The Tower: Unexpected

The Return of the Science Bros

The next few weeks went by fine. I'd pretty much resigned that this was my family now. The pregnancy had reached 24 weeks. I hadn't seen Bruce or Tony for five months. I figured I wasn't ever going to despite reassurances from the others that they were working on Tony and he was just in hardcore nesting mode to deal with the panic he was feeling. I had reached the point where I wasn't sure I wanted him to come back.

Bruce, on the other hand, was concerning. We weren't sure if he was hiding or if Hulk just liked the idea of being a dad so much he wasn't willing to give him back. Wanda seemed to think it was the second but no one could convince him to let go of control and when we tried he'd start getting agitated.

The biggest problem we faced was the living situation. The others had said Tony was working on it. It didn't seem to be getting worked on though and I was starting to worry.

"I just don't know where we're going to put them. We're running out of time." I said.

"They're gonna be pretty small," Clint joked. "You can put them in one crib in the corner. They won't take up much room."

"I'm sorry, they?"

I turned suddenly toward the sound of Tony's voice. He stood at the door to the stairwell, the door still held open like he might retreat back through it.

"I - uh - Tony?" I said, in a state of shock. He looked like he hadn't shaved in months, and was wearing a black tank top and sweats.

"Yes?" He said. "You said they. What does 'they' mean?"

"It means 'they'," I said, still not sure what was happening or why he was there. Or if he was even actually there and I wasn't hallucinating. "As in there's more than one."

"How many?" He asked.

It was like my brain suddenly accepted what was happening and rather than being relieved to see him I was pissed. "I don't - No... you don't just get to come in here and drill me for information when I haven't seen you for 5 months. You don't get to do that."

"And these triplets or whatever could be mine?" Tony asked. I just sat silently not acknowledging him. Fuming that he'd just come in here and expecting answers.

"Okay. You want me to leave then?" He snarked.

I snapped, the hurt and pain bubbling and spewing out of me. "I want you to say you're sorry to me!" I shouted. "I want you to beg me to take you back! You keep running from me whenever something happens and you get scared and I just have to sit here and wait until you're ready like I'm a good little girl? You're lucky I'm still here!"

He blinked at me like I'd slapped him.

"Why should I tell you anything about them when you don't even want them? Come in here snapping at me like I did something specifically to hurt you. Like I'm not also terrified by this. I'm not - You don't get to treat me like I don't mean anything to you!"

"El," Wanda said softly putting her hand on me.

"No. No. I don't always have to be the bigger person." I said getting up suddenly, the tears I had been fighting back finally breaking.

"Elly," Steve said.

I wheeled on him suddenly. "Stop using the misbehaving daughter voice on me!" I shouted spinning on my heel and going to march out. A sharp pain ran up my side and I doubled over, groaning.

"Elly, that wasn't the voice," Steve said, while Hulk stood and made a distressed noise.

I sunk to my knees rubbing my side and making a pained sound as it felt like a tearing was happening down my side.