A/N: Don't own Avengers….something FLUFFY for the world…Hope you enjoy…Please R&R…HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
Hope is Born Today….
It was a cold wet miserable day and Bruce was feeling every bit of it in his bones, this kind of weather always made him want to either hide in his lab or curl up with a book and a steaming mug of tea. Currently there were no calls out to assemble the Team so Steve decided to have a group lunch and Tony recommended a movie marathon for the rest of the day. Currently the group was upstairs flipping through the options on which movies to watch and in what order while Tony called in the order for food. Bruce took the time to go down to the main lobby and pick up a package and mail that arrived for him earlier in the day.
When Bruce entered the lobby area he walks over to the desk and greets Cheryl kindly, but notices she kept shifting her focus on a young lady sitting at the far end of the lobby.
"Good Afternoon Cheryl"
"Hello Dr. Banner, how are you today?" Cheryl asked.
"Quite well, thanks. I was called that a package had arrived for me earlier." Bruce replies but again notices Cheryl kept look towards the woman.
"Is there a problem?" Bruce asked.
"Hmmm…what…oh no….well I don't think so" Cheryl stated chewing on her lip with worry.
"What's up?" Bruce asks now watching the girl along with Cheryl.
"Well she walked in about an hour ago from the storm, soaking wet and just sat down. She hasn't asked for anything or said anything, but every so often it looks like she's flinching and will start rocking back and forth, and then she seems to calm down again." Cheryl tells Bruce.
"Huh, well since I'm down here why don't I go see what's going on while you get my items, then I can let you know if security needs to be called, sound good?" Brue asked.
"Sounds like a plan Dr. Banner, thank you." Cheryl states with a relieved smile.
While Cheryl heads to the back to get Bruce's things, Bruce makes his way over to the back corner of the lobby where this young woman is currently sitting and clearly soaking wet from the weather outside. As Bruce quietly approaches her he sees her flinch in what he believes is pain and begins the rocking motion like before and rubbing her now visibly distended stomach, but this time since he was closer to her was able to pick up the young woman's mumbling under her breath.
"Come on little one Mommy's tired, you can practice your tap dancing routine when we get home…ah" as she gasps.
With Bruce up close now seeing that this young lady is obviously very pregnant he waived over to Cheryl that no security was needed and let out a cough to get her attention. As she looks up at him she is hit with another round of pain, she turns her head back down to her belly, rubbing and now panting a bit.
"Ma'am"
"Hi" She replies hissing out a breath from another jolt of pain hits.
Bruce comes around and squats in front of her, noticing her slight shivering from her wet hair and clothes.
"My name is Dr. Bruce Banner, what's yours?" Bruce patiently waits for a reply.
"Eva…Look I'm sorry about all this, I was on my way home, the rain started then the baby got going and I just need to stop for a minute and well I guess it's been more than a minute since the receptionist has been giving me some major side eye other there" Eva is constant rubbing her belly and pants through her explanation.
"Don't worry about it; I let Cheryl know not to release the hounds on you." Bruce grins up at Eva.
"My hero…I will go as soon as the baby calms down a bit, usually it doesn't take this long so I don't know what's going on with this little monster today" Eva says trying to take some deep breaths through the pain as she continues to rub her belly.
"If I may, how far along are you?"
"Um… about thirty eight…no thirty nine weeks…I think?" Eva states not really sure and not really caring as another pain hits and her face scrunches up on pain.
"AAAAA" Eva cries out grabbing a hold of the chair handles.
"Eva, I think there is a very good likelihood you're in labor. We need to get you to a hospital." Bruce states.
"No…want to go home…I'll be fine….AAAAAAA" Eva cries out again panting through the pain, a lone tear runs down her cheek.
"Sweetheart you can't go home and I'm pretty sure Tony…Mr. Stark would defiantly not want you to deliver in the Stark Tower lobby." Bruce states jokingly.
"Okay…okay, home it is" Eva stubbornly attempts to get up onto her feet, Bruce grabs her hands to help her up and holds her till she has her balance when another contraction hits. While Bruce continues to hold Eva's hands to keep her upright she looks down, then back up at Bruce with an odd look on her face, something wasn't right.
"What?" Bruce asks.
"I think….I think my water broke…oh god?" Eva says in a panic.
"Um…okay" Bruce takes a deep breath. "Okay this is what we are going to do, I'm going to take you up to the medical floor here at the Tower and we are going to deliver your baby."
"Yeah?" Another contraction hits Eva and almost takes her to her knees.
"Oh yeah sweetheart, here we go." Bruce wraps his arm around Eva's waist and slowly guides her over to elevator; Bruce calls out to Cheryl at the receptionist's desk.
"Cheryl, can you have one of the interns take the package and mail up to Lab 4 and drop it off on my desk, thank you."
"Of course Dr. Banner, would like me you inform Mr. Stark of what is going on?" Cheryl asks as Bruce and Eva continue on their way to the elevators.
"No thank you, I will have Jarvis send up a message, have a good day Cheryl." The elevator doors close ending any further conversation.
"You to Dr. Banner, good luck" Cheryl whispers always knowing deep down you don't have to have a shield or rockets to be someone's hero.
Bruce leans Eva into one of the corners of the elevator to help give her back a little more support.
"Jarvis, Medical floor quickly and please tell Tony and Steve I will not be joining them this evening, I have….just tell them something has come up, thank you."
"Of course sir, message sent." Jarvis replied.
Bruce and Eva step off the elevator and into Medical Room 1 as it is the first room closest to the elevator doors. Bruce leads Eva over to the examination table and starts digging around for a gown to have Eva change into.
"Okay, we need to get you out of these wet cloths and changed into a gown, do you need help or….." Bruce instructs.
"Um…we are about to get very up close and personal Dr. Banner, but I think I can do this part by myself." Eva replies with a shy smile.
"Okay…um I'm going to go to the other Medical rooms and grab what I will need and will be right back."
"Okay Doc, just don't take too long I'm going to need a boost up onto the table and the contractions feel like they're getting stronger and closer together" Eva let Bruce know.
"Alright, I'll be right back" Bruce hurries out of the room heading for Medical 2 and then Medical 3 grabbing as many supplies and machines as he could get his hands on and heads back to Eva.
Bruce stops at the doorway with his back turned to Eva, "You decent?"
Eva is bent over at the waist on the far side of the bed and lifts her head from the bed, smiling at Bruce's back "Yep, come on in Doc"
Bruce notices that Eva put her still damp hair up into a big messy bun and her cheeks were flush with pain, he quickly brings in the equipment and supplies.
"Okay I'm going to lift you up and put you on the table, you ready?" Bruce asks.
"Remember Doc to lift with your knees, I can't have a ruptured doctor." Eva giggles before she is hit with another contraction.
Bruce chuckles as he reaches down and picks Eva up bridal style and places her gently on the exam table and then covers her with a light weight blanket till they are ready for the next part of the process. Bruce takes this time to get the equipment set up and everything organized so it was ready as he needs it.
-Kitchen-
The entire Team was sitting around the kitchen island eating pizza, wings, bread sticks and salad talking about their day's activities and how the weather had turned to crap.
"Tony did Bruce mention what was holding him up?" Steve asked.
Tony shrugs his shoulders, "Nope, Jarvis just mentioned that something came up, he's probably in science mode down in the lab, you know how he gets."
Steve hums, "Well, we should try and save some food for him when he comes up for air, Jarvis is Bruce down in his lab?" Steve asks concerned about this team mate and friend.
"Dr. Banner and Miss Eva are currently in Medical Room 1 Captain Rogers?"
Everyone freezes with a forks of salad and slices of pizza half way to their mouths.
"WHAT JARVIS!" Tony hollers.
"Jarvis is Bruce injured?" Clint asks
"No Agent Barton not at this time, he seems to be in the process of delivering a baby with Miss Eva." Jarvis replies.
Tony had just taken a gulp of coffee and upon hearing Jarvis's reply proceeds to choke on it. Steve pats Tony on the back as he coughs and heaves for air.
"W-what Jar-visss" Tony tries to say while still coughing up coffee from his lungs.
"Nice Tony, very nice" Nat rolls her eyes a him huffing as she wipes her mouth and hands on her napkin and starts to make her way to the elevator.
"Nat, where are you going?" Steve asks.
Nat just looks at the boys over her shoulder and arches her eye brow with a smirk and then keeps on walking.
"Well I guess we need to go catch up with her or we are going to be taking the stairs" Steve sighs.
Clint reaches for another slice of pizza, "Look guys I have seen this act three times already, I'm good" taking a rather large bite of his slice.
"Well good, you're a man of experience and a professional Daddy, just what we need, you can be the coach" Tony says putting his arm around Clint's shoulders and drags him to the elevators with Steve following behind just shaking his head at Tony's antics.
"But Tony…food" Clint whines as they catch up with Natasha and load into the elevator.
"It isn't going anywhere Legolas, besides we're having a baby" Tony chimes back at Clint.
Natasha just rolls her eyes as she smirks at Clint, making Steve chuckle at his teammates.
"Shut up Nat."
When the elevator stops on the Medical floor, the group steps out into the hall and make their way over to the Med room but pause to the sound of two muffled voices.
"Jarvis let Bruce know we are here please." Steve requests
"Of course sir, message sent. Dr. Banner states he will be out in a minute." Jarvis replies
Soon enough the door opens and there stands Bruce looking sheepishly at his friends.
"Um…hi."
"My dear Brucie-bear is there something you would like to share with the class" Tony asks.
"Um….well you see…." Bruce starts to explain but was interrupted by Eva letting out a quick cry of pain and heavy panting, causing Bruce to turn around and everyone else to look inside the room at the mystery woman.
"Doc….I don't think we have time for a social visit, let them in or put them out, but this baby is coming" Sara calls out "You said you trust them so make a decision and hurry the hell up." Eva pants out.
Bruce turns back to the group with a bashful smile on his face and raises an eye brow daring any of them to make a snide comment.
"Well you in or out, cause I really need to get back in there" Bruce questions.
Natasha didn't say a word and walks right past Bruce and into the room as all four men watch her introduce herself to Eva, giving her a gentle hug and picking up a dry cloth and wiping down her face and neck like they have been best friends for years.
Bruce turns back to the remaining guys, his arms crossed over his chest.
Clint sighs, "Alright I'm in, but I want to give you boys a little advice, if you ever once doubted the strength of a woman, you just pay attention today and I promise you that you will never see them as weak again." Clint finishes and walks into the room and introduces himself to Eva before hopping up onto the table behind her telling her to lean back on him between contractions and save her strength. Clint starts telling Eva about his wife and that she has done this three times so he is going to be her coach since he has all kinds of expertise.
Eva looks up at Natasha giving her the 'is this guy for real' look, which of course Natasha smirks back at Eva and lets her know "Oh yeah he's for real" causing both girls to giggle.
"Hey, no fair no picking on the coach." Clint whines but was glad to see Eva is willing to roll with things.
Finally Bruce, Steve and Tony join the party and introductions are made all around. Bruce made sure the sheet was covering Sara's lower half as he checks her to see how far along she is, when a contraction hits Sara hard.
"AAAAAAA….damn" Eva yells out and makes everyone jump.
Bruce pops his head up, "Eva you're at ten centimeters, I need you to scoot a little further down on the table, that's good and on the next contraction I want you to push. Tony, Steve I need you to support her feet for her to push against, Natasha count out to ten and remind her to breathe, and Clint do whatever it is you do, got it"
"Hey since when does the coach catch all the shit?" Clint whines, causing Natasha to pop him in the back of the head.
"Language" Everyone calls out making Eva snicker.
Eva leans heavy on Clint's chest, "Well if you want to trade places….I'm just saying…AAAAAAHHHHHH" Sara pants "need to push Doc."
"Okay Eva push….7, 8, 9, 10." Natasha counts out.
Eva breathes heavily, pushing hard using Tony and Steve's hands as leverage.
"Good Eva, good…again" Bruce orders
Clint takes a cloth and wipes Eva's face telling her she doing a great job and she's going to see her baby real soon.
"Push Eva, come on girl…7, 8, 9, 10" Natasha instructs again.
"The baby's crowning, a couple more and it will be done" Bruce let's everyone know.
"I need…." Eva tries to sit up a bit and bears down, Steve and Tony now counting along with Natasha.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH" Eva lies back on Clint again; Natasha grabs the cloth and wipes Eva's face as Clint tells her to control her breathing.
"Bruce?" Steve asks.
"Head is out, just need to work the shoulders and then the baby should slide on out." Bruce responds working from underneath the sheet.
Bruce pops his head back up, "Ok Eva I need one more big push to get the shoulders out, do you know what you're having, a boy or a girl?" Bruce asks trying to distract Eva as she pants through the building of another big contraction.
"Um…..girl…yeah it's a girl" Eva pants out.
"You have a name pick out for our little princess?" Tony asks.
"OUR…..as soon as you squeeze a watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon they you can say OURS…" Sara snaps back and Tony's eyes got real big, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.
"Oh yeah she's ready, Laura made that exact comment to me when she was delivering our first." Clint chuckles at Tony's face turning slightly green and Steve had a nice blush going.
"AAAAAHHHHHAHAHAHAHA…..NEED…." Sara cries out.
"Okay, give me one big push and you are going to meet your little girl." Bruce orders "Now push Eva."
Steve and Tony brace themselves for the force of Eva bearing down; everyone was counting out and reminding her to breath between pushes.
"You're in the home stretch now sweet heart, Natasha I need the blanket now." Bruce orders.
Natasha grabs the swaddling blanket and stands next to Bruce waiting for the bundle of new life.
Eva gives one last push and the baby was pushed into the world with a cry from her mother. Tony and Steve look at each other and smile as Eva falls back onto Clint crying with joy and relief, as the sound a new born fills the room.
Bruce hands the baby over to Natasha, mindful of the cord and she lays her on Eva's chest for a few minutes while Bruce cuts the cord and helps Eva deliver the placenta. While Bruce gets Eva cleaned up and comfortable Natasha takes the baby over to the table to be cleaned up, weighed and measured making sure Jarvis records all the information for the birth certificate. When Natasha is finished she brings the little one back over to Eva who is still resting on Clint with Steve and Tony on one side and Bruce and Natasha on the other. Natasha gently hands Eva the baby and lays her on her chest skin to skin.
Eva looks down at her little girl just as she lets out a big yawn like she's bored of the world already, causing Eva to laugh through her tears and everyone else to chuckle.
Eva looks up to Bruce, "Thank you, thank all of you so much." Eva looks around at everyone with tears clouding her eyes and running down her cheeks.
"Do you have a name for this little angel?" Steve asks struck by how tiny she is.
Eva looks down at her baby girl again, "Hope…..Hope Natalia" Eva looks at Natasha, "is that okay?"
Natasha's eyes cloud over with tears, "That's perfect….a little Hope…that's all we ever need in the world."