Laura had seen the Quinjet materialise out of nowhere and land in their back paddock. This wasn't new to her anymore, not after being married to a SHIELD agent for so many years.
She was a little concerned, but not surprised, to see Natasha being gently helped out of the jet by Clint. This wasn't the first time that one of them had been hurt on a mission.
Laura was surprised, however, by the flurry of movement that followed Clint and Nat. She could make out their silhouettes even from a distance – Steve Rogers with his shield, Thor and his hammer, Tony Stark's arrogant swagger, and Bruce Banner, mild and cautious. Something had happened out there, or else Clint wouldn't have brought all these men, all these heroes, to their secret home.
She came out of the kitchen to watch them stumble into the living room. A familiar wave of relief swept through her when she saw her husband, looking tired but all right. Nat finally let go of Clint, though she still looked shaky and unsteady on her feet. The rest of them simply stared at her, obviously having had no idea that she existed.
Clint took two large strides forwards and embraced her. She breathed in the scent of her husband, a mix of dust and sweat and whatever else managed to settle on him during the fight. All too soon, he released her, and introduced her to the confused Avengers. Laura hid an amused smile at their shocked faces.
"I know all of your names," she said. And she did, because Clint had been telling her stories about his team – these Avengers – ever since that fateful day in 2012, the day when she thought he'd never return to her. He had, of course, and despite all their flaws, she was grateful to the Avengers.
"Incoming!"
Lila and Cooper, obviously hearing the commotion downstairs, came barrelling into the room. Clint seized them and greeted them happily, as Laura watched contentedly. She glimpsed Tony and Thor exchange looks of disbelief, and found her amusement growing.
"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" Lila asked anxiously, and Natasha quickly shook herself out of her reverie and put on a winning smile.
"Why don't you hug her and find out?" Nat scooped up the delighted Lila, who giggled happily. The little girl didn't notice anything off about her beloved Auntie Nat, but Laura frowned. Nat was being her usual cheery self in front of the children, but that smile forced onto her lips never reached her eyes. Inside, she was off in a world of her own. And she kept glancing over at Bruce Banner with a look of – what was it? Concern? Compassion? What on earth had happened on that mission?
Eventually the children and the Avengers calmed down a bit, and Laura found a quiet moment to catch up with Nat.
"I missed you," they both said, almost at exactly the same time.
Natasha's eyes lit up in a genuine smile this time as she placed her hands on Laura's baby bump. Her expression changed when she realised little 'Natasha' was actually little 'Nathaniel', but the glint in her eyes assured Laura that she was joking. It was almost a relief to know that Nat still had that sense of humour despite whatever was going on. But somehow, it seemed a little exaggerated, like she was trying too hard to keep the atmosphere light, and Laura didn't miss the glimmer of sadness within her eyes. It was as if Natasha was over the moon about Nathaniel's impending birth, and yet it awakened some unspeakable sorrow buried deep in her heart.
Still, Laura knew better than to ask Nat about the mission. She'd speak to Clint about it later. For now, Nat looked like she needed some creature comforts and a little distraction.
"Come on, I'll get you some clothes and you can get cleaned up," Laura said. She gently tugged on Nat's hand. Natasha had been subtly watching Bruce Banner with that same look of concerned empathy, but she quickly fixed a smile on her face as she turned back to look at Laura.
"That sounds amazing," she said earnestly. "Thanks."