Something More

Something More: Part 57

"James, please pick up your toys." Natasha points to the living room, making James huff but stay silent. He knows not to mess with his Mama.

"Mama, are you sure Mathew can't come?" Wanda pauses from cutting the veggies for salad to look at her mother.

"There will be too many people in this house as it is, honey. You can have him over for dinner this weekend." Natasha opens the oven to check the lasagna before getting the garlic bread ready to go it.

"So I get to fifth wheel." Wanda resumes her chopping with a little more aggression.

"Technically, you'll be the sixth wheel. And your siblings will be here." Natasha smirks as she grabs the bottle opener for the wine, quickly turning to catch a toddling Sarah.

"Mama!" She screeches.

"Look at you go, baby! Daddy won't be able to catch you soon." She snickers as Steve walks in with a grin.

"Can we go back to the sixth wheel? What do you mean Mama?" Wanda's eyebrows furrow.

"Maria is dating a couple. Aurora and Logan. She is a romance novelist and he is a firefighter." Natasha forced herself to quit talking.

"Honey? Did you do a background check?" Steve asks with fake incredulous.

"What? She's my friend." Natasha lifted a shoulder as Grace screamed from the living room. Natasha sighed, knowing it wasn't a cry of pain or fright; she heard Natasha and wanted her.

"Did you do one on Mathew?" Wanda tilted her head as her mother froze in place.

Natasha never lies to her daughter and she didn't really want to start now. She looked into her eldest's eyes and Wanda knew the truth.

"Mama!" Wanda stomps her foot and whines. Natasha and Steve have to try very hard not to laugh.

"Baby, I'll always look into the people in your life." Natasha places both hands on Wanda's shoulders, "It's my right as your Mama." She kisses her daughters forehead before heading to the living room.

"Okay, what's the problem little missy?" Natasha crouches down in front of Grace who smiles and kicks her legs at her Mama.

"She missed you Mama." James said as he put the last of his toys in the toy box.

"Is that so?" She asks her son while picking up his sister.

"Yup." He nods and skips off to the kitchen.

Natasha chuckles as Grace kisses her cheek. "I love you, so much." She kisses her daughters neck making her erupt into a fit of giggles.

The doorbell rings, and Natasha puts on a big smile as she walks to the door. On the other side, is a nervous as hell Maria who is playing off her fear well. Not well enough for the Russian spy to not see it, but we'll enough to hide from the couple standing slightly behind her. The woman is small, probably just over 5 foot tall with strawberry blonde hair resting in soft waves down to her waist. Aurora. Natasha's eyes briefly fall to her hand which is clasped in Maria's before she smirks and flicks her gaze to the man. Logan. He's tall, but not as tall as her husband. Probably just 6 foot, with dark slightly shaggy hair and a muscular build that makes his wife look like a doll compared to him. Maria certainly has a type. Tiny, beautiful woman and strong, rugged men.

"Hi, I'm Natasha and this is Grace." Natasha reaches out to shake Logan's hand just as Grace dives towards her Auntie Maria.

Maria rolls her eyes at her friend and takes the toddler. She kisses Natasha's cheek as she walks around her into the house.

"Auntie Maria!" James yells in the background.

"I hope you like lasagna." Natasha adds warmly to the couple as they come inside.

"And kids." Steve walks over to greet their potential new friends. "I'm Steve."

"Logan, and this is my wife Aurora." The men shake hands and Steve offers drinks.

"I'll grab them, baby. Beer?" She looks to Logan who nods with a smile before she turns to Aurora, "What would you like? We have beer, wine, tequila?"

Aurora laughs and follows Natasha to the kitchen where Maria is trying to handle 3 toddlers. Natasha has to hold back her laugh as she watches Sarah use her to stand and James chats her ear off.

"I'll have whatever you're having." Aurora's eyes light up as she takes in Maria.

"Well, I'm still nursing so it's water for me." Natasha motions for Wanda to come over. "This is our eldest, Wanda." Natasha touches her daughters hair and smiles softly at her.

"That's quite an age gap. Teenagers and babies." Aurora's smile only widens. "Please don't take this the wrong way but... are they all yours?"

"They're mine." Natasha pulls Wanda into a side hug, "But I've only been pregnant twice if that's what you're asking."

"I didn't mean to offend you, it's just that Logan and I have looked into adoption and surrogacy, we've just never been totally comfortable. Not that I wouldn't want to carry our child, it's just the women in my family have bad histories and he's scared and-."

"It's really okay. We're an unconventional family." Natasha smiles before looking over her shoulder when she hears Grace voicing her protest to being confined by her aunt.

"Natasha, you have to take your spawn. She pretends to like me for all of five minutes, but she only wants you." Maria hands Grace over as Sarah toddles behind her.

"Wanda, can you take these beer to your dad?" Natasha hands them over one at a time.

Sarah reaches the women in the kitchen and grabs the end of Aurora's dress. "Hey cutie." She bends down and picks up Sarah who is more than happy to meet the new person in the house.

"Sarah. And my son who is... somewhere; is James."

"I love big families." Aurora coos at Sarah and she giggles and lays it on thick for her new found friend.

"Do you want a big family?" Natasha asks nonchalantly. She glances at Maria who is shooting daggers at her.

"Yes." Aurora gives a big smile and looks at Maria, "Do you?"

"Uhh I haven't really thought about it."

"None of our kids were planned. Just.." Natasha thought for a moment.

"Accidents." Maria offered, earning a glare from the red head.

"Happy surprises." Natasha smiles at Aurora.

Grace starts tugging at Natasha's shirt, "Let's feed the monsters so I can get them to bed."

They all head to the dining room to put the kids in high chairs. As Natasha walks past Maria she whispers, "Then the adults can talk."