Memories in the form of Delirium

N: You got to be fucking kidding me. What are you doing here? It was for you to be in the car with Tony and the others!!!

S: The car is far away from here, if something goes wrong, it may not give me time to come to rescue.

N: Rescue?

T: Oh, wait! Dorito is in there? But how come I didn't see him leaving the car?

N: Listen to me... You're going to ruin everything!

S: I don't want you to risk yourself.

C: Cap, I thought we'd already solved this issue.

N: He doesn't trust me!

S: Of course I trust you. I don't trust him.

N: Oh my God, how old do you think I am? You know what? Whatever, I need to go back there, and make my job, so don't do anything stupid.

S: I can say the same for you.

Natasha left the bathroom and returned to the hotel lobby, she walked over to Clint, and as she sat down, he yawned and stood up, announcing that he was going to bed. All part of the staging.

As Clint headed for the elevator, the door opened and Daniel was coming out of the elevator, he stared at Clint and then watched Natasha sitting alone at the table.

Natasha removed her sunglasses and placed them in her bag. Natasha walked to the bar and sat down on the stool. She raised her finger, discreetly, calling the bartender. As the bartender approached her, Daniel, the target, sat beside her.

D: I'd like a Martini, please. Oh I'm sorry, you can write down the request of this beautiful woman before.

Natasha didn't look at Daniel.

N: Vodka. Pure, please.

D: Vodka, huh? It's not a drink for a delicate woman.

N: Leave me alone, I'm with someone.

Daniel looked around.

D: Really? You doesn't seem to be. What kind of man leaves a woman like you alone at the bar?

Natasha smiled almost imperceptibly, just enough to make Daniel notice and believe that he touched her somehow.

D: Are you here as tourist?

N: I came to accompany my husband. Business trip.

Natasha finally made eye contact. The look she threw was enough to catch Daniel's attention for the rest of the night.

D: You must be feeling very bored. Have you ever been to the city? There's a lot of beautiful places here.

N: No, actually, I've only been following my husband around. When he requests.

D: He works on what?

N: With stock exchange. And you, sir...?

D: Williams. Daniel Williams. But call me Daniel.

N: And you, Daniel? Are you here to work too?

D: How do you know that?

N: You've left your security guards further, but I can tell they escort you. So you must be very important.

D: Yes, they are escorting me. Very clever... I like that in a woman, ma'am...?

N: Natalie Rushman.

D: Russian... Well they say the russians are the most beautiful women.

Natasha forced a fake smile.

D: Would you like to have dinner with me?

N: I said I'm married!

D: It's just dinner, nothing more.

The bartender was taking longer than usual with the drinks, but Natasha didn't notice, because she was focused on the mission and also she got a little distracted because of the unexpected meeting with Steve.

What Natasha didn't know is that the bartender works for Daniel, helping him pick up women, so he mixed a drug in Natasha's drink.

The bartender delivered the drink of Natasha and Daniel's. They both picked up the glasses, toasted and drunk.

Steve was coming out of the bathroom, when he noticed Natasha and Daniel at the bar, he sat on a stool, a little further from the two, and he watched what the bartender did.

Daniel continued to talk to Natasha, until she began to feel dizzy, he offered help to take her to her room, but he ended up leading her to his room. Steve followed them and waited on the emergency stairs, watching the security guards standing at the door.

Steve was impatient, he wants to act right now, he doesn't know what Daniel was going to do with Natasha in that state.

The security guards, after ten minutes, left and entered their own rooms. Steve ran to the door of Daniel's room and noticed that it was locked.

Steve used his shield to break the lock and invade the room, when he came in, Natasha was mounted on all fours, over Daniel's body, with a knife pressed against his neck.

Natasha looked back at Steve, she was in shock and at the same time furious.

N: What the fuck, Steve!

S: I thought...

Natasha looked at Daniel again.

N: Where is it?

Daniel just smiled sarcastically as Natasha began to feel even more dazed. She was strong and the serum was blocking the action of the drugs in her body, but a part of the drugs began to take effect on her.

Daniel took advantage of the moment, to take her wrist and twist it, making her release the knife. Steve came over and struck the shield on Daniel's head, making him faint in time.

S: Nat?

Natasha couldn't answer, her eyes were open, but she couldn't react. Steve noticed the briefcase that Tony presented on the big screen and took it, he tried to open but he couldn't, not now because he is worried about Natasha.

Clint appeared at the door of Daniel's room.

C: Captain? But what the hell are you doing here? Is that Natasha? What happened to her?

S: I can't open this to take the pen drive, let's take the whole suitcase.

Steve threw the suitcase at Clint and picked Natasha on his arms.

S: Come on.

Clint and Steve ran to the hall. Clint pressed the elevator button, and when the elevator arrived, one of Daniel's security guards opened the door and saw the three of them with the suitcase, he looked at the door of Daniel's room broken and called his partner.

Clint, Steve, and Natasha entered the elevator under a wave of shots that Steve managed to block using his shield. As they reached the lobby of the hotel, Clint noticed that the hotel security guards were approaching them, discreetly for having too many civilians nearby.

C: This guy hired the whole hotel?

S: Clint, we have to go. Go! Go! Go.

Clint opened the exit door and Steve ran with Natasha in his arms and Clint ran right behind them. The security guards began to chase them on the street.

T: No fighting, she said... And just when I am feeling too lazy to wear my armor?

Sam: You don't have to use it, open the door.

Tony unlocked the door of the van, and Clint and Steve with Natasha in his arms entered the car. They managed to get away in time.

Inside the van Natasha fainted, Steve still held her and patted her face to try to wake her up.

S: Natasha! Natasha!

C: She'll be fine.

Upon reaching the base, Steve put her on the stretcher that was already waiting for her, he accompanied the nurses who took her to Dr. Cho's consulting room.

Cho picked up a flashlight, lifted Natasha's eyelids and tested the reflexes. She ordered the nurses to administer medication into her vein.

Cho turned to Steve and Clint who were inside the infirmary.

Cho: She's going to get enough sleep now, but she'll be fine. It's late, I'm going home but I'm going to leave a nurse here, call me if you need anything.

Steve nodded.

C: Thank you, Doctor.

S: You don't have to stay, Clint.

C: Sure?

S: Yes. See you tomorrow.

C: You mean later, it's 2:00 in the morning.

Clint smiled and patted Steve on the shoulder to say goodbye and left the room.

Steve called home to hear about the kids.

S: Sharon?

Sharon: Hi. I was worried about you.

S: We had a problem and Natasha was injured... I'm staying with her in the hospital... Do you mind spending the night there?

Sharon: Not at all.

S: How are they?

Sharon: They asked a lot about you.

S: I'm so sorry for that. I hope they didn't give too much work for you.

Sharon: Well, James is very... energetic. Sarah is a sweetheart, she's in my lap sleeping now. James is sleeping on the couch.

S: I'm going to owe you one.

Sharon: And I'll charge.

S: Please do.

Steve smiled and hung up.

Steve sat on an chair facing Natasha's stretcher. He was also exhausted and eventually fell asleep. Two hours later, Steve awoke with Natasha moaning and shivering on the stretcher, he got up right away and went to the stretcher.

Natasha moved her head from side to side, but she was still asleep.

N: Steve?

S: Natasha?

She didn't answer, obviously she was dreaming.

N: That hurts so much...

S: What hurts?

Steve didn't know if she was talking to him, or talking in her dream.

N: I can't... I can't do it. Will you stay with me? Steve? I can't, Steve, help me.

Steve leaned against Natasha's hand to try to calm her, he noticed that she had a fever and she seemed to be having some nightmare.

When Steve placed his hand on her, she calmed down, her facial expression was no longer of pain, in fact she seemed to be smiling.

N: She's so beautiful...

Natasha shook her head again.

N: Sarah...

Steve called the nurse who came running and applied medicine in her vein for her to get better.

N: Stay with me, Steve.

S: She's delirious.

- It's normal, her fever is very high, but she'll get better soon.

N: James... Don't cry...

Natasha went back to a heavy sleep, and after half an hour the fever disappeared. Steve moved the chair to the side of her stretcher and hold her hand all the time.

When Natasha woke up, on the next morning, she took a deep breath and looked around, trying to recognize where she was. Natasha saw Steve with his head on the stretcher and he was holding her hand.

Natasha laid her head on the pillow and fell asleep again.

Steve woke up an hour later and left her hand resting on her belly. The moment he got up, Natasha moved and let out a low moan. Steve stood still, looking at her. Natasha opened her eyes and her first sight was Steve.

S: How do you feel?

Natasha shook her head.

S: I'll see if Cho has come back to examine you.

Steve was already turning to leave, but Natasha called him.

N: Steve?

Steve stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

N: You saved me last night.

S: I thought you'd be mad at me now.

N: I am mad. You shouldn't have followed me! Still... I owe you one.

S: You don't owe me anything.

Natasha prepared to get up, she sat down and Steve ran to the stretcher and leaned against her waist and shoulder, preventing her from getting up.

S: Please, wait for Cho to come back.

N: But I'm fine.

S: Natasha... Please. Stay on the bed.

Natasha sighed, but she owes this to Steve. Natasha lay down again and watched Steve.

S: Do you remember what you were dreaming about?

N: Huh?

S: You kept talking while you were sleeping.

Natasha frowned in confusion and tried remember about what she had dreamed about. The more she tried to remember, the more she forgot.

N: Funny... I don't remember now, but it had been intense. What I said?

S: Nothing that makes sense...

Steve lied, feeling a bit disappointed, he knows that she dreamed about Sarah's birth.

N: Did you spend the night here?

Steve nodded.

N: But what about children?

S: Sharon spent the night with them.

N: Sharon? Who's that

S: A SHIELD agent.

N: I don't remember her. You need to go home, Steve.

S: Not until Cho shows up.

N: Steve, I'm fine and I gave you my word that I would wait for Cho. You can trust me.

S: Okay...

Steve looked into her eyes and felt honesty in her eyes. He just agreed to leave because of the children.

S: If you need anything...

N: I know, I'll call you.

Steve went to the door, and when he left, he came across with Bucky in the hallway. The two greeted each other awkwardly.

Steve wanted to know what Bucky was going to do there in the infirmary and Bucky was embarrassed to cross with him.

S: Bucky.

B: Steve.

That's all one said to the other.

Bucky knocked on the door, Natasha looked to see who was coming in.

B: I heard what happened. Are you alright?

N: Thanks to your friend, yes.

B: I found it strange that you didn't realize that you were being drugged...

N: I distracted myself... Thanks to your friend too. He is very protective.

B: He is.

Bucky said bending his head a little, the sentence contained a bit of jealousy and Natasha noticed, but she didn't care.

N: Why are you here?

B: I came to know how you are...

N: James... I know you. You knew I was fine. Why did you come here?

B: Don't ask me that, Natalia. You know the answer.

N: You should be a man and assume at least. I know you still feel something.

B: I do, always felt, but I can't.

N: Why not?

B: Because you love him.

N: I don't love him.

B: Yes, you do, you just.... You don't remember. No one has ever seen you so in love before. I didn't even know you were capable of feeling it.

N: Now you're just offending me.

B: It's the truth, you've always been very insensitive.

N: It's not true.

B: Yes, it is. Did you ever love me?

N: I... I was in love with you.

B: You never cared about me.

N: I cared, but Ivan put a lot of pressure on me. I couldn't disappoint him.

B: But me, you could.

Natasha looked away and sighed. Dr. Cho entered the room.

Cho: Good morning. Oh, you look so much better, nATASHA.

N: Give me that discharge right away.

B: I'll leave you now...

Bucky headed for the door, but before he took one last look at Natasha who was staring at him.

Cho measured Natasha's pressure and took a blood sample.

Cho: I'll have it analyzed, but I think you're fine. You can go now.

Natasha called Hill who sent a car to pick her up at the base of the Avengers and take her to SHIELD. When she arrived there, Hill persuaded her to not go on any outside assignment.

H: I have issues to settle in Texas, I'm going to leave now.

N: Texas?

H: Yeah, Fury wants me to find him there.

N: Should I go?

H: No, he asked only me and Coulson to go. Here, take the keys of my apartment.

N: I'll start looking for a place for me tomorrow.

H: Finally, that's good to her, I don't have space for two people.

N: Wow, you're so honest.

H: You know I am. See you tomorrow and Natasha... It's after 7:00 pm, go home and rest.

N: Actually I am leaving now.

...

Steve didn't return to the Avengers' base because his kids were very sensitive that he hadn't come back home the day before.

Steve took them to school and he also picked them after, which made them both very excited.

Steve spent the afternoon with them at home.

It was already close to 9pm, Steve was sitting on the floor of the living room, next to Sarah who was scribbling a paper.

James was lying on the couch, watching cartoons on tv.

Sarah: Look at this one, Daddy.

S: It's very beautiful. What is it?

Sarah: It's you!

S: Oh! Me?

Sarah: I'm going to do Jamie now.

Sarah picked up a blue clayon and made a crooked ball.

Sarah: Here.

S: Very nice, princess. James looks great.

Sarah: It's not James!

Sarah frowned, staring at Steve seriously.

Sarah: It's his bike

S: Oh, really?

J: Dad, I'm hungry!

S: I'm too tired to cook, so I'll order a pizza.

The doorbell rang.

Steve looked at the clock and he was surprised to have visitors at this hour. He got up and went to the door, when he looked through the Magic Eye, he was extremely surprised to see who it was.

Steve opened the door.

S: Hi?

N: Hi! Is it too late? The kids are sleeping?

S: No... No, they're here.

Steve was so surprised that he didn't even move for Natasha to come in.

N: Can I... come in? I promised I would see them.

S: Of course, sorry.

Steve finally moved and Natasha entered the apartment.

Sarah and James looked at her, James got up and ran to his mother, he hugged Natasha's waist.

Natasha hugged James, then she ducked to look in his eyes.

N: Hi, how are you?

J: I'm fine. I made a volcano to my school science project, do you want to see it?

N: Of course.

J: Yes! I'll go get it.

Natasha smiled and James ran to his bedroom.

Natasha looked at Sarah, who looked away as soon as Natasha looked at her.

Sarah began to scribble again. Natasha walked and sat on the couch behind her.

N: This is very beautiful.

Sarah didn't answer, she continued to draw.

N: I can draw a pony, you know?

Sarah frowned and looked at Natasha.

Sarah: Me too! Want to see? Want to see?

Sarah took another paper from the floor and set it down on the little table, she did a random scribble and showed it to Natasha. Natasha raised both eyebrows and couldn't help but laugh.

N: Yeah, this one is way better than mine.

Sarah: I know. I'm very good at it.

Steve took advantage of the fact that Natasha was with Sarah and he called the pizzeria, ordering pizza.

James returned to the living room with the volcano and pushed the drawings of Sarah to the floor to put the volcano on the table.

Sarah: Hey!!! Bad boy!

Natasha grabbed Sarah and put her on her lap so she wouldn't start a fight with James.

Natasha analyzed the volcano, and it was really good.

N: Did you do it yourself?

J: Cindy and Sharon helped me.

N: I bet you'll get a 10.

J: And it works! Want to see?

S: Oh no, no, no, James. You better activate the volcano at school, otherwise the room will get dirty and you have to leave the best for the presentation.

J: Are you going, mom?

N: Where?

S: There's a science fair tomorrow in his school. It will be after class.

Natasha looked at Steve and then at James.

N: I'm sorry, James. But I'll be working.

J: Oh... Yeah, I already knew that.

James said bowing down his head.

N: But I'll try to go, I promise.

J: Whatever.

The bell rang again and Steve asked James to put the volcano back in his bedroom.

S: It's the pizza. Do you have dinner with us, Natasha?

Sarah: Stay, mamma. Please.

N: Well, I can't refuse pizza! Right?

Sarah and James screamed, celebrating that Natasha was staying for dinner. They all sat on the floor around the small table. Sarah sat between Natasha's legs and was already putting her hand on the pizza, but Natasha took her hand.

N: It's hot, remember when you got the fries and it burned your mouth?

S: That's true.

J: The first one is mine!

S: I thought it was the ladies first, James...

J: Oh...

N: Alright, we'll wait. Go ahead, James.

James smiled and Steve handed him his slice and then another one for Natasha, who shared her slice with Sarah.

Steve watched as Natasha took care of blowing each piece of pizza to hand to Sarah.

After they had finished eating, Steve and Natasha put the children on the bed, and as usual, they bumped each other on the hallway, but this time their bodies didn't collide.

Steve smiled a little, and the way he looked at her was full of love and gratitude for her coming and staying a little bit with the kids. Natasha was embarrassed because she is not used to being looked at like that.

N: Well, I'll... I should go.

S: It's late. You can stay. If you want.

Natasha looked around, she sighed and looked at Steve again. Steve felt as if he had to explain what he asked.

S: I mean you can stay in the bedroom, I sleep here on the couch.

N: Thank you, but no, I'd rather go home. Thanks for the pizza.

S: No problem.

Natasha was leaving, but she decided to compensate Steve giving a tender kiss on his face, she came to trust him more after he saved her.

Steve just watched her walk to the door. Natasha looked at him again before leaving and she gave a very discreet smile for Steve, before closing the door and going away.