"Are you sure you don't mind watching them?" Natasha Romanoff asked cautiously through the phone.

"Of course not!" Pepper Potts replied enthusiastically. "We love spending time with our favorite niece and nephew."

"Okay, thanks Pepper. I owe you one." Natasha and Steve had both been called away on a three-day mission along with Clint and Bruce. That left Tony and Pepper the only two available to watch James and Lucy. "Steve and I will drop them off tomorrow morning. Thanks again, we'll see you then!" Of course, Natasha wasn't entirely comfortable with leaving her eighteen-month old twins alone for three days, even if Pepper was there to look after them. But there was nothing she could do to change the situation, she could only hope for the best.

The following morning, Natasha and Steve found themselves at the Avengers Tower bright and early. Steve held a sleeping Lucy in his arms while Natasha held James' hand to help him walk out of the elevator once they reached Tony and Pepper's floor. The couple was waiting for the family of four to arrive as the elevator doors opened.

"James! Hey sweetie, how are you?" Pepper asked tenderly as she dropped to James' height. In return, James smiled and turned to hug his mother's leg.

"Someone's just being shy," Natasha replied. "He's half-asleep, he just woke up from the car."

"Up!" James demanded, reaching his small arms up to his mother. Natasha complied and lifted her son up into her arms. The child leaned his head against Natasha's chest and she began to stroke his blond hair.

"Thanks again for watching them, it means a lot," Steve said quietly.

"Of course, any time! We love having them here," Pepper exclaimed, which caused Lucy to wake up. She picked her head up to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. Her eyes proceeded to fill with tears as she began to cry.

"Mama!" Lucy managed through her sobs, reaching for Natasha from Steve's arms.

"Switch?" the soldier asked as he took James from Natasha and handed her a screaming Lucy. Natasha bounced Lucy back and forth a few times until she ceased crying.

"And Pepper wonders why we don't have kids," Tony said to no one in particular. Pepper shot him a nasty glare before Steve spoke again.

"Well, they are a handful, but I wouldn't trade them. I love them both more than anything, you'll see Tony when you have one."
"You mean if I have one."

"Steve? Sorry to interrupt, but we really have to get going. The others are waiting for us," Natasha cut in.

"Alright, let's just say goodbye."

"Pepper, you got the instructions I sent to you about their schedules and everything?" Natasha asked.

"Yes I have everything. Don't worry about us, we'll have fun," Pepper replied and tool Lucy from Natasha. "Now go on your mission, and be careful. Both of you." Steve handed James over to Tony and he and Natasha said their goodbyes before they headed back down the elevator.

"Okay, so what do we do with them now?" Tony questioned a minute after Steve and Natasha left.

"Well, Natasha said that she didn't feed them before they left so they're probable hungry," Pepper replied.

"Are you guys hungry?" Tony asked.

"James hungry!" the toddler said excitedly, referring to himself.

"I'm going to take that as a yes." Pepper had already prepared their floor with the items needed to take care of James and Lucy. She had the entire team work to baby proof the tower as soon as the kids could crawl. Tony walked into the kitchen and placed James in one of the vacant high chairs. The toddler looked up at the billionaire expectantly—the kid looked exactly like Steve, he even had the same gaze as his father. "Uh Pep? What do I feed him?"

"There's vanilla yogurt in the fridge for them," Pepper answered as she put Lucy in the high chair next to James. "Tony I have to run to the store for a few minutes. Do you think that you can manage feeding them while I'm gone?"

"Of course, I'm perfectly capable of feeding the munchkins." Pepper gave Tony a quick peck on the cheek before exiting the tower. "Alright kids, who's hungry?" Tony questioned as he removed the yogurt from the fridge. He pulled out two metal spoons from a drawer before removing the lids from the yogurt containers.

"Sir, I would advise against using metal utensils to feed Miss. and young Mr. Rogers," JARVIS warned. "Miss. Potts purchased child-safe utensils and placed them in the drawer to your left."

"Thanks J," Tony replied to the A.I., easily finding the objects he was directed to. He then pulled a chair over to the two high chairs. "Alright guys, now how do I feed you both at once." Lucy slammed her small hands on the high chair tray eagerly. Tony dipped a spoon in one of the containers and moved it to Lucy's mouth. She accepted the food gratefully.

"More, more, more!" She begged excitedly.

"Me hungry!" James whined next.

"Ok James hang on," Tony dipped a new spoon in the second yogurt container and fed James a spoonful. Tony turned his attention back to Lucy and was met with a face full of yogurt. He had, foolishly, left the container on her high chair tray. The toddler proceeded to take a fistful of yogurt and throw it at her uncle. Lucy then laughed at the billionaire's stunned reaction.

"Oh my gosh, did your mother teach you to do that?" The toddler continued to laugh, getting yogurt all over the place in the process.

"James!" Lucy exclaimed, spotting her brother. She then took another handful of yogurt, flinging it at the boy. The food hit him square in the side of the face. James' eyes immediately filled with tears as he began to cry. Lucy continued to laugh as James cried.

Just then, the elevator door dinged and Pepper entered the room. "Tony! What did you do?" she questioned sternly over the commotion and hurried to pick up the yogurt-covered James.

"Nothing!" He puts his hands up defensively. "It was her!" Tony exclaimed, pointing to Lucy. Lucy picked up on Pepper's distressed tone and her small eyebrows formed into a v. She mirrored her brother and began to cry.

"Oh yeah Tony, the one year old did all this. Come on sweeties, I think it's time for a bath," Pepper took James into her arms and tried to console him. She then scooped Lucy up into her other arm.

"I'm going to hear it for this later," Tony murmured to himself as Pepper disappeared down the hall with Lucy and James.

Pepper returned an hour later with a clean James and Lucy. Tony approached her as soon as she entered the living room. She allowed him to take Lucy from her. "Pepper I'm really sorry, I didn't know what I was doing and—" Pepper suddenly cut him off by moving her lips against his.

"I'm not mad Tony. I'm the one who left you alone with them anyway."

"Alright, thanks. Now, what so these two do for fun?"

Later on the night of the second day, Tony, Pepper, and the twins were seated in the living room. James and Lucy were clothed in their pajamas and would be going to bed shortly. "Come on squirt say it. Say Uncle Tony." Lucy ignored him ad continued playing with her doll while James stared at him blankly. "Come on James, just say it. Uncle Tony."

"Unca...Unca T-t-t..." the toddler tried.

"He's not going to say it Tony," Pepper mused, picking up a doll and playing with Lucy.

"Yes he will. Spangles is smart, and everyone says that James is exactly like him."

"That's true. I'll bet he can say Aunt Pepper. James," she said, capturing the blond boy's attention. "Can you say Aunt Pepper please?"

James smiled sweetly before attempting to speak. "A-a...Peppa!" he shouted happily.

"Ha! Good boy James," Pepper praised as she kissed his head lightly.

"Don't get too confident, this isn't over yet," Tony cautioned. The billionaire stood up as Lucy watched intently.

"Up!" Lucy demanded, standing up next to Tony. "Please," she said, reaching her arms up.

"Well, you learned some manners from your Daddy," Tony said as he lifted Lucy. She tiredly laid her head on his shoulder and began to suck her thumb.

"She's zoning out," Pepper said, still seated on the floor with James. "Why don't you put her to bed Tony?"

"Okay, say goodnight Lucy." Lucy picked up her small hand and waved to the Aunt and brother. Tony disappeared down the hall before James spoke.

"Lucy!"

"That's right James, Lucy is going to bed now."

"Sleep."

"Good job, that's right sweetie," Pepper praised James for making the connection between bed and sleep. "Do you want to go night-night James?"

He looked around the room hastily, confused. His expression easily morphed into one of concern. "Where Mama?" Pepper was waiting for this to come from one of them.

"Mama's not here buddy, but she'll be back to get you soon," Pepper tried, knowing that James had no clue what she was saying. Promptly, his eyes filled with tears as he failed to locate his mother. Pepper picked up a sniffling James and attempted to calm him down before he had a complete meltdown.

"Want Mama!" James continued to scream as Pepper bounced him back and forth. The child was inconsolable, and continued to call for Natasha.

Tony reentered the room fifteen minutes later with his hands covering his ears. "What's wrong with him?" he asked, motioning to James.

"He won't stop screaming, he wants Natasha."

Tony walked over to Pepper and took James from her. "Hey kid, what's the matter? You miss your mom?" Tony attempted to get James to stop crying by making funny faces at him for several minutes—but it was to no avail. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know!" Pepper responded nervously. "He never cries, especially not like this."

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to improvise."

James continued to scream for the next hour and a half. Tony and Pepper had tried everything—feeding him, changing him, rocking him, singing to him, and reading to him, but he had ceased to stop crying. "I don't know what else to do Tony," Pepper said as she rocked James in a rocking chair. "Do you think that Fury will patch us through to Nat if we call and ask? Maybe he'll stop crying if he hears her voice."

"No way, Fury said this was an important mission. But I have an idea, stay here," Tony said hurriedly before rushing out of the room. He returned several minutes later with a white t-shirt and a picture frame. The picture was one of Natasha and Pepper. "Here, I got one of Natasha's shirts from her and Steve's floor. It sells like her. And here's that picture of you and her." Tony handed the two items to Pepper, who was supporting the crying James with one arm.

"James look," Pepper addressed the toddler hopefully. "Who's this?" she continued, showing James the picture.

"Mama," he replied softly, pointing to his mother. Next, James spotted the spy's shirt and took it from Pepper. Thankfully, he had stopped crying.

"That's right honey, that's Mama," Pepper replied. James hugged Natasha's shirt and his eyelids began to droop after Pepper had rocked him for several minutes. "Are you ready to go night-night James?" The small boy yawned in response. "I'm going to take that as a yes," Pepper said, then placed James carefully in his crib. James quickly fell asleep clutching Natasha's shirt, having cried himself out.

Pepper soundlessly closed the door and went to meet Tony in their bedroom. "That was a really good idea with the picture and everything." She climbed under the covers and snuggled up to her boyfriend. "You're going to make a really great dad."

"Thanks Pep, but we'll see about that."

"Daddy!" Lucy screamed happily as she ran over to greet her father when he and Natasha stepped out of the elevator the following night. Steve swiftly scooped his daughter up into his arms, kissing her on the head.

"Hi sweetheart. How's my princess?"

"Good."

"Hello baby girl," Natasha said, stroking her daughter's red hair. The spy was sporting a noticeable bruise under her left eye. "How were they?" Natasha asked Tony and Pepper. "And where's James?"

"He's passed out asleep," Tony replied. "The kid screamed for you all last night."

"Aw, sorry if they were trouble," Steve added empathetically.

"It was no problem," Pepper cut in. "We'll watch them any time."
"How about you Tony, ready to have your own kids yet?" Natasha asked with a smirk.

"No way, your little devils are enough for me. And I can borrow them whenever I want."

"We'll see about that," Pepper said slyly as the CEO, soldier, and spy laughed together.

A/N: I apologize for not updating, I've been super busy with sports and getting ready for school. I'm not too sure about this chapter, but I hope that everyone enjoyed it nonetheless! Please review and leave me feedback, I'm happy to consider everything!