She was called the Black Widow because she was deadly. It was a shame she didn't have other spider-like tendencies at times. Like today ....laying eggs would have been so much easier than trying to walk across her own living room while enduring contractions and attempting not to swear at the dog.
"Nat, pacing isn't gonna help," Steve scolded mildly, as he tried Colin's phone number yet again. For some reason, the man wasn't answering. "Luce should be back with the car soon."
The look Steve got was less than friendly. "When you're the one whose innards are trying to become outtards, then you can tell me what does and doesn't help," Natasha informed her friend, pausing to bend just a little, one hand on the back of the sofa. Coco chose that moment to jump up and lick her face.
"If I could do what you're doing, it would be a miracle," Steve remarked, as he tapped in a text message to Colin instead telling him to meet them at Rhy'Din General. "I don't know why he isn't answering," he murmured.
"God, he'd better not miss this," Nat forced out from between her teeth, taking slow breaths as she pushed Coco away. "Babe, I love you, but not now, okay?" From outside came the sound of the car pulling up in a spray of gravel.
"I'm sure there's a logical explanation," Steve remarked. "Sounds like Lucy's here. You gonna be okay?" he asked, looking over at his bestest friend with a concerned frown as he pushed off the couch.
Nat straightened, breathing out carefully. "Not gonna lie," she told him. "Straight up, this is the scariest thing I've ever done. If I could pull a trigger to get this over with, I would."
"It'll be okay, Nat. Women have been giving birth since the beginning of time," he reminded her, though it was probably small comfort. He offered her an arm to help her to the door, still wondering why Colin wasn't answering his phone. He didn't have to wonder long though, as the door flew open and the man in question rushed inside.
"Nat! I'm so sorry. My phone died and ....Is it time?"
Nat's expression flashed bright with wild relief before flattening at the frankly ridiculous question from her husband. "No, I just thought it would be funny to be in this much pain for a day," she deadpanned to Colin, daring him to take offense.
Colin was a pretty smart guy, but he'd never seen Nat quite this riled up before and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He glanced at Steve, as though he might be of some help.
"She's kidding ....I think," Steve assured him. "Why don't you take your wife, and I'll get the door?" he suggested.
Colin nodded, "Yes, of course," he said, switching places with the man.
Nat's hand wrapped about Colin's tightly, twining her fingers with his, needing to feel his grip on her as she leaned into him. "This hurts," she murmured to him, not wanting to show that weakness but unable to keep herself from sharing it.
"I know, love," Colin replied with a concerned look on his face as he helped her toward the door. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right there as long as you need me," he assured her soberly.
"Anything you need me to grab before we go?" Steve asked from the door. "Will Coco be okay for a while?"
"Martin's going to check on Coco when he gets home from school," Nat reminded them. That was a deal she'd made with her friend's eldest a few weeks ago, figuring that the animal whisperer was best suited to checking on an animal. She paused, gripping Colin's hand tighter for a moment. "The hospital bag is in the car."
"Okay, we should be all set then," Steve said, holding the door open for Nat and Colin so they could make their way to the car. "Stay, Coco!" he called to the dog, who only barked in response, tail wagging.
"Careful, love. Take my arm," Colin urged her, as patiently as he could. He'd have to trust the Rogers to take care of Coco.
As the contraction eased, Nat straightened again, blowing out a stiff breath. "I guess it's too late to have second thoughts, right?" she asked, trying to alleviate some of the stress she could feel radiating off Colin as he helped her over the porch and down onto the gravel drive.
Steve secured the door behind them before sprinting to the car to get the door there, too. "We'll get you to the hospital in a jiffy!" he promised, as Colin lead her to the car and carefully helped her inside.
Her husband chuckled at her remark, relieved she still had her sense of humor. "A little bit," he had to admit.
Behind the wheel, Lucy glanced over her shoulder as the couple eased themselves into the back seat together. "How are we doing?" she asked with an encouraging smile. "No leaks yet?"
Nat threw her a dirty look. "Just for that, I'm gonna make sure I break water all over your back seat."
"So long as it's not all over my back seat," Colin mumbled under his breath. It hadn't been an easy feat getting his car to Rhy'Din, and it was no secret how possessive he was of it. Once Colin and Nat were settled in, Steve closed the door behind them, but not before Colin handed him his car keys. "Not a scratch, Cap," he warned.
Steve smiled at the man's concern. "Son, I've been driving since before you were born," he told the man before closing the door and looking to Lucy. "Meet you there in a bit," he told her, leaning down to give her a kiss. "Good luck!" he told them all, before patting the car to send them on their way.
Lucy flashed her husband a grin, turning back to the wheel. "Okay, no one look at the speed dial," she informed her passengers. "Your mission is to be calm for the next twenty minutes until we get you to the hospital."
Nat rolled her eyes. "She says, after mentioning that we shouldn't look at the speed dial," the redhead muttered. To be honest, she didn't care how fast Lucy drove, so long as the birth was over and done with quickly.
So long as Nat didn't give birth in the car, like Liv had. "No need to panic. Everything is under control," Colin said, though he wasn't too sure. He remembered the classes he and Nat had taken and thought they still had enough time. "How close together are your contractions?" he asked.
"Five minutes," Nat told him, tipping her head back against the seat. Her hand rubbed firmly over the proud jut of her belly, which felt taut and tense even between contractions right now. "Lasting about a minute. Steve said that was the right time to get moving."
"Nat, pacing isn't gonna help," Steve scolded mildly, as he tried Colin's phone number yet again. For some reason, the man wasn't answering. "Luce should be back with the car soon."
The look Steve got was less than friendly. "When you're the one whose innards are trying to become outtards, then you can tell me what does and doesn't help," Natasha informed her friend, pausing to bend just a little, one hand on the back of the sofa. Coco chose that moment to jump up and lick her face.
"If I could do what you're doing, it would be a miracle," Steve remarked, as he tapped in a text message to Colin instead telling him to meet them at Rhy'Din General. "I don't know why he isn't answering," he murmured.
"God, he'd better not miss this," Nat forced out from between her teeth, taking slow breaths as she pushed Coco away. "Babe, I love you, but not now, okay?" From outside came the sound of the car pulling up in a spray of gravel.
"I'm sure there's a logical explanation," Steve remarked. "Sounds like Lucy's here. You gonna be okay?" he asked, looking over at his bestest friend with a concerned frown as he pushed off the couch.
Nat straightened, breathing out carefully. "Not gonna lie," she told him. "Straight up, this is the scariest thing I've ever done. If I could pull a trigger to get this over with, I would."
"It'll be okay, Nat. Women have been giving birth since the beginning of time," he reminded her, though it was probably small comfort. He offered her an arm to help her to the door, still wondering why Colin wasn't answering his phone. He didn't have to wonder long though, as the door flew open and the man in question rushed inside.
"Nat! I'm so sorry. My phone died and ....Is it time?"
Nat's expression flashed bright with wild relief before flattening at the frankly ridiculous question from her husband. "No, I just thought it would be funny to be in this much pain for a day," she deadpanned to Colin, daring him to take offense.
Colin was a pretty smart guy, but he'd never seen Nat quite this riled up before and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He glanced at Steve, as though he might be of some help.
"She's kidding ....I think," Steve assured him. "Why don't you take your wife, and I'll get the door?" he suggested.
Colin nodded, "Yes, of course," he said, switching places with the man.
Nat's hand wrapped about Colin's tightly, twining her fingers with his, needing to feel his grip on her as she leaned into him. "This hurts," she murmured to him, not wanting to show that weakness but unable to keep herself from sharing it.
"I know, love," Colin replied with a concerned look on his face as he helped her toward the door. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right there as long as you need me," he assured her soberly.
"Anything you need me to grab before we go?" Steve asked from the door. "Will Coco be okay for a while?"
"Martin's going to check on Coco when he gets home from school," Nat reminded them. That was a deal she'd made with her friend's eldest a few weeks ago, figuring that the animal whisperer was best suited to checking on an animal. She paused, gripping Colin's hand tighter for a moment. "The hospital bag is in the car."
"Okay, we should be all set then," Steve said, holding the door open for Nat and Colin so they could make their way to the car. "Stay, Coco!" he called to the dog, who only barked in response, tail wagging.
"Careful, love. Take my arm," Colin urged her, as patiently as he could. He'd have to trust the Rogers to take care of Coco.
As the contraction eased, Nat straightened again, blowing out a stiff breath. "I guess it's too late to have second thoughts, right?" she asked, trying to alleviate some of the stress she could feel radiating off Colin as he helped her over the porch and down onto the gravel drive.
Steve secured the door behind them before sprinting to the car to get the door there, too. "We'll get you to the hospital in a jiffy!" he promised, as Colin lead her to the car and carefully helped her inside.
Her husband chuckled at her remark, relieved she still had her sense of humor. "A little bit," he had to admit.
Behind the wheel, Lucy glanced over her shoulder as the couple eased themselves into the back seat together. "How are we doing?" she asked with an encouraging smile. "No leaks yet?"
Nat threw her a dirty look. "Just for that, I'm gonna make sure I break water all over your back seat."
"So long as it's not all over my back seat," Colin mumbled under his breath. It hadn't been an easy feat getting his car to Rhy'Din, and it was no secret how possessive he was of it. Once Colin and Nat were settled in, Steve closed the door behind them, but not before Colin handed him his car keys. "Not a scratch, Cap," he warned.
Steve smiled at the man's concern. "Son, I've been driving since before you were born," he told the man before closing the door and looking to Lucy. "Meet you there in a bit," he told her, leaning down to give her a kiss. "Good luck!" he told them all, before patting the car to send them on their way.
Lucy flashed her husband a grin, turning back to the wheel. "Okay, no one look at the speed dial," she informed her passengers. "Your mission is to be calm for the next twenty minutes until we get you to the hospital."
Nat rolled her eyes. "She says, after mentioning that we shouldn't look at the speed dial," the redhead muttered. To be honest, she didn't care how fast Lucy drove, so long as the birth was over and done with quickly.
So long as Nat didn't give birth in the car, like Liv had. "No need to panic. Everything is under control," Colin said, though he wasn't too sure. He remembered the classes he and Nat had taken and thought they still had enough time. "How close together are your contractions?" he asked.
"Five minutes," Nat told him, tipping her head back against the seat. Her hand rubbed firmly over the proud jut of her belly, which felt taut and tense even between contractions right now. "Lasting about a minute. Steve said that was the right time to get moving."