"I'll check on him later," Bruce said, obligingly pulling her closer. "I might be able to get him to talk to me. For now, we can stay here."

"Alright." Sim stayed curled in close to him, just trying to relax, even though her instincts were telling her to go make it up to her Alpha. She was good at ignoring her instincts, though.

After a little while longer, Bruce reluctantly got up and herded Sim back inside. It was getting dark and a bit cool out, and he was sure they would be more comfortable on the couch.

Tony, however, was stubbornly refusing to leave the garage. His instincts were clamoring; his Omega had already had a child with someone else, something had to be done about that. Except people didn't do shit like that anymore, and clearly Sim hadn't bonded with that other Alpha-Beta pair, so logically he knew there was nothing to worry about. His instincts just refused to understand that.

When Tony still hadn't emerged by dinner time, Sim poked at her food and then made her excuses and went to the far side of the house away from the garage. She quietly locked the door and shed anything that smelled like Bruce and Tony, instead burrowing in the bed and pulling out her phone. There was really only one person she could talk to.

I think I screwed up.

Ella was oveseeing the coffee shop while Sim was away, so it took her a few minutes to slip away to check the message. As soon as she did, though, she responded.

What happened?

Well, he's an Alpha. Maybe he needs some time to think. Even as she wrote it, she leaned over so she could see the others in the room.

"Quick question," she said. "If Tony was told something he may or may not have been prepared to hear, what would happen?"

"Binge building," Steve said, still looking at his book. "Lock himself in the lab for days."

"Live off coffee and sulk," Bucky said with a grin. "Why?"

Ha, right. Or he's just mad at me. Sim burrowed further into the blankets.

Sources say Tony locking himself away to sulk and build things is normal.

"Sim just texted me. She said she told Tony and Bruce about something important, and Tony's been in the garage ever since." Ella looked at them.

That got Steve and Bucky to look over at her.

"Something personal?" Steve guessed, because there wasn't much else Sim could have said to put Tony in a Mood.

"Very," Ella replied, nodding. "She's afraid she made him angry, and he's already been sulking for hours."

"He'll come out when he's ready to, no point in pushing him," Steve said. "He just needs to work himself out. It might take a day or two, though, with Tony."

"I'll let her know," Ella said, already relaying that to Sim. She knew Sim's son was a sensitive topic as it was; Tony overreacting was just making it worse.

Sim grumped at her phone and hid it under a pillow, making a little nest for herself and hiding out in there. If she had a way to get to a hotel right then, she'd take it. But she didn't, and she didn't know how far the nearest town was, so she'd just hide in the room until morning and then see about calling a cab.

The next morning, Bruce was up early making sure there was coffee, tea, and breakfast in the kitchen. Tony had shuffled out of the garage in the wee hours of the morning, and was currently at the table with his third coffee and a tablet, keeping himself occupied.

Sim hadn't emerged by mid-morning, still busy looking things up. At least until her phone rang at her, and she jumped. And then answered it.

By the time she hung up, she knew she was in trouble. She just had to figure out if it was time to screw the cab and just run or if she'd be okay staying.

It took a few minutes, but Bruce and Tony caught the scent of Sim's distress pheromones. Tony looked at Bruce, and Bruce nodded.

"I'll go check on her," he said. He headed towards the room Sim had stayed in the night before, and knocked.

Sim opened the door and looked at him for a moment. Then she ducked her head nervously, shifting her weight.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked. He could definitely smell her distress, and tried to counter it with some calming pheromones of his own.

"I, uh. I just got a call from the couple." Sim couldn't bring herself to look at him. "They wanted to know if I was interested in helping them again."

The calming pheromones stopped abruptly.

"Really, now?" Bruce asked, careful to keep his tone even.

Sim flinched anyway. Oh yes, she was in trouble. "I told them I'd have to call them back," she mumbled.

"I think it would be best if we discussed this in the kitchen," Bruce said, still working to keep himself calm.

"Alright." Sim waited for him to lead, following him into the kitchen but keeping a bit of distance. Her instincts here clamoring at her to take it back and make things right, but she couldn't just yet.

Tony knew something was up the instant the two came into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" he asked, watching them both carefully. "Looking a little green around the gills, Brucie."

Bruce just glanced at Sim and went to make himself some more tea.