The Beginnings of a Team (August 1997)

Two months had passed since the incident with Incognitio and the destruction of their Battery Park home. They had moved in to a penthouse apartment temporarily while their home was being repaired. Finally, all the repairs were done and they had replaced everything that had been broken or destroyed inside. They had moved back in a week ago and were getting settled in. The effects of Isabella's severe concussion were long lasting. She had severe headaches and would sometimes have temporary short term memory loss. The doctors assured Tony that these effects would disappear in time, but she would need to avoid any more head injuries.

Isabella was currently in the kitchen fixing dinner. She was making Manicotti and she had asked Tony to set the table. Suddenly, the front door bell rang. Isabella heard Happy go and open the door. She could hear him talking to...someone, but she couldn't hear who it was or what they were saying.

Logan didn't really know where else to go. And he had wandered around enough already. He never really left New York. Xavier did contact him through his mind to tell him that he always had a place at the mansion. Logan knew he would not be returning though. Both he and Jean had suffered long enough.

He came in with just what he was wearing. Blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a brown, leather jacket. He had a green, military style duffel bag on his shoulder and he handed it to Happy who took it for him and held it away from his body as if it might not be exactly clean.

"So whats cookin? It smells delicious," Logan said as he looked at them.

"Come in Logan," Tony said uncertainly then sighed and moved to get another place setting down. He began to set it up.

Isabella blinked when she realized it was Logan. She and Tony didn't know Logan very well, but she did know that he had been in love with Jean, who was in a relationship with Scott. She began to wonder if that didn't have something to do with why he was here and not at the mansion.

"It's Manicotti. So, I gather you left the mansion?"

"Can I get a beer?" Logan asked as he looked around the room. Tony straightened and looked back at Isabella. "Sure," He said and moved to the fridge. He stopped, got out a beer then popped it open for him. He moved back to the dining room and handed him the beer from across the the table. Logan leaned over and took it from him then took a sip.

"Looks like you got it all fixed, I bet that wasn't cheap," Logan said as he looked around the house.

Isabella wanted to be welcoming and nice, but she wasn't entirely sure what was happening here. She saw Happy standing there with the duffel bag. She glanced at Tony and sighed. "Just put Logan's things in the first guest room. Thank you Happy."

Isabella went back to finishing up dinner. She put the salad bowl in the center of the table and then put down the baking dish of Manicotti. She asked Tony to pour some wine for himself and her and then she sat down. She waited while Logan and Tony dished out their food first.

"So, how long do you need a place to stay?" she asked Logan gently.

Logan wasn't certain about much of anything at this point. And so far he all but ignored Isabella's questions. He didn't want to answer them right then. Logan shrugged. "A day or two maybe, I'm not sure where I'm going," He said as he looked at the plate of food. "Whoa, that looks good," He said as he twitched his nose to take in the aroma. Tony popped the cork of the wine and poured 2 glasses half full. He set a glass down in front of Isabella's setting than another in front of his setting than sat down. They passed around the plates because the Manicotti dish was too hot to hold. Then they passed the salad bowl and bread. Logan set to right away. Tony clinked Isabella's glass with his and took a sip of wine.

The Manicotti was delicious. Infact everything was. By the time Logan said anything he had had 2 helpings. "So I was thinking that maybe you two could use some help. Ya know...doin the fighting bad guys thing," he said with his mouth full. Tony stopped chewing what he had in his mouth and swallowed hard as he looked at Isabella. He half expected something like this when Logan arrived but hearing it out like that still was a shock.

Isabella decided not to pester Logan with questions. She knew he would answer her when he was ready. She was glad she had made enough food though and before Logan could help himself to a third helping she prepared a plate of food for Happy. Happy refused to eat with them, but Isabella would prepare a plate for him. She put some silverware on the plate and then put it on a table out in the hallway, which was where she always put it. He would then eat and return the empty plate to the same place.

She walked over and sat back down just as Logan told them that he was thinking that they could use some help. She glanced at Tony and she could see he wasn't entirely sure. It had always just been the two of them. She decided to take a diplomatic approach to this though.

"So, what exactly are you proposing Logan?"

"Well, We could build...you know, are own little 'super' group. I might be the first besides you two to join but I doubt I'll be the last. The X-men are the X-men. You could name your group...something just as cool," He suggested. "Well, to be honest I've thought about that myself Logan. Isabella and I can't do it all and we've spent alot of our time in the suits. More and more I've been...getting this feeling. As if something big is going to happen. Big and terrible," Tony said as he poured Isabella more wine.

"Well that's my point exactly," Logan said as he leaned back in his chair. It creaked as if it might snap under his weight. And it might considering how heavy Logan actually was.

Isabella began to think more and more about the idea of a team and she began to like that idea quite a bit. She and Tony couldn't do everything themselves and she knew that Logan could potentially be a great asset to them.

She let Logan and Tony talk. She suddenly got up and grabbed a plate she began preparing a plate for Happy. She was upset at herself for not having done it sooner.

Tony continued to talk to Logan and he paused to put a hand onto Isabella's just before she spooned more Manicotti onto a plate. "You did that already," Tony said offhandedly. He did not make a big deal out of it and barely broke his stride in the conversation with Logan.

"Well, the worst that can happen is that it doesn't work out right?" Tony said. "There is workout equipment in the basement. You're welcome anywhere but the lab, the office and our bedroom Logan," Tony said. Logan just nodded as if he suspected as much. "I assume you have a medical plan?" Logan asked but then winked at Isabella. Tony chuckled. Logan would never need something like that. But it did bring up a good point. They really should be getting paid for putting their lives on the line like they did.

Isabella stopped when she felt Tony's hand on her own. She glanced at him when he told her she had already prepared a plate for Happy. She felt rather embarrassed and she just nodded slightly and then sat back down. Logan seemed like he could eat more so she handed the plate to him.

After dinner, Tony showed Logan around while Isabella cleaned up. Isabella was still upset over her short term memory loss episodes, but, as always, she tried to be strong. She was getting ready for bed and when Tony walked in he would find Isabella in their bathroom staring at a bottle of pills in her hand.

"I...I can't remember if I've taken these already," she said as tears came to her eyes.

Tony stepped up and wrapped his arms around her. "That's why we have these," He said and pulled out the daily pill box. You still have today's to take Isabella," Tony said as he kissed her cheek. He drew water into a glass and put the pills into her hand. He held the glass for her as she drank after she took the pills. He emptied the glass and set it back onto the sink.

"How about we 'sleep' in a while tomorrow morning," He said as he cupped her face into his hands and smoothed back her hair. "My beautiful wife," He said as he looked at her.

Isabella really felt like a mess that was being held together by Tony. He took care of her and made sure she took care of herself. She took the pills and handed the cup back to him. She couldn't help but smile a little at what he said. She knew what he meant by "sleep." She did want to discuss something with Tony though before they went to bed.

"So, are we going to pay Logan?"

"I think we all should be paid. What we do is very dangerous and it might come that we may not be able to do this forever because of that. I don't know what the X-Men do but I think we could pay him and give him a place to live," Tony said. "What do you think about that?" He asked her.

Isabella thought about what Tony said as she started to get ready for bed. She got out her nightgown and nodded. "I think that is reasonable if he's going to be helping us. So I guess we're forming a team now," she said as she looked over at him with a little smile. "Should we hold tryouts?"

Tony smiled at her question and noticed she was getting out her nightgown. "I think we can avoid that. We will seek people out, we will not be sought out though Wolverine did. I think he's proven he can be an asset. What he needs to prove is whether or not he can follow orders," he said.

"Oh you wont need that...tonight," He said offhandedly about her nightgown. He wasn't wearing anything under the covers either. "You just come here," He said in that way he did when he wanted her right then. And she knew he did. He almost always did.

Over the next few weeks Logan got settled in and they even showed him around the new Tower that was being constructed. Isabella began to notice that she wasn’t feeling like herself. She was forgetful (and not just because of her concussion) and she felt sluggish and tired all the time. Then, one day as she was looking at the calendar she realized her period was very late...several weeks late. She began to panic and asked Happy to go to the store and pick up a few pregnancy tests for her. She also asked him not to say anything to Tony or Logan. He got the tests and she locked herself in the bathroom and took one of them. It was positive. She then took the other two and they were also positive. She felt her panic begin to rise and she had Jarvis run a blood test. It was also positive. She was pregnant.

She knew she needed to tell Tony, but she wasn’t sure how he was going to react. The next morning they were alone together at breakfast. Tony’s mind seemed elsewhere right then, but she needed to just get it out.

“Tony, I’m pregnant.”

Tony was looking at a new report of the de-escalation of the middle-east. He knew it had alot to do with how fewer of hi weapons were now in circulation. That and the recent appearances of Ironman and Sapphire. He smiled at Isabella trying to get his attention. She had done 'other' things in the past to see if he was all there or not. He had liked some of those 'other' things too.

"If you want me to put the magazine down Isabella, you could just say so," Tony said with a grin as he put the magazine down and looked over at her.

Isabella looked across the table at Tony. She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking again.

“Tony, I’m actually pregnant. I took three pregnancy tests and even had Jarvis run bloodwork yesterday. I’m pregnant.”

Neither of them had wanted children, but they were going to have to get used to the idea now. She knew that at least her parents would be happy.

Tony's eyebrows rose and he blinked. He was about to ask her how it was possible but the look in her eyes was one had had only seen a few times. She needed his support right now. 'But who was going to support me?' He wondered. "Well...then I think maybe we need to get you to the doctor. Don't expecting mothers...uh...need stuff? Vitamins and such?" He asked. He was trying to be helpful. It was easier than actually thinking of himself as a father. No, he wasn't ready for that? "Do...you...feel pregnant?' He asked.

Isabella sighed. She could tell that Tony was not thrilled by the news. Of course, she wasn’t either. However, it was happening and they would just need to deal with it. She sighed a little at Tony’s questions. “I don’t know what I need to be doing right now. I’ll call my OBGYN today.” She no longer felt hungry and she pushed away her plate. “I feel a little nauseated.”

"I suppose we'll need a nursery then," Tony said. "And baby furniture. And we'll need to make a press announcement. And well...You know you can't get in that suit now," Tony said.

Isabella sighed and got up and picked up her plate and put it in the sink. "I know that," she snapped. She then sighed again and was quiet a second before looking at him. "I'm sorry. I'm just more than a little stressed about this right now. I just feel like my life has drastically changed and I'm trying to emotionally process it. Can we wait on the press announcement? I don't need the added pressure of having the press hounding me."

"I think we can. But not forever. I mean...when will you...you know, start to show?" Tony asked and gazed down at her belly a moment. He looked at her for a moment. "Honey...are you sure this is what you want? To have a baby?' Tony asked. When it came to this he was as open-minded as they came but he didn't think Isabella was. He still wanted her to know where he stood.

Isabella knew what Tony meant and she shook her head. "I can't do that Tony. If my parents found out they would kill me and if the press finds out they would ruin me. We're just going to have to make do as best we can."

Later that day Isabella called her OBGYN and set up an appointment for later that week for her to come in for her first appointment. She asked Tony to come with her and he agreed. Dr. White performed another pregnancy test just to confirm she was pregnant and then asked her a series of questions. Once that was complete she had Isabella lay back so they could do the ultrasound. Isabella flinched a little at the cold jelly that she squeezed onto her stomach and then she pressed this device against her belly and began to move it around a little. Suddenly, an image appeared on the screen next to her. Isabella wasn't quite certain what she was looking at until Dr. White pointed out a small shape to her.

"That's your baby," she told her with a little smile.

Looking at that screen and the small figure that looked like a jelly bean caused a switch to be flipped inside of Isabella. She felt her breath catch in her chest and tears come to her eyes. She felt a wave of love and protection come over her. She glanced at Tony and saw him staring at the screen and she wondered what he was thinking.