A/N As promised, here the first oneshot of the series. Yes, yes, I know, I should be writing my thesis, but what do you think is more fun?

Only a little explanation before I let you read the first shot. I dug up a list containing 120 titles for oneshots (it was a challenge on a German fanfiction site ages ago) and bit by bit I will (hopefully) put a text to every title. Suggestions and ideas are more than welcome. I already have some ideas for some titles but at the moment nearly enough. So if you want to read something and it fits a title and I think I can do it justice, you will probably see it here. Just PM me, alright?

Okay, but that's it, promise. Have fun reading the first oneshot and let me know what you think of it.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own anything of it. Sadly.

Title: Security Blanket (Prompt #67)

Characters: Natasha Romanoff

Word count: ~ 1080

The silver light of the nearly full moon found its way through the curtains and illuminated the farmhouse's kitchen in the middle of nowhere. The plates of the dinner earlier this evening still dried beside the sink, reflecting the moon's kiss. The quiet hum of the refrigerator was only interrupted by the oft clink of a mug placed on the counter. Usually, at this time of the night nobody should be in the kitchen anymore but in their beds. Well, there was nothing usual about the woman standing at the counter, her hands placed around the ceramic of the mug as if to warm them. Her red hair was bound in a loose bun at her neck, single strands had found their way out of it and framed her face. Her lean figure was clad in loose shorts and a simple top, her feet were bare on the wooden floor. Fatigue was shown in her green eyes as well as the horror she felt when thinking of sleep.

It wasn't the first night Natasha had been awaken by a nightmare. Nightmares were a part of her life since her childhood in the Red Room, but there were better nights than others. This one was a very bad one. The fight against Ultron was only a few months old and she and Steve had beaten the new Avengers into something that could be called a team. Benevolently speaking. With one eye squeezed shut and the other blind. From very far away. Still, they were good enough to hand it over to Steve alone for a few days so she could spend some time with her best friend and his family. Now that Nathaniel had been born, Clint had decided to retire and although she really was happy for him she also missed him in the HQ. Their apartments had been close enough for her to climb out of her window to his when she had had a nightmare and needed someone to ground her in the present. Natasha had hoped that a few days at the farm would help her but until now there had been no improvement. Now her hopes laid with this cup of tea to calm her nerves enough so she could get one or two hours more of sleep.

The sound of staggering steps let her look up. Lila stood in the doorframe, one corner her security blanket tight in one little fist. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night, sweetie?, Natasha asked softly. When being at the farmhouse she seldom was Black Widow but rather Auntie Nat. Never would she have thought that she also had a soft side, but Clint's children had found it with ease. And if she was honest, she enjoyed being Auntie Nat.

"I had a bad dream," Lila answered in a voice so quiet, Natasha had to strain her eyes to be able to hear her. "I thought mommy would still be up. You had a bad dream, too?"

Natasha nodded and extended her arm to signify the little girl to come closer.

Lila obliged and let herself be lifted by Natasha. "You have bad dreams often?"

"Very often," Natasha admitted, nuzzling the girl's soft hair. "You too?"

Lila shook her head. "No. But when I do, those are really bad dreams."

"What did you dream about? You wanna tell me?"

The little girl was quiet for so long that Natasha thought she wouldn't get an answer anymore. Then Lila lowered her head and used her free hand to play with Natasha's hair. "I dreamed dad and you would be gone again. But this time dad wouldn't come back." She looked at the spy-assassin with tears in her eyes. "You didn't protect daddy."

Natasha gulped but forced herself to remain calm. She really hoped this day would never come. She didn't want to be the one to tell Clint's family that they would have to do without him. "Look, sweetie, I will always look out for your dad. But he won't go on any missions anymore. You know why? Because he loves you and your brothers and your mom so much, that he doesn't ever wants to lose you. He will stay here, with you."

"Then who looks out for you? I thought daddy was your partner." Lila scrunched her nose while mulling this over.

"He is but there are other guys to look out for me. You remember Steve and Tony? If I need help, I could ask those two. That's why we are a team, we help each other," Natasha explained softly.

"Hm." Lila cocked her head. "What about Dr. Banner? Mommy said, you like him very much and he likes you a lot, too."

"Well, that's… complicated." Natasha felt her heart constricting. Still no leads on to where Bruce could be found although Fury dug up every pair of ears and eyes he had around the world. "Bruce is on vacation right now, but he will come back." Eventually. Natasha really wanted to avoid talking with a kid about her non-existing love-life. "Why don't the both of us get back to bed? You will be tired tomorrow if you stay up this long."

"What about my bad dreams?" Lila asked scared. "I don't want them to come back."

"They won't," Natasha promised softly, pouring the rest of her tea away and going towards the staircase. "You can sleep in my bed if you want. And as long as you have your blanket, none of us will have bad dreams. It's a magic blanket, didn't you know? It will protect you during the night."

"But why didn't it protect me earlier?"

"Because you didn't activate the magic," Natasha explained as a matter of fact. "You have to think of something really, really beautiful before going to sleep. Can you do this?"

"I think so."

Natasha opened the door to her bedroom and placed the girl on her bed and tucking her in before crawling under the blanket herself and holding Lila in her arms. "And now," she whispered, "now you close your eyes and think of something good, no matter what."

"Okay," Lila whispered back and squeezed her eyes shut. "Good night, Auntie Nat."

"Good night, sweetie." She felt the warmth Lila's body radiated and listened to the sound of her breathing. Not before she was sure the girl slept soundly she allowed herself to drift into sleep.

Lila didn't wake during the night due to a nightmare and neither did Natasha.