The kid avengers

Breakfast in Bed

Steve started with it first; the flu. It spread fast through the kids; Clint and Natasha showed symptoms next, and by the end of the next day all of the kids apart from Thor were terribly ill. They all suffered from fevers, coughs and sore throats, restless nights and as a result fatigue. Additionally Tony had aching muscles and chest pains while Steve had horrible indigestion. Natasha exhibited vomiting and shivered relentlessly, and Clint refused to eat. Fortunately Bruce wasn't too ill but he did cried an awful lot, feeling uncomfortable and frustrated. Phil too was showing symptoms but was the only one who could settle Bruce.

Pepper managed to settle them on in the communal area to watch Peter Pan so her and Maria could have five minutes to rest. She'd given them all a dose of Tylenol and stocked up the tissues in the lounge. She'd placed a bucket by the end of the couch in the event that Natasha was sick again, and refilled Tony's glass of water. Phil was fast asleep on the arm chair in the corner of the room, feet propped up on the table, snoring slightly due to his blocked nose. Bruce was snoozing on his lap, a stream of drool running down his face. Steve and Tony were sharing one of the couches, both sprawled out and reluctant to move. The occasional turn of a page from Steve or the infrequent sip of his drink from Tony were the only signs that they weren't in fact asleep. Clint was sat at the end of the other couch, slouched in the corner with lack of energy, looking very sorry for himself. Natasha was using his lap as a pillow, lay on her stomach across most of the couch with one arm dangling off the edge. Clint was slowly stroking her sweat forehead in a comforting manner while she shivered under her blanket. Thor was sat at the other end of the couch, Natasha's feet on his lap while he watched in amazement as Peter Pan taught the Darling children to fly.

By the end of the week all five of the children, as well as Phil, were feeling much better, if a little tired.

Now it was Pepper's turn to feel ill. She was well waited on by the kids; Natasha brought her a fresh glass of water every 20 minutes, whether she'd drank the last one or not, each time she stopped to kiss her gently on the cheek before turning to leave. Steve delivered her Tylenol and asprin as required while Tony kept her stocked up on newspapers, magazines and DVDs to watch. Clint appeared at her door dragging the covers and pillows from his and Natasha's bed in case Pepper required extras, and Thor brought regular snacks to her.

Pepper began to feel better sooner then she admitted to. The quiet and calm of the children while their attention and energy were focused on helping her feel better was too good an opportunity to pass up, so she feigned it for one more day. When Natasha didn't appear with her usual 7 am glass of water, and Steve didn't deliver her usual dose of medication she began to get suspicious, five minutes later when there was a loud crash from the kitchen she knew the relaxation was over.

The scene that met her when she reached the kitchen was one she'd never forget; Clint was stood on the counter, trying to reach the top shelf where the plates were stored, but in doing so he'd knocked the lower shelf and the mugs had crashed to the floor. Natasha had dragged a chair over from the table and was stood on it, trying to figure out the complicated coffee machine which was now spilling hot water along the counter. Steve was trying to cook eggs, but looking at the pile of discarded shells by the side of the stove; he wasn't having much success. Tony had obviously been distracted from the toast he was making by Bruce as it was black and charred, and Thor was obviously working on plan B if the pile of pop tarts he'd been gathering was any indication. Clint was the first to notice Pepper was stood watching them, looking both disappointed that they'd been caught and worried they'd be told off.

"We were making you breakfast in bed!" he admitted quickly, causing the others to notice Pepper's arrival in the kitchen.

"It was supposed to be a surprise" Natasha added.

"Yeah until birdbrain knocked over the mugs!" Tony said, smiling an apology over at Clint who shot him a glare. Pepper made a round of the kitchen; pulling each of the children into a hug and kissing them fondly.

"This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me" she told them, eliciting six relived smiles. "Who wants pancakes?" she added looking at the failed breakfast in front of her