Is This Love?

Chapter 30 - Better Than You

Nat's POV

Between Steve and I's skills, we were slowly starting to overpower Ivan. I decided to end this once and for all. I stepped back from where I was fighting Ivan and used my widow bites to carefully shock Ivan without accidentally shocking Steve.

I launched the widow bite, it missed Steve narrowly and landed on Ivan's neck. Bullseye. Ivan fell to the ground due to the shock and lay there, barely conscious.

"Go ahead, Natalia. Kill me, I dare you." Ivan croaked out. I pulled out a pistol that I had brought with me and aimed it at Ivan's head. He was right. My hand started to shake and for some reason, my hand was frozen on the trigger. I blinked and tried to unfreeze myself, but to no avail.

I slowly lowered the gun. I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him. He didn't deserve to be killed, he didn't deserve to have a quick death from a bullet to the head. No, he deserved a slow and painful death for all of the girls he tortured and killed in the Red Room. Killing him wasn't the answer, I had too much red on my ledger anyway. But I have the perfect idea for what I am going to do to him.

Steve's POV

She held a gun to Ivan's head, but something didn't seem right. Her hand was shaking, she never shakes. As I stood silently behind her, I realized that she couldn't kill Ivan. Even after everything he did to her, she couldn't do it, whether that be because of fear or something else I'm not sure.

She lowered her gun and quickly used her widow bite bracelet to shoot him again and something behind me. I spun around quickly and saw that Sharon, who was grasping a pistol was now also on the ground, writhing. What would I do without Natasha? I really need to start watching my back more often.

"Nah, I'd rather you both rot in prison," Nat said to the two now unconscious bodies. I was so proud of her, she didn't kill them, not because of order but because she chose to. She chose not to put any more red in her ledger and hand them over to authorities, as I would. Maybe I am rubbing off on her or having a daughter is having an effect on her, one of the two.

She then promptly collapsed to the ground and passed out herself. I ran over to her and radioed the others to tell them that Ivan and Sharon had been taken down and that Nat required immediate medical attention.

"What do you mean Romanoff requires medical attention? Isn't she on the jet where I treated her?" Tony asked through the intercoms.

"I know, but she isn't. Something tells me that she ran away from the jet to help. These were the demons from her past after all." I replied through the intercoms. I heard the sound of Tony's jet repulsors coming towards us. He landed next to Nat and lifted up his helmet.

"Gosh, she is so stubborn. I'm glad you are her boyfriend, you can have her." Tony joked as he knelt beside her and checked her pulse. He then lifted her up and flew her to the jet, giving the rest of the team and me instructions to get Ivan and Sharon and meet him there.

We did just that, arriving at the Quinjet 5 minutes later. Tony and Clint were rushing around Natasha, giving her blood transfusions, stitches, and fluid to help her recovery. I went over to them and took over from Clint so that he could fly us home, given that no one else knew how to fly as well as he did that were still conscious or at least, treating the unconscious patient.

As Tony finished up with Nat, he pulled a blanket up to her chin to keep her warm and then left the two of us in peace. I reached over and grabbed her hand. It was a little colder than usual, but I guess that is what happens when you have lost as much blood as Natasha has.

The regular beeping of the heart monitor behind me was oddly calming. I guess knowing that her heart is beating gave me reassurance that she would be ok and that she would be back to Emma and me before too long.

Emma, I completely forgot that she existed for a second. Wow, dad of the year over here. As soon as I realized that she was home with Fury I started to get anxious. Was she ok? Was Fury taking care of her properly? I mean I assume he is, but there was still a part of me that worried for her regardless. I mean, all of the team except for Tony and Fury didn't even know that she even was our daughter now, for we hadn't had time to tell them before Nat was kidnapped.

A groan came from next to me, pulling me out of my worried thoughts. I glanced down as Nat's eye fluttered open. I smiled down at her as she got used to her surroundings, giving me a small smile in return.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her gently, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"I feel like I have been run over by a truck." She groaned, whilst fiddling with the IV in her arm. I reached over and eased her hand away from it, she needed all the fluids she could get and it was better to leave everything as it was. She glared up at me as I did so.

"Tasha, that thing is giving you blood and fluids, something you desperately need right now after the events of today. Tony said that you can take it off when we get back to the tower." I said softly, trying to make her see reason and leave the stuff that was keeping her alive alone.

"But that's like an hour away." She groaned making me smile. She sounded so much like a little kid right now, it was hilarious. I leaned forward carefully as to not bump any of the wires and tubes that were attached to her and kissed her forehead, in an attempt to ease her concern.

"Actually we are only 15 minutes from the tower. You have already slept most of the way." I replied softly before walking away quickly to alert Tony that she had woken up, before going back to her bed and resuming the position I was in before.

Tony came over and glanced at the monitors briefly, to check that everything was ok before addressing her.

"Hey little Red, you enjoy your beauty sleep?" He asked playfully, earning a death glare from Nat. She may be injured and a little delirious on medication but she was still the same fierce person she always was.

Tony chuckled and started doing some tests. As the Avengers Tower came into view he started to remove all of the wires and tubes that we attached to Natasha. I stood back for a moment and let him work. Once he was finished disconnecting everything, he walked away to put all of the equipment back.

Natasha slowly sat up in the bed and then eased herself into a standing position. She tried to take a step forward but started to collapse, I only caught her from falling at the last second. I wrapped my hand around her waist to support her as she tried to step forward again. I could tell this was hurting her a great deal.

"Natasha that's enough. This is clearly hurting you way too much. I'm carrying you." I told her before bending down and scooping her up in my arms.

"I am perfectly fine Rogers." She argued but I wasn't having it. I couldn't give a damn about her pride or anything else. She was severely injured, heck, she had 34 stab wounds in her legs alone. There was no way that I was going to stand back and watch her wince with every step she took.

"No you aren't and there is nothing you can say to convince me otherwise," I replied walking towards the back of the jet as the door opened as we landed.

"You know, you are really hot when you are all serious." Nat quipped playfully. I knew what she was trying to do and I wasn't having it.

"I'm still not letting you walk," I answered sternly, causing her to whine. She crossed her arms and pouted at me, but I just chuckled. Man, looks like I am caring for 2 little children tonight.

"Fine, but I still meant what I said about you being hot." She said giving me a kiss on the cheek making me turn bright red. She giggled before adding.

"And adorable when your blushing."