October 15th: Are you messing with me?

(Romanogers, AU, rated K+)

It was exactly 9.15 when Steve came back from his morning run. Natasha had been asleep when he had started and he didn't want to wake her then because she hadn't been feeling so great the evening before. When he entered the kitchen he poured himself a glass of water before checking on his girlfriend in the bedroom. Surprised to find the bed empty Steve called her name and received a 'Yes' in a low voice. Following the sound he found her sitting on the bathroom floor next to the toilet.

Natasha was looking up at him when he entered the room: "Don't come any closer... I will infect you as well."

Steve shook his head and knelt down: "Don't worry... I never get sick. But you don't look too good. It's probably better if you'd see the doctor."

Natasha rolled her eyes: "It's just the flue or something... I will be alright."

Sighing Steve answered: "Sure it is... but if you go see a doctor he will give you the right medicine and you are saving yourself from being that toilet's best friend for the following days."

Natasha was about to answer when she felt she had to throw up again and quickly returned to the toilet. Steve took a tissue from the box on a shelf before kneeling back down and rubbing her back while handing it to her: "I will drive you..."

Natasha took the tissue from him and looked down: "You won't stop suggesting it to me, will you?"

Steve stood up again and held out his hand to help her up: "Absolutely not."

Thinking about it for a little while Natasha took his hand and fixed her hair while looking into the mirror: "Okay... let's get this over with then."

It was a short drive with one stop to the nearest doctor and they sat down in the waiting room after Natasha had checked in. There were only about six other people there, most of them elderly and probably just there for a check. Steve stayed behind when Nat's name was called. He was getting impatient, however, when she didn't return for about 30 minutes and stood up to ask the lady at the check-in. The lady called the doctor from her desk and was saying 'Okay' every now and then. She hung up and turned to Steve again after about a minute: "There were no other signs for the flue than nausea so they are doing a blood test. It's okay if you join them back there." She was pointing at the direction of a single door leading out of the waiting room.

Steve nodded and thanked her before walking out the door. It didn't take him long to find the room where Natasha was sitting on the couch. She smiled when he entered: "Thank God... it's so boring in here. Why did you drag me along?"

Steve grinned: "Don't be such a pussy, Romanoff. It won't take so long from now on."

Steve and Nat were sitting and talking for about ten more minutes before the doctor entered the room. He was shaking Steve's hand briefly before taking a seat too: "Miss Romanoff... the tests have shown a surprising result and I would like to do an ultrasound to be sure."

Natasha looked at him confused: "Why? Is there something wrong with me? Is there a tumor or something because I had my appendix removed already..."

The doctor was shaking his head smiling: "No, no! Actually, there is a possibility of good news. You might be pregnant."

Looking at each other for a moment Steve and Nat were in silence before Natasha was turning to face the doctor again: "You must be wrong... you don't even have to do an ultrasound. I can't have children... ever."

The doctor looked through his papers again before responding: "Why do you assume that?"

Natasha took Steve's hand before answering: "I have been sterilized years ago."

The doctor nodded in sympathy: "Let me do the ultrasound anyway then... if that is the case there might be an infection causing it."

Natasha nodded and rose from the couch: "Okay..." Steve followed her to the divan bed and sat down in the chair opposite from the doctor. The young man was preparing Nat for the ultrasound and started afterward. He fixed his eyes to the monitor while slowly moving the instrument over Nat's stomach. He looked at the image confused and removed the instrument, checking on it for a second before putting it back on. He cleared his throat before speaking up again: "I... There must have been an error at the procedure of sterilization. I am sure you are pregnant, Miss Romanoff."

Natasha shook her head: "No... what's wrong with you? Are you messing with me? It's not funny, okay?"

The doctor hesitantly shook his head and pointed to the monitor and gestured while talking: "No, listen to me. There is the head and there is the little body. This is a leg, it's outstretched, the other one is tugged in, and those are the little hands."

Natasha blinked at the monitor before looking at Steve: "You... you see it too?" Steve nodded in disbelieve: "Yeah... I do."

The doctor looked at the two of them: "I can't be sure, but probably it is possible because you are both genetically enhanced."

Natasha was just nodding not able to respond to that. The doctor started smiling again: "Well... anyway. Congratulations! If everything goes according to plan you will be parents in about 8 months."

Steve slowly repeated: "Eight months..."

The doctor nodded: "Yes... we can talk about everything else tomorrow if you'd prefer that."

Natasha just nodded and stood up, removing the gel from her stomach with a towel.

The doctor led them out of the treatment room from where they walked to the car in silence. When they both sat there Steve was looking over at Nat: "Nat... is... is everything alright."

She took a deep breath before quietly starting to talk: "I... I don't know... I thought I'd leave this building with a package of medicine, but what I got instead is..."

Steve finished her sentence: "unexpected?"

Natasha nodded: "Yeah... that's exactly the word. I don't know about this. I never thought about children since I thought it was not to discuss anyway. I don't know if I want this in my life."

Steve smiled: "Well... We managed things way more complicated than this..."

Natasha started smiling too when he did: "Let's drive back home... maybe I will be really happy tomorrow. But right now, I still cannot believe this"