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.
There will be no more updates until next tuesday, after next week as I will be on holiday in Greece, Crete.
The Cradle Will Fall
Chapter 16
Everyone was in the dining room eating breakfast, with Sophie drinking lemon tea as her morning sickness made her nauseated at the smell of tea or pork sausages.
Howard was on solids and was eating baby food with Connor who was slowly coming off the breast milk along with Joseph. Ragnar was already eating solids, and tucking into little slices of bacon and French toast.
"Sir, agent Coulson would like to speak you all," Jarvis said apologetically, Tony frowned but nodded and the door opened to show Deputy Director Phil Coulson enter the dining room apologetically.
"I'm sorry to intrude, but I have news regarding Pepper Potts, Tony and Lilia. Her body was discovered this morning in an abandoned A.I.M facility in Las Vegas, she'd been shot in the back of the head." Phil explained gravely, seeing Tony taking Lilia's hand in his.
Pepper was dead?
"It wasn't any of us, Phil. None of us were in Las Vegas," Steve said finally, after seeing the shocked expression on Tony's face. Phil nodded, and swallowed.
"We're also here about Yulia Melnychenko Drăgoi, as one of our teams were based in Siberia, Russia found an abandoned HYDRA base. They found an unmarked grave of an infant," Phil said quietly, seeing everyone pale.
Sophie felt the blood drain from her face, she couldn't breathe as she took in the implications of Coulson's words. That the body of the baby, might be her older twin sister, Ilona.
"You think it might be our sister?" Adrian asked numbly, asking the question that his two sisters hadn't been able to say. Coulson nodded gravely and took in a deep breath.
"S.H.E.I.L.D believes that Crimson Widow along with HYDRA, and Lukin are looking for you. And Fury sent me to tell you, that not everyone who is with S.H.I.E.L.D. can be trusted. Hand has been difficult regarding the amendment of the Sokovian Accords, as the Sokovian team. So, be careful, just trust each other and my team," he said warningly, they all nodded in understanding.
When Phil made his exit, Bucky rinsed his dishes in the sink and made his way over to his girl. Sophie had even less colour +-than she normally did, and he kneeled next to her chair at the end of table. Nat say feeding Joseph at the head of the table.
"You okay, doll?" he asked.
He didn't miss the way Sophie's hand trembled as she placed the teacup on the table.
"Do I have a choice?"
He didn't like the bitterness that bled on her words, but he understood.
"Want to go for a walk?" He asked her gently, putting a hand on her knee. "It's a beautiful morning out there."
"Okay," she agreed.
Bucky took the teacup for her while Steve and Nat eyed them. "We'll see you in a little while."
They'd just reached the track at the edge of the grounds and Bucky took Sophie's hand, holding it as they walked along. Yeah, it seemed terribly old-fashioned but that didn't stop his heart from skipping a beat when she cut him that shy smile as they walked along.
"You remember when you said you had a bad feeling about things?" Bucky just jumped right into his concerns.
Sophie nodded.
"I think that what's coming next is what you were talking about," he said slowly. "Someone wanted Pepper out of the way. I'm betting it was Hammer."
His girl's eyes were filled with the same dread that had settled on him this morning.
"The next move they're going to make it to come for Yulia," Bucky explained. "I'd really prefer for you not to be here when that happens."
Sophie stopped walking on that note. "What?"
"I don't want you here when they come for her and that could be any time now," Bucky said with meaning, his gaze locking on hers. "I don't want you or our boys in the line of fire, Sophie."
Sophie was already shaking her head. "I'm not leaving you. Or Connor or Grace or Adrian, or Peter and May."
"I don't want you or the boys hurt," Bucky reasoned.
Sophie blew out an impatient exhale. "Bucky, it's 2019. I'm fine. I'm pregnant, not disabled. I can fight."
"You can," he moved even closer. "Doesn't mean you should."
Sophie started walking back the way they came. Bucky was on her heels.
"I'm not leaving," she muttered. "You can't make me, Bucky."
"The hell I can't."
Sophie stopped and whirled to face him. "Really? You're going to ship me off? What happens if you get hurt, huh? Or my sister? Or my brother? My nephew? Hell, anyone. Bucky, no. I can fight, and you know it. Nat did carrying Joseph. Grace did carrying Connor."
Bucky growled at her, gently clutching her shoulders in his hands. "Sophie, I love you, but this isn't up for debate. I'm going to ask Tony to send you to another of his places. He's probably going to send Lilia and Howard with you. You won't be alone."
Sophie couldn't say that Tony doing just that would have surprised her. And it made sense after what Hammer had done to her. She was still recovering.
Bucky's beautiful blue eyes were watching her, searching for any sign of weakness. He must have spotted something because his expression softened.
"You know I'm right, doll," he whispered. "You can protect Lilia. You can keep her safe for Tony."
"Don't do that," Sophie shrugged off his hands. It was an unexpected as being bitten by a butterfly. "Don't try to pacify me like that. I don't need to feel important Bucky. I need to fight for everyone I love. Including you and my siblings."
Bucky's throat worked as he swallowed down what had to be a biting response. His mind worked harder. He was so impossibly stubborn when his mind grabbed onto an idea.
"I couldn't live with it if I wasn't here and something happened to any of you, Bucky. How could I?"
"And I'm supposed to just be okay with my entire family being in the line of fire from that evil little bastard?" Bucky shot back. "And that bitch we have prisoner; I don't care if she's your biological sister or not. She seems to be primarily after you. And I can't have that."
"Bucky –"
"You also have to realize how HYDRA works," he went on. "Back during the war, they experimented on people, Sophie. Twins were their favourite test subjects. You had one twin you subjected to your twisted shit and the other left alone to use for checking results."
"Twins," Bucky said for emphasis.
Twins like she and Yulia appeared to be. Or identical triplets if the grave discovery were to be believed.
Twins like their sons.
Sophie understood his worries. She was afraid to think about what could happen if she fell into HYDRA's hands.
"Please," he dropped his voice, pleading with his eyes. "For me. Let me send you somewhere safe."
Sophie looked at him silently for a few minutes, before nodding in reluctant agreement. She would go with Lilia and Howard to the next safe house until this ordeal was over with.
"Fine, I'll go with Lilia and Howard but you and the others better not get hurt or into trouble. I mean it Bucky, and you know I'm not joking about this," she said finally, letting her partner know that she wasn't happy.
Bucky nodded as he pulled her into his arms, and held her close to him in the morning sunshine. He knew she wasn't happy about leaving him, Grace, Clint, Connor, Adrian, Wanda, Peter and the children here if HYDRA attacked again.
"I know Sophie, but we just want you and the boys to be safe, and we'll do whatever it takes to keep you, Lilia, and Howard safe. Just trust me on this." He said reassuringly, Sophie nodded, and they returned to the compound.
While Sophie had gone out shopping with the girls to get clothes, toys and a pram for the nursery, before coming back with bags of clothes and toys for their little boys. Bucky had gone to see Adrian, Clint and Grace who were in the kitchen, they were tasting the cake flavours that Sophie, Grace, Wanda and Adrian had made.
"Adrian, Grace, Peter, May and Clint, I was wondering if I could have your blessing to ask Sophie to marry me?" He asked calmly, but in reality he was nervous as hell.
All five of them grinned at him, with Grace hugging him tightly and he saw tears in her light blue eyes. She, Natasha, Wanda, Sharon and Hope were like sisters to him along with Shuri, Okoye, and Nakia.
"Of course, you have our permission Bucky. We already consider you a member of the family, do you know how you're going to propose to her?" Grace asked excitedly, thrilled for her sister who deserved this happiness with Bucky.
"I was thinking of taking her to dinner, and then proposing to her at the Bethesda fountain and terrace. This is the ring, I got for her and it belonged to my grandmother," he said softly, showing them all a beautiful gold ring with a small but beautiful sapphire in the centre.
Sophie would love it.
"She'll love it, Bucky. We just need to deal with Yulia, and the rest of what's left of HYDRA." Steve reassured him, he'd been told by Bucky that he was planning on proposing to Sophie.
Tony, Lilia, Sharon and Sam smiled at him warmly as did Scott and Hope all of them happy for him.
The kitchen of the Melnychenko Drăgoi Heavenly Chocolate and Bespoke Cakes was busy, as they got a cake ready for one of their most sudden regular clients. Tony had asked them to make a cake for Howard, as it would be his first birthday in two days' time. It was Lion King themed, as the little toddler adored anything to do with Lion King or Star Wars.
The cake flavours were chocolate fudge and dark chocolate buttercream, another cake was being made but Star Wars themed for Tony as his birthday was two days after Howard. Lilia had been born on the 23 of September, a month after them.
It had been three hours, but Sophie found herself relaxing when she finished putting green fondant on the Lion King cake.
Grace was now painting the cake with edible coca paint and looking at the Lion King film scenery. Wanda and Adrian were finished doing the decorations, while Clint and Bucky helped them put them on the Star Wars cake.
As Sophie finished up, she found an unopened letter that she had put on the table thus morning. Cautiously, she opened it and felt the blood drain from her face as she read it.
'Miss Sophie Melnychenko Drăgoi,
I believe we only met at my trial, but I hear congratulations are in order for the upcoming birth of your and the soldat's unborn twin sons. I hope they inherit both of your gifts.
I'll look forward to taking care of you soon, White Spider.'
Misha.
She felt her vision go blurry for a minute, feeling her breath catch as she stumbled slightly into the industrial fridge. She heard someone calling her name frantically, before she blacked out and collapsed on the floor.
Bucky had been terrified when he'd seen Sophie collapse on the wooden flooring, shed turned pale as a ghost and had been clutching at her chest where her heart was. As if she'd been suffering chest spins of some kind.
"Sophie, can you hear me? Doll, please wake up for me." He begged pleadingly, as Clint called Addison and an ambulance. That was when he saw the piece of paper next to her unconscious body.
"The ambulance is on the way; Addison will meet us at the medical bay with Bruce and Helen. What happened?" Clint asked alarmed, as Grace rushed over with Connor.
Bucky wordlessly showed them the note, as Steve arrived with Natasha, Joseph, Adrian and Wanda.
"Misha's stalking my girl, the sick son of a bitch," he growled menacingly, as he held Sophie's hand.
Nat glared at them over the top of the letter. "They're going to move any time," she told them. "We need to get her out of here."
Steve nodded, placing a comforting hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I'll go talk to Tony. First, let's make sure she's okay. Then, yeah, we need to get them out sooner rather than later."
Grace's eyes widened at the conversation. "What? You're sending her away?"
Clint wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "They are going to show up. Tony's not going to want Lilia here either. It just makes sense. You read the letter. They are not only targeting her but the twins she's carrying. It's too risky for them to be here."
Grace stared at Bucky. "How did you get her to agree to that?"
He shook his head sadly. "It wasn't easy."
Grace blew out an exhale as the medics arrived. "I guess you're right but what…"
"What, sweetheart?" Clint asked concerned.
"What if they figure that out?" Grace wanted to know. "Worse, what if they go after them instead of us?"
That had Clint's attention.
"You've got a point," Clint said, "but we have to be careful with that. If me or you, Bucky or Adrian aren't here? It'll reveal our hand."
"He's right," Steve told them. "We should send someone with them, but not someone obvious. I'll handle it."
The carefully loaded Sophie onto the stretch and Bucky went with them, followed by Grace, Adrian, and Clint.
Natasha held Joseph, watching the group leave with a worried gaze. "Who can we send?"
It occurred to him then. Steve smiled. "I've got an idea."
After Steve had presented the entire situation, he was a little worried about how non-responsive Loki was. After a moment he did make eye contact with Steve.
Then that trademark smile came out and Steve didn't know whether to be relieved or worried about that.
"I fail to see why it's necessary for me to took them," Loki told him and Thor. "Who are they to me?"
"Brother, this is the man of Iron's house and Lilia is his woman," Thor reminded him. "He's given you sanctuary here on Midgard. Is looking after his woman and offspring so difficult for you?"
Loki frowned at his brother. "It's not difficult at all. I just don't understand why it's necessary to send myself."
"Sophie is also going with them," Steve pointed out. "HYDRA and Hammer is just as interested in her and the twins she's carrying."
Thor grinned. Of course, the God of Fertility took complete credit for that.
Loki's frown remained. "And the twins belong to the soldier?"
Steve nodded.
"Fine," Loki said unexpectedly. "I'll do it."
Steve and Thor exchanged a concerned look.
"Did you just say that you'd help them?" Thor wanted to confirm.
Loki nodded. "I believe so, yes."
"What exactly changed your mind?" Steve had to ask. He knew Loki better. He didn't want went into that dangerous mind and convinced him to just agree to protect Lilia, Howard, and Sophie. But something had swayed, and Steve was afraid that something wouldn't be something good.
"Just want to do my part," Loki said, sitting back on the couch and looking quite happy with himself.
Thor shrugged. "There you go. The plan is worked out. We'll set it in motion."
Loki's bright eyes made Steve a little nervous. He wanted to demand that Loki tell him what he was up, but honestly, his back was against the wall. He needed Lilia, Howard and Sophie kept safe. They needed Tony and Bucky… If anything happened to the twins, Bucky would be beside himself.
If he lost Sophie, Steve was honestly afraid of what might happen.
Steve finally capitulated. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "I'll let you know the details as soon as we get them worked out. We'll be moving fast. Moving out tonight if possible."
That eerie grin formed again on the trickster's face.
"I'll be ready to go, Captain," Loki assured him.
Thor looked satisfied. Why did Steve feel a sense of foreboding?
Heading back for his own apartment, Steve had just stepped out in the hallway when Thor followed him out. Steve paused.
"Was everything alright?" Thor asked him.
Steve thought about nodding and saying everything was fine but the god was pretty perceptive. Steve decided to stick with the truth.
"Do you believe your brother?" Steve asked. "Do you think his intentions are to help?"
Thor grinned at that. "That's always a risk where Loki is concerned. But I don't think he intends any harm to either women or the child."
"You sure about that?"
"Reasonably," Thor said. "I'm not saying my brother is without ulterior motive. I just don't feel that motive is anything that will endanger those you seek to protect."
That stopped Steve. If Thor trusted him, just maybe he was okay with it. But what ulterior could Loki have?
"If you think there's any chance, he won't…" Steve stopped, thought about how to speak his heart. "I don't need to tell you how important the three of them, and the twins Sophie carries, are to all of us. That's my best friend's girl and his children…"
"Steve, I understand," Thor told him. "Loki won't let you down."
Steve nodded, hoping that Thor was right. He knew Loki was more than powerful enough to protect their loved ones.
The question was: What was he up to?
Sophie had been resting in the medical bay in a separate room, she looked unwell but had some colour returning to her face. Addison was performing an ultrasound, with Bucky sitting by Sophie's side and holding her hand tightly.
Grace, Clint, Steve, Natasha, Adrian, Wanda and the others were waiting outside anxiously for news.
"The reason you collapsed, was because your blood pressure suddenly spiked because of the stress you were under. I'm going to recommend that you be on bedrest for a few days, and take it easy, Sophie." Addison said gently but firmly, and Sophie nodded in understanding but was upset that she had to leave Bucky, Grace, Clint, Connor, Adrian, Wanda and the others.
"Thank you, Addison. I'll be careful from now on, I promise," she whispered determinedly, and gripped Bucky's hand tightly.
Tony and Bucky had found a secure safehouse for Lilia, Howard, and Sophie in Romania, Bucharest in the countryside. No one wanted them in the line of fire, as they hugged them goodbye before watching them board the Quinjet. Sophie hugged Peter, Clint, Grace, Adrian, Wanda and the others tightly before fussing over the children. She hugged Steve and Natasha, then Tony, Thor, Sam and Sharon.
Bucky held her close as the others gave them privacy, he would miss her deeply, but this was for her and their two boys safety. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to her or their baby boys.
"Please be careful, Bucky. Please, we need you to come back to us along with the others. You're my home," Sophie whispered softly, Bucky nodded and held her tightly.
"This will be over before you know it, doll. And then we'll be finishing the nursery and I'll be giving you back and foot massages all day long." He promised fiercely, Sophie nodded and kissed him before waving at him and the others as the Quinjet flew away with Loki cloning himself as Sophie.
He noticed that Tony was saying any of his usual sarcastic remarks, he was missing Lilia and Howard, just like he was missing Sophie and having her comforting her soothing presence.
"Jarvis, any sign of HYDRA or the Red Room?" Steve asked grimly, they'd all entered the conference room. A map of the compound was brought up, and they saw dots approaching from the front of the facility.
"Thirteen hostiles, Captain Rogers." Jarvis confirmed gravely, Steve nodded and looked at the team in front of him.
"Let's suit up."
Misha had big plans for the White Spider, or Sophie as she preferred being called by her family and friends. His lip curled in disgust at the name that her parents had given her, it was a Westernised name and didn't suit a woman who had been born in the Red Room.
Anastasia, Tatiana, Natalia or Elena were better suited than the name Sophie or the name Grace. He'd enjoyed the nights when Rumlow had allowed him to have Grace, when he'd been sent on assignment.
If she hadn't escaped that day, she'd have given birth at the HYDRA base and then he would have impregnated her next with the new fist of HYDRA. But alas, it wasn't to be, and he did wonder how Grace escaped but at least he had drawings of Grace.
When he'd seen Sophie in the courtroom, he'd immediately wanted her desperately. He could see why the Winter Soldier had fallen for her and gotten her pregnant. What he wouldn't give to kiss her, or bite those gorgeous breasts of hers that would harden at his touch. If he couldn't have her, then he could always take Grace after killing Ronin.
He stepped into the facility, taking note that everyone must be asleep for the night. He silently made his way to the room that Sophie shared with the Winter Soldier and found her fast asleep.
He licked his lips hungrily as he moved into the room, when he saw the slight swell of her tummy. He moved closer towards her, when he saw her turn on her back.
Smirking, he moved towards her and was about to knock her out, when the lights suddenly turned on. He covered his eyes and saw a black vibranium arm with a panel of gold.
"You got another thing coming, if you think that you can hurt Sophie or our unborn children!" Bucky snarled dangerously, Misha roared and charged at him.
Bucky blocked his punch aimed at his face, as they began fighting in the hallway. Clint was letting arrows fly into any HYDRA operative, while Peter webbed up Red Room operatives and Grace was fighting too, a blur around them as her hands glowed from using her venom blasts.
The fight was bloody and long, but they were winning as they pushed the HYDRA and Red Room operatives out of the compound and outside behind the building.
"How long did it take you, Ronin to sleep with Grace? She screamed like a cat, when I took her, but she was so tight. Then again, Rumlow had her for three weeks and managed to get pregnant even though we all tore her up slightly. Bitch bled all over the blankets one night, when I took her like a cat in heat!" Mikhail taunted cruelly, causing Clint to see red.
He threw his knife at him, impaling him in the chest and charged at him as the man tried to block his attack. He was smirking, as he tried to shove Clint backwards.
"You aren't ever going to hurt her again, you hear me?! I won't let you!" Clint snarled enraged, not seeing Dmitri charge at him but he was blast into a tree and cocooned by Grace who used her spider webbing to swing over.
"Need a hand, dragă?" Grace asked teasingly, Clint smirked as she turned around to face Mikhail who snarled at them.
"Come looking for a real man?" Misha hissed at her. "You remember those nights. You loved it."
Grace's eyes widened in fear for just a split second. Then they narrowed on the evil operative that Rumlow had allowed to violate her.
"I hope you enjoyed it, Misha," Grace told him, moving closer. "Because you won't be enjoying anything else for a long time."
Grace slung a venom blast at him, missing his throat. He dodged arrogantly as she knew he would, and then he stepped into the line of fire. Her next blast him in the throat.
Misha growled, clawing at his throat with his hands, his face turning a violent red.
"You always… did like it rough," Misha bit out. "Has your… pathetic… archer figured that out yet."
That pathetic archer put an arrow in Misha's ribcage, but it only seemed to enrage him. Grabbing the arrow, he broke it, leaving the arrow and a short piece of staff sticking out of him. Tossing that away, he charged at Grace which made Clint panic until he saw the determination in her face.
Misha's hand wrapped around her pale white throat but she allowed it, Clint winced when she hit him in the face with the next blast. Misha screamed then, a horrid animal-like cry, and released her. Burying his face in his hands, Misha growled, yelling over and over again that he was going to fucking kill her.
"You shouldn't have threatened my sister," Grace danced around him, wild-eyed and vengeful in a way Clint had never seen before. "You shouldn't have threatened her babies. I'm going to fucking tear you apart."
Misha still couldn't see, staggering in the direction of her voice which didn't do him a lot of good since she was dancing around him like a spider on the hunt.
"Yeah, you may have been allowed to place your filthy hands on me," Grace went on, her face a deep red in her rage, "but I'll send you to the worst hell imaginable if you even look at my sister wrong. She is not yours. And neither am I!"
Clint watched in astonishment, a little bit of horror as his girl unleashed a storm of webbing and venom blasts on Misha. The bastard still couldn't see but he staggered around in blind anger, it reminded him a little of the hulk, in unrestrained range and his heart leaped into his throat each time she moved too close.
Clint launched another arrow, this one hitting his side and he bellowed out at the sound. Misha spun in Clint's direction, which was what he wanted. The poor bastard walked right into a metal fist that sent him sailing.
Grace followed Bucky as he murder-strutted to where Misha landed, still unable to see. Flailing and snarling like a wounded animal. Bucky straddled him and began pummelling him with that deadly left arm. Hit after hit landed while the man put up hands trying ineffectively to deflect the blows.
Blood flew, a tooth or two. Grace watched with something like satisfaction while Bucky beat him to a pulp. The bastard's blood flew, streaking his girl's face. Clint made his way over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. Her body was as tense as his bow.
"Buck!" Steve called out. Him and the rest of the team had managed to grab the rest who'd come with Misha. "That's enough."
Bucky threw in one parting shot before looking up and exchanging a look with Grace. "Sorry," he muttered, rising from the bloodied foe not moving a lot on the ground. "Didn't mean to step in but…"
Grace darted forward to hug her future brother-in-law. "You had as much right as I did… I'm glad she wasn't here."
Bucky swiped at the sweat running off his brow. "Yeah, me too."
Justin Hammer took a unit of his own and headed to Romania. He grinned as he thought about the reports he'd gotten.
Stark had sent Lilia there with his small son. In a surprising turn of events, Sophie was also there. While Lilia had indeed been a terrific fuck, Sophie? Well, he'd like some of that too.
Translation: Dragă means darling in Romanian.
Enjoy and review :)