Saving Natasha

PART 97: DESPICABLE ME

AVAS POV

I could feel Wandas laugh vibrate through my body as I lay my head on her shoulder. She automatically wrapped an arm around me, securing me in place. Her hand landing somewhere on my hip.

"You're gonna get us both killed if you say that to Stark" she chuckled. I grinned up at her.

"Wanna bet?" Before she could respond I heard a key turning in the lock and the door opened.

"Hey Ava?" Natasha called from the hall.

"We're in here" I could hear her walking closer and smiled more. I was with my two favourite humans, how could I not be happy.

"Hey there girlies' Natasha said as she rounded the corner into the sitting room. I turned to look at her and nearly had a heart attack. I looked up to Wanda and she just shook her head 'no'. I turned back to Natasha as she put her keys down on the table next to a diaper bag. She then strolled over to the couch and sat down next to me.

The little girl sat up in Natasha's lap and looked at me, she tilted her head slightly and waved.

"Hello there little one, what's your name?" She looked to Natasha and Natasha smiled fondly at her.

"Can you tell her your name baby girl?"

"A'ry" she mumbled before laying back down on Natasha's chest, closing her eyes and letting out a content sigh. Natasha quickly wrapped her in a hug before turning her attention back to me.

"You gonna explain or......." she chuckled.

"Well, Tony found her all by herself. He's trying to track down her parents at the moment, he already found her father, currently doing time for murder, but he hasn't found her mother yet. Loki was put on babysitting duty, but he gave up real quick, so he transferred responsibility of this little one over to me." She looked down at Avery as she spoke, tickling her slightly.

"........cool" I watched Natasha's facial expression, how it lit up whenever Avery laughed. I snuggled back down next to Wanda and sighed.

"You're gonna be one hell of a mother Nat" her face instantly fell and her eyes glistened with tears. She looked down to Avery and a small smile graced her features, but it was a sad smile.

I sat up from my very comfortable position next to Wanda and moved closer to Nat. I could hear Wanda sitting up behind me, the blanket we were cuddling under soon forgotten and left falling to the floor. I watched as Natasha tried to swallow back her tears, watching the small girl on her chest.

"You're wrong" she whispered. She pushed Avery's hair out of her face and the first few tear broke the boundary, she kissed her head and stood up and placing Avery on the couch, grabbing her keys and rushing out the door.

Shit

I chased after her, tripping over the blanket abandoned at our feet, but by the time I got to the door, I could hear her car door slam shut downstairs. I turned back into the apartment and closed the door. When I walked back into the living room, Avery was staring at the doorway, waiting, tears shone in her eyes.

"Red" she whined and I picked her up, bouncing her slightly, trying to soothe her. I walked over to the diaper bag and rooted through it, pulling out a stuffie and a pacifier. I handed her the small rabbit and she threw it across the room.

"Wan' red" she cried. I rushed back into the living and sat her on Wandas lap. The child calmed ever so slightly when she saw the reddish hue in Wandas hair. She reached out a hand and twisted some of Wandas hair around her finger. She continued to cry, but lay her head on Wandas shoulder, mumbling 'wan' red' every now and then.

"Come on Avery, its ok, Natasha will be back soon, it's ok" I sat beside Wanda and rubbed Averys back.

"Noooo, wan' red" my heart broke a little.

"Natasha will be back soon Avery, do you want to watch a movie while you wait?" She paused for a moment trying to catch her breath and slowly nodded.

"Ok, you look for a movie with Wanda, and I'll go get a snack" she nodded again, tears still flowing down her face, but she was no longer wailing.

Little victories

I walked into the kitchen and picked up the rabbit Avery had thrown, carefully sitting him on the counter while I pulled out my phone. I rang Natasha, it rang out till I got to the voicemail. I hung up and tried again, and again, and again. I left her about 50 miscalls and 40 voicemails, before rooting through the diaper bag for some sort of snack for Avery. My search yielded a single fruit purée pouch, I left it on the counter and instead made her a pb+j sand which.

I walked back into the living room and sat down beside Wanda. Holding out the plate for Avery. She just stared at it. I took it back and ripped it into smaller bite sized pieces and handed her one. She cautiously reached out and took the sandwhich from my hand. I redirected my attention to the tv where 'despicable me' was waiting to be played. I picked up the blanket that had fallen to the floor. Draping it over me and Wanda and Avery.

She played the movie and I handed her chunks of sandwhich. The room was quiet except for the movie. I didnt know what to say, neither did Wanda, and Avery was still crying softly. When the movie ended Avery whimpered.

Wanda looked down to her and smiled "look Avery, there's another one! Do you want to watch it?" She nodded and I stood up, walking into the kitchen bringing the plate with me. I grabbed a sippy cup from her bag and filled it water and then cut up some mangoes, apples, bananas and grapes. I put them all in a bowl and returned to my seat on the couch. Setting the bowl on Wandas lap so Avery could reach them.

Around halfway through the movie, I noticed Avery had avoided every single grape.

"Whats wrong with the grapes Avery, do you not like them?"

"Pur'le bad, gra' bad"

I chuckled as I noticed she would avoid them at all costs. I pulled out my phone and called Natasha for the millionth time, popping a red grape into my mouth. Again, she didn't answer. I hung up and rubbed my eyes.

"Hey, she'll come back when she's ready, dont worry" Wanda reached out her hand and put it on my leg. I nodded and lay my head on her shoulder. I was distracted from the rest of the movie, constantly checking my phone, waiting for Natasha to call or text. Despite my constant checking, when my phone started ringing I jumped. I answered it before the second ring.

"Hello?!"