Hill took a long time to return to visit Natasha again, and when she finally visited her, Natasha understood her reason. Hill was sad, like extremely sad and if she didn't show before, it's because she was sadder than she looks now and she doesn't know how to deal with her emotions, just like Natasha, but Natasha has learned how to trust people and how to express her emotions to those who are closest to her, but Hill doesn't know how to do that yet.

H: I thought I'd find Steve here.

N: He had more important things to do.

H: You look better.

N: Yeah... I am, I guess that's why Steve doesn't stay here for long anymore. I'm okay but you're not. I haven't seen you since Sarah's birthday. Steve said he didn't see when you left the party.

H: Do you remember the guy I was dating for a while?

N: Henry, right?

H: Yeah...

Hill sighed.

H: Well, it's over now.

Natasha frowned.

N: What happened??

H: I was at the Sarah's party and...

...

*During Sarah's party *

H: Hey, birthday girl, your mom asked me to give you this present.

Sarah gave a huge a smile, she took the present and unwrapped it, ripping the whole package in a hurry, she saw the Merida dress and she was astonished.

Sarah: This is the best present of all time!!!! I have to show daddy! DADDY!!!

Sarah ran to Steve who was talking to Elisa, Sharon and Sam.

Sarah: Look what Mommy gave to me.

Steve frowned.

S: Is your mother here?

Steve felt his heart freeze, Natasha is not well enough to leave the hospital yet.

H: I brought it for her. Natasha asked me to...

Hill said when she saw Steve all schocked.

Sarah: There's still a bow and arrow!!!

S: Why don't you show it to Uncle Clint? He will teach you how to use it.

Sarah nodded and ran to Clint, who was calling Francis's attention in a corner, because he was beign a naughty boy.

C: Hi birthday girl! Congratulations.

Sarah: Look, Uncle Clint. Same as yours.

C: Just the same! Can you use it?

Sarah shook her head.

C: I can teach you.

Sarah: But I have to put on my princess costume first.

Sarah ran back to Steve and ran out of breath this time, she was running through all the party for hours.

S: Sarah, slowly, it's your birthday, I know you're excited, but try to be calmer.

Sarah: My dress, my dress, daddy.

Elisa: I'll help you get dressed, Sarah.

Sarah looked at Elisa and James approached and frowned at Sarah. Sarah looked at James and she was a bit upset because James said she can't be nice to Elisa.

Sarah ignored Elisa and looked at Sharon Carter.

Sarah: Will you help me, please?

Sharon nodded and smiled.

Sharon: Of course.

Sarah looked at Elisa who was surprised that she ignored her.

Sarah felt too bad for doing this, she likes Elisa and she doesn't understand why she has to treat her badly. Sharon retired with Sarah and took her inside the school to change her clothes.

Sharon: There you go. You are ready and you look beautiful, Sarah.

Sarah: I'm not Sarah, anymore. I'm the Hawkeye!

Sarah picked up the bow and arrow and hurried back to the party.

Hill approached Elisa because she seemed to be out of place at the party and Steve had gone to pay attention to other guests.

Sharon returned to the party and joined Hill and Elisa, and so did Sam who approached and kissed Sharon on the lips.

Sam looked at Maria Hill.

Sam: Hill, there's a dude looking for you at the entrance.

H: What dude?

Sam: Oh, look at him, right there.

Hill turned to look at who it was and she nearly choked on the whiskey she was drinking. Of course the whiskey was in a disposable cup to look like soda to the eyes of everyone else.

Henry waved at Hill, before entering the party. Hill walked to him and she frowned, startled.

H: Henry!? What are you doing here??

Henry: Well, I came to Sarah's party...

Hill still looked astonished.

Henry: She invited my daughter, since you forgot to invite me to the party of your daughter.

Hill opened her mouth to speak, but her mind went blank. What could she say? To make everything worse, Sarah came running around and screaming for Steve.

Sarah: Daddy, Daddy!

Henry frowned and watched Sarah run over to Steve and he picked her up.

Henry looked at Hill.

Henry: Oh... Now I get it.

H: What?

Henry: Your ex is here.

H: Huh?

Henry: I thought you told me he lives in Canada, but... He's here and he is the captain America...

H: Uhm...

Steve approached Henry and held out his hand to greet him.

S: Hi! I don't think we've met yet. I'm Steve Rogers.

Henry: Yeah, I know, my name is Henry.

Sarah looked at Henry and raised her eyebrows, then she looked at Hill, who seemed to be wanting to kill her. Sarah raised her hands in the air, indicating that she forgot she shouldn't have called Henry's daughter.

S: Please, excuse me and enjoy the party...

Henry: Thank you.

Steve left with Sarah.

Henry looked at Hill.

Henry: Does he know that we...?

H: Oh yes, yes, he does know, of course.

Henry: He seems to be okay with that.

Henry seemed surprised.

H: Yeah, we've been separated for a long time, you know...

Hill had to make her moves to prevent Henry to talk to her friends in common with Steve and Natasha, and she was relieved to have been all right during all the party until the time of the singing Happy Birthday.

When everyone was gathered around the cake table, the lights went out, the candles lit, and everyone was singing Happy Birthday, Sarah was smiling, she looked at James beside her, then at Steve and then at the crowd around her. Many people there, but none of those faces, was her mother's, and she wanted Natasha there.

Sarah's smile broke off quickly, she started to blink and stopped to clap her hands along with everyone else, Sarah lowered her head and Steve watched her and got worried.

Steve put his hand on Sarah's back.

S: Hey, baby... What happened?

The Happy Birthday singing finished and the candles were still burning. The guests were silent, watching Sarah and she began to cry.

Sarah: I want my mommy!!!

Sarah cried out loud.

Henry: Wait, she's right here.

Henry shouted and pointed at Hill, who turned sideways and pretended to not be with her. Steve and the other guests looked at Henry, confused, it sounded like a bad joke because everyone knows Natasha is in the hospital.

Henry was extremely embarrassed and lowered his hand.

Steve looked into Sarah's eyes.

S: Honey, we'll see Mom as soon as we get out of here, okay?

Sarah: No! I want her now!!!

S: Can we serve the cake for everybody and go?

Sarah: No! I want mommy!!! I want mommy, daddy!

Sarah cried even more.

S: Alright, alright, no problem. Listen, I have to serve the cake for the guests, so you blow the candles, we serve the cake and then we go to the hospital to see mommy, okay?

Sarah nodded and wiped her tears, she leaned over the cake to blow the candles, but Francis Barton blowed before she could and he started to laugh of sarah's expression.

Torunn: Francis, you idiot!

Torunn punched Francis in the face, who started to cry because Torunn is very strong. Francis was going to push Torunn, but James came forward and ended up being pushed by Francis, and Francis got angry because James interfered so he grabbed James' shirt and Torunn grabbed Francis's, trying to get him off James.

Sarah found it funny and began to laugh, while Clint, Laura and Steve separated the three.

Henry looked at Hill.

Henry: So, is there anything you want to tell me?

Hill was too embarrassed to face Henry now.

Henry: You're unbelievable. I thought I had found the right woman this time... I thought you were different and I thought you were like me.

Henry smiled, but it was pure sarcasm and sadness.

Henry: I guess I was wrong about you.

Henry turned to leave, he picked up his daughter, and withdrew from the party. Hill wanted to run after him to say at least that she is sorry, but it seemed as if she had glued her shoes to the ground and she couldn't move or speak.

...

*Current days*

N: Why did you pretend Sarah was your daughter? That's just so stupid.

H: I know!!

N: Anyway, why are you feeling bad for this? It's not like you like this guy, I mean... c'mon...

H: I like do like him, Natasha.

N: Do you like him? For real?

Hill nodded.

N: Hill... please. You never like anyone. Like no one, you never feel anything, you're like my inspiration...

H: Yeah...

Natasha watched Hill and though she would laugh, or make fun of it, but she was really sad, so Natasha frowned.

N: If you really like him, why didn't you go after him when he left the party? Why didn't you call him, or tried to show what you were feeling?

H: For the same reasons you have to not admit that you are in love with Steve.

Natasha went silent and Hill too. They both looked at each other and sighed.

N: We are very fucked up.

H: Yes, we are.

N: Why can't we deal with what we feel?

H: I don't know. Part of the job, I guess...

Hill shrugged and Natasha frowned, thinking about something, she looked at Hill.

N: Hill... Listen to me. Maybe it's not late, you should look for him.

Hill laughed and shook her head.

H: Are you kidding?

N: No.

H: I can't, you know that. That's absurd.

N: Yes, you can.

H: I'm not running after any man, c'mon, are you going to run after Steve by any chance?

Natasha was silent again.

H: That's what I thought!

N: Maybe! I don't know... He's different.

H: Are you sure of what you feel for him now?

Natasha sighed again and shook her head.

N: I don't know. I mean, I know, but I'm afraid.

H: Of loving him?

N: Fear of failing to love him.

H: I don't understand.

N: It's like I'm afraid to not love him in a while. How will I know how I will feel in a few months, or years... What I mean is that I think I am in lov...

Natasha stopped talking when she heard knocks on the door, Natasha hoped it was Steve, but it was her friend, Clint Barton.

C: Did I disrupt a SHIELD gossip?

H: Screw you, Barton. I need to go.

Hill just left the room, she wasn't in the mood for talks, but that's what is always expected from her.

Clint approached Natasha.

C: How you doing?

N: Surviving.

C: Good... The babies?

N: They're okay.

C: Listen, Tasha... I need to tell you something.

N: What is it?

C: It's about Laura.

N: The nanny?? God!! I knew it! I knew it! Have you told Bobbi yet?

C: Are you crazy? If I tell her, I wake up in a mysterious place with my bag of arrows stuffed into my ass.

N: But did anything happen between you and Laura?

C: No, of course not.

N: Clint... I need to ask you something.

C: Say it...

N: Have you seen Steve?

C: Yes.

N: How do you think he is?

C: Oh... what do you mean by...

N: I mean how he is feeling, does he seems fine, or sad, or worried?

C: Oh he is fine. Actually, I haven't see him that fine for so long.

Natasha took a deep breath, feeling her heart hurt. How can Steve isbe fine if he hardly visits her now, who is making him happy than not her?

C: Why are you asking?

N: Nothing...

C: Uhm...

N: Is he dating Elisa yet?

C: I don't know, I think so, every once in a while they go out together. Must be.

Natasha snorted and Clint noticed Natasha's jealousy.

C: Wow... Is this happening again?

N: What?

C: You're falling for him.

N: Shut up.

C: Wow Natasha, it took a while, don't you think?

N: I'm not.

C: I know you. My mother always said that soul mates will always be in love. You have lost your memory, but not your heart.

N: Well, your mother is wrong.

C: About what?

N: He's not in love with me, not anymore.

C: But you consider him to be your soul mate, then?

N: What?

Natasha was confused by Clint's questions, she frowned and pushed him.

N: You're going to make this equipment beep. Get out of here.

C: You know if you snap your fingers, he comes back pretty fast for you.

N: It's not like that anymore.

C: If it was, as soon as he arrived here, you would reject him.

N: Yeah, you know me that well. Barton... why didn't we work out? You and me?

Clint started to laugh.

N: I mean, besides the abortion that made you hate me at that time... but... We got along just fine, right?

C: I would make jokes, you would not laugh, I would tinker you and you would beat me, I would say anything and you would roll your eyes.

Natasha laughed, remembering the moments when she and Clint were in a love relationship.

C: You always wanted to show that you don't care enough about anyone or anyone you date. I'm not trying to make you feel bad... I'm just trying to make you see the same as me, I only saw you demonstrate real love and passion for one person...

N: You're going to say Steve...

C: See? You already know the answer.

N: That's what everybody says.

C: That's how everybody saw, Natasha.

N: When we first made love after the coma I was in. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

C: I don't want to hear about it, spare me.

N: Shut up, Clint. I'm serious. I could feel his love through his touch and when he looked at me, he left me naked, more naked than I already was. I couldn't accept it.

C: Then you ran away.

N: I didn't feel anything. It felt good to feel his love, but I didn't feel anything. I didn't know him. But even feeling nothing, I felt that at some point he would realize that and get hurt, and I didn't want this to happen. The most impressive was that even after we divorced and I left his house, he still loved me at the same intensity, it was difficult to keep away from what attracted me so much.

C: Just attraction?

N: Just attraction.

C: But something has changed...

N: Yeah... I don't know how or when. I didn't even notice it, just now.

C: Then you want him back.

N: I want him to be happy. How can anyone be happy with me?

C: He was happy with you, Natasha and if you're feeling this way, you should be honest with him.

N: I can't, he doesn't want me anymore, he's overcoming and moving on.

C: But he's not quite gone yet.

N: I'm afraid to make him come back and then give up again. What if I don't feel the same in a month or a year? What if I'm only proudly wounded?

C: I don't know. These are questions that only you have the answer.

Clint kissed Natasha's forehead and left the room. Natasha rested her head on the pillow and half an hour later, she fell asleep.

...

About a month later, Steve and Elisa were talking at the door of the diner at night. The diner was already closed.

S: So tell me about this new guy who wants to steal you from me.

E: Stop, Steve.

Elisa laughed and Steve smiled.

E: He's just an idiot who has not left my side since I got into college.

S: Is he handsome like me?

E: You know that's impossible.

S: Well, then keep looking.

Elisa laughed and Steve too.

E: Don't be silly. I'll never find a man like you.

S: I don't think so. You can find some better.

E: Maybe. Likely...

Elisa laughed again.

S: I'm just kidding, I think you should give the idiot a try.

E: Really?

S: Yes...

E: And you?

S: Me? I am fine.

E: Are you going to have another woman?

S: No... I have no intentions and no interest in anyone right now.

E: Except for a certain redhead...

S: No... I told you, that passed. I'm over it.

E: It does not look like it.

S: Do you want to know if I still love her? Yes. If I want to be with her? No. I'm finally feeling good, alone.

E: No one is well alone.

S: Well they say that I am different from everybody... And I am not alone, I have two beautiful children and two more on the way.

E: And where are you going all charming like that?

S: My friends want to take me to a bar. By the way, I have to go. Do you want a ride home?

E: No, go have fun, I'll take a cab.

Steve kissed Elisa's face and got on the bike, he honked before leaving. Elisa waved and motioned for a cab that was passing on the street.

A few weeks ago, Elisa and Steve decided that they couldn't date anymore, and after much insistence, Steve managed to make Elisa accept to be friends with him and they have been good friends. Only.

...

A few days later...

N: Can I go home now?

Cho: No... Not yet.

N: I feel fine!

Steve knocked on the door and entered the room.

Cho: Hi, daddy of the year. Welcome.

S: Hello, Dr. Cho. How are you, Natasha?

Natasha looked at Steve and nodded.

S: How are the babies?

Cho: They gave us a little fright this morning.

S: What do you mean??

Cho: Natasha had a little bleeding, but she's under control now.

Steve looked at Natasha worriedly.

N: They're fine.

Cho: Yes, they are fine. Excuse me.

Cho left the room, Steve walked over to the bed and looked at Natasha's belly.

S: Can I?

Natasha sat better on the bed and nodded to allow Steve to touch her beely. Steve sat on the bed and laid his hands on Natasha's belly, which still makes her sigh.

S: It's huge.

Steve smiled.

N: I hope you're talking about the babies.

Natasha frowned a bit. Steve looked in her eyes.

S: Yeah... You're Okay, don't worry.

Steve bent over and kept his ear pressed to Natasha's belly.

S: Hey, babies? Are you listening? It's Daddy here. Get out of there safely, okay? And stop scaring us.

Natasha laughed softly at Steve talking to the babies.

N: My navel is not a microphone, you know that, right?

S: Who said no? Yes it is.

Steve spoke to the babies again.

S: Tell Mom that you guys are listening to what I say.

The babies kicked Natasha's belly, and both Steve and Natasha were surprised.

N: It was just a coincidence.

S: No, no, no, they heard. And they answered me. They answered dad.

Natasha and Steve laughed and Natasha looked to her belly.

N: Okay... Babes, are you listening???

Natasha put her hands on the sides of her belly, this time the babies didn't move. She raised an eyebrow, looking at Steve.

N: See?

S: No, no, they talked to me. I'm sure.

Natasha and Steve laughed.

Steve sat up correct again and continued to caress Nat's belly. Natasha broke her smile and looked to the side for a few seconds, then she looked back at Steve, who was admiring the shape of Natasha's belly and she felt a chill run through her body, uncertain of what to do or not about what Hill and Clint told her.

Natasha frowned and took a deep breath, making the decision to try. She slipped her fingers imperceptibly until she reached Steve's hand, and when she touched his fingers, she lost her breath, she wasn't sure about how he would react and it was like if her heart had stopped of fear of what could happen.

Steve looked at Natasha's fingers in his hand and he stopped moving his hand and he was just staring at their hands for a minute.

Natasha didn't know what Steve was thinking now and she was feeling stupid to have had the initiative to touch him. Steve sighed, keeping his stare to their hands and then he moved his finger down on Natasha's hand, caressing one of her fingers.

Natasha finally breathed again, it was a relief to see that he accepted this small, but significant, gesture of love of her. Natasha waited for Steve to look to her eyes now, but he took a few more minutes to finally look in her eyes.

All that Natasha wanted and expected was for Steve to kiss her right now, as he always does, showing love and desire for her and all that longing he feels for her and now she shares the same longing, but Steve only removed his hand from her and got up.

Natasha felt as if he had taken her heart from her chest, she is not an affectionate person, she never has the initiative to start things like cuddles, stroking, kissing, etc, but she decided to do it for Steve and even being afraid of doing it, she had the courage to do it, but Steve did not respond the way she expected.

Steve walked away from her bed and remained silent and with his back to Natasha, he turned his face a little to the side, but not enough to look into her eyes.

S: I... I have to go.

Natasha felt her eyes fog when Steve left the room and left her alone, when she rubbed her eyes, she noticed that her vision was fog by the tears that were blurring her eyes, she opened her lips, because breathing only through her nose, was not enough. If he had just shot her, it would hurt less than that.

♫ I see you making mistake and this is not a sin

Except when it makes another person bleed

I see you dreaming and it scares me

Lost in a world that I can't get in

You are walking out of my life

And it looks like it's going to take a while

If you don't know how to come back

At least send news

Do you think I'm crazy?

But everything will fit

I'm enjoying every second

Before everything turns into a tragedy

And it's no use even looking for me.

In other tones, in other laughs

I was here all the time

Only you didn't see

You're always coming and going, that's okay

This time I already put on my armor

And even if nothing works

I'll be standing, chin up

Then you see me red and thinks it's funny

But I wouldn't look good on your shelf

Just for today I don't want to see you anymore

Just for today I will not take my dose of you

I'm tired of crying about wounds that do not close, that do not heal

And this abstinence one hour will pass

♪

**This song at the end in from a singer from my country, her name is Pitty and the song's title is "Na Sua Estante", just in case you want to know the song, check on youtube**