As Wanda got closer and closer to her due date, we all started hovering around her in case she went into labor. I was by her side almost constantly, as was Natasha and Sam. The others seemed to take shifts, but we all went to bed at the same time in the same bed which hadn't always been a given before. Everyone was a little worried that she'd go into labor early and that someone wouldn't be here for it so they were staying pretty close by.
In the end, we were all worrying for nothing. She made it to thirty-seven weeks just fine and they decided to induce her.
Wanda wanted to go through a natural labor despite the advice that for twins it would be very difficult. She knew she'd most likely need some sort of intervention at some point, but she thought that given her new powers, she might be able to get through most of it without any. She was so into being pregnant, and so connected with it, she wanted that to be the case right until the end.
By the time we got to her induction date, our new nannies had been working for us for nearly a month. They hadn't been super actively involved with the care of the kids yet. With the ten of us, things like baths, stories, and bedtime were covered. We had maids and cooks, so they didn't have to clean up or feed them. They'd done a few drop-offs with Happy driving the car and they would help during the morning chaos to get them ready to go, but otherwise, they were mostly not needed and were just getting the feel of the household.
The first real taste of really having full responsibility for taking care of the kids was after breakfast on Wanda's induction day when we kissed Riley and Pietro goodbye and went down to the medical ward with Wanda.
They'd designed a delivery room just for the three of us because Wanda had very specific things she wanted there, but Tony was adamant that we all get the best medical equipment too. The room had all the medical things needed in case of an emergency. The bed, while you couldn't tell it to look at it, was an adjustable hospital bed. The functionality of it was hidden in dark purple linen and soft pillows. The whole room could be lit up in harsh hospital lighting, but with the flick of a switch, the room was lit in low soft lights that were placed in sconces on one side of the room. The walls were painted in mint green, with a burgundy feature wall on one side. There was a large clover-shaped bathtub in one corner of the room. A sitting area with couches that would fit all of us. A spot to do yoga or meditation with yoga mats and exercise balls, and around the room were scented candles we could light. Music that Wanda had selected was being piped through the speakers and there was a large screen TV if she wanted to watch anything. All the rest of the medical equipment was hidden behind a secret wall.
It had to be opened up, to begin with, because of the induction process, and Wanda waited impatiently on the bed, strapped up to a fetal heart rate monitor until she was told she was allowed to get up and walk around.
"Just a little white longer, záĭka," Natasha soothed, running her fingers through Wanda's hair as Wanda flinched with a contraction.
"I know I should relax while they are still mild," Wanda reasoned. "But I hate this equipment around me."
"We'll get rid of it as soon as we can and you can try the meditation thing you wanted to do," I said. "But I'm not getting on the floor with you."
Wanda giggled. "I'm much more pregnant than you are."
"Clearly," I teased. "But you have flying powers. I just get to know when you're in pain."
"I'll get on the floor with you," Sam said. "Don't worry."
"And I'll go through the meditation script we've been practicing," Bucky added.
Tony was pacing up and down by the door, and he poked his head out to see where the doctor was. "Oh good, there you are," he said, holding the door open and letting Doctor Schroeder in.
She chuckled. "You better not get my patient all wound up, Mister Stark," she said as she passed him and approached Wanda.
"Yeah, Tony," Bruce said, patting the couch next to him. "Come and sit down."
Tony went and sat next to Bruce, who pulled him close with his large hand. Tony couldn't quite keep still even with that extra comfort. His foot kept tapping on the linoleum floor.
"Okay," Doctor Schroeder said, looking Wanda over and checking how far she was dilated. "We can put all this away again. Everything looks good. I'm going to want to check on the twins again in a few hours, but we're going to be in for a long haul. The nurses will keep checking on you and you can call me if you need me. Don't be scared of using pain medication, Wanda. You aren't cheating if you need something to help you through it."
Wanda nodded as Doctor Schroeder removed the equipment from her. "I know," she said.
"This is going to take a long time. Make sure you all take care of each other and try and relax as much as you can," she said.
When everything was packed away Bucky offered Wanda his hand and helped her to her feet. "Do you want to try and meditate?"
"Yes, please," she said. "Can someone dim the lights and light some candles?"
I went and lit the candles as FRIDAY dimmed the lights and Wanda took a seat on the ground with Bucky.
"Take a deep breath in. Focus on how the air fills your lungs..." Bucky began.
Doctor Schroeder hadn't been kidding when she said we were in for the long haul. Wanda managed to meditate with Bucky for two hours until the doctor returned. She checked how far along she was and put the fetal heart rate monitor again.
Wanda had barely progressed, so she was left alone again and this time the guys all took turns massaging her back while she dozed. After another check-up, we took turns going to get lunch, while Wanda continued to try to sleep. It was another four hours before her contractions got to the point they were painful enough that she couldn't nap through them. She got up and began using the exercise ball and Clint and Sam took turns doing stretches with her and providing someone to lean on during contractions. She tried doing yoga an hour later and then started pacing the room with Tony.
After thirteen hours of labor the contracts had gotten close together and painful to the point she wasn't able to do anything while she was having them. She hopped into the bath with Thor. He would rub her back and hold a jet of water against it as she rested her head on the edge of the tub.
After sixteen hours she was waning. Doctor Schroeder would make her get out of the tub every few hours to check how things were progressing and she was starting to take these four or five-minute catnaps between contractions.
"I can't do it," she moaned as another hit while the babies were being monitored again.
"Do you want some drugs?" Tony asked. "She can have drugs right."
"She's passed the point where she can have an epidural, but she can take something else," the doctor answered.
"No, no drugs," Wanda whined. "I don't want them."
I patted her forehead with a damp cloth. "You're not failing them if you need help, honey."
"I know... I don't want them though," she said.
"Okay. It's okay," Doctor Shroeder soothed. "It shouldn't be much longer now."
Not much longer was two and a half more hours before she reached the transition period. Wanda was exhausted and crying and I could feel her distress passing through from her to me through the threat. "I can't... I can't do it. I was wrong."
"Breathe, záĭka," Natasha soothed. "You can do it. I know you can."
"This is the last bit, Wanda," Bruce said. "Those little girls will be in your arms soon."
It lasted around half an hour and the nurses stayed with us until it was time to push when Doctor Schroeder was called in too.
"That's a girl, Wanda," Doctor Schoeder praised. "When you feel the urge, push down as hard as you can."
I held one of her hands while Sam held the other and Clint dabbed her forehead with a damp cloth. She was pushing for half an hour until Doctor Schroeder took out the vacuum to help get the first little girl out. When her head was free, Wanda pushed as hard as she could and the rest of her joined us in a messy and noisy entrance.
"Here she is, Wanda," Doctor Schroeder said, holding up the little girl. She was tiny with pale brown skin and a thatch of curly black hair on the top of her head.
"Look at her, Wanda," I said. "She's perfect."
"Hello, Sarah," Wanda murmured.
"Which one of you would like to cut the cord?" Doctor Schroeder asked as she clamped it.
"Let me," Natasha said, stepping forward.
The cord was cut and she was whisked off for a moment to be cleaned up while Doctor Schroeder checked the position of Rose. "Aright, Wanda. She looks good. Right in line to come next. You can keep pushing when you're ready."
It seemed to take a moment before the next contraction hit and Wanda started pushing again. She was exhausted and her eyes had begun to flicker pink. It was twenty-three minutes before Rose entered the world. It took a moment for her to make any sound but when she did, it was a loud wailing.
"You did it, Wanda!" I praised leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Look at our daughter."
"I did it," she repeated softly, collapsing down on the pillows.
Sam went and cut the cord and as Rose was whisked away to be checked over, Sarah was brought back to us and placed on Wanda's chest. "There you go, mommy," the nurse said.
"Okay, Wanda," Doctor Schroeder said. "I know you're really tired, but you still need to deliver the placenta."
She nodded slowly but wouldn't take her eyes off Sarah. "I can do it."
"It's the easy part," she assured her.
Wanda started to push again, but without the straining that she did with the babies. None of us were paying too much attention to that though. We were all looking at our daughter.
"Look at the little mark the vacuum made," Clint said. "Poor little pickle."
"Don't worry about that," one of the nurses said. "It'll go away in no time."
"Yeah, she's here," Steve said. "That's the important part."
As Doctor Schroeder took the placenta away the nurses weaved in and out of our group, fussing over Wanda and the babies. Wanda tried breastfeeding them, but she was extremely exhausted and it didn't last long.
A nurse approached with some toast and juice for Wanda. "You must be starving now."
She smiled and nodded slowly. "And tired."
"Have something to eat, and moms and dads, quickly have a go holding the twins. They're going to need to go into the incubator soon. Then we'll take you to your room to sleep."
"Me first," I said, taking Rose from her.
"Hey!" Sam argued. "I helped make her."
"You can hold Sarah," I said and poked out my tongue at him.
He chuckled and picked the tiny little bundle up. "Hey there, little one," he whispered.
"I cannot believe you did this with no drugs, Wanda," I said. "You're definitely a superhero."
She shook her head. "I was scared," she admitted. "With the amount people have messed with my head. I didn't want to not feel in control."
"The epidural doesn't do that though," I said.
"I know... but it's a huge needle," she said.
"Oh honey," I said, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "It's all done now."
"Yeah," Clint said. "Now it's just sleepless nights and diaper changes."
"Alright, Elise, quit hogging that baby," Natasha said, coming and taking Rose from me.
Wanda hummed and relaxed back into the pillow. "Hey, sweetheart," Steve said to her gently. "Do you want me to help you to the shower? Then we'll get you to your room."
She nodded slowly and Steve helped her to her feet.
"Two down, two to go," Bruce said, as Sam placed Sarah into his hand.
Natasha let out a strained laugh. "Let's not hurry them along too fast, Bruce," she said. "I'm in no rush to go through any of that."