Steve stopped the car and walked around to help Peggy out, "Too late." she grunted pulling herself up.

"Peggy," Steve chastised her, 'Stop trying to do everything by yourself. You're 6 and a half months pregnant."

"I'm not crippled!" She grabbed the bag out of the car.

Steve took the he bag from her and pointed to her prosthetic leg, "Actually, you are!"

She rolled her eyes and walked up the Bartons front lawn, "You know what I mean. I'm following the doctor's orders and she said I'm perfectly fine."

"She said you'd be perfectly fine if you avoided stress." Steve corrected, "Which you haven't been doing."

Peggy stopped when she was on the porch, "Alright, can we stop fighting? The were nice enough to let us stay, let's not bring this into their home."

"I love you." Steve said to bury the conversation. He was worrying too much, and to be honest she was worrying too little, "But you're going to give me a heart attack if you don't take it easy."

"I'm trying." she assured, "I really am trying."

He gave her a look of disbelief, "Yeah yeah."

A few moments later Laura opened the door, "You're here!" she greeted and held the door wide open for both of them to walk in. "The kids are at school so we're home free for the time being."

"Except for the Tiny Agent." Steve pointed over to Nathan who was getting his lunch in a high chair. It looked like cereal but most of it was on the floor and his tray. Nathan slapped the tray excited to see Steve, in the process he flipped his spoon off and onto the ground. Steve walked over and picked it up, wiping the mouth of spoon on the underside of his shirt. "There you go."

"How was the drive?" Laura closed the door, "I could never ride in a car for very long without getting sick."

Peggy thought about it, "It wasn't that bad, movement doesn't make me sick it's still just food but even that has gotten better." She subconsciously rubbed her belly where one of the twins was kicking. "Thank you for letting us stay here. You invite us over too often, you must never have any time to yourself."

"It's no problem." Laura assured, "Everyone lives at everyone else's place anyway. I like the company."

"Clint's on duty right?"

Laura nodded, "He should be coming home tomorrow. Last time I heard from him they were just doing check in's different places, but that was 3 days ago." She shrugged, "Make yourself at home."

Peggy had already made her way to the couch, but hesitated when she knew that there was going to be an important decision to be made. Once she sat down she wasn't going to get up for a while. She settled on sitting so she could lean on her right side. She never realized how much babies moved when they were inside a mother. "Steve could you get my water that's in my bag?"

Laura moved to the bag before Steve could, "This one?"

"You didn't have to-" Peggy started in but nodded, "That's the one."

"I know I don't have to." She handed Peggy the water and saw Steve taking care of Nathan's lunch. "So I know you don't know the sex, and I'm not going to pester you about it."

Peggy sighed in relief, "Thank goodness. It seems like all people care about is gender."

"I like not knowing." Steve nodded.

"Do you know what names you're thinking about?"

"No." Peggy sighed, "That's the only hindrance of not knowing the gender. Because we have to have four sets of names. But we can't seem to settle on anything."

Steve smirked, "We can just name them after Natasha, take the easy way out."

"Already taken." Laura pointed and walked to the kitchen to clean up some dishes, "Steve could you do me a favor and while you're here chop some wood? We're running low."

Steve looked over his shoulder at Peggy and had a clever grin on his face, "Of course." He picked Nathan up from his chair and set the toddler down on the ground. Once his feet hit the ground he wobbled to the table that kept him up right.

"I won't argue." Peggy smiled looking a bit mischievous.

"I'll do that now." He took his jacket off and looked back at Peggy, "I'm guessing you'd like to watch?"

Peggy shrugged and held her hand out for Steve to help, "I'm a woman of simple pleasures."

Laura and Peggy sat on the porch watching Nathan walk past them pushing a toy around that looked like an old lawn mower. In front of them they could see Steve working his way through the Bartons winter wood supply. He liked doing things for his friends, and since it was easy work, he didn't mind. And he knew it amused Peggy… like the first time she saw him rip that log in half. Peggy was a flirt for sure, but she was never exactly lustful. She was after she saw that.

Laura was watching Nathan sitting on the rocking bench next to Peggy, "How do you feel?"

Peggy looked over at Laura, "Feel about what?" There was a million things going on in her mind; work, the babies, her mothering capabilities.

She shrugged, "All of it. I don't know if you need someone to talk to about it all."

"Parenting books don't really cover what it's like to have a baby and be involved in a secret intelligence organization, while you and your husband are world icons." Peggy looked down at her hands, "There's just so much danger involved."

"That I know." Laura nodded, "I knew what I was getting myself into, but it doesn't stop you from worrying."

"I'm beginning to believe I'd be worried even if we weren't who we are."

Steve stepped back from the wood and reached for his phone in his pocket, "Hey Clint… yeah I can be ready... here I'll give her the phone." He jogged up to the porch handing Laura the phone, "It's Clint,"

Laura took the phone and walked back inside to speak with her husband. "What is it?" Peggy tried to read Steve's expression.

"Nothing bad. The found a base of that Terrorist group and we're being called in to help with it. There's hostages." He leaned back against the bench with Peggy and took her hand, "Nothing I can't handle."

"Then why do you look so nervous." She leaned on his shoulder.

"Because I have a lot more to live for now."

Less than an hour later a small SHIELD jet was parked in the Barton front lawn. Clint walked to speak to Laura, "Sorry babe."

She rolled her eyes, "You're not the one who has to tell the kids."

"I'll be back in a few days, then I'll take less big missions." He assured, "You take care of Peggy. From what I heard from Steve she's…"

"Stubborn as hell?" Laura laughed, "pregnancy is kind of like the serum. It just makes what's there more powerful."

Clint kissed Laura, "Which explains why you're so Beautiful and perfect, but you're like that all the time."

Steve ran out wearing his battle suit, trying to adjust the leather harness that he attached the shield to. Peggy walked up behind him, "Let me Darling." He conceded and put his arms down. She straightened everything out and gave his rear a pinch, "All set."

When he turned around he was bright red, "Stop that!" He wrapped her up in his arms and dipped her into a kiss. Steve set her up right and sighed, "Well, I should be going now. Take it easy on your mother." He pointed to Peggy's stomach.

"Yes, no early appearances either." She added. "Be safe Darling."

Steve took half a step back and saluted, "Yes ma'am." He retreated back to the jet where Clint was ready to take off. Laura walked back to Peggy then up the stairs.

"You doing okay?" Peggy asked Laura and followed behind Laura taking longer to get through the door to make sure the door didn't slam the door and wake up Nathan. But if a jet landing on the front lawn didn't wake him up, she wasn't sure what could really disturb him.

She nodded, "Of course. The kids will be disappointed but they understand." Laura sat on the couch taking a moment to rub the stress out of her brow, "They'll like having you here. It'll be a distraction."

"I can't promise I'll be much fun." Peggy grabbed her glass of water and went to sit on the couch, "I'm not as rowdy as I used to be."

Laura laughed, "I imagine Twins will do that to a person."

They stayed on the couch making small talk, reading magazines, talking about Baby things and then spent the afternoon folding clothes until the kids came home. Peggy could see the yellow school bus at the end of the the very long drive way and the two kids running as fast as they could through the warm late Summer day. Cooper got there first but paused before he walked in making sure he kept the house quiet for the baby. "Hi mom." He waved then waved at Peggy, "Hi Peggy."

"Good afternoon Cooper." Peggy said cheerfully.

"How's school?" Laura asked but she got a shrug as a response.

"Good I guess. Where's Dad?" He answered with words as Lila came skipping into the house, with less regard for volume.

Lila looked around, "Daddy's home right?!"

Laura shook her head, "Sorry sprouts. He has to go do something important, he came and got Steve then left. He should be back in a few days though."

Cooper nodded, trying not to look too defeated. However, Lila didn't do as good of a job. "That's okay.." Cooper picked his backpack up, "I'm gonna go start homework upstairs."

"You have an hour, then I want you down here." She stood up, "I miss you too much." Cooper always did this when Clint left unexpectedly. Of course she let her kids figure out their feelings in their own way, but she didn't want them to sulk in their rooms forever. An hour was more than enough time to feel whatever they needed to feel. "You hungry Lila?"

She was looking at her shoes, "It's not fair."

"I know." Laura walked over and knelt down so she was at her daughter's level, "But remember when we talked about this the last time he left. Dad's doing important things, and he's saving a lot of people who need him."

"But I need him. I miss him." She insisted. Peggy's heart twinged. The girl was right, but so was the mother. "Is he gonna call?"

Laura shrugged, "I'm not sure babe." She hooked Lilas hair back behind her ear, "I miss him too."

Lila nodded and leaned into her mother for a hug. Her arms wrapped as much around Laura as they could, and Laura did the same. "Can I have a snack?" Lila whispered into her mother's ear.

"Of course!" Laura stood up from the hug and walk back to the kitchen. "Peggy do you need anything? Some consolation sandwiches, or soup?"

Peggy shook her head but lifted up her glass of water that she'd already finished, "More water would be lovely."

Lila walked over and took the water bottle, "I'll get some!" She was transfixed about being Peggy's little helped. The fact that there was a baby in her tummy made the family friend all the more interesting and exciting, but to be fair Lila loved all the female Avengers and superheroes to bits. She carefully walked back, making sure the water didn't tip over the side of the glass, "There you go."

Peggy took the water, "Thank you very much." She looked at Lila, "I'm sorry your father had to go to work."

"It's okay…" She looked beside Peggy, "Steve's not here so you're sad too."

A side effect of pregnancy was seeing how sweet kids were, "We're all sad, but what they're doing is very important. You're lucky to be safe, not everyone has that luxury." She tried to change how she was sitting but it was too hard. "Lila can you do something for me?" There was a quick nod from the girl loving the opportunity to be useful, "Can you put a pillow behind my back?"

"Yes." She nodded with the same assurance he saw when Clint received his orders. The way they set their lips and their eyes narrowed. Lila jumped onto the couch and grabbed the fluffiest pillow that she could reach. For a kid her logic was unreasonably high as she made the pillow as comfortable as possible. "There you go." She picked her legs up and flopped down on the couch bouncing a few times. "Wee!"

Peggy looked at the girl, "How was school?" It was the obvious first topic of discussion for kids. When she was a girl it was all anyone cared about.

"It was okay." She shrugged and that was the end of that subject. Lila looked over at Peggy's swollen belly, "Does it hurt?"

"Not really." Peggy said honestly. Of course she wasn't going to indepthly describe how weird it felt, or how uncomfortable she always was, or deliver looming ominously over her head. "But I am ready for them to come out."

The prospect made Lila excited, "I'm excited too. I get to have more kids to play with on birthday's and stuff!"

Laura walked over holding a plate with half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on it, "When they a a little bit bigger. They'll be small at first." she set the plate down on the coffee table and walked back into the kitchen

"I hope they're girls." Lila said to Peggy in confidence.

Peggy leaned over and behind her hand whispered, "Me too."

Peggy was sitting down at the kitchen table for a change in sitting position. The magazine had a rather colorful spread of herself with some article about her pregnancy and all the clothes she was wearing. It was awful for several reason. The first was that she wasn't a billboard, she was an Agent - a director of world security- not a fashion icon. The second was that whenever one of these things came out all the stuff she loved was out of stock, and Dammit she missed those shoes.

It was more than an hour before Cooper came back downstairs. "You're late young man." Laura said in a firm voice, but there wasn't much bite behind it.

Cooper yawned, "I fell asleep."

Laura ruffled his hair, "It's alright kiddo. Did you finish your homework?"

"Yeah, but what am I supposed to do about dad coming to school tomorrow?" He sat at the kitchen table with his binder in hand.

"Shit." Laura looked up from dinner.

"BAD WORD BAD WORD BAD WORD BAD WORD." Lila sang.

Laura rolled her eyes, "I know I know." She didn't seem too concerned.

"Why is he coming to school?" Peggy looked at Cooper.

"It's a job thing, once a month they get people of different jobs to come in and talk to one of the classes about whatever it is they do." Laura explained, "Clint going for military or something or other."

"Its for our social studies class.. Now no one will show up, and it'll be the worst!" Cooper groaned.

Peggy listened, "Well I'm no Avenger, but may I can go in his place?"

"You don't have to." Cooper said bashfully. He didn't mean to make a big deal about it really…

She shook her head, "No I'd love to go. I'm not doing anything here."

"But you're like… super pregnant." Cooper astutely pointed out.

Peggy rolled her eyes, "I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm pregnant not incapacitated."

Laura looked at Peggy skeptical, "Are you sure?"

"I've been sitting around doing nothing for months. And we can't have an entire school stood up. I'll go, talk about SHIELD, talk about the war.. and it'll be better since it's not televised." the idea honestly sounded interesting.

"I don't see why not. Laure looked in between Peggy and Cooper, "Well it's not like the school isn't safe enough." she shrugged and grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter, "I'll call the school to let them know their guest is going to be a bit more top of the line."

Peggy never got to experience a regular school experience, the closest was her later education but that was in a boarding school in the heart of London. Her early years were just a rotation of tutor to tutor as they moved around with her father in the beginning of her life. The school the Barton's went to was two things, small… and a fortress. It could be assumed that when two kids of an avenger goes to the school, the necessary precautions will be put in place. Most of it seemed normal and almost all the kids went about their day with no knowledge of the potential danger that Peggy was all too aware of.

"Laura may I ask you something?"

"Of course." She stopped and fixed the calendar that was hanging outside the front office.

Peggy sighed looking around the hall "Are you ever worried about the possible target on you and the kids? I figured the kids would be home schooled or something…"

Laura shrugged, "We had Cooper before Clint was in SHIELD, when he was still a sniper and then it was just like any other military family. Once he was in SHIELD part of the agreement was protection for us. Laura Barton doesn't really exist anymore, the kids last names are different in the public record. The Farm doesn't even show up in a map if you're looking on the Internet and it's not in SHIELD'S database either. Fury was careful that we are invisible." Laura explained, "But there's always danger, every time the kids go anywhere there's risk. But all of the worrying is worth it if they get to have normal lives."

Peggy put a hand on her belly, "Normal." she sighed, "I'm not sure they will have that luxury."

"I find it hilarious how you two think you'll be terrible parents." Laura laughed, "Both of you, you're so worried but you've read every book and have taken every precaution."

"I guess… I guess we've just experienced enough trauma in our lives. This feels like something we have the slightest control over."

Laura looked at her friend with sympathy, "Trust me, the only thing you have control over about those two are the names… and even then they can take that away from you too."

Her delivery made Peggy laugh, "I guess you're right."

As they were speaking the principal walked out, straightening her dress shirt. She was a plump women who looked like she took her job very seriously, certainly someone you wouldn't like to be receiving a lecture about. "I can't believe that you're here." Her potential hard outer shell was shed immediately.

"Let me guess, you're a fan." Peggy chuckled.

The Principal scoffed out of embarrassment, "You must get this kind of reception a lot, but yes."

"I think everyone's a fan." Laura chimed in, "I always wrote my history papers in school about you."

"I did my graduate work for a history degree on your influence to the women's rights movements in the 60's." she trailed off, "But… that is probably too much information."

Peggy shrugged, "To be honest, it would be interesting to know what I've done. I'm sure you can understand how hard it is to understand from my perspective." She couldn't get out of her head one of the books she read-someone gave it to her for a holiday but she couldn't remember which one, or from who-that had the title of "Peggy Carter: Feminist Icon" and how stressful it was to read it. Even after a year of being in the light, she felt like it was impossible to understand.

"Well, I'm glad you could come in Mr. Barton's absence." She looked at Laura, "Let me guess classified."

"Very." Laura and Peggy said together.

The Principal raised her shoulders in excitement, "How exciting. Well, let me walk you to the classroom where you'll be speaking. Laura are you staying today?"

Laura shook her head and pointed behind her, "Actually I have to go pick up Nathan up from the morning sitter. Have fun at school Peg."

"Thank you for the ride. Don't forget to pick me up, I'm not riding in a bus." Peggy reminded. She's had worse transportation blunders in her years (There was this time in Peru with a truck of alpaca's that came to mind) but she wasn't in the mood to rearrange her list.

"You'll just be this way." The principal walked forward. Her pace was a bit faster than Peggy could go.

"Sorry I'm not as fast as I'm used to." Peggy followed next to her.

"Of course. You'll be in the auditorium space we have set up. It's not the nicest venue."

Peggy looked at the art on the walls and some of the kids running as they were about to be late to their first class. "To be honest, these are the appearances that really make a difference. The one's the papers will never hear about."

The Principal put her hand over her heart and inhaled, "That was poetry." She fawned, "You're brilliant Mrs. Carter." she shook her head, "Brilliant."

For a moment Peggy was glad the women had never met someone who was an actual genius, since she would probably combust.

"God I feel like I could sleep for a week." Peggy said to herself as she tucked herself into bed. She had grown accustomed to Steve helping her put the pillows in the right position so she could actually be comfortable and sleep. It was hard enough with help. Being at the school made her feel useful in a way she hadn't been in a few months. But even then she was never really working with kids, or the public. It was like when she was answering those calls on Tris's talk show. She was actually doing something that gave people hope. Like the Captain America reels and radio hour- but not quite as terribly cartoonish. The thoughts and memories of the kids asking questions about being in the war, and actually making a difference stuck with her and gave her a strange feeling of hope. "Note to self" she logged, "Young adult SHIELD programs." she didn't know what she meant by that but it seemed familiar. That was the last thought she had before she drifted into sleep.

Her dream was Steve and Peggy's honeymoon night. Nothing very explicit but the detail of his hands wrapped around her after felt so permanent. She was so damn lucky to have Steve. The thinking brought her out of her dream and she moved slightly to give her joints some movement. When she moved she feLt someone's arms around her and at first her first instinct was DANGER! She opened her eyes in a jerk and saw Steve with a fresh black eye facing her, his face inches from hers. "Steve!" She whispered.

He opened his eyes and smiled, "Surprise…" he sounded like he'd been asleep for an hour or so and was in a great need of several more. "We finished this afternoon and we wanted to surprise you."

She moved forward and kissed him, "You sweet man." Peggy relaxed back on the pillow and watched him.

"I didn't want to wake you up." He put a hand on her belly, "You were doing that cute thing with your nose when you're dreaming."

"Like a dog." Peggy leaned her head into his chest as best she could, her belly made things a bit more complicated. "I'm glad you're back." She yawned.

"I'm not leaving again. Not until the Twins are born or there's a level 7 or above problem." he informed her of the good news. Level 9 was a good middle ground. Ultron was a level 8 problem in the beginning (although it escalated into a level 10 quickly). The Battle of New York was a level 9. Steve wasn't going anywhere unless there was a disaster that put the whole world in Jeopardy.

"Oh thank you Steve." She relaxed, "I don't like that pressure of you being gone. At least not until I'm not the size of a whale."

Steve kissed the top of her head, "I love you, whale sized Peggy."

"I love you, black and blue version of Steve."