She had been raised to know the importance of family, but it was her life experience that taught Natasha Carter to savor every moment she spent with the ones she loved. Nearly losing May and Peter following the Battle of New York had curbed some of her self sacrificial tendencies. Becoming Wanda's momma had given her a greater sense of purpose than Shield or the Avengers ever had. Having a love and children of her own and balancing that with being the Black Widow had given her a new respect for her mothers. While Natasha loved her work, loved being the Black Widow and an Avenger, the best times of her life, the most charised, were the ones where she got to simply be a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister, a cousin, or just a friend.
Every summer as soon as Peter was out of school Natasha, May, Peter and Wanda took a family vacation. For a week before leaving for Disney World, Peter taught them all about Disney bounding since adults couldn't wear costumes in the park. They spent a full eight days exploring every inch of the park, despite having been to Disney many times before. Natasha and Peter had to be dragged out of Galaxy's Edge with their lightsabers and droids, creatures and jedi robes, kyber crystals and holocrons. Peter's outfit that day had resembled Luke's in Return of the Jedi. While Natasha had bounded as Ahsoka Tano because Mara Jade wasn't cannon, and Peter had insisted on cannon. Wanda gasped loudly, sank into her seat, and covered her face in embarrassment when her momma shouted out, "puddle", during the Frozen sing along show. May just shrugged apologetically at Snow White when Natasha sided with the Evil Queen at a meet and greet. "She's a Once Upon a Time fan." May laughs before adding. "She also heckles Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz because of Wicked."
Pride had been a late addition to Natasha's childhood traditions because of Peggy's work. Because of the dangers involved, Peggy did everything she could to keep her wife and child out of the public eye and away from prying opatunizic eyes. She also had to keep her sexuiatly on the down low for a long time. The men in her field, her so called peers, and the men in leadership already had their tidy whiteies in a twist over her being a woman, their heads would have exploded if they'd known she was a queer woman. But Peggy wasn't the type to minimize herself for the comfort of her male counterparts, so as soon as it was legally safe for her to do so, Peggy stopped being so evasive about her sexual identity. And when she was sure Natasha was old enough to understand she needed to be careful and aware, and help her mothers keep her safe, Peggy agreed to openly participate in the annual events surrounding Pride.
It had been important to Peggy and Angie to show Natasha there were other families out there like theirs, they'd made the conscious decision to seek out other same sex parents in their community. But Pride was different. Pride was a time to celebrate their family out in the open and Natasha loved it. Now that she had a family of her own, Natasha couldn't wait to continue that celebration of love.
Wanda wore a homemade t-shirt that read 'I love my Queer Grandmas' on the front with a bi flag for Peggy and a lesbian flag for Angie. And on the back it read, 'My Bi Moms are awesome AF too.' Peter wore a rainbow tank top that proudly proclaimed him an ally. They attended the parade, the festival, and drag bingo which was always a blast because Angie took bingo seriously and it always led to her family cracking up while her wife dragged her out of the bingo hall before she could get into a fight with a drag queen half her age and three times her size. Tony always joined them at some point during the day, Stark Industries was always a major sponsor, and not just during the month of June. Pepper and Tony made sure a large portion of their charity funding went to LGBTQ+ organizations. It took some encouragement from his friends, but Steve started joining them as well. He became a regular every year after a young man confided in him that just knowing he was an ally had helped him come to terms with his true self and prevented him from harming himself.
A lot of the things Natasha did with her family now included her sister. When finally given the chance to make her own life choices, Yelena had chosen to take on the mission of helping the other black widows she and Natasha had rescued from the Red Room, but she also wanted a home, a permanent home near her sister.
"I'd like," Yelena had said almost shyly in the medical lab of the Avenger's compound. "I'd like to get to know my sister."
Natasha smiled as she reached out to cup the younger woman's cheek. "I'd like that too mladshaya sestra." Natasha would always remember the way Yelena had smiled when she called her little sister.
At first Yelena lived with Natasha and her family, which hadn't been easy. Yelena was good at masking her emotions, but Natasha still knew the young woman was caught up in a maelstrom of contradicting feelings that started when Peggy walked into the room the first time to meet the young woman Natasha had brought home with her from Russia. "Yelena," Natasha had said brightly. "This is Director Peggy Carter, she's my mother, well, one of them." Turning to Peggy, Natasha said, "Mum, This is Yelena, my sister."
Only Natasha had noticed the surprise in Peggy's dark eyes. Both Carters noticed Yelena tense up as Natasha explained how Yelena was her sister. Peggy was just as surprised as Natasha had been to learn that her biological father had been the Red Guardian. There had also been an old flicker of guilt in Peggy's eyes for not having shut down the Red Room before it had the chance to do to Yelena just what Dottie had feared would happen to Natasha. Peggy could tell that her daughter had already accepted Yelena, welcomed her openly into her life, so it was easy for her to do the same. "Dobro pozhalovat' v sem'yu" She'd said with a warm smile. Welcome to the family.
It would take time for Yelena to believe Peggy's words. She lived with Natahsa, her wife, and her teenagers for a little over a year. During that time she and Natasha found half a dozen former Red Room widows and helped them settle into new lives. Yelena's new life had included a few tweaks to the cover story created for Natasha when Peggy first adopted her that would add Yelena to Natasha's narrative. The man they had thought to be Natasha's biological father hadn't been, he had simply been someone who cared for Natasha's birth mother enough to help her get out of Russia. Natasha's real birth father had been a man named Alexi Belova, who just before his death, told his youngest daughter she might have a sister. Having lost her mother as well, Yelena Belova came to the United States looking for said half sister, and finding Natasha Carter.
"I thought we were going to buy things for my new apartment?" Yelena said to her sister as Natasha pulled into the parking lot of a building that was not IKEA.
Natasha smiled. "We are."
Yelena furrowed her brow and crinkled her nose as she hopped out of the cab of the pickup truck and followed her sister towards the building. It was her truck, she'd always wanted an American pickup truck, but Natasha was driving because Natasha always drove. "What are we doing here then?"
Opening the door, Natasha let Yelena walk in first. The look on her little sister's face when she heard the chorus of barking dogs would be one of those moments in her life Natasha would never forget. As would the look of awe behind tear filled eyes when Yelena looked up at her, her arms around a ball of tri-colored fur, because she had remembered Yelena saying she'd wanted a dog while they were making their way through the Russian wilderness. The ball of tri-colored fur was an American Akita that Yelena named Fanny which sent Natasha into fits of giggles because of what the word would mean to her English mother.
Whether it was the cosmic powers-that-be giving them a break or because they now had more people they could rely on and it didn't have to be just the original six of them fighting to save the day every couple of months anymore, life for the Avengers became far more manageable, allowing them to settle into somewhat normal lives. Not long after their first wedding anniversary Tony and Pepper made the announcement at Sunday dinner that they were having a baby. Tony had made an infant sized pink Iron helmet which he'd wrapped as a gift and presented to Peggy and Angie. When Peggy took it out of its box and held it in her hands it protected a 3D ultrasound scan. "We're gonna name her Morgan Hannah." He told his family. "Morgan after Pep's favorite uncle and Hannah after Aunt Ana."
Natasha beamed. "She would really love that, Tony."
"You think so?" Tony replied.
Natasha hugged him as she nodded. "Yeah, I know so."
"Poor kid has me as a dad." Tony said as he held his beloved cousin, his sister really. "She's gonna need someone the way I had Aunt Peggy." Pulling out of the hug to look her in the eyes Tony asked, "Be her godmother, Nattie? Please."
Tears welled in Natasha's eyes as she smiled and nodded. "Of course Tony!"
All of the joy and excitement surrounding Pepper's pregnancy and the arrival of Morgan had Natasha's thoughts and feelings constantly lingering on the liquid nitrogen canister safely stashed away in a private vulat just waiting on her to decide what to do with its contents. Natasha absolutely loved being a mother to Wanda and Peter, and even before making the discovery of her embryos she had wondered what it would be like to raise a child from birth. Her mothers often talked about moments from her own childhood, big and little things that she had missed out on with her own kids since they'd been teens when they came into her life. Not wanting to get her mothers hopes up for another new grandchild, Natasha went in search of advice from the person she trusted most outside of her family, who wasn't Fury. Natasha had to untangle her feelings about how the embryos came into existence from her feelings of wanting to talk to her wife about maybe having a baby. Melinda May told her not to pass up having what made her happy, reminding her that there was more to life than the job, more than duty, and that they had a right to live happily in the world they keep saving. Natasha teased her mentor for going soft since marrying Coulson. Melinda proceeded to kick her ass as they spared.
She and May talked about it for a while but before they could make any real decisions Natasha needed to know more about the embryos. Doctor Helen Cho had proven on several occasions that she was a trusted ally, so Natasha asked if she would examine the embryos. While they waited on the results Natasha's mind ran wild with thoughts and feelings, because if the Red Room was willing to violate her to get what they wanted from her, what were they capable of doing with that material to create their ultimate goal? What was Dreykov willing to do to unlock the secrets he thought her genetics held? The answer came as quite a complicated shock.
"You're absolutely sure?" Natasha asked Helen as she and May met with the Avengers' doctor and friend.
Helen nodded, "I was just as surprised as you when the genetic match came back so quickly."
"Well fuck." Natasha moaned, a little wide eyed at the news.
After Helen leaves, May sits beside her dazed looking wife and asks, "So, that's an unexpected twist. What are you feeling, Nat?"
"A lot of things." Natasha admits with a long sigh. "I'm trying to remind myself of what my Mama says about things happening for a reason, but honestly, what's the cosmic reasoning behind Bucky Barnes being the biological father of my child?"
"Do you remember telling me about the first time Bucky met Wanda?" May asks as she puts her arm around her wife and pulls her close.
Natasha thinks back and nods. "He looked disappointed that she wasn't ours. He said something about it would have been nice to think he'd put something good into the world after all the bad he'd done."
"Do you think he might still feel the same?" May asks. "Because this doesn't change anything for me, in case you were worried about that, I'm still all in. I still want to have another child with you."
"Guess we won't know unless I ask him." Natasha sighs and then shifts a bit so she can kiss her wife. "I love you."
"Love you too." May replies.
As it turned out, Bucky still liked the idea of putting something good into the world, though he wasn't sure about what if any role he wanted to have in the baby's life. He was convinced he was far too messed up to be any kind of dad to the kid, but maybe he could be the grumpy old uncle who took the kid to baseball games with Steve, or taught the kid to bake his mother's soda bread and ginger snaps.
"Ok, so, here's the thing," Natasha says as she hands her mum a cup of tea and her mama a mug of coffee before joining them, May, Peter, and Wanda at the kitchen table. It was Mother's Day, fitting, Natasha thought as she told them. "May and I have decided that we're going to try for a baby using my embryos. Doctor Cho reassured us that they're healthy and viable, so May's gonna carry since she doesn't get kicked and punched in the stomach regularly, and we have the blessing of the father so, yeah, we're gonna do this."
Wanda and Peter were totally onboard and super excited for a new baby sibling. "You've been an amazing mom, I'm glad that someone else will get to experience that." Wanda said as she hugged Natasha. Peter had nodded his agreement, "You gave up your own life to take me in Aunt May, I'm so happy you'll get to have all the stuff you missed out on because I was already a kid when I came to you."
"More Grandbabies!" Angie had cheered, making her wife laugh.
Peggy, while over the moon happy for her little girl, choked on her tea when Natasha told her who the father was.
That November at Thanksgiving dinner Natasha and May informed their family that they were pregnant. On July 9th their son, Riley Francis Buchanan Martinelli-Carter, was born. Reilly was May's maiden name and Natasha wanted their son to have both of his mothers names. The name was also kind of Tony's idea. He had teased her back when she and May had gotten married that instead of adding May's last name to her expansive list of names, they should save it and use it as a baby's name. "It's unisex ya know, good for a boy or a girl." He'd pointed out during his baby fever phase. Francis was Clint's middle name, and Buchanan was Bucky's. Following the tradition set by their parents, Natasha asked Tony to be her son's godfather just as he'd asked her to be his daughter's godmother. Seeing them together, Natasha and Tony with each other's children in their arms, never failed to bring a happy tear to Peggy's big brown eyes.
Watching her family grow, welcoming a new generation of Carters into the world, had Peggy thinking of those who weren't there to wait nervously in hospital waiting rooms, or gather around a marble basin of holy water with just family before going home to a grand celebration welcoming the newest member of the Carter clan. She thought of how excited Ana would be with all the new babies to love and care for, just like Angie. She could see Jarvis hovering over the little ones with pride. Howard would be overwhelmed but thrilled. Though, she also knew it would have fueled his drive and desire for the perfect legacy. And then of course there was Michael, her dear brother, he would be so happy for her, and eagerly awaiting his turn to revel in the joys of being a grandparent. It would happen, Michael would be blessed with a granddaughter, and the next generation would have it's own Carter trio with the birth of Margaret Darlene Carter-Wilson.
Maggie, as she was called by her family, would be the light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel for Sharon. While looking into the knockoff super soldier serum that gave Peggy the headache known as John Walker to deal with, Sam and Bucky found themselves in Madripoor. Madripoor was a criminal mecca, lawless and seedy, a real life hive of scum and villainy. So of course that's where they came across Sharon who had been deep undercover for more than a year. Sam knew right away that something was off with his girlfriend, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was setting off all the warning bells in his instincts. So he called in the one person who knew Sharon best, Natasha. Together the trio was able to discover an advanced scout team of Skrull from a splinter faction of the shapeshifting aliens who had true malice intent. The Sharon in Madripoor had been a Skrull working for and trying to overthrow the Power Broker. The real Sharon Carter was being held prisoner on a Skrull ship buried deep beneath the Nevada desert. An Avengers team consisting of Carol Danvers, Tony, and Monica Rambeau joined the trio and together they were able to free Sharon, and several others, putting a stop to the invasion plans the Skrull Sharon had thought she could get away with.
Sharon hadn't been physically harmed, she'd been kept in status, but it took her a long time to recover from the mental and emotional trauma of having been kidnapped and held captive. She still suffered from lingering PTSD, but with her family and Sam at her side, she could manage it. The fight between Peggy, Fury, and Maria Rambeau about who knew what and when and why intel wasn't shared was legendary. The rift between Peggy and her proteges and friends lingered because everytime Peggy saw her niece curled up on the sofa in the living room of the faded red brick brownstone, broken and tormented by what happened to her, Peggy's anger flared anew again and again. Sharon took an extended leave of absence from S.H.I.E.L.D to recover, unsure if she would ever go back. At first she stayed with her aunts in Brooklyn, allowing them to care for her like the loving parents they had become since the loss of her own mother and father. Then she retreated to Louisiana with Sam to finish healing, and as she did so, they only grew closer, their relationship becoming stronger. The light returned to Sharon's eyes as she spent her days with Sam on his family's boat, her evenings making dinner with his sister, teaching his nephews how to build their own gaming PCs, and her nights wrapped in Sam's arms, her head on his bare chest listening to the calming beat of his heart. When Sharon was in a good place again and ready to move forward with her life, Sam asked her to marry him. Sharon laughed, causing Sam a moment of panic, and then she answered him with, "Yes, I'll marry you, but we might want to do it before the baby comes."
Natasha would always be an Avenger, she would always be the original Black Widow, but life was different now. She had always tried to keep her life as Natasha Carter and the Black Widow balanced, but now she was allowing the scales to favor her life as just Nastaha. But she couldn't just leave her team or the world short of a protector.
"What is this?" Yelena asks as she stares into the case Natasha had presented her with.
"A uniform, gauntlets, and a utility belt like mine." Natasha replies. "I need to step back, mladshaya sestra. It was different with Wanda, and then with Peter, they were teenagers, with powers, and already on their way to becoming their own heroes. But Reily is just a baby, he needs me, May needs me. The Avengers though, well, they still need a Black Widow. Think you're up for the job?"
"You want me to be the Black Widow?" Yelena replies, shocked, as she looks up at her sister. "You want me to be an Avenger?"
Natasha nods, a huge smile full of pride and reassurance on her lips. "You're the only one I trust to do it."
Yelena chewed her lip as she tried to force her eyes not to water as the emotion welled up inside her. This meant so much to her, to have Natasha entrust her with her legacy like this. Clearing her throat of the lump that had formed she asked, "Do I have to do the silly superhero posing?"
Natasha laughed. "I don't do silly superhero poses!"
Once again Yelena demonstrated how Natasha tended to land, the odd angles of limbs, and the hair tossing. "This, there is no need for this."
"Look here you brat, do you wanna be Black Widow or not?" Natasha huffed at her sister.
Yelena walks over to Natasha and throws her arms around the redhead. "I will make you proud, sestra."
"I know you will, malen'kaya vdova." Natasha replies.
"Little sister, little widow," Yelena teases. "I am taller than you, you know."
"Three fours of an inch!" Natasha replies. "You're taller by three fours of an inch!"
Yelena smirks. "Size does matter."