𝗀 𝗁 𝗈 𝗌 𝗍 | | 𝗌 𝗍 𝖾 𝗏 𝖾 𝗋 𝗈 𝗀 𝖾 𝗋 𝗌

𝗌 𝖾 𝗏 𝖾 𝗇 𝗍 𝗒 － 𝗌 𝖾 𝗏 𝖾 𝗇

✧ 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟣, 𝗎𝗉𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗒𝗈𝗋𝗄 ✧

𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖾 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗉

BABY STEVEN ROGERS WASN'T DOING very good. Marta's high blood pressure had caused her sweet baby to stop growing regularly. Combined with the fact that his umbilical cord was knotted in four places, which resulted in Steven's low oxygen levels and decreased movement, Marta's baby was in trouble. He was too little, his lungs and heart too weak, which Marta didn't think was possible given that his parents were super-soldiers.

        Marta never thought she would miss being attacked by her son's little feet and hands, but she did. "Come on, Steven. Hit me." Marta said, moving her stomach around, hoping to stimulate her son's aggressive motion, but nothing worked.

        Despite what she was told, Marta believed her son's complications were her fault. "You did not do this, okay?" Steve said one morning, having come back from his run to find his wife holding one of their son's ultrasound pictures, the one that showed his knotted cord.

        Marta had nodded tearfully. Whether it was her fault or not, her son was hurting, and she couldn't do anything about it. "I just want him to be okay." Marta had said, hand framing her swollen belly. It had stopped growing when her baby did.

Marta had been put on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, which wasn't long, because her baby was coming, too early. Marta had only been pregnant for thirty-two weeks, which wasn't enough time for Steven to grow and develop properly. Steve hadn't believed that she was in labor, totally unprepared for their baby's arrival. They didn't even have the nursery finished yet.

        Steve and Marta had started the project of Steven's nursery early, but their son's complications at only six months had taken up most of their time. For the month Marta was on bed rest, hardly any work got done in the baby's room, because Natasha and Steve were too scared to leave Marta alone for too long. Marta wanted everything to be ready, so the two worked quickly an effort to put the mother's mind at ease.

Marta's water had broken, and Steven was coming, early one morning. Steve had finished in the shower and was about to join Marta back in their bed when her water broke as she was braiding her long hair. "Can you drive a little faster please, grandpa?" Natasha said to Steve, sitting in the backseat of the car, Marta in front of her, breathing heavily through the pain of labor. Marta squeezed Steve's hand tightly, eyes closed.

        Steve sped up, and before Marta knew it, they were at the hospital. She wasn't ready for her baby to be born yet. He was supposed to come in March, on Bucky's birthday to be exact, but he was making his early arrival in January, only a week after the third anniversary of the blip. Natasha paced in the corner of Marta's hospital room, updating the remainder of their family on what was happening. She didn't want to be in the way, but Marta wanted her to stay.

        Marta's body burned through the pain medication she was given, as she had told the doctors, and before she knew it, her sweet baby was making his arrival. Steve held onto Marta's hand, his arm behind her head, holding her shoulder. "You're okay. You're doing great." Steve kissed his wife's head, smoothing her blonde hair back from her sweaty forehead as she gave birth to their son.

        Marta cried out from the pain. She was a super-soldier, but her baby was too, and he was making it very difficult for the doctors to safely deliver him. Natasha held Marta's other hand, per the pregnant woman's request. "Chin up, soldier." Natasha said, distracting Marta enough to make her crack a smile. A nurse handed Steve a damp cloth, and he placed it over Marta's forehead.