She Lives On

The Daughter

(Steve's POV)
"Please!" she begs. "One more story!"
I sigh, "Darling you've heard our whole life story by now. I've told you so much and I'm not sure there's much left you haven't heard from me or the other Avengers."

I gaze down at her. She turned 14 last week. I feel hollow and empty inside. How has it been almost 10 years without her. The love of my life. Nat. And she looks just like her mother. With the same fiery orange hair and deep green eyes. She would almost be Nat's mirror image if she cut her hair. But she liked it longer and I thought it was beautiful.

Sometimes it hurts to look at her, she reminds me of the woman I fell in love with. The woman who saved everyone but herself. The woman who's gone and will never see her precious daughter grow up.

I give in to her large begging eyes. "Okay, one more story, then it's time for you to go to bed."

Her face lights up and it breaks my heart that she has to be close to her mother by hearing stories and seeing pictures. And how Nat will never be able to tell her stories, only me.
I began the story of how Nat and I got together, she's heard this story many times, but I know she loves it.

"Well, it had been about 5 months since we had killed Thanos. Most of the Avengers went on with their lives and lived away from the compound. Tony and Pepper were living happily with their new daughter Morgan."

I was pleased that my daughter and Tony's daughter had grown up to be best friends. The two were only about a year apart and they had brought Tony and I back together before the big fight. And now I have a piece of him as well as Nat.

"Clint had disappeared and for a while no one knew where he was and at that time your mother was missing him lots. Well she was mourning for everyone we had lost, and so was I. The other Avengers went their separate ways and we saw them very little. Only when they gave updates every so often and often that was on calls and not in person.

So it was just Nat and I. At first I lived alone, away from the compound. I was angry and upset that we couldn't bring everyone back and I just needed to be alone. Then one day about 5 months after we had killed Thanos, I had dropped by to check in at the compound and I found Nat. She was alone and crying and it broke my heart to see her like that. So I decided that I would stay at the compound for a bit so she wouldn't be by herself.

At first I didn't understand why she was still living at the compound and I later found out that it was because she was still trying. Refusing to give up. She was trying to find a way to bring them all back. After comforting her that first night, she seemed better now that I was living with her. We had good times with each other. We renovated the compound, we worked out and trained, we went on walks outside and adventures, we had movies night and played games together. We never really spoke again about trying to bring everyone back. It seemed too impossible.

After a while we started to fall in love, it was the best experience of my life. Natasha was the best woman I had ever met. Gorgeous and strong and capable of anything. We decided to move in together in a small bit cozy house about a 10 minute drive from the compound. A few months later I proposed to her and she miraculously got pregnant. With you. We didn't think she could get pregnant but the operation in the Red Room must have not worked. She loved you so so much and we raised you the best we could. Then a few years later a plan was made to bring everyone back and we knew we had to help.

Nat couldn't stand by and watch the fight, even though I really wanted her to. We knew it was a risk both leaving you to go fight, but we wanted to make the world better for you..."

My voice falters, this is the part where I always get chocked up.

"So uhhh we left to fight. Saying goodbye to Nat before we went through the time machine was excruciatingly painful. But I hoped and believed that she would be alright." I feel tears started to trickle down my cheeks. "But... she didn't come back. So I had to raise you alone, without your mother. But she loved you so so much baby you know that right? And I know it may not seem like it but she had to fight, she saved billions of people, even though she died. She's watching over us right now."

"Do you think she regrets going?" She asks.

The question breaks my heart. I'm not sure. I have no idea what she was thinking in her final moments. But I do know she was finally happy and at peace with herself. She had a family that she never thought she would have.

So I say "Oh baby, I know she misses you terribly and wants so bad to be here right now. But she saved so many people. She's a hero. She did what she thought she had to do."

She stares at me for a minute, going over my answer.

"Okay" She mumbles. "Goodnight dad, I love you."

"I love you too Anya" I say gently as I exit her room and walk down the stairs and into the living room. I sit down on the couch and the tears spill out. And all I can think of is her. Nat. Gone. She used to sit with me on this couch every night and now I sit alone.

Oh Nat, I think. We need you and miss you more than I can ever say. I feel physical some days while thinking about how you're gone. You were all I could think about before and all I can think about now. Even a decade later. I'll train her, and teach her how to protect herself. I'll keep her safe Nat I promise. I hope you're happy. I hope you're at peace. I love you. I'll raise Anya Alianovna Romanoff as best as I can.

A/N
Hey guys! This is my first story on here so please let me know if you have and advice. In the next few chapters I'll write more about what happened with Steve and Nat during those five years and I'll write about how their daughter is training like her mother and following in her footsteps. I not sure if anyone will even read this but if you do, thank you :)