The universe came dangerously close to succumbing to the mad intentions of a cosmic warloard, and it had no fucking clue. People went to bed each night ignorant of the fact that if not for the Avengers and their allies, half of them would have died or simply ceased to exist. Natasha didn't really know how it would have worked, how Thanos would have culled half the universe's population, and she really didn't want to know. The Battle of Wakanda already haunted her dreams, and even seeped into her waking hours. She would be hit with the memory of Proxima Midnight threatening to kill Wanda while she loaded the dishwasher, or she would see Peter, battered and bloody in the mud after being thrown across the battlefield like a child's discarded toy. Her body and mind would remember the feeling of Thanos forcing her to the ground, and the claustrophobic feeling of being pinned down by rock, leaving her gasping for air in the middle of a workout she easily breezed through without breaking a sweat any other time. She tried hard to keep her PTSD to herself, focusing instead on helping Wanda and Peter with their own haunting memories of war, but neither her mothers nor her girlfriend would allow Natasha to ignore her own needs.
May held her so tight when the nightmares woke her that Natasha was actually surprised by the other woman's physical strength. She held Natasha's focus with unweaving compassion and patience whenever Natasha's thoughts and memories ran away with her. Despite all the doubts that clouded their rocky times, May stepped up and loved Natasha the way she needed, giving the redhead as much of her own strength as Natasha needed to heal. May's response to the whole thing, even the anger and fear, the long, loud, swear filled rants, just made Natasha even more sure about what she wanted to do next. She just needed to handle a few things first.
After carefully riding her motorcycle through the narrow, winding roads Natasha parked it at the curb and pulled off her helmet before taking the footpath to her destination. The marker was simple; polished stone with an NYPD badge engraved into its surface just above the name 'Detective Benjamin Franklin Parker'. Below his name the phrases, 'Beloved Husband and Uncle.' and 'Proud Son of New York' gleamed warmly in the early afternoon sun. Reaching into the front pocket of her jeans Natasha pulls out a shiny penny and places it on the headstone, a token of respect to let his family know he had a visitor, before she crouches down. She chews her lip a bit as she picks away leaf litter at the base of the stone. Then she speaks, "Hello Ben. I'm Natasha. You're properly wondering why I'm here. I honestly debated whether this was a good idea or not, maybe it's a bit silly, but it's something I felt like I needed to do. So here I am."
"I want you to know that I love May and Peter very much and that I'm going to do everything in my power to protect them," She continues. "To give them everything in this world that I can. They're both amazing people, but you know this already because you loved them first, and I know how lucky, how blessed, I am to love them now." Natasha pauses to sort out her thoughts and then finishes, "I guess I just wanted to reassure you that May and Peter are loved and in good hands, and not just mine, but my whole family's."
After Wakanda it was hard for May to let her family out of her sight. She wanted nothing more than to hold them all tight in the safety of their home and never let them go. Not having witnessed the battle like she had New York only seemed to make the desire stronger because her imagination was filling the blanks left open by the retellings of her loved ones. But May knew she couldn't shelter her family of heroes from the outside world, and that it was actually better for them if she helped them deal with the trauma and continue on with their lives. Which is why she scolded Peter about eating his breakfast on the ceiling, fussed at Natasha about taking Wanda to therapy on her motorcycle, dropped Peter off at Avengers' Tower and reminded Pepper and Happy that he had therapy at three o'clock, and then picked up Wanda once her session was over while Natasha ran errands for her mothers' upcoming family Sunday. She was trying to get things back to some sense of normal. Or as normal as life got when three out of four members of your household are Avengers.
Natasha had found a therapist with military training who specialized in the kind of trauma suffered by military veterans and war refugees. Peggy had vetted the woman more thoroughly than the government vets those closest to the president. Once the therapist was deemed worthy, Wanda began seeing her regularly. In fact, Dr. Raynor was on her way to becoming the de facto Avengers therapist since she was also seeing Peter, Natasha, and Bucky. Sitting out front of the building waiting on Wanda, May wondered if perhaps they should see a therapist as a family. She wouldn't lie and say she was suddenly ok with this whole having her loved ones risking their lives as heroes thing, because she wasn't, it still terrified her. The fear of losing Natasha, or one of their kids, could be paralyzing for her, but May's love was stronger than her fears.
May smiled warmly as Wanda slipped into the passenger seat beside her. "How'd it go?"
Wanda shrugs. "It was fine."
May knew that Wanda wasn't always very talkative after a session so she didn't push the girl. She simply started the car and once Wanda had fastened her seatbelt, pulled out into traffic. They'd only gone a couple of blocks when May noticed Wanda glancing up at her, an expression on her face that said she was trying to decide if she should say something. May again smiled warmly, reassuringly at the girl. "Something on your mind, sweetheart?"
Wanda chews her lip as she looks up at her adoptive mother's girlfriend. While the bond between Peter and Natasha had formed easily over the years, the relationship between Wanda and May was coming along a bit more slowly. Peter was much more open hearted, less scared by his losses than Wanda was. Wanda was a bit more cautious with her heart. For Peter, Natasha was Aunt Nat, he had accepted her as nothing less than his other parent. Wanda respected May's role in her family, she even cared a great deal about her, but for now she was still her momma's girlfriend. "Can I ask you a question and will you answer it instead of evading it like my Momma does?"
"You can ask me anything, Wanda." May reassures. "And I will be as honest and open with you as I can be."
Bright eyes narrow as Wanda tries to figure out if that's one of those lines adults use to get around things, but she can't quite tell so she asks anyway, not fully expecting May to be honest with her. "Does my Momma have nightmares about what happened in Wakanda?"
"She does." May nods. "So does Peter." She adds. "What you all lived through, the things you saw, the things you had to do, that's a lot for the human mind to process, Wanda. Dreams, nightmares, they're how your mind tries to cope, to sort it all out. Sometimes that process can become too much, too overwhelming, like you're on overload." She pauses a moment as they wait at a red light to look over at Wanda, to look the girl in the eyes before continuing. "When that happens to me, as I'm laying there getting ready to fall asleep, I'll picture a sort of gateway or a doorway, and behind that doorway are my dreams. I'll picture something or someone I trust standing in front of the door, guarding it, keeping out the memories and thoughts that will turn them into nightmares."
"Does it work?" Wanda asks, thinking that sounded rather silly.
May nods. "It does, not always, but most of the time, yes, it works."
Wanda would have to try that, silly sounding or not. Wakanda lingered in her dreams and the enormity of her powers haunted her thoughts. But what taunted Wanda most the last few days were recurring dreams about Pietro, about him being alive and just out of her reach. It was easier for her to remember him and their parents these days, to share those memories with her adoptive family, so she hadn't dreamt of them, of their deaths, in a long time. It was a little unsettling to suddenly have Pietro running through her subconscious mind again.
"Wanda," May says gently. "Sweetie, are you ok?"
"Yes, May? Oh, yeah, I'm ok." Wanda replies with a small smile. "Sorry, guess I was just in my head a bit."
"That's ok," May reassures her. "Sorting things out in your head after a therapy session is normal, but don't dwell too much. I'm sure you did a lot of hard work today, it's ok to step back from it and take a breath." She smiles at the girl, a loving, caring smile to remind the girl she was not alone and that she was loved. "How about you and I have lunch, hmm? Your choice."
Wanda smiles. "Pizza in the park?"
May nods. "With ice cream after."
It amuses Natasha that Peter can swing through the city on his webs without fear, and yet on the back of her motorcycle he clings to her like a koala joey clinging to its mother. As they entered the house, which smelled heavenly of seasoned meat, onions, and garlic, she teased him. "You basically free fall between swings, little spider. How is my biker scarier?"
"I don't know." Peter replies. "Just is. I mean, I'm in control of the webs."
"Ah." Natasha nods as she hangs up her leather jacket and pulls off her boots. "After you've been driving a car for a full year, I'll teach you how to ride a bike."
"You will?" Peter replies, eyes wide with excitement.
"Not a chance." May cuts in while shaking her head as she looks up from her laptop as the pair walk into the living room.
"Oh please," Natasha replies before kissing May hello. "Like you don't absolutely love riding on the back of my bike."
May huffs but smiles. "Doesn't mean I want you teaching the kids how to ride one of those things."
Wanda's the reason the house smells so good. When Natasha walks into the kitchen the girl is busily following the directions coming from the tablet on the counter. The redhead smiles as she walks over to kiss her daughter's temple, her blue-green eyes darting over to the smiling face on the tablet's screen. "Hi Ma."
"Hiya angel." Angie replies brightly.
"What are you two cooking up?" Natasha asks as she hugs Wanda while stealing a hunk of cheese.
"Macaroni and cheese," Wanda answers as she bats at her momma's cheese-thieving hands. "And grilled kebabs."
After nearly losing everything to Thanos these were the moments Natasha cherished most, the simple, normal, moments shared by a family. Shortly after returning from Wakanda, Tony sort of took central focus. His near death experience had pushed him into moving forward with his wedding. He didn't want to live another moment of his life not being married to the woman he loved, and who by some miracle loved him just as much. Natasha knew the feeling, but being who she was she focused on being Tony's best person, knowing that her time in the spotlight would come soon enough. Natasha couldn't totally blame Tony for her waiting a little longer to act on her desires and feelings. She wanted some time between Wakanda, Thanos, and the Infinity Stones, and what would hopefully be a happy milestone in her life. She wanted to give herself and her family a little time to heal from the trauma so they could go into things with joy and untainted happiness.
Tony and Pepper were finally back from their honeymoon, and with Sharon and Sam in town the Carter matriarchs 'requested' a family dinner. Natasha, who normally came over early for Sunday dinners anyway to get some one on one time with her mothers, was actually waiting for them on the cathedral steps. She'd been doing that more lately, showing up to sit beside one or both of her mothers in church. Something deep down in her soul said that things with Thanos could have ended in horribly worse ways, and Natasha wanted whomever or whatever was out there to know how grateful she was it ended the way it did for them.
Just to prove how the whole thing had shaken them all to their cores, it wasn't Angie who often reached for Natasha's hand during the quiet reflective moments during the service, it was Peggy, her grip on her daughter's hand so strong it bordered on painful. Natasha would squeeze her Mum's hand back and lean into her a little more, offering back as much of the comfort and strength that Peggy had given her over the years as Peggy would accept. At first it was just Natasha joining Angie and Peggy on Sunday mornings, but the last few weeks saw May and the kids sitting in the Carter pew as well. After mass May would take the kids on to the faded red brick brownstone while Natasha and her mothers took a walk in the park, giving them their one on one time before the madness of a Carter family Sunday began.
The black and red foam dart hit Natasha right in the shoulder just as she was about to take the first step up towards the front door of the brownstone. Instantaneous reflexes snatched the dart as it fell from bouncing off her shoulder, and when Natasha looked up to see who had declared Nerf War, she'd been expecting to see one of her kids or Tony, maybe even Sharon leaning out of one of the upper windows. The grinning face she saw instead made Natasha blink and her jaw drop a little, "May?"
When May ducked back inside Natasha looked to Peggy as if asking permission and the matriarch of the Carter clan simply laughed and nodded her head. "Go on then, poppet, have a bit of fun."
The smile that bloomed on Natasha's face was bright and carefree in a way that her mothers hadn't seen often since Thanos. She bolted up the stairs and through the front door where she dropped her leather jacket. Sharon's voice called out from somewhere, reminding the participants that Natasha wasn't officially in the game until she was armed. Natasha kept the personalized and modded Nerf guns Peter had given her in her bedroom, so that's where she ran with a giddy cackle. She was after all the reigning Carter Family Nerf War champion, and she was excited by the chance to keep her title.
Because Vision seemed to follow Wanda around like an imprinted duckling, Peggy found herself explaining the point of this particular family tradition to the synthezoid who'd started joining family gatherings, just as Wanda's voice rang out from somewhere overhead. "Peter! You can't hide on the ceiling! That's cheating! If you're using powers I'm using powers!"
"No powers!" Came Natasha's response to the kids.
It was a beautiful day, and after Peggy put an end to the Nerf War, everyone gathered in the backyard to enjoy the warmth and the sun. Burgers and hot dogs were grilled for lunch, and there were a tone of chips, fruits, drinks, and otter pops to keep everyone noshing until Peggy served up Dum Dum's recipe for barbeque chicken for dinner. At some point someone broke out water pistols and the war was back on, but that came to an end after Angie broke out the water hose because Sharon had accepted Tony's dare to unleash her supersoaker on their aunts. After dinner everyone settled down to just talk and drink and laugh as night crept in. Natasha felt lighter than she had in awhile as she sat on her mothers' patio and watched her family enjoying each other. Tony and Pepper talk about their honeymoon, and Sharon shared her plans to join Sam in Louisiana to meet his sister and nephews. Peter and Wanda help Angie bring out dessert and Natasha is flooded with love and gratitude as she watches Wanda easily accept Angie's affections now that she is comfortable with her place in their family. Natasha watches as she raises a brown bottle of microbrew to her lips as her Ma walks over and helps herself to her Mum's lap. She grins when Angie takes the fanned out cards in Peggy's hand and reorders them before setting them on the table and declaring, "Gin!"
"We were playing canasta, my love." Peggy chuckles as she pokes her wife in the side to make her squirm and giggle.
The sound of May's pure and joy filled laughter draws Natasha's attention and she can't help but smile. May fit so perfectly not only into her heart but into her family which was incredibly important to Natasha. Family meant the world to her, it always has, and to see the woman she loved become a part of that, it left Natasha feeling things she simply didn't have the words to express.
As everyone began moving inside to watch a movie after Angie declared being bitten once by a summer bug was one time too many, Natasha fell back, grabbing May as she passed to hold her back as well. There had been such a look of peace on her Mum's face as she held her love on her lap, her chin resting on Angie's shoulder as she listened to Angie sharing a story from long ago. It was a look that shouldn't come so easily to someone who has lived through what Peggy Carter has lived through, and yet it was a soft expression that Natasha has grown up with but never fully understood until now. When the world goes all helter skelter around them, the love between her mothers keeps them balanced. Peggy Carter can know peace because Angie Martinelli loves her and will always be there to calm the storms.
"Nat?" May asks gently as the pair stand alone in the backyard. "Hon, everything ok?"
"Growing up I always saw my mothers' relationship as this romantic fairy tale ideal." Natasha replies, still holding May's hand gently in her own. "But now, I can see the reality of it. When the world around them has gone to shit, there they stand, side by side, holding each other up in their wadeboots."
May chuckles softly. "For better, for worse, and everything in between."
Natasha nods. "Exactly, and now that I can see the reality of it, the good, the bad, the ugly, the wonderful, and the ordinary, I know more than ever that I want that. I want the kind of bond my mothers have with the person I love without doubt or hesitation. I want that with you, May, and yeah, I know we've pretty much already blended our lives together with the kids and the house and everything, but I want more. May," Natasha smiles a bit bashfully as she tugs May closer. "I want the gold bands and the shared names and the piece of paper that says I'm yours and your mine." Natasha pauses for a moment to take a breath, her free hand slipping into the pocket of her jeans to pull out the small royal blue velvet pouch she'd been carrying around since picking it up from Tony's jeweler. "I would very much like the honor of being your wife, May Bella Reilly-Parker." She had to let go of May's hand to open the little pouch and retrieve what was inside. Pinching the gold band of the pearl and diamond engagement ring she had made between her forefinger and thumb, Natasha holds it up for May to see. "Marry me, May?"
It's such a perfect moment, simple and beautiful, the two of them standing barefoot in the summer grass, the moon over head, crickets singing to one another in the shadows, a little bubble of peace in their hectic lives. Despite May's fears she could no more live without Natasha than she could live without food or water or air. She was still very much afraid of losing Natasha one of these days, but she had come to realize that if she weren't strong enough to love heroes they wouldn't keep coming into her life. May listens to Natasha, her heart swelling and spilling it's warmth out into every cell of her body, while trying desperately not to laugh because Natasha's picked up on Peter's rush-through-the-nervous-words-as-quickly-as
-possible habit. When Natasha finishes, when she finally gets to that ever so important question, May's smile is big and bright, and her cheeks wet with the happy tears that have escaped her eyes when she'd blinked. "Yes," May answers while reaching for Natasha's face to draw her into a kiss. "Natasha Elizabeth Luisa Martinelli Carter, I will marry you."
Inside the faded red brick brownstone Peggy finally realizes that her daughter and May are missing from the room as she and Angie settle into the loveseat and are handed drinks by their niece before Sharon settles on the floor beside Sam. A hint of a sly smile tugs at Peggy's lips as she figures the young couple has slipped off to steal a quiet moment alone. She's content to leave the matter drop from her thoughts as she continues to soothingly scratch lightly at the warm skin of her wife's back, her hand having found its way under Angie's blouse when Angie leaned forward to peer at the screen as Peter and Pepper scrolled through movie listings. Angie however was not willing to overlook Natasha's absence.
"Where's Nattie?" Angie asks as she looks around for her angel.
It's Vision who responds, "Agent Carter and Ms. Parker are currently in the backyard." He tilts his head as he listens and then continues his report. "Agent Carter seems to have asked Ms. Parker to marry her."
"Viz!" Wanda scolds lightly. "Stop! That's a private conversation and your eavesdropping!"
"What did May say?" Angie asks her granddaughter's synthezoid best friend.
Peggy shakes her head at her wife and gives Vision a look that says not to answer that. "Wanda is right, that is a private moment between Natasha and May. They will tell us what we need to know when they're ready to tell us."
Angie turns to look at her wife and pouts, "But English!"
"No buts." Peggy replies firmly. "Pepper dear, have you and Peter picked a film?"
"Pepper votes we go make s'mores in the backyard instead of watching a movie." Tony blurts out as he jumps to his feet.
Pepper blinks. "No I don't."
Outside Natasha and May are cuddled up on the yard swing and Natasha can't stop smiling as she watches May looking at the ring now on her finger. She does have a flicker of worry despite the radiant smile on May's own face. "I hope you don't mind that it's not a traditional engagement ring, it's just that I really can't do gemstones right now." Natasha actually shudders at the thought of anything resembling the Infinity stones. "And the pearl does have meaning, a history behind it."
May looks up to meet Natasha's blue-green eyes as she says, "It's perfect, Natasha, I love it." She leans in and kisses her new fiancee, and then as she pulls back she asks, "Tell me about my pearl."
"The only thing my great grandmother had of material value was a little leather pouch of pearls her father, who according to family lore was a pirate and somehow responsible for Mum's adventurous spirit, gave her. She divided up those pearls between her two daughters, my grandmother Amanda and her sister Phyllis, when they came of age." Natasha begins. "After my grandparents were married, my grandfather promised Gran she'd have a proper strand of pearls one day. It took time for him to collect enough pearls to add to what Gran had from her mother to do it, but he managed, and on the day of my Mum's christening he gave Gran her necklace." Natasha is still smiling but there is a flicker of longinging in her eyes. She missed her grandparents so much and wished they could be here to meet her family. "Gran used some of the pearls from her necklace to start a strand for Mum which she gave her when she became engaged at the start of the war. Mum also ended up with her aunt's pearls since Aunt Phyllis never had children of her own."
May had truly loved the ring as soon as she'd seen it, but hearing the story behind it just made it so much more special. Natasha came from a long line of remarkable women, and May loved the idea of being added to that lineage in a way.
"Mum continued the tradition, giving me my strand the day I graduated university." Natasha continues, her smile bright. "I've started a strand for Wanda." She blushes a bit at having admitted to such sentinmatily. "I'm not sure when I'll give it to her, though, I'll know the right moment when it comes." Natasha reaches for May's left hand to hold in her own. "As I was sorting through them, I decided one of the pearls I removed from my strand would have another purpose because it was the most unique of the whole bunch."
"Nat." May says softly before allowing a kiss to express the rest of her emotions.
The newly engaged couple remained outside a little longer before heading in to join the rest of their family. Natasha was actually surprised no one had come looking for them. They'd agreed not to say anything right away, wanting to see if anyone noticed. As soon as they walked into the room everyone stopped what they were doing and all eyes were suddenly on them. Natasha chuckled, "What?"
"What were you two up to?" Tony asks with a grin as he wagged his eyebrows at them.
Natasha snorts. "Nothing inappropriate, this is my mothers' house."
That caused Angie to snort. "Like that's ever stopped you before."
Sharon grins an evil grin. "Haven't you two had make up sex upstairs in Nattie's childhood bed?"
"Please don't answer that." Peter whines.
Wanda's smirk looks a little too much like Sharon's for Peter's liking as she pokes him in the side. "You know they have sex in our house when they think we're asleep or not around, right?"
"I hate you." Peter whines at his adoptive sister.
"Could you all stop traumatizing my kid." Natasha huffs at them all. "Peter clearly doesn't want to know that his aunt and I know what each other looks like naked."
"Auntie Nat!" Peter groans.
May shakes her head at them while flashing a wicked grin of her own. "You're all horrible, I can't believe I'm marrying into this."
Natasha laughs hard. "Wow, you lasted all of five seconds."
The room bursts into cheers of congratulations as hugs and kisses are exchanged, best wishes given, and talk of wedding planning begins with Tony firmly declaring, "My Nattie-Cat gets the wedding of her dreams on my dime! No arguments Natasha, I mean it. It's the least I can do for you, and Sharon too, for putting up with me your whole lives."
Some of the bigger choices to be made were actually easy. It would be a church wedding because, "Your mother and I were married in a church, angel, by a priest. It wasn't legal or sanctioned at the time, but that didn't matter. What mattered," Angie had explained one afternoon over lunch at their favorite bistro. "Was having the promises we made to one another witnessed by something or Someone who would help us keep ourselves accountable." So the first available opening the cathedral had was booked for a Saturday afternoon ceremony. Wanda would be Natasha's Maid of Honor and her mothers would walk her down the aisle. Peter would pull double duty, walking May down the aisle and then taking his place as her Best Man. Tony pouted a bit so Natasha made him and Sharon bridesmaids. May asked her friends Carmen and Anna Watson to be hers. In fact it was her friend Anna who helped May find the stunning blue-green opal engagement ring May gave to Natasha while in bed together after a weekend of having the house to themselves.
While there was plenty of dress shopping to be done, the one dress that didn't need to be found was Natasha's wedding dress. Her mothers had asked her for an afternoon alone, just the three of them, and Natasha as always was more than happy to make the time for them. After finishing up a meeting with Valkyrie, (whose actual name was Brunnhilde which Natasha discovered because apparently Carol Danvers called her Hildie in a rather casual way that had Natasha wondering what was happening there because Natasha was under the impression that Carol had history with her Mum's old friend Maria Rambeau) in which Valkyrie expressed concern that something weird was up with Thor, Natasha headed to Brooklyn. There had been something in her Mum's tone of voice when she asked her to come over that had Natasha wondering what was up. There was a softness to the timber of Peggy's voice that Natasha only heard when she was thinking of someone they'd lost along their lives' path and she missed them dearly.
"Alright then, poppet?" Peggy asks by way of greeting when her little girl walks into their home.
Natasha nods as she hugs her mother. "I'm good, Mum."
They share a late lunch and talk just like normal but then Peggy tells Natasha there's something upstairs for her, on her bed in her room. Natasha gets excited by the idea of a present, and Angie tells her that it's not from them. Natasha's about to burst from the curiosity this declaration creates in her, and she takes the stairs three at a time to get to her room faster. There's a periwinkle colored box in the center of her bed with a satin ribbon around it, tied into a perfect knot on top. Natasha knows that kind of box, had seen ones like it countless times growing up, and the sight of it now stops her dead in her tracks. Her first communion and confirmation dresses and her prom dress had come in boxes that color with that kind of ribbon. In fact she'd been the one who'd picked out the color of those boxes. "What do you think, little star, what color should I choose for my professional looking signature boxes?" Ana Jarvis had asked a tiny Natasha who replied, "Prettywinkle, Néni!" Ana had laughed brightly as she addressed her husband, "You heard her Mr. Jarvis, we'll do the boxes in Prettywinkle."
Tears burned Natasha's blue-green eyes as she slowly made her way across her bedroom floor to stand beside her bed. There was a letter tucked into the ribbon and Natasha knew the elegant script announcing her name right away. "Aunt Ana." She whispers, hand trembling as she reaches for the letter. Natasha's gaze flickers over to the nightstand where Ana's Star of David used to rest in it's shadowbox, just as her other hand reaches up to press against her matching cross. Ana's star was now on a shelf in her bedroom in her own home right beside the statue with her Aunt Maria's Rosary. Taking a deep breath, Natasha opens the envelope and removes the letter within with such care one might think the paper was made of vibranium and therefore extremely valuable. To Natasha it was the words written in her late godmother's hand that was priceless.
'My Precious Little Star,
My heart is joyful at the thought that you have found a love so meaningful and wondrous that you wish to spend your life with someone who must be absolutely remarkable if they have been deemed worthy of you and your beautiful heart. I wish you a lifetime of wonder and happiness, Natasha, but also strength, bravery, and wisdom. Marriage is oftentimes hard and a lot of work, and love can not be expected to carry it's full weight all alone.
I pray that I am there to help you prepare and to bear witness, but if I am not there on your special day, Little Star, know that I am with you always. My love shines in the stars above and in each stitch of the gift I have left for you. Wear it knowing that those who loved you first will be there with you as you're surrounded by those who love you now. Shine my most precious little star, shine bright and beautiful so we may continue to see your beautiful light.
Love always and forever, your Néni Ana.'
Natasha presses the letter to her chest as she lets the loving words wash over her heart. Then she sets the letter down on the bed and reaches for the box, gently tugging at the satin bow with shaking hands. The dress inside the box is the most beautiful thing Natasha has ever seen. The under dress is white stain, cinched at the waist, Queen Anne neckline, trumpet skirt, but where the dress really sparkled, quite literally, was the hand crystaled tulle overlay and it's hundreds of tiny stars.
"Heavens," Peggy gasps from the doorway where she and Angie were hoovering. "It's exquisite."
Angie nods her agreement. They hadn't seen the dress themselves until now. Ana had packaged it to survive the years between its creation and when Natasha would need it, so they hadn't touched it. "What do you think, angel?"
"It's perfect." Natasha says breathlessly as she holds it up to herself and glances at her reflection across the room.
"Ana left instructions with us, that if she herself could not make any alterations that might be needed, then we were to reach out to Esmarelda, do you remember her poppet?" Peggy says, tears in her eyes as she watches her little girl in awe of her wedding dress. "She was a maid at the mansion and Ana's assistant? Ana taught her how to be a seamstress."
Natasha simply nods, still to overcome by her beloved godmother's final gift to her.
May found her dress in a little shop in the village. The dress had intricate embroidery and handmade lace beading. It had bellowy lace bell sleeves, and criss cross lacing up the back. Her bridesmaids had called it romantic boho, and very much May. Peter and Wanda would wear a suit and dress in a shade of grey called Blue Morning, while the rest of the wedding party wore a lighter grey called Subtle Fog. Natasha spent several hours telling Tony, "Just because you're a bridesmaid doesn't mean you have to wear a dress Tony, a suit will be fine, but thanks for offering to scar our guests for life."
"I look good in a dress, thank you very much." Tony had huffed playfully and then took Peter to get fitting for a suit as promised. He did send several selfies later that day of himself and Peter in dresses.
With Pepper involved everything else seemed to fall into place easily. Their reception would be at the Met and all the finer details would be handled by the same wedding planner Pepper and Tony had used. They would get exactly what they wanted to make the day special and memorable. One evening after eating way too many sample cakes, there was a knock on the front door which May answered while Natasha moaned softly while curled up on the sofa cursing that last piece of Bailey's white chocolate cake. When May returned to the living room, instead of giving Natasha the glass of alka seltzer she'd asked for, May said, "There are two very intimidating women at the door asking for you."
Natasha frowned, her mind racing as she tried to figure out who could be at the door of their home that would cause May look a little uneasy. She knew who the women were the moment she saw them, and relaxed. When she returned to the living room May asked what was up and Natasha smiled. "Those were Dora Milaje from the Wakandan Embassy. They brought us a wedding gift from T'Challa."
One ounce of vibranium to be used in their wedding bands, according to the note that came with T'Challa's gift. Since the bands were meant to symbolize the unbreakable bond between them, and the commitment their hearts vowed to one another, "The bands should be made of something stronger and more flexible than gold." Luckily the jeweler her Uncle Howard had used to make hers and her aunt's necklaces was still alive, and as it turned out, from Wakanda which explains how he'd been able to use the priceless metal so easily to make the requested jewelry. The bands, when they were finished and presented to them, mere days before the wedding were stunning, a warmer hue than gold with a center strip that almost seemed to glow from the vibranium.
Their Hen Night started off as a joint adventure, dinner and drinks, karaoke and lip sync battles that included the kids, but broke off as the evening turned into late night. Pepper and Angie went with May and her friends to offer up advice on marrying into the Carter clan. Peggy stayed with Natasha and at brunch the next morning didn't have to explain how she got pasties on the seat of her trousers because Angie didn't want to explain why the knuckles on her dominant hand were slightly bruised.
Something old. For Natasha, Peggy gave her her mother's handkerchief, which she herself carried each time she married Angie. For May, it was her mother's cross which was given to her by her older sister. Something new. Tony had a star pendant made to match Natasha's dress, and he had tears in his eyes as he put it on her. Natasha got May a new dress watch with M. B. C engraved in an interlock monogram font on the back. Since Parker had been Ben's name, May would take Carter as her new last name. Natasha would add Reilly to her list of names somewhere between Luisa and Martinelli, though May said she didn't have too. Tony had teased, "You could always save it and use it as a baby's name." Tony seemed to be on a baby kick these days. May's something blue also had her new monogram embroidered on it, a gift from Peggy, "A Carter always has a handkerchief." She told May before kissing the young woman's cheek. Angie had chuckled while fussing over her soon to be daughter in law. "I'm surprised it wasn't a thigh holster." Peggy huffed, "Don't be ridiculous, darling. May hasn't shown any interest in firearms." Natasha's something blue were her Aunt Maria's sapphire earrings. Angie provided both girls with their something borrowed, she gave Natasha her Rosary to wrap around her bouquet and she gave May the earrings she wore each time she vowed to love Peggy for the rest of their lives.
"One last thing," Peggy had said to each of the brides before she and Angie prepared to escort Natasha down the aisle. "A sixpence for your shoe."
Natasha had never really been the type of little girl who sat around daydreaming about her wedding, but if she had been this would have been it. Her family and closest friends gathered together to watch her make a promise to the person she loved, a sacred vow to love and cherish her through the good and the bad and everything in between as they share their lives together. Natasha had grown up knowing that she would settle for nothing less than what her mothers had, and she knew without doubt or hesitation that May was the one she would have that with.
While the wedding ceremony had been just family and close friends, everyone was invited to the reception. People from every stage of Natasha's life danced, drank, and ate well into the early morning hours alongside the people in May's life. Janet van Dyne got lost in conversation with Carmen about the non-profit she and May had started, while Hope danced with Scott, and Hank argued with anyone willing to bicker with him. Thor made loud, boisterous toasts to their happiness, stamina, and fertility, which made Peter blush, which in turn made Wanda and Shuri laugh at how easy it was to make him do that. Bruce had brought Helena Cho as his date and was doing fairly well at not looking so socially awkward. Okeye, while keeping a watchful eye on her Princess, was having a conversation with Anna Watson. Steve and Bucky were busy trying not to look at each other with confused, longing, gay panic glances as they danced with May's sisters. Peggy and Angie were on cloud nine as they celebrated their little girl's happiness, though Peggy did cast an inquisitive and cautious glance at one of the staff members a few times before the woman disappeared. Clint and Laura were talking and laughing with Bobbi and Hunter by the bar, while the other couples like Sharon and Sam, Tony and Pepper, and the brides danced. Carol couldn't make it, she was down south somewhere apparently handing family stuff, but Brunnhilde was there and drinking everyone under the table. Goose, who had been the ring bearer, and Chewie who'd been the flower kitten, were perched on silk pillows taking it all in. When it came time to throw their bouquets Natasha and May called everyone who was single to the center of the room and threw them together on the count of three. Scott Lang caught May's and his face lit up as he looked over at Hope like she'd hung the moon just for him. Melinda May, though she wasn't even trying to participate, caught Natasha's causing Daisy's face to light up. Melinda blinked and declared, "No." In a firm voice while throwing the flowers back towards Natasha who was grinning wickedly only to have the bouquet land at Phil Coulson's feet.
With Wanda and Peter safe and sound at the faded red brick brownstone with Peggy and Angie, Natasha and May set off for a week in a luxury treehouse on Krabey Island in Cambodia followed by two weeks in Paris and Rome. They would finish their month long honeymoon in Disney with the kids, and undoubtedly mothers and cousins as well knowing the Carters.
"Thank you," Natasha says softly to May as she holds her new wife in her arms.
"For?" May asks, shifting a bit so she can look up at Natasha as they cuddle naked in bed as the warm island sun shines down on them.
"Loving me enough to allow this to happen despite your fears." Natasha answers. "For trusting that I love you enough to try to alleviate those fears as best I can."
May kisses her new wife and then smiles as she presses her forehead to Natasha's. "You are worth it, Natasha, loving you and being loved by you, so totally worth it all."
Thank you all for reading, commenting, and enjoying! While this is far from the end of Natasha Carter and her family and her love and her life, I do think this is a nice place to end this part. Anything further with Natasha/May at it's core will get a new story. Other wise keep watching Life Happens and Cousins are the Best for more Natasha and the Carter Fam.
Also, if you ever want to see what I use for visual inspiration, like say dresses and rings, or longing looks over beer bottles, and what not, follow me on Instagram. StoriesbyReese
Thanks again,
~Reese