Is This Love?

Chapter 27 - Take me

TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains a traumatic incident with children and guns (No one gets hurt, I promise). However, please skip this chapter if that is going to be an issue for you. As always, stay safe, and please take care of yourself first!

Thanks!

Nat's POV

"Well I was thinking of asking Sam," I said suddenly serious. Steve's face dropped. I burst into a fit of giggles and he smiled back relieved.

"Did you really think I would choose Sam to be her father? Sam would probably accidentally drop her on her head! I can't believe you have so little faith in me! After that, maybe I will pick Sam." I huffed playfully.

"But you won't" Steve smirked at me, leaning forward and kissing me passionately. I smiled into the kiss.

"You know me too well," I said, pulling away and standing up. He followed my actions and followed me out the door.

"Let's go and get our daughter," Steve said as we walked down the corridor to the elevator, hand in hand. When we got down to the medical bay Tony came over and greeted us again.

"Hey lovebirds, so Red, did you think about it?" Tony asked anxiously. A smile spread over my face and Tony squealed the most shrill squeal I have ever heard.

"I'm going to be an uncle! I need you to sign these adoption papers and then you can take her. She doesn't need any more medical attention other than a quick check-up tomorrow morning." He cheered. Clearly, he had already anticipated that I would agree to adopt the baby and so had everything ready for when we finally agreed.

Steve and I signed a few forms and then walked over to our child. Our child. Those two words seemed like the most natural things in the world. Like Steve and I were meant to be.

"She needs a name," Steve said as I scooped our sleeping daughter up off the bed. She had now been taken off all of the monitors and machines and was swaddled in a pink blanket. I took a moment to look at her before it hit me.

"I think we should name her Emma. Emma Rogers." I said smiling. Steve grinned at the use of his last name.

"Emma... I like it." He confirmed. He walked over to us and wrapped a hand around my waist whilst smiling down at the sleeping form of our child.

"So as much as this is adorable and all, I need to confirm some things." Tony butted in, getting both of our attentions.

"Now the furniture and other bits and pieces that I ordered have just arrived. I have had an idea, as you two are the only ones that live on your floor. I could arrange to have the wall knocked down between your apartments and turn that floor into one big one. It would have the main bathroom, a nursery for Emma, a room for you two, a proper lounge room, and a kitchen to properly care for Emma and meet all of her needs." Tony suggested, of course, he had already ordered everything.

We had agreed to adopt Emma two minutes ago and he had already planned out a new apartment and arranged everything for Emma. As annoying as he is, you've gotta love the man.

We smiled at each other. Steve and I already basically sleep together full time and the new layout would make caring for Emma so much easier. So, we agreed to Tony's plans and he said it would be ready in two hours.

How he was going to get everything done so quickly was beyond me, but he is ironman after all. We decided to go shopping for those two hours to get the essentials that we would need to take care of Emma; clothes, formula, diapers, bottles, and blankets.

We didn't have a car seat for her yet so we decided to walk the five-minute walk to the shops. I passed the still sleeping Emma to Steve as we left the tower. I don't think I've ever seen something more adorable in my life, a huge muscular super soldier holding a petite 3-week old baby girl like she was made of glass. I secretly pulled my phone out and took a photo of the pair as they were walking along. I will treasure this photo forever.

We got back from shopping nearly exactly two hours later. We were met at the entrance to the tower by a very overexcited Tony. He had taken this whole baby thing extremely well and couldn't have been more helpful. I think one day he will make a great dad himself, regardless of how carefree and self-absorbed he comes across as.

We rode the elevator to our newly renovated apartment together and Tony was practically bursting with excitement. On the way back from our shopping trip, Steve had given me back Emma so that he could carry the bags. She had slept like an angel in Steve's arms the entire time that we were shopping.

She woke up in the elevator, probably realizing how excited everyone else was. The elevator door opened and we walked into the corridor. Instead of 2 doors, there was one. We used our fingerprints to get into the room and walked in. Wow. Tony had really outdone himself this time.

There was a massive lounge room and TV, with a rocking chair in the corner. Emma's nursery was pink and kitted out with change tables, cribs, dressers, and everything else that Emma would need. Our room was spacious with its own sitting area and tv. There was also a large kitchen off the lounge room. Tony left us to it to get settled in. As soon as he left, I kissed Steve hard on the lips, careful to avoid squishing Emma in the process.

She babbled away in my arms and started nuzzling into my chest.

"I think she is hungry, can you make her a bottle?" I asked Steve, following him to the kitchen. He quickly got the bottles we had bought out of the bag and sterilized them, before making up the formula. I then walked over to the rocker and sat down as Steve passed me the bottle.

"Nat if you don't mind, I need to go to the supermarket to get some ingredients for lunch," Steve told me whilst I was in the rocking chair, feeding Emma.

"Sure." I agreed. Once he left I did some research and found a documentary on the essentials of being a parent and started listening. The documentary said that I needed to burp Emma after she was finished feeding, so I did just that. After her feed and burp, she quickly fell asleep again in my arms.

I put her down in the crib, turning the lights out and shutting the door. I quickly used this time to go to the bathroom and then I would clean up a little. I heard her start crying as I was washing my hands. I quickly rushed out of the bathroom and into the nursery. I gasped at what I saw.

Sharon or Agent 13, was standing menacingly in the nursery holding Emma, pressing a gun to her head.

"Hello, Natasha." She said smirking. My eyes widened. No, I could not lose Emma, I had only just become her mother and now she was in danger.

"What do you want?" I asked Sharon, trying to stay as calm and confident as I could. I was failing but she was holding a gun to my daughter's head after all.

"Oh nothing, just taking back what you stole from us. This little one was going to become the greatest weapon in the world before you took her from us." Sharon chuckled.

"Who is us?" I asked mustering up all of the courage I had.

"Me and Ivan. Hydra and the Red Room. Together we make a fine duo don't you think?" She said. Her tone was enough to make me want to throw up, preferably on her.

"N-no, take me instead. Please take me. Take me, I beg you, just leave my daughter alone. I am the one you want, not her." I practically begged. I couldn't stand by and let my daughter be taken and turned into a weapon as I was.

"Fine. You come with us without a fuss and this parasite stays here safe." Sharon said chuckling before placing Emma roughly back in her crib. It made me feel sick that I couldn't go over to stop her from crying and tell her that everything was going to be ok, but if I did, we would probably both get shot.

Sharon grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out the room, downstairs, and into a black car. It was going to be ok. It had to be.