- 5

- B A B Y

- O N E

Summary: What if Natasha was pregnant in infinity war and that her baby dusted with the others before she could even alert the father? What if she was brought back to life along with her baby by the power of the stones after Bruce's snap? How will she go back on earth and how will she face he father of her child?

Natasha was tossing in her bed, her whole body hurt. She hadn't remembered that her bed and her pillow were so hard, hard like rocks. She wanted to sleep, so desperately but her bed was so uncomfortable.

"Natasha!" Someone called out her name in a surprised gasp. The person rushed over her and shook her slightly. "Natasha!"

She rocked her body away from the person as she mumbled. "Lemme sleep, I want to sleep."

"Please, open your eyes." The person begged, cupping her cheeks with their hands. "Please, Natasha."

A groan came from the back of her throat as she tried to open her eyes. Her whole body hurt, she really needed to change her mattress. The chill breeze of the wind caused her to shiver and she realized she wasn't in her bed. Where was she?

Vormir. Her brain screamed at her to remember. Vormir, the soul stone, Clint! She had jumped.

A gasp escaped her lips as her eyes opened and took in the surroundings. She sat up to see that she hadn't been asleep on her bed but on the floor. She looked around to see the dark sky and the cliff a few feet away from her. "Clint!" She exclaimed and tried to get up but the person prevailed her from doing so.

She turned her eyes to see Steve kneeling at her side, a look of surprise written all over his features. "Clint is okay." He assured her before pulling her into his arms in a long hug. "You're alive." He finally said, with a soft voice.

"What happened?" She asked when they pulled back.

"You jumped and n-now you're alive..." He stated out, his hand coming up to her face and stroking her cheek.

Natasha leaned in his touch as her eyes softened in his. "Is everybody okay?"

Steve's eyes saddened at her question. No, not everybody was okay. Tony died. He had to tell her, she deserved to know. Tony had sacrificed himself for the sake of everybody in the whole damn universe.

But before Steve could tell her a dark shadow made its way towards them. "Greetings, Steve Rogers. Son of Joseph." The floating shadow said, a hint of German accent could be heard.

Steve's eyes widened and he shot up from the ground, pulling Natasha with him and securing her with his arm. "Schmidt." He said in a gruff voice. "How is it possible?"

"I was cursed by the gods and so has she." He raised his floating arm and pointed it towards Natasha. "Unless you have something for me, the girl stays with me. She shouldn't be alive."

Steve grabbed the grey case and fetched the Soul Stone out of it. He held it in his hands, contemplating it for a moment. "A soul for a soul is the bargain." He spoke up, remembering what Clint had told him. "Natasha gave hers to get the stone, so you put back the stone and she gets back her soul."

"It is in fact the bargain, Captain. But I cannot give back something that I don't have." He announced, a sly smile on his lips. "Her soul is in her body, she is free to go. Both are." He floated towards them, grabbed the stone from Steve's hand and disappeared in a whoosh.

Natasha and Steve looked at each other, neither of them seemed to understand what had happened but knew that she was free to go home with him. "We should leave. It's time to go home." He spoke up, grabbing her hand.

"What about the other stones?" She pointed down at the case, eyeing it with interest.

"I – I already put them back." He told her with a shy smile on his lips. "I couldn't bring myself to come here and see your dead body... It would have been too hard to see, I had to push it back."

Natasha squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. "I'm okay, now. I'm alive." She assured him then swallowed. "Steve, who..." She couldn't bring herself to ask him but he knew what she wanted to hear. Her eyes were already swelling up with tears.

He cleared his throat and bit his tongue. He knew she needed to hear it. "Tony died." He rasped out, as if it was the first time he had said it out loud. Well, it was the first time he had said it out loud.

The redhead woman gasped slightly as her eyes shut close to prevail the tears from falling down her face. Tony died. She repeated over and over again in her mind. She had sacrificed herself with the hope that nobody else had to. Yet Tony died and she was alive. "How?" She chocked out, her head hung low. She had lost one of her closest friends. No matter how things went, they had always looked out for each other.

"He used the stones to defeat Thanos' army." His voice broke down and he heard her sob silently in her hands. He had sacrificed himself, he had made the choice to die to save them and leave his family behind. She knew how it felt, to be here and understand it was their time to die. But she wasn't dead, she came back and he hadn't.

Steve wrapped his arms around her and she returned the hug. Both crying for their friend and mourning him silently. Natasha placed her head on his chest as she let the tears fall from her eyes. It wasn't fair but life wasn't fair. If anything it was a bitch.

"We should go home before Bruce starts panicking." He mumbled against her hair and felt her head moving in a nod. "Still got your device?" Once again she nodded. He gave her the instructions and the both of them clicked on their own device.

In a whoosh, they left the place holding each other in a tight hug. They arrived at the lake a few moments later and Bruce gasped when he saw the hint of red hair plastered across Steve's chest.

The two pulled back and saw that they were no longer on Vormir. "We're home." Steve whispered and Natasha nodded.

They walked down the platform as Bruce, Bucky and Sam quickly approached them. "Natasha, you're alive!" They gasped as they each hugged her.

Bruce looked down at her, a smile on his lips. "I tried to bring you back and now you're here."

She softly smiled up at him. "We're going to have to talk about that." She pointed out gesturing to her clearly living body. "But later, I have to talk to Pepper." She told them and they each understood why.

She turned to look at Steve and kissed his cheek. "Kinda miss the beard, tho." She said with a small smile and looked over at Sam and Bucky. "Welcome back home, birdies." She commented and walked to the lake house where probably Pepper was.

Natasha knocked on the door before walking in. "Pepper?" She called out as she strolled inside the house. She walked to the kitchen to see the said woman angrily mumbling some insults about the alpaca.

Pepper sighed and closed her eyes to calm down her nerves. Diner. She needed to make dinner, Morgan was soon going to come home from the day she spent with Peter and May. She needed to focus on that one task. The knife that was in her hand fell on the counter when she opened her eyes. Her mouth fell agape as she saw who was standing here. "Natasha!" She gasped and went around the counter.

Natasha met her halfway in a tight hug. "Oh, Pepper." She said, stroking her hands up and down her back. "I'm so, so, sorry."

Steve walked out of the lake house later that night. He saw Bucky and Natasha sitting together on the pond, they seemed to be talking and would often look at each other. He stayed back for a moment to give them some privacy.

"I still can't believe it." Natasha said as she gazed the reflect of the moonlight on the lake. "It's strange to tell myself that I have something I mourned." She told him, her hand clasped over her belly.

"You're going to make an amazing mom, Nat." Bucky assured as he nudged her side.

Natasha felt herself smile at his comment and set her eyes on him. "I hope so." She had never imagined that it was possible and yet here she was, pregnant with the same baby for the second time in 5 years. She thought she had lost it like she lost everyone and now she had a second chance.

"We both know you are." Bucky said with a smile on his lips. "Are you going to tell Steve?"

"Of course," She told him as if he had asked her the most ridiculous question ever. "He deserves to know and to make a choice."

"Make a choice?" He repeated with raised eyebrows as he looked a her. "You really think he won't stick around? Nat, he's crazy about you. I see the way he looks at you, with such love and admiration. He can only love you more than he already does."

Natasha smiled as she looked down at her lap. "Yeah, well, a lot has happened." She told him and turned to look around when she heard the pond creak behind them. Steve was approaching them. "Being a creep?" She asked him with a teasing smile on her lips.

"Oh, of course." He sarcastically replied as he sat down next to her, trapping her between Bucky and him. "What's with all those rocks?" He asked and gestured to the couple of rocks that were behind Natasha.

"Ah," She said and grabbed a few of them. "I didn't get to be at his funeral and I wanted to tell him goodbye in my own way." She told them and handed them each a rock and a pen. "Write him something you wish you could have told him."

She turned her rock around and wrote something on the flat side of it. Then she grabbed two more and wrote two other notes.

'Fallaces sunt rerum species – Natalie Rushman'

'Mr. Stark, I miss you – Agent Romanoff'

'I know you're doing okay wherever you are. Always – Red'

Bucky was reluctant to the idea but it was his one and only chance to tell him what he needed to.

'I wish I could tell you sorry – Bucky'

Steve looked at them write without looking at their messages. He thought about the last decade he spent with him. They were good and bad moments. Most bad, tho, but still that didn't take away their friendship.

'You always were worthy – Capsicle'

He put aside the pen and let out a long sigh. "What, now?"

"We throw them in the lake." She said and stood up. The two guys followed her movement and looked at her, waiting for her instructions. "Goodbye old friend." She whispered and threw the three rocks as far as she could. Bucky and Steve watched her and threw their own rocks in the lake.

Steve wrapped an arm over Natasha's shoulder and side hugged her as they watched the reflection of the night on the lake. She laid her head against him, leaning in his comfort. No matter what obstacles they went through, they always had each other's back. They had gained life shared experience.

Bucky looked at them and smile. It was time for them to realize their feelings and to that they were meant to be. Especially now that they were going to have a child together.

"Steve, we need to talk." Natasha spoke up as she leaned back to look up at him.

"Yeah, we do." He nodded his head and cleared his throat. "I – uh." He looked behind her to see Bucky looking at them with a wondering expression.

"Should I go?" The brunette asked, worrying that he was going to ruin Steve's confession. He knew he was about to tell her he loved her, he had to. Right now was the perfect moment.

"Actually, no. You need to hear this, too." Steve said and looked at the both of them. When no words left his mouth, Natasha decided it was time for her to tell him.

"Steve, I – I'm..." Bucky put an encouraging hand on her shoulder but neither he or Natasha was ready for what Steve said.

The blonde man sucked in a breath, ignoring the fact that Natasha was about to tell him something and blurt out. "I'm leaving."

Natasha's body instinctively pulled away from him as her eyes widened in shock. "What? Where?" She heard Bucky ask from behind her as his hand held her body from falling backwards.

"In time. My time." He said, looking at the both of them with a small smile on his lips. "I never thought I could and now I have a chance."

Steve was leaving her and everything they built. He was leaving his best friend and their child. Oh, God, the baby. She couldn't tell him, not now, not ever. He was leaving them behind. She tried to fight back the tears as best as she could. He looked happy at the news, as if it they never made him happy. He's crazy about you. Bucky's words reasoned in her head. What a load of bullshit, she thought.

"When?" She managed to ask while hiding her sadness.

"Tomorrow."

Bucky barged into her room, almost startling her, almost. "So?" He asked as he stood at the foot of her bed. She sat up and looked up at him, waiting for him to keep going. "When are you going to tell him? You have to, Nat."

She sighed and pulled away the sheets. She raised from the bed and closed her bedroom door that he had left open. The three of them were staying with Pepper a few days before they would go back to a new facility. Sam had left to his hometown and Bruce was downstairs, waiting to bring Steve back. Natasha turned to look at him. "The answer is simple, I'm not going to tell him."

"What? Nat, you said he deserved to know. You have to tell him."

"No, I don't." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked back at him. "He's made up his mind. He made his decision, he wants to leave and I'm not going to hold him back because of my child."

"Nat..."

"No, James. I don't want to hear it. Now, if you can excuse me, I have to go." She told him and exited her bedroom to find Steve in the corridor, looking at her then at Bucky who also left her room.

"Um, Nat, can we talk? You know, before I – uh, leave." He pleaded, setting his eyes on her.

"No." She shook her head as her face became emotionless. "Want to tell me goodbye? Well, bye, Steve. Have a great life." She almost spat at him and walked downstairs to help Pepper with something.

"Nat –" He was about to go after her but Bucky stopped him.

"She needs to be alone right now." He told him.

Steve nodded and walked down the stairs. Having already said goodbye to Pepper and seeing the scowl on Natasha's face, he made his way outside where Bruce was waiting for him. Bucky went after him, trying to convince him to stay.

"Trust me, Steve. You should stay, people need you here." Bucky pleaded as his eyes fixed into the other man's eyes. "I need you here."

Steve's eyes softened and one of his hands set on his best friend's shoulder. "Buck... Do you realize what this means to me? I could get the life I've always wanted to have, with her." He gave him a sad smile. "Besides you don't need my help anymore, you're free and I know you're going to be okay. I wouldn't leave you if I knew you were in danger. But it's time for me to focus on myself and on what I want. It's my turn to be selfish."

"Steve..." Bucky trailed off, he really needed to make him stay. Natasha needed him, despite what she said. "You don't know what you're doing.. You can't do this, it'll destroy lives."

"Destroy lives? We never got to sort things out with tony and now he's dead. Natasha died and came back. You're back, you're alive but Peggy isn't.."

Bucky's eyes wanted to roll in the back of his head so badly, Steve was being stubborn. "But Peggy moved on!" He blurt out before he could stop himself. "Are you really capable of going back to her and destroy the life she should have? Her husband's life or even her children's?" He reasoned, earning a nod from the blonde man. "Steve, trust me, if you go back in time you will regret it one day."

"I won't." Steve finally said with a determined look in his eyes. "I have to go back and change the way things went."

Bucky opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he realized something. His eyes softened and a small smile appeared on his lips. "You think that by going back you will bring back Tony... Don't you?" From the way his eyes flickered away, Bucky knew he was right. "Steve..."

"Don't." He warned, his eyes swelling up with tears. He backed away from Bucky when he tried to touch him. "I have to go." Steve said and turned around, leaving his friend behind.

The brunette watched him leave with despair. He couldn't leave, not when so many people he loved needed him. He looked around at the lake, trying to find something to say without blurting Natasha's secret but nothing came to mind.

Before he could stop himself, his mouth spilled the words. "Natasha is pregnant!"

Steve halted in his steps and frantically turned around with wide eyes. "What did you say?" He asked, in a shocked whisper. He walked up to him again, waiting for him to elaborate. "It's not possible. Natasha can't get pregnant. Why are you telling me this?"

Bucky was helpless under Steve's wondering eyes. He couldn't go back now, he had to know. "Steve she is pregnant... That's how she came back. The baby was brought back with the snap and herself with it."

"She told me she couldn't..." He trailed off, his eyes lost, looking at nothing in particular. "I've seen her file, she wouldn't have lied to me..." He looked up at Bucky and shook his head. "You're lying to me."

"Why would I lie to you about something like that?" Bucky tilted his head in questioning. "And neither did she. Natasha can't get pregnant, not with regular sperm at least..."

Steve's eyebrows collided against each other in a deep frown as his eyes searched for Bucky's eyes. "What are you saying, Bucky?"

Bucky sighed, he thought he would have understood what he said. "Bruce has conducted every test he could and in fact she can't get pregnant. It would take, as he said, a super sperm to make it happen."

But Steve's eyebrows deepened as he heard what he said. Bucky noticed that Steve still didn't understand what he was telling him. He groaned in frustration. "I need you to get there faster, Steve!" He urged on, crossing his arms.

He looked at his childhood best friend and recalled his words. She can't get pregnant, not with regular sperm but super sperm would do it. Super sperm. The only person who he knew had the superserum was Bucky. He knew they had a backstory but he had no idea they had taken a drive down memory lane. Although they had seemed cozy together since she came back. They were on the pond alone together, and this morning he exited her bedroom.

A gasp left his lips and he set a hand on Bucky's arm. "You're going to make an incredible father, Buck!" He expressed with a smile.

"Yes – Wait, no!" Bucky shook his head frantically, he suppressed the thought of slamming his against the cabin to knock some sense into him. "I slept with her once and that was more than two decades ago! However..." He gave him a pointed look, jerking his head towards the blonde.

Steve frowned as he looked at Bucky with confused eyes. "Nobody else has the serum but you." He pointed out. "Only you could be the father."

"For the love of God, Steve! Has ice damaged your brain or something?" He snapped, grabbing the collar of his shirt with both of his hands. "I know you slept with her! And when you sleep with a woman and that you finish inside of her, you get her pregnant you dumb little shit!"

The blonde's eyes widened at the lash out he hadn't expected. "What are you saying, Bucky?" He repeated again, earning a groan from him.

Bucky shoved him slightly. Was he always this stupid or has the century fried his brain? He put the top of his fingers against his temples and rubbed, trying to calm himself down. "What I'm saying is Natasha is pregnant with your miracle baby. She got pregnant after you slept together five years ago, remember?" He paused slightly but left no room for Steve to talk as he kept going. "The baby got dusted and when Bruce snapped his fingers, the baby came back like everybody else and therefore brought her back. You know, the bar was on the ground and you just brought a shovel." He said, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"What I'm telling you, Steve, is that Natasha is pregnant with your baby!" He yelled at his face, making sure he heard every words he said.

"James!"

The two men looked back to see Natasha standing on the porch of the cabin with a scowl on her face. Bucky was so dead. Pepper was looking at her with the same shocked expression Steve had.