The Darkest Hour (Steve Rogers) - 3

10

Helen had been silent as she ran the scanner across Mo's stomach and jotted down her notes on her pad. Steve wasn't sure whether he liked the fact that she wasn't talking. Her brow was knitted together in concentration while one hand scanned back and forth, up and down.

Eventually she glanced up at the pair and smiled knowingly. "You wanna find out what you're having?"

"You can tell?" Mo asked with a frown.

Now at eighteen weeks, she and Steve had watched her bump grow a little more, becoming more prominent under her clothing. Thankfully Mo was eating a lot better, the nausea passing for the most part, however some days it did reappear. Still she insisted on doing everything that she usually did, which was fine by him - however when it came to picking up heavy items he'd drawn the line. Sure she had super solider genetics in her, but that didn't mean to say that it wouldn't stop something from happening.

"I've been trying to the last couple of weeks, but baby hasn't really been in the right position for me to do so, but this week? Well, I'm certain".

Turning the pad to the, Steve looked at it in awe. Even though he saw the baby every week it was still remarkable to see just how their child was growing. "But everything is fine? Nothing wrong?"

Helen shook her head. "Nope, nothing at all, measurements are fine, baby seems to be happy enough".

Mo looked to Steve and then to Helen, "What is it?" She asked, the nerves building inside of her. She didn't know why, it was their baby, but the anticipation of finding out was a big thing.

The doctor now grinned at the pair. "You're having a girl..."

Steve couldn't take his eyes from the pad, watching the movements of their baby as she wiggled around on the screen.

A daughter.

It seemed as though now he would have another one to call his 'best girl', or 'best tiny girl' at least. Her little hands were up by her face, but her legs were moving away.

"You may start to feel her moving about from around this time, I'm sure by the way her legs are going at the moment it'll be soon!" Helen laughed.

"Just like her mother - always on the go". Steve smirked.

Mo hadn't said a word, she was just as in love as Steve was, looking at the screen and watching every movement their baby was making. "And you're sure?" She asked in a bit of a daze.

Helen smirked. "If it was a boy? Well we'd most certainly see something obvious by now!"

If the baby had been anything like Steve they would have done for sure.

She wished that she could call Peggy and tell her of the news. Her sister would've been overjoyed to know that she was finally having the family she wanted. Had they still have been back in the forties, then her mother would have had a heart attack.

In Amanda Carter's eyes, her daughter had been destined to marry a 'nice English chap' who made good money and sat behind a desk all day - at least, before the war started - but then again her views would not have changed even if Mo had still been there after it had ended.
According to Peggy, their mother could never truly understand why Mo had did what she did, taking a plane down for her American lover. She had asked for their names never to be mentioned again, only when she was on her deathbed did she utter her name so Peggy had relayed. Mo had always felt guilty, and still did for never extending an olive branch, but it some ways it had been for the best. Amanda would have only belittled her on paper for her choice of career.

Still, she may have doted on her grandchild once she had come around to the idea. Mo knew that her father certainly would have. He would have liked Steve too.

**

Once Helen had left, the pair sat out in the garden. "You do realise that Nat wants us to name the baby after her". Steve told his wife with amusement. "She's still annoyed that Clint let her down".

"Well at this rate if we can't agree on a name then we may as well settle for that". Mo eyed him sweetly and sipped her water. "Some of the ones I've read? I simply can't get my head around, people do call their children rather odd names these days".

"And people these days thought exactly the same of some the names back in our day". He shifted slightly on his seat. "We could name her after your mother?"

Mo shook her head. "No, don't get me wrong I loved her, but...well I don't exactly want to honour the woman who literally told me never to come home again - so I didn't". She shrugged. Not that she'd really meant to - fate had other plans.

Steve crossed his arms, "we'll find a name, even if we don't have one when she's born then once we take a look at her? We'll know her name".

The weeks to come would be impatient ones for sure, all they now wanted was to take that first look at their baby girl.