A/N: Thanks for the reviews, they mean the world to me! I still need a Beta!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination and my OC's: Agt. Serena Atwell, Ed & Liz Odinson, and Dr. Lyle Hiddleston.
Chapter 6: An American Masquerade
Bruce POV
Tony pulled me aside in the hall and said,
"You gotta help me man!"
"With what?"
He looked around and lowered his voice,
"I'm going to propose to Pepper soon, I have the ring and everything. I just want it to be… You know…big."
"Big?"
"Yeah like a big event. Pepper told me ages ago when I asked her how she dreamed her engagement party and wedding would be like when she was little, and she said that she would always dream of a masquerade ball for her engagement party, like the masquerade ball scene from 'The Phantom of The Opera', which was the first live show she saw."
"And you want to throw a masquerade ball to propose to her?" I asked.
"Yeah!"
"Then what do you need my help with?"
"I need your help with these."
Tony pulled a stack of invitations from a backpack he was carrying and shoved them towards me.
"Can you deliver these?"
"Sure."
"Thanks, I owe you one ."
I looked up at him,
"Wait, you already told me about the whole proposal thing, you were going to do it on your three year anniversary. That was two weeks ago, why didn't you do it then?"
"I got nervous and she wasn't in a good mood… CEO stuff had her stressed out and all she wanted to do was sleep."
"When's the party?" I asked.
"Three weeks from today."
I did the math and my eyebrows shot up,
"That's Independence Day! We're throwing a masquerade ball on the 4th of July? Here?"
"That's the plan." He said before leaving me in the hall.
My phone started buzzing and I picked it up. It was Dr. Hiddleston.
"Hello?"
"Ah yes, hello, Dr. Banner? I was wondering if I may have a word with you."
"Um, certainly. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you could bring Natasha in for her checkup, It's been almost four weeks and I've been out of the country… family things. I can start running prenatal paternity tests whenever you bring her in."
"Why didn't you call Natasha?"
"I tried, but the number was out of service."
"Okay thank you Dr. Hiddleston, I'll bring her in whenever I can. Goodbye."
I hung up, sent the invitations to the post office with Happy, and went to find Natasha.
I searched everywhere until I got to the Garage level and walked over to slot 25.
She didn't hear me coming as she was washing her car, singing a song as she went about cleaning the hubcaps. I walked up behind her and cleared my throat. She stopped singing abruptly and sprang to her feet before yelping out,
"Bruce! How long were you standing there?"
"I just got here. Dr. Hiddleston called me up and said that you need to come in for another checkup and so that he can start running paternity tests on the baby."
"Oh! Let me just finish up here, change my clothes and grab some lunch and we'll be on our way!"
Then she got a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and squirt me with the hose.
"Oh no!" I grinned and took the bucket full of water and hoisted it up, preparing to dump it on her, "This is war now!"
I dumped the bucket on her as she sprayed me again. Then I noticed it. Natasha's tiny baby bump. I stopped and asked her in an soft voice,
"Natasha. How long have you had that?"
She glanced down.
"Oh that. Well I never really noticed it until now.", she patted the little bulge gently, "It's odd to think of myself and wonder if, let's say I decide to keep the kid, I would ever be a good mother."
"Natasha, I think you would make an amazing mother."
Natasha ran straight into my arms and curled right into my chest.
"Thank you."
"Natasha? I'm just curious about this, you don't have to give me an answer if this makes you feel uncomfortable or anything but are you going to carry the baby full term?"
She pulled away from me and faced the opposite direction, putting a hand on the hood of her car.
"I don't know yet. I'd like to know who the father is before I make any decisions."
This got me wondering. If the baby belonged to the Ripper, would she abort it? And if the baby was mine, would she keep it? I had always wanted to start a family and settle down, but not out of obligation. I'm not a selfish man, but it is true that I don't always get what I want and a family seemed like a lot to ask for; given my… condition. Would she choose whether an innocent child would have the chance to live or whether it would die because of its father? I had to know.
"Natasha, would you keep it if you found out that I was the father?" I questioned
She turned to me, a pained look in her eyes and worry creasing her beautiful face.
"Bruce…I can't answer that. Not right now. I have a lot weighing on my mind. I don't want to get an abortion because another agent I know got one and something went terribly wrong because now she's infertile. I know the statistics. Abortion, to me, is the equivalent of killing without reason."
She paused and wrung the water out of her hair before looking at me with remorse,
"I've killed children before, Bruce. I've shot them down because it was my job; because of a payoff and because they were the children of the wrong sort of people. I took their lives, and that is my biggest regret. They're the reason why my ledger is gushing red. It may be impossible for me to wipe out all that red, but I owe their souls this much. " She patted the small bump,
"I'll carry the child full term and give this kid a shot at life. Whether or not I'll raise it as my child is another thing."
I nodded and pushed a stray lock of my dripping hair off my forehead. I held out my hand to her and said,
"Come on, let's get changed and then we'll see the doctor."
She nodded and took my hand as we walked to the elevator.
"By the way," I added "You have a lovely singing voice."
She gasped and swatted my shoulder lightly as I smirked.
Natasha POV
I sat in the waiting room, flipping through an old copy of 'National Geographic' while my fingers drummed a steady staccato rhythm on the arm of my chair. Bruce was sitting next to me, reading an article in an old Cosmopolitan magazine. It must have been an odd sight to see because I could feel the stares of other patients burning a hole through my skull.
I wasn't very fond of coming to the doctor's office for the sole reason that I hated how they would always poke and prod you without question, just doing their job. There was something that made me feel better about coming to Dr. Hiddleston though, he actually cared about making his patients feel well cared for. He took the time to break the ice and his hands weren't always so unnaturally cold. He never asked uncomfortable questions about how my missions went, which of my scars came from what mission, or what I had to do to weasel information out of a target. He asked me normal things like what my favorite foods were and things like that.
SHIELD doctors never asked normal questions, they always had cold fingers, they never smiled and, to top it all off, they were the heart and soul of SHIELD's rumor mill. Thank God I have good friends like Pepper Potts and Tony Stark to make this ordeal bearable.
"Miss Romanoff?", Jennifer, Dr. Hiddleston's assistant, called out.
"Yes?" I replied.
"Dr. Hiddleston would like for you and Dr. Banner to come back now."
Bruce and I rose from our seats, putting the magazines aside and followed Jennifer into Dr. Hiddleston's office. Dr. Hiddleston rose from behind his desk and greeted us with a smile and he gestured to the chairs in front of his desk, inviting us to sit. Jennifer left, closing the door behind her.
"Ah, it's good to see you Agent Romanoff. How have you been feeling lately?" he smiled warmly.
"Emotional. I suppose that's all normal though?"
"It's very normal, just your body's way of handling your hormones. Have you been feeling nauseated? Any morning sickness?"
"Yes, it's beginning to wear off though. I've been keeping active and eating healthy. My boss has told me that I won't be sent out on any missions until one year after the baby has been born. I've decided to carry it full term." I explained as the doctor nodded.
"Yes, yes. Proper exercise and diet is good. Now, about the paternity test. Chorionic Villus Sampling, or CVS for short, is an invasive procedure on your part Agent Romanoff. I would recommend the transcervical method over the transabdominal method for simplicity's sake. The procedure is simple, all I need to do is take a sample of the placental tissue using a catheter. In order for us to determine who the father is and have the test be as accurate as possible, we will need a sample of DNA from the possible fathers."
"Well there are only two possible fathers, the problem is that I killed the one that raped me. Could you still run the test with only one sample from one possible father?" I asked.
Dr. Hiddleston nodded,
"Yes, in your case where only two men were involved, we can find the father. Just as long as we have the DNA of one possible father, we can rule out the other. Do you know who and where the other possible father is?" he asked me.
"Actually," Bruce spoke now, an slightly embarrassed look on his face, "I'm the other possible father."
Dr. Hiddleston asked,
"Dr. Banner, would you allow us to take a sample of your blood and saliva?"
"Of course. It's no problem."
"Good." He stood up and pulled on his lab coat,
"Would you please follow me, I'd like to take those samples now and get this test underway."
I was shown into an exam room and I changed into a hospital gown while Dr. Hiddleston took a sample of Bruce's blood and saliva in another room. Someone knocked on the door and I told them to come in. Dr. Hiddleston came in with Jennifer and Bruce.
"Now, Natasha, you will feel some discomfort, but there shouldn't be any pain. If you feel pain, let us know and we will stop. Okay?"
He glanced over at Bruce and said,
"You can stay in here, just sit with your back towards us and face Natasha, carry on a conversation if you must. It's best to have the patient distracted so she doesn't get anxious."
Bruce nodded and obeyed, holding my hand the entire time. We talked about Steve learning how to play Dance Central last night and how he had beaten half of us at it. The procedure was over before I knew it and Dr. Hiddleston had left with Jennifer and Bruce so I could change.
Bruce and I left for the tower, the results would take a while to get back because there wasn't any DNA from the other possible father. In the ride back to the tower, Bruce told me about Tony's plans to throw a masquerade ball on the Fourth of July so that he could propose to Pepper. He asked me if I would be his date and I said that I would. We parked in my slot and went up to the living area for dinner. It was Phil and Maria's night to cook dinner and they made the best shrimp stir fry I had ever eaten.
We all sat down and had a nice dinner. Tony told us about the masquerade ball and Pepper (oblivious to the fact that she would be proposed to on said occasion) practically squealed in delight at the thought of such a classy event without the press being present. We had to explain to Thor what a masquerade ball was, but he seemed to find the idea of dressing up in fancy clothes and wearing masks during a party to be 'worthy of Asgard', as Jane was thinking of cute little outfits to dress the twins in.
After dinner, we all sat down to watch a movie. It was Darcy's week to choose the movie and we ended up watching 'Lord of the Rings'. When Legolas the Elf was introduced, Tony said,
"Hey Clint, I found you!"
Clint just glared at Tony as everyone else laughed.
When the movie was over, Bruce walked me to my room and we sat out on the balcony, enjoying each other's company.
Bruce looked over at me and said,
"What's on your mind?"
"I was just thinking about the baby."
"Oh? Do you want to share your thoughts or shall I just guess?"
"No I'll share."
Bruce removed his glasses and swept his dark curls back, looking at me as I began to speak.
"Well, three and a half months ago, I would have never expected to be pregnant, but here I am."
Bruce looked out at New York City and sighed,
"I never would have imagined I would actually have a place to call home until last year when Tony invited me to live in the tower."
"Last year, I wouldn't have given this child a chance. It took what Loki said about me having a ledger that's gushing red to put an ounce of humanity in me. I guess I owe him that much, even if he did try to enslave humanity."
"I never would have thought that I would find someone to love." Bruce said, looking at me over the rims of his glasses.
I leaned over and curled up against his chest.
"Neither did I."
On the morning of the Fourth of July…
Bruce POV
We were in rush mode to do everything. The professional bartenders, waiters, waitresses, valets, and bouncers that Tony hired would be here any minute. We had eight hours until the first guests arrived at 6:00 PM, the velvet ropes had been set up and the red carpet had been rolled out for them. We all went out on the party deck carrying in 50 American flags total and hung them on 50 flagpoles that were spaced out on the railing of the party deck, overlooking the city.
We were finally done decorating for the ball when the staff showed up at noon; Jarvis kept an eye on things as we all went to our rooms to get ready for tonight. I showered, shaved and spent a ridiculous amount of time using a straightener and hair product to tame my messy curls. The end result was the best my hair had looked since Thor and Jane's wedding. I started to pull on my fancy tuxedo, it was black with red details. Tony had put down on the invitation to specifically dress in a tuxedo if you were a man and a ball gown if you were a woman. I grabbed my black eye mask and pulled it on, careful not to let the wire on it mess up my hair. I grabbed my phone and put it in my vest pocket before heading out at 5:30 to 'pick up' Natasha at her door.
When the elevator door slid open, It was crowded with Thor, Jane, Phil, Maria and Darcy. They all looked very nice in their outfits but I decided to take the stairs down to get Natasha instead of waiting for the next one.
I was halfway down Natasha's hallway when my phone started buzzing and I didn't feel like answering it so I let it go to my inbox. I knocked on Natasha's door and heard the rustling of fabric as the door opened.
My jaw has hit the floor a lot of times in my life, but that didn't stop it from dropping when Natasha came out in her ball gown. It was red with black details, quarter length sleeves and her mask matched mine. She wore the necklace I gave her for her birthday with the ruby and onyx earrings to match. Her red hair was how it normally looked, beautiful.
"Wow Bruce, you really outdid yourself." She looked me over as I held out my arm
"Natasha you look absolutely stunning." I said kissing her on the cheek.
She took my arm with one hand and pulled her door shut with the other. We walked down the hall to the elevator and rode up to what had been dubbed as the 'Ballroom'. When we got there, the place was packed with all the doors to the party deck opened and people were walking around in expensive clothes greeting their friends. We walked over to our fellow Avengers and began to talk when Jarvis came over the speakers and said,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Tony Stark would like to have your attention, he has an important announcement."
The people hushed and cleared the dance floor as Tony, dressed in a black tuxedo with a red and gold eye mask, grabbed a microphone and said,
"Thank you, Jarvis. I would like for my lovely girlfriend Pepper to join me on the floor."
Pepper walked across the empty floor in a ball gown and mask that matched Tony's and he closed the gap between them.
"Pepper has been there for me for almost thirteen years. First as my secretary, then as my girlfriend and the CEO of Stark Industries."
He paused as he held out a hand to Pepper who took it and blushed as he continued,
"She has been my reason to live, the love of my life, my better half and above all, the one person that could put up with my antics for all these years without strangling me."
He looked at Pepper before pulling a ring out of his pocket, getting down on one knee and asking,
"Virginia Pepper Potts, will you marry me?"
Pepper put a hand over her mouth before nodding .
"Yes."
Tony slipped the ring onto her finger and stood up to embrace her as the room erupted in cheers.
Natasha said,
"Aw, how romantic." As Clint who was standing on her other side said,
"I think this baby is turning you into a big softie."
Natasha glared at him,
"Watch it Clint, I may be pregnant, but that doesn't mean I couldn't kick your ass."
I laughed and said,
"You two are like a sister and a brother when you argue!"
Tony and Pepper came over and all the ladies crowded around to see her ring, and it was nice. Simple yet elegant, very like Pepper. Jane's ring was a silver band with an Asgardian diamond that glowed a different color to reflect the wearer's mood. Like a mood ring, only more accurate.
I got Natasha a glass of sparkling grape juice and I got myself a glass of champagne. We walked out on the party deck and enjoyed the night air. Then I remembered that I had a missed call.
I pulled out my phone and saw that Dr. Hiddleston had called and left a message telling me to come into his office with Natasha so he could tell us the results in person, unless we would rather hear him tell us over the phone or via Skype call. I told Natasha this and she said she would like to have him tell them over the phone. I asked her,
"What will you do if the kid is the Ripper's?"
"Probably put it up for adoption. I don't want to be a bad mom because I hated and killed it's father. The kid will deserve a happy home with a mom and a dad who are grateful to have them there. I don't want to have to tell the kid that their father was a psychotic mass-murderer who raped me and then tell them that their uncle Clint shot him in the back and that I slit his throat. They deserve a shot at a normal life."
I thought about this and asked,
"And if it's my baby?" in a low voice.
Natasha looked out over the city and said,
"If it's yours, then you and I will have to sit down and talk things over." She put a hand on mine and said,
"I would want to be the amazing mother you said I would be."
My stomach did a back flip as I realized that she wanted to have my child. But what if it was like me? What if the Hulk part of me carried over into the baby if it was mine? She wouldn't a child that would destroy buildings with one temper tantrum. She wouldn't love me for destroying her life.
Natasha sensed my anxiety and said,
"Bruce, I know that you'll be a great father. I will love you and your baby no matter what."
The Hulk roared from its cage in the back of my mind, reminding me that he was still there. Still a part of me…I'm still a monster.
"Would you love me if the baby had my…condition?" I asked.
She removed her mask and placed her petite hand on my cheek,
"Bruce, do you think I would be telling you that I loved you if I didn't mean it? I don't care if the baby is like you, if you're even the father. All that I know right now is that I wouldn't want to raise a baby with any other man than you."
I pulled her close and kissed her. I wanted to be that baby's father so badly. When we broke apart, she must've felt my emotion. She said,
"Come on, let's go in the elevator and call Dr. Hiddleston, we can sit on the roof when we get the news."
I nodded and we went to the elevator, pressing in the access code for the roof, praying there wasn't anyone up there. Thank goodness that there wasn't. I dialed Dr. Hiddleston's number, put the call on speakerphone and a little girl about the age of seven answered,
"Hello? Hiddleston residence, Nora speaking."
I couldn't help but smile as Natasha answered,
"Hello, this is Agent Natasha Romanoff. Is Dr. Lyle there?"
"Oh, hold on a second." They heard the little girl yell 'Daddy! Agent Romanoff is on the phone!' and Dr. Hiddleston reply, 'Thank you princess, mommy wants to tell you a bedtime story, I'll be up in just a minute.'
"Hello, Natasha?"
"Hello doctor, Bruce told me that the results had come in for the CVS test."
"And you want to know who the father is now?" He asked.
"Yes." Natasha replied as I held her close and we sat down on the roof, her dress pooling around her.
Here it was, the moment of truth. My entire future depended on this and I was scared, the Hulk was restless and wanted to be free.
"Well Natasha, the father is Dr. Bruce Banner. Congratulations Dr. Banner." He said.
I couldn't help it, I was overcome with emotion and I just took off my mask and laid down on the roof, looking up at the stars. Tears of joy began to flow and the stars blurred. Natasha ended the call and laid down next to me, curling up at my side.
"All my life, I've always wanted to have a happy family where I was loved. Do you think we can give the baby… Our baby, the happy family I was pulled away from?" she asked softly.
I nodded before replying,
"You remember in Calcutta, when I said I didn't always get what I wanted?"
She stood and offered me a hand up,
"Yes, I remember the conversation well."
I stood up and placed a hand on her baby bump, where our little child was thriving.
"I never thought I would be this lucky."
I said, gently pulling her into a kiss as the fireworks exploded in the background.
A/N: I lied, this was a long chapter, leave me a review, tell me what you thought! Reviews= love!
