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They drive upstate on a lazy sunday, Natasha fast asleep in the customized car seat in the back. When they arrive she's up like a shot, running inside and pulling out a box of Legos in the living room. While the grown ups bring in their luggage she builds walls and knocks them down, smiling while doing so.
In the morning Tasha is watching cartoons, cuddled up on Clint's lap when it starts to rain. Natasha ooohs and is on her feet, running over to the large terrass doors and smiling. "Look daddy, raining." she says, tapping the window thoughtfully.
"Sure is. So you don't wanna finish the show?"
"Yeah...but wanna go outside after."
They finish the episode they were watching, but by the time the end credits roll Tasha is bouncing on the sofa. "Out out out." she chants under her breath and sprints for the hallway. She reaches for her sneakers when Steve comes out of the kitchen, "Hold on, princess."
He puts down the cup of tea he'd been getting and picks up her rain boots. "It's raining, right?" "Umm yeah."
Steve helps her into her boots and she holds onto his shoulder when she steps into them. Natasha has a shiny red raincoat that Pepper got for her with a matching rain hat, and Steve takes it off the rack and helps her put it on.
"Wait for mommy on the steps, Tasha." he warns when she runs out the door, pacifier clipped to her coat.
Pepper follows a few minutes after, in a navy blue coat and black umbrella, looking really grown up.
Pepper smiles and takes her hand, and they walk down the road together. Natasha runs onto the paved road; which was okay here cause daddy Tony says it's a private road and no one's (except them) allowed to drive there.
Tasha runs ahead and starts helping snails across the road, sitting on her haunches and lifting them by their shells.
"Look mommy, this one's really big." She holds up a forest snail the size of a ping pong ball, eyes shining, enthralled.
"Wow, it really is. Can you tell me what color the big snail is?" Pepper asked, her voice different from how normal grown up Pepper sounded. Pepper's voice in mommy mode was sweet and slightly cloying, warm and encouraging.
"'S...brown."
"That's right! such a smart baby I've got."
Pepper runs a hand through Natasha's curly bob, strokes her cheek affectionately. "Come, lyubov moya, let's walk."
They meet up with the others at the house and set a different course, to a nearby lake (also property of Stark Industries) where Natasha could feed the birds. The rain ebbed into a soft trickle and they reach the lake, Steve pulls out a bag of bread from his coat and gives it to Natasha, who promptly pulls out a slice and starts pulling it to pieces and throwing it to the waiting ducks and miscellaneous other aviary creatures.
All seems well and good until Natasha goes stock still; seemingly frozen in place. At first none of them notice, but soon it's obvious that she's seen or heard something that has unsettled her.
"Tasha? what's the matter, baby?" Clint's words seem to untether her from the spot, and she quickly goes to take shelter at his side, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight. "Tasha?"
"Big scary bird," she points at one of the swans that just landed a ways by the flock, "don't like."
"You shouldn't have let her watch Black Swan with you, Tony." Steve scolds.
"Note to self: No more pseudo psychological horror movies for Tasha. What? I covered her eyes for the worst parts."
"Such bad parenting."
They quiet down when Natasha squeaks from beside Clint, after one of the swans walked past them (apparently too close for comfort).
"It's alright sweetheart, Daddy's not gonna let any of the big bad birds getcha." Clint explained lovingly, taking her hand and letting her bury her face in his shoulder. "Still don't like 'em. Go back now?"
"You're the boss, kid." Tony says and they start walking back to the house.
Tasha holds onto Clint's hand the whole way, only stops once in a while to jump in water puddles that had formed from the rain.
By the time they're all back in the hallway Tasha's swan scare seems to be forgotten and she kicks off her rain boots to go play, but Thor stops her. "Hold on, little one. Let us remove your coat."
She pulls a face but turns and lets him hang up her coat, and she turns again-
"Wait, wait, let's check your diaper." Clint says and pats her bottom. "Looks like you need a change."
Tasha grumps but lets herself be led to the changing pad on the living room floor. "...Daddy's mean." she says, nuzzling her blanket, voice muffles by the cotton fabric.
Clint remains unfazed as he untapes her diaper, smile tugging at his lips. "Oh yeah, why's that?"
"'Cause don't wanna get changed." she replies, dragging out the 'a' in 'cause.
"I see. But if we don't change your diaper, you'll get a rash. We wouldn't want that, would we? Rashes are bad." he explains as he goes through the familiar motions of diapering their girl, a simple but meaningful ritual, a huge show of trust from Natasha's part.
She doesn't answer, because she knows that Daddy's right, he always is.
Clint tapes up the fresh diaper and pulls her up to a sitting position, hugs her and pats her bottom when she gets up to go color.
They watch a movie after dinner, and Natasha ends up sandwiched between Pepper and Tony. Pepper absently strokes her hair and she feels safe and cherished, which is what it's all about, really.