It's a Boy!

After detonating their incendiary devices, Steve, Natalya, Serena, and Pharaoh quickly got out of the mansion. They boarded the jet and Natalya sat in the pilot's seat. She quickly got the jet into the air. Serena checked in on Steve and stabilized him. He would need some rest, but otherwise he would be alright. Serena glanced up towards the cockpit at Natalya and silently wondered what had happened to her earlier. She had just...frozen. That was not like her and Serena had never seen that happen to her before. Natalya never froze. She always seemed perfectly calm and cool under fire, but something had happened today. She decided that she would talk to Logan about it so he could make sure she was alright. Natalya knew that Valentina had escaped and that their paths would cross again. She would be prepared for her. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she thought about that bullet in Logan's head. She would make her pay for that.

Tony and Isabella's team had already made it back to the Tower and Natalya landed the other jet in it's place. Peter was there waiting for them and Serena immediately rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She then pulled back slightly and kissed him. "So I guess the mission was a success?"

Meanwhile, Isabella had left with Happy to go pick up everything they needed for the baby. They had some of Serena's old things in storage and would need to get out the crib and a few other things. Isabella had made a cloth diaper out of a dishtowel for the baby and when Steve walked in to the living area he would see Kate holding the baby in her arms. She looked up and saw him and the smile she had for the baby changed to worry when she saw how he looked. "What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Steve was about to answer her when he saw the baby. His eyebrows wanted to go up over his head in surprise. “Where did...that, come from? Not the lab, surely?” he asked.

Logan was waiting for them to. WHen he saw Natalya he kept himself under control though he wanted to kiss her over and over. He had a decidedly ‘neutral’ expression. The baby they found troubled him for some reason. And the other children that died. He saw Natalya’s eyes glance toward Kate and what she held.

“We found him in the lab,” Logan said. “There were other...children there but they were all dead. This one, this...boy, had not a scratch on him. Then he decided to not talk about the boy. “You were successful I gather or I doubt you would have come back. Judging by Steve’s limp I’d say you...ran into trouble?” he asked. “And I’m glad you were not hurt,” he whispered so the others wouldn't hear him.

Kate looked at the baby in her arms and nodded. “Yes, there were more of them too in a room down near the lab. He was the only one we found alive. Isabella was actually the one who found him. She heard him crying. If he hadn’t been crying we never would have found him. Isabella has gone out with Happy to get some things for him. He’s likely hungry, though he really hasn’t been fussy.”

Natalya was tired and wanted a shower. However, seeing the baby Kate held was enough to make her pause and as she glanced at Logan he explained to her that he had been found in the lab.

“We ran into a little bit of trouble. There was another one of those walker vehicles and it had a gun mounted on top. Not only that but a ton of guards. He’ll be alright though.”

She reached up and gently caressed the side of Logan’s cheek with her fingers. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt either.”

Logan noticed her expression and was about to ask her what happened but decided to wait until they were alone. Now it was all about this mysterious baby of a baby could be described as mysterious.

“You’re a natural,” Logan said to Kate as he followed Natalya inside. He grinned innocently at Steve as he passed by them. He outwardly winked at Kate then followed Natalya toward their room.

———————

Peter and Serena were in Serena’s room. “You go ahead and get a shower first. I can wait,” he said as he began to take off his suit. He was quite dirty underneath it all and all he had on was a pair of striped boxer shorts.

——————-

Tony looked with Isabella through the storage. The room was huge and he didn’t remember where they put everything. But he wasn’t really looking that hard. “I know what your thinking,” he said from behind several boxes. He peeked around to look at her.

Something was clearly bothering Natalya. She walked with Logan into her room, which now essentially their room, and closed the door behind her. She began to get undressed and she glanced over at Logan. "I ran into a woman who I've been in competition with for a while today. Her name is Valentina Fontaine. She used to work for SHIELD when I worked for the SSB, but now she works for Hydra. She was the one who shot you. She tried to kill Pharaoh and used another one of those bullets. I'm not sure how many the SSB and Hydra have, but it worries me."

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Serena pulled off her shirt and then looked at Peter with a little grin. "Or you could just join me. I mean it would save water."

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Isabella had just gotten back from the store with Happy. They had purchased food, diapers, clothing, and anything else she could think of that they might need. She had given Kate the items and now she was with Tony in the large storage room going through some of Serena's old stuff that they had saved. She was pulling out some old blankets and stuffed animals while Tony was handling the crib. Isabella glanced at Tony when he said that he knew what she was thinking.

"And what am I thinking?"

“That we’re not going to find the child’s parents. You won’t give the boy to SHIELD to study. Hmm, I wonder what other choice we could make?” He said in feigned ignorance.

——————

Peter grinned then pulled his boxers off and joined her in the shower.

——————

“So what would Hydra be doing with children?” steve asked. And he reached up and touched the boys cheek. He was warm tonthe touch and in good temper it seemed. He looked toward Steve but didn’t shu away.

“Do you think they were experimenting on them?” He asked.

Isabella sighed and looked at Tony. "You're right. I don't think we are going to find his parents. How would we even begin that kind of search? And no, I'm not handing him over to SHIELD. Nick would have to pry him from my cold, dead fingers first. All of that being said I honestly don't know what we should do."

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Serena and Peter made love in the shower before getting cleaned up. After they were finished they stepped out and began to get dressed and Peter told her about the baby they had found. "I don't even want to imagine what they were doing to those children."

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Kate had put a proper diaper on him and then had dressed him in some of the clothes and was now feeding him from a bottle. She glanced at Steve when he asked if she thought they were experimenting on the children. "To be honest, yes. I hate thinking that, but why else would they have them? The question now is what do we do with him?"

“No, the question now is what did they do to him?” Steve said as he looked at him. Then he winced remembering his injuries. “I think I need to go to the infirmary,” he said and left Kate to the feeding.

——————-

“Well, you ever think of having kids Serena?” Peter asked. He was concerned that Tony and Isabella might be a bit to old to raise another baby and Steve and Kate were probably thinking about having one. He and Serena were young certainly but it might keep Serena out of her suit for a while. Not an easy thing to do and he certainly would not ask her to. She was a Stark but...someone had to take care of the boy, he thought.

——————-

“Well your scans can’t penetrate him, could we use a more invasive scan?” Tony asked. “We might think to see what they did to him before we decide anything. He might not be viable,” he said. What he meant was that whatever they did might kill him in the end. “So before you start considering ‘anything more’ we need to run tests,” he said.

——————-

“So she’s a bitch, big deal, so were you once. She’s a lying traitor and that is not who you are. She has always had a choice Natalya. You didn’t. Not like the rest of us. And I have just as much blood on my hands as you do. I was a wild, untamed beast. A soldier, an experiment, an assassin and a weapon. But none of those things define who I am now,” he said. “I make my own choices and try to do the best job I can. I choose who my friends are and my enemies. No one can do that for me. When I brought you here I saw a frightened and confused woman. And then I fell in love with her,” he said softly as if he was remembered it all in his head. “Being reminded of who we were and what we’ve done is always going to be difficult. But it was never ‘you’ that did those things Natalya. It was their version of you. Never ever forget that,” Logan said.

Serena sat down on the edge of her bed and tucked one leg under her while the other dangled off the edge. "Of course I think about having kids Peter, but not now. We're still technically in school and not married. I'm not ready for anything like that now. I don't know what's going to happen to the baby, but I know that my parents will ensure he's taken care of. I just wonder what was done to him."

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Isabella sighed, but knew Tony was right. They need to figure out what was done to him first and then go from there. He seemed healthy, but until they knew for sure they needed to just keep him comfortable. "I suppose we could use a more invasive scan. We just need to make sure that SHIELD doesn't get word of this...or the press."

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Natalya listened to Logan and decided she didn't want to think or talk about Valentina anymore at the moment. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Logan's neck and kissed him before pulling back and looking at him. "Did you ever want to have children?"

Logan could have gone for more kisses and more besides but her question struck him suddenly and he wasn’t exactly prepared for it. “Ya...no...ok maybe. With a woman named Kayla,” he said then fell onto the bed onto his side next to her. “I didn’t mention her before I know but I didn’t really want to think about her. We were in Canada and I was a Lumberjack,” he began then went on to tell her of the entire story. How much he loved her, how much he could see them having children. And then her death and her betrayal and lies.

“So yes I have...why do yo ask of it now, is it the baby?” He asked and it was a stupid question. “I know you can’t have children. But does this...child make you think about it?” He asked.

Natalya had heard about Kayla from the other Logan, but she hadn't known the full story. As she listened to what he said she could tell how much he had truly cared for her. Most people saw him as just a super aggressive, wild beast, but that's not what Natalya saw. She knew the truth. She had seen it from the very beginning when he had spared her life. He could be loving and gentle and she enjoyed seeing that side of him.

"Yes, it is making me think about it," she answered honestly. Having that option taken away from her was just another way she had been controlled. "It's funny because I never would have even considered it until you and I fell in love." She rolled over so she was on her back and she looked up at the ceiling. "I probably wouldn't make a good mother though."

“I told you before that you can’t know that. But there are other considerations you aren’t thinking about. Being a mother means you can’t just leave because the Avengers need you. Not all the time at least. And I’ve seen you get antsy when your not using your abilities. When you saw Kate holding that boy, did you want to hold him? If you can honestly say yes then that says something,”

Natalya sighed and sat up and looked at him. "I don't know...maybe." She knew Logan was right though. She got antsy easily and needed to be working otherwise she got stir crazy. She looked down for a moment and then up at him as a few tears came to her eyes. "I just want to be able to give you what you want."

“I have who I want. But what about what you wart? Logan asked. “I want you to be the women you want to be. No compromises and no excuses. You can have anything any other woman what’s andore Natalya. You just need to figure it all out,” Logan said.
You

Natalya looked deeply into Logan's eyes and she reached out and cupped his right cheek in her hand. Her thumb gently caressed his skin. "I have all I could ever want or hope for Logan because I have you."

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Meanwhile, Tony had set up the crib in a room that was right next to theirs. Tony had created high tech baby monitors when they had Serena and they put one in the baby's room and one in theirs. He had been fed, bathed, changed, and was now sound asleep. Isabella had put a few of Serena's old stuffed animals in the crib with him.

Kate walked down to the infirmary to check on Steve. She walked over to him with concern in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

Steve was on the biobed. He did have 2 broken ribs and he had a treated bandage around his middle. He only had on white boxer shorts and he injected himself with pain reliever. When he saw her enter he wanted to get up but he had to wait until the control arm had moved out of the way. He shifted and winced as he sat up.

“Just a couple broken ribs. I think you’ve had worse a few times,” he said.”how’s the baby?” Steve asked. “And how are you? The baby seems to have created quite the stir around here,” he said. “You liked a pro holding him,” he added as he stood up. He had the white hospital pants next to him but he knew he couldn’t get them on so he didn’t bother.

Kate could tell Steve was in pain. He always tried to hide it when he was, but she could see him wince as he sat up. “The baby seems to be doing alright for now. Tony and Isabella got the crib set up and he’s sleeping. I’m doing alright. I’m still upset about those other children though. I wish we had known before we....” she said as she started to blame herself. She then forced herself to stop and she smiled a little when Steve commented about her holding him. “It actually felt quite nice.”

“Kate, you couldn’t have known. Hydra is responsible for those children, not you. And you saved one in the best way you could have. And got him away from them,” Steve said then held out his arm to her. When she came toward him he wrapped her up and kissed her cheek.He knew she knew everything he was saying already but sometimes it helped to hear it when it came from someone else. “And the big picture, not allowing Hydra to get the Serum was the most important of all. Alot of people would die if they recreated that formula. Armies of soldiers like me and Natalya storming across the world. I have nightmares about that. We had no choice,” he said and held her tightly.

“Now we can focus on the boy and see what he is all about,” Steve murmured into her ear. “And get back to being...newlyweds,” he said in that tone he used when he was thinking about sex. Steve almost never liked to engage in PDA. He was a private man who never spoke about things that went on in private. He doubted he could do much with his ribs broken but he enjoyed seeing her in her lingerie.

Later that night Kate was with Steve in their room. They were just lying quietly together in the dark, but neither of them was asleep. Steve would be able to sense that Kate wanted to ask him something, but it took her a while to work up the courage. Finally, she broke the comfortable silence between them and spoke softly.

"Have you ever thought about having children?"

This was something that neither of them had ever really talked about. Kate was aware that it was possible that Steve couldn't even have children due to the serum in his body, but if he could would he want to?

Steve sighed as he laid back on his arm. In truth he wasn’t really certain what he felt about having children. But some of that was anxiety caused by not even knowing if he could or what they might have to deal with because of the serum.

“I used to think that children just didn’t make sense for someone like you and me but...Tony and isabella did it and Serena...Well she’s just great. How did he do it? He was such a...womanizing pig and then he met isabella and everything changed for him. If he could find time for a family...why can’t we?” he said honestly. And Serena was a wonderful young woman. They all respected Peter and she saw true to dump Gambit for him. A good choice in Steve’s estimation. Proof that Serena had a good head on her shoulders.

“Are you asking because you are thinking that ‘we’ could raise the boy?” Steve asked.

Kate sighed a little. “I honestly don’t know why I asked. I don’t even know what’s going to happen to him, but I want to ensure he’s safe. I know that raising a child with the lives we lead would be...difficult, but you and I do love a challenge,” she said with a little grin before growing more serious again. “I just wanted to know if you wanted to even entertain the thought of a child. I can see both sides of it, but we’re partners and I want to know what you think.”

The next day Tony and Kate were in the lab. Tony had tried to penetrate the boy’s flesh but nothing seemed to work. His body resisted every type of scan and his skin resisted piercing. He had fashioned an adamantium needle and that had worked but certainly made the baby cry. Kate had to pick him up and comfort him as he wailed. “Well he certainly didn’t like that,” Tony said as he took the blood sample and put it into his machine.

The baby quieted when she picked it up but his face was turned down into a frown and he had tears in his blue eyes and on his chubby cheeks. “He’s quite heavy for a baby that size. Like his mass is much more than it should be,” Tony said as Steve came into the room.

“Any luck in figuring out our new guest?” Steve said as he moved up to them. The boy looked at him and had a discerning expression. As if he was trying to figure Steve out.

Kate held the baby as he cried. It was worrying to her that they had to use an adamantium needle in order to penetrate his skin and draw blood. They had clearly done something to him, but the question now was what. He began to calm down after a while and she too noted that he seemed heavier than a baby his age should be. She looked over at Steve as he came in.

“Well in order to get blood from him we had to use an adamantium needle and his body is resistant to our scans. So, something was done to him.”

Steve looked at the boy. He didn’t look any different than any other child he had seen. “Barbarians to do this to children. Hydra has really lost their minds. Beyond cruel,” he said. “No different than they did to Natalya,” Logan said as he stepped into the room. “They’re desperate and willing to do whatever they can for an edge. I’d say they are more dangerous now than ever,” he said as he too looked at the boy.

“Steve peered into his microscope at the blood sample. The microscope recorded the DNA sample of the boy but Tony knew he had seen it before. At least part of it anyway. Kate, come look at this,” he said.

Kate looked over at Logan as he walked in. She thought about all Natalya must have been put through and hated to think that that could have happened to this sweet child. When Tony asked her to come over and look at the blood sample she nodded and looked at Steve.

“Can you hold him?”

When he nodded she handed the baby to him carefully and made sure they both were good before walking over to Tony.

“What do you see?”