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ericadawn16Title: Friends to the End: The One with the Backyard Wedding
Author: Ericadawn16
Prompt: The wonderful mash-up of Friends and Avengers
Character/Pairing(s): Phil/Clint, Previous Jessica Drew/Clint, Bobbi Morse/Steve Rogers, Tony/Pepper, Thor/Jane, Peter Parker/Mary Jane, Clint/Wanda, Maria Hill/Bruce Banner, Kurt Wagner/Amanda,
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nah, nothing worse than the film...maybe a bit angstier and gorier in this chapter.
Spoilers: Post-Movie AU, also some Thor 2 spoilers
Summary: Professor Xavier has a proposition for Clint and Jessica Drew, Frigga visits Loki's bedside, Jessica Jones and Luke have a special day and Kate's real birth certificate is found.
Beta: BIG Thanks to lavendergaia and valoscope
Edit: I realized I needed an additional scene at the end and tweaked one of Frigga's lines. Also, the Hello Kitty bag is from TheScarletAvenger.
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The One with the Backyard Wedding
January 26, 2018
"I guess it's because he's a god but I really don't understand any of this," Bruce admitted in Loki's room on the Medical Floor. His patient was still in a coma but recovered enough to have vital signs monitored as well as a breathing tube and other necessities. He also still required gauze on the worst areas.
Tony picked something up from the bedside table and started tossing it around.
"It still puzzles me about the blood transfusion. It's when he started getting better but it shouldn't have worked at all. Thor's Asgardian. Loki's a Jotun. They're completely different species," Bruce complained. Tony looked thoughtful.
"I remember a story a few years back where they gave a cat a blood transfusion from a dog and that worked," he said after a bit. Bruce set down the Stark pad with Loki's latest readings.
"I suppose it could be like that. Jotuns probably wouldn't have antibodies against Asgardian blood but it gets weirder than that," Bruce spoke. After holding it in for two months, it felt good to finally tell someone and he found himself not caring that Tony would probably mention it to others. It was partly a mystery and partly a secret so he saw how Tony's brown eyes lit up with intrigue.
"Afterwards, I took part of the blood sample SHIELD had on hand from Loki before and I typed it as best I could. Then, I did the same with a sample from Thor and..." Bruce still hesitated. It was going to sound either ridiculous or that he was incompetent. "As best I could tell, they have the same blood type."
Tony's eye narrowed for a moment.
"Could be a number of reasons. My equipment might not be calibrated properly for them. Jotuns and Asgardians might have some common ancestor or something else we're not thinking of," he said. "Don't worry yourself about it too much. Most of these flowers are from Thor or his mom. I mean, look at this. Who gives a guy in a coma a fart machine?"
He held the object he'd been throwing around and pressed a button on it so a loud fart resounded. Bruce smiled and Tony chuckled.
Bruce couldn't help thinking that maybe he should have mentioned it to Hank instead.
"What about Jane? Have you mentioned it to her?" Tony asked. Bruce gave him a look.
"Because an astrophysicist would be an expert on matters of biology," he retorted.
Tony smirked.
"Obviously not, but at the moment, apart from you, she seems to have the most experience on this planet unless you're planning on visiting Asgard or something," he explained.
It was sadly true.
"Maybe Phil might know someone better. I know he has an expert named Randolph," Bruce said with a shrug.
*****************************************************************************
Clint couldn't seem to get comfortable. They were top of the line leather chairs but he couldn't decide whether it was a physical or mental problem.
His arm hurt. It was amazing how much pain bones knitting themselves together could be and he was trying not to be on as much pain killer. It interfered with his alcohol and coffee drinking. He also kept bumping his cast on everything. Plus, he was trying to hide the drawing that Wade had done on it. It was a bit explicit. Tumblr had loved it but the parents' groups? Not so much.
He was in Xavier's office with his ex-wife; Jess, her current wife; Vange and his current wife; Bobbi. Xavier's office always felt full of things that would take several years to buy even on an Avenger's salary. Clint was also normal which was a bad way of putting it but some of the kids at Charles' school definitely let him know that. Their scared stares made him want to punch whoever had taught them to fear those like him. It showed how important Xavier's refuge was.
"I invited all of you here today to talk about Ben," Charles started. "He's a very, bright lovely boy and he's turning four soon. Isn't that correct?"
"Yes, next month," Jess with a shake of her head. It seemed so unbelievable. It felt like just yesterday he'd held his son for the first time.
"And have you been looking into preschools?" Xavier asked.
"Well..." Jess started and looked at him before continuing. "I'd like him to get the best education possible which seems most likely at a private school and there have been a number of offers for-"
"Everyone wants Ben because of who we are, not because of him. They just want to be able to say they have this celebrity kid. I hate it. I think it might be better for him to be at a public school around kids without that all the time," Clint explained. "But..."
"That could be very challenging for a boy with Ben's special gifts. If he were to start climbing up a wall or flying, how would either school react to that situation?" Charles spoke.
"It worries me," Vange admitted and Clint saw Jess take her hand.
"I have an idea. Everyone is quite fond of Ben here from Vange taking him with her to work. What if he were to come here, to us, for preschool?" Charles asked.
Clint immediately looked at Jess. They had never thought this was an option.
"Is anyone qualified for a four year old? Isn't everyone else older? Middle school and up?" Bobbi asked.
"Unfortunately, it has been necessary from time to time to take in younger students. None have been as young as Ben but I feel confident that we can achieve the set guidelines and beyond. Since Ben would be the only pupil in his class, he can receive one on one interaction but we could still have play dates and recess with some of our younger students," Charles spoke. "We could try it until July and that would still leave time to find another preschool for the fall if you're unsatisfied."
Clint looked at Jess and Vange and knew they were at an agreement.
"Let's do it," he said.
Charles nodded before speaking, "We can decide a specific date later. I'm sure Ben will be very happy here."
********************************************************************************
Darcy had about five open projects on her laptop. At the same time, her iPod was playing The Ramones. All of this didn't prevent her from hearing an odd sound. She looked up and startled. Her earbuds fell out.
"Thor's mom! Err...Lady Frigga, Your Royal Highness? Shit, I don't know what to call you. Shit, I said shit," she said and covered her mouth before anything else could come out. She wanted to disappear.
The goddess smiled and her blue eyes twinkled as she held Loki's hand.
"You may call me Frigga, Darcy. I understand that we've never been introduced," she said. Her voice made it seem like everything had always been fine and would always be fine. It was a bit hypnotic.
"Right, because I wasn't invited on her Asgard trip and then, you were dead and then, you weren't and Thor acted like that never happened. Why aren't you dead?" Darcy asked. She knew she was supposed to be more respectful except she'd been stressed for a couple months. It was a little better now that Phil was back on active duty but still...
"I suppose you'd guess that Loki was exhausting as an infant? We had a jest between the two of us that his screaming was the real reason he'd been left behind but in those brief moments of silence, his green eyes were so focused on everything and he'd smile. I'd always hope the smile was for me and..."
Frigga trailed off. Her fingers focused on the light curls popping out of Loki's head bandages.
"It's supposed to be temporary from all the trauma and medicine," Darcy explained before the other could ask. The older woman frowned for a second.
"A parent isn't supposed to have favorites. I always meant to love all of them equally but it seems that the child sometimes picks their favorite. Thor went to Odin, then Heimdall and as they grew older, Heimdall's sister and Loki. Balder went to Loki first, and then Thor and now he listens to his companions foremost," Frigga spoke. There was sadness in that last sentence. Darcy often forgot there was a third brother but she knew it wasn't like the myths. He wasn't dead, just away.
"Loki always came to me. For every scrape, every illness, every teasing and disappointment, he came to me. I only wished to remedy every malady. At first, that was a simple task. Then, they began studying war and the teasing started. Loki was younger and shorter of stature. Thor was an impossible comparison so I taught him another way," Frigga spoke and entwined their fingers. "I taught him how I was taught to fight as a woman. My folly should have been clear. Despite his success, the methods bought him more teasing and I developed a new plan. Loki should be taught magic. I begged the All-Father but my husband would not budge. He feared that magic would bring about Loki's undoing; the undoing of us all. I saw only the tiny baby who'd cried in my arms."
Darcy wasn't sure how this was answering her question but she listened anyway.
"I taught Loki the science of magic and how to control it. I wished to give him peace but instead, it was as Odin feared. It made his destiny almost complete. The Norse on your planet had many prophecies that were distorted into myths. We wished to stop Loki from becoming his prophesized self but in doing so, we made him into precisely what we feared," Frigga spoke. "But I have a mother's hope for him, I always will."
"And you have prophecy yourself, right? All the stories say you can see the future," Darcy pointed out.
"And sometimes, the future comes to me," Frigga said with a sad smile. "You've studied our culture, do you know of Hela?"
"Sure, but she doesn't exist. We've asked. Loki says he only has sons," Darcy spoke.
"Because he has yet to make her acquaintance," she explained. "This is why I have such confidence in his waking. She came to me in Valhalla and took me back. Her only reasoning was that her father would need me."
Darcy wasn't sure what to think. Loki had a daughter he hadn't met who sounded just as impulsive although it was a little sweet that she cared about him that much.
"Is she all...zombieish like the stories? Half-dead and everything?" she asked. Frigga laughed.
"The trouble with prophecies is that they can easily become distorted. Details are lost. The meanings of words for that era in time slip away as the mouths who said those same words burn into the sea. There were details that are wrong and she is one of them. Perhaps her beauty was seen as unnatural for being given the task at hand," she said.
It reminded Darcy of when Jane was musing aloud.
"So, Loki can have kids who aren't...weird?" Darcy asked. At this, Frigga frowned.
"I know Loki has feared this as well. I should have fought harder against taking them away, but Odin was convinced that prophecy of Ragnarok was sound and that the separation was needed or Loki would cause it just as it said," Frigga spoke. "His first born was conceived by two horses and thus, was a horse. The next two were monsters due to their other parent who was a monster at her very core. She seduced a man who was little more than a boy and tried to destroy my family. Loki also has far greater control over his magic than that point. If he chose, he could plan exactly what the baby would look like."
An odd expression came over her face again and she studied Loki's unconscious form for a moment. Darcy felt a bit lost around her but there was a weird word that sounded important.
"Loki makes ravioli?" she asked. At least, she made Frigga smile again.
"Ragnarok, it's where Loki and his children, minus Sleipnir, bring about the end of the world; the end of everything. Everyone and everything dies in all nine worlds until it all begins again, new and better," she explained.
"That almost sounds good except for the dying part," Darcy commented.
"Dying is never pleasant," the other uttered.
"But if she doesn't exist yet, how did she save you? How did the Norse meet her?" the younger woman asked.
"In the older days, your people revered us as gods because of our powers. Then, others used those powers against them and they became fearful. Our battles became their deaths. For their own good, Midgard was kept separate. However, even now, when those among your own kind develop powers, you still fear them and pronounce them, 'Mutant'. Just as they can pass their particular talents from parent to child, so can we," Frigga explained and looked at Loki as she said the last sentence.
Surely, she didn't mean...
"Loki can travel through time and none of you felt this was relevant information?!" Darcy burst.
"Had you any suspicions that my son was capable of this?" Frigga asked.
"Well, no-"
"Then, it was never relevant and may never be such in the future either," she interrupted. "But your loyalty to Asgard is appreciated. You could have refused my eldest's request but you didn't. That speaks well of your character. I would like time alone with my son now."
Darcy knew that tone meant that there was no refusing her. She gathered up her things.
"Also, have Mr. Stark return the object that he stole from the table here," Frigga added. Darcy nodded and left the room.
***************************************************************************
Tony watched on the monitor as Natasha wrapped herself around Doom, pulled him down and broke his neck. He frowned and terminated the program. Natasha took the goggles off and looked down at the dummy robot that had been a stand-in for the villain in the simulation. His head had been ripped off from her enthusiasm and rolled across the lightly padded floor. It would be something he could fix later.
"You just had to do thirty-five seconds better than Rogers?" Tony asked with his usual snark.
"I believe that was the point in keeping track as you insisted," Natasha uttered. Even with words, there was no beating her. He pressed a button and let out a loud fart which made him laugh. She glowered.
"And what have you been up to this afternoon? Ordering another over-sized plush animal for Potts? Sparring with Rogers?" she asked with her arms crossed against her chest.
"No," he argued back. "She's made me promise not to do that again and Steve's doing that thing with Thor and Agent. I was visiting our sleeping beauty downstairs."
She uncrossed her arms to gather up her loose equipment.
"After all, you do have such a large stake in his waking up," Natasha spoke. Tony tried to hide his surprise. Did she mean what it sounded like she meant?
He walked out of the control room and into the main area before saying, "I'm not sure what you're trying to say."
"I think you do," Natasha countered. "If Loki fails to wake up, you and Rogers are stuck with each other."
Son of a bitch, how did she know everything all the time?
She smirked as she walked past him. Last spring, Tony and Steve had attended Clint's non-wedding to Wanda. The night before the failed wedding, Tony and Steve found themselves wanting to fuck each other senseless. It hadn't dissipated since although they had learned to deal with it and hide it from everyone else...or they had thought they'd hidden it from everyone else.
"Is this because Puck isn't coming around anymore?" Tony asked after her. He took it as a win when her steps faltered for a moment.
****************************************************************
"Hey Ben, do you want mama and mimi to set up the video game for you?" Jess asked.
"No, I do it myself," Ben insisted and walked towards the television. She didn't want to cry.
"I know that look," Vange said and hugged her. "You're still his mommy even when he's grown-up."
"Oh, you're right. One day, he'll be old...and die," she complained as images filled her head. Vange sighed.
"I swear that all the Avengers are the most melodramatic people in existence. He's still a little boy. He's just growing up...a little, but there advantages to this," her wife countered.
She sniffled and asked, "Like what?"
"We have more time for other things," Vange said before caressing her butt. Her mind was still a little upset but her body had other ideas.
****************************************************************
Phil didn't need JARVIS to tell him where to find Darcy. He already knew Thor had asked her to watch over Loki. Thor waited beside him with thinly veiled impatience that was still improved over when they had first met.
"If anything had changed, she would have told us," Phil spoke beside him in the elevator.
"I know," Thor agreed but his impatience was still palpable.
"I would also appreciate it if you didn't ask her to babysit your brother again. She has too many other things to do but she's too nice to tell you 'no'," Phil complained. "There are others around with an abundant amount of free time."
"I believe you're referring to Wanda who's suspended and Clint who's suspended while injured," the man guessed. Phil nodded after deciding not to correct his wording.
"I can't ask someone I barely know and Clint...," Thor paused. Phil looked away but could still see the Asgardian's troubled expression in the reflective metal of the walls. "After what my brother did to Clint, I could not ask that of him. How could I expect him to understand my devotion to whom most see as a lost cause?"
Phil was relieved by the ding of the bell that signaled their floor and the doors opening. However, it needed to be said.
"Thor," he said in a tone not used too often. Thor gave him his direct attention. "Of everyone you work with, Clint is the one person who would understand your situation."
He let that sink in as they walked to Loki's room. Phil knocked and walked in. Darcy gathered up her things at seeing him. Thor laid his hand on Darcy's shoulder.
"Thank you," he said and he watched Darcy's cheeks redden. Praise was seldom thrown her way although she deserved a lot of credit; more than she would probably acknowledge herself. She threw her laptop into a Hello Kitty case and they walked out of the room.
"No change?" Phil asked. Darcy shook her head. For the past several years, Phil had been staying with Loki at his penthouse apartment. It hadn't been Loki's idea but he did see the advantages. With Loki gone for so long, it felt so empty and quiet. On one hand, Loki was a villain who had killed him and tried to take over the world. On the other hand, Loki's coma was due to saving Thor's life and he did have his moments of not acting like an utter ass.
"But I do have other news," Darcy spoke and looked around for company. No one else was in the hall but they still entered an empty patient room and shut the door behind them.
"I found out how Loki knew about the attack in Las Vegas and who told him," she said. There was just a smidge of nervousness as though she didn't think Phil would like the answer.
"As we expected, Loki did have a different phone every six to eight weeks," she continued.
"You found Loki's phone numbers? You're a genius!" Phil declared. Loki never laid his phone where Phil could pick it up and made his own firewall around all his communications. Darcy's first task had been to account for every cellphone recorded in the area at the time of the battle.
"I had a hunch," she said in that previous odd tone. "Once I had the right phone, I could pull up records for it. Right before appearing in Las Vegas, he received a text with the coordinates for the hotel, that's all."
"So it was from a phone he knew well," Phil surmised. She nodded.
"But it was from a 212-555 number," she said. Her green eyes were nervous again and he began to understand why. This was an organizational matter in more ways than one.
"It was a SHIELD phone. Which batch? Who was in it?" he asked. SHIELD regularly had phones for use without being tied to a person. It was necessary for undercover work. Even SHIELD didn't know which exact phone went to which employee but they were checked out in batches so they knew one of the phones belonged to one of the twelve names of people who had checked out those phones.
"Everyone who went on the Paris mission," Darcy explained. This included Ava, Jessica and Tasha. Only one of those made any sort of sense. "Actually, Romanov checks out these phones on a regular basis."
"And she does a lot of undercover work," Phil pointed out.
"Using phone numbers for the batches with her phones, I had JARVIS look for odd text messages. With these, I was able to find Loki's phones. Romanov has been texting him since we went to London. Using the disposable phones, he has also been texting her back the same amount of time and it's not in friendship," Darcy spoke. She wasn't looking at him by this point. "It's pretty clear they're in a sexual relationship. Some of the texts are really more like...well...sexts."
"Are you sure?" Phil asked in disbelief. She nodded her head. "I've never seen anything out of the ordinary. They acted the same as always around me; as though forced to be in the same room together."
But wasn't she the best spy he'd ever seen in action? Hadn't she been able to lie to his face before without him knowing it?
"I know but...I wouldn't have told you if I wasn't sure and Romanov was at the battle before Loki arrived. She had the knowledge and the time to act on it," she stated. "It was what you asked for."
How would he explain this to Nick?
"Don't tell this to anyone else, I'll bring the matter to Fury," Phil promised. He'd find a way of protecting Natasha's secret even if it meant taking the fall himself.
"And speaking of Avenger's sex lives, what's the deal with Tony and Steve?" Darcy asked.
Phil was frowning before he even caught himself doing it.
"I'd prefer not to think about it," he replied. It was weird enough to think of his childhood idol being a normal sexual being without it involving Tony Stark of all people.
"One more thing about Natasha and Loki; they also changed languages with every phone and they've never repeated one: English, Russian, Norse, French, even Latin," Darcy explained.
"They talked dirty in Latin?"
"I know! Who does that? It's the geekiest thing I've ever heard of. Even Jane wouldn't do that," she spoke.
"Should I even ask how you would know that?" Phil asked.
"One: She tells me more than I'd ever want to know. Two: Her mom's flat has VERY thin walls," Darcy explained.
******************************************************************
Peter set the camera down on the chair for a moment as he got himself a cup of water. No sooner as he raised the cup to his lips, then Danielle tried to pick up the camera.
"Uh oh," the ten month old uttered as it crashed onto the hard tile of the kitchen floor.
"DANIELLE!" Peter screamed before he could get his composure.
"Hey man, no one talks to my god-daughter like that, not even you," Danny complained and picked her up. Peter was only half-paying attention as he inspected the damage. The image looked fuzzy and cracked like the crystal had been smashed but it didn't quite look like that. He turned it over to see the lens and his heart broke as he saw the lens itself was cracked. Peter moaned and Danielle started to cry. Danny started to comfort her. Who was going to comfort him? The wedding was going to start in fifteen minutes and he had wanted to take photos. Plus, it would be hard to keep up his Daily Bugle job as a photographer without a camera.
"Come on, Tiger," came Mary Jane's voice. He looked up to see her put a present on the coffee table with everyone else. Then, she went to him and put her arms around him. "Everyone has their cell phone and can take pictures. You have your money from SHIELD. You can buy an even better camera."
Peter knew she was right but he still felt like pouting because his toy had been destroyed and his next SHIELD allowance was already taken by school expenses. He knew it was selfish and even more immature than Danielle to be this upset over a thing. However, he wanted his moment.
Mary Jane kissed him on the lips which did serve as a distraction. Then, she took his hand and gave it a gentle tug before motioning towards the back yard.
"This must be why Susan Richards has a nanny," MJ spoke.
"She does? I didn't know that," Peter commented.
"Yeah, I could never decide whether it was the nanny's decision or Sue wants to look like the perfect working mother," she said.
"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"Well...it sets an unattainable bar for everyone else. She already has so many more resources even just comparing them with Jessica and Luke, but when I think of Renee- She's another journalism student but she has a two year old son and it's just so hard for her. The dad isn't around anymore. I don't understand. Why do some people have so much and others have so little?" she asked.
"I don't know," Peter uttered. "There were kids I used to play with when we were all little. Now, I see them panhandling or being arrested."
"At least you're making a difference. I feel so useless with my movie reviews and editorials for the college paper. I should be out there, like Leila Taylor, writing about the injustices of the world," she complained. He loved that about her. She already knew exactly what she wanted to be and do.
Peter still wasn't sure. He loved science but it was hard as a career. He'd need either government grants or to be hired by a corporation who would own the rights to anything he found or created. Of course, there was Stark Industries but he wanted to prove himself on his own merits instead of just from being Spider-Man.
"She used to go out with Falcon. I could introduce you, or at least get her email or something," Peter offered.
"Leila Taylor? Really?" MJ asked. Her mouth gaped open for a moment. Then, her blue eyes focused. "Okay, an email introduction but nothing more. I need to be more than just Spider-Man's girlfriend. I need to have my own success."
Peter grinned at how their thoughts were mirroring each other. Then, they took their places.
It wasn't much yet they managed to find a place for everyone at the small gathering even though it meant everyone standing up. Luke's parents had even bought an arch adorned with flowers for the occasion. Aunt May stood under it and gave a nod to Sam. He touched his iPad until the music changed into the standard wedding march. Danny came first with Danielle in his arms. She was dressed in a frilly party dress that Peter was sure would be stained by the end of it. They sat down. Then, Luke came out in a yellow tuxedo that matched his daughter's dress. M.J. whispered to him how cute it was.
"Dada!" Danielle yelled and he waved at her. A moment later, Jessica came out. She wore a white evening dress that looked like she could also wear it to Tony's next party.
Jessica halted by Luke's side and when their eyes met, Peter would have sworn they stifled a laugh. His aunt whispered something and the couple nodded.
"Mama!" Danielle yelled and held out her hands.
"I can't hold you right now, sweetheart. Give us a few minutes," Jessica spoke.
"If no one has an objection..." Aunt May started and raised an eyebrow. No one said a word. "Then, we can skip all of that preliminary. Luke Cage, do you take Jessica Jones to be your lawfully wedded partner in sickness and in health as long you both shall live?"
"Absolutely," Luke promised. Aunt May gave him a look. "I do."
They must have to say it for legal purposes.
"Jessica Jones, do you take Luke Cage to be your lawfully wedded partner in sick and in health for as long as you both shall live?" she asked.
"Oh, I do," Jessica said with a grin.
"Then, I now pronounce you man and wife so give us a kiss," Aunt May declared. Everyone laughed and they kissed before Danielle wiggled out of Danny's arms and toddled towards her parents. They picked her up and the three of them hugged. Then, Luke picked both of them up in his arms.
"Show off," Sam teased. Peter looked over and noticed Luke's parents were crying.
******************************************************************
"How's Bishop coming along?" Natasha asked.
"Katie is...hard-working. She picks up stuff quickly, very quickly and I'm not about to tell her either of that. I'm being understanding but she's still a brat," Clint spoke. She didn't comment on how many times Kate had asked them not to call her 'Katie'. Clint had never stopped calling her 'Nat' either.
"Are you ever around her and you have that feeling-"
"That she's familiar somehow," Clint finished for her. "But you can't place why."
"Yeah," Natasha agreed. She was glad not to be alone in this but it made the mystery stranger.
"Sometimes, I look at her and hear snippets of Beethoven, like a cello but Katie's never played for me," he spoke.
"Her eyes are familiar," she added. They'd figure it out. Secrets always came out eventually...most of them. Clint scratched at his cast. She knew it was bothering him again. "It appears we're on our own."
They both knew she knew this but she was trying to distract him from thinking too much. She also wanted a distraction from thinking too much.
"Yeah, her first mission after medical authorized her for light field work. If only broken arms healed as fast as broken ribs," Clint complained.
"Well, I suppose we could make the most of it," she said as she crossed her arms. "Naked poker, Fire Ball or the usual?"
"Bobbi knows you're my work wife but even she might have her limits," he replied.
"I thought as much," she admitted. "The usual then."
***********************************************************************
Darcy heard a booming knock and her door and knew who it was before opening it.
"Thor," she greeted.
"I'm a messenger of messages it appears. Mother bade me tell you not to tell anyone about what the two of you discussed," he started. Darcy had guessed that would be the case but still hated being told she couldn't do something. "And Tony thinks he has the information you seek."
Now, this she liked.
"JARVIS, where is he?" Darcy asked.
"He's in the lounge at the moment," he told her. Darcy shut the door and pressed the button for the elevator. It opened immediately and Thor entered with her.
"I know the doctors are supposed to be experts but none of them seem to agree on anything. One told me not to get my hopes up and that he may never wake up but he's come so far already. Then, another comes in and suggests I read his favorite book aloud," Thor complained.
"Why the reading?" Darcy asked.
"They think those like him might be able to hear everything like it was Odin-Sleep," he explained. Darcy stifled an expletive. His mom had set her up. She'd wanted Loki to hear everything for extra incentive to wake up. Or was it even more self-serving than that? Maybe his daughter hadn't been born yet and if she never did, then Frigga would have to go back to Valhalla.
"I just feel so powerless over the situation," Thor complained.
"You're doing all you can. He'd still be charcoal burgers if it wasn't for you," she pointed out. His face told her that it hadn't been the best thing to say. She decided to be silent instead.
Besides, Darcy was still stewing over his mother using her as Thor left for his own floor and she entered the lounge.
"What happened?" Phil asked.
"Frigga is more conniving than I thought," Darcy complained. She had expected Phil to be shocked...at least a little. Instead, he nodded.
"I've suspected that for quite some time. Most talent depends on genes and practice but you still need someone to show you how. Loki had to be taught how to manipulate people and when it comes to that, most people learn from their parents," Phil explained. His voice was soft and a little sad. He was in his relaxed mode.
"What's going on here?" Darcy asked.
"Nat and Clint are playing Chess. Tony rigged up a form of Wizard's Chess," Phil explained. She looked closer and saw that it was done through projected holograms but the pieces were physically attacking each other on command.
"Holy shit! That's awesome! Why don't we all have one?" she exclaimed.
"I only made the one," Tony said. Then, he came closer and whispered, "We can go over Kate's stuff later or somewhere else."
"No, it's fine. Pepper will find out anyway, Clint's mentoring her and Tasha did her psych eval," she insisted. Natasha perked up. Darcy hoped she wasn't being too forward. Everyone else called her Tasha. Sometimes, she missed being able to not care what everyone thought.
"I heard my name," Clint complained.
"Fury gave me a project when he first met Kate. He wanted me to find her real birth certificate," she explained. Phil crossed his arms.
"Katie Kate's adopted?" Clint asked in surprise.
"That was my reaction but then, her blood type isn't possible from the Bishops and the supposed surrogate was a struggling actress they paid off. I couldn't get any farther so I bought in JARVIS-"
"And JARVIS asked for my help," Tony interrupted. "It's a good thing, too. I had to do a lot of digging and hack into Derek Bishop's private files. I love when people digitalize everything. It makes this stuff so much easier," he explained as he leaned over a table that had turned itself onto a monitor. He pulled a document onto the screen.
"So this is what you've been up to," Pepper commented with her arms crossed.
"This is Kate Bishop's official birth certificate; three pounds, three ounces and seventeen inches long, born on August 16, 2004," Tony read.
"That's not right," Clint said immediately.
"She'd have to be premature," Phil concluded.
"Or she'd been a twin or multiple," Pepper added. Darcy didn't know anything about babies except that they were loud and always expelling things out of their orifices.
"That's what I wondered but her medical records never mentioned it so I looked up the other babies born that day at that hospital and I found 'Baby Girl Pratchett'," Tony explained and threw another certificate up on the screen.
"Baby Girl Pratchett is ten weeks premature and the time matches up with Bishop as well."
"But that's a death certificate," Darcy argued. She could read.
"Yes, a death certificate that corresponds with a lot of cash donated by the Bishop family to the hospital," Tony continued.
"He bought her," Clint spat.
"But...but you just don't buy another person," Darcy complained.
"It's kinder than killing to get a baby," Natasha said in a soft tone. It was one of those times when she was saying more than her words meant but Darcy was still focused on Kate being bought and her parents believing she was dead.
"What about her mom and dad? They never knew?" she asked.
"We have to find them," Pepper added.
"Now that's kind of interesting because when I read about her parents, it all made sense. Luckily, her death certificate had her parents listed: Michael Casper and Elizabeth Pratchett. Yep, one of the Bishops felt guilty enough that they gave Kate her mom's name as her middle name. Elizabeth was a cellist in various philharmonics and even performed for the president multiple times. It appears that Michael was a FBI agent so she inherited that part, too," Tony explained.
"If he was so good, wouldn't he have noticed something? Like his baby was still alive and kidnapped by a rich dude?" Darcy asked.
"No, because he died over four months before in some mission code-named 'Project Horus'. Elizabeth was in a car accident which caused her to go into labor but she also fell into a coma, never woke up. They took her off life support about six months later," he continued.
Kate would have been an orphan anyway. The information didn't make Darcy feel any better about the way Derek Bishop adopted her.
"But they probably left behind relatives, didn't they?" Clint asked.
"She didn't but he did; eight brothers and sisters that don't know they have a niece," Tony pointed out.
"Awful," Pepper commented with an odd look on her face.
"Fury was right about Kate being adopted and it's all messed up but I'm not sure why Fury made it seem personal," Darcy spoke.
"I'm sure Fury met her father. He's recruited from the FBI before for our agents. They come highly skilled already so it's convenient," Phil explained. That seemed to make sense.
"And Kate doesn't know any of this," Pepper uttered. "Maybe she won't even know until he dies."
Tony put an arm around her. Darcy had heard how Pepper had gone through something similar where it wasn't until her parents' deaths that she found out she'd been adopted.
"She's been through so much already this year. We shouldn't add to it," Phil insisted.
"You sure?" Clint asked. "Maybe she should know, maybe..."
"No, Phil's right. It's better this way for right now," Natasha argued. Darcy could count on one hand the number of times that Phil, Clint and Natasha didn't agree. It was like they were siblings except for having sex with each other so more like incestual siblings like Tumblr was obsessed with. The three of them looked at each other and
Darcy looked at Tony and Pepper.
"I'll make a copy of everything I found that you can take to Fury," Tony told her.
"And not accidentally give to Kate," Phil stressed with a glare at Tony. After a moment, Tony scrunched his face and agreed, "Fine."
"Frigga also said for you to put back what you took from Loki's table, whatever that was," Darcy added. Tony's expression turned into a smirk but her attention was interrupted by Phil leaving for the elevator.
"Something up?" she asked.
"No...no," he said shaking his head. "I just need to talk to Jasper about something."
She nodded
*********************************************************************
Danielle looked up at Jessica with quizzical brown eyes. Her mother smiled and stifled a laugh.
"Just hold it so Danny can take the picture," Jessica explained. Danny did so and Danielle dropped the handwritten sign proclaiming, My Parents Got Married! "Okay, Danny, Tweet it."
"Darcy's going to be pissed," Luke reminded her.
"I know but nothing can bring me down today. Everything was perfect. In fact, I'm feeling so generous that I'll let the Bugle have the exclusive. That should more than pay for the camera that Danielle broke," she said and hugged Luke close to her. There was something in his brown eyes. "What is it?"
With a shrug, he told her, "It feels the same. It doesn't feel any different than yesterday."
"What'd you want?"
"I wanted-" Luke started. "I wanted it to be more like when Danielle was born. As soon as I saw her, it felt like everything had changed."
She nodded.
"She's the best accident to ever happen to me," he continued. She sighed.
"She's getting older now and I think...I think we should stop referring to it that way-"
"But it was that way-"
"I know but she doesn't need to know that she was a 'forgot the condom' baby-"
"You want to lie to her?" Luke asked.
"Not lie, just evade a little. We can tell her the truth about the pregnancy itself and the birth and all of that but she doesn't need the other stuff until she can understand. She'll probably ask us herself once she realizes how she was born almost a year before we married," Jessica explained. "I don't want her thinking in any way that she's not wanted or that we felt forced into marriage."
"I don't want that either," Luke agreed. "Okay, I understand. We'll stop saying that around her."
"I love you," she spoke. He took her hand.
"I love you, too," he said back.
********************************************************
Author: Ericadawn16
Prompt: The wonderful mash-up of Friends and Avengers
Character/Pairing(s): Phil/Clint, Previous Jessica Drew/Clint, Bobbi Morse/Steve Rogers, Tony/Pepper, Thor/Jane, Peter Parker/Mary Jane, Clint/Wanda, Maria Hill/Bruce Banner, Kurt Wagner/Amanda,
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nah, nothing worse than the film...maybe a bit angstier and gorier in this chapter.
Spoilers: Post-Movie AU, also some Thor 2 spoilers
Summary: Professor Xavier has a proposition for Clint and Jessica Drew, Frigga visits Loki's bedside, Jessica Jones and Luke have a special day and Kate's real birth certificate is found.
Beta: BIG Thanks to lavendergaia and valoscope
Edit: I realized I needed an additional scene at the end and tweaked one of Frigga's lines. Also, the Hello Kitty bag is from TheScarletAvenger.
****************************************************************************
The One with the Backyard Wedding
January 26, 2018
"I guess it's because he's a god but I really don't understand any of this," Bruce admitted in Loki's room on the Medical Floor. His patient was still in a coma but recovered enough to have vital signs monitored as well as a breathing tube and other necessities. He also still required gauze on the worst areas.
Tony picked something up from the bedside table and started tossing it around.
"It still puzzles me about the blood transfusion. It's when he started getting better but it shouldn't have worked at all. Thor's Asgardian. Loki's a Jotun. They're completely different species," Bruce complained. Tony looked thoughtful.
"I remember a story a few years back where they gave a cat a blood transfusion from a dog and that worked," he said after a bit. Bruce set down the Stark pad with Loki's latest readings.
"I suppose it could be like that. Jotuns probably wouldn't have antibodies against Asgardian blood but it gets weirder than that," Bruce spoke. After holding it in for two months, it felt good to finally tell someone and he found himself not caring that Tony would probably mention it to others. It was partly a mystery and partly a secret so he saw how Tony's brown eyes lit up with intrigue.
"Afterwards, I took part of the blood sample SHIELD had on hand from Loki before and I typed it as best I could. Then, I did the same with a sample from Thor and..." Bruce still hesitated. It was going to sound either ridiculous or that he was incompetent. "As best I could tell, they have the same blood type."
Tony's eye narrowed for a moment.
"Could be a number of reasons. My equipment might not be calibrated properly for them. Jotuns and Asgardians might have some common ancestor or something else we're not thinking of," he said. "Don't worry yourself about it too much. Most of these flowers are from Thor or his mom. I mean, look at this. Who gives a guy in a coma a fart machine?"
He held the object he'd been throwing around and pressed a button on it so a loud fart resounded. Bruce smiled and Tony chuckled.
Bruce couldn't help thinking that maybe he should have mentioned it to Hank instead.
"What about Jane? Have you mentioned it to her?" Tony asked. Bruce gave him a look.
"Because an astrophysicist would be an expert on matters of biology," he retorted.
Tony smirked.
"Obviously not, but at the moment, apart from you, she seems to have the most experience on this planet unless you're planning on visiting Asgard or something," he explained.
It was sadly true.
"Maybe Phil might know someone better. I know he has an expert named Randolph," Bruce said with a shrug.
*****************************************************************************
Clint couldn't seem to get comfortable. They were top of the line leather chairs but he couldn't decide whether it was a physical or mental problem.
His arm hurt. It was amazing how much pain bones knitting themselves together could be and he was trying not to be on as much pain killer. It interfered with his alcohol and coffee drinking. He also kept bumping his cast on everything. Plus, he was trying to hide the drawing that Wade had done on it. It was a bit explicit. Tumblr had loved it but the parents' groups? Not so much.
He was in Xavier's office with his ex-wife; Jess, her current wife; Vange and his current wife; Bobbi. Xavier's office always felt full of things that would take several years to buy even on an Avenger's salary. Clint was also normal which was a bad way of putting it but some of the kids at Charles' school definitely let him know that. Their scared stares made him want to punch whoever had taught them to fear those like him. It showed how important Xavier's refuge was.
"I invited all of you here today to talk about Ben," Charles started. "He's a very, bright lovely boy and he's turning four soon. Isn't that correct?"
"Yes, next month," Jess with a shake of her head. It seemed so unbelievable. It felt like just yesterday he'd held his son for the first time.
"And have you been looking into preschools?" Xavier asked.
"Well..." Jess started and looked at him before continuing. "I'd like him to get the best education possible which seems most likely at a private school and there have been a number of offers for-"
"Everyone wants Ben because of who we are, not because of him. They just want to be able to say they have this celebrity kid. I hate it. I think it might be better for him to be at a public school around kids without that all the time," Clint explained. "But..."
"That could be very challenging for a boy with Ben's special gifts. If he were to start climbing up a wall or flying, how would either school react to that situation?" Charles spoke.
"It worries me," Vange admitted and Clint saw Jess take her hand.
"I have an idea. Everyone is quite fond of Ben here from Vange taking him with her to work. What if he were to come here, to us, for preschool?" Charles asked.
Clint immediately looked at Jess. They had never thought this was an option.
"Is anyone qualified for a four year old? Isn't everyone else older? Middle school and up?" Bobbi asked.
"Unfortunately, it has been necessary from time to time to take in younger students. None have been as young as Ben but I feel confident that we can achieve the set guidelines and beyond. Since Ben would be the only pupil in his class, he can receive one on one interaction but we could still have play dates and recess with some of our younger students," Charles spoke. "We could try it until July and that would still leave time to find another preschool for the fall if you're unsatisfied."
Clint looked at Jess and Vange and knew they were at an agreement.
"Let's do it," he said.
Charles nodded before speaking, "We can decide a specific date later. I'm sure Ben will be very happy here."
********************************************************************************
Darcy had about five open projects on her laptop. At the same time, her iPod was playing The Ramones. All of this didn't prevent her from hearing an odd sound. She looked up and startled. Her earbuds fell out.
"Thor's mom! Err...Lady Frigga, Your Royal Highness? Shit, I don't know what to call you. Shit, I said shit," she said and covered her mouth before anything else could come out. She wanted to disappear.
The goddess smiled and her blue eyes twinkled as she held Loki's hand.
"You may call me Frigga, Darcy. I understand that we've never been introduced," she said. Her voice made it seem like everything had always been fine and would always be fine. It was a bit hypnotic.
"Right, because I wasn't invited on her Asgard trip and then, you were dead and then, you weren't and Thor acted like that never happened. Why aren't you dead?" Darcy asked. She knew she was supposed to be more respectful except she'd been stressed for a couple months. It was a little better now that Phil was back on active duty but still...
"I suppose you'd guess that Loki was exhausting as an infant? We had a jest between the two of us that his screaming was the real reason he'd been left behind but in those brief moments of silence, his green eyes were so focused on everything and he'd smile. I'd always hope the smile was for me and..."
Frigga trailed off. Her fingers focused on the light curls popping out of Loki's head bandages.
"It's supposed to be temporary from all the trauma and medicine," Darcy explained before the other could ask. The older woman frowned for a second.
"A parent isn't supposed to have favorites. I always meant to love all of them equally but it seems that the child sometimes picks their favorite. Thor went to Odin, then Heimdall and as they grew older, Heimdall's sister and Loki. Balder went to Loki first, and then Thor and now he listens to his companions foremost," Frigga spoke. There was sadness in that last sentence. Darcy often forgot there was a third brother but she knew it wasn't like the myths. He wasn't dead, just away.
"Loki always came to me. For every scrape, every illness, every teasing and disappointment, he came to me. I only wished to remedy every malady. At first, that was a simple task. Then, they began studying war and the teasing started. Loki was younger and shorter of stature. Thor was an impossible comparison so I taught him another way," Frigga spoke and entwined their fingers. "I taught him how I was taught to fight as a woman. My folly should have been clear. Despite his success, the methods bought him more teasing and I developed a new plan. Loki should be taught magic. I begged the All-Father but my husband would not budge. He feared that magic would bring about Loki's undoing; the undoing of us all. I saw only the tiny baby who'd cried in my arms."
Darcy wasn't sure how this was answering her question but she listened anyway.
"I taught Loki the science of magic and how to control it. I wished to give him peace but instead, it was as Odin feared. It made his destiny almost complete. The Norse on your planet had many prophecies that were distorted into myths. We wished to stop Loki from becoming his prophesized self but in doing so, we made him into precisely what we feared," Frigga spoke. "But I have a mother's hope for him, I always will."
"And you have prophecy yourself, right? All the stories say you can see the future," Darcy pointed out.
"And sometimes, the future comes to me," Frigga said with a sad smile. "You've studied our culture, do you know of Hela?"
"Sure, but she doesn't exist. We've asked. Loki says he only has sons," Darcy spoke.
"Because he has yet to make her acquaintance," she explained. "This is why I have such confidence in his waking. She came to me in Valhalla and took me back. Her only reasoning was that her father would need me."
Darcy wasn't sure what to think. Loki had a daughter he hadn't met who sounded just as impulsive although it was a little sweet that she cared about him that much.
"Is she all...zombieish like the stories? Half-dead and everything?" she asked. Frigga laughed.
"The trouble with prophecies is that they can easily become distorted. Details are lost. The meanings of words for that era in time slip away as the mouths who said those same words burn into the sea. There were details that are wrong and she is one of them. Perhaps her beauty was seen as unnatural for being given the task at hand," she said.
It reminded Darcy of when Jane was musing aloud.
"So, Loki can have kids who aren't...weird?" Darcy asked. At this, Frigga frowned.
"I know Loki has feared this as well. I should have fought harder against taking them away, but Odin was convinced that prophecy of Ragnarok was sound and that the separation was needed or Loki would cause it just as it said," Frigga spoke. "His first born was conceived by two horses and thus, was a horse. The next two were monsters due to their other parent who was a monster at her very core. She seduced a man who was little more than a boy and tried to destroy my family. Loki also has far greater control over his magic than that point. If he chose, he could plan exactly what the baby would look like."
An odd expression came over her face again and she studied Loki's unconscious form for a moment. Darcy felt a bit lost around her but there was a weird word that sounded important.
"Loki makes ravioli?" she asked. At least, she made Frigga smile again.
"Ragnarok, it's where Loki and his children, minus Sleipnir, bring about the end of the world; the end of everything. Everyone and everything dies in all nine worlds until it all begins again, new and better," she explained.
"That almost sounds good except for the dying part," Darcy commented.
"Dying is never pleasant," the other uttered.
"But if she doesn't exist yet, how did she save you? How did the Norse meet her?" the younger woman asked.
"In the older days, your people revered us as gods because of our powers. Then, others used those powers against them and they became fearful. Our battles became their deaths. For their own good, Midgard was kept separate. However, even now, when those among your own kind develop powers, you still fear them and pronounce them, 'Mutant'. Just as they can pass their particular talents from parent to child, so can we," Frigga explained and looked at Loki as she said the last sentence.
Surely, she didn't mean...
"Loki can travel through time and none of you felt this was relevant information?!" Darcy burst.
"Had you any suspicions that my son was capable of this?" Frigga asked.
"Well, no-"
"Then, it was never relevant and may never be such in the future either," she interrupted. "But your loyalty to Asgard is appreciated. You could have refused my eldest's request but you didn't. That speaks well of your character. I would like time alone with my son now."
Darcy knew that tone meant that there was no refusing her. She gathered up her things.
"Also, have Mr. Stark return the object that he stole from the table here," Frigga added. Darcy nodded and left the room.
***************************************************************************
Tony watched on the monitor as Natasha wrapped herself around Doom, pulled him down and broke his neck. He frowned and terminated the program. Natasha took the goggles off and looked down at the dummy robot that had been a stand-in for the villain in the simulation. His head had been ripped off from her enthusiasm and rolled across the lightly padded floor. It would be something he could fix later.
"You just had to do thirty-five seconds better than Rogers?" Tony asked with his usual snark.
"I believe that was the point in keeping track as you insisted," Natasha uttered. Even with words, there was no beating her. He pressed a button and let out a loud fart which made him laugh. She glowered.
"And what have you been up to this afternoon? Ordering another over-sized plush animal for Potts? Sparring with Rogers?" she asked with her arms crossed against her chest.
"No," he argued back. "She's made me promise not to do that again and Steve's doing that thing with Thor and Agent. I was visiting our sleeping beauty downstairs."
She uncrossed her arms to gather up her loose equipment.
"After all, you do have such a large stake in his waking up," Natasha spoke. Tony tried to hide his surprise. Did she mean what it sounded like she meant?
He walked out of the control room and into the main area before saying, "I'm not sure what you're trying to say."
"I think you do," Natasha countered. "If Loki fails to wake up, you and Rogers are stuck with each other."
Son of a bitch, how did she know everything all the time?
She smirked as she walked past him. Last spring, Tony and Steve had attended Clint's non-wedding to Wanda. The night before the failed wedding, Tony and Steve found themselves wanting to fuck each other senseless. It hadn't dissipated since although they had learned to deal with it and hide it from everyone else...or they had thought they'd hidden it from everyone else.
"Is this because Puck isn't coming around anymore?" Tony asked after her. He took it as a win when her steps faltered for a moment.
****************************************************************
"Hey Ben, do you want mama and mimi to set up the video game for you?" Jess asked.
"No, I do it myself," Ben insisted and walked towards the television. She didn't want to cry.
"I know that look," Vange said and hugged her. "You're still his mommy even when he's grown-up."
"Oh, you're right. One day, he'll be old...and die," she complained as images filled her head. Vange sighed.
"I swear that all the Avengers are the most melodramatic people in existence. He's still a little boy. He's just growing up...a little, but there advantages to this," her wife countered.
She sniffled and asked, "Like what?"
"We have more time for other things," Vange said before caressing her butt. Her mind was still a little upset but her body had other ideas.
****************************************************************
Phil didn't need JARVIS to tell him where to find Darcy. He already knew Thor had asked her to watch over Loki. Thor waited beside him with thinly veiled impatience that was still improved over when they had first met.
"If anything had changed, she would have told us," Phil spoke beside him in the elevator.
"I know," Thor agreed but his impatience was still palpable.
"I would also appreciate it if you didn't ask her to babysit your brother again. She has too many other things to do but she's too nice to tell you 'no'," Phil complained. "There are others around with an abundant amount of free time."
"I believe you're referring to Wanda who's suspended and Clint who's suspended while injured," the man guessed. Phil nodded after deciding not to correct his wording.
"I can't ask someone I barely know and Clint...," Thor paused. Phil looked away but could still see the Asgardian's troubled expression in the reflective metal of the walls. "After what my brother did to Clint, I could not ask that of him. How could I expect him to understand my devotion to whom most see as a lost cause?"
Phil was relieved by the ding of the bell that signaled their floor and the doors opening. However, it needed to be said.
"Thor," he said in a tone not used too often. Thor gave him his direct attention. "Of everyone you work with, Clint is the one person who would understand your situation."
He let that sink in as they walked to Loki's room. Phil knocked and walked in. Darcy gathered up her things at seeing him. Thor laid his hand on Darcy's shoulder.
"Thank you," he said and he watched Darcy's cheeks redden. Praise was seldom thrown her way although she deserved a lot of credit; more than she would probably acknowledge herself. She threw her laptop into a Hello Kitty case and they walked out of the room.
"No change?" Phil asked. Darcy shook her head. For the past several years, Phil had been staying with Loki at his penthouse apartment. It hadn't been Loki's idea but he did see the advantages. With Loki gone for so long, it felt so empty and quiet. On one hand, Loki was a villain who had killed him and tried to take over the world. On the other hand, Loki's coma was due to saving Thor's life and he did have his moments of not acting like an utter ass.
"But I do have other news," Darcy spoke and looked around for company. No one else was in the hall but they still entered an empty patient room and shut the door behind them.
"I found out how Loki knew about the attack in Las Vegas and who told him," she said. There was just a smidge of nervousness as though she didn't think Phil would like the answer.
"As we expected, Loki did have a different phone every six to eight weeks," she continued.
"You found Loki's phone numbers? You're a genius!" Phil declared. Loki never laid his phone where Phil could pick it up and made his own firewall around all his communications. Darcy's first task had been to account for every cellphone recorded in the area at the time of the battle.
"I had a hunch," she said in that previous odd tone. "Once I had the right phone, I could pull up records for it. Right before appearing in Las Vegas, he received a text with the coordinates for the hotel, that's all."
"So it was from a phone he knew well," Phil surmised. She nodded.
"But it was from a 212-555 number," she said. Her green eyes were nervous again and he began to understand why. This was an organizational matter in more ways than one.
"It was a SHIELD phone. Which batch? Who was in it?" he asked. SHIELD regularly had phones for use without being tied to a person. It was necessary for undercover work. Even SHIELD didn't know which exact phone went to which employee but they were checked out in batches so they knew one of the phones belonged to one of the twelve names of people who had checked out those phones.
"Everyone who went on the Paris mission," Darcy explained. This included Ava, Jessica and Tasha. Only one of those made any sort of sense. "Actually, Romanov checks out these phones on a regular basis."
"And she does a lot of undercover work," Phil pointed out.
"Using phone numbers for the batches with her phones, I had JARVIS look for odd text messages. With these, I was able to find Loki's phones. Romanov has been texting him since we went to London. Using the disposable phones, he has also been texting her back the same amount of time and it's not in friendship," Darcy spoke. She wasn't looking at him by this point. "It's pretty clear they're in a sexual relationship. Some of the texts are really more like...well...sexts."
"Are you sure?" Phil asked in disbelief. She nodded her head. "I've never seen anything out of the ordinary. They acted the same as always around me; as though forced to be in the same room together."
But wasn't she the best spy he'd ever seen in action? Hadn't she been able to lie to his face before without him knowing it?
"I know but...I wouldn't have told you if I wasn't sure and Romanov was at the battle before Loki arrived. She had the knowledge and the time to act on it," she stated. "It was what you asked for."
How would he explain this to Nick?
"Don't tell this to anyone else, I'll bring the matter to Fury," Phil promised. He'd find a way of protecting Natasha's secret even if it meant taking the fall himself.
"And speaking of Avenger's sex lives, what's the deal with Tony and Steve?" Darcy asked.
Phil was frowning before he even caught himself doing it.
"I'd prefer not to think about it," he replied. It was weird enough to think of his childhood idol being a normal sexual being without it involving Tony Stark of all people.
"One more thing about Natasha and Loki; they also changed languages with every phone and they've never repeated one: English, Russian, Norse, French, even Latin," Darcy explained.
"They talked dirty in Latin?"
"I know! Who does that? It's the geekiest thing I've ever heard of. Even Jane wouldn't do that," she spoke.
"Should I even ask how you would know that?" Phil asked.
"One: She tells me more than I'd ever want to know. Two: Her mom's flat has VERY thin walls," Darcy explained.
******************************************************************
Peter set the camera down on the chair for a moment as he got himself a cup of water. No sooner as he raised the cup to his lips, then Danielle tried to pick up the camera.
"Uh oh," the ten month old uttered as it crashed onto the hard tile of the kitchen floor.
"DANIELLE!" Peter screamed before he could get his composure.
"Hey man, no one talks to my god-daughter like that, not even you," Danny complained and picked her up. Peter was only half-paying attention as he inspected the damage. The image looked fuzzy and cracked like the crystal had been smashed but it didn't quite look like that. He turned it over to see the lens and his heart broke as he saw the lens itself was cracked. Peter moaned and Danielle started to cry. Danny started to comfort her. Who was going to comfort him? The wedding was going to start in fifteen minutes and he had wanted to take photos. Plus, it would be hard to keep up his Daily Bugle job as a photographer without a camera.
"Come on, Tiger," came Mary Jane's voice. He looked up to see her put a present on the coffee table with everyone else. Then, she went to him and put her arms around him. "Everyone has their cell phone and can take pictures. You have your money from SHIELD. You can buy an even better camera."
Peter knew she was right but he still felt like pouting because his toy had been destroyed and his next SHIELD allowance was already taken by school expenses. He knew it was selfish and even more immature than Danielle to be this upset over a thing. However, he wanted his moment.
Mary Jane kissed him on the lips which did serve as a distraction. Then, she took his hand and gave it a gentle tug before motioning towards the back yard.
"This must be why Susan Richards has a nanny," MJ spoke.
"She does? I didn't know that," Peter commented.
"Yeah, I could never decide whether it was the nanny's decision or Sue wants to look like the perfect working mother," she said.
"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"Well...it sets an unattainable bar for everyone else. She already has so many more resources even just comparing them with Jessica and Luke, but when I think of Renee- She's another journalism student but she has a two year old son and it's just so hard for her. The dad isn't around anymore. I don't understand. Why do some people have so much and others have so little?" she asked.
"I don't know," Peter uttered. "There were kids I used to play with when we were all little. Now, I see them panhandling or being arrested."
"At least you're making a difference. I feel so useless with my movie reviews and editorials for the college paper. I should be out there, like Leila Taylor, writing about the injustices of the world," she complained. He loved that about her. She already knew exactly what she wanted to be and do.
Peter still wasn't sure. He loved science but it was hard as a career. He'd need either government grants or to be hired by a corporation who would own the rights to anything he found or created. Of course, there was Stark Industries but he wanted to prove himself on his own merits instead of just from being Spider-Man.
"She used to go out with Falcon. I could introduce you, or at least get her email or something," Peter offered.
"Leila Taylor? Really?" MJ asked. Her mouth gaped open for a moment. Then, her blue eyes focused. "Okay, an email introduction but nothing more. I need to be more than just Spider-Man's girlfriend. I need to have my own success."
Peter grinned at how their thoughts were mirroring each other. Then, they took their places.
It wasn't much yet they managed to find a place for everyone at the small gathering even though it meant everyone standing up. Luke's parents had even bought an arch adorned with flowers for the occasion. Aunt May stood under it and gave a nod to Sam. He touched his iPad until the music changed into the standard wedding march. Danny came first with Danielle in his arms. She was dressed in a frilly party dress that Peter was sure would be stained by the end of it. They sat down. Then, Luke came out in a yellow tuxedo that matched his daughter's dress. M.J. whispered to him how cute it was.
"Dada!" Danielle yelled and he waved at her. A moment later, Jessica came out. She wore a white evening dress that looked like she could also wear it to Tony's next party.
Jessica halted by Luke's side and when their eyes met, Peter would have sworn they stifled a laugh. His aunt whispered something and the couple nodded.
"Mama!" Danielle yelled and held out her hands.
"I can't hold you right now, sweetheart. Give us a few minutes," Jessica spoke.
"If no one has an objection..." Aunt May started and raised an eyebrow. No one said a word. "Then, we can skip all of that preliminary. Luke Cage, do you take Jessica Jones to be your lawfully wedded partner in sickness and in health as long you both shall live?"
"Absolutely," Luke promised. Aunt May gave him a look. "I do."
They must have to say it for legal purposes.
"Jessica Jones, do you take Luke Cage to be your lawfully wedded partner in sick and in health for as long as you both shall live?" she asked.
"Oh, I do," Jessica said with a grin.
"Then, I now pronounce you man and wife so give us a kiss," Aunt May declared. Everyone laughed and they kissed before Danielle wiggled out of Danny's arms and toddled towards her parents. They picked her up and the three of them hugged. Then, Luke picked both of them up in his arms.
"Show off," Sam teased. Peter looked over and noticed Luke's parents were crying.
******************************************************************
"How's Bishop coming along?" Natasha asked.
"Katie is...hard-working. She picks up stuff quickly, very quickly and I'm not about to tell her either of that. I'm being understanding but she's still a brat," Clint spoke. She didn't comment on how many times Kate had asked them not to call her 'Katie'. Clint had never stopped calling her 'Nat' either.
"Are you ever around her and you have that feeling-"
"That she's familiar somehow," Clint finished for her. "But you can't place why."
"Yeah," Natasha agreed. She was glad not to be alone in this but it made the mystery stranger.
"Sometimes, I look at her and hear snippets of Beethoven, like a cello but Katie's never played for me," he spoke.
"Her eyes are familiar," she added. They'd figure it out. Secrets always came out eventually...most of them. Clint scratched at his cast. She knew it was bothering him again. "It appears we're on our own."
They both knew she knew this but she was trying to distract him from thinking too much. She also wanted a distraction from thinking too much.
"Yeah, her first mission after medical authorized her for light field work. If only broken arms healed as fast as broken ribs," Clint complained.
"Well, I suppose we could make the most of it," she said as she crossed her arms. "Naked poker, Fire Ball or the usual?"
"Bobbi knows you're my work wife but even she might have her limits," he replied.
"I thought as much," she admitted. "The usual then."
***********************************************************************
Darcy heard a booming knock and her door and knew who it was before opening it.
"Thor," she greeted.
"I'm a messenger of messages it appears. Mother bade me tell you not to tell anyone about what the two of you discussed," he started. Darcy had guessed that would be the case but still hated being told she couldn't do something. "And Tony thinks he has the information you seek."
Now, this she liked.
"JARVIS, where is he?" Darcy asked.
"He's in the lounge at the moment," he told her. Darcy shut the door and pressed the button for the elevator. It opened immediately and Thor entered with her.
"I know the doctors are supposed to be experts but none of them seem to agree on anything. One told me not to get my hopes up and that he may never wake up but he's come so far already. Then, another comes in and suggests I read his favorite book aloud," Thor complained.
"Why the reading?" Darcy asked.
"They think those like him might be able to hear everything like it was Odin-Sleep," he explained. Darcy stifled an expletive. His mom had set her up. She'd wanted Loki to hear everything for extra incentive to wake up. Or was it even more self-serving than that? Maybe his daughter hadn't been born yet and if she never did, then Frigga would have to go back to Valhalla.
"I just feel so powerless over the situation," Thor complained.
"You're doing all you can. He'd still be charcoal burgers if it wasn't for you," she pointed out. His face told her that it hadn't been the best thing to say. She decided to be silent instead.
Besides, Darcy was still stewing over his mother using her as Thor left for his own floor and she entered the lounge.
"What happened?" Phil asked.
"Frigga is more conniving than I thought," Darcy complained. She had expected Phil to be shocked...at least a little. Instead, he nodded.
"I've suspected that for quite some time. Most talent depends on genes and practice but you still need someone to show you how. Loki had to be taught how to manipulate people and when it comes to that, most people learn from their parents," Phil explained. His voice was soft and a little sad. He was in his relaxed mode.
"What's going on here?" Darcy asked.
"Nat and Clint are playing Chess. Tony rigged up a form of Wizard's Chess," Phil explained. She looked closer and saw that it was done through projected holograms but the pieces were physically attacking each other on command.
"Holy shit! That's awesome! Why don't we all have one?" she exclaimed.
"I only made the one," Tony said. Then, he came closer and whispered, "We can go over Kate's stuff later or somewhere else."
"No, it's fine. Pepper will find out anyway, Clint's mentoring her and Tasha did her psych eval," she insisted. Natasha perked up. Darcy hoped she wasn't being too forward. Everyone else called her Tasha. Sometimes, she missed being able to not care what everyone thought.
"I heard my name," Clint complained.
"Fury gave me a project when he first met Kate. He wanted me to find her real birth certificate," she explained. Phil crossed his arms.
"Katie Kate's adopted?" Clint asked in surprise.
"That was my reaction but then, her blood type isn't possible from the Bishops and the supposed surrogate was a struggling actress they paid off. I couldn't get any farther so I bought in JARVIS-"
"And JARVIS asked for my help," Tony interrupted. "It's a good thing, too. I had to do a lot of digging and hack into Derek Bishop's private files. I love when people digitalize everything. It makes this stuff so much easier," he explained as he leaned over a table that had turned itself onto a monitor. He pulled a document onto the screen.
"So this is what you've been up to," Pepper commented with her arms crossed.
"This is Kate Bishop's official birth certificate; three pounds, three ounces and seventeen inches long, born on August 16, 2004," Tony read.
"That's not right," Clint said immediately.
"She'd have to be premature," Phil concluded.
"Or she'd been a twin or multiple," Pepper added. Darcy didn't know anything about babies except that they were loud and always expelling things out of their orifices.
"That's what I wondered but her medical records never mentioned it so I looked up the other babies born that day at that hospital and I found 'Baby Girl Pratchett'," Tony explained and threw another certificate up on the screen.
"Baby Girl Pratchett is ten weeks premature and the time matches up with Bishop as well."
"But that's a death certificate," Darcy argued. She could read.
"Yes, a death certificate that corresponds with a lot of cash donated by the Bishop family to the hospital," Tony continued.
"He bought her," Clint spat.
"But...but you just don't buy another person," Darcy complained.
"It's kinder than killing to get a baby," Natasha said in a soft tone. It was one of those times when she was saying more than her words meant but Darcy was still focused on Kate being bought and her parents believing she was dead.
"What about her mom and dad? They never knew?" she asked.
"We have to find them," Pepper added.
"Now that's kind of interesting because when I read about her parents, it all made sense. Luckily, her death certificate had her parents listed: Michael Casper and Elizabeth Pratchett. Yep, one of the Bishops felt guilty enough that they gave Kate her mom's name as her middle name. Elizabeth was a cellist in various philharmonics and even performed for the president multiple times. It appears that Michael was a FBI agent so she inherited that part, too," Tony explained.
"If he was so good, wouldn't he have noticed something? Like his baby was still alive and kidnapped by a rich dude?" Darcy asked.
"No, because he died over four months before in some mission code-named 'Project Horus'. Elizabeth was in a car accident which caused her to go into labor but she also fell into a coma, never woke up. They took her off life support about six months later," he continued.
Kate would have been an orphan anyway. The information didn't make Darcy feel any better about the way Derek Bishop adopted her.
"But they probably left behind relatives, didn't they?" Clint asked.
"She didn't but he did; eight brothers and sisters that don't know they have a niece," Tony pointed out.
"Awful," Pepper commented with an odd look on her face.
"Fury was right about Kate being adopted and it's all messed up but I'm not sure why Fury made it seem personal," Darcy spoke.
"I'm sure Fury met her father. He's recruited from the FBI before for our agents. They come highly skilled already so it's convenient," Phil explained. That seemed to make sense.
"And Kate doesn't know any of this," Pepper uttered. "Maybe she won't even know until he dies."
Tony put an arm around her. Darcy had heard how Pepper had gone through something similar where it wasn't until her parents' deaths that she found out she'd been adopted.
"She's been through so much already this year. We shouldn't add to it," Phil insisted.
"You sure?" Clint asked. "Maybe she should know, maybe..."
"No, Phil's right. It's better this way for right now," Natasha argued. Darcy could count on one hand the number of times that Phil, Clint and Natasha didn't agree. It was like they were siblings except for having sex with each other so more like incestual siblings like Tumblr was obsessed with. The three of them looked at each other and
Darcy looked at Tony and Pepper.
"I'll make a copy of everything I found that you can take to Fury," Tony told her.
"And not accidentally give to Kate," Phil stressed with a glare at Tony. After a moment, Tony scrunched his face and agreed, "Fine."
"Frigga also said for you to put back what you took from Loki's table, whatever that was," Darcy added. Tony's expression turned into a smirk but her attention was interrupted by Phil leaving for the elevator.
"Something up?" she asked.
"No...no," he said shaking his head. "I just need to talk to Jasper about something."
She nodded
*********************************************************************
Danielle looked up at Jessica with quizzical brown eyes. Her mother smiled and stifled a laugh.
"Just hold it so Danny can take the picture," Jessica explained. Danny did so and Danielle dropped the handwritten sign proclaiming, My Parents Got Married! "Okay, Danny, Tweet it."
"Darcy's going to be pissed," Luke reminded her.
"I know but nothing can bring me down today. Everything was perfect. In fact, I'm feeling so generous that I'll let the Bugle have the exclusive. That should more than pay for the camera that Danielle broke," she said and hugged Luke close to her. There was something in his brown eyes. "What is it?"
With a shrug, he told her, "It feels the same. It doesn't feel any different than yesterday."
"What'd you want?"
"I wanted-" Luke started. "I wanted it to be more like when Danielle was born. As soon as I saw her, it felt like everything had changed."
She nodded.
"She's the best accident to ever happen to me," he continued. She sighed.
"She's getting older now and I think...I think we should stop referring to it that way-"
"But it was that way-"
"I know but she doesn't need to know that she was a 'forgot the condom' baby-"
"You want to lie to her?" Luke asked.
"Not lie, just evade a little. We can tell her the truth about the pregnancy itself and the birth and all of that but she doesn't need the other stuff until she can understand. She'll probably ask us herself once she realizes how she was born almost a year before we married," Jessica explained. "I don't want her thinking in any way that she's not wanted or that we felt forced into marriage."
"I don't want that either," Luke agreed. "Okay, I understand. We'll stop saying that around her."
"I love you," she spoke. He took her hand.
"I love you, too," he said back.
********************************************************
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Date: 2013-12-18 07:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-23 07:08 am (UTC)