Echo| Natasha Romanoff

4. Chapter 12

I screamed and pushed and I squeezed nat's hand until our baby was pulled out. I heard the baby scream and let out a sigh of relief as they cleaned her up and did their checks before laying her on my chest. "Congratulations on a baby girl," the doctor spoke before doing everything else to get cleaned up.

"Ava Maria Maximoff-Romanova," I smiled, looking down at our beautiful baby girl before furrowing my eyebrows. I looked up at Nat who was admiring her with pure love in her eyes. "She has ginger hair," I deadpanned and it took Nat a moment to look and process before she laughed.

"Damn," was all she could say before she lifted her hand and stroked our baby girls cheek. "Hold our daughter," I affirmed watching as panic arrived on Nat's face before she did as I told her too. And then she relaxed.

I've never seen Nat so happy. So content. I fell in love even more, despite me not thinking it was possible. I swore right then and there that I would protect these two for the rest of my life and further.

It took around an hour for the doctors to get me cleaned up and then they funneled out of the room. The hospital bed I was in was sat up as Steve wandered in with a teddy bear and balloon in each hand. He stepped in quietly with a soft smile on his face.

Natasha walked up to him with the baby and whispered softly, "Ava, meet your uncle Steve. Steve, meet Ava," she smiled and Steve waved at the baby. I snorted, causing them both to look at me.

"Steve. A literal super soldier. Scared of a baby," I chuckled. The man stuttered before rolling his eyes. "I'm not scared. She's just so fragile, look at her," he said and I grinned.

"Gimme her back I want more squishes," I demanded and Nat chuckled before passing the sleeping child to me. "Oh Steve. You have some explaining to do. She's ginger," I feigned a glare at the man.

I didn't care, in fact it made me love the baby more if that was possible, because it made her look like Nat. "I uh, I don't remember anyone in my family having red hair," he stuttered. I laughed at his nervousness.

"Thank you, Steve for doing this for us. We really appreciate it," Nat spoke to the man and his expressions softened at the words. "It was worth it to know I made a family happy," he informed us.

He stayed for around an hour before he left and Tony, Pepper and Morgan crept in to see the new baby. "Will you be teaching her Russian?" Tony asked us.

"I feel like it might be a crime having her have such a Russian name and not knowing the language," I laughed, glancing at Pepper who was holding our daughter and looking at her with such loving eyes.

My eyes moved to Tony and suddenly I felt like Pepper wanted another and perhaps Tony wasn't so opposed.

"How are you holding up?" Tony asked, holding a sleeping Morgan. "My vagina hurts. It's burning, I feel like I shoved a watermelon out of the smallest hole possible," I confessed, causing the man to let out the loudest laugh, waking the baby.

As soon as she started crying, Natasha was beside Pepper, taking the baby to give her a bottle. "You've trained her already," Pepper joked, but I was too busy looking at Nat with lovestruck eyes.

We only stayed in the hospital for the night and then was on our way back to the compound with me waddling the same way I was when I was 9 months pregnant. Natasha had prepared me giant sanitary towels with several soothing gels in them and frozen.

She really was the perfect wife.

"Damn, Nat we really make the perfect baby," I said as we both stood at Ava's crib looking down at her lovingly as she slept. She didn't say anything, just pulled me closer and kissed the side of my head.

The baby was in our room for now, and would be for 6 months. It was safer based on the research we had done. It felt weird saying I'm a mom.

"Hey Nat?" I asked as we lay in bed cuddling. Fanny was laying at the end of the bed looking over Ava's crib. She really was a guard dog. "Yeah?" She asked softly, afraid we'll wake up the baby who has an impressive set of lungs.

"Did you know you're a Milf," I giggled, hiding my face in her neck knowing she would glare at me. "Hm well I suppose that makes you a Milf too," she replied, I could feel her chest jerking telling me she was laughing too.

"We're gonna need to get back to training soon," I told her. "Baby, you just gave birth. Rest," she commanded and I rolled my eyes. "I know that. The burning down there is telling me that. I'm just saying that we constantly need to be prepared. I don't want to be unfit either," I confessed, and Nat sighed.

"Take a couple weeks. Let's just spend time with our baby okay? Besides, we're not fighting anytime soon. What are you gonna do? Squirt your breast milk at them?" Nat joked and I gasped, unable to respond.

"I can make jokes too you know," she smiled and I tickled her sides in response. "I'm supposed to be the funny one," I laughed.

I could be biased but I was certain that Ava was the cutest baby to exist. At one month old she had the most beautiful blue eyes and adorable tufts of ginger hair. She constantly makes sounds at us and I'm certain she smiles whenever we enter the room.

We figured very quickly she likes music, we'd constantly be playing some in the background to sooth her and found that Nat singing can make her stop crying in seconds.

The day she lifted her head while in tummy time was a momentous day. Nat and I cheered when she did it, we vowed that day to be there for every single milestone she had.

The first few weeks we were left to our own devices and then we soon got visitors. Steve visited often, helping out where he could. Tony and Pepper gave us some of Morgan's old toys and clothes. We hadn't heard from Bruce, although we expected that from him. He was off the grid after all.

At every opportunity, we took pictures and filmed ready to show Wanda, Yelena and Clint when we got them back. There was one night when Carol came to visit that Nat insisted I go out with Carol and have time to myself while she cares for Ava.

I was reluctant but eventually did leave with Carol. We ended up going shopping for a couple hours and getting food. I still believe that Nat asked her to come so I could get out of the house for a little while.

It was around the 2 month old mark that I started training again properly. I was in the gym hitting the punching bag when Nat walked in with our daughter who was gurgling and cooing at everything around her.

I pulled my earphones out and smiled at my wife and daughter. "Have you ever thought about how our daughter will get to tell her friends that her moms are superheroes," I smirked and then kissed Nat and then my daughters head.

"It's time for playgroup," Nat laughed. I rolled my eyes. I enjoyed going to see Ava around other children her age. But I despised the other moms. They were all bitchy and snobbish. Pepper insisted I go to meet other moms, but I forgot that Pepper and Tony had a lot of money and could afford these rich people playgroups.

"I'll go if you surprise me with a Starbucks after," I pleaded. Nat rolled her eyes jokingly before nodding her head and handing me Ava. Playgroup went as normal, full of snide comments. I was just happy none of them recognised who I was. I don't believe that would end well.

Natasha and I were walking with Ava in her stroller and Fanny on the lead. The sun was shining perfectly and I knew at this moment that no matter what happens, we'll make it through. Nothing can beat us, not together.

A/N:
This is the last chapter of this phase. Phase 5 will focus on endgame and what happens after. It will be the last phase which is crazy to me. I hope you enjoyed this phase and I'll have the next one out in due time. Thank you for reading :)