A/N: Hey guys! Quick update this morning because I'm currently on the road. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, Disney, or the Avengers.
It had been three weeks, and Bucky had opened up in a way no one saw coming. He was openly flirting with just about every woman he passed, but knew that Pepper, Jane and myself were off limits. However, a certain snarky brunette we had dubbed the Scientist wrangler, managed to make him a lovesick fool. When he wasn't working out, he was trying to woo her. It was hilarious for the rest of us to watch as Darcy, who had heard about his womanizing ways, turn him down again and again. Until I put in a good word for him, it was water off her back. And then it was if the whole tower was dubbed "Darcy and Bucky's make out spot." Nowhere was safe, except our floor.
"Stark," Dr. Fisher said from the gallery intercom, breaking me from my concentration on my patient.
"I'm knuckle deep in this patient's brain; not a good time." I said, not caring if it was snarky.
"When you're done, find me. It's important." He said sounding strained.
"Yes sir," I said, going back to removing the tumor. It was a good outcome as the patient was wheeled to the Neuro ICU to be monitored and I scrubbed out; I put my notes on the chart and headed to Dr. Fisher's office.
"You wanted to see me sir?" I asked, noticing a familiar head of blonde hair.
"Mia," Steve said, confusing me. Why was he here in his uniform?
"Steve, what's going on?" I asked, wondering why he seemed tense.
"Mia, we got a tip about a Hydra base. So we pursued it, not realizing it could have been a trap. Tony got caught in the crossfire," He said, confusing me again.
"Okay?" I said. He'd be a bit sore, but he's always had a lip about it.
"Without his suit." Steve said and my world came crashing down for the second time in my life. I realized I was passing out, as strong arms caught me and the world went black.
"Tony," I mumbled, waking up. I had been unconscious, but knew the reason I passed out.
"Could you please tell me why I'm in my office?" I asked, seeing Gwen talking lowly with Sam.
"Tony is in surgery."
"So he's alive at least. Steve made a melodramatic reveal and made it seem like he was killed in battle." I said, keeping myself calm. For the umpteenth time, Tony was balancing on the edge of a knife regarding living or dying. The first two times were enough, but New York sent me over the edge. I refused to talk to him for 3 months.
Now I would strangle him myself.
"Pepper?"
"On a flight back from DC." Sam said, gauging my emotional stability.
"I'm not gonna have an episode. Stop looking at me like I'm Mt. Vesuvias."
"It's understandable if you did." He said, using his counseling talk.
"No shrink talk. I'm fine." I said, wrinkling my nose in frustration.
"He's out," Steve said, before noticing I was awake.
"Mia, how are you feeling?"
"Good, I just want to see Tony." I said, standing slowly.
"Won't you rest a bit more? You're looking dead on your feet." Gwen said, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"No, I need to see him."
"Okay," Steve said, not bothering to argue with me.
"Who'd you leave Athena with?" I asked, wondering where my dog was.
"DUMMY 1 and 2 are there if she barks for anything." He said, taking my arm and leading me down the halls.
"Tell me what happened." I said, wanting to know for when Pepper showed up.
"I should have realized it was a trap. They were trying to get Bucky back, too bad he has a new mission. Killing Hydra to atone for his sins," Steve smiled wryly, "And to fulfill your death list."
I had to smirk at that.
"They hid from Tony's equipment, the building looked empty, and when he took off his suit to go help Clint in the jet, they came out of nowhere. Tony couldn't get back fast enough, or get cover. I was closest, and called everyone back into the jet. Even if they were Hydra, I couldn't risk anyone else, so we flew straight here. He was shot in his left shoulder, thigh and arm. We couldn't tell how bad, because Bruce wasn't there, so we held pressure, and made him stay conscious."
"Good," I said, smiling up at him. If they weren't life threatening, I could breathe a bit.
The room was in the ICU. Dr. Ross was waiting for me. She explained the surgery, while a few interns and residents stood outside.
"Had the bullet to his shoulder, been any closer, it could have nicked his subclavian artery, and he wouldn't have stood a chance. He's lucky, and you need to remind him of that when he wakes up."
"Thank you Dr. Ross." I said, before turning to look at Tony. He was hooked up to the usual monitors and machines, but I watched as his chest, sans the arc reactor, rose and fell gently. I was going to wring him out before Pepper could get her hands on him.
Steve took a seat in the corner, as Sam and Gwen went to take a walk. The rest of the Avengers had gone to the tower to change out of their uniforms, and Steve mentioned Bucky got the guy that shot Tony before Steve had to haul him back to the jet by his collar.
"Remind me to bake him a very big pie." I said softly.
"And you," I said, looking him over.
"Not a chance, but please," He said, spreading his arms so I could check for injuries.
"Not here," I winked; I could see a few nurses watching.
"The whole hospital knows. They saw me here with you and Athena, and then I came in today without my helmet on."
"Trying to keep your identity a secret, and you aren't doing a great job," I chuckled, as Tony stirred.
"Whazzzit?" He mumbled, looking at me.
"When the anesthesia wears off, I'm going to kill you." I said calmly. Steve sat up straighter at this, and Tony's eyes bugged.
"I got shot again, I didn't fly into a wormhole."
"You left your suit you asshole. Grade one mistake." I said, eyeing him again.
"I should have trusted that Hydra would pull something dirty."
"From now on, you keep yourself in that suit. Unless it's slowly killing you," I said giving him the evil eye, "Then get the fuck out of it."
"You have ridiculously good eyesight to be able to pick that up palladium poisoning over a video chat," he huffed.
"I knew before you did!" I growled.
"Lucky guess," He grumbled.
"Guys," Steve said, noticing I was about to explode, "We're getting out of hand. Tony, what should you say to your sister? You know it made her pass out when I told her."
"That I had non life threatening injuries?" Tony snorted in laughter.
"No, because the moment I told her you were shot while out of the suit, she just about hit the corner of a desk as she dropped. Sam and Gwen told her when she woke up."
"Drama queen," Tony said, slowly grabbing my hand.
"Moron," I said, smiling at him.
"How many times have I almost died?" He asked rhetorically, but I answered, "As far as I know, 10."
"I had 8," he said confused.
"Happy counts New Years in Berlin 1999, and the birthday party from Hell," I said, as he remembered yet another thing I had clued onto.
"We don't mention Seattle," I huffed sarcastically at his hard stare.
"Never. Pepper still doesn't know what happened." He said, as the beautiful red head ran into the room and started weeping.
"God how many times do I have to hear that you've been hurt, huh? I can't have you parading around as a superhero if you're going to be a dumbass and leave your ONLY form of PROTECTION! I can't believe you would do this to me now," She said, dropping into a chair and sobbing.
"Pep," I said, hugging her shoulders.
"What do you mean now? I'm me. I do stupid things without thinking all the time." He said confused. Pepper stopped crying and looked up at him in shock.
"I needed you Tony. I um- Mia could you guys step outside," She asked, tears still pouring down her face.
"Sure thing Pep," I said, squeezing her one last time. Steve and I left the room, sliding the door shut behind us. I immediately wrapped my arms around his torso, and sighed.
"10 times?" He asked, making me giggle for a second. I watched as Pepper told Tony something and he started hyperventilating, crying and looking ready to turn into the Hulk. Oh how I was thankful he was only Iron Man.
"Something's wrong." I whispered, as Tony and Pepper started crying together, Pepper carefully crawling onto the bed so Tony could hold her. His hand went to her lower abdomen and I felt my own tears rise up.
"Miscarriage," I sobbed.
"What? How do you know?" He asked, letting go to look.
"I know because I had the same look." I said, before turning and walking down the hallway, oblivious to everything around me. I walked aimlessly, remembering with clarity, every hit, and every symptom afterwards that told me something was wrong. Bolting to the nearest staff room, I raced to the bathroom, and managed to find a toilet in time to heave my stomach.
"Mia?" Gwen asked from outside the door.
"I'm fine." I said, sobbing. Within moments, she had picked the lock on the door, and gathered my hair up, as another wave came up my throat.
Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional, or F.I.N.E was our code word.
"Breathe," She said, as I sucked in a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
"I haven't told him. I mean I just did, but I haven't told him about the other reason Connor is in jail." I said, as I got up to rinse my mouth.
"Now's a good a time as any." She said.
"The reason I accidentally blurted it out was because Pepper had one. It hasn't been long by the way she's crying." I said, as my pager went off. Someone needed a Neuro consult in ER.
"Go, I'll tell Steve." She said, knowing we couldn't always have our personal days. We revolved around the hospital.