June

Natasha wasn't quite herself since Nick's death, but Bruce knew she was healing. She became more talkative and a week after Nick's funeral, her appetite returned. Their friends wanted to help, and Laura gave Clint the idea to invite the newlyweds to the farm for a few days. Bruce knew that would help cheer Natasha up, and he was eager to let his wife know.

He handed Natasha a hand-drawn card from Lila. "I ran into the Bartons the other day."

Natasha smiled upon seeing a redheaded stick figure holding hands with a smaller stick figure with braids. She opened the card to find a note from Lila: "We love you, Aunty Nat!"

"They invited us to stay for the weekend, or longer, if we'd like. On the farm!" he eagerly added.

She closed the card and turned it over to find colourful blobs, most likely scribbled by little Nat. "I'd like that." She flashed Bruce a small smile.

"That's great!" he beamed.

"I'll tell Clint. Maybe next weekend."

Bruce nodded, content with whatever Natasha wished to do.

"They did that bonfire last year. Remember that?" she reminisced.

He nodded with a chuckle. "I recall you being the reason Cooper received a nasty bruise on his head."

"I told him: don't attempt what Aunty Nat does on the slip and slide." She laughed and Bruce smiled widely. Making her laugh had been a trying task, but Natasha knew it made others feel relieved to know she was happy.

Nathaniel was the first to greet them upon arrival. He ran outside with bare feet while his siblings chased after him.

"There's my buddy!" Natasha knelt down to let the four-year-old leap into her arms.

Seeing her with the kids made Bruce confident that she'd make a perfect mother.

"We play!" Nathaniel chanted. "We play!"

"Let me say hi to mom and dad, first." Natasha carried him inside while Cooper talked about his slip and slide in the back yard.

Clint flashed her a sideways grin when he saw her. "Nat Banner."

"Still sound weird?" She set little Nat down.

"Weird," he nodded. "But it suits you."

"Thank you, Clint." She lowered her eyes and let them follow the youngest Barton as he ran off.

"We're glad you're staying," he smiled. "I was worried Banner would keep you all to himself."

Natasha glanced up with a smirk. "You're never getting rid of me, Barton."

Clint felt like the old Natasha was finally back, and that was what mattered most to him.

The group spent the afternoon outside under the hot sun. Clint and Natasha partook in a water gun fight and Bruce swore they were having more fun than the kids. They had barbecue for dinner and had s'mores over a bonfire for dessert.

"I don't think I'd mind staying an extra day or two," Natasha hummed as she lay in the guest bed with Bruce.

"You just need an excuse to play all day," he teased.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Can't blame me for having fun."

"Maybe when we get home, I'll buy you your own Nerf gun."

She curled up against his chest and shut her eyes. "I'm feeling a lot better," she whispered. "I still miss him… but I'm okay."

"That's my girl." He gingerly kissed her hair before they soon drifted off to sleep.

Natasha had some bleeding the next morning, but she held off on telling Bruce since the Barton kids insisted on swarming her all through breakfast.

The day's entertainment consisted of an assortment of bows and arrows with paper targets stuck to a group of trees. Clint was eager to get his little Hawkeyes trained and Natasha was eager to help. Bruce agreed to join, though his aim was far from perfect. Natasha mocked her husband's poor eyesight, but Bruce got his revenge when he surprised her by soaking her back with a water gun. That led to a boys vs. girls challenge lasting until Nathaniel demanded lunch.

"Aunty Nat, can you do my hair?" Lila asked, showing off a collection of hair ties on her wrist.

"How about later? I told your mom I'd help with dinner."

Laura shook her head before washing her hands. "You're here to relax, Nat. I'll get Clint to help."

Natasha wanted to disagree, but Lila was already dragging her away towards the TV. "Okay, kid. Pigtails?" she wondered, taking a seat on the couch.

"A ponytail," she announced, sitting before Natasha's feet.

"Mixing things up today?" She found a comb resting on the arm of the couch and she began brushing through Lila's long hair. An ache in her back forced Natasha to stop for a second. As fun as the kids were, she wondered if she was getting too old for their games. The pain returned during dinner, this time in her stomach, ending Natasha's appetite.

Bruce was the first to notice as she aimlessly pushed bits of chicken and carrots around her plate. "Tasha?" he whispered. "You okay?"

She gave him a smile. "Full," she quietly answered.

He waited until after dinner to further question her. "You didn't eat much," he noticed, watching as she tossed some dirty clothes into a hamper.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "I think I'm getting my period."

"Oh," he breathed, rubbing the back of his neck.

She began to laugh. "Had a little bleeding earlier… But you know what? We're that much closer to trying for that baby."

Bruce hesitated. "If… If you're ready to do it…"

Natasha sauntered over to him and grabbed his hands. "I've never been more ready," she promised, giving him a loving kiss.

"Then I'm ready, too," he agreed with a wide grin.

"I think I'm gonna go to bed," Natasha mused. "Kinda getting some bad cramps."

"Want me to ask if Laura has some medicine?" Bruce offered.

She shook her head as she crawled beneath the covers. "I'll sleep it off. Go have fun."

"I'll join you soon," he promised. Bruce let her have some peace and told the kids she had a headache.

"Is she really okay?" Laura prodded. "There's some Advil in the cabinet."

Bruce didn't want to admit his wife was having "lady problems" in front of the kids. "She'll be fine," he promised. Little Nat requested a bedtime story from his uncle and Bruce was more than happy to read to him. Halfway through Goodnight Moon, Nathaniel fell fast asleep and Bruce was ready to do the same. Natasha was fast asleep when he entered their room. He made sure to be quiet while brushing his teeth and getting dressed for bed before accompanying her.

She felt the weight of the bed shift and stirred. "Time?" she mumbled.

"Almost ten." He draped an arm over her side. "You okay?"

Natasha buried her face deeper into her pillow. "Cramps."

"Want anything?" he offered.

"I'm fine." She managed to drift off to sleep but restlessly tossed and turned throughout the night. The cramps were hardly bearable when the early hours of the morning rolled around. She checked her phone and saw that it was just after four. Natasha left the bed with a groan as she padded to the bathroom. Seeing the tub tempted her into drawing herself a hot bath. She closed the door in hopes of stifling the sound of running water, but Bruce was quick to awaken.

"Tasha?" He reached for his glasses as a pale blue hue filtered through the window. "Natasha?" His feet carried him over to the bathroom. He gave the door a light knock before opening it. The bathroom's intense lights were making it hard for him to keep his eyes open.

Natasha was sitting on the edge of the tub, rubbing her back when he entered. "Sorry I woke you," she breathed. "I figured a bath would help the cramps."

He carefully took a seat beside her. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Just uncomfortable."

Bruce was too tired to tell if she was lying or not. He glanced into the tub, watching the water level steadily rise. "Try getting some sleep after this, okay?"

"I will," she nodded as he got up. "Sorry, Bruce…" He shut the door on his way out and Natasha began to undress. She slipped into the tub and used a towel as a makeshift pillow as she stretched her legs. The hot water gave her the relief she hoped for and she ended up falling asleep in the comfort of a half-full bathtub.

After seven, Bruce awoke to find Natasha was still absent from the bed. Feeling more conscious than earlier, he sprinted to the bathroom and felt his heart stop when he saw her lying in the tub. "Natasha!" he gasped.

She cracked open an eye to find Bruce hovering uncomfortably close.

"Oh, thank god!" he breathed. "You scared me."

The water around her felt cold as she sat upright. "Sorry… I was comfy." A pang in her belly made her want to retract her last statement.

"Natasha?"

She slowly got out of the tub with help from Bruce. "Cramps…"

"Should they be this bad?" His brows knitted together in worry. "Maybe it's your appendix?"

Natasha shook her head. "It's cramps."

"Food poisoning?"

She wrapped a clean towel around her before stepping into their room to find some clean clothes. "It's feeling like my period."

"Are you bleeding?" he wondered.

"Not yet." She sucked in a deep breath when the pain returned.

"We're going to the hospital," he urged.

The word sent Natasha into a panic. She avoided that place at all cost. They were only a cruel reminder of her past and Nick's final moments. "I'll sleep it off."

"You just tried that," Bruce warned. "Where does it hurt?"

She slipped on a pair of sweatpants over her underwear. "I'll be okay, Bruce."

"How about I get Laura?" he suggested. "She'll know."

"Bruce," she tiredly exhaled.

"I'm getting her now."

"She's sleeping!" Natasha hissed.

"And you're in pain!"

Natasha secured her bra and shot Bruce a glare. "Wait until she wakes up. You'll scare Clint and the kids!"

"Natasha…"

"I'll lay down," she promised. "Lay down with me…"

Their gazes locked in a silent stare down. "Once she's up, you're talking to her," he decided.

Natasha pulled a cami top over her head and went back into the bed. "Okay," she agreed. "Rub my back?"

Bruce joined her and began carefully massaging her. "Here?" he wondered, rubbing his knuckles into her side.

She curled up on her side. "Lower."

While one hand worked on massaging her, the other typed away at his phone. "Laura mentioned Advil. I'll get you some."

"Okay…" Natasha fought to hide the pain she was in for Bruce's sanity. She took the Advil he gave her and proceeded to curl into a tight ball. He had every right to be worried, but she hated his need to rush her to the ER.

Bruce overheard a door creak open and he was gone from Natasha's side in an instant.

She took her moment of peace alone to let out a choked sob. Bullets stung less than the pain wracking her middle.

"Cramps?" Laura's voice whispered.

Bruce shut the door once Laura entered the guest room.

"Nat…" Laura hurried over to the bed. Natasha's face was sickly pale. "My god, Nat, what's wrong?"

Her mouth hung open, but quickly shut.

"Are your cramps always this bad?" Laura ran her fingers through Natasha's hair and felt sweat along her brow.

"This is… I think she's had two previous periods," Bruce stated.

Natasha managed a nod and hugged her gut.

"You're burning up, sweetie…"

Now it was Bruce's turn to pale. "She's been through two rounds of in vitro fertilization," he confessed. "You don't think it's an infection, do you?"

"You're trying for kids?!" Her excitement was doused with worry. "Was this recent?"

Bruce paused to let his racing mind recall a date. "The last one was back in September."

Laura was quiet. "Nine months ago…"

"We would've known about an infection sooner, right?" Bruce wondered.

"Nat, when was your last period?"

Natasha mumbled a quick "yesterday."

"It ended yesterday?"

"I…bled a little. It stopped." She winced and hid half of her face in a pillow.

"And before that?" Laura prodded.

"December."

"You're sure?"

Natasha clenched her jaw. "Pretty damn sure."

Laura shook her head. "When did you last visit a doctor?"

She stopped biting down on her lip to answer. "I… called when I had a negative test."

"That was in October, I believe," Bruce interrupted. "Maybe late September…"

Natasha groaned and gripped the bad sheet. She tried to hide the pain contorting her face, but it was becoming difficult.

Laura reached for Natasha's stomach and felt how firm it was. "Did this start last night?"

Natasha nodded as the pain passed.

"And it's getting worse," Laura stated.

Natasha turned to Bruce with tears brimming in her eyes.

Seeing her on the verge of tears was the final straw for him. "How far's the nearest hospital?" Bruce demanded.

"No!" Natasha snapped. "No!"

"Yes," Laura confirmed. "Before we do anything, I need you to tell me when the next contraction ends and the next begins. Bruce, you time the intervals."

He nodded and found the timer on his phone. "T-timing contraction?" he stammered. "Isn't this used for labor?"

Laura rubbed Natasha's back and tried to remain calm. "I've had three kids, Bruce. I know what this is."

His jaw hung open and he nearly dropped his phone. "Sh-she's not pregnant…"

Natasha shot her friend a glare as a strong ache seized her. "Do I look it?"

"If you're not, then maybe your organs are falling out?" Laura meant it as a joke, but Bruce nearly had a heart attack. "Nat, I really think it's labor."

She shook her head, frantically eying Bruce. "We took four tests."

"And a doctor confirmed that you're not?"

Natasha rolled onto her back. "Pain's stopped," she breathed.

"Timer!" Laura ordered Bruce.

"I had a period months ago," Natasha began. "Didn't last long, but…"

"If she's having a baby, she needs a hospital!" Bruce interrupted.

Laura held up a finger to Bruce. "When did you start feeling the pain-before it got bad?"

Natasha was still trying to let the baby nonsense sink in. Suddenly, her added weight was making sense. "I've gained six or seven pounds," she muttered. "Thought it was stress…"

"Nat!" Laura snapped. "When did the pain start?"

"Before dinner. Around six," she answered.

"I don't think she'll make it to the hospital."

Bruce felt ready to pass out, but Natasha's cry of pain focused him on working the timer.

"What's the time?" Laura asked.

"M-minute twenty-three…"

"I'll get some towels," Laura announced, leaving Natasha's side. "Bruce, call 911."

He gawked at Natasha with his mouth wide open. "A baby…"

Natasha pressed her fingers against her stomach. "Could be my organs leaving…" She tightly shut her eyes. "A kid…We're not ready right now…"

Bruce sat down beside her, eyes on her middle. "I don't think they're willing to wait on us, Natasha." She suddenly grabbed his hand and squeezed. "This is really happening." He breathlessly laughed and frantically called 911. "I… My wife is having a baby?" His wavering tone made it come off as more of a question.

Laura returned with an armful of towels with Clint not too far behind.

"Nat, what the hell?" Clint drew close to the bed, but Laura stopped him. "Keep the kids occupied. We've got an ambulance coming and I don't want them freaking out."

"I'm kinda freaking out right now!" Clint replied in disbelief. "Wha-I tell them Nat's having a baby right now!?"

"Shouldn't have invited us," Natasha managed as she propped herself up on her elbows.

Bruce was feeling more panicked by the second. "They're a minute apart," he said into the phone.

Laura shooed Clint away and helped stuff towels beneath Natasha. "Better to have you here than have Bruce rush you to the ER," she smiled.

"This is embarrassing," Natasha grumbled.

"Could've been worse if a certain someone popped out of you in a taxi."

Natasha managed a weak laugh as she pulled down her pants.

"I'll get you some water."

Natasha's fingers tightened around Bruce's hand as she pushed.

"Feel?" Bruce repeated. He turned to his wife. "Natasha, can you feel anything?"

She was ready to fire off an obvious smartass answer when another contraction hit. "Pressure." She pushed again with a loud gasp.

Laura set a glass of water on the nightstand before sitting between Natasha's legs."Give me the phone," she ordered Bruce.

He handed the device over and draped a fresh towel over Natasha's legs. "You'll be okay," he whispered. "Help's on the way."

"No, I don't see the head…" Laura divulged.

Natasha bit down on her lip. She was currently fearing for the worst. Something had to have gone wrong for her to not notice an entire pregnancy pass her by. "Bruce," she whimpered, tightly shutting her eyes.

"You're doing fine," he promised, kissing her hair.

"Deep breaths, Natasha," Laura coaxed. She skillfully balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Deep breaths, and push through the next contraction."

Natasha did as she was told, gripping Bruce's hand as if her life depended on it.

"You're amazing, Natasha," he grinned. "So amazing-we're having a baby!"

She screamed and lurched forward when Laura mentioned seeing the head.

"Almost there, Nat," she promised.

Bruce was terrified to peek past the towel. Instead, he focused on his wife and repeatedly told her how amazing she was.

Natasha's head fell back into the pillow the second the pain stopped. She could barely keep her eyes open when she saw Laura holding up a squirming pink creature.

"Oh my god!" Bruce gasped as his eyes rested on their child. The rush of fear an excitement brought tears to his eyes. "Na…" He felt lightheaded and his heart was racing. This felt more like a dream, the best dream of his life.

"Oh, it's a boy," Laura beamed. She lay the baby on Natasha's chest and began drying him off. Once his face was clean, he let out a high-pitched cry. "He's beautiful."

Natasha was afraid to touch him. He was tiny, fragile, and hardly felt like hers.

Bruce leaned in for a closer look, his smile a mile wide as he stroked the tufts of dark hair on his son's head. "A boy, Natasha… Look at him…"

The baby screamed and Natasha's breath caught in her throat. She carefully brought her hand close to his cheek and stroked the soft skin as tears ran down her face. "I…" All she could think of was Fury's proposal for a boy. "Nick," she whispered. "Nicholas."

Bruce reached for his son's tiny hand. "That's perfect…" He turned to Natasha with a smile. "This has been the single most terrifying, yet greatest day of my life."

Natasha laughed and wrapped her arms around their baby. "God, he's tiny."

"So tiny," Bruce agreed with a proud grin.

An ambulance arrived for the new mother and son minutes later. The kids were terrified to see Natasha whisked out on a stretcher, but she promised them she was fine as she held a bundle close to her chest. Bruce rode with his family in the ambulance while the Bartons followed by car. Both mother and son were perfectly healthy. Natasha broke down into tears when she was assured her son was fine, all seventeen inches and seven pounds of him.

"He looks like you," Bruce commented, in awe of their newborn.

"I think he looks more like you." Natasha watched Nick soundly sleep in her arms. "I still can't believe this happened."

"We have some major shopping to do," Bruce chuckled.

"What do we tell everyone else?"

Bruce shrugged. "We had a baby...?"

Natasha rolled her eyes and offered him the bundle. "Your turn to hold him, dad."

Bruce warily accepted little Nick with a wide smile. He sat and cradled him close to his chest. "Hey, buddy…" he whispered. "You really scared us back there…"

Natasha relaxed against a stack of pillows, her heart content now that Bruce had his missing piece. He looked happier than ever, and that was enough to assure her that things were heading in the right direction for them. "I love him."

Bruce glanced up at her with fresh tears in his eyes. "I told you we'd get our family."

"I wish it came with a warning," she snorted.

"Life's full of surprises, isn't it?" he laughed.

Clint and Laura were able to find a handful of Nathaniel's newborn clothes, an old car seat, and a crib. Natasha and Bruce made a successful first shopping trip as parents once they left the hospital with their newest addition in tow. They were forced to quickly settle into their lives as parents to Nicholas Robert Banner, but they grew to love every hectic moment of it. On Nick's one week birthday, they invited the Bartons, Tony, Pepper, and Maria over. They had all seen pictures of the baby, but were still in complete disbelief that Natasha had ever been pregnant.

"He's a welcomed surprise," Natasha promised as Nick slept in her arms.

"It's hard to look at the guest room the same way," Clint teased.

"I still don't believe it," Tony commented.

"Then get a better look, Tony," Bruce playfully warned, "because he looks just like us."

"I'll believe it when he turns green."

Pepper smacked her husband's shoulder.

"I…Well, that has yet to happen," Bruce chuckled.

"It's too bad. Fury would be thrilled to know we named a Hulk Jr. after him," Natasha joked.

Bruce laughed. "I'm sure he's keeping an eye on his namesake."

"Really, Banner?" Tony scoffed. "Eye jokes?"

Natasha was the first to burst out laughing.

"N-No, Tony, I didn't mean it like that!" Bruce stammered. He turned to Natasha, relieved that she found his slip amusing. To see her laughing when thinking of Fury brought him a great sense of relief.

She was happy, he was happy, and their son was happy. They were the happy family he had always yearned for, and that was the way things were going to stay.