The idea of staying in one place for too long never sat well with Natasha. The concept of putting down roots somewhere was never an interest of hers; it wasn't like she had much of a reason to. Staying somewhere too long only meant that she would compromise her beliefs on not getting too attached; yet here she was, living in New York for almost two years. At first, she had only anticipated living there for a few months or at least until the dust had settled but eventually months had turned into a year and before she knew it, she was reupping her lease for another year. In contrast to where she lived before, New York made it easy to blend in; you didn't stand out unless you absolutely wanted to which was perfect for Natasha. Prior to New York, she was living in California with an ex boyfriend of 5 years. Although she hated the people of Orange County, she loved Ivan. In the beginning stages of their relationship, Ivan was a diamond in the rough - so different than any other man she had encountered. He made her laugh and was fully devoted to making sure she was happy (at least she thought so). After the first year together, he started to slowly change. They argued on just about everything. The once gentle man had become controlling and aggressive which at the time, she shrugged off as him caring for her even if he hit her on numerous occasions. Like most women, Natasha had fallen so hard for him that she believed every word he said when he blamed her for the problems in their relationship. It wasn't until toward the end of the relationship that she had found out about his multiple affairs - dating back to the earlier months of their relationship. It was difficult to learn that the man she once thought so highly of was just as much as a dog as every other man. It's crazy how much you think you know someone and they turn out to be the exact opposite. She took this heartbreak as karma. Before Ivan, Natasha had been promiscuous. She dated multiple guys (sometimes at the same time) because she never truly believed any man was worth it.

The only reason she chose to come to New York was because of Clint and Laura. Clint had the ability to always know when something was wrong with Natasha even though she didn't openly tell him about her relationship issues; somehow he just knew. He had offered to let her stay with him which she declined immediately but then Laura got on the phone and practically gave her no other option. For such a sweet and kind woman, she could be rather convincing. At the end of the day, she was glad she took them up on that offer. The Bartons were the closest thing to a real family she had. Her parents passed away when she was young so she spent most of her life through the foster care system which was where she had met Clint. He was always protective of her and they were practically inseparable - he was like the annoying older brother she never wanted. Back then, he was a bit rough around the edges but once he met Laura, she had transformed him into the great man he was today. Natasha and Laura clicked from the moment they met; she gave off such a positive aura that made it almost impossible to not be immediately drawn in which was odd in itself since Natasha didn't have many friends. Natasha was lucky to have been able to be apart of such a welcoming family such as the Bartons; which was why she was there at there house for Taco Tuesday.

It had become a tradition for Natasha to have dinner at least once a week with the Barton family - Lila and Cooper made her pinky promise which she gladly did. Mundane activities such as dinner and game night were Natasha's sweet spots (not that she would admit it) since she never had the opportunity herself. Besides, she loved the kids with every fiber of her being - words couldn't even beginning describe the love she had for Lila and Cooper. They had to be the best little people on this planet; so well behaved and full of life - not to much little kids are hilariously honest. It made her wonder if there was a time she too was as free as the kids were. As if right on cue, the front screen door opened abruptly with the sounds of small feet running toward the kitchen.

"Auntie Nat!" The two small children yelled as they bombarded her with hugs.

"Hey there little monsters." She picked up Lila and gave her a tight squeeze and rustled Cooper's hair (since he said he was getting too old to be picked up). She placed the little girl down gently so the children could give their mom the same affection.

"Okay okay. Dinner is going to be ready soon. Go in the living room and do some of your homework." Laura gave both of the children a kiss before pushing them out of the kitchen. She knew from past experience that having Lila and Cooper in the room only created a big mess. Normally, she would at least allow them to assist in small tasks like washing the vegetables or adding a pinch of salt but she was far too pregnant to handle that much effort right now. With the first two kids, her pregnancy had been fairly easily; nothing out of the ordinary besides the usual morning sickness. However, this third child seem to be giving her much more trouble. She was nauseous all the time - unable to keep much food down. On top of that, she wasn't getting much sleep either with the uncomfortable constant kicks the baby was giving her - the child had its father's antsy tendencies. Despite being sick all the time, Laura never complained. Anyone else might have not been able to tell but Natasha could see right through the supermom facade.

"Hey Laura, go have a seat. I can finish the rest up." Natasha knew better than to think the woman would just listen to her without protest - she just wasn't wired that way.

"Nonsense. I'm perfectly fine" Laura waved it off with a head shake.

Natasha chuckled knowing that the topic was not open for negotiation. She took a quick glance at Lila and Cooper quietly doing homework and smiled softly. "You make some cute kids… Who would have thought Clint was capable of that" she teased lightly before strolling over to the cupboard to grab plates to set the table.

"Thanks. Those kids are just lucky they get their good looks from me" Laura joked back with a chuckle.

"I can't wait to see what little Natasha is going to look like.. How's she doing anyways" She set the plates down in their spots and then walked over to Laura to place her hand over the pregnant woman's belly and was immediately greeted with a soft kick.

"She's… Nathaniel" Laura gave Natasha an apologetic look. Natasha's smile quickly faded as she put on her straight face (pretending to be angry) and lowering her head so she was face to face with the belly. "Traitor." Of course she didn't care what the gender of the baby was; she was going to love her nephew regardless but she had hoped for another niece simply because Clint had promised to name the child after her if it were a girl. Suddenly the front door opened, catching both women's attention. It was far too early for it to be Clint. It didn't take long before they could hear the kids' excitement. "Uncle Steve. Uncle Steve!" The kids both yelled unable to contain their enthusiasm. It took him a few minutes to be able to break free of the kids' and actually make it into the kitchen. He stopped immediately when his eyes landed on Natasha, his mouth slightly opened with surprised. Even though she was caught off guard by his presence, she hid it behind a smirk.

"Hey stranger. Are you just going to stand over there staring or are you going to give me a hug?" She teased him and noticed the blush that was creeping across his cheeks. It had been a little over a week since they had made the declaration to be friends. Since then, they had exchanged texts and calls nonstop and even spent time together if their schedules permitted them to.

"Uh yeah." He quickly wiped the dumb look on his face and went over to give her a hug. The were unaware of the looks Laura was giving them until she had cleared her throat to let them know that she was still in the room. "Oh hey Laura. I brought that sour cream you asked me to get." He quickly walked over and placed the tub of sour cream on the table before giving Laura a quick hug. He excused himself to go back into the living room to hang out with Cooper and Lila. Laura waited til Steve was out of sight before her interrogation. Clearly she had missed something and she was about to get to the bottom of it.

"So you know know Steve huh?" The amusement in Laura's voice didn't go unnoticed by Natasha but she ignored it.

"Yep, met at Tony's wedding." Natasha shrugged nonchalantly. She stopped in the middle of what she was doing when she saw the mischievous smirk on Laura's face. "What?"

"Steve's cute" Laura tried to play it off casually with a shrug - subtlety never being her strong suit.

Natasha was unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She could see the matchmaker Laura start to come out of hiding. "We're just friends" she used the tone that let Laura know she was not about to have this conversation even though it didn't stop her from continuing.

"So you don't think he's cute?"

"He is" Natasha answered quickly before realizing she had fallen for the bait that opened the door to the conversation she was trying so hard to avoid. "Steve is a good looking man but we're friends."

"Mmhm" Laura said with a smirk on her face.

"Despite popular beliefs, two people can be just friends." The mere thought of being in another relationship made her sick to her stomach; to be that vulnerable again was not an option. It had nothing to do with Steve; as a matter of fact there was attraction there. She found him handsome and enjoyed his presence but it didn't mean she wanted to be with him. A friend was what she needed in her life right now - not boyfriend drama.

"All I'm saying is Steve is a good guy." Laura plated the food and set them on the dining room table. Natasha had to admit she admired the pregnant woman's impeccable timing. As soon as the food was on the table, Clint had walked through the front door. It never failed. He greeted everyone before making his way to his wife.

"Hey sweetie" Clint gave her a kiss on the lips before bending down to kiss her belly. "Hey baby" he cooed at her belly admirably. "Dinner smells great. Must mean Natasha didn't have any parts in the kitchen" he teased.

"Don't quit your day job Barton. Comedy isn't exactly your strong suit." Natasha smirked.

Laura shook her head at the two's banter."Dinner's ready" she yelled out into the living to let Steve and the kids know that it was time to eat. It didn't take very long for everyone to be seated at the table.

"The food is amazing" Steve praised Laura and thanked her for having him over.

"I can't take all the credit. Natasha did most of the work"

Natasha stared at Laura in disbelief. Thankfully, Steve hadn't noticed the look Laura had given them. "Laura's just being humble" she countered.

"Well either way, these are the best tacos I've ever had." He moaned as he took a bite of his taco. "You're a lucky man Clint."

"Mommy does make the best tacos" Lila added with a nod of approval.

"Ditto" Cooper added.

"I agree." Clint nodded his head with a proud smile on his face as he looked at his wife. "Honey, did the babysitter ever confirm she could watch the kids after school tomorrow?"

"Oh my god!" Laura's eyes widen. "I completely forgot to call her today." She started to ramble a bit before a light went off in her head. "Steve could you do us a favor and babysit the kids tomorrow?"

"Yes! Please Uncle Steve" the kids yelled in unison. They loved spending time with him since he always indulged in their games and answered all their questions.

"I never watched children by myself before" Steve answered with his brows furrowed. He didn't have any siblings so he never had the opportunity to ever babysit before - the army sure didn't have babies lined up to be watched. It was one thing to spend time with the kids but it was another to be alone and responsible for these tiny people. What if something went wrong and their parents weren't around to fix it? This was unfamiliar territory for him. Though the excitement in the kids made it hard for him to refuse such an offer.

"Oh I'm sure Natasha would love to help you. Isn't that right Nat?" Laura added with much enthusiasm that caused Natasha to glare at her discreetly. It's not that she had a problem with helping Steve but it was the hidden agenda Laura was trying to implement that bothered her.

"I don't think we need two people to watc-" Clint began to say before his wife kicked him under the table to shut him up. He gave her a confused look but knew better than to get in the way with whatever she was planning. Whatever it was, he decided he didn't want to know.

"Coop and Lila, wouldn't you love it if Uncle Steve and Auntie Nat spend the afternoon with you guys tomorrow?" And there it was. Laura had stooped low enough to bring in the niece and nephew card knowing damn well she couldn't refuse the kids.

"Please Auntie Nat" Lila said with a slight pout in her lip, giving her those adorable puppy dog eyes.

"Of course sweetie" she gave the girl a smile. "Guess we're babysitting tomorrow Rogers." She could see he was still uncomfortable with the idea of babysitting so she placed her hand over his and gave it a small squeeze to reassure him. "Don't worry, I'll teach you everything you need to know about these little rugrats."

He nodded his head still unsure but put a smile on his face. "Okay."

Meanwhile Clint had leaned over to whisper in Laura's ear to find out what was going on. "So why do we need two people to babysit our children"

Laura simply shook her head at her husband's cluelessness. Men were so dense sometimes. "Just trust me"

AN: I'm so glad some of you guys are enjoying this story so much. I am still working on the direction of this story (been distracting rewatching grey's anatomy) Give me feedback please.