Chapter VII

"I have to go to Riga."

"I know, Steve." Natasha tried to smile, but she couldn't. She knew that Steve had to fly to Riga to help Sam and Barnes, but she just didn't want him to. And she also knew that she was going to go with him, even though she didn't want that either. God, she had truly changed since Chloe had come into her life. "I'll ask Pepper if she can watch Chloe again. Or if Clint could fly in-"

"Nat, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do." She grabbed his sweater and kissed him. She wasn't going to let him fight against those super soldiers alone. "We're partners. You wouldn't let me go alone either."

Steve sighed. "You're right." He rested his forehead against hers. "I just hate it that we have to leave our little girl again."

"I know." Natasha didn't like it. She felt uneasy and like a part of her was missing when she was separated from Chloe. "But we have to go. For Chloe. We have to keep this world safe for her."

"I love you." Steve kissed her forehead. "I'll get her ready while you ask Pepper?"

Natasha called Pepper who said that she'd loved to watch Chloe and even offered them to use one of Tony's quinjets. That would certainly make their trip much shorter than taking a normal plane.

Dropping of Chloe at Pepper's had been tough for both her and Steve. They both didn't want to leave their little girl, they had no idea how long they would be gone, Natasha could see the pain on Steve's face. It was insane, a month ago they hadn't even been together yet and now they were pretty much the parents of the most perfect little girl. Natasha knew that they had to help Sam and Barnes, they couldn't stop the Flag Smashers alone, Zemo couldn't be trusted and she hadn't liked the look in Walker's eyes. There was something about him... Natasha couldn't shake the feeling that he was a ticking time bomb.

"I already miss her." Steve whispered while Natasha typed in the coordinates of Riga into the computer of the quinjet.

"I know, me too. She stole my heart." Natasha admitted.

They talked about what could expect them in Riga. She knew that Steve was worried that Barnes was affected by his little stunt as the Winter Soldier, and they had to be careful about Zemo's manipulations. She was very aware of the fact that he had his own agenda. They talked about what the Flag Smashers wanted and that they could understand them, but not the way they were trying to reach their goals. But mostly they talked about Chloe. How much she was growing, that she was learning something new every day, and that her laugh was the sweetest sound in the world.

Steve reached his hand over to her and intertwined it with her. "Your laugh is also beautiful. I love it when you laugh so hard that you snort." She scrunched her nose, she hated that she did that. "That's also pretty fucking cute."

"Steve?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" He kissed the back of her hand. She looked over at him. He looked so good in his black tactical gear. He couldn't wear his Cap suit anymore, but those black pants and that black leather jacket looked so good on him. That and his beard... She was barely keeping it in her pants. But this was not the time for Steve to join the High Mile Club.

"I was wondering..." Steve looked at her to continue. The thought had been on her mind ever since she'd seen Steve's cot and now with them being together... "Do you want to stay at my place until your house is done? You wouldn't have to sleep on that cot, and you'd see Chloe more and... and you won't be cold with winter around the corner..."

"The cold doesn't bother me."

"Okay, Elsa. So...What do you think?" She asked nervously.

"Do you really want that?" Steve looked hopeful, but there was some hesitancy. "Don't offer it because you think you have to."

"I really want that, Steve. I want you."

"I'd love to." He leaned over and brushed a kiss over her lips. "I hate leaving you two and going back to my empty house. Do you...you heard when I said that I bought that house for us, right?"

She nodded and kissed him again. "I want to live there with you. And I think Chloe will love to grow up there."

"Yeah?" He beamed at her and her heart was racing in her chest. God, she would do anything to have him smile at her like that forever.

"Yeah, I don't ever want to be apart from you again." Steve's face was clouded with guilt and pain. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry that I left you all alone at the compound after the Snap."

Oh, Steve.

Natasha put the quinjet on auto-pilot, got out of her seat and sat down on Steve's lab. "You did what you had to do to deal with everything. I'm not mad that you decided to live in the city. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I'm still sorry. But I swear to you that I will never leave you again." She looked to the ground and Steve gently lifted her chin up. "What's wrong?"

"It's silly." She was even a bit embarrassed.

"Tell me." He probed softly. "You can tell me anything."

"I thought... I thought that when we found out that time travel is possible that you would go back in time after we reversed the Snap..."

"No, that was never an option for me. My life is here. That thought never crossed my mind. Well, that's not true." He smiled sadly. "I toyed with the idea to go back to save you."

"Steve-" She whispered and brushed the tear away that fell down his cheek. "I'm here."

"Yeah, but you weren't. You were dead and I was...I was fucking broken. I've never felt so broken before. I don't think you understand how much I love you."

"I do, trust me." Her voice wavered. She couldn't imagine losing Steve. It would kill her. "I love you more than anything. Only Chloe can compete with that love, no one else can."

Things escalated quickly after that. Clothes were thrown across the cockpit and Steve did join the High Mile Club after all...

They put their clothes back on when they entered the Latvian air space. "I feel like Tony would be proud of us." Natasha joked and smiled sadly.

"He would, but be probably shocked that I actually get laid now." Steve chuckled. "I miss him..."

"I know." Natasha cupped Steve's face. "I miss him, too."

"I hope he's proud of me. I got the life he'd talked about." Steve kissed her softly. "I finally have my own family."

Natasha landed the quinjet near the apartment Sam, Barnes and Zemo were staying at. Steve had contacted Bucky and apparently Zemo knew where the Flag Smashers were hiding. Maybe Sam and Steve could talk some sense into them. Their demands were justified, but not their methods.

"Ready?" She asked Steve, lowering the ramp of the jet.

"Always with you by my side." He squeezed her hand before his whole demeanor changed. He was now in Cap mode. She followed his example. It was time to turn into the Black Widow again.