starting to mumble to herself. Steve got up from sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapping a free arm around her while his other hand held her face to look at him. "Hey, I can say that because it's not my body. I'm not pregnant, you are. You had something horrible happen to you and I wish i could have prevented that but it's still your body. If it is this monsters kid and you decide to keep it, then I'l be there. If you want to be rid of it, I'l be there to." Her lip trembled, a few tears falling. "God, your way too perfect." He smiled softly, kissing her head, wrapping his arms around her. "Only the best for my gal." She chuckled weakly. "I love you." "I Love you to."
There was a light knock on the bedroom door. Toni jumped, looking terrified. Steve gave her a quick hug before standing, going to the door. "Bruce, come in." Toni was shaking like a leaf. Bruce walked in, paper in his hands. Steve sighed, going over to Toni, wrapping an arm around her. "So Bruce, whats the verdict?" Bruce sighed, fixing his glasses. "The lab test showed that.." He paused, looking at Toni. He wasn't sure how to approach this. She looked terrified with every passing second. "The tests show that this is 100% Steve Rodgers DNA." Toni swallowed. "Wait...so..." Bruce smile weakly. "The baby belongs to Steve. " Toni wasn't sure what to make of it. She was sure, so sure this was gonna be that monsters kid and she would have had to get rid of it. This news totally spun her around. She wasn't even sure how to react. Her hands want to her belly, just barely a bump right now. "So this...we..." Steve chuckled, trying to not to grin like goof. He placed his hand over her hand. "This is ours." Bruce smiled. "It just happened at an inconvenient and terrifying time. I'l leave you two alone. Come see me when the news has sunk in." He left the room, leaving the couple to think.
Toni soon was smiling, tears falling. "Oh God...this...it's mine...and yours..." Steve smiled, grinning, kissing her cheek. "Yep." Toni suddenly sobered. "Oh God were gonna have a baby...how are we gonna do this? How am I gonna do this? I'm not ready, least I don't think. I mean, I still have company meetings, I'm still out there as Iron man, A lab is not safe for a child Steve! What if I turn into my father and neglect the poor thing or abuse it in some way. I can't do that Steve!" Steve chuckled, holding her arms. "We'l figure it out. We still have a while to go before this kid is here. Were in this together, ok?" Toni nodded, letting out a breath. "Lets go see Bruce, then maybe tell the others over dinner?" "Sounds like a plan."
Later that night Steve made sure they were all in the dining room for dinner, they have a family dinner about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Thou Toni was feeling terrified about the idea of being a parent, she couldn't help but be a little happy and excited to. It was a big pasta dinner with lots of red sauce and plenty of garlic rolls. At least 50 rolls for the sake of Thor who will eat at least 20 to 30 of them and still have room for more.
She was mixing the sauce when Steve came up behind her. She jumped, accidentally spattering sauce around, hitting Steve with some. Steve frowned. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." She let out a breath, calming down. "Sorry, I got sauce on your shirt." She shook her head. "It's been months since that monster and I'm still terrified at every corner." Steve brought his arms around her, being careful to not get any of the sauce from his shirt on to her. "Healing takes time. Maybe you won't jump at people being behind you eventually, maybe you'll never get rid of that and either way it's ok, you know that right?" "It's just stupid. I shouldn't be scared or terrified of him. Its just... He's still out there and almost everyone in New York knows where I live, he could very well march in here and..." She felt herself starting to shake. Steve took her hands, steadying them. "Hey, you live in a tower filled with super heroes who love you. Do you honestly think he would get very far if he tried anything?" Toni smiled weakly, calming down, imagining hulk swinging Jason around like a rag doll into walls. "Guess not."
Once everyone was seated..well best they could. Clint and Thor were busy using a few rolls as footballs, throwing it over the table, Natasha, intercepting a few of them and Bruce watching in amusement. Steve gave Toni a look. Toni smiled. "Good practice?" Steve sighed. "Children, stop!" Everyone stopped, looking different level's of scared or annoyed. Steve sighed. "Thank you. Me and Toni have some news we would like to say." Toni let out a breath. "I'm pregnant. I've been pregnant for a few months."
Clint was the first to speak. "Wait...a few months like what that monster did to you few months?" Toni frowned, looking away. "Yeah and trust me when I found out I thought the same. But as luck would have it, It's Steve's. I had to wait a little while for a paternity test. We didn't want to say anything until we knew what was going on. I'm terrified and happy and excited and terrified and I'm due around march 5th with Steve's baby." Natasha smiled, coming around the table. "congratulations. Your gonna be an amazing mother." Toni hugged her back. "Glad you think so." Everyone erupted in congratulations and words of encouragement. Thor held up his glass. "This is a time of celebration! Our Lady of Iron is with child!" Toni chucked as everyone clinked glasses together, eating happily and talking about what there gonna teach the new addition, how smart it will be, will it be like Steve? A tiny Tony? And who has dibs on babysitting. Which was a terrifying thought. At this moment, Toni couldn't feel happier. She was wrong. In the best way.
AN: So after all the great reviews and so many people asking to continue this, I am. I'm gonna continue this and hopefully people love it just as much.
