Summary: As the team try to come to terms with Michelle's death, a new terrifying threat is looming over them. Clint and Grace are forced to confront their darkest fears and enemies, as they prepare for their baby's arrival. Co – Written With snowqueen79. Clint/Grace, Bucky/Sophie and other pairings.

AN: We apologise for the delay, but we have both been unwell and are nervous over Endgame. Please do not post spoilers on here, we hope you enjoy the latest chapter of The Cradle Will Fall.

The Cradle Will Fall

Chapter 7

Steve had that look in his eyes. Clint had come to recognize it as Steve's "you're really not going to like the answer" look. He took a deep breath and waited. Grace gazed over at them nervously.

"Some decades ago towards the end of the war, and after I'd gone into the ice, Howard Stark created a gas. He called it Midnight Oil. Back then, he was creating all types of weapons, trying to help defeat HYDRA. This one though." Steve shook his head. "This one was too dangerous for even the good guys to wield. One of the American generals somehow got his hands on it and used it on the battlefield."

"What happened?" Clint wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer even as he asked the question.

"It was used on Russian troops," Steve explained. "It sent the men into an uncontrollable rage and had them turning on each other. It wasn't just killing like you see in warfare. It was just… brutal. There were body parts littering the ground when they were done. They'd just torn each other to pieces."

"Stark kept it?" Clint asked.

Steve shook his head. "No. After another incident with it on a civilian population, he decided it was too much. He thought he'd gotten every trace of it and got rid of it."

"But if an American general got a hold of it, it's possible more got out," Grace interjected from behind them. "And if they wrong people got a hold of it and studied it…"

"Replicated it," Steve offered. "Howard might have gotten rid of what he'd created but he never got rid of his notes and observations. We sent samples back to the compound and that's what Bruce came up with."

"But wait," Clint held up a hand. "Those women are dead. It sure doesn't look like they pulled each other apart."

"Bruce said while the original chemical structure is intact, they've modified Midnight Oil. Made it into something else. Something worse."

Bucky's eyes were wide as he walked in on the end of the conversation. With his superior hearing like Steve's, he'd probably caught more of the conversation than they thought. Still, he looked alarmed.

Steve looked grim. "We'll know more as Helen, Bruce and Tony look deeper into it. I'm just afraid of what we'll find out."

The sentiment was mirrored on the faces of his teammates, particularly Grace.

Having finished with her pump, Grace discretely tucked away milk for her baby in the refrigerated compartment of her bag while the three men talked quietly for a few moments. Bucky led Clint back to her as Steve sought out Rhodey.

"You okay, Grace?" Bucky's expression was kind.

She nodded and smiled. "Sophie's upset, huh?"

Bucky's grin was answer enough. Then he nodded vigorously.

Grace and Clint had to laugh. "Pacing too?"

"Connor was the only way I got her to stay at the compound," Bucky told her. "She was beside herself from the time you guys left. She's not going to be okay until she sees that you two are fine."

While the thought warmed her heart, Grace felt even worse about their situation. When Sophie got like that, nothing good ever came of it.

Her heart clenched in her chest. She had a son with Clint now. She just wanted to enjoy her family and be happy.

What was coming for them?

She couldn't help but sense that something terrible was going to happen if they didn't find out what was going on. She calmed down and leaned into Clint as they boarded the quinjet.

She just wanted to go home, see Connor and Sophie, and spend time with Clint and their baby boy.

Sophie had never been so happy when she saw Clint and Grace were safe in front of her, she hugged them both tightly. She smiled at Connor and tickled his belly as he babbled happily.

Bucky smiled at her as they both sat down and watched their family reunite with their son. Grace kissing Connor's soft forehead, while Clint stroked Connor's tiny left hand.

Everything was fine, no one was hurt, and they were alright.

The young woman calmly walked into the ATCU community centre, where it was crowded with the freaks. These people caused nothing but trouble, as she discreetly opened the gas container. The result almost worked instantaneously, with the crowd tearing into each violently. She smiled in satisfaction, not realising that a few of the trapped Inhumans, Enhanced and Mutants were immune and were helping the children and pregnant women escape.

It was complete carnage, blood staining on every surface as people begged, pleaded, screamed and shouted for help.

It was nearing 11:PM and Lilia had been working on accessing the files, from the HYDRA laptop that Clint and Grace had found. She had just accessed the files which were listed under Project Genesis and was feeling sickened by what she found. It was videos of the Midnight Oil, it drove the person mad with rage and they ended up tearing each other apart. Her stomach rolled with nausea, as she saw the three pregnant women whose bodies had been found in the HYDRA base.

They'd been experimented on, all of them had been injected with the Midnight Oil which had led to the women's pregnancies developing faster than normal. The six babies had involuntarily killed their mothers. God, she felt sick. She swallowed and went to let Tony know as he was in the lab with Bruce, Helen and Jemma. She thought of Larisa, her kind and witty cousin.

She took in a deep breath, wiping her eyes and went to let the others know of what she had found out on the laptop.

Steve had called a team meeting on what Tony, Lilia, Bruce, Helen and Jemma had found out. His expression was grim, and he was looking at Natasha who was breastfeeding Joseph, and Grace was holding Connor who was drifting to sleep.

"The Midnight Oil was turned into a gas, and a serum. We just got word from Coulson, that an ATCU shelter was attacked by the Watchdogs and they killed twenty-five people with it. A young woman says that she saw this woman come in and put a bottle of Dr Pepper in the reception area." Steve explained gravely, Tint showed the surveillance footage of what had happened.

A young woman barely older than twenty, walked into the reception of the community centre. She put down a box next to the bottle of Dr Pepper, and walked out of the room.

"Lilia's doing facial recognition to see if we can find out who she is, and why she's working for the Watchdog," Tony added grimly, as Lilia entered the room looking grim.

"David and me found a hit on the woman, her name is Kate Bishop and she is the youngest daughter of publishing magnate Derek Bishop. She's a member of Victoria Hand's special ops team." Lilia explained wearily, pulling up a photo of the woman.

Clint couldn't help but wonder, why this woman had decided to join a terrorist group. The Watchdogs hated anything that wasn't human, so how the hell had they gotten their hands on the Midnight Oil?

So, many questions but no answers.

"Well, that confirms Hand's involvement in this," Clint said. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I don't like this. This just feels like the opening act and we're in the crosshairs. Most of this team is enhanced which makes you targets. That includes you Steve. And my son."

Grace turned a fearful gaze on him, and he regretted his outburst. He hadn't meant to scare her. He just wanted everyone to focus on the seriousness of this particular threat.

Tony's expression in particular was grim. Clint knew this had to be difficult for him, but it wasn't as if he had created this. His father had but he knew the so-called playboy had a bigger heart and conscious than that.

"Can something be created to counteract the Midnight Oil?" Grace threw out there, holding onto Connor. "We have some of the sharpest minds in the world in here. Surely there's something…"

Tony automatically grinned at that and Lilia grinned at him. There was that ego, Clint thought.

"I'm sure we can," Tony said trying to tamp down at his delight at being referred to as having one of the sharpest minds in the world. "It will take time though."

"So we'll start right away," Bruce told him. "I think it's a good idea."

"But we also need some protective measures," Steve pointed out. "What do our people need to go into those situations without being affected by the agent. Will regular gas masks work?"

Tony considered that. "It will still get on the skin and clothes and in the right situation, it could still cause aggression just on a smaller scale. Anyone we send in there will need to be fully contaminated upon return."

They all agreed to that.

"One more thing," Bruce's serious gaze moved back and forth between Natasha and Grace. "Those two can't go into any situation where they could possibly be exposed to the agent. I'm sorry. Not while they are nursing. It's not safe."

Steve's usual mask of calm slid into place. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Nat shrugged and he could have laughed at that. Nat? Given an excuse to stay home and spoil her son? How was she hiding the shit-eating grin?

Clint couldn't hide his smile. Grace couldn't go? It was just fine with him. Sophie's expression showed she agreed with him.

Grace's beautiful face colored as her expression closed.

Clint didn't know what to think. He thought she'd be happy as Nat was.

No more had been revealed about Lilia's cousin but they agreed to continue researching that. Steve adjourned the meeting and Clint blew out a sigh of relief. He knew when something was wrong with his girl and something definitely was.

Grace rose from the table with their baby, only pausing when Steve put a gentle hand on her shoulder to stay her.

"You okay?" He asked, concern in his expression.

Grace nodded but didn't meet his gaze. Steve shot him a look that said "good luck" as she headed out of the room.

Clint didn't have any idea what was wrong, but they'd talk.

He just didn't see how keeping her out of the reach of the Midnight Oil, the Watchdogs, and any other evil bastards was a bad thing.

"You think Grace is okay?"

Sophie turned at Bucky's question as he closed the door to their apartment behind him. The kindness in his beautiful blue eyes stopped her. She was grateful that he thought of her family as his own, cared about them as she did.

Sinking down onto the couch, she glanced up. "She's okay but I don't think she liked being cut out of any missions where that Midnight Oil was being used. Grace has never backed down from a challenge and she won't want to now."

Bucky joined her on the couch, sitting close and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Nat seemed fine with it."

Sophie snickered at that. "That's because she is. Nat would take off the next eighteen years to spend their son if she could."

Bucky said nothing, just moved in closer to nudge his way around her hair to press a kiss to the slim column of her throat, making her shiver.

"Clint will talk to her," Sophie said, gasping when he nipped at where her neck and shoulder met with light teeth. "She'll be okay."

When Bucky leaned in, pressing her back on the couch, she let him claim her mouth for a scorching kiss.

Sophie found herself pinned beneath her super soldier, his mouth, his touch sending her up in flames wherever he touched her. His mouth chain kisses over her jaw, down to her neck. His hands were working the buttons of her shirt faster than her brain could process. He had it open, the front clasp of her bra undone in seconds. She threaded her fingers through his thick, dark hair as he teased both of her nipples to diamond hard points.

"That feels so good," she said in a barely there breathy voice as he wrapped his metal arm around her, pushing at her back so she arched it, giving him better access.

"Good," he whispered around one nipple, his blue eyes intent on her as he made her a needy mess beneath him. "Don't want you thinking about anything but me for a while."

He shifted around her. Sophie thought he meant to take her there but, in a flash, he'd scooped her off the couch, heading for their bedroom. Sitting her on the edge of the bed, he began plucking at her jeans while she slid her shirt and bra off. She laughed as he struggled with pulling the skinny jeans down, but Bucky was nothing if not patient. Her jeans wound up tossed across the room quicker than she could blink.

He turned his head and kissed her punishingly, bit lightly on her lower lip, kissed her smiling hot mouth over and over. When he sucked on her tongue a little and pressed down firmly on her clit she tipped over, shaking, gasping; her back arched beautifully, pulling back from him, and she probably would have fallen if he hadn't been holding her. No wipe would ever take the memory of her face from him again; it was burned into him, indelible. It was a miracle he hadn't come in his pants just at the sight of her.

"There. There." He kissed her lax lovely mouth, her chin, her jaw. "I love you."

"Mmmm. Oh god." Sophie scratched her fingers through his hair, humming low in her throat. Bucky sighed and arched into it, and she wriggled in his lap, rubbing luxuriously against his hard cock, mouthing kisses along the underside of his jaw.

Bucky raised himself up, tore away her blanket, and settled into her embrace all in a swift two seconds. Sophie accepted him warmly, drawing him into a near desperate kiss. She could feel his erection against her stomach already. She reached down between them and stroked him through his boxers. He growled into her mouth, and she nearly melted into a puddle.

They paused for a moment to strip out of the remainder of their clothes. He was a lot faster than she, and as she reached down to pull off her underwear, she found a swift metal hand already doing so. He peeled them down her legs as if opening a present. Sophie struggled to breathe, as she finally saw what she had imagined so many times.

For a brief moment she wondered if his cock would even fit inside her again, and then thrill took over her. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him for a second time.

Bucky was surprisingly vocal, unlike most men she had encountered. "God, Sophie!" She reached down and massaged his cock between her legs. She leaned over him for another kiss. He obliged passionately. Just as her eyes slid shut, she felt his mismatched hands on her breasts.

He pushed her onto the bed, so he was on top of her again. Bucky gripped her tightly but not too hard. His metal arm glowed under the moonlight, and he was looking at her quietly.

"You're beautiful," she whispered softly, stroking his stubbly cheek.

He snorts and shakes his head. "I'm not much, sweetheart."

She leans up and kisses him, the feeling of it so intense that he felt like he might fall off the bed. God, the fucking feeling of this woman in his arms was like heaven on earth. He never wanted to leave it. Ever.

"You are beautiful," she whispers to him before moving her lips up his neck. "Handsome." Another kiss. "Caring." Another. "Sweet." Then another. "And fucking sexy." Then a bite.

Bucky felt his hand grip her hard, the feeling of her teeth on this skin feeling marvelous.

"Sophie," he murmurs, before roughly grabbing her head and bringing her lips up to meet his again.

She hums against him and latches onto his body, her legs wrapping around him. When he pulls back, he looks down at her with the sincerest expression he could ever muster.

"You're crazy if you think that."

"I'm not crazy at all. Powerful, yeah. Crazy? Not so much."

Bucky lets out a breathless laugh before kissing her hard again, her hands pinned above her head, her body arching in pleasure. She wanted him. Now. Badly. Anyway, she could get him. Inside her, on top, his dick in her mouth, she didn't care.

As long as this wasn't a dream and it was really happening, she would be okay. "Will you touch me?" She asked softly. "I love how your hands feel…"

"Oh, here?" Her hips, ever so lightly.

"Don't tease!"

"No? OK." He pulled off her bra, cupped her breasts and rubbed at her nipples, so that when she thrust up off his cock she was pushing into his hands.

"Bucky…" She said threateningly, but he grinned at her again, stroked his thumbs over the soft underside of her breasts, wet with sweat. He ran his hands around her torso to her back, where he stroked them down to her centre, and slid his fingers between into her cunt. "God," she burst out. "I-"

"No?"

"Yes." Imagine how full she'd be, his fingers and his cock inside her, how helpless and how exposed and how safe, because it was him.

"Christ alive," he said, strangled, and caught her waist with his left hand, pulling her back up to his chest; she cried out, laughing, mostly for show, because he could manhandle her one-handed and it made her hot. Being pressed against his body heat again was scorching, overwhelming. Her breasts were aching, and her thighs shook a little, and while she hid her face in the crook of his neck and fought to get her breathing under control.

"Gonna come for me, Sophie?" He murmured into her hair, his left arm tight across her back, holding her still while he played with her. "Gonna give it up for me, sweetheart? Drives me wild how greedy you are. Keep you on my cock 'till we both go insane, watch you use me till you pass out. Tell me what you want, and I swear to god I'll give you it."

"This," she said, panting harsh against his neck, desperate to move, her hips twitching helplessly, tiny little movement back and forth between his cock and his fingers. "This, this, always...god, Bucky…"

He smiles against her hair and increases his movement with his fingers, her hands latching onto his back. Blood would come rushing out from the grip if she held too tightly, but fuck for once she just didn't care.

"Is this a dream?" she whispered breathlessly, feeling her body shudder in pleasure and longing.

"No, it isn't," Bucky said firmly. He leaned over her then, putting all of his weight onto his metal arm then and looked down at Sophie then, when she realized something.

He said that he loved her.

Before he could kiss her, she stops him, looking up at his confused expression. The young woman swallows and looks down, before her stare turns back to him. "You love me?"

She felt him let out a held in breath, before he leans down and kisses her so hard it makes her lose any sort of air she had left in her body. When he pulls back his hand was in her hair.

"I love you so fucking much." He kisses her again. "I love that you aren't afraid of me. That you didn't run when you saw my arm." His hand goes back down to where he had been working before on her clit, and Sophie cried out in pleasure.

"Bucky..."

"I love that you stay with me no matter what, and that you allow me to touch you like this," he growls against her neck. Her hands attach to his hair. "I love that somehow, someway, you're my girl, and I'm still questioning how that happened even now."

Her body bucks against his fingers, aching for a release. Her head tilts back against the pillow, and Bucky smirks.

"I love that you're an animal for me in bed," he rasps huskily before kissing her. "I love that you can be real damn scary when you use your powers, and yet somehow you can make them look beautiful at the same time."

Sophie felt her body wanting to give in, but she wanted to listen more. Everything felt so good.

"Love that you can cook and bake, that you can fight like a man but act like a woman when you need to. That you're a sarcastic little vixen sometimes and that you're sweet the next. I love everything about you, dragă." Bucky growled roughly and nipped at her neck.

Sophie looks up at him, her eyes deep in pools of pleasure. She wanted to drown in it, wanted to feel her body let go. And Bucky could feel that emotion too.

"Come for me, doll. I wanna feel it," he says roughly against her skin. So, she did. Sophie let out a cry of pleasure and shattered around him, her head tilting back. She grabs at his arms and then looks at him softly, trying to regain her breath.

"Bucky..." She didn't know what to say. All she wanted was him inside her. 'Inside me. Now.'

Speaking emotionally seemed to be the only way for her, and he understood completely. He positioned himself over her, and then in one swift movement he was inside, right to the hilt. She moans loudly at the feeling of it. It felt like she was whole again.

Bucky dug his face into her neck, trying to stop himself from coming too quickly because heaven knows that could happen from this beautiful woman. So, he pulls out, slowly, all the way to the tip, before slamming back into her. And then he starts that pace.

Sophie's hands attach themselves to his back, digging at his skin. Her legs wrap around him, aching for some release, trying to take him even deeper inside her. Bucky groans and looks down at her.

"Christ, fucking..." She brushes away his messy hair and she smiles, one filled with love and happiness. Her dark blue eyes were bright and happy. And that only seemed to edge him on more.

Bucky increases his speed and she cries out in pleasure, her body bucking up to meet his, wanting to get as much out of this as she could. Skin against skin and body against body. She was already sensitive from her earlier orgasm. This was only going to be bigger. Sophie clutched to his body.

"Harder," she whispers. "Faster, dragă."

He does as she says, going as hard and fast as he could without breaking the damn bed. Every stroke would hit that special spot inside her, bringing her closer and closer to the point of insanity, and she could feel herself tightening around him.

Bucky looks at her quietly, trying to find the words to describe the beauty he was seeing. Sophie, beneath him, screaming and moaning his name, all because of him. Just the thought was making him want to cum. Badly. He needed to. Now.

"Come for me, doll," he growls. "Right now."

Sophie screams out for the second time in a row, coming around his cock, tightening around him. He felt himself cum inside of her, his thick, warm seed spilling into her warm womb.

Both of them breathed heavily. Bucky cradled her tightly in his arms before kissing her tenderly. She curled up into him, his strong arms holding her tightly.

"I love you," Sophie whispered softly. Bucky kissed her lovingly, his heart swelling.

"I love you too, doll. You make me feel alive," Bucky whispered roughly. Sophie hugged him tightly before they curled up together and held onto each other.

Clint had gone to talk to Grace and found her in their room with Connor nursing as she gave him a soft smile that made her blue eyes even brighter, as she smiled up at him. He sat down next to her, and smiled at Connor who had finished feeding, and Grace burped him before giving him to Clint who held him.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Clint. I just want to help, what if this is about the people I killed?" Grace asked worriedly, Clint pulled her into his arms, so he was holding her and Connor.

"This isn't because of that, Grace. Hand was Gonzales's right hand, and second in command, it doesn't surprise me that she's involved with the Watchdogs." Clint reassured firmly, he knew Victoria Hand had seen him as a threat in the aftermath of the battle against Loki and had wanted him thrown in the Fridge.

Grace listened to his heartbeat for a few minutes and wiped her eyes as tears started coming down her face.

"What if any of you get hurt? I don't want to lose you, Clint," Grace said finally, Clint held her tightly as he realized this was the reason for her behavior earlier. She didn't want any of them getting hurt, and he wiped her tears away. His heart broke at her worried expression, he pulled her and Connor into his arms into a tight embrace.

Enjoy and review. Endgame has us both emotionally anxious :)