Our little family (sequel to Baby Captain Widow)

Chapter 23: Labour

"You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me." Thanos' chilling voice filled Nat and Pepper's wars through their earpieces, and they looked at each other in horror. Pepper took off her helmet and placed it on the table for Happy to be able to hear as well. "I thought by eliminating half of all life... the other half would thrive." Happy paled, furrowing his brows and widening his eyes, his mouth slightly ajar. Nat put a finger to her lips, signalling to keep quiet, clutching her stomach with the other. Happy motioned for her to sit down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island, but she shook her head. "But you've shown me... that's impossible. And as long as there are those that remember what was... there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist."
"Yep, we're all kinds of stubborn." Came Tony's voice, impatiently.
"I'm thankful. Because now... I know what I must do." Thanos continued, his voice sending shivers down the group's spines. "I will shred this universe... down to its last atom. And then... with the Stones you've collected for me... create a new one... teeming with life... that knows not what it has lost... but only what has been given. A grateful universe."
"Born out of blood." Steve pointed out.
"They'll never know." Thanos answered. "Because you won't be alive to tell them." Pepper gasped, her hand flying to her chest, making direct eye contact with Natasha. They heard Thor roar, flinching at the sudden loud noise, the sounds of metal on metal collisions making them shudder.

"Steve. Steve!" Nat spoke into the earpiece, as Happy manoeuvred her onto the stool forcefully.
"Nat! What's wrong?" Came his anxious voice, filled with grunts as he threw his shield at the purple Titan.
"My water just broke!"
"Shit!"
"Language!" Nat cried, smirking as Tony and Thor joined their inside joke.
"'Tasha, everything's going to be ok. You gotta trust me on this one."
"But you're gonna miss it! I heard everything Thanos said. You're gonna be there for a while." She winced as a big contraction blasted into her.
"'Tasha, don't worry. Just try and hold on!"
"Uh, okay?" She replied, unsure whether she could fulfil his request. "I'll do my best. I'll stay on the line. I love you."
"Love you too."
"Uh, Cap?" Tony's voice could be heard, Pepper's expression changing slightly. "Did I just hear what I think I heard?"
"Natasha's water broke? Uh, yeah."
"Well, it didn't call such language." Tony responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm, making Natasha smile a little.
"Tony, may I remind you of the words you uttered when Pepper went into labour?" Thor shouted, causing Pepper to place a hand to her forehead and shake her head, smiling despite her troubles. "I believe it went along the lines of "Shit! I don't think I'm fucking ready for this, Pep. Oh, motherfucker!"." Natasha, Pepper, and Happy all burst out laughing for a second, before Nat breathed heavily through the contraction as it ended.
"Shut up, Thor!" Tony yelled, almost deafening Nat as she began laughing again.
"And watch your language!" Steve shouted.
"Uh, that never gets old." Thor responded, as Lily burst into the kitchen, bawling her eyes out, Morgan hurrying after her, as Lily clung to Nat's leg.
"She's worried about Uncle Steve." She explained, as Happy picked her up and placed her on the stool next to Nat, who gave her aside hug, stroking her hair and holding her tight.
"Daddy's alright, baby." Nat soothed, looking at the other adults for help, raising her eyebrows, unsure of what else to say. They looked at her and shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders, signalling that they weren't of any aid.

"Nat? Nat! Are you okay??" Came Clint's, panting heavily.
"Clint we're fine! We're at Pepper's." Nat called to her best friend, Lily's head poking up at the sound of his voice. "What's happened?"
"Are you okay? I heard everything you said to Steve."
"Clint, I'm fine. What's happened." She asked sternly.
"Um, okay... so... the compound got blown up by Thanos... I fell into a hole with the gauntlet... I got chased by Chitauri, not fun, may I add... I thought I found Nebula and I handed her the gauntlet. And it turns out that wasn't Nebula!"
"What?!" Came Happy's astounded voice.
"Yeah! Turns out that Nebula came from the past and impersonated Nebula, and the real Nebula came with this green lady and shot the Nebula holding the gauntlet, and now I have it and I'm about to run as fast as I fucking can through some crazy ass battlefield to prevent Thanos from getting these Stones."
"Right, Clint, you've gotta watch your language, 'cause there are two kids here in the room, and they just heard all of that." Pepper said, as Nat began to breathe heavily again, her breaths alarming Lily.
"Right. Sorry about that. Nat, get to a hospital before the contractions get worse. I know you don't like them, but tough."
"What are contractions?" Morgan asked, tugging at Happy's trouser leg and brushing her brown hair out of her eyes.
"Painful." Nat answered, clutching her stomach with both hands now.
"Look, I gotta go, but hang in there, Natasha. I know you got this. Oh, shit!"
"What?!"
"I just tripped over a rock and fell a couple feet onto another rock."
"Well done." Nat rolled her eyes through the pain.
"Go to a hospital, Nat."
"I'll ask FRIDAY to get directions to the nearest one." Pepper suggested, Happy standing awkwardly beside her. "Great." She said sarcastically.
"What?" Happy asked, turning to face her.
"All the roads are bunged up for God knows how long and how far. There was a big accident just after you arrived, Nat, caused by the compound. I don't think we could reach the hospital in time, even if we tried."
"What am I going to do then?" Nat groaned.
"You're gonna have to have the baby here."
"Are you sure?"
"We've got no other option."
"I'll call your doctor." Happy offered, pulling out his phone.
"Alright. Here's her contact details." Nat handed him her phone.
"Thanks. I'll do this in the other room so that you guys can talk with Tony and the others." He said, dialling on his phone as he walked out.

"Mummy, can we talk to daddy?" Lily whimpered, looking up at her with fear in her eyes. Nat obliged, her pain subsiding again. "Daddy! Are you alright?" Lily cried into the helmet on the table, her voice high and frantic.
"I'm fine, baby girl." He grunted as he was thrown back, the rough sound of Stone breaking and crumbling against his back making them all jump. "How about you guys? Is everything alright?"
"We've got no way of getting to a hospital, all the roads are jammed." Natasha whispered, rubbing her daughter's shoulder.
"Great."
"I know." She closed her eyes, and shook her head gently.
"Hold on. Thor's in trouble."
"I knew it!" Came Thor's rasping voice.
"Knew what?" Pepper asked, confused.
"He lifted it. Mjølnir."
"Who did?"

"Steve." Nat whispered, recalling the party 8 years ago. She has watched him try to pick it up back then, and knew she had heard a slight squeak of movement from the friction of it on the glass table. The sounds of metal on metal burned on their ears, Steve grunting slightly with his strength as he delivered blows with the shield and hammer to Thanos. Lightning sizzled the radio waves, muffling out Thanos' grunts and cries of anguish. But then it became Steve's turn to emit grunts of loss, crying out in pain as the Uru blade sliced through his thigh. "Steve!" Nat cried, just as another contraction punched its way through her uterus. As the sound of Uru breaking away vibranium consumed their eardrums, Pepper noticed an orange, fizzing glow appear in the corner of her eye, that entranced her in a familiar fashion. She turned to face it as it turned into a ring, growing with each millisecond, revealing a familiar face.
"Stephen?" She asked in astonishment, Nat looking up at her voice to see the mystic-arts master.
"Ah, good. You're already suited up."
"What do you mean? Do they need me?"
"Not yet. I just came here to let you know that in a couple of minutes, I'm gonna open up a larger portal to the compound for you to go through and join the fight, ok?" He smirked, before closing the portal. Loud and violent thuds erupted in their ears, and Nat cried out in pain. Lily looked around, terrified.
"Steve!"
"I'm fine, 'Tasha, I'm fine." He groaned, as Nat whimpered from the contraction.
"In all my years of conquest... violence... slaughter... it was never personal." It was Lily and Morgan's turn to whimper, clutching their mums as if their life depended on it. "But I'll tell you now... what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet... I'm gonna enjoy it... very, very much." Strange opened up another tiny portal, popping his head through.
"It's show-time!" He said, as he began to open a larger portal in the kitchen.
"Mummy! Please don't go!" Morgan pleaded, holding onto her gold-titanium alloy suit leg.
"Morgan, Pepper is one of the strongest people I know. She will be fine, and she will come home." Nat smiled as the contraction ended, beckoning her over. Pepper smiled.
"I'll be fine. Now, you be a good girl for Happy and Auntie Nat, and do what they say, ok? Mummy loves you." She kissed Morgan's brown hair as Morgan wrapped her arms around Pepper's neck in a hug. They hugged for a moment, before Pepper left, leaving the others behind. The portal closed, just as Happy walked back into the room.
"Erm, where did Pepper go?"
"Mummy had to fight." Morgan said, looking at the floor, downcast and worried.
"Your Doctor is stuck in traffic, so she won't be here for a while. She's told me to help you out, and to call her if we need anything."
"Great. Ok, thanks, Happy."