Hey, look who didn't take a year to update this story!
I know it's a bit short (they always are), but it's just to properly space out the upcoming events.
I realized yesterday that this story is almost a year old. A year! It doesn't take to have a baby! But I promise, it's coming! I've already started writing the part where Natasha goes in to labor, so that's exciting.
Thank you all for reading and enjoy!
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Steve was awake early the next morning, not that it was something out of the ordinary. The packing had finished, and the bag was waiting in the closet by the front door, waiting. All was calm in the Avengers Tower, but it never stayed that way for long.
He was sitting out on the balcony, in one of the lounge chairs, despite it being a cool day. Fall had arrived, and was starting off this October day with gray skies. The city streets below were awake, but moderate. Sitting in his lap was his tablet, and he was re-reading the conversation he just had with Tony over the messenger. Reading it as though he had not taken part in it only moments ago.
Nat is really worried about Barton. Do we have anything on him? I know he's a wanderer, but we can't go too far off the radar, even if we wanted to.
I'm not sure if you ant to tell her, but, his radar went cold. He wore a tracker because of that whole incident with the polar bears. It went dark.
When?
Six weeks ago. I didn't want to say anything, because of everything else. And, let's face it, this is Barton we're talking about.
He stopped reading when the patio door slid open, and Natasha stepped outside. He dropped the tablet, the screen landing face down on the cushion of his chair.
" Hey," he tried to rebound so that she wouldn't notice anything, " I made some French Toast if you wanted some."
" You're sweet," she carefully planned her descent onto the chair next to his. She let out a soft sigh, with one hand resting on top of her stomach. " I have something to tell you, but I don't want you to panic or do that thing where your ears turn red and the rest of you is pale." He nodded, and she then said " I think I'm in labor."
A solid minute went by, and all Steve did was stare.
" Say something," she demanded.
" You said don't do that pale thing!" he nearly whined, " I'm sorry. W-why do you think that?"
She shrugged, " contractions, a little consistent. And back pain, more than usual. I mean, only the kiddo knows for sure right now, and I suppose Bruce, or another qualified doctor."
Steve shifted so that both his legs were over to that side of the lounge chair. He was scared, but in a way that was almost thrilling. All the preparation, in addition to all the nightmares that went along with it, was all for this grand finale.
" What do you want to do?" he asked that, and then felt bad. Maybe he was suppose to answer that, but he wasn't the one in labor, potentially in labor.
Despite the ongoing speculation, she was calm, and relaxed to the extend of trying to figure out what her body was doing.
" Well," she leaned against the back of the chair, raising her legs to rest them on the fabric of the cushion, pulling her hoodie down further over her capris " I don't think we should assemble the Avengers, yet. I sort of want to wait it out."
" And I want to do whatever makes you the most comfortable, but, is that safe? You're trying to sneak in a home birth, aren't you?"
Natasha smirked, " you caught me, Cap. But really, I don't want a mob for nothing."
Steve stood up, " I can carry you inside if you want."
" Why don't we stay out here?"
" Are you sure?"
" Yeah. Who knows when we'll get to be out here again, just you and I."
It wasn't worth the argument, it rarely was. And he was satisfied with her being comfortable for the time being. But he did quickly retreat back inside to grab the throw blanket off the couch. Before heading back outside, he sent a quick heads up text to Tony- which he was hoping he wouldn't regret.
He returned to the patio, draping the blanket over her body, " can I get you anything? I feel like I'm not doing enough."
She smiled again, that simple, warm smile that she had, " there's nothing to do, yet. But, you could sit with me."
Steve was more than happy to oblige. The chair was rather large, enough for him to fit next to her with no discomfort for either. She leaned into him and let out a content sigh.
" Are you scared?" he asked, and he was pretty sure he had sake that before.
" I used to think I wasn't, but, now it's staring me in the face. I'm not so sure."
" I'd do it for you if I could."
" I appreciate the offer, as odd as it would be."
Her back arched slightly, she softly grunted, obviously in pain. Steve isn't sure what to do, he sat up, placing his hands gently on her upper arms, " this doesn't seem good."
She glanced at her wrist watch, " still every fifteen minutes," she leaned against him again, " anything less than ten, we should get going."
" Okay," once again, no room to argue, " your, uh…the baby's water hasn't broken, has it?"
" Still in tact, so that's a time saver."
A breeze picked up, as the gray clouds scraped across the sky, " Bruce said at this point, he wouldn't try to stop labor."
Natasha readjusted her position, " well, I think we've waited long enough." She let a few moments pass, " can I ask you something?"
" Of course."
" Do you have any memories of being frozen? Like did you ever dream, or wake up?"
His hand came up along her side, finger tracing the side of her stomach, " sometimes I think I'll have flashbacks, but none of the doctors I saw were able to prove if that was real, or hallucinations. But, it was probably that."
" I've always wanted to ask that." She also wanted to tell him that even a brainwashed Bucky was afraid of heights and trains, and he could never figure out as to why.
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The day dragged on without progression.
There were backaches, maybe a few more contractions, but nothing more. They moved inside when the rain started, and Natasha would walk around the best she could- hoping it would either move things along, or stop them all together. Steve had camped out on the edge, jumping at any move, but maintaing his calm exterior.
Tony, wherever he was in the building, was becoming impatient as well, and was sending hourly text messages, asking Steve if ' Elvis was still trying to leave the building.'
" Now I feel silly for even saying anything," Natasha said as evening approached, and she had settled herself on the couch.
Steve emerged from the kitchen, holding a mug in each hand. " Not at all. Peanut has given more than a few teasers, it's more than reasonable to suspect anything now."
" Part of me wants Peanut to stay in there until the whole world is safe and he's healthy enough to come out. Then the other part wants him out now so I can hold him and smell him and never let him go."
He handed her one of the mugs, " maybe we'll get both."
She shortly shook her head, " this world isn't a safe place."
Before Steve could respond, there was a pounding at the front door, just before Bruce and Tony appeared in the common area. Tony seemed excited and determined, which was never good. Bruce looked apologetic that they were intruding, and held a file folder in his hand.
" I have accepted the fact that I goofed up by not telling anyone when Barton's trail went cold," Tony announced, after confirming that Natasha was still pregnant, " but, I can make up for that."
Natasha perked up, " wait, what?"
Tony grabbed the folder from Bruce and tossed it on to the coffee table, " someone's tracker just came back on."
Natasha leaned forward and opened the file, reading the print out from the GPS tracker- the same one that all the Avengers typically wore.
" He's in Oregon," she announced.
" He is."
" but he sent out a distress signal."
" Well, that's the downfall."
Bruce took a step towards them, " right now, it's good to assume that he's recently gotten into trouble, hence the distress signal."
Natasha shuddered, " he's alive." Steve, who had recently sat down next to her, gently caressed her back.
" The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get to him," Tony said.
Bruce cleared his throat, " this is where things get complicated."
Steve then realized they were both looking at him, Natasha was looking down at her lap. " You want me to go."
" We work better as a team," Tony stated.
Bruce raised his hand to be the voice of reason, " but, we also realize this is a very sensitive time."
Natasha wanted to go, it was her best friend. She should have been the one rounding up the others. However, that was not even a remote possibility, not right now. And none of them were going to even consider that. After all, Tony locked down the tower when she snuck away to try and find Steve- back when the baby was nowhere near arriving.
Steve leaned forward in a very obvious struggle with the decision he had to make. The other two men were also very aware of it.
" Oregon isn't far, and with the jet, we could be back here in an hour if we had to," said Tony.
" Also, if she were in labor today, something would have happened by now," the doctor wearily added.
Steve groaned, " I don't know."
Natasha gently nudged his leg with her foot, " go," he looked up at her like she was crazy, " please, go get him."
" I don't want to leave you alone," he choked.
" I know," she was becoming persistent, " and I don't want you to go. But it's…it's to get Clint back. I couldn't live with the idea that if we didn't try everything…" and she stopped before she cried.
And he took notice of that, letting a jilted sigh, " okay, lets go get him."
" YES!" Tony did a celebration leap, " holy shit, yes! The gang is back together! Gonna dust off the Captain America uniform for you!" he began to skip towards the front door, " hope it still fits!"
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Natasha stood in the hanger of the tower- a few stories shy of the roof. It was late into the night, pitch black, and a little gusty. The door had been opened, and she stood just at the edge, the wind rustling the robe she had surrounding her.
They would be leaving in moments, and she felt guilty for not going as well. She knew the importance of staying behind, and if Clint knew she was pregnant, he would agree, no matter the situation.
She heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see Steve walking through the hanger towards her. But, from the next down, he was Captain America once again. It cause an instant smirk for her.
" I've missed that suit," she said when he was close enough.
" None of that, ma'am," he stretched his back once he had come to a stand still, " it's a little stiff."
Natasha swiped her hand of the chest of the uniform, " thank you for doing this."
" Clint would do the same for any of us," he reached for her forearm, " I just don't like the idea of leaving you."
" You'll be back, Peanut will wait. It's so excited that you're around, there'd be no risk of coming out to just me."
He pulled her against his chest, arms wrapping around her back, " don't say that, it scares me."
" I'll be fine. Tony will lock down the tower, Jarvis will be here, something about a body scan to keep track of things. And you won't be far."
" I love you," he whispered.
" I love you, too." She nuzzled against the coarse fabric of his uniform, " please bring him back. No matter what condition he's in."
" I will."
Tony, holding the suitcase that would later become the Iron Man suit in hand, appeared behind them. " Lets go, Cap. Your vibranium companion is in the plane already."
That caused Steve to perk up like a little boy, the idea of being reunited with his shield. It made Natasha get the warm, fuzzy feeling that used to make her sick.