“You okay?” Peter asked MJ as he drove toward home from college. She had been unusually quiet lately.
“Yeah. Fine.” MJ smiled and reached out to squeeze his hand, “Sorry.”
“You could just tell me what’s going on, babe. I promise not to judge you—Whatever it is.” Peter squeezed her hand back, “I know you and I know something is off.”
MJ sighed, “I’ve been on my period.”
“Oh.” Peter’s eyebrows raised, “You don’t normally get quiet about that though.”
“For two weeks. And I was only off of it for 12 days total this month.” MJ’s eyes watered, “And I’m just starting to feel like I’m going crazy. I don’t know what to do and it feels like it’s never going to go away.”
“You know what caused this?”
“I think it’s that new sleep medication.” MJ admitted, “So I called my doctor and he told me to test coming off of it. But the waiting and testing is going to make me crazy. What if this isn’t it and something else is wrong and I’m ignoring it?”
“Did you try calling your primary instead?” Peter turned down the radio to give his fiancé more of his attention.
“Yeah.” MJ leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes,
“She said we need to just wait and see how it goes too.”
“Okay. I’m in this with you now. We’re going to get through this.”
“Promise?” MJ opened her eyes to glance at the love of her life.
“I promise.”
~
MJ walked out to the backyard of the lake house. They were having a cook out because of the surprisingly warm weather for the time of the year. She found Peter talking to his dad. She grabbed his hand and he smiled over at her, “Babe. Can I talk to you for a second?”
“I actually need to go find Morgan anyway.” Tony smiled at them before walking away to find his youngest child.
“What’s wrong?” Peter gave his fiancé his full attention.
She leaned her face against his chest and Peter wrapped her in a hug, “I don’t feel good.”
“You want to go lay down?” Peter rubbed a hand down her back trying to soothe her.
“No, I don’t want everyone else knowing I don’t feel good.” MJ insisted.
“So you just want?” Peter gave a soft smile.
MJ just shrugged but Peter didn’t miss that her eyes teared up. MJ hated being sick. She liked to be on the top of her game so her body being off for quite some time must really be impacting her mental health. Peter tugged her forward into a hug and MJ melted into him.
“We could go get a hotel?” Peter suggested.
“And tell them what?” MJ laughed.
Peter wiggled his eyebrows.
MJ hit him playfully on his chest, “Absolutely not.”
“Then I think they are going to figure out you’re not doing so hot.” Peter rubbed a hand up and down her back as they talked.
“Maybe they’ll think I’m just tired.”
“Not likely. They are looking over here.” Peter admitted.
“So I can just let myself cry then instead of forcing it down?” MJ asked.
“Permission granted.” Peter teased but when MJ openly started to cry he felt his heart crack. He wished he could fix this for her. He didn’t know what to do though, “Want to go get in pajamas and cuddle and watch movies?”
“We’re here for a cook out.” MJ reminded him.
“Funny enough—There are no real rules to this. We came for a cook out but everyone will go with a change of plans.”
“Then I think I just want to lay down.” MJ admitted, “But please don’t tell them what’s wrong.”
Peter frowned, “They aren’t going to judge you either. They love you."
“Peter?” MJ’s voice was pleading, “Please.”
“Okay. We won’t say what’s wrong then.”
~
Everyone adjusted to the change of plans really well. Tony and Peter finished cooking the food outside while everyone else made the living room as comfortable as possible. By the time Peter walked in MJ was already laying on the couch with a blanket draped over her. She had a heating pad over her stomach as well which he figured was his mom’s doing even if Pepper hadn’t had all the details.
Peter went upstairs and rinsed off and put on pajamas before coming downstairs where everyone else already had food and was ready for a movie. He sat next to his fiancé who leaned over to lay against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her. He would eat later. He had bigger more important things to do right now.
Morgan was soon sitting on his other side. She passed him a blanket, “So you don’t get cold, Petey.”
“Thanks Mo Mo.” Peter told his sister.
With that someone pressed play on Big Hero 6 which is a family favorite.
MJ cuddled even closer to him, “Love you.”
“Love you more.”
“Disgusting.” Morgan mumbled.
“Don’t insult dad’s cooking.” Peter teased.
“We both know she was talking about your cooking.” Tony winked.
“Everyone watch the movie.” Pepper said, “I love this movie and I never get to finish it because someone is always getting sick, shot, or injured while superhero-ing.”
“Sorry mom.” Peter’s cheeks grew pink.
“Not you, Baby. I love you. I’m talking about your dad.” Pepper smiled warmly.
~
MJ woke up with severe pain in her stomach. She got up and went to the bathroom and sat on the toilet for a bit but it didn’t release. She whimpered. The lake house didn’t have a connected bathroom to Peter’s room and she had never worried about that but now she wished it did. She cried out in pain.
“It appears that you’re in distress. I’m going to wake the boss.” Friday said.
“NO!” MJ said louder than she intended, “Can you just get Peter instead?”
“Protocol states—“
“—Fine.” MJ waived off the AI, “Do whatever you need to but get me someone to help, please.”
It wasn’t long before there was a knock, “I really need to clarify that protocol.” Tony said, “You okay? Want me to get Peter?”
“Umm.” Her voice was shaky, “Can you actually call 911? I think something is really wrong and then yes—I want Peter.”
She heard Tony on the phone with 911 as he walked to Peter’s room to wake him. It wasn’t long before Peter was opening the door enough to slide into the room, “I’m dying.”
Peter shook his head, “Not on my watch.”
“Can you help me stand up? I don’t want the paramedics seeing me without pants on if I can help it.”
Peter helped his fiancé get her clothes back. He rubbed her back as sobbed started to shake her body and she made noises that indicated she was in pain. He wanted to make it stop but he wasn’t a doctor and didn’t know how.
“Carry me downstairs? The paramedics should be here soon and that will be easier.” MJ told him.
“I don’t want to hurt you more than you are.” Peter disagreed, “We should just stay put.”
MJ nodded against his chest, “But my legs are shaking from the pain. I don’t want to fall.”
“I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”
~
“Wait, I’m riding with her!” Peter yelled at the paramedics, “Dad—Call someone! The media will get wind of this. I want our privacy!”
Tony nodded.
“I want to go with MJ!” Morgan cried, “I’m worried about her.”
“It’s okay. Petey’s going to take really good care of her.” Pepper soothed, “It’s still really late. You need to go back to sleep. I’m staying with you and dad’s going to the hospital.”
“I am?” Tony asked pointing at himself.
“Yes, our kids need you there.” Pepper smiled softly, “I’ll handle the media.”
“Love you!” Tony kissed Pepper’s cheek.
“Love you!”
“Well I love you 3000!” Morgan chimed in.
~
“A kidney infection? That’s bad, right?” MJ asked the doctor.
“It is, but we caught it in time. We’re going to get you started on some medicine and keep an eye on you overnight. You should be able to go home tomorrow but we’ll want to follow up in a week to test again and make sure the infection is gone.” The doctor explained.
“Thank you.” MJ and Peter said quietly.
“You should have told me the pain was worse than period stuff.” Peter laced his fingers with hers.
“I thought it was my period. I’ve been so miserable that I didn’t notice something else was wrong too.” MJ sighed, “Are you mad at me?”
“I could never be mad at you. I love you too much!”
~
Tony and Happy stood in front of the hospital room making sure no one came near the room who wasn’t welcomed.
“They’re good kids.” Happy said.
“They’re adults.” Tony corrected, “But yeah.”
“Anyone even tries to take a picture of MJ while she’s in pain. I’ll explain why I’m the head of security to them.” Happy threatened.
“We all love you too, Happy.” Tony told his friend with a grin.
“I mean it.”
“I know. I do too.” Tony laughed.
“She’s going to be okay?”
“Yeah, Peter’s got her!” Tony reassured. And he had raised that kid right. He knew Peter would stay awake all night to make sure MJ was safe and as comfortable as she could be. It reminded him of all of the times he had sat in the MedBay with Peter as a teenager. He loved taking care of those he loved and so did Peter.