Chapter 1

Natasha plops into the chair at the kitchen table with the heaviest of sighs. Her view is something she's seen before and yet still begs the question;

"What's wrong?"

A little girl with bright red, wavy hair puckers her lips as if the item in her mouth were something sour. Her small nose is wrinkled, eyes practically watering.

She keeps both hands and all ten fingers on her toast, ready to spit her bite out.

Natasha holds her head and waits, crosses a knee and taps the table, "You asked for Avocado Toast, Becks."

The little girl's bright cocoa eyes are looking up at her mother.

"You eat it when daddy makes it. Ugh,' Natasha cups a paper towel under her tiny chin, 'Alright. Go ahead, spit it out."

The girl wipes her mouth with her tiny hand, "Where is daddy?"

"He'll be home soon. Did I put too much lime? Is that it?"

"It gross."

"It's gross?! Excuse you! Keep your tongue in your mouth. Drink your juice."

The girl reaches for her sippy cup in a mad rush and gulps to wash out the flavor.

After tossing the paper towel, Natasha reaches to take a bit from the opposite end of the toast.

The elder redhead proceeds to wrinkle her own nose;

"Yeah okay..that's a lot of lime. And it's burnt at the bottom."

The child widens her eyes and nods with sass only a 4 year old child of the Black Widow would have;

"Yeah! It burnt."

"Alright sassafras. I'll make you peanut butter and jelly instead- Rebecca Yelena Banner, where are you going?"

Natasha watches as she decides to crawl down from her chair.

"To science."

"To science? You didn't haveobed."

"Noobed. Science."

"You sound like your father."

Natasha holds her head, a small smirk over her face while Rebecca runs to her child size chemistry set.

She plops on the ground, snatching up the back of the box to check the pictures. Messing with goop must be more interesting than a meal.

Natasha gives up and addresses the dog who is whacking at his dish;

"At least someone is hungry."

The Anatolian shepherd mutt whines, smacking his dish one more time.

"What has gotten into you?! The sass level around here…"

"Tasha? I'm home."

Natasha leans around the corner to watch Bruce enter, dropping his satchel to the ground.

She crosses her arms over her husband's arrival, ready to make some remark about his disbelief curls she loves so much.

Banner's embrace intended for Natasha is interrupted by a peanut calling for his attention;

"Daddy!"

Rebecca wiggles her way into the middle, scooped up by Bruce;

"Oh you little rascal. I have to kiss mommy first,' he reaches to hold Natasha's cheek and kiss her passionately, then moves for Rebecca's cheek, 'And you're next!"

"Ahh!' She squeals, 'You prick me."

"I pricked you? What do you mean,' he puts her down and rubs his cheek, '…I just shaved last night. Picky thing."

"Oh she's very picky today,' Natasha remarks with her arm around his waist, 'she won't eat anything unless 'daddy' makes it."

"Hey Max,' the dog demands attention next, only content when Bruce drops down to rub his belly, 'good boy."

"I need a nap."

"I'm home now so you nap," he stands post petting their dog with a soft smile, dark circles visible under his eyes.

She pecks her lips against his cheek, "I missed you."

"Daddy daddy, look!" Rebecca carries over her chemistry kit.

"Oh, that's great. Did you get the proper ratios?"

"It turns blue!"

"Did it turn blue? That's awesome Becks!"

Natasha mumbles through her teeth, "She just pulled it out of the box not ten minutes ago."

"She did?"

Natasha reaches for the project curiously and with a bit of hesitation, "That's…awesome baby. I love it when you play with chemicals over my white carpet."

Bruce bites his cheek, addressing Rebecca, "I love it but uh..Maybe work on it in the kitchen next time? So you can start your next project faster."

Natasha wraps an arm over his shoulder, eyes on their daughter, "I think your dad is just full of awesome ideas."

Rebecca nods, "I bring to the table."

Natasha nods, "Great."

Bruce sets to work on perfecting his daughter's favorite Avocado toast while Natasha sits on top of the counter;

"I wanted to make her a peanut butter sandwich but the dog interrupted me."

He scoffs, "What do you want for dinner?"

Natasha eyes the toaster with a subtle shrug, "What you're making her."

"I'm on it."

She sighs, watching him dice up a piece of bread for Maximus, "Oh, Bruce. No. The dog doesn't need anything. I just fed him."

"But he wanted it. He was being cute-."

She shakes her head, "What did you blow up at work today?"

He cringes, stammering to admit his mistake, "Morgan's Barbie car."

"Oof,' Natasha grimaces, 'It's a dark day at the Stark household."

"You should've heard the scream, I thought her arm fell off."

Natasha hums, imagining the scene. She looks up to watch her daughter trip on her way to the kitchen.

A second passes and Rebecca is still on the ground.

"Becks?" Romanoff calls first.

Bruce panics upon the realization, drops the knife on the counter, and runs over.

Natasha beats him by only a second, lifting Rebecca's tiny head;

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Rebecca nods, almost in slow motion.

"Can you say something, Becks? What's wrong?" Bruce asks, reaching over Natasha to check her eyes.

Rebecca pulls away, determined to stand on her own, "Mm-fine."

"You're fine?" Bruce studies her every move.

Natasha shakes her head, "Why couldn't you say that,malyshka?"

"You are going to give your mother a heart attack."

Rebecca giggles.

Bruce rolls his eyes, looking at Natasha, "She thinks heart attacks are funny…She's definitely your daughter."

"I don't know. I think giving people heart attacks is more your thing. Huge and green and all of that,' Natasha smirks a bit and looks back at her daughter, 'Did you hurt your knee?"

"No."

Romanoff lays a hand on her hip, "Don't lie to me, your knee is bleeding. Hold still."

"She's bleeding? Where are the bandages? P.P.E- Nat!" Bruce panics, opening every drawer and cabinet he can reach upon standing.

The dog barks needlessly, feeding off of the room's energy.

Natasha calmly reaches under the kitchen table to pull one out from that drawer, "I've got it Bruce, breathe. Becks? Can you sit on the ground for mommy?"

Rebecca sits and watches her mother's every move, barely flinching.

Bruce leaves Natasha to handle it, taking a breath and moving to refocus on the girl's dinner upon realizing it's under control. He heads back into the kitchen and dishes up their toast on modern square plates.

Natasha's eyes flick up to her daughter's, "You're tough, like me."

The girl nods.

Bruce's eyebrows crease at the center of his forehead, "How big was that gash if you feel the need to call her tough?!"

"It's handled."

"Dinner is ready," Bruce points to the table and surrenders in his argument.

Rebecca leaps up from the ground and into her chair.

Natasha takes her seat and a bite into her own slice, mumbling in defeat over Banner's clear win in the culinary department.

The elder redhead hums and sighs,"…alright. That tastes better than mine."

'Fly, petal, oh-

East to West you go

Then North to South

And turn about

Touch the ground, do-

Make my wish come true!'

Natasha claims story time, choosing to once again read about Zhenya and the flower with its seven magical wish granting petals.

She closes Rebecca's book with a tug at her longer braid, "What would you do with seven magical petals, Becks?"

The child thinks, a hulk plushie in her arms and a red blanket over her waist, "I would um, make a lab."

"Make a lab?' Natasha chuckles, counting on her fingers, 'Okay. I'm not surprised. What else?"

"Get candy. And…Max a friend."

"Oh, does Max need a friend? Should we get another puppy?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah? I'll have to talk to your daddy about that one... What else?"

She wipes a hair from her face, "Auntie andTetyacould move here."

Natasha's heart melts, only before she begins to twitch on the inside.

The house isn't big enough for two aunts who both demand time with Rebecca. It's a constant competition between a Yelena Belova and Jennifer Walters who can spend the most time with the smaller redhead.

"They'll be coming out to see you soon."

"Tetya?"Rebecca asks excited.

"Both of them. Aunt Jen too."

Rebecca's jaw drops into a wide smile.

Natasha stands and leaves the book on her daughter's shelf.

She kisses her forehead;

"Goodnight, Becks."

"Goodnight mommy."

"Bruce!" Natasha yells around the corner, "Do you want to kiss her 'Goodnight'?"

"Yes! I'm coming," he calls from the other room, dashes in and bends over to hug his daughter, 'You sleep well, little lady."

Natasha watches their baby curl up with her hulk plushie, "Do you want your nightlight on?"

"Yes, mommy."

She flicks it on light, a spider on the front of it.

It might be an odd choice for a four year old but picky Rebecca likes what she likes.

Bruce shuts the door quietly behind Natasha once they exit. She takes his hand and leads him into the next room over;

"Guess what little miss wants now?"

"I heard something about a lab. And another puppy."

"Uh huh."

Max lifts his head and tilts it from the bed, eyeing Bruce as if he's pleading for a friend.

Banner glares in response;

"No."

Max lays his head back down and sighs.

Natasha pouts and crawls onto the bed to rub his ears, "Poor Max. He's never been told 'no' before. Certainly not by 'daddy'."

"I tell him 'no' all the time," Bruce refutes, unbuttoning his top.

Natasha cringes over getting her face licked, "Do you get told 'no' all the time? Poor baby! You poor, poor puppy."

Bruce holds his glare, defeated as his arms fall to the side, "Thanks, Tasha."

"Come here, Bruce."

"Nah, I'll pass. Considering you were just at the dog's mouth."

"Come on," she sneaks closer, crawling across the bed with a playful chuckle.

He avoids her kiss, cringing, "Ugh, Nat! Natasha…that's gross."

"Don't you want a kiss?"

"Yes, but no."

"Get him Maximus! Nip his heels."

The dog jumps and moves to pounce, obedient to Natasha every command.

Bruce surrenders from the closet, stepping out in a plain tee and baggy pajama bottoms with their dog behind him;

"Okay, okay! You win."

Natasha reaches for him, waiting until he lays down to tug their blankets up. She lets her hair free, fingers up against her scalp to loosen her hair that falls just below her shoulders.

Bruce hums, mid kiss on her cheek. He points to nowhere in particular;

"Should I shut the light?"

Natasha shrugs.

Bruce sighs, holding his eyes open, "Okay. What's up?"

Natasha shrugs again, over her husband giving his full attention.

She hates the spotlight.

Natasha checks her nails, "We don't have anything to worry about right? With Becks?"

"What about her? With what…"

Natasha watches him prop onto his elbow so she lays back and does the same, "With. Her not crying over her scraped knee. I mean she's only four…that's okay, right? That she doesn't cry? Is that normal…"

"She's fine, Tasha. I did the same thing at her age."

"Well,' Natasha removes a curl from off of his forehead, 'you weren't allowed to cry. I don't think you or I are the prime example when it comes to standard childhoods."

His tongue circles his inner cheek, eyes low in avoidance, "She's fine, I promise."

Natasha sinks back down to her pillow, "I trust you, I just…"

He lifts her hair from her neck, sizing up his 'prey' before, peppering kisses down the side and up near her earlobe.

"I mean,' Natasha starts up again with Maximus finally curling up at the foot of their bed, 'She's around me a lot, when I'm not out on a mission. Am I not emotional enough? Maybe she needs more friends her own age."

"Nat,' Bruce pauses in his kisses, falling back onto his elbow and half of their bed, 'You're plenty emotional. She's just tough, there's nothing wrong with that. Some kids act that way. It's okay, I promise."

She nods.

Bruce asks timidly, letting her touch and stroke at his fingers. He opens his palm once she finds it, teasing her nails over his calluses and rubbing at a pressure point;

"Have you, given any more thought to letting her go to Pre-K?"

Natasha scoffs, rolls her eyes and sits upright to pet her dog.

"What?" Bruce asks, watching her every move and missing her touch.

"She's not ready for school."

Banner scoffs, tugging at his curls. He sits upright to meet her; she's more wake than he is…

"She's not, or, you're not."

"Both," Natasha fluffs her hair.

"Okay,' he mumbles with a light laugh, 'I never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but since when are you the worrier?"

Natasha's voice softens, playing with her fingers, "I'm just, saying…I. We're public figures, which puts a target on her back and we said we would avoid that at all costs for obvious reasons-."

"…You're going to get me worked up."

"Sorry."

"Natasha. Honey. Rebecca is fine, I promise. I've done all the research I can into those top two preschools, I've background checked the staff five times over. And I know you did your own digging…Tasha, I trust us."

Natasha bites her lip, "…I'll think about it, alright? September is still a ways out."

"Yes it is. And we'll have that conversation when I'm not dead and can contribute in a meaningful way, I promise. For now, though,' he pats her pillow, 'please cuddle with me. I really missed you today."

Romanoff breaks with a smile, dipping back down to position herself in his loving arms with her head up against Banner's chest and steady heartbeat.