"Mама?" Pip called as she entered her parents office. She was aware she was intruding but it was so difficult to find her mother on her own these days.
"Да, любовь моя?" Natasha replied absentmindedly, not looking up. Pip wrung her hands and shifted from foot to foot, suddenly regretting her decision.
"Can I… can I go to school?" She said in a rush. Natasha's head shot up.
"You want to go to school?" She asked, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Yeah. "Phillipa looked down, ashamed, and scuffed her shoe on the carpet. "I want to meet other kids and be normal- just a bit. And I won't tell anyone who I am, it can be like a deep cover mission." There was so much pleading in her eyes that Natasha didn't have the heart to deny her. After all, she realised with a jolt, Phillipa would be at the age to start middle school this summer.
"I'll talk to your dad and the team but I don't see why not." Natasha admitted though she wanted nothing more than to keep Pip home in the tower where she was never too far from a superhero.
"What's school like?" Natasha asked quietly at breakfast the next morning once the kids had run off to the lab Tony built them.
"What do you mean 'what's school like?'!" Tony exclaimed. "School is thirteen years of pointless education with a bit of bullying thrown in, everybody knows that."
"I didn't get to go to school, Tony." Natasha snapped. "And neither did Clint."
"I too, have never attended school." Thor added.
"Half of Earth's Mightiest Heroes aren't ever educated. How about that." Tony said in wonder and Steve kicked him under the table.
"Public or private school." Pepper asked. "Tony and I went to private but Bruce and Steve were public."
"I don't know." Natasha said, glancing at Clint. "Phillipa wants to go to Middle School and we said she could but we want to know what we're getting into."
"She'll get better grades in a private school." Steve pointed out.
"Does it matter?" Tony retorted. "We have living proof right here that you don't even need to go to kindergarden to get a job at S.H.I. ."
"Tony…" Pepper said warningly before turning to Natasha. "Well it would do Max good to go to Middle School too. I went to Kelman and it was great. What about there?"
The assassin appeared to have a short staring contest which was in fact a detailed debate. Suddenly Clint jumped up. "First one to the basement picks the car!" He called before dashing up the stairs to change. Natasha ran after him.
"Hey! They're my cars!" Tony yelled but they were out of earshot.
"Do they have a mission?" Thor asked, confused by the abrupt change in character.
"I would guess they're off to inspect Kelman Middle School for bombs and suspicious teachers." Steve told him as he drained his coffee.
"And interrogate the pupils." Bruce muttered.
"Death threats for no apparent reason." Tony added.
"Poor Mr Morrison. Pepper sighed. Natasha will give him a heart attack." There was the roar of an engine as a sleek black car raced out the garage.
"I'm guessing Natasha won then?" Tony asked JARVIS.
"You are correct, sir."JARVIS replied.
"Why the Bugatti? Why?" Tony lamented. "What kind of cover is rich enough for a Bugatti Veyron."