Chapter 25: The day we attended another gala

"Hey," Steve said as he walked into the house.

"Hey." Natasha replied as she glanced up from her computer to her boyfriend.

"My ma just called and she's inviting us to her annual gala. What cha think of that? Do you wanna go?" He asked grabbing an apple from a bowl on the kitchen counter.

"That would be amazing." Natasha replied with a smile. "But what about the kids? Could we bring them there?"

"I don't see why not, there won't be alcohol so it's gonna be a real sober party. It could be great to come there with our little family."

Natasha smiled as she beamed with happiness. "Yeah, then we definitely should attend. We had such a blast last time."

"Awesome!" He said. "My ma is gonna be thrilled."

She laughed and raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. "You've spent some time with that Peter boy, haven't you?"

"Yeah, how do you know?" He asked with a frown.

"Just an intuition..." She trailed off. "Or maybe I know because you're trying to speak like a sixteen-year-old."

He chuckled shaking his head. "What cha talkin' 'bout?" He asked, insisting – or mostly exaggerating – on the slang. "I ain't speaking like dat." He argued jokingly.

She laughed amused by his behavior. "Okay, stop that."

He only laughed and bit on his apple.She shook her head with a smile on her lips.

Natasha, Steve, Jamie and Elena were in the car riding to the the gala of Steve's mother. She had picked a dress similar to the one she was wearing to the first event she came to. Steve was dressed in a handsomely suit that was similar to the one Jamie wore. Elena had been dressed by Natasha in a beautiful flower dress.

Steve parked the car in front of the building and looked at Natasha who was ready to go out of the car.

"Wait." He called her out. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Nat..." He trailed off. "I— I contacted my father."

"What? Why? How? When? What?" She asked rapidly shocked by the news. Steve told her years ago that he had dropped all contacts with his father after he discovered that he cheated on his mother.

"He's a detective, he worked around the world in almost every countries."

She frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

"He has contact in Russia." He told her. "I asked him to track down your parents."

Her mouth fell open, she couldn't believe this. "W-what? You did what?"

Steve grabbed her hands in support. "They both died, a few years after you were born."

"Why are you telling me all of this? This is cruel! They died!" She almost yelled at him.

"You have a sister." He told her. "And she's coming in America to meet you." He informed her.

Natasha cried at the news and went of the car. Steve and the kids did the same and went to Natasha. He wrapped his arms around her and comforted her. "It's alright."

"I can't believe this." She whispered to him.

"I know, I know."

"Mommy, don't cry." Jamie said as he tugged on his mother's dress.

She pulled away from Steve and got on her knees to see her children. "It's alright, honey. I was just shocked."

"Mommy okay?" He asked with a pouting lip.

"Yes, I'm okay." She said with a smile. "Thank God I wore makeup proof." She joked with a chuckle.

"Come on, let's get inside." Steve said and helped Natasha get back onto her feet. "We wouldn't you to get cold."

The little family came inside the ball room and was happy to see their loved ones there. Sarah was very happy to see both her grandchildren together and not separately. She was happy not to have to lie to her son anymore. Tony, Pepper, Bucky, Wanda, Clint, Laura, Sam, Maria, Thor and Bruce had all been invited to the gala. Carol had came with her girlfriend Valkyrie.

Elena was a bit sad to know that she and Jamie and were the only children present at the party. She thought other children would be there.

"How about we get you some dessert with lots of chocolate huh?" Natasha bargained with the little girl so she would cheer up.

Elena's face broke into a smile and nodded eagerly earning a laugh from the older woman. "With a cherry on top?" She added as she was still laughing.

"Yes!" Elena said and clapped her hands together.

"Okay, go get your brother and we will get some good dessert after, alright?"

"Alright, Tasha!" She said and ran to find her older brother of two months and half. Natasha laughed again and stood up. She felt a pair of eyes locked on her and turned her face to see that it was Steve's eyes fixing her. She noticed a certain thing in his eyes that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "What?" She asked softly.

He smiled at her as he cracked up an eyebrow in question but the look in his eyes never left. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She persisted.

"Like what?" He asked.

"I don't know." She smiled unknowingly as she lost herself in that beautiful look of his.

"I'm looking at you like that because you're an amazing mother." He replied.

A shy smile appeared on her lips, she absolutely loved the way he was looking at her right now. "I'm not, but thank you." She replied and kissed his cheek.

"Mommy!" Jamie called out as he arrived with Elena. "Can I have cheesecake?"

"We'll see what the chief prepared, honey." She replied and smiled at Steve before walking away. But when she started walking Steve held her back.

"Wait—" He said grabbing her arm gently.

She turned to look at him. "What is it?" She asked her eyes glued to his, he had something in his eyes that she couldn't quite describe. They had this twinkle of happiness and somehow surprise. As if he was surprised about what he was about to do.

"Natasha." He said.

"Steve?" She asked, a bit worried about what he was going to say. She didn't want things to end up now, or even never. She loved him like she hadn't loved anyone else and she wouldn't be able to overcome losing him a second time. She silently panicked, he wouldn't do that would he? He wouldn't breakup with her with the kids around and at his own mother party? Oh, dear lord. What would happen to the kids if they broke up? Would she still get to see Elena? Would it be awkward?

"Marry me." Steve finally said, breaking her out of her trance. "I love you more than anything and I want you by my side till I die. I don't want to spend another minute without calling you my wife."

Her mouth fell open in shock and her eyes swelled up tears of happiness. Get married. That was the opposite thing she had thought of.

He gave her a soft smile. "Say something."

"I— Yes, Steve! Of course I'll marry you." She replied smiling widely and jumped into his arms. They both beamed with happiness and clinged to each other tightly. Elena, who was standing a little bit backwards, jumped of happiness and squealed. Jamie clapped his hands and smiled, he loved his parents so much!

"I love you." Natasha said before kissing Steve on the lips. He returned his kiss happily and pulled a branch of her behind her ear.

"I love you, too." Steve replied grabbing her hand. He locked her eyes with his and added. "Let's do it now."

"What? Do what?" She asked with a slight frown even though her smile still played on her lips.

"Get married. Let's get married now, right here." He said. "There's my family, your family, our family. My mother even invited the reverent. Do you think of a better occasion? Both my parents are here, your friends are here."

"Steve... That's insane!" She whisper-yelled at him. "Isn't that too soon?"

"After five years apart I think that this is the right time." He told her with his boyish smile. "I'm ready to marry you anywhere, anytime. If you don't want it to be tonight then we'll get married later, we don't have to rush if you don't want to."

She was speechless. He was such an amazing man, she couldn't believe her luck. She never thought he would propose to her this soon nonetheless suggest that they get married right now. She looked around the room and saw a few couple of every age slow dancing on the dance floor, the elderly couple was the one she first set her eyes on. They seemed to be so happy and she could totally see herself and Steve like that in many years.

She smiled as she returned his gaze. "Alright. Let's do it, let's get married tonight."

He beamed with happiness and brought her lips back on his in a beautiful kiss. "I'm so lucky to have you."

They both smiled and walked around the ball room to find the reverent Johnson. Elena and Jamie looked at each others and the little boy spoke. "No cake then?"

"Marriages are more important!" Elena scolded as she folded her arms over her chest.

Tony and Pepper walked by and saw the kids alone. The two adults frowned and crouched to their size level. "Where are your parents?" Tony asked.

"Getting married!" Elena said.

"What now?" Pepper asked with widening eyes as she looked at the children.

"Daddy proposed to Mommy." Jamie added. "They went to get married."

"And left you all alone?" Tony asked in surprise, never Steve or Natasha would leave their kids alone in a room filled with strangers.

"Excuse me?" Somebody spoke on the microphone and tapped three times on it to get the room's attention. "Hello, dear friends. I'm the reverent Johnson and I was asked to get a couple married right here, right now. It is a bit rushed but who am I to judge the path God drew for them?" He rhetorically asked.

Sarah got on stage with the reverent and looked at him. "Who is getting married?!" She asked, surprised and outraged. A married on her gala event, who would do that?!

"We are." Steve said from behind his mother. He and Natasha got on stage with them, they were holding each other's hands as they both had a smile on their lips.

"What?" Sarah asked spinning around and gasped. She looked at the adults before beaming out. "My baby boy!" She went to them and hugged. "Go ahead! Go ahead! Get married!" Now, knowing who was getting married wasn't such an absurd idea to the famous woman. "Silence in the room!"

They laughed and stepped up to the reverent who smiled at them. The room went fully silent, Tony and Pepper picked both a Rogers child and walked to the front of the stage to get a better view of the ceremony that was about to began.

"My dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in holy matrimony to unite this man and this woman." The reverent said and looked at the couple. "Steven Grant Rogers, do you promise to love, cherish and help in any case, Natalia Alianova Romanova? And do you promise her fidelity and happiness?"

"I do." He said with a smile plastered on his face.

"Yes!" Elena said while clapping her hands.

"Not now." Tony told her softly with a chuckle.

The parents loved and then, Johnson went on. "Natalia Alianova Romanova, do you promise to love, cherish and help in any case Steven Grant Rogers? And do you promise him fidelity and happiness?"

"I do!" She said excitedly squeezing Steve's hand.

"Under the supervision of God, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He said with a smile. "You may kiss the bride."

Natasha and Steve laughed of happiness and kissed each other. They smiled happily. The red head woman let out tears of happiness that Steve quickly wiped away.

"We're married." She said out of disbelief.

"We are." He grabbed both of her hands and kissed them with tenderness.

Natasha was the happiest she could ever be, she never would have thought that she would once end up being married to such an amazing man. It wasn't the big perfect wedding almost every couple had but it was enough for her.

AHHHH! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love you've been giving this story it's incredible!!

There's only one chapter away!! We're so close to the end, I already wrote the last scene of the last chapter and I just can't wait for you guys to see it.

What are your thoughts on this chapter?

Lots of love,

kayllahs