𝗀 𝗁 𝗈 𝗌 𝗍 | | 𝗌 𝗍 𝖾 𝗏 𝖾 𝗋 𝗈 𝗀 𝖾 𝗋 𝗌

𝖾 𝗂 𝗀 𝗁 𝗍 𝗒 － 𝖿 𝗂 𝗏 𝖾

✧ 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟥, 𝗎𝗉𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗒𝗈𝗋𝗄 ✧

IN THE MORNING, MARTA WOKE up knowing instantly that something wasn't right. She escaped Steve's warm clutches and rushed to the bathroom, shutting the door silently behind her. When Marta finished throwing up, she washed her face, and had the sinking feeling she felt the day she found out she was pregnant with Steven. Of course, the day they were getting the stones, of all days, Marta might've been pregnant.

Marta didn't have any pregnancy tests, so she had no way of knowing if she really was pregnant. Steve didn't need to know either way, not today. Marta distracted herself by getting herself ready, braiding her hair in preparation of the mission. When she left the bathroom to pull on clothes, Steve was waking up. "Hey. Everything okay?" he asked, his blonde hair messy.

Marta nodded, tugging a shirt over her head. "Yeah. We should get going. I don't want him to wake up until we get him ready." Marta said, and Steve nodded.

He stood up and walked over to his wife, pressing a kiss to her shoulder blade. "You sure you're okay? You look pale." Steve noticed, as Marta suspected he would.

"No, I'm fine. Just sad to be leaving him." Marta played off, escaping Steve's grasp. She started making their bed, and Steve helped her before moving into their bathroom to get himself ready. Neither Steve nor Marta were going running today, figuring they were getting enough action in the past.

As Steve got ready, Marta went down the hall into Steven's room, finding him still sound asleep. She finished up packing his bag full of clothes and shoes, putting an extra sleep sack inside the backpack. Marta changed Steven out of his pajamas as quickly and quietly as possible, trying not to wake him up. When she was successful, she put his dinosaur in the bag as Steve came into the room.

He took Steven in his arms and Marta warmed him a cup of milk for when he woke up. They walked out of the kitchen, running into Natasha. There was no way she would let her godson leave without saying goodbye. Steven had just woken up and was drinking his milk when he saw Natasha. "Auntie Nat!" Steven said in excitement, his tiny voice cracking from being asleep.

Natasha smiled. "Hi, handsome," Natasha took Steven into her arms, resting him on her hip. "You ready to have fun with Aunt Pepper and Morgan?" Natasha said, poking Steven in the ribs, making him giggle.

Steven nodded. "Can you come with Mama and Daddy to get me so we can play?" Steven said choppily, and the three adults smiled brightly.

"Of course." she said, kissing Steven's cheek, handing him back to Steve. Once Steven was buckled into his carseat, Marta and Steve left, driving out to Tony's house. Pepper was waiting for them when they pulled up, Steven just having woken up from the brief car nap he had taken.

The goodbye was hard, as Steven didn't understand why his parents were leaving and why he couldn't go with them. Steve explained everything as best as he could, and when he mentioned that Steven would maybe get to meet his uncles, the toddler was more understanding. "I love you, Mama." Steven said, hugging his mother's neck tightly.

Marta smiled tearfully. "I love you more, little soldier." she said, kissing Steven's hair, smoothing out his jacket.

Steven then moved on to Steve. "Keep Mama safe, Daddy." Steve demanded seriously, and Steve's sadness broke into a laugh.

"I will. I promise." Steve said with a smile, the dimple between his eyes emerging, and Steven hugged him tightly.

They went back to the compound, Marta making a run to the nearest pharmacy on the way to get Steven more vitamins so they didn't have to when they picked him up, not showing her husband the box she had purchased that laid at the bottom of the bag. When they got back, everyone had started getting ready for the upcoming mission.

Marta pulled her suit out of the back of her closet. It had been so long since she had worn it. "I'll meet you out there." Marta said, and Steve nodded, kissing her once. Steve could tell something was up, but he didn't pester her.

Once Steve left, Marta took the opportunity to take a pregnancy test, to find out for sure. She wanted a drink, desperately, but she refrained on the chance that she was pregnant. Marta paced the length of her bathroom, fixing her hair about ten times out of nerves. She looked at Winnifred's dragonfly clip on the counter and imagined how her mother would feel if she knew she had a grandson. If she knew Marta had become a pilot and a mother, that Marta had done everything everyone in her life besides Steve and Bucky had told her she couldn't do.

Just before Marta was ready to flip the test over, Natasha walked into her bathroom, starling Marta immensely. "Why are you hiding?" Natasha asked right away, fixing her braid in the mirror.

Marta rolled her eyes. "I'm not hiding." she tried to slide the test away from Natasha's eyes, but the woman saw through her tactics.

"Are you pregnant?" Natasha asked, eyes widening in delight at the prospect of having another niece or nephew.

"Shut up!" Marta said quickly, hoping Steve's advanced hearing didn't pick up Natasha's words.

Natasha was confused. "I'm guessing Captain Husband doesn't know?" she questioned precariously.

Marta shook her head. "No, and I don't either. I haven't looked yet." Marta said, her voice quiet.

Natasha understood. "You should check then. It can't be bad news, you told me you guys have been talking about it. Steven wound up fine, despite you drinking every day during the first few weeks, so this one should be okay." Natasha said casually, and Marta's eyes widened.

"How did you know I've been drinking?" Marta asked, stalling even more so she didn't have to find out if she was having another baby.

"I wouldn't be a good spy if I didn't notice," Natasha crossed her arms. She saw how uncomfortable Marta was. "Do you want me to check for you?" she questioned.

Marta nodded, and by the smile that graced Natasha's features, Marta knew the result. She was pregnant. "Oh, Jesus Chist." Marta muttered, exhaling.

Natasha held the test up. "I hope it's another boy." she said in a teasing tone.

"Hell, no. I want a girl." Marta exclaimed as she took the test from her best friend, looking at it. Steven had been just fine, so Marta had to hope this baby would be, too. The doctors told Marta her drinking in the very early stages of the her pregnancy with Steven didn't cause his complications, but she believed it had. Her drinking had been minimal since she was pregnant with Steven, so Marta hoped and prayed instantly that she wouldn't hurt her second baby.

"You gonna tell Steve?" Natasha asked, following Marta out of the bathroom. She put the test in her nightstand, strapping her suit's watch onto her wrist.

Marta shook her head. "Not until we get everyone back. I don't want him to be distracted." Marta decided, pulling her hood over her head.

Natasha decided not to argue, and the two left Marta and Steve's room, meeting the rest of the team on the platform. Their bodies were all covered by their Quantum suits, and it was time to go. One last mission to save everyone. One last mission, and Marta could tell Steve about their little addition. One last mission, and Marta could finally retire. It had been almost ten years of her trying to convince herself that her calm was coming, and one day, it had to be true.

✧