Bloodline

Chapter 13: Stark's idea of a nursery

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You've asked for a sequel and you'll get one. I'll not only give Steve the chance to be the girl's protector, but also fill the holes I have left for Bucky and how he gets back on his feet which will be a hard and painful progress. And I'm gonna settle this whole thing about Black Widow and him and what he did to her leaving its traces. Yet, I am still sure that Natasha would not be in rage about how he handled and used her, not entirely. Going by her history, she would be cautious, but still holding out an arm not to hit but to keep him steady.

And of course a lot of sweet baby moments and funny things as soon as the boy grows, and he will be amazing, yet will scare his parents as soon as Hydra finally gets their hands on him again.

Thanks, Dectie for correcting my Russian.

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During the next four days, James had stayed mostly silent. He enjoyed watching Natalia with their son, he didn't want to miss any moment. She had completely managed the change into a mother, but it wasn't only that. It was not rewriting her character. She was still the Black Widow, still strong and deadly and magnificent. Becoming a mother was an addition to her personality and she integrated the pieces into the puzzle of her life rather extraordinarily. It made her even more desirable.

Barnes tried to swallow as he realized how much he still wanted her. Of course, nothing had changed in that matter. The longer he was around her, the more he found that he never wanted to let her go... But would she still want him? Or was she just kind towards him because he was the father of her child or because she owed him her life in the end, although he was the reason she had almost lost it in the first place? And an even more pressing thought was: Could he be the right man for her? With all he had put her through, why would she still trust him?

Since the moment he had woken up, he still thought all this was just a dream. It was so surreal. She was so kind towards a soul that was so battered and bruised.

Natasha was standing at the window seemingly showing her child the world outside the Tower, quietly talking to him, but there was more. She could see his reflection in the glass and the emotions that played over his face. Reading him was never really easy, but it was clear when he thought she wasn't watching and now seemed to be a good time to pull him out of his brooding. "You should stop frowning or the wrinkles between your eyebrows will be permanent." She joked and turned around.

James almost jumped at her words. Damn, she was… perfect. He breathed in deeply before pushing himself off of the sheets. "So you noticed," he chuckled and rubbed his face.

"You trained me, of course I did." She moved over to him slowly, sitting down next to him on the bed.

James watched her steps carefully, trying to suppress the urge to shy away. He already felt as if he tainted her by only being in the building. Judging by how easily her body moved she was fully healed by now, able to leave these rooms. She stayed because of him, because he was still wounded and healing more slowly than her.

"Bruce told me this morning that when you feel strong enough, we can move to our quarters." She held the child closer as the baby started to cry. "Oh, my little one. That's nothing to be afraid of, Alexei. You will love your new rooms for sure, hm. Hush, my dear."

James felt the need to aid her, but he didn't know how, furthermore he was sure that his distress was somehow affecting the baby.

Natasha almost wanted to laugh. The Winter Soldier was so clueless when it came to this tiny baby here. She knew exactly what was causing the boy to demand attention. "Could you hold him for a moment, please? I'm gonna prepare his bottle." She stretched out her arms to hand him over.

Barnes was too surprised to deny and suddenly the boy was in his arms. Finally he regained control over his tongue. "Isn't it... ? Don't you normally… feed him yourself?"

Natasha laughed as she heated up the water to mix it with the formula. "Oh, I would, but right now," she pointed at her chest, "the bar is almost empty. The more he grows the more he needs and I can't keep up with his cravings all the time. I'm sure he wouldn't mind his daddy feeding him this once."

Barnes cringed visibly and felt the boy doing almost the same. He started to cry even louder, sensing his father's fear. "I'm not sure if I can…"

Natasha almost included a reference to his time before Hydra, but stopped herself. "You did it before, and perfectly well. Don't be ridiculous and make yourself smaller than you are." She filled the bottle and checked the temperature, nodding before she came back to him.

"But don't you…?" He knew he was being stupid.

Natasha laughed again and shook her head. "Just try to think of it as a mission. Nutrition is needed and now you have to deliver that effectively. Meaning…" She gave him the bottle and guided his hand. "The boy needs to stop fussing and start eating. Position the nipple at the right angle, don't force anything. Let him recognize it as food source first. When he understands, only help him reach it easier. He will show you himself."

While Natasha gave him these instructions he realized two things. Firstly, he now grasped the concept of parenthood like Natasha did, a very important personal mission, and the significance of reaching the goals. And secondly, being a father wasn't all that difficult, and it gave him happiness. The warm feeling of it, that whatever he could give his son was enough for the boy. That only trying was enough and that the child would take him the last steps, slowly but surely.

"I think you are ready to take even one more step."

James looked up at her. He hadn't even realized how much time had passed. The bottle was almost empty and the boy was now slowly nodding off. "What do you mean…?"

She set the little box of toys on the bed. Alexei's favorite ones. "You will enjoy getting out of that bed and have a nice, hot shower. Pass him over. He's gonna get fussy again when I can't burp him before he falls asleep."

James handed the child over and took a moment to reassemble his thoughts. "Don't they want some guards to… accompany us?"

"Oh no, that won't be necessary. You won't make a run for it," she told him, chuckling and with so much certainty in her voice that even he now believed it.

Why would he want to run away anyway? Everything he wanted was right here. This was more than only gaining trust. This was about becoming part of the whole family of Avengers.

"Can you take the box? Stark has provided clothes and whatever else we might need in our rooms." The child had now nodded off on her shoulder with his thumb in his mouth. "Let's move."

Her last words were an order and he followed instinctively. His muscles still ached but the wounds had closed so far. James lifted his legs over the edge slowly and testing his own strength before he pushed himself upright. He had fought with injuries much worse than these, so a little walk wouldn't be too difficult and actually… He longed to be out of here. It reminded him too much about all the missions that had taken their toll on him, missions he hated doing.

As soon as they passed the door Natasha fell back so she was walking alongside with him instead of in front of. The people they passed, scientists, doctors, looked at them curiously but with no fear or bad emotions, merely surprise or a friendly nod.

Something occurred to him as they walked. Natasha was not leading them. This meant much more than only she showing him the way. She saw him as equal and it felt so right to walk with her, as a family. He registered the tears when he felt the liquid on his cheeks. He wanted to hide them, to brush them off, so that no one would see. But the elevator had already reached their floor. The hallway was empty.

"I hope those are tears of joy," she remarked, reading him again.

How did she always do that? Was he so easy to figure out now? Well, the last few days he had soaked in whatever happened and needed a lot of his thoughts to analyze the circumstances and how he, or a normal person, would react. He was trying, trying so hard that he didn't have the ability to keep up the mask anymore.

"I know how that feels like. It takes some time, but you'll get used to it. Right now everything still overwhelms you, but don't worry. You'll get the hang of it and gain control over the muscles of your face again," she said jokingly. James looked at her, she was teasing but he knew the meaning underneath the words.

She was so beautiful. Those long lashes and the glowing orbs beneath them with so much power, so much love and mischief. Natalia enjoyed putting him through all of this. For a second he felt like a small puppy being dragged around against his will, but that was not true. She was helping him back on his feet and the trust she showed towards him made him take the bigger steps, the ones he didn't know how to walk. Before he had recovered from the surprise the Winter Soldier had made a couple of miles along the road, guided by her hand. "You're remarkable."

She grinned at him and looked to the side, nodding. "I know."

There it was! A short moment of doubt, overplayed by the confidence she showed to the outside. It was almost funny. They were so similar. Putting all their trust into one another but not able to trust themselves enough. He wanted to kiss her, to show her how amazing she really was and erasing the doubt, but he couldn't. A sharp pain in his chest that had nothing to do with his wounds made his own smile falter.

"Come on. You shouldn't be on your feet too long." She turned towards the door. "Jarvis, would you mind?"

"Of course, Miss Romanoff, Mister Barnes. It is good to see you up again."

Both of them did not to answer when the door opened, they just couldn't.

"Damn you, Stark," Natasha chuckled as she walked inside. Extravagance didn't even start to describe it. Best and most expensive materials in a sleek design with every tech someone could dream of. This room wasn't as hard as the lounge in the top of the tower. Here the glass and metal was mixed with veneers of rare hardwood, giving the whole space a little bit of warmth. Her new mission, motherhood, lead her to check for anything that might come to harm her child, but Pepper seemed to have thought of that. The sharp edges had little objects attached to them, making them rounder and softer, yet still not entirely breaking the design. As if everything was only created to serve on this specific desk or cabinet. The room itself was already large. Combining front and living room into one zone with closets hidden inside the wall and only visible because of the dark lines the joint gaps painted. Panels everywhere to controls lights and whatever else. Tables for various things, a L-shaped desk which she already saw in Stark's lab. It was actually a computer with all tech anyone could only dream of, movable glass screens, ports for every possible devices to connect with, all perfectly combined and hidden beneath the hardwood. Closer to the room-high windows there was a lounge area with comfortable seats and a sofa around another glass table, also child-proof. The occupants could either face the windows and look outside or at the room itself and the wall with a big screen that showed a video of what occurred inside the nursery.

Natasha laughed at that. Well, that certainly was a baby monitor. She was eager to explore this room specifically. As she walked she heard James moving along with her, soaking in the surroundings as well.

A glimpse into the nursery showed her that Pepper had at least taken over the reigns here. The room was much more colorful and kind, childish and simply perfect. Aside from all the practical stuff such as bed, changing table and a rocking chair, there was also interesting tech that could assist a new-parent. The walls were painted in three different colours with scenes drawn on them. Two were of mystical or Disney tales, the third made her grin in amusement. It was a picture of all the Avengers, of course rated down to fit the child's age, but it was impressive nonetheless. The last wall seemed to be a screen of some sort. In one corner there were words written. "Welcome home." Natasha read out loud as she walked towards it, curious.

James had now put the box onto one of the tables filled with stuffed animals and toys. He saw the panel beside the big screen checking the options on it. There was a simple program running on it. Save and Load options as well as one folder. Then he saw that there was a second panel beneath the one he was looking at, as if it fit for a young child. Natasha giggled beside him, so he turned.

"Yes, that's how you do it." She held the baby in both arms in front of her, as he pounded against the surface, making colors and shapes appear. The child squealed in delight. "Oh, you want to be an artist? Very pretty paintings, my boy."

Curious James touched the surface with one finger. A white dot appeared. He moved finger around, drawing a circle. Then he added another finger and the color changed. With fascination he tried out different movements and soon the space before him was a wild explosion of colors.

"That is so Stark." Natasha shook her head and laughed. She could feel that the boy, despite his excitement, was way too tired to stay awake any longer. "Okay, my little boy. We're gonna draw again later, but now somebody needs a nap." She looked at James. "And you might want to check out the bathroom to get the hot shower I promised. I'll take care of Alexei."

"I…" He wanted to help, but didn't know how.

"Just go," she said smiling. "I'm gonna fetch you some clothes from the closet."

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Barnes stood in front of the bathroom mirror and smiled at his own reflection. Bruce had assured him that they had made good progress figuring out of how to release him of the mind control entirely. The Winter Soldier felt relieved by that. In his more sane moments, right before he had gotten wiped again, he had to fight against this on his own, not knowing what to do exactly. His 'job' had always given him some sense of oversight and calmness, necessary during mission to keep the mind focused, so the yoga lessons the doctor mentioned weren't that new to him. Yet combined with medication and therapy they would at last become the mixture that could free his inner self from the cobwebs Hydra had trapped him in.

So could he become Barnes again? The young man who likes to flirt with the girls and protects his friend? Deep inside he knew that man wasn't the same anymore, had seen too much through the Winter Soldier's actions. Bucky knew that the shrink sessions would demand from him to also go over what had happened, to regain his memory, but he didn't want to know about it. As stubborn as it sounded. That was the one thing Hydra had done right. They had made him forget… Because living with this could break a lesser man.

The soldier straightened himself again. Yes, it could, but not him. With steady hands he prepared the tools to shave, all calm and composed he pulled the blade over his skin. Bucky smiled at the tool he was using. Stark had given him everything he might need and he had thought about it a lot. This was not a disposable piece of plastic or a dry shaver. The familiar weight of the straight razor lay in his hand comfortably and almost moved on its own. There were some things that would never change.

When he was done cleaning his face from the rest of the foam, he glimpsed at himself again. Much better, tidier. The wildness was still there but it was not yet tamed.

With unsure fingers he touched his long hair. Hydra never bothered with that and he had gotten used to it. The messy locks had become a trademark of the Winter Soldier. Should he…?

"О, не смей. [Oh, don't you dare.]" Natasha said, leaning against the door frame.

Bucky almost jumped at the sound of her voice. Her sneaking skills had definitely gotten better since they last trained together. He returned her smile in the mirror but his eyes darkened an instant later. He couldn't quite read her. The Black Widow's mask could fool anyone. Natasha had the right to stab him in the back for what he had done to her, even though under control.

Natasha walked closer, her steps casual and her face kind. She made sure he see could every single one of her movements in the mirror before gently touching his hair, still damp from the shower. "Мне они нравятся такими, как есть. [I like it the way it is.]"

Anyone else would have thought this conversation was merely about styling, but it wasn't. She was asking him to… to what? Stay the Winter Soldier? That sounded absurd. "Natalia, I…"

"Hush, I know..." When the Black Widow was sure he had realized she wasn't about to hurt him, she moved closer, gently whispering in his ear. "Our child will need Barnes just as much as the Winter Soldier. Right now you are becoming something new and it's up to you what aspects of your life will become a part of that. I made this decision myself a long time ago."

He swallowed, not sure of how to react to the warmth of her body so close to him. Her intentions weren't of a sexual nature, her skill set was more precise than that. She was showing him kindness, offering help and giving him the prospect of a way she had walked without getting lost on the road. "I don't want to…"

"... taint him?" She offered him the words that wouldn't come to his mind.

"Yes," he answered hoarsely.

"How do you think I feel?" She asked him, her head held high, but her eyes telling a totally different language. She dropped her mask for one moment, showing him her doubt, her uncertainty, her fear of doing something wrong.

"But you are just… perfect…" He couldn't describe it any other way.

"I try to give my best." She chuckled and turned to leave the bathroom but looked back one last time. "And so do you."

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Steve's eyebrows raised when he entered the room Bucky and his family had resided in the past few days. He wanted to pay a short visit before his talk with Fury when he suddenly found the room empty. A smile passed his lips as he realized what this meant.

A few minutes later he had arrived for his appointment with Fury.

"You know what I want to talk about, don't you?" The director asked without even greeting him. Not kind, but efficient.

"Yes, sir."

Fury inhaled slowly before straightening himself. "Then what is your opinion after all that happened the last week?"

He didn't want to say too much, but… "Thank you, for giving Bucky a chance." The Captain stated after a few seconds of silence. Yes, he deserved this. There was still so much good in him, he merely needed to recover beneath all the debris of lies and pain.

"Let's just hope he's worth the trouble." Fury sighed.

Now was the time to stand up for his friend. "He is not only a good fighter. I am certain that Hydra could not erase what he actually is. I still see it inside of him. He is a valuable asset." He added although he didn't like these words.

"No need to advertise him. I know what he can do. He only needs the right reasons. And I think Romanoff has given him these." Fury pinched his nose. "Aside from maybe Natasha herself Barnes trusts you the most, given how long he known you. I need you to stay on top of everything, alright? And report it to me."

"Sir." He wanted to protest. No, that would mean betraying him.

"That's not what I am asking for. I know it is morally impossible for you to spy, but Romanoff is compromised because he is the father of her child. I merely want to know if he could become a threat again. It is not my intention to harm him. We can get him straight with enough time. During that period, I need someone close enough as an early warning system. You don't need to give a detailed, written report. Just tell me as soon as you have concerns." He looked at him with one eye. "Can you do that?"

"Sir,... I…" This was spying on Bucky in other words, betraying him. He just couldn't do that.

"We need to be prepared. That doesn't mean we will lock him up directly. Desperate measures only when needed. Right now my main concern is that Romanoff and the child are safe. And I am sure your morals won't allow any harm to them either. That's all I am asking. 'Tasha can manage Barnes on her own, but since she is compromised, she might not be able to see the difference. You act as a fail safe." He looked at the confused face of Steve. "Romanoff can handle it, right?" It was not a question, not entirely. There was so much certainty in his one eye that Rogers needed to suppress the urge to chuckle.

"Yes, sir." He had always thought that Bucky only needed him to get straight again, to free himself. But the friendship of two boys didn't seem to be enough. Steve was glad for the help, but it still felt weird to put the fate of his best friend into the hands of someone as cunning as Black Widow. But damn, Bucky now had a family. And his past as a young man untouched by Hydra indicated that he would turn out an excellent father. He protected the weak ones. He was kind, caring, with that lovely charming attitude that could make every woman's heart stop. Then… He remembered the reports Natasha had given on him. Could the Winter Soldier actually become a father? But Bucky was not only these two sides. He was so much more. A kind soul, a hero who fought for the sight side, with the skill set and abilities given to him by the darkness.

For a short moment he pitied whoever got close to Bucky's offspring and grinned at the thought.

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Thank you Autumn_Froste for beta and help.

I'm sorry if the Russian was incorrect. Google did its best. If anyone can tell me how it would actually be translated, tell me or write it in a review. I'll change it then ^^ Thanks already. (And I may need more help there in the future as well)

So you see we are going to work on some issues that I will weave into a therapy with Bruce where Bucky will get glimpses from his past until he remembers the full extent of what Natasha and he had done during the time he trained her in the Red Room. The topic of what he had done to her overall is still a problem. Bucky is showing that conflict more than Natasha. She can overcome the mistakes, the pain, because she is different now. But he still has to make that transformation. He needs to learn about this 'other side'. The good guys. And of course, as soon as both are ready they will have the little girl Steve needs to protect (from the parenting of Bucky).

But it will get worse before it gets better as soon as we open Pandora's box of the 'WinterWidow' past.

Please review ^^