When she arrives, the house is in an uproar. Laura's mother has slipped and broken her arm. She'll be out of surgery soon, and Laura is packing a bag in preparation for spending the night at the hospital.
Natasha waves her off and drops her bag in the room that has become hers. She hasn't made it out to the farm in several months, but she still has a change of clothes in the closet, and a bottle of shampoo on the dresser.
A few hours later, they're in the middle of a game of hide and seek. Natasha looks for ten minutes without seeing a trace of the children, impressed and happy to see that they've been practicing their camouflage techniques. She walks towards the shed, scanning the horizon for any sign of movement, but is distracted when a car pulls up.
The woman who gets out is middle-aged and conservatively dressed, and moves as if she's in pain. She's not a threat. Natasha returns her greeting and the woman peers past her towards the house.
"Is Laura here?"
Natasha shakes her head. "No", she says, a lifetime of watching what she says keeping her from providing any details.
Barton appears around the side of the barn. "Mrs. Schneider", he says, "I see you've met Natasha."
The stranger's eyebrows lift so high it seems they're trying to escape her face. "And who is Natasha?"
"Natasha and I work together." Clint's terse explanation doesn't seem to satisfy the woman's curiosity.
"And where is Laura?", Mrs. Schneider asks.
"Hospital", Clint answers. "Her mother had surgery. She'll be home tomorrow."
The woman looks at Natasha as if she's done something wrong. "How nice of Natasha to stay to help with the kids. Please tell Laura I wish her mother a speedy recovery."
"Will do", Clint replies. As the woman drives away, he throws his arm causally around Natasha's shoulders and leans down to whisper, "How does it feel to be a homewrecker?"
He's not surprised when he finds himself on his back on the gravel drive.
…..
She's always known she'd never have kids. It's not like she'd know what to do with a child, and she's never been the nurturing type.
She turns the page, and Princess Elizabeth dares the dragon to fly around the world. Clint's daughter snuggles close and shouts with her, "Hey, dragon!"
They finish the story, and young arms wrap around her. "'Night, Auntie Nat." Natasha presses a kiss to the child's head.
She's always known she'd never be a mother.
But she's starting to wonder if maybe she could have been a good one.
…
She doesn't love him, not the way Loki meant.
That doesn't mean she wanted to kill him. She would have, if she had to, but she's not sure she ever would have recovered. His death would have haunted her.
She watches him hug his wife for just a little too long and knows that she wouldn't be here if he were dead. She'd have lost this family that she's grown so fond of along with her best friend.
The kids come running in, and he lets go of Laura to toss them in the air as they squeal with joy.
No, she doesn't love him.
Love is for children.
