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You sat in front of the computer screen, your eyelids heavy as the lines of code began blurring in front of you. It was 3 am and you’d been here all day assisting Tony after he had decided FRIDAY was glitching and needed your help to debug her.
For weeks now the AI had been convinced there were more people in any given room than there actually were. She’d announce an intruder and the team would go on full alert looking for it. But there was NEVER anyone there. You were convinced the compound was haunted at this point. But no one believed you.
Tony figured something was wrong with her and, as his tech genius protégé , you were tasked with helping him. With Bucky and Steve out on a mission, you couldn’t even threaten to sic them on Tony to get out of it.
It wouldn’t even be so bad if it weren’t for the pain in your lower back. You figured it must be from sitting hunched over this computer all day.
“Tony! We’ve been at this all night. I can’t take it anymore.”
“I think we’re almost there kid. Just a little bit longer.”
“Come on Tony, my back is killing me, I need to go to bed.”
He turned to you with the saddest, tiredest puppy dog eyes you’d ever seen.
“Okay fine, a little longer! But I’m not coming back for the rest of the day.”
Then, after almost three more hours of scanning through code and running the trackers through FRIDAY’s programming, you were finally free. Tony had set you loose for the night and you were eager for a shower and your bed.
You were locking the door and turning off your phone until at least one pm tomorrow. No one had better risk your exhausted fury should they try and rouse you any earlier.
Steve and Bucky learned that lesson the hard way after another one of Tony’s impromptu all night science benders.
Now, one of them usually stayed in bed with you, sometimes both, getting their snuggle on. (You were too much like Tony to give any real snuggles or cuddles when you were awake.)
The sun was just peaking over the horizon as you rode the elevator up to the apartment you shared with your boyfriends. Boyfriends who had been gone for almost five weeks on a covert mission.
If they didn’t come home soon you were going to go after them yourself. Or, so you told yourself. Everyone knew your combat skills were garbage and you were as subtle as a brick through a window.
You just wanted your boyfriends to come kiss you senseless and…maybe rub your back. It was really starting to hurt. Plus, it had started radiating around to your stomach. Like wave after wave of tight intense pain. You were desperate for a heating pad and your bed.
Still convinced it was from Tony’s torture of keeping you in the lab for almost twenty-four hours you continued on your way home. Until you almost vomited in the elevator.
Your vision swam and you felt dizzy. It was getting kind of scary.
“FRIDAY stop at the next floor. I need to get off.”
“Sure thing.”
When the doors opened you practically collapsed to the floor. What had felt like a back ache mere hours ago, now felt like someone was trying to cut you in half with a dull knife.
An uncontrollable scream tore its way past your lips as you doubled over on your knees. This was pain like you had never felt before. And then it was gone. Like it had never happened. You were left panting on the tile, your cheeks wet with tears.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?”
Nat stood over you, her expression full of concern. Behind her Clint was eyeing you suspiciously.
“I don’t know. I’ve been up all night and my back was killing me. Then I thought I might throw up…and then it felt like I was being torn in half. Now I just want to make it to my bed and sleep for a week.”
They exchanged a look, before Clint came over and helped you stand.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were in labor. Sounds just like when Laura had all three of ours.”
You shook your head sadly.
“It’s not possible. I can’t get pregnant.”
Nat chuckled, “I mean, it would explain FRIDAY…”
Another jolt of pain ripped through you and Clint had to hold on tightly to keep you upright.
“Son of a mother flipping biscuit!”
Nat was suddenly there at your other side, eyeing the sweat beading on your forehead. You felt Clint’s hand on your lower stomach as you desperately tried to breathe.
“Yeah, that’s a contraction. We need to get you to medical.”
“It’s. Not. Possible.” You ground out.
“FRIDAY, can you run a scan and prove me right please? That extra heartbeat you’ve been hearing is Barnes-Rogers baby to be.”
“You’re wrong…” But, it did make sense. Your periods had been pretty light recently. You’d been dizzy a lot, chalking it up to working to much and forgetting to eat. You started to panic. If you were having a baby, you had done a terrible job taking care of it the last nine months!
“I detect an additional heartbeat and my scans show the addition of a second, smaller skeleton inside Miss Twinkle’s abdomen.”
“So. She’s pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“Told you so kiddo.”
You couldn’t breathe. You hadn’t talked to the boys about kids because you didn’t think it was possible. For years you’d been told it would never happen. Now, here you were about to give birth to a baby you were definitely not prepared for.
“I can’t do this. I can’t have a baby!”
“You are, and you can. Come one, one step at a time back to the elevator.” Clint was being so nice, but all you could think about were your two boyfriends. Currently on a radio silent mission with no scheduled return date.
“Nat?”
She looked at you and you could tell she knew exactly what you were thinking.
“I’m on it. Clint, get her to medical.”
She was off, running in the opposite direction. She’d get you your men.
The medical team was not prepared for a sudden unexplained birth. Your already frayed nerves were at their breaking point.
“CLINT!” He had run off to call Pepper and see if she could have someone make a diaper and formula supply run. However, at the sound of your screams, he came running back in.
“I’m here. I’m here.”
You grit your teeth through another contraction. They were almost right on top of each other now. Barely a few seconds between bouts of excruciating pain.
“They don’t know what they’re doing. I need you to either tell them what to do, or just do it! If I’m having a baby…Get. It. Out!”
He had never looked at you like he was afraid of you, but in this moment, you thought he might be. He jumped into action though, instructing the doctors and nurses everything he remembered from his children’s births.
Steve and Bucky were in the middle of a shootout with Sam flying over head when a brand new voice sounded in their ears.
“Boys. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to get your butts back here.”
“Can’t really do that right now Nat.”
“Yeah. We’re a little busy.”
“It’s Twinkle.”
Their blood went cold.
“What happened?”
“She’s in medical. But you need to come home. She needs you. A team is already en route to pick up the mission.”
“Nat. What aren’t you saying?”
Silence, then, “I’ll tell you when you get here. Just, get here. Now.”
Then she was gone. But, all three men were hauling ass back to their quinjet.
When they landed, Nat was waiting in the hangar for them.
“Is she okay?”
“What happened?”
She eyed them carefully for a moment.
“You remember how before you left FRIDAY was registering an extra heartbeat all over the compound?”
They nodded.
“Have you heard of the television show ‘I didn’t know I was pregnant’?”
Sam barked out a laugh, “Are you joking? You have to be joking.”
“Nope.”
Steve and Bucky looked between the two confused. It wasn’t clicking for them yet.
“What does this all have to do with Twinkle?”
“Where is she?”
“How did she figure it out?” Sam asked as he hustled to the elevator.
Nat pulled up an image on her Stark pad, “When it went all Alien chest burster on her.”
“Awwwwww! I can’t. That is too cute.”
“What the hell is happening?”
Nat finally took pity on them as the elevator doors opened to the medical wing.
“Congratulations boys. You have a daughter.”
They froze, their eyes bugging out of their heads as they took it in. You had told them you couldn’t get pregnant, but now, you had had a baby? And they hadn’t been here…
Tony saw them and hustled over.
“Did she tell you? She’s a real cutie. Looks just like Twinkle, thank goodness. I’d feel bad for her if she looked like either of you. Twinkle refuses to let me do a DNA test…see who the baby daddy is. Says you’re both Twinkie’s fathers.”
“STOP CALLING HER TWINKIE! MY BABY IS NOT A SNACK FOOD!” You bellowed from your bed.
It was the sound of your voice that broke the two super soldiers from their stupor. They both rushed to your side, staring at the tiny bundle in your arms.
“I’m so glad you’re finally here.” You had started crying, but you were smiling up at them.
“We’re so worry we weren’t here, Doll.” Bucky had already slid into bed with you, his left arm wrapped around your shoulders. He couldn’t take his eyes off your baby.
“You we’re pregnant this whole time?” Steve looked at you confused still.
“I didn’t know…I swear, she came out of nowhere.”
Steve nodded slowly, his eyes filling with tears. He looked at Bucky and saw the other man was already crying. So, he sat down on your other side and wrapped his arms around the three of you.
“What are we naming her?”
“Could you hand me my phone?”
You brought up your knees and propped the baby up so you could show them what you’d found.
“I thought, if it’s okay, we could name her Calypso. It means…she who hides…”