Hoping for a Hero - part II of II [COMPLETE]

Chapter 12: Joy in the Midst of Sorrow

We all returned back to the capacitor at the same moment as if we had never left. Relief filled me when I noticed Steve was beside me, but as I looked around the group, I realized that not everyone was there.

"Did we get 'em all?" Tony asked.

Rhodes smiled widely, "Are you telling me this actually worked?"

At that moment, it seemed like we had pulled it off. But Natasha wasn't among us. "Clint?" I asked when he fell to his knees on the platform. I knelt beside him as he stared off into the distance. Broken.

"Clint, where's Nat?" Bruce asked.

His silence was answer enough and everyone felt the weight of the loss. I placed my hand on his arm and sat down beside him. I guess I'll have to clean out the fridge on my own after all.

The following days were miserable for the whole team. Everyone mourned Natasha's death and I couldn't stand walking around headquarters while every face was filled with sorrow. So, I hid in our apartment and processed my grief alone.

Every time Steve came and left, I was sitting on the couch looking out the window. Occasionally, he would sit with me and talk about how the team was doing, try to get me to open up. I appreciated his efforts, but I had already locked up my thoughts and emotions. That box would stay latched until I was ready to open it again. He was still patient and caring, knowing that I may not ever be ready to talk.

One afternoon, I was alone in the apartment. Like every other day, I was sitting on the couch when another wave of nausea suddenly overcame me. I ran to the bathroom and made it in time, but stared at the wall in confusion for several minutes. Why was this happening?

Natasha's voice filled my mind, "Do you think you're . . . "

I still had my doubts, but I believed I owed it to her to at least take the test.

"Well, what do you know?" I said aloud as I looked down at the results. "She was right."

It took me a moment to get over the initial shock. Of course, Steve and I had considered starting a family so it wasn't unexpected, but it did seem like unfortunate timing. Any type of combat wasn't safe anymore considering I had more than just myself to take care of. And then there was the issue of telling Steve. How was I supposed to do that? If he walks in expecting dinner on the table and I randomly blurt out the news, that didn't seem right. Isn't there some method you're supposed to follow? Some instructions maybe?

I groaned and put my head in my hands. If only Natasha were here. She'd know what to do. If anything, she'd slap some sense into me and tell me to smile. This was great news! But instead, I was sobbing on the bathroom floor, missing my friend dearly.

When Steve walked in, I didn't see him. He silently sat down beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. No words. Just being there with me.

After several minutes of finally crying my eyes out, I brushed away my tears and sniffed loudly. "I'm pregnant," I said.

That wasn't how he was supposed to find out. I didn't know how most people revealed special news like that, but I was pretty sure I did it wrong. It shouldn't have been on the bathroom floor. Shouldn't have been with red puffy eyes and a tear-streaked face. Shouldn't have been in the midst of a friend's death. And yet there we were. Abnormal as always, but also somehow strangely beautiful.

Steve's face lit up at my words. "Really?" he asked. Tears filled his eyes when I nodded. The grin that appeared made him look like a new man. "That's great, Amber!" His thumb wiped away a stray tear that had escaped down my cheek. "We're gonna have a family," he whispered more in general amazement than specifically addressing me.

That moment may not have occurred the way it should have, but it was perfect for us. Unfortunately, we still had our mission to complete and we couldn't pause it for nine months until the baby was born.

Tony, Rocket, and Banner were working on developing a glove to hold the stones, but I realized that my suit would need a few upgrades. And I'd need them soon.

I walked into the lab and the boys looked up from their work.

"Yes, Mrs. Rogers?" Tony said sweetly, though I knew he was teasing. "What can we do for you?"

"Can I talk to you a minute, Tony?" my tone of voice seemed to indicate some sense of urgency because he left his station without arguing. When we were alone and outside the lab, I said, "I have a request."

Tony folded his arms, still feeling the need to joke, "Okay, but I feel like we should review my request policy before you continue."

"Tony, I'm pregnant."

This knocked the humor out of him. "Oh," he said, surprised. "Well, congratulations. That's great. I'm sure Cap is ecstatic."

I smiled. "Yeah, he is. But my suit is going to need some extra protection. There's no way he's going to let me anywhere near a battle if he thinks the baby and I will be in danger. But, it's hard to prepare for a fight when they're so unexpected. I'd like to be as prepared as I can for whatever may happen."

Tony nodded and turned to reenter the lab. "I'm assuming that's it?" he asked before opening the door.

"Yeah," I nodded and he closed the door behind him. Men. It seemed to me that the glove was still on his mind and I was a little annoyed. So focused that they can't properly prioritize.

However, I underestimated Tony. I didn't realize until that afternoon that he had put everything on hold to adjust my suit. When I met him again at the lab a few hours later, he gave me the full rundown of the changes he had made.

"The basic design is the same," he said before pointing to the torso section. "I reinforced the armor around your chest and stomach to minimize any impact on your body that could harm the baby. It's so well developed that you shouldn't feel a thing if you trip, get punched, or even shot. Of course, you'll still fall back from the impact, but you won't be wounded. And," he continued by handing me a small earpiece, "I also installed an intelligence system to monitor your vitals as well as the baby's. In case the armor is weakened (which is nearly impossible because I designed it) or something goes wrong, it will inform you of everything you need to know."

I was speechless. When I opened my mouth to say something, Tony exclaimed, "Oh! I forgot to add that the material also expands as you do, so no worries of outgrowing it."

"Tony," I managed to say. "You thought of everything and went above and beyond." I hugged him tightly as I tried not to cry. Maybe I should start blaming my emotions on fluctuating hormones. "Thank you."

He awkwardly patted my back, but finally gave in and stopped resisting. "Anything to keep a friend safe," he said.