Winter Widow One Shots

The Barnes Family

Natalia had gone over to the Stark's home to offer help for Pepper so she could relax and enjoy time with her new little one. She had planned on doing dishes, cleaning the bathroom or whatever Pepper needed. But Tony had of course hired out most the work needing done around the home. Natalia should have expected that from him. He had the money, why not use it?

So instead the women had talked. They sat on the large plush couch, Pepper cuddled under a blanket with a pillow Between her arms. Nat sat opposite her, with topics ranging from the Avengers, and Tony saying he was going to "take a break", and of course Pepper's life now as a mom and her darling little one. It was nice to talk, Nat felt like most conversations in her life revolved around work. She supposed that was what happened when ones work friends were pretty much their only friends. Not many people wanted to befriend someone who had to keep secrets. And those that did typically only did so because they thought it would be cool to be friends with an avenger. Maybe Spider-Man had it right with the whole identity thing.

Pepper had nodded off shortly after conversations began. Nat had cleaned up their glasses and plates from the drinks and snacks that they had enjoyed during their conversation. When she had finished cleaning up she began pulling on her shoes and jacket to leave, but she stopped when she heard Morgan crying from the back room.

Hoping there was something she could do to calm the little one so Pepper could get some extra sleep she made her way into the animal themed nursery and picked the little girl up. She was beautiful. Dark brown hair, Pepper's nose and lips. No doubt she'd have Tony's brilliant mind. And she would have access to anything she wanted in this world to make her dreams come true.

Natalia bounced the little girl humming an old Russian lullaby. One of the few memories she had before Red Room. Watching the little girl clam down to the bouncing and humming Natalia smiled. Morgan curled her fingers around Natalia's pointer and curled in. A small part of Natalia felt the stab of guilt and pain that always came when she saw an infant. Something she would never have. Another part of her life that the Red Room had taken from her.

She continued to rock the little one until her eye lids closed once more. She knew she could place her in her little bed, with the mobile over head spun with foxes and deer. But she wanted this moment to last just a little bit longer. Moments like these where likely as close as she would get to becoming a mom. She would savor each and everyone of them.

She walked through the door of their Brooklyn apartment and dropped her bag on the floor. James had insisted that Brooklyn would be the best spot to live. She disagreed but she knew he was holding on to a piece of his childhood from years before, and it was a cute little place. Nothing fancy but they had made it home together. Two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. They had converted the second bedroom into a small gym with their weapons filling the closet space. Not great for guests, but it wasn't like either of them had family that would be coming to stay anytime.

They preferred to keep a low profile. Despite being an Avenger Natalia liked her privacy. She liked being able to come home and not worry about people waiting outside to catch a glimpse of the infamous Black Widow. It had been the main reason she and James and had declined Tony's offer to move into the tower or the compound upstate. They needed more in their lives than just their jobs. They needed to feel somewhat normal.

She sat down on the weathered bench they kept next to the front door to unlace her combat boots, and dropped them next to her bag. Stylish or not, they were comfortable and matched most of her clothing. Which meant they had become her go to shoes.

"Nat? That you?"

James' voice came from the kitchen, along with a familiar smell. Was he really making pancakes again? How many times was that this week? She should have never got him that stupid pancake grill, it made it too easy for him. The man would eat them breakfast, lunch and dinner if she let him.