Is This Love?

Chapter 31 - Let's Get Away

Steve's POV

I carried Nat all the way way to our room whilst she clung to my neck tightly. I opened the door using the new lock that Tony had someone install whilst we were all away fighting to avoid an event like that happening again. I gently laid her down on the couch, sitting down beside her.

"What about Emma? Where is she?" Natasha asked groggily.

"Fury offered to care for her whilst we were away. I can text him and ask him to bring her here if you would like?" I offered, reaching over to get the phone that I had left on the coffee table. She nodded in response so I started to text Fury. He replied with a thumbs up and so I turned my phone off and put it back on the coffee table.

"Fury's on his way," I told Nat gently whilst stroking her head in a calming manner. Her eyes closed as I did this, she must be tired after the ordeal she went through.

"You look exhausted, do you want to go to bed?" I asked and her eyes shot open as she looked at me. I stopped stroking her hair when she did this and frowned at her sudden reaction. Had I done something wrong?

"No, I need to see my baby." She said quickly, shaking her head. I should have known how much she went through seeing her little daughter have a gun held to her head by a traitor. I nodded and resumed playing with her hair as I could tell it was putting her at ease.

I continued this for several more minutes until I heard a knock at the door and Nat quickly grew tense again.

"It's ok, I'll get it," I reassured her softly before carefully getting off the couch to answer the door without bumping her or her injuries too much.

I opened the door and saw Fury there with the stroller, which had sleeping Emma inside of it. He greeted me and then excused himself saying he had some urgent matters to attend to. I grabbed the stroller and pushed it inside the apartment, closing the door behind me.

Nat sat up the best she could, given her injuries. I hurriedly got Emma out of the pram and brought her over to Nat before she tried to stand up or do something that could tear her stitches or hurt her worse.

Emma woke up as I took her out of the stroller, smiling adorably. I smiled down at her as I walked over to Nat and sat on the couch beside her. Nat reached out and held little Emma's hand, a small smile playing on her plump lips.

"Do you want to hold her?" I asked Nat. She shook her head and then said she needed to get out of these clothes first. I nodded, she was in ripped, dirty, bloody clothes, so changing out of them was probably the best idea. I stood up and put Emma in her bouncer so that I could have free hands to assist Nat in getting to the bedroom.

Once she was in the bedroom, I helped her find her clothes and then walked out to give her privacy. I went out to the lounge room to keep an eye on Emma but she called out to me, saying she needed help with something.

I walked into the bedroom and blushed at what I saw. Nat was sitting on the edge of the bed in nothing but a skirt and lacy bra. She looked over at me pleadingly and I realized that the bruises on her arms and shoulders were making it hard to get her shirt on.

I walked over and tried to keep my composure as I helped her into her shirt. Sure, I had seen her in a bikini before, but something about the lacy undergarment made it feel different. Once I was finished, I helped her to stand and assisted her to walk back to the loungeroom where Emma was, helping her sit on the couch.

Emma started to get restless and I realized she either needed a feed or a diaper change. I checked her diaper and decided that she needed a feed. I walked over and started to prepare a formula in one of the baby bottles. Once I was finished, I walked back into the loungeroom and scooped Emma into my arms, sitting beside Nat again.

"Would you like to feed her?" I asked. She again refused a little too quickly. Something was wrong, and I was going to figure out what it was. Once I was finished feeding Emma, I placed the now empty bottle on the coffee table and stood up.

"Do you want to help put her to sleep?" I asked and again she shook her head and looked away from us. I was right, there was definitely something wrong and I was going to figure out what it was as soon as I got back from putting Emma to sleep.

When I got back I crouched down on the floor in front of her, in the hopes of getting her full attention. I grabbed her hands and started rubbing little circles on the back of them.

"What's wrong?" I asked trying to gauge a reaction from her. She looked at me blankly and shrugged her shoulders. So I decided to press further. It wasn't going to get better if she didn't talk about it, that I knew.

"Fine, answer me as to why you refuse to hold, feed or put your child to sleep?" I pressed. I could see something inside her break as I asked this and she looked down, tears filling her eyes.

"Ivan knew about me taking care of the baby. He belittled my parenting skills and said things that I knew were true, but refused to truly believe until he said them. A killer can't be a parent Steve, and I think I have always known that." She said a single tear slipping down her cheek.

I looked at her sympathetically and used my thumb to wipe the tear off her face. The poor thing had been through so much.

"Listen to me Nat, it is over now. Ivan and Sharon will spend the rest of their days behind bars, they can't hurt you anymore. You are going to be a great mother, I know you will, the same as you are a great girlfriend. This child is in good hands and remember, I am with you every step of the way." I said quietly. She looked at me and gave me a small smile, blinking the remainder of her tears away.

I was about to say something else when the sound of JARVIS's voice filled the room. He better not have woken up Emma, I had just put her down.

"Mr. Stark calls all Avengers to the common room immediately," he said causing Nat to groan. Seriously, that man had the worst timing. I got up and went to the nursery to pick up the hopefully still sleeping Emma. We had no choice but to bring her with us. I guess now is as good of a time as any to reveal to the rest of the Avengers that we had adopted her.

I walked back into the loungeroom and used my other hand to help Nat up off the couch. She wrapped her arm around my waist for support and we slowly walked out of our apartment and to the elevator. Once inside the elevator, I pressed the button. The elevator ride was silent, none of us daring to speak and wake up Emma.

The elevator door opened at our destination and we stepped out. Everyone was already there but fell silent as they watched us walk out. I had a sleeping Emma in my arms and Nat around my waist. Tony was the only one that knew what was going on and smirked as we made our way over to the dining room where everyone else sat.

I helped Nat into a chair and then sat beside her with Emma still in my arms.

"I believe congratulations are in order." Tony prompted from the head of the table quietly as to not wake our sleeping daughter. Everyone quietly said their congratulations to us before turning back and looking to Tony, who had gathered us here.

So Avengers, the last month or so has been hectic so I thought it would be a splendid idea to book a weekend vacation with everyone on one of my private islands to celebrate getting through it!" He informed us earning smiles all around the room.

"Now go pack, we leave in 2 days. I will have JARVIS send you all information about where we are going and what to bring in a moment." He said before getting up and walking out of the common room, followed by many quiet thankyous.

I stood up and helped Nat out of her chair. Clint and Sam were the first to come over and hug us. Wanda also came over and awed at the baby. I told them that we would bring her to play later when she was awake but for now, it was better to get back and let her rest. I also had intentions of making Nat rest properly now that she knew her baby was completely fine, whilst I started to pack some of the things we would need for the trip.

Something told me that due to having to pack for a baby as well we wouldn't be packing light. And boy, was I right.