Omniscient POV
Natasha knocked on the door raptly and looked at Steve - who was holding James – who returned the look with an encouraging nod.
Laura opened the door. "Natasha?" she said, her eyes widening. "What…wha…why?"
Lila, who had been standing behind her mother, exclaimed "Auntie Nat!" and jumped into Natasha's arms.
Footsteps were heard as Clint came to the doorway, followed by Cooper and a waddling Nathaniel, Clint and Laura's 3-year-old son.
Natasha set Lila down with a "Good to see you too, kiddo," as she ran off back into the house, and then faced Laura and Clint, who were, to say the least, very surprised to see her.
"Hey, Clint. Good to see you," she said casually.
"Likewise, Nat, Cap." Clint said, giving Natasha a warm hug. "You…you two, actually…you look…different."
"Never tell a woman how she looks, Clint. Didn't Laura teach you that?"
Laura smiled, and stood to the side.
"You've brought Captain Rogers. Please, come in."
Natasha entered the house, followed by Steve, revealing the large bundle in his arms. And then Laura gasped, and Clint froze, as they both knew that he was holding something so terribly important and symbolic – something that was a baby.
"Everyone? Meet James." Said Natasha in a song-like tone, interrupting the Barton's shock.
Steve stepped through the doorway, following Natasha as Laura finally exclaimed, "Oh, Natasha!"
She smiled, taking her son into her arms, as she looked at both Clint and Laura.
"We've both been lying low for a couple of months." Explained Steve tersely as the adults and James walked to the kitchen. "But Nat's picked up some activity, and we need to get back. Has anyone contacted you, Clint?"
Clint shook his head. "No…no Avengers since…since Berlin."
Natasha paused, meeting Clint's eyes. "I'm sorry that had to happen."
"No – no, no. Just…it's not your fault. Just pretend it never happened."
She smiled sadly as she directed her gaze to the baby in her arms. "Can I put him here?" she said, indicating the couch.
Laura shook her head. "I'll put him on Nathaniel's old cradle. He's grown out of it, anyways."
"Thanks, Laura," she said, shifting the weight of the baby to her friend.
Clint, Steve, and Nat went to the kitchen, where Clint served a platter of cookies and a 2 glasses of orange juice. Both of them immediately started snacking.
A moment of silence, until Nat finished chewing. "Are you going back to the compound?" she asked.
Clint definitively shook his head. "Not unless the world ends."
Nat and Steve shared a glance as the way forward was clear. "We were thinking…." Steve started.
Laura returned, with Lila trotting behind her. "We were thinking of leaving James here. If that isn't too much for you." Finished Natasha.
The Bartons shared their own look, and Clint answered for both of them. "Of course you can. But you're parents now. Is it really a good idea to run off when you have a kid at home?"
Natasha's eyes widened, as Clint put what she had thought so extensively about into a few plain words. Steve, however, answered for her.
"Yes, we've thought about that. And yes, we know that it's dangerous. But we're one of the only people that make the world a better place, and we're doing it so our son can live a better life."
Clint nodded. "I respect that." It didn't take a genius to know that he really disapproved of what they were doing, but he loved Natasha – as a friend – long enough to cave in.
It took a while, but they finally got James settled in, and Nathaniel was only too eager to bug him around. However, it was painful for Steve and Nat to finally let go, after a final, tender moment between the tiny family, the parents were forced to spare a lasting glance at their son, memorizing their last moment, as they head out of the house.
Clint followed them outside, anxious to give some last-minute pointers.
"Where're you headed to now?"
Nat and Steve share another mutual look. It seemed that they now communicated in their own language, since discovering themselves and their feelings for each other.
"Syria. Some HYDRA thing there."
Clint nodded, and handed a duffle bag of supplies he had packed when they were saying goodbye to James.
"Here's some material to last you guys. Good luck."
With a final nod, he hugged Nat, and shook Steve's hand. And then, they got into their pickup truck, Laura and Clint watching from their porch.
