When You Saved Me

Chapter 43

"Callie do you want to say hello?" Cap asks, and she takes a few tentative steps forward. Laura squats down and holds out a hand, and he kneels down beside Callie, "this is Auntie Laura." Then he turns to my wife and says somewhat apologetically, "She doesn't talk very much."

"Except for when she's playing, and then it is often rather, um, questionable." Thor says, shifting down to lay on his elbow.

"Yeah... it seems she's picked up some choice phrases from before she came here."

The little girl clutches her hands behind her back, "that's okay, we understand. hi sweetheart, it's nice to meet y—oh! Her eyes!" Laura gasps, startled at the ice blue eyes staring back at her.

"Yeah, that's just a... weird thing she does." Tony interjects awkwardly. Callie looks up at him, chewing on her bottom lip. "Go play baby." He sighs and she does as he says, tackling Thor who is still laying on the ground.

"It's not a 'weird thing'" Steve hisses, makes quotations with his fingers. "You shouldn't say stuff like that, especially when she can hear you."

Tony waves him off and find a seat on the couch.

"It's okay, I was just startled. She really is very cute. I'm going to go get the kids now, I think it's fine right Clint?" I nod at her and she retreats out of the room.

Suddenly the baby starts crying and Callie's head whips up, eyes flashing again, she stands up and toddles over to Natasha, scrunching her face up curiously.

"This is baby Nathaniel, you have to be very gentle with babies." Natasha says, brushing back Callie's hair. "Do you want to touch his head? Like this," she displays the action for the little girl to copy.

As she's reaching out a tentative hand Tony suddenly sits up, "no, stop! She shouldn't."

"What? Why not?" Bruce turns to Tony.

"Because she's too... too rough."

"She's fine, it's okay baby, go ahead." Callie is looking from Tony to her Uncle in confusion, her extended hand pulling back slightly.

"Here," Bruce envelops the tiny hand in his and gently places it on the top of Nathaniel's head, the baby immediately stops crying and falls back to sleep.

Callie's mouth turns into an 'Oh!' And then she grins, scrunching her nose at Bruce.

"Isn't his head warm and soft?" Bruce asks and she nods , pressing her lips together.

Can you give him a kiss? Like this." Natasha whispers, pressing her lips to the infant's head.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Tony growls getting to his feet.

"Relax she's doing fine." Steve says, irritation laced into his voice.

"It's fine Tony, I don't mind." I tell him, he looks at me almost distrustfully but sits down anyways.

Callie kisses his head and then springs away, running and jumping onto Thor's belly, reaching for her action figures. "Uncle be aliens?" She whispers, sitting cross-legged with her back against his chest.

"Absolutely. Okay, where were we?" They begin playing, and I find Thor was right, the little girl talks way more during play.

I look up at the sound of my older children's voices carrying down the long hallway and Cooper bounds up to me, "hey Buddy, okay, slow down a second, we don't want to overwhelm our new friend." I grab his shoulders and hold him in front of myself, waiting for Laura and our daughter to join us.

Lila runs in and rushes to Natasha, squealing happily. Callie looks up, and her curiosity turns to suspicion when she sees her Aunt hugging another little girl. Her eyes flash blue but Thor sits up and pulls her into his lap, "the aliens are going to eat your brains, you better defeat them."