The Tower: Unexpected

Natasha

I hadn't expected the news to go down well. These guys had taken precautions. There were reasons they didn't want children. I had expected that when I went to bed in the common room I'd have woken up to at least one or two of the guys here with me. Even if they weren't really at the acceptance stage. Just because they were supposed to love me and be worried about how I was doing too.

I think, honestly, if it wasn't for Natasha, I would have booked in an abortion that same day.

I woke up to Wanda pressed tightly against my back still asleep and Natasha sitting up next to me with a coffee in her hand. Hulk was in the room too, sitting silently watching us, like a big green guard dog. I was about to say good morning to them when a wave of nausea crashed down on me, I think set off by Natasha's coffee. I jumped to my feet, startling Wanda awake and ran to the bathroom. Hulk moved quickly to follow. The building had been made to accommodate him after a few incidents that had taken out various sections. He followed me in and as gently as he could, pat my back as I threw up in the toilet.

"Elly, okay?" He rumbled, genuine concern in his voice.

"Yeah, big guy. Just morning sickness." I said.

"Baby okay?" He asked.

I threw up again and Natasha arrived, holding back my hair. "Okay, Mishka. I've got you." She soothed.

When I was sure I was done I washed my face and rinsed my mouth out before returning to bed. "Good, girl. You should rest." Natasha said getting back into bed with me and pulling the covers up. Wanda had left the room, and her absence felt like a kick to the stomach.

"Maybe I should just terminate. No one wants this. I got this picture in my head of us all being super parents or something and it's obviously a dumb pipe dream. Better I not to drag it out." I said.

Hulk made a deep growl sound that was slightly threatening and startled me a little. "Hulk want baby. Hulk dad."

"Please stop saying no one wants this. I want this. I won't force you to go through with this if you don't want to, but I want this. If it was only you and me that did I'd leave with you and ... I dunno... get a farm and try and raise the babies as a monogamous couple if that's what it took. It's not just me though. Hulk wants this. Wanda wants this. You aren't alone. If you want to have the baby, we're here. The others will be too. Just give them some processing time. They didn't expect this at all."

I groaned and pulled myself into a fetal position. I had never felt so alone since I'd joined the group. "I am processing too. Why do they get to run away to process and I just have to wake up puking my guts up?"

"Biology, mishka," Natasha replied gently.

"Wanda left," I said.

"To get you something for your nausea. Don't think things like that about me." Wanda scolded as she carried in a tray. She placed it carefully beside me before sitting down. "This is a porridge made from millet seeds," She said pointing to the bowl. "And this is ginger tea."

"Thank you, Wanda. I'm sorry I doubted you." I said and sat up taking a drink from the tea. I couldn't quite get my head around why Natasha and Wanda seemed so excited about this.

"You are still doubting me, cut it out," Wanda said, twisting her wrist so a small ball of light formed on her fingers and then flicking it at me, so it zapped my thigh.

"Ow, sorry. I just don't get it. Why? It's not like you can't have kids yourself." I argued.

"You are right, I can. But it has not been something I'd considered properly. No one ever brought it up. I'm young. It was a one-day thing. But I love children. I want to be a mother and I am excited about this. I can't wait to hold your baby. Our baby. This is going to change everything and I am excited about that change."

I sighed and nodded my head. "Okay. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, beautiful. I understand that you're dealing with a lot right now." Wanda said and kissed my cheek. "Now eat. You've gotta take care of yourself."

I had a mouthful of the millet. It was bland enough to help settle my stomach but not so bland that it was like eating cardboard. "What about you, Tasha?"

"Okay, so..." Natasha said and took a breath like she was steeling herself.

"So..." I repeated.

"Remind me of what you know about my past."

I frowned worried about where this was going and hated myself for making her have to go over it again. "I know about the Red Room. That they trained you telling you, you were going to be a ballerina. That they brainwashed you and experimented on you like Bucky. That they trained you to be assassins and to use sex when necessary."

"Okay, what you don't know is about a man named Nikolai," Natasha said.

"What about Nikolai?"

Natasha frowned and dropped her eyes like she was ashamed. "I had been promised to him. We were married. I got, I was... we were..."

"Pregnant?" I asked.

Nat closed her eyes and nodded her head slightly. "Yes. But what they did..."

I ran my hand over my stomach protectively as I watched this woman let down every wall and allow herself to be vulnerable. A woman who was normally so together and strong. A woman who used her strength and intimidation as a protective wall to stop herself from getting hurt. It was a little scary. "What happened?"

"I lost it." She said. "And I found out afterward, that what they did to me, they created so much scar tissue and messed with my DNA so much, I'd never be able to carry a baby to term."

I put my food aside and moved to her, wrapping her in my arms. "I'm so sorry, Nat."

She nuzzled into me and clung to me. It was all I could do to not break down into tears. All these years I had known her and I'd never seen her let herself be so fragile.

"I thought - I'd given up on the idea I'd ever get that." She murmured against my skin.

I ran my hands through her hair and down her back. "And now you get to be a mom."

"Yeah. Now I get to be a mom." She agreed, and I felt her relax. I'd just confirmed I'd keep it and we were going to do this and her body softened against me in relief.

"Will you come to the doctor with me?" I asked.

"Of course I will," Nat said pulling back. "Someone needs to take care of you."

"Me too?" Wanda asked.

"Yeah, you too." I agreed.

Wanda's face lit up and she clapped her hands. "Okay. Yes. Yay."

"Hulk want to come too. Hulk dad." Hulk said thumping himself on the chest.

I chuckled. "We might have to wait and see if there is room for you in the room."

Hulk nodded and let out a huff of breath. "Hulk want to see baby."

"I know. If you can't I'll bring you a picture." I agreed. Hulk nodded again and settled back into a sitting position. "Now if only the others could get on board too."

"Don't worry. They will. There's a lot of panic, but they just need to process." Wanda explained.

I nodded and let out a breath. I hoped she was right. I was going to do this for Natasha. I wanted her to have this. To get to shake off the last hold the Red Room had of her. I wanted to see her being the protective helicopter mother I saw in her. I wanted to be a mother with her. I was scared. I didn't exactly have the best role models for parenting. I knew I could do it with her and Wanda. And the Hulk too, I suppose. I just didn't want to lose anyone because of a stupid accident.