Here's the next part! Enjoy! Just so you know, she has a broken wrist and a broken leg- I just wanted to clarify that. I realized that it might not have been clear.
The pizza was soon done baking and Steve pulled it out of the oven. Natasha examined it critically and frowned.
"Wasn't it going to be a pepperoni pizza?" she asked. Steve slapped his forehead. "You seriously didn't forget to add the pepperoni! That's the whole reason why we made this."
"I'm sorry, Natasha!" he said. "I completely forgot to put them on. I could add them and put more cheese on, and melt the cheese and the pepperoni in the microwave." Natasha considered this, her head tilted to the side.
"That sounds good. Start working and I'll print the decorations. I'll also invite the other Avengers, and Maria." Natasha replied. Steve began to lay the pepperoni on the pizza and looked at his friend. She looked tired.
"I can do it." he offered. "Put your legs up and relax." Natasha shook her head.
"I'm alright, Steve. I'll get used to it." she snagged the iPad and put it in a navy blue backpack. She slung it on her shoulders and grabbed her crutches. which were leaning against the counter. Steve admired her persistence. Even with a broken leg, some broken ribs, and a punctured lung, she still carried on, almost normally.
"I'll have the pizza ready by the time you get back. Tell Thor to bring Cheetos down, okay?"
Natasha came back ten minutes later with Clint, Thor, and Bruce following her. Clint had the navy blue backpack on his shoulders, and by the look Natasha was giving him, she wasn't very pleased by that fact. Steve was ready with the freshly baked pizza.
"Why didn't you tell us that you were making a pepperoni pizza?" Clint whined. "We would have helped. Maybe then the pepperoni would have made it on quicker." Steve shot a questioning look at Natasha, who had the sense to look embarrassed.
"We thought that we would surprise all of you." she replied. She held out her hand for the backpack and Clint gave it to her. "I printed some decorations and we're all set to go. Steve, there's a pizza platter in the lower right hand corner, far side." she unzipped the bag and pulled out a roll of paper. She tossed it to Bruce, who looked surprised.
"What is this for, Natasha?" he asked.
"Pepper and Tony's anniversary is coming up soon. We're holding party." she explained. Steve busied himself with the pizza. He slid it off the counter and onto the platter. He held it up like a waiter and grinned.
"We're all set, guys. Let's go to the common floor and surprise them." he said.
They made it down to the common floor just in time to intercept the couple as they returned from their night out. Pepper almost jumped out of her skin, and Tony looked extremely surprised at what they had done.
"We just had dinner, guys..." he protested. "Besides, it's pepperoni pizza. I'm not going to eat our relationship. There's no way that I'm going to eat that." Clint snorted. Steve couldn't help but laugh. Tony was interesting. Natasha leaned against the wall, watching the proceedings.
"It was Tasha's idea." Steve announced.
"Way to throw her under the bus, Rogers." Bruce said jokingly. "I thought you were friends. I guess not, since you clearly just gave her to the wrath of pepperoni." Steve looked over at Natasha, who hadn't said anything.
"Excuse me for a minute." she said politely, and stepped back onto the elevator. The others shrugged, although Bruce did look slightly concerned for his friend. Steve frowned at the closed door and made to board the elevator.
"Leave her alone." Pepper said softly. "She needs some time." Steve swallowed, but he stepped back and joined the party. Contrary to his claims, Tony was digging into the pizza, and half the slices were gone.
Later that night, Natasha came down to Steve's floor before he turned the light out. For a moment, they just stood staring at each other. Then he motioned for her to sit on one of the armchairs and he, too, sat.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." she replied. "I wanted to thank you. For saving me back there. You shouldn't have." Steve frowned at her.
"Natasha, I would never leave you behind. Like it or not, you're part of the team. If we leave, you leave. I would never have left you there." he said firmly. "I would be just like them if I did that. I have no desire to be like that. I would save anyone from being like that. From doing those things."
"What if it was too late, Steve?" she asked softly. "What if I attack one of you? If I have a flashback like with Wanda and I try and kill one of you? I'm a liability now."
"You are not a liability. You are just the same as before. Barton told me you had nightmares before. How can this be any different?" Steve insisted.
"How is it different? Every time I walk into a room I have to look for things that will set me off. Every time I have a conversation I have to try not to get set off by something they say. When I go to sleep, I lock my door, because I don't want to wake up and start killing any of you. You have no idea." Natasha replied, her voice shaky. "But I don't want to be like that. It's like there's something inside of me, like Bruce, except instead of the bad guy being smothered, it's the humane part of me that can't breathe."
"You are nothing like the Hulk."
"Listen, forget it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I don't want anyone to worry about me. I just came to ask you for some medical tape." Natasha said, standing back up. Steve went and got it. She took it and gave him a weak smile.
"Have you called Maria Hill? I think she'd go out with you, Steve. Take the chances that life gives you." she said, and left. Steve stood there in the middle of the room, his mind reeling with what he had just learned.
Sorry it took so long- some relatives are visiting and I was a little stumped. Review please!