This can't be happening…
Nakia looked down at her stomach and into the toilet. It's too soon.
She sat on the floor, distraught and anxious. She dreamed of this day before, but it was soon. Too soon.
She didn't know who to go to, in fear of the news getting out. But chose to go to the scientific princess.
Nakia walked in, dizzy from her morning sickness and saw Shuri working on some shoes. She looked around for her lover before making her way over to his sister.
"Shuri…I need help.", she whispered.
"What is it now? Did you break something?", the princess asked, not looking at her.
'Not yet….', Nakia thought.
"No. I just…I'm scared.", Nakia said instead.
Shuri finally turned around, taking in her friend's sickly state. "Whoa, what happened to you?", she asked.
"That's what I wanna know.", Nakia said, sitting in a chair.
She stared at the woman for a while. "You're pregnant, aren't you?", she asked.
Nakia's eyes widened as she hushed her. "Not so loud!", she whispered-yelled.
Shuri gasped. "So you are.", she said.
"I guess so. I didn't pay any mind to it until now.", Nakia said, looking down disappointed in herself. Shuri was the complete opposite. "I'm gonna be an auntie.", she said smiling.
In a way, Nakia felt relieved that Shuri wasn't upset. "Will you please check…?", she asked, unsure.
Shuri prepared her nanos as a bed and had Nakia lay on them.
"This might tickle.", she said.
"I'm not worried about tickles.", Nakia said, looking at her stomach.
Shuri hooked up an IV on Nakia, made her do some urine tests and waited.
"Yup. You came to me right on time.", she said, finally getting the results.
Nakia frowned. It's not like she didn't want to have the baby. She would've been ecstatic if they had talked about it. However…
He's going to be King soon…
"If you're worried about T'Challa, there's nothing to be worried about. Geez, you two always act like I don't have time on my hands. I'm here to help both of you.", Shuri said, reassuring Nakia.
Nakia smiled sadly. "Thank you."
"Shuri, do you have my device ready?", a familiar voice boomed in a short distance, making Nakia's eyes widen.
"Oh no…I don't want him to find out now. Put it away! Put it away!", she whispered, hearing his footsteps.
Shuri hurried with everything and got out his device she had been working on.
"It's here, brother. Ready to go.", she said, once T'Challa came in. The older brother smiled and took it from her. "Thank you.", he said and turned to his lover, unaware of her nervousness. "Good morning, my love.", he said, coming over to Nakia and kissed her on her forehead before he left.
The women sighed in relief. "That was close.", Nakia said.
"Too close.", Shuri agreed. "So how long are you planning on keeping it from him….?", she asked.
"For as long as I can. I don't want to stress him out as much as he is now.", Nakia said.
"So how long do you think you'll be able to hide such a thing? You're going to swell a couple of months.", Shuri informed.
Nakia knew that. Though, she had a place to hide whenever her stomach would grow. She informed Shuri of such a place and decided that's where she'll stay.
She only hoped that T'Challa wouldn't miss her so much until it was time.
Months passed and it was finally time for Nakia to birth her child. It was a baby girl and instantly she knew the familiar genetic features of her lover.
"She's beautiful.", Shuri whispered, laying the infant child in Nakia's arms. Nakia cried, both out of happiness and despair. She had to cut all ties off from the Dora Milaje and could only give little information to the queen in fear of T'Challa ever finding out.
Nakia decided it was too much. She couldn't let T'Challa know. Nakia let the women of a nearby village watch over her daughter before making herself known to her lover who welcomed her back, confused, worried and relieved that she was okay.
14 years had passed and T'Challa had yet to find out. By then, it was too late to go back. Nakia realized it would only make things worse if he had found out this late.
Instead T'Challa was with his father inside Vienna.
He huffed, tugging at his collar around his neck and looked at his father. "It's chafing.", he complained, making his father smile in amusement.
"Bear with it for now. We'll be gone soon.", he said.
The prince huffed and looked out the window.
"At a special United Nations conference 117 countries have come together to ratify the Sokovia Accords.", he heard and glanced at a red haired woman.
"Excuse me, Miss Romanoff?", a woman walks up to a red haired woman. "Yes?", she responds.
"These need your signature.", she said.
T'Challa watched as she signed a form and let the woman leave, finally recognizing her.
"I suppose neither of us is used to the spotlight.", T'Challa spoke up.
She turns to him. "Oh, well, it's not always so flattering.", she says.
"You seem to be doing alright so far. Considering your last trip to Capitol Hill… I wouldn't think you would be particularly comfortable in this company.", he says.
"Well, I'm not.", she says with a frown.
"That alone makes me glad you're here, Miss Romanoff.", T'Challa says genuinely.
"Why? You don't approve of all this?", she asks.
"The Accords, yes. The politics, not really. Two people in a room can get more done than a hundred.", he said.
"Unless you need to move a piano.", king T'Chaka says, walking up to them.
"Father.", the prince greets.
"Son. Miss Romanoff.", The king nodded to them.
"King T'Chaka. Please, allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria.", she apologizes, bowing.
"Thank you. Thank you for agreeing to all this. I'm sad to hear that Captain Rogers will not be joining us today.", he says.
"Yes, so am I.", she says and T'Challa smiles.
"If everyone could please be seated. This assembly is now in session.", they hear on the PA.
"That is the future calling. Such a pleasure.", T'Challa said, bowing to her.
"Thank you.", she says and leaves.
"For a man who disapproves of diplomacy, you're getting quite good at it.", his father says.
"I'm happy, baba.", he said, smiling.
The men give their affection before the king walks up to the podium for his speech.
"When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria, were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join. I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative."
As T'Challa listens to his father, his peripheral vision catches something outside the building. His eyes widened before turning back to his father. "Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace.", his father's last words were.
"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!", T'Challa yelled and ran for his father, but was too late and got blown away.
As the explosion cleared, T'Challa crawled on the floor in search of his father and found his limp body.
"Baba… Baba!" The prince checked for a pulse but there was nothing…
He's dead…
"No…no…!", T'Challa cried, cradling his father's lifeless body.
Unfortunately, the news spread quickly back to Wakanda where Nakia was waiting for T'Challa. She felt regretful as she watched her daughter walk amongst the women in the village she stayed in.
She turned to the sound of footsteps and saw Shuri walk up to her in tears.
"Shuri…what's wrong….?", she asked, worriedly.
Shuri hugs her tight and bawls. The women rocked, Nakia confused and let Shuri settle down.
"Shuri, won't you tell me what happened?", Nakia asked.
"He's dead….my father. He's dead…", she whispers. Nakia's eyes widened and glossed over.
T'Chaka….dead….? Where's T'Challa…? What happened and how….? Why…?
"We have to go bury him….", Shuri says, getting up and looking at her niece.
"She wasn't even able to have the chance to know her grandfather….", she says.
Nakia glances at her daughter.
She's right. And it wasn't fair. What did he do to deserve his death….?
"T'Challa's in so much pain right now. He's the one that was there.", she said.
That only made Nakia's despair worsen. She didn't want to pile on more bad news.