Natasha was quiet as Clint walked her back to her quarters. He followed her inside and closed the door behind them. "Nat, if you don't say something soon, I'm going to march you straight back to Dr. Cho."
Natasha glared at him. "I just need to process this for a little while. I need to make a plan."
"Your plan better include telling Steve about the baby."
"Of could it does, Clint. We still have Nicole. What am I supposed to do when he visits his daughter? Just hope he doesn't notice the baby in the bassinet setting in the corner?"
"Sorry. I was just afraid you might be thinking about running away."
"I can't take Nicole away from her father. This my fault. I just have to deal with the consequences without losing my mind," Natasha said with a yawn.
"Alright, I can take a hint. You go sleep and I'll just spend the rest of the day avoiding Cap, so he can't pump me for information about the doctor's visit. Just remember, you're not alone. I've got your back." Clint kissed Natasha on the forehead and let himself out of the apartment.
Natasha went straight to bed. She wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping when she heard Nicole's giggles coming from the living room.
"Again, Daddy, Again," Nicole demanded.
Natasha looked at the clock. It was nearly 5. She'd slept the day away. She put her hand on her stomach and whispered, "Alright, traitor, you just had to come along and make sure Mommy paid for hurting Daddy, didn't you? He's going to be mad at me, but he'll love you. I already do, baby. I promise I'll take care of you no matter what happens. Just do me a favor and stop making me throw up."
Natasha went into the living room and found the source of her daughter's giggles. Steve was holding Nicole up to the top of the door facing and letting her do chin ups.
"Mommy, you wake up. I strong. See?" the child grinned and did another chin up.
"You sure are strong. Look at you. You're fearless," Natasha smiled.
"Just like her mother," Steve replied as he lowered Nicole to the ground. "Sorry, we woke you. I figured Nicole would be happier in her own place. Hope that's okay."
"Of course. I didn't mean to sleep so long."
"You're sick. Sleep helps. What did the doctor say?"
"I'm fine. We can talk about it when we have the other conversation," Natasha replied.
"Daddy making chicken soup. I help."
"Chicken noodle soup," Steve corrected, "and it is just simmering. I thought it might make you feel better. It's my ma's recipe, well, best I can remember. It's been awhile."
"You shouldn't have, Steve. You don't have to take care of me."
"Nicole and I had to eat anyway, and I thought it might be better for her if we had a family meal. We can talk after she goes to bed."
Natasha nodded and followed them to the kitchen. "Where's everyone else?"
"Oh, Bruce, Tony, and Pepper had a thing in the city. Sam, Bucky, and Sharon are getting ready to go to dinner."
"Shouldn't you be going with them? You don't have to hang around here."
"I've been gone almost as long as I've gotten to be with Nicole. I'm where I want to be right now, but if you'd rather I leave and come back after she's asleep-"
"No, you made soup, and she missed you. It's fine."
They didn't talk about anything important during supper. Nicole kept the conversation going for them. She couldn't stop talking about the farm and asking when they could go see Lila again.
When dinner was over, Natasha cleared the table while Steve took Nicole to the tub. Natasha ached a little that she wasn't with them. She'd missed their nighttime ritual, but things were going to change now. They had managed to establish that much in the ring.
Nicole wanted to watch a movie, so Steve put on Robin Hood. Nicole couldn't believe her daddy had never seen her Uncle Clint's favorite movie. The two of them were cuddled on the couch when Natasha brought the popcorn in.
"Sit with us, Mommy," Nicole pleaded when Natasha tried to sit in the chair.
Natasha looked at Steve who was already making room for her. "Of course, sweetheart," she replied as she sat down.
By movie's end, Nicole was asleep with her head in Steve's lap and her feet in Natasha's. "I'll carry her to bed then we can talk," Steve whispered.
Natasha nodded. She suddenly felt ill again, and she had a feeling her precious little traitor had nothing to do with it. She rubbed her stomach gently. "Time for mommy to face the music."
When Steve returned, he sat back down beside Natasha and pulled her feet into his lap and started massaging them. "What are you doing, Rogers?" she demanded as she tried in vain to move her feet.
"Making sure you don't run, Romanoff. Just enjoy the foot rub. We both have questions. I'm going first. You owe me that."
Natasha sighed. "Okay, Steve. Go ahead. I'll answer honestly."
"Who is Daredevil and why did you turn to him to help you protect our daughter?"
"He's an old friend. We were involved not long after I went straight. I went to him because the man I needed to neutralize was Wilson Fisk, and Daredevil had his own grudge against him. He would know how to get me in, and he was capable of helping me get the job done. Don't ask me his real name. I won't expose his identity. That wouldn't be fair to him."
"Did you kill Fisk?"
"No, I kidnapped him. Coulson's team made some changes to his memories. He won't come after Nicole, and he'll ensure no one else does. He's probably already put out a kill order on everyone in his organization who was involved. I used his greatest weakness against him. His new memory makes him think even knowing about Nicole endangers the woman he loves."
"So, you think love is a weakness?"
"I don't know anymore. I have used love as a weapon more times than I can count. I've seen love make people do things they never would have done, but I've also seen the way Clint and Laura's love makes them stronger. I've watched Tony become someone I could call a friend, and that has everything to do with his love for Pepper. Love is complicated and wonderful and, sometimes, tragic."
"Did you mean what you said earlier about not loving Daredevil?"
"I did. I never loved Daredevil. That's why I ended the affair. He fell in love with me and that complicated things. I wanted our relationship to be no-strings."
"What about the other part? Did you mean that, too?"
"Other part?"
"You said you never loved anyone before me. Is that true? Do you love me, Natasha?"
"Would it matter? You're with Sharon."
"No, I'm not."
"Stevie," she imitated Sharon's voice, "I went straight to your place this morning. She answered the door in your clothes. I'm not a fool."
"Sharon is staying at my place while she's here, because I never use it anyway. I was with Bucky last night."
"Oh," Natasha replied softly, "and the video call?"
"Her idea. She told me I was an idiot for not realizing you were in love with me. We were trying to get you to admit it to yourself so, hopefully, you'd admit it to me."
"I knew I was in love with you right after you walked out the door. If I'd just seen it sooner, I wouldn't have tricked you into my bed. I'd have drug you there and never let you go. I'm sorry, Steve. I know using my spy training against you was unforgivable."
"It definitely hurt the trust."
"I know things have to change. We'll figure out how to share Nicole. I really am sorry."
"You're right. Things have to change. I'm not sleeping on your couch anymore, Nat."
"It probably went on far too long anyways. We can talk to Tony. Maybe he'll give you the other two bedroom. We can take turns with Nicole, maybe joint custody."
"No, I don't want to share custody."
"Steve, I won't give up our daughter without a fight."
"I'm not asking you to give her up. I'm informing you that I'm no longer sleeping on this couch. I'm sleeping beside the woman I love every night, whether our daughter has a bad dream and demands it or not. And, I'll be here every morning making sure her mother doesn't forget she loves me, too.
I want us, Natasha, and I know you want us, too. All I want is you and Nicole. No games, no confusion over why we are together, just the three of us being a family. Can I have what I want, Natasha? The ball's in your court."
Natasha smiled. "What if it weren't just the three of us?"
"I'm not following here."
"I'm pregnant, Steve. Dr. Cho ran the test this morning. We're going to have a baby."
"A baby? That's not supposed to be possible, is it?"
"Apparently, it is possible," Natasha replied as Steve moved his hand to her abdomen. He smiled as Natasha pulled him into a long kiss. "What do you say, soldier? Do you still want in on this crazy ride? We're talking about diapers and midnight feedings. It won't be like when Nicole came along."
"We're having a baby! I love you, Natasha."
"I love you, too, Steve. I really and truly love you. I love you so much it hurts."
Well, they finally talked. It took them long enough to get on the same page, didn't it? No cliffhanger today, just fluff.
