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"Honey? I'm home!"
Natasha watched as the woman came into the room, holding a small being. She put the being down and it hobbled over to Clint, tripping and crawling the rest of the way. Clint crouched down and the being used his knees to prop himself up. Clint swept it up in his arms and stood, hugging it.
"Dada."
"Heya Coop, have you been a good boy?"
"Dada da da."
"Show Daddy what you've got, Cooper," the woman said. "Are you going to show Daddy?"
"Oof Da!"
"A tooth? Oh, Coop, you're getting so big."
"Ig!"
"That's right, baby, big. One day you'll be taller than Mummy. You'll never be taller than Daddy though, for I am the tallest in the whole entire world." The woman snorted. "What?"
"You. Tallest in the world."
"I'm taller than you."
"Yes you are, dear."
"Dada?"
"You want to get down, there you go, buddy."
Clint put him on the ground and kissed the lady. The child hobbled over, half walking, half crawling, to Natasha and pulled himself up on her leg. Natasha blinked. He held his arms up, waving them. She crouched, just like Clint had done, and he grabbed her. She stood, holding onto him, while he stroked her hair.
"Don't pull," Natasha said. He said something, but she couldn't work out what it was.
"He likes you," Clint said. "This is my wife, Laura, and that's our kid, Cooper. This is Natasha, honey, I told you about her."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard good things," Laura said.
"I haven't heard anything at all."
"I don't tell many people," Clint said. "Nick Fury knows. He kept it off SHIELD books. And now you know."
"You have a family."
"I do. Cooper, leave Nat's hair alone."
"He's all right."
"You can stay for dinner, if you want."
"There's a spare room upstairs," Laura said. "It's all set up, if you'd like to stay longer."
"Na-Na!" Cooper said, hobbling over as soon as Clint opened the door and called out that he was home.
"Betrayed by my own flesh and blood."
"Na-Na!"
"Hey there, Cooper, how's my favourite Barton?" Natasha said, crouching down to give him a hug.
"Oh great. He's stolen my best friend. Laura, your son is grounded."
"I don't think he's old enough for that yet, dear," Laura said.
"Never too late to start learning, honey."
"Dada!"
"Now he notices me. Cooper, I'm afraid we have to sort out your priorities. What would Natasha's second favourite Barton have to say?"
"I'll ask," Nat said, standing up as Cooper wandered over and started tugging on Clint's trousers. "Laura, are you okay with me corrupting your son?"
"As long as he remembers to brush his teeth."
"What is this? You're all in this together? I call mutiny."
"It's only mutiny if you're the captain. And we all know Laura's got you wrapped around her little finger."
"That's true. I missed you, honey."
"I missed you too."
"You've been apart for three days, and now you're making moon eyes. Come on Cooper, let's leave the love birds to be all sappy and disgusting in peace."
"Love birds, how long did it take for you to think of that one?" Clint asked
"Three seconds. We'll go play bricks for a while, should we Cooper?"
"Yay!"
"Come on, my young protégé, we'll torment your father later."
"Cooper really likes you. I got home and he started asking for Na-Na," Clint said as soon as she answered.
"Tell him I'll see him in a few months. Get off the phone, Clint, I'm at work. Like you should be."
"Nat. I can't be at work. Cooper's ill."
"Cooper has the sniffles, he is a small child, it happens. Knit him a jumper."
"I can't knit."
"Ask Laura to knit him a jumper."
"She can't knit either."
"His grandparents?"
"The closest thing is Nick Fury, can you picture him knitting?"
"Nick Fury."
"He likes Cooper."
"No one you know can knit."
"No."
"I'll knit Cooper a jumper."
"You can knit?"
"No."
"So how are you going to knit Cooper a jumper?"
"I will learn to knit."
"You, the Black Widow, feared assassin in more countries than I can count, is going to learn to knit?"
"Yes."
"Don't you think that's going to ruin your reputation? You know, as a scary assassin?"
"I will be holding two sharp objects, no one is going to say anything."
"So you're going to learn to knit for my son because he has the sniffles. And you said Laura had me wrapped around her little finger. He's got you, hook, line, and sinker."
"It's only because you're not."
"It's because he calls you Na-Na. You've taken that as word you should fill grandmother role."
"How dare you, I'm at least awesome auntie."
"Course you are Nat. I can hear crying, I think he's woken up." Natasha could hear scuffling before Clint spoke again. "Hey, Nat, someone wants a word."
"Na-Na!"
"Hi there Cooper."
"Na-Na come see?"
"I'll see you soon kiddo. You just get better for Daddy."
"He'll be fine, won't you, Coop?" Clint said.
"Fine!"
"There's a good boy. I'll catch up with you later, Nat."
"Bye Clint."
She hung up and carried on with work.
Knitting.
Knitting was not what she'd expected. Sure, people made it look easy, she established there was more to it than it seemed.
But she was Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, SHIELD agent, assassin and spy, if anyone could do it, she could.
So she did.
"Afternoon Bartons," Natasha said as Clint opened the door and showed her in.
"Hey Nat."
"Cooper."
"Oh, I'm being ignored again."
"This is for you." Natasha handed him the blanket. It wasn't huge, but she'd only been using it for practise. Cooper flopped it. "No, like this, see?" She wrapped it round him.
"Blanky."
"That's it."
"Mine?"
"Yours."
"What do you say, Cooper?"
"'Ank you."
"Good boy. You really did learn to knit for my son. Took you a year."
"You try it."
"I'll leave it to you, Agent, no, I got nothing, my mind's gone blanket. Ha. Get it, blank like when you can't think of anything, and blanket starts with blank. I'm hilarious."
"I won't damage your self-confidence. Where's Laura?"
"In the kitchen," Clint said. "Cooper was helping me, weren't you?"
"I help."
"We were just putting some new curtains up, we repainted these walls last week, thanks for noticing, and I was going to repaint the upstairs, but since you're here, that can wait. Do you think you can show Auntie Nat where Mummy is, Cooper?"
"Show Blanky too?"
"Yep, you show Blanky where Mummy is too. Thank you, Nat."
"Don't mention it. Ever."
"I won't. But thank you."
"I'm working on how to make a jumper next."
"He's going to keep growing. He's growing quickly."
"I'll make it big enough."
"Thank you so much, Natasha," Laura said. Clint opened the door behind her.
"Good luck. Clint, don't scare the doctors."
"I am fine with doctors. When they are not poking me with pointy things. We're going to be late, Laura."
"I'm coming."
"Bye you two." Natasha waved and turned to Cooper as Clint and Laura left. "What do you think we should do?"
"Mummy's going to have another baby."
"She is."
"Can we make her a cake?"
"We can try."
The kitchen was a state, the cake had collapsed and fallen to one side, the icing was everywhere and there was probably egg shell in it, but it would do.
"I think you need a bath, young Cooper."
"I'm not as mucky as you!"
"Go on. Upstairs."
Natasha left the four year old splashing and went to have a quick shower.
She was sitting downstairs knitting when Cooper remerged with his pyjama shirt on backwards, still wet. At least his trousers were all right.
Natasha shook her head and put the knitting down.
"Come here."
She readjusted the shirt.
"What's that?"
"This is called knitting."
"Like how you made my blanket and Mummy's hat and Daddy's socks?"
"That's right."
"How does it work?"
"Come up here, I'll show you."
She picked him up onto her lap and picked up the knitting again.
Cooper fell asleep and Natasha closed her eyes for a second.
"You asleep there with my son in your lap, Nat?" Clint asked. "How will your reputation ever recover?"
"I wasn't asleep."
"Yes you were. Come on, Coop. Up we go." Clint picked him up, Cooper still half asleep, buried in his shoulder. He adjusted himself to cling on to Clint. "Thanks. I'll tuck him in."
"He's got a surprise for you in the morning. Did it go well?"
"It did," Laura said. "Very well."
"Tell me everything."
Lila was born during the night. Clint was panicking, so Nat drove. Cooper and her waited outside, Cooper eventually falling asleep in the chair next to her. She pulled his blanket up around him.
Clint was the first out, his face tear-stained.
"Is Laura all right?"
"Go see for yourself. I've got Cooper."
Natasha picked up her stuff, opened the door and saw Laura sitting there, holding a small bundle.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. Say hi to Auntie Nat, Lila."
"Hello there Lila."
"You can hold her if you want."
"Shouldn't you wait for Clint?"
"Clint's already held her."
"So that's why he's crying."
"You know what he's like, he's a big softie really. Go on, she needs a hug with her auntie."
Natasha took the baby, cradling her in her arms. She didn't stir.
"She likes you."
"She's asleep."
"Both my kids like you. You're part of the family, Nat, it would be rude for them to not like their auntie."
"Speaking of aunties. Here, have Lila back." She handed the baby back to Laura and rooted around inside the bag she'd brought. "Here. It's probably better than Cooper's. And I still haven't yet mastered the jumper."
"It's beautiful. Thank you, Nat."
"Anything for you. Clint's right, if this gets out…"
"I won't tell anyone." Laura laughed, wrapping the blanket around Lila.
"If I'd known you were going to call her Purple, I would have picked a different colour."
"We'll tell you the name next time. But it fits. Is Cooper asleep?"
"He is. Clint's sitting with him. I can fetch the both of them if you want."
"No, don't wake him. Have you slept?"
"Enough. I doubt you have. You have terrible timing, baby Barton, you take after your father. Your mother's much better at these sorts of things than him, you'll see. I'll send one of the doctors and Clint in, get Cooper out to the car."
"We couldn't do this without you, you know."
"What are families for, right?"
"Enjoying yourself? ;)," Natasha sent, waiting to see what Clint would say. Text messaging was a great invention.
"She won't stop crying. Kill me now."
"I thought we weren't doing that?"
"I have had nine hours sleep."
"That's a lot."
"In the past week."
"It's Wednesday."
"How do you turn the volume off?"
"You're the one who's already had a kid, why would I know?"
"Cooper was never this loud."
"That's because he takes after his mother. Lila's a daddy's girl."
"I'm fairly sure there's an insult in there somewhere."
"Go to sleep, Clint."
"I can't. She's crying again."
"I'll come and see you this weekend."
"What are they saying about me?"
"That you're on a mission, no one knows its dad leave."
"Laura needed a night off."
"Probably needs a month off. Good night Clint."
"Night Nat."
"Wish everyone else a good night from me."
"If it'll get Lila to stop crying, sure."
Natasha slipped the phone back in her pocket and stepped into Nick Fury's office.
"Sir."
"Agent Romanoff. You're going undercover at Stark Enterprise."
"I can't believe he pulled you out of leave," Natasha said. She was driving, Clint was half asleep next to her.
"It was only two days. I just hope Laura's okay."
"Did he say anything else?"
"Not much. But I did have four weeks paternity leave."
"And then you came back for a while and asked for more."
"Laura looked tired, she needed a rest, so it was my turn to help."
"Six months old."
"And lungs the size of an elephant."
"I thought they stopped crying."
"No. Never. They never stop. But we're weaning her onto formula and those little pots of baby food, so that means I can actually do everything. She wakes up a lot less than she did in the first few weeks."
"I don't know why you do it."
"Yeah you do."
"We're almost there. It might be your last chance to sleep for a while."
"Good to know you care."
He yawned, closing his eyes.
Clint had barely opened the door before his kids appeared.
"Daddy!"
"Ah, I'm being attacked, help me!"
Clint fell to the floor, Cooper hugging him and Lila wobbling over, laughing. She'd grown a lot in the last year.
"Mayday, mayday! Man down! He's being attacked by two little monsters, send help!"
"Dada!"
"Oh no, they're cute monsters. No. No, my weakness, it's cute monsters. No!" He drew out the last word and closed his eyes, dropping his head to the floor. Laura and Natasha laughed at him.
"Dada?" Lila asked, holding onto his arm. He blinked an eye open and pulled her round into a hug, her shrieking happily.
"I've got you, little monster."
"You married a child," Natasha said.
"I know," Laura agreed. "How are you, Nat?"
"I'm fine. There's a lot going on. We're going on separate missions again."
"Need me to have a word with your Director?"
"No, it's fine. This is a one woman mission anyway."
"Good luck."
"Thanks. How are you?"
"Things calmed down after her first birthday. Thank you for the scarf by the way, she's very fond of it."
"That's good. Sorry I had to leave early, I had to head down to Montreal."
"And I'm guessing you can't tell me why. As long as you got back safe. Kids, stop tormenting your father."
"Mamma, Dada here."
"That's right Lila. Daddy's home now and he needs to be able to breathe. Why don't you talk to Auntie Nat?"
"Auntie Nat!"
"Hi there Lila. Hi Cooper. I've got you something."
She pulled out a jumper and handed it to Cooper. He pulled it on.
"It fits!" Half the arms flopped down where his hands couldn't quite reach. It went at least down to his knees.
"Not quite," Natasha said, tucking up the arms. "But you'll grow into it. See, Clinton, practical."
"Thank you Auntie Nat."
"I promised your dad I'd make you that, what was it Clint, almost six years ago? He was worried because you had the sniffles. And Lila, you get one too."
"Me too?"
"You too."
It wasn't much smaller than Cooper's, and it fitted Lila even less.
"That's very thoughtful, Nat," Laura said. "Thank you. Will you two stop?" Cooper and Lila had engaged in a sleeve fight and looked up at their mother. "Honestly."
"They are Clint's kids, you didn't expect any better, did you?" Natasha asked.
"No. They are nice jumpers."
"Sorry they turned out a bit big."
"They'll grow. You didn't have to."
"No, but if no one else is going to knit your kids itchy jumpers, someone has to."
"She learnt to knit for Cooper," Clint said. "She couldn't knit before. And she pretends to be a fearsome assassin."
"You're quite the pair. I don't know what I'd do without either of you."
"I think you'd have to deal with less knitting," Clint said.
"You're getting socks for Christmas," Natasha said.
"Oh, come on!"
"Auntie Nat!" Cooper said, answering the door.
"Auntie Nat!"
"My favourite Bartons."
"Look, I grew, now my jumper fits even more."
"It sure does, Cooper. Are your mum and dad inside?"
"Dad's trying to fix the tractor. It broke. Mum said we could answer the door because she could see it was you through the window"
"Hi Nat," Laura said, joining them.
"Hi Laura."
"How are you?"
"I'm fine. How are you and Barton Jr?"
"We're okay, aren't we, little Natasha?"
"Natasha?"
"It was Lila and Cooper's idea."
"Hi there, Natasha," she said to Laura's stomach. "You're not causing problems for Mummy, are you?"
"Not yet. Give it a few months."
"I need to borrow Clint, Laura. They're reforming the Avengers. I can make excuses if you want, and I'll be able to sneak him out here if he doesn't want to say anything, but we need him."
"Super soldiers, geniuses and gods, and you still need my husband. He's human, Natasha. Don't let them forget that."
"I won't."
"You'll stay for dinner, won't you?"
"How could I refuse?"
"You're not telling anyone?" Natasha asked as Clint slipped his phone back in his pocket.
"I won't put them at risk."
"You mean you don't trust anyone."
"It's not that. I trust them to have my back. Not as much as I trust you, but we're not exactly friends here, are we? And the Avengers are too public. I can't do it."
"I guess that means I need to keep the knitting to myself as well."
"Another one?"
"Its tradition now, isn't it? Baby Bartons get blankets. And you get socks."
"What colour this time?"
"Maybe yellow."
"Hi Auntie Nat," Laura said, directing the camera at Nathaniel.
"He's fat."
"We miss you. Lila wants to know when you're coming to visit."
"Soon as I can. There's Avengers training to be done."
"Is that Nat?" Clint's voice appeared. "Hi Nat!"
"Put your old legs up somewhere, Barton, you're old and retired," Natasha said.
"Only if you don't need me, it's more like extended paternity leave. Thanks for the blanket, by the way, he won't sleep without it."
"You coming?" Steve asked from the doorway.
"Is that Rogers?" Clint asked. "Say hi."
"We won't keep you," Laura said. "Nathaniel needs feeding anyway."
"I'll drop by as soon as I can."
"We need to let Auntie Nat save the world now, Nathaniel. See you soon, Nat."
"Good luck with babies, Laura. Bye Clint."
"Bye Nat."
She put the phone away and looked up at Steve.
"How are they?"
"They're fine. You can ask about the blanket if you want, yes, I knitted it."
"I wasn't going to. You can knit?"
"It wasn't a Red Room thing, I only learnt when Cooper was little."
"I'm guessing the two things are linked."
"Perhaps. Don't tell anyone."
"I won't say a word."
"Though now you know, I could knit you stripy socks. Red, white, and blue? With stars on them?"
"Please don't worry yourself."
"It won't take long."
"Nat, please."
"I'm taking that as a please to the socks."