Surprise! Here's a new update! ;D

Chapter 5

Instead of returning to his penthouse at Avengers Tower, Tony decided to go to his garage by Coney Island to lose himself in work. What he did not expect was for Pepper to be waiting for him in front of the building.

"Sullen gaze...staggered walk...I would say you were drinking again, but knowing you well enough to know that you're not that stupidly suicidal, this is definitely a walk of shame..." Tony's flinch was all the answer that Pepper needed. "Ok, what...or who...did you do while in Madripoor."

"Could we not do this now, Pep?" He begged and attempted to pass her to enter the garage.

"Not very likely." Pepper answered as she followed her long-time friend into his 'sanctuary'. As Tony made himself situated in front of a miniature engine, she made herself comfortable nearby. "You obviously had some form of traumatising experience while away, and it couldn't be something regarding that mission that you helped Steve with..." At the corresponding flinch that Tony made at Steve's name, Pepper immediately pieced everything together. "Oh my God...seriously?! You and Steve?!" She laughed, highly amused. "You couldn't wait two more months so that I could've cashed in?" At the scandalised look that Tony gave her, she snorted. "Oh come on, don't look surprised. Rhodey and I have been part of a betting pool with most of the Avengers for a few years as to when this would happen." She paused to pout. "I can't believe that Thor won, though." Tony paled at the thought that his closest friends were part of a betting pool over a developing relationship between him and Steve; worse yet, this was something that they had going for years and that Thor of all people was involved.

"So...how was it?"

"What?" Tony asked, completely blind-sided.

"Come on, Tony!" Pepper snickered. "You just slept with Steve Rogers! There has to be something you can tell me."

"Pepper..." Tony seethed, holding back on yelling at one of his closest friends. "Do you honestly expect me to go all bright-eyed and gossipy about a night with a man who's supposed to be in a committed relationship with a woman that he's known and worked with for years...a woman who's related to his first love!? I feel like a complete shit-bag for it!"

Pepper felt guilty for probing. "Tony," she started with concern. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to—"

"Pepper, please..." Tony begged. "I really feel like crap for what I did and really can't stomach talking about it." Pepper felt her heart break for Tony, knowing how much he deeply cared for Steve. "Please, just leave me alone."

Not wanting to upset Tony anymore than she already had, Pepper briefly gave Tony a sympathetic hug before leaving him alone in the garage.

It's been three weeks since Pepper visited him, and Tony felt like crap. Not for how their last conversation went, but sentiments of illness that just didn't feel right...

There was a strange ache to his chess...he felt exhausted (even more so than during one of his inventing benders) and he felt nauseous every day. What had him puzzled about the sudden illness was that, between Extremis (although it's basically obsolete) and Bleeding Edge are within his blood stream, this should not be happening... Feeling a wave nausea ready to hit again, Tony barely made it to the bathroom on time.

"Ho, Friend Stark!" Tony cringed at the booming voice of Thor's. 'Shit! I forgot he was passing by tonight!' Tony thought as his forehead rested against the cool porcelain of the toilet. "Art thou prepared to learn how an Asgardian fares in combat?" The boisterous question had Tony cringe over the volume of the Agardian's voice, as well as ponders why Thor insisted that Tony learn how to fight from the large man when he was already trained by Steve, one of the best hand-to-hand fighter's on the team. Something in his stomach shifted, causing Tony to throw up again. "By Odin's Beard!" Thor cried out as he reached by Tony's side, swept the smaller male into his arms and proceeded to fly out of the building. "I shall take thee to Dr. McCoy for assistance!" Tony mumbled to Thor to take him to Reed instead, but Thor shook his head. "Although Dr. Richards' is an excellent doctor in his field of expertise, Stark," Thor kept his voice low, as to not disturb his sick friend. "But Dr. McCoy is much more knowledgeable in taking care of thy needs." He landed at Avengers Tower, promptly navigating his way towards Beast's lab. "Dr. McCoy!" Thor called out, then whispered an apology to Tony when he realised he just yelled in Tony's ear.

When Beast finally stepped out of his lab to check the commotion, he was surprised to see the condition that Tony was in. "Bring Tony over here quickly, Thor." He said in a calm voice, not that he was calm himself, but to soothe the unsteadiness radiating from Thor. He directed Thor to set Tony down on one of the vacant tables and immediately started to check Tony's temperature, take several blood samples and review all his vitals.

By the second hour of checking Tony's health, Thor was beginning to feel impatient; as he was about to question Beast about Tony, Beast exclaimed: "Oh my Stars and Garters!"

"What is it?" Thor asked.

"Oh God, there's something wrong with me!" Tony freaked, still woozy from before.

"Well, I wouldn't say there's something wrong..." Beast started to say. "And I wouldn't say that there's anything completely wrong with you either, Tony."

"Not completely wrong?!" Tony was on a verge of a panic attack. "Then what is it?"

"Congratulations, old friend." Beast stated, gauging Tony's upcoming reaction. "You're pregnant." Tony proceeded to laugh; Thor gave him an unsteady smile, not sure if this was a joke or if Tony was having a breakdown. "Laugh all you want, Tony." Beast said as he handed his results to Tony who promptly stopped laughing once he say that, yes, he was pregnant. "Doesn't change the fact that you have a little bun in the oven for the last three weeks."

"Oh God," Tony was ready to freak out again. He was trying to figure out how he was going to tell Steve, when he heard Thor ask, "Is the Good Captain the father?"

Tony was embarrassed. "You just muttered how you were going to tell Steve, Tony." Beast answered. "Sorry, Boyo, but it's next to impossible to mutter things to yourself when you have people, or in our case an Asgardian and a mutant, with advanced hearing."

He continued to stare at the results. Seeing something off, he asked, "What is with this reading? This isn't normal..."

"I thought so too." Beast said. "I had to cross-reference this with our databases and it pinpointed Asgardian magic."

"Dost ye mention Asgardian magic?" Thor asked. When Beast gave him an enquiring look and Tony glared, Thor decided to ask, "Stark, when thou hast requested the All Father for assistance when ye helped during the Fall of Asgard, what hast my father done?"

Tony paused for a moment, remembering that day with the trolls and his arrangement with Odin. "I... he imbued the trolls weapons with his magic and I made a deal with him to do the same to my armour, while I was still wearing it." The odd look from Thor made Tony worried. "Thor, what did your father do to me?"

"Stark," Thor started slowly. "Odin is not skilled to use magic such a manner. Whatever was used that day had to be infused with my mother's magic."

At the confused look that Tony was giving Thor, Beast decided to step into the conversation. "Tony, what do you remember learning in school about Norse Mythology and Frigga?" Considering the blank expression Tony gave (probably trying to piece together what he was told) Beast continued. "Tony, Frigga was considered the Goddess of Love, Marriage and Fertility..." Tony's eyes grew large as everything went into place, especially after hearing the word fertility. "Her magic seemed to have saturated into your amour, then passed into your blood stream. When you and Steve… well — you were there — something between you two must have sparked to activate Frigga's magic to — Tony!"

Before Beast could finish his explanation, Tony fainted.

Be proud of me, this is the fastest update I've ever for this story!

Reviews and constructive criticisms would be much appreciated. ;)