The newest member
A few years after Penny and MJ’s wedding, their life had become a delicate balance between work, family, and the constant struggles that came with Penny's pregnancy. The couple had been eager to build a family, but Penny’s journey had been anything but easy. Though they had initially used an anonymous sperm donor to conceive, the path had been full of heartache, physical challenges, and deep uncertainty.
In the beginning, Penny was optimistic—perhaps too much so. But soon, the symptoms began to take their toll. She was plagued by severe morning sickness that didn’t end after the first trimester, leaving her weak and exhausted. Fatigue was a constant companion, and she would often fall asleep at her desk at Stark Industries, only to wake up feeling even more drained. Her body ached as though it were fighting against her, and on top of that, the mental strain was starting to show.
The worst part, however, was the fear that she might lose Cece, the child they had hoped for. Penny’s medical team had warned her that her pregnancy was at high risk, and there were multiple close calls. A month ago, she had suffered severe cramps and bleeding, forcing her to spend a night in the hospital. The doctors had managed to stabilize her, but the fear of losing her child was a constant, nagging thought in the back of her mind. She couldn’t even shake the dread when she went to sleep at night, terrified that when she woke up, the worst would have already happened.
Penny would look at her reflection in the mirror some days, her face pale and drawn, and wonder how long she could keep going. How long could she pretend to be the superhero she once was when she could barely lift her own head some mornings? Spider-Woman, the confident fighter who had stood beside the Avengers countless times, felt like a distant memory. She missed the thrill of action, the adrenaline of fighting with her team, but now she felt nothing but weak and vulnerable. The worst part was that she didn’t know who she was anymore.
MJ, always by her side, tried to hold it all together. As her partner, she supported Penny through every high and low, but even MJ was beginning to crack. She hated seeing Penny suffer, knowing there was so little she could do. Still, she put on a brave face for Penny, ensuring that everything seemed normal, despite the storm raging behind the scenes.
But then, everything changed on that fateful day.
The day they were about to reveal to their team at Stark Industries that Penny was pregnant, Team Cap decided to crash the party. Uninvited, as always.
It all started when Penny stood before Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety. She’d kept her pregnancy a secret for so long, and revealing it to the people she considered family—Tony, Pepper, and the rest of Team Iron Man—felt like a huge step. She was terrified of how they’d react, but she knew it was time. The team had already supported them through so much. But as soon as Penny opened her mouth, the doors of Stark Tower were thrown open, and Team Cap entered uninvited.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Tony’s voice thundered as he stepped forward, glaring at the group.
Steve Rogers—Captain America—looked unfazed, his expression hard. “We need to talk, Stark. This has gone far enough.”
The tension in the room was palpable, but before anyone could respond, the room erupted into chaos. Winter Soldier fired the first shot, sending a blast toward the team, and the fight began.
Penny's body was already overwhelmed from the pregnancy, but she tried to keep pace with the battle, instinctively trying to protect MJ and her unborn child. However, the physical toll was too much. Her vision blurred as she stumbled, feeling dizzy. The dizziness became so severe that she was unable to steady herself.
“Penny, don’t—” MJ tried to reach her, but Penny was too disoriented. She couldn’t hold on any longer. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor. The next thing she knew, she felt a sharp pain as something cold and jagged stabbed into her side. A scream ripped from her throat as she looked down to see blood pouring from the wound.
Steve Rogers had caught her off guard, his shield inadvertently striking her with brutal force. Penny’s heart raced as she staggered backward, clutching the injury. The pain was unbearable, and the shock of the injury sent her into a daze.
MJ screamed her name, her voice breaking. “Penny! No!”
Penny’s world began to darken, her body heavy and unresponsive as the blood continued to pour from the wound. She tried to stand, tried to fight back, but her body refused to cooperate. Her vision faded, and the last thing she remembered was MJ’s terrified face hovering over her, pleading with her to stay awake.
And then, everything went black.
When Penny awoke, she was in a medical bay at Stark Tower, surrounded by Tony, Pepper, and MJ, who were all staring at her in horror.
“Penny?” Tony’s voice was strained, his usual bravado replaced by genuine concern. “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.”
But Penny didn’t feel okay. She felt broken. Her body felt weak, her side aching, and the overwhelming fear of losing Cece hung over her like a dark cloud. She had been stabbed, something she had never experienced before, and the emotional toll was just as devastating as the physical. How could she protect her child when she was so vulnerable? She couldn’t even protect herself.
Tony had been furious when he found out that Team Cap had been responsible for the attack. He made it clear to Steve Rogers that there would be consequences, but Penny couldn’t focus on that. She was too consumed with her own fear.
“I—I can’t do this anymore, MJ,” Penny whispered, her voice weak and shaking. “I’m not strong enough. I can’t protect her. I can’t even protect myself.”
Tears filled MJ’s eyes as she held Penny’s hand. “You are strong enough, Penny. You are. We’ll get through this together. You’re not alone.”
But Penny couldn’t shake the feelings of inadequacy. She felt like she had failed as a hero, failed as a partner, and now, she feared she would fail as a mother. She hated that she couldn’t fight anymore, that she had been reduced to this fragile state where even the simplest tasks felt impossible.
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Penny had known, deep down, that this pregnancy had pushed her body past its limit. She had felt it for months—the exhaustion that never faded, the pain that never dulled, the feeling that her body was fighting against her at every turn.
But she had held on, had fought, because she wanted this. She wanted Cece.
She had thought she could push through just a little longer. But as she gripped the couch, gasping from the sudden rush of liquid between her legs, she realized she had been wrong.
Her vision blurred as a contraction ripped through her body, her knees buckling beneath her.
“MJ—” Penny’s voice wavered, panic seeping in. She knew something wasn’t right.
MJ was by her side in an instant, already helping her to the door. “Okay, baby, I’ve got you. Deep breaths, we’re going to the hospital.”
Penny tried. God, she tried. But every step felt heavier, every breath weaker. Something was wrong.
Something was so, so wrong.
The Emergency
By the time they reached the hospital, Penny was barely conscious. Her contractions were too close together, her heart rate erratic. The doctors moved quickly, voices blending into a chaotic mess around her.
“We need to get her to delivery now—”
“Fetal heart rate is dropping—”
“She’s losing too much blood—”
MJ held onto Penny’s hand, refusing to let go, but she could feel Penny’s grip weakening.
“Penny, stay with me,” MJ pleaded, her voice breaking. “You promised. You promised me, Penny.”
Penny tried to focus, tried to hold on, but the darkness was creeping in, pulling her under.
She was losing.
She was losing this fight.
A sharp beeping sound pierced the room.
“Her blood pressure’s crashing!”
“Penny?” MJ’s voice was filled with terror.
And then, everything stopped.
The beeping turned into a single, flat line.
The room froze.
“She's coding—get the crash cart!”
MJ’s world shattered.
The Moment She Slipped Away.
Everything blurred together after that.
A rush of nurses. A doctor’s urgent shouts. MJ being pulled back as Penny’s body jerked from the force of the defibrillator.
MJ couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think.
Penny wasn’t moving.
The love of her life, the strongest person MJ had ever known, was slipping away.
“Come on, Penny,” a doctor muttered, pressing down on her chest. “Don’t do this. Come on.”
MJ was sobbing now, clutching the fabric of her hoodie over her heart. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.
This wasn’t how their story was supposed to end.
“Please,” MJ whispered, voice breaking. “Come back to me, Penny.”
No response.
No movement.
Nothing.
The Fight Back to Life.
Just as the last sliver of hope began to fade—
A gasp.
A choked, ragged gasp filled the room.
The heart monitor beeped again, weak but steady.
Penny was back.
MJ let out a sob of relief as Penny’s body twitched, her eyelashes fluttering weakly.
She was alive. Barely.
But she was here.
MJ rushed to her side, brushing sweat-soaked hair from Penny’s pale face. “You scared the hell out of me,” she whispered, her voice shaking.
Penny’s lips barely moved, but she forced out the words anyway.
“I—tried... I—” Penny coughed weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t—feel good.”
MJ swallowed hard, wiping her tears away. “I know, baby. I know. But you’re here. You made it.”
Penny's fingers twitched against MJ's hand. She was still weak, still barely hanging on.
And then, as if the universe hadn't tortured her enough—
A scream echoed through the room.
Cece.
Their baby was coming.
And Penny was barely strong enough to keep her eyes open.
The Final Battle
The next hour was a fight against time.
Penny had lost too much blood. She was slipping in and out of consciousness, barely aware of what was happening. The doctors had no choice but to rush her into an emergency C-section.
MJ wasn’t allowed in.
She was left in the waiting room, alone.
Time stretched on endlessly. She paced. She prayed. She begged the universe to just let Penny have this—just this one thing.
Then the doors burst open, and a nurse rushed toward her.
“Ms. Watson? Your daughter—she’s here. She’s safe.”
Relief flooded MJ so fast she nearly collapsed. “And Penny?”
The nurse hesitated.
MJ’s heart stopped.
“She’s... she’s still fighting.”
The Aftermath
Penny didn’t wake up right away.
She was too weak, too drained. The doctors weren’t sure how long it would take. They weren’t even sure if she would wake up.
MJ sat by her side every single second, Cece tucked safely in her arms.
“Come on, Penny,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to her wife’s knuckles. “Cece’s waiting for you. I’m waiting for you.”
No response.
MJ bit her lip, fighting back the fear clawing at her throat. “You told me we were gonna do this together. That means you don’t get to leave me here alone, okay?”
A long silence.
And then—
Fingers twitching.
MJ’s breath hitched. “Penny?”
A quiet groan. Then a slow, weak blink.
MJ nearly sobbed in relief.
Penny's lips parted, her voice hoarse.
“Did... did we make it?”
MJ pressed a kiss to her forehead, tears spilling freely now. “Yeah, baby. We made it. Cece’s here. She’s okay. We’re okay.”
Penny exhaled shakily, her body trembling with exhaustion. But then she turned her head just slightly, her tired eyes landing on the tiny bundle in MJ’s arms.
Her daughter.
Their daughter.
A weak, broken sob escaped Penny’s lips.
MJ carefully placed Cece in Penny’s arms, watching as Penny struggled to even lift her own hands. But when she finally held her baby for the first time, something in her shattered completely.
She had fought. She had lost. She had almost died.
But she was here.
And for the first time in a long, long time—
She didn’t feel like she was losing anymore.
She had won.
She had Cece.
She had MJ.
And that was all she had ever needed.