Author's Note: This will hopefully be the first in what I'm hoping will be three or four more quick one shots that take place after Infinity War, but just before End Game. For this one, I'm going with a small rumor/theory concerning Steve and Natasha. It's not a very accepted theory, but I still think it deserves at least some exploration.
Please enjoy…
Total Decimation
Natasha hadn't felt nauseous in the morning when she woke up. She actually hadn't felt nauseous in days. She was finally able to look, see, smell; hell, even think about food without the urge to vomit. She stopped having the almost unquenchable craving for Buffalo wings. And now, when she needed to, she found herself sleeping again instead of staying awake for nearly a day or two at a time without any reason for not feeling tired. Most people would see all those things as good things. But they scared the hell out of her. It was a sense of dread from knowing something was wrong.
As she laid on the examination bed in the exam room, uncharacteristically thinking about saying a prayer, she thought back to that day. When Thanos eradicated half of all life. She watched as warriors all around the battlefield disintegrated into dust. She saw Steve collapse next to Vision's lifeless body. There was a rush of hurt, anger, and disgust for what was happening. Then there was a sadness when she couldn't find those that they all cared about. They searched until the sun went down and night had fallen for Sam and Shuri. But after a while, they had to admit that they had been killed in what was now getting called the Decimation.
But she was alive. And she hoped that meant she was completely alright. But, deep down, she knew she wasn't. She didn't tell anyone how she was feeling. She did what she always did. She compartmentalized, and handled what she could, and put off what she could until it was time to deal with it. Now, in a random clinic in Ames, Iowa, she wondered if she could handle the news she might get. Especially now since she was alone. Steve had stayed back in New York to help try and put some kind of order back in place. But she'd come to check on Clint, Laura, and the kids. The farm was deserted. All she found was a note form Clint saying "gone". She cried for an hour on the couch. The Bartons weren't blood, but they were the closest thing to family she had outside of the team.
That was when she decided to see the doctor. She had to be certain and put her nagging thoughts to rest. The clinic was understaffed – obviously so – but they still saw her. Payment was an issue at the moment since the fallout was still trying to be ascertained and medical services were pretty much being handled case by case.
The door opened, suddenly snapping her out of her reverie. The doctor stepped in, carrying a folder. She sat up as the doctor sat down in the rolling stool by the desk.
"Ms. Richards –"
He never got to finish. One look at his face. The sheer sound of his voice told her everything she needed to know. She only let him get out the alias she given when she signed in before she got up and walked out. She drove back to the farm, and went to Cooper's room. She didn't know why his. She could've just as easily gone to Lila's, or Nathaniel's nursery. But she was drawn to Cooper's. She sobbed uncontrollably as she looked around at the posters of athletes and sports teams. The video games just carelessly laying on the desk and the few toys that he still hadn't stopped playing with cluttering the floor. The little league trophy on the dresser. The picture of the team – before the break-up – that she'd made them all autograph for him. The clothes strewn about the floor. She could picture Laura getting after him to clean up and him whining that he'd get to it. He never would, she thought through the tears.
Finally, after hours of crying, she picked up her phone and made a call.
"Nat? How are Clint and the family?" he asked when he picked up.
"Steve, I have some bad news."
"They're –"
"I lost the baby."
Author's Note: Yes, I know, "But Black Widow said she'd been sterilized in the Red Room." However, if the sterilization process was simply tubal ligation (getting her tubes tied) instead of a hysterectomy (total removal of the uterus), then it would still be possible for Natasha to become pregnant. The chances would be VERY low, but they are there. Also, with the assumption that she can't get pregnant, if she and Steve did become lovers, they probably wouldn't see the need for protection, and you figure Super Soldier, then super…sperm, too. The chances are a little better. Like I said, not a very accepted theory, but I still it was a very emotional one.
