46 : DISAPPEAR

Natasha could sense that there is something wrong with everyone around her especially Steve. It began with him and Tony whispered to one another in the kitchen with Tony explained some kind of plan to Steve. The billionaire quickly rolled the paper when he saw Natasha walked into the room.

Steve stopped talking and smiled at her before hugged and kissed her passionately. Tony mocked them both but Natasha raised her fist to make him stop.

Then Steve started to spend more time with Bruce and Tony in their labs. Sometime, Pepper will join them with her laptop and noted down something and every time, they stopped when she walked in.

She started to worry because Steve definitely has something that he wanted to hide from her.

When she asked everyone what's going on, everyone tell her the same thing. Steve asked them for help about his mission and something casual. Natasha tried to ask Steve but he said there is nothing to be worried, just his mission and other random stuff.

She knew she didn't need to worry about Steve had someone on a side. She completely trusted him but she is worried about him.

It was the first day that Natasha was allowed to get back in field after Bruce did a massive check up on her. Fury and Hill were more than glad to have her back but they didn't want to risk the Black Widow on the field just yet.

Natasha saw Steve was talking to both Maria and Fury in a very rush and quiet manner that only three of them knew what that was. In the afternoon, Steve was summoned to Fury's office and they both have a very serious discussion.

Steve broke the news to her when he came back that he will go on a mission tomorrow and he will come back later that night.

Steve was trying to slide off his bed without waking up Natasha in his arms but the moment he moved, Natasha held her grip tighter and started to stir. He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead

"I need to take a shower, my love"

"It's still early…" She murmured and didn't let him go

"I have a mission today"

She nuzzled her head at his neck and kissed at his stubble jaw "I don't want you to go"

He smiled and stayed still for a little while until Natasha let go off him and got back to her sleep. Steve took a shower and put his suit on. JARVIS told him that quinjet from SHIELD is already here. The Captain picked up his shield and headed off.

"Good luck, baby" A sleepy voice sounded from the bedroom door. Steve cannot resist the urge to get his kiss from his angel. When she broke off, Natasha whispered "Be safe and come back to me"

"You know I always will"

Steve let go of her and headed out the door.

Natasha spent her free day with her friends at the tower and waiting for Steve to come home. They were trying to distract the spy from thinking about her super soldier.

Pepper took her for shopping with both Anthony before they came back to the tower which Bruce summoned Natasha to his lab and let her tried on a new equipment him and Tony designed for her.

Jane and Dr. Selvig cooked dinner for them with helps from Thor and Darcy. Even a delicious dinner couldn't take Natasha's mind away from Steve. After the meal, she went right back to her room and took a shower.

He said he will come back tonight and told JARVIS to alert her the moment Steve arrives at the tower.

But Natasha didn't know when she falls asleep until the morning come. She found out that her super soldier didn't come home to her. She began to panic. Something might happened to him and causes the delay in his comeback.

Her assumption was right when JARVIS told her that Fury needs the Avengers at the Triskellion ASAP.

Clint barged in, followed by Tony. She knew something terrible might happen to her Steve.

No, no, no, not this again! Natasha panicky thought. This cannot happen again!

They headed to the Triskellion. Fury and Hill quickly brief them about the situation. Steve went out of grid for six hours now during his mission. He was hunting the well-known terrorist supporter who currently hiding in his mansion at the Hamptons.

They were shipped out immediately by quinjet. Natasha sat in silent, eyes looking at the floor. Clint could see that her mind ran wide. The archer put his hand on her shoulder

"He's gonna be alright, Nat" He said "We've been through this before"

"I know but I can't help thinking of the worst"

"We will find him…likes we always do"

They landed at the crime scene where SHIELD agents were all over the place to contain the criminals. Agent Hand informed them that the area was secured but the leader and his personal bodyguards were still on the run. They couldn't find Steve in the compound but they suspected that Steve was on the run and had been chased by someone.

"We have two quinjets doing the aerial search" Hand told

"Thank you, Agent Hand" Tony said "JARVIS, ran full area scan, searching for some sign Rogers might left for us"

"Yes, sir"

Clint and Natasha already looked around the area and they found blood stains heading toward the forest. Natasha quickly followed the trail but it disappeared as she heard a painful groan from somewhere.

"Clint! You heard that?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah" The archer replied "Over here!"

They found at least ten men laying unconscious on the ground but no sign of Steve. They were still breathing. One of them started to regain his conscious. Natasha grabbed his shirt while Clint prepared to shoot the man.

"Where is Captain America?" Natasha asked "Answer me or you will suffer more than you already is"

The man replied in Armenian before Natasha pulled her knife and stabbed his legs. The man quickly replied again and Natasha knocked him unconscious.

"What did he say?"

"He said Steve headed south and he is injured"
"He maybe headed to the nearest hospital or somewhere to lay low"

"Stark! Check every nearby hospital and tell Hand that Steve is heading south from my current location"

"Got it, red" Tony replied "Thor will pick you and Barton up"

They regrouped again and heading south. Steve could be anywhere but Natasha was sure that they will be able to find him. It took them 3 hours to scan the area but found no one until Tony told them that there was an injured man check himself in at the Hampton Heritage hospital. The man description matched Steve and his alias was John Clayton, the alias he used from their first married undercover mission.

They all headed to the hospital where the hospital staff said that John Clayton was disappeared from the premises and they tried to locate him. Tony told that they should head back to his beach house and resumed their search for their lost Captain as everyone was obviously tired.

Pepper and the girls met up with them five minutes later at the hospital before there went to Tony's house. When they arrived, the sun almost set behind the horizon. Natasha's body stiffened up since the first step out of the car. She could sense there was something wrong with the house.

"Someone's here" She quietly said. Eyes prying at the house in front of her.

Everyone stood still and started to observe the house. Natasha saw blood trail on the stone path lead to the house.

"JARVIS, is there someone in the house?" Tony asked the AI.

"Sir, the intruder has disable the security system as well as cut off the main electronic wire"

"Everyone, you heard JARVIS. Be careful when you get in there. I will check the fuse box at the basement. Red, you take the second floor. Thor search the perimeter. Hawkeye takes the first floor. Banner takes care of the ladies. If anything happen, take them back to the Tower"

Everyone nodded and went to their assigned floor. Natasha slowly walked upstairs and she found another drop of blood and another one when she turned right. The trail leading her to the close door. She pulled her gun out before opened the door and found herself at the balcony.

A beautiful decorated balcony with white roses.

What? She thought and there was no blood or anything. Just white roses everywhere on the balcony.

She walked to the rail of the balcony and looked down. The spy broke out a big smile when she saw Steve Rogers, unscratched and in his tuxedo, standing at the lawn, decorated with beautiful light and flowers. Next to him was small rounded lights aligned into one sentence.

Will you marry me?

"Natasha Romanoff" He said and gestured his hand to the sentence which she nodded repeatedly and smiled.

Steve ran to her as she jumped off the balcony to meet him. Steve caught her in his arms.

"You bastard, you make me worried you might get kill or something" She said and poured her fist at him. "You can just ask me without having to go through this kind of trouble"

"Sweetie, you know how hard to get something to surprise you"

"Aww, you know I can act surprise" She said

"I know" He smiled gently before getting on one knee and presented her with a blue velvet box and revealed a diamond ring.

"Yes!"

"What? I have a very wonderful speech prepare for you" Steve said

"Okay"

"All the uncertainty we have been through, there is one thing that I found it is the only certainty in my life and it is you, Natasha. My love for you is certain and I love you, Natasha Alianovna Romanoff and I'm looking forward to spend the rest of my life with you if you give me an honor of becoming my wife…"

Natasha dropped down beside Steve and hugged him tightly, kissing him. "Of course I will marry you, Steve Rogers but on one condition" She said "Never ever let me go"

"Never"

Steve said as he slipped the ring on her finger. She kissed him passionately and pushed Steve down so he was laying on his back with his spy on top. They finally broke off when they needed some air and their friends approached them

"Congratulation, guys!" Clint said as he pulled Natasha and Steve up on their feet.

"Are you guys helping him with all of this?"

"Yeah, we helped him because it is really hard to surprise you with anything, Red" Tony said

"You two can use this beach house as long as you want" Pepper chimed in

"Thank you so much, everyone" Steve told

"Let's go! We have to celebrate this. I already booked the finest restaurant in this area while my housecleaning crew will clean up this place"

Natasha and Steve laced their fingers as they walked to their car. Their smiles never faltered. Happy ever after seemed to be closer than they both ever imagined.

AN:

- No proofreading. I'm sorry for any mistake. I just used an online grammar checker.

- Please kindly leave a review!