The Tower: Unexpected

An Arm to Hold Them

When I reached 30 weeks the construction on the house was well ahead of schedule. I guess that's what happens when you have a multi-billionaire nudging things along. While the whole facility wouldn't be ready for a while after the babies would be born, at the rate it was going, we would be moving in before they came. That is if they hung out until the end.

There was something else that had been going on that none of us had been aware of. After Bucky had decided to have his arm removed Tony had gone to work designing a new one. He'd spoken to Steve and together they'd worked on a design for one for him that was personal and beautiful and meant for Bucky the father to hold his children with, and not for the Winter Soldier to kill people.

When the arm was made Bucky was booked into surgery with these world-class surgeons and specialists in bioengineering. Tony was going in with them to oversee things. As was Bruce though he was a little unsure of how much he could help.

The rest of us waited in the waiting room. It was not a quick operation either. We took turns pacing and being the strong one for each other for about 10 hours. None of us were willing to go and just relax.

"You think it's over yet?" I asked around the 9 and a half-hour point. I rubbed my side. I was really stressed and really uncomfortable.

Wanda's eyes glowed pink and she tilted her head to the side. "They're still working. That's all I can tell you." She said. I groaned and flopped on the couch, letting my head fall back against the wall. "It's all medical jargon. I can't follow."

"One of the babies is in my ribs and that isn't helping," I whined.

Wanda looked at me with her head tilted to the side. "It's Riley."

"Riley. Please, I use my lungs for breathing." I complained rubbing my side again.

"I'm not sure she understands that," Wanda said.

I got up and started pacing again. "Feel like she's headbutting them."

"She'll settle if you settle."

I shook my head. "I'm trying to make gravity pull her down."

Natasha stifled a laugh. "El, I don't think that works."

"Well, sitting didn't help either."

"I know, sweetheart." She said, soothingly.

I went and flopped down next to Clint. "Rub my back for me, please."

Clint immediately began to knead the tightness out of my lower back. "Yes, dear."

"How's Steve holding up?" I asked leaning forward a little.

"As well as can be expected," Wanda replied.

I frowned and we all fell back in that nervous silence again. Clint steadily working out my muscles. Eventually, I curled up on his lap and was just starting to doze when my stomach began to twitch. "One of the babies have the hiccups now." I sighed.

Clint looked down at me. "They do?"

"Yeah, look," I said and moved one of his hands so my stomach so he could feel the very obvious and regular jump of one of the babies hiccuping.

"Oh wow," Clint said, a large smile forming on his face.

"You can probably just see it," I said, rolling over and holding still, so the twitch became more visible.

"Holy shit," Clint said, his eyes going wide. "That's so weird."

"Yeah, it is. Feels weird."

He held his hand there for a moment, when Wanda sat up suddenly, looking extremely alert. "Oh, wait."