Valen: A Collector's Item

Watermelon

"I'll drive!" Valen grabbed the car keys that were in a bowl by the front door.

"No!" Peter and Tony yelled collectively. Tony grabbed the keys out of her hands.

"But I learned how. I'm not going to hit anyone or anything this time. I swear." She reached for them again but she couldn't reach Tony's hand that was raised in the air dangling the keys in front of her.

When he was done teasing her, he put his keys in his pocket. He then turned to Pepper to grip her arm to walk her to Peter's car taking nice slow steps. Peter was already there with the backseat open for them to get in. It was a small, old, red, beat-up car that had duck tape holding up its front bumper.

When Tony stared at him asking silently if he was serious, Peter just shrugged. "It's all I could afford." He defended.

Tony slid into the middle to be by Pepper, and Valen sat on his other side. MJ was already in the passenger seat with her seatbelt on.

Peter anxiously sat in the driver's seat and took a deep breath. He put the key in the ignition but turned around freaking out because Pepper screeched. She was finally having stronger contractions. She had a few earlier in the day but thought nothing of them because she's been through Braxton Hicks contractions before. Peter looked at Valen who was equally as terrified as he was. She nodded her head at the steering wheel telling him to drive.

Pepper squeezed Tony's hand and her seatbelt as if she was transferring her pain onto something else. She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes as she groaned.

"Pepper, I know you're in pain, but I need you to not break my hand." Tony shook off the hand that was captive when Pepper finally let go.

Her eyes were shooting daggers at him. "Just wait until I start pushing."

"Did you grab everything you need?" MJ asked as she looked around. "Don't parents usually have a baby bag ready to go by the door whenever their partner is about to go into labor?"

Tony looked petrified as he whispered to himself, "I forgot the baby bag."

"You forgot the baby bag?" Pepper exclaimed. "What are we going to put her in when we leave? The baby blanket? Clothes for me? I don't want to wear this when I'm leaving the hospital, Tony. We don't have a car seat."

"We're in Peter's car. How was I supposed to know we would end up in here and not one of the multiple cars I put one in?" He argued back but received another pair of daggered eyes. He turned to Valen and handed her his wallet. "When we get to the hospital have Peter take you to the nearest store and buy everything."

"Everything?" Valen evilly smiled.

"Everything. And Peter, could you slow down? We have a pregnant lady back here. This is not Fast And Furious."

"I'm doing the speed limit." Peter said pathetically.

"Why are you doing the speed limit? Can't you see she's in labor? Speed up unless you want a baby in your backseat."

"I don't know if you know this, but I'm getting very mixed signals." Peter flexed his hands on the wheel.

Tony was about to respond but Pepper pushed his chest back so she could look at Valen. "I need you to do something for me."

"What? Anything, unless it's holding your hand." She looked at her hands that were on her lap. "I like my hands."

Pepper glared at Tony. Tony threw his hands up wondering what now was his fault. "No, I need you to call Happy. I had a feeling something would go wrong," another glare at Tony, "and gave him an emergency backup plan. He should have what I need."