May 23, 2027

★ ★ ★

The last few months of Marlena Claire's pregnancy had been nothing short of bittersweet bliss. While she spent most of it chasing after her other two children, she also found that she had more time to focus on the planning of her upcoming wedding. With a plethora of family members and friends willing to step in and help Steve and Marlena out with the two nine-year-olds that seemed to be at the peak of their mischievous youth, Marlena was finally feeling like things were falling into place once again.

It'd been five months since Doctor Stephen Strange's heeded warning regarding Charlie and her powers had caused Marlena and her family some distress during Christmastime. She was more than thankful that during the development of what she assumed would be her final pregnancy, he had either opted to leave them alone for a while or he was off somewhere working to learn more about the extent of her daughter's capabilities. Regardless, she was more than happy to take advantage of it to get a grip on her life and the chaos to come now that there would soon be three children for her to look after.

Marlena stood with the refrigerator door open in front of her, scanning its shelves for the one thing she'd been craving all morning. As her eyes searched side to side, her vision became doubled and she groaned in frustration. Somehow, she managed to spot what she'd been looking for and snatched it up in her hands.

Double vision was just one of the many side-effects this pregnancy had caused her, which was very unusual to her as she had experienced no issues while pregnant with the twins. Between that, her nausea that seemed to last far beyond the typical first trimester, and frequent headaches, Marlena and her doctor had determined she was experiencing gestational hypertension—high blood pressure specific to pregnancy.

Despite the symptoms and the effect they had on Marlena's body, she did remain in a relatively positive mood. It was hard not to when she was consistently surrounded by the family and friends she had spent so many years thinking she'd lost forever. So many of them had been there for her through her difficult pregnancy, whether it was letting her rant or babysitting her children to give her a break.

"Hey, Mar, you're looking a lot bigger these days," Sam's familiar chuckle caused her to huff in annoyance as she shut the refrigerator door.

"Bite me, Wilson." She responded before stuffing a breakfast bagel in her mouth, not even bothering to spread cream cheese on it yet. She'd been hungrier than usual, but she knew no matter how much she wanted to blame that on her hypertension, she knew that was just who she was with or without child.

Sam threw up his hands in response. "Hey, hey, I'm just saying, we could probably get you set up with one of those little wide-load signs they put on trucks—"

Just then, Steve returned to the kitchen from the kids' room, and shot Sam a look. "Poking fun at a severely pregnant superhuman? You're an even bigger idiot than I thought."

"How the hell did you even get in here? I don't remember giving you a key." Marlena narrowed her eyes at Sam and popped another bite of bagel in her mouth.

Sam rolled his eyes in response. "Which offends me, by the way. Steve let me in a bit ago."

Marlena finished chewing as Steve caught her up in a gentle hug. He rested his chin on the top of her head, her brunette locks tickling his face. He'd found it harder to resist hugging her and holding her close in the final days before their baby would enter the world, because he knew their little girl would be the focus of their attention from the second she was born.

"Hi," Marlena hummed as she leaned into him. "What time's Buck coming?" She glanced over at the stove's clock, which read half past ten. Her vision was clearing up again, making her more than thankful.

"He isn't. Why else would I be standing in your kitchen watching you suck in breakfast pastries like some sort of bottomless pit?" Sam remarked before snatching the jug of orange juice that sat on the counter in front of Steve and Marlena.

"Maybe because you have nothing better to do than mouth off and infest our juice with your germs." Marlena snickered and used her psionics to swiftly remove the orange juice from Sam's hands just as he was about to press the jug to his lips.

"You, my friend, are an animal." Steve narrowed his eyes at Sam, though a smirk soon followed.

As frustrating as Sam could be sometimes, Steve was so grateful to have him around; he was grateful to have everyone they loved frequently in and out of the home he and Marlena made for themselves. After all they'd endured, having them back was everything he'd wanted.

"Why is Bucky having you pick up Charlie and Jay?" Marlena asked as she began ransacking their kitchen cupboards for something else to eat, her bagel long gone by now. "He told me he was free to watch them."

Sam folded his arms over his chest and took a seat at the counter next to Steve. "Not supposed to say."

Steve cocked his head sideways and eyed Sam, trying to figure out what that was supposed to mean.

"What, he's got a date or something?" he asked Sam, though he figured that was probably the last reason why Bucky would ask Sam to watch the kids.

Marlena turned to look at Sam, waiting to find out what the answer was before remembering she didn't exactly need to wait. She took the smallest peek into his mind, and her lips turned up into a smile upon finding her answer.

"Bucky's baby shopping? I wish I was there to see that," Marlena laughed, remembering the times when Bucky had gone into shops with her during her pregnancy. He'd been endlessly frustrated that so many baby toys made sounds or lit up, and she knew it had everything to do with him having grown up in a time where wooden blocks were as exciting as it got.

"How many times do I have to tell you—" Sam shook his head, "—Stay outta my head, super freak."

"Bucky doesn't have to buy anything for the baby; she isn't even here yet," Steve pointed out, turning his attention to one of the many baby books he'd picked up from a library in the city. Becoming a first-time father was everything to Steve, but it was also unchartered territory. He knew how to handle the nine-year-olds, but he had no idea how to handle a fragile baby. Even despite Marlena's constant reassurance as the time of her due date drew nearer, Steve was still reading the books every chance he got.

"True, but I still think she's going to come a few days early," Marlena replied to Steve as she leaned against the counter, propping her elbows up on the granite. She'd abandoned her search for food upon realizing that it'd been far too long since they'd made a grocery run. "After the baby appointment, can we stop by Whole Foods? We'll be entering the dark times if we don't restock this kitchen soon." She looked to Steve, hoping he would say yes. She knew he would.

"Sure." Steve flipped through the pages of one of the baby books, causing Sam to laugh.

"Man, you can't read this shit in a book. You gotta live it to learn it, Cap."

Marlena nearly doubled over with laughter. "And what the hell do you know about raising a baby, Sammy?"

Sam's brows knit together and he turned to look at Marlena. "I meant that I don't think any of those books have anything in them about raising a super baby."

Shrugging her shoulders, Marlena pushed herself off of the counter and headed towards the hallway to see what Charlie and Jay were up to. As she left she called out to Sam from the hall, "I had two at once last time, so I think I can handle one more!"

Once she disappeared from view, Steve closed the book he'd been scanning and turned to Sam.

"We haven't talked about it much, but I can't shake the feeling that she might be born without powers," he told his friend, something that he hadn't even mentioned to Marlena in a while. They'd discussed it before, but as her pregnancy had progressed, he just kept feeling more strongly about his suspicion.

Sam leaned back on his barstool, his eyebrows raised. "I don't know much about fatherly intuition—if that's even a thing—but I don't see how that's possible. I mean, look at Charlie and Jay. Genetically, there shouldn't be too many differences between you and Bucky. And no offense, but your psycho girlfriend is pumped full of powers from two Infinity Stones. A super baby seems pretty likely."

Steve's lips pursed and he nodded, "I guess so...it's just that she had no issues whatsoever when pregnant with the twins. This time she has, and it just makes me wonder." He stood up from his seat and went to the coat rack beside the front door, retrieving Charlie's and Jay's jackets. "She's my fiancée, by the way."

"Guess we'll find out soon then," Sam responded, spinning around in his seat to watch what Steve was doing. "It's May and almost 70° outside, Steve. They don't need jackets."

Steve frowned as he headed back over to where Sam sat and threw the jackets in his friend's lap. "It's breezy today. They could catch a chill."

"'Breezy...catch a chill?' Are you being serious right now? What is this, The Parent Trap?" Sam snickered as he made one last effort to secure the orange juice Marlena had taken from him.

"I love that movie!" Charlie scampered into the room, followed by her brother and Marlena.

"Me, too! It's about twins, like us!" Jay beamed as he climbed up onto the barstool Steve had previously occupied.

"When did you watch that? I've never heard of it."

"That's 'cause you're like a billion years old and Mom says you barely watch movies from our time," Charlie giggled as she passed Steve.

"We used to watch movies with Alena all the time, Uncle Steve. Alena loved The Parent Trap just as much as we do," Jay spoke softly as he reached for a cup of orange juice Marlena had set out for him earlier.

Marlena laughed, though it wasn't necessarily a real one. "Gee, I wonder why Alena loved that movie so much. I bet it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the entire plot is about twins switching places."

"How's she doing?" Sam asked, eyeing Jay's orange juice.

"The past few months have been really good for her, I think. I haven't seen her much lately since she got her job at Stark Industries, but I know she'll be coming to visit me at the hospital whenever our little girl decides to make her arrival," Marlena replied, placing a hand on her belly. "Speaking of, we have to be at the doctor's in thirty, Steve. You almost ready?"

"Almost," Steve nodded and reached out to ruffle Jay's hair, asking him, "Did you brush your teeth yet?"

"Yeah, man, your breath is kickin'," Sam teased as he stood up from his barstool.

"Uncle Sammy, do we get to hang out with you today?" Charlie exclaimed as she brushed past Steve and practically jumped into Sam's arms.

"I brush my teeth every day, Uncle Steve," Jay replied lowly. "Unlike my disgusting sister." He shot his sister a sneaky smirk, but Marlena and Steve easily spotted it.

Charlie leaned back in Sam's arms and stuck her tongue out at her brother while hanging upside down.

"Chill out, chill out." Sam let out a laugh as he lowered Charlie to the floor. "Girl, get in there and brush those teeth so we can go. You can probably do it hands free with your freaky little powers, so there really is no excuse—"

"Don't encourage her, Sam," Marlena whispered to him after Charlie took off for the bathroom.

Steve followed behind her to make sure she was actually doing what they asked; lately she had a habit of doing the opposite of what they said and both he and Marlena believed it had everything to do with them being so overbearing the last few months. They hadn't had much of a choice due to her growing powers and lack of control over them.

"How is that going by the way?" Sam asked Marlena, his tone now more serious.

Marlena shrugged as she stuffed various toys and trinkets scattered across the living room into the kids' backpacks. They were at the age where they needed either constant engagement or else they would drive whoever was babysitting them up the wall.

"About the same as the last time you asked, unfortunately. I won't lie to you, Sam, I really am worried for what it'll be like when the baby's born."

"You think she won't adjust well to having a little sibling around?" Sam joined Marlena in the living room area, and picked up one of the twins' iPads up from the table. He handed it to Marlena and watched as she stuffed it in one of the bags.

Marlena peered over her shoulder at the empty hallway before turning back to Sam. "Honestly, yes. Steve, Bucky, and I have been coddling her so much ever since the incident at the Trade Center. She's been the focus of our attention because we just don't know yet how to handle her increasing strength. When the baby comes, it won't be as easy to keep up that constant attention, but we're gonna have to figure it out. It's been months and I don't think she's made the progress that we'd hoped for."

Sam nodded understandingly. "She's a tough kid, though. Maybe the coddling thing isn't the solution. Steve mentioned she'd been a bit rebellious lately?"

"Yeah, but we figured she was picking those traits up from 'Uncle Sammy,'" Marlena teased, though she couldn't help but return to a more serious mindset upon thinking of the trouble Charlie'd gotten herself into between Christmas and now. "She's been behaving better for Bucky, but they really are just so similar, it makes sense. I think she wants to be more independent, but I just don't think she's ready."

"I think all parents feel that way, Marlena."

"Not all parents are raising a child with the potential to cause a catastrophe with a simple thought," Marlena reminded Sam. She let out a sigh and stood up after zipping both of the kids' backpacks up.

Before Sam could say anything, Jay hopped down from his barstool and took his backpack from Marlena. "She's trying to be good, you know?"

Marlena frowned as she realized that Jay overheard their conversation, despite her efforts to speak quietly. He might not have been able to read minds like his sister, but he was an attentive boy and not much seemed to get past him. His quiet and reserved nature allowed for him to observe and pick up on even the smallest things.

"And your sister's doing a great job," Sam offered, smiling at the small boy. "She's lucky to have a brother like you, kiddo. I wish I would have been the kind of brother you are to her when I was growing up with my sister. A lot of people don't share the kind of bond you two have until they're much older."

This warmed Marlena's heart; hearing Sam talk about his sister made her so happy. The two had spent a lot of time apart during Sam's first few years of Avenging, and then the Blip separated them for even longer. Now, he seemed to finally find the time to visit her and his nephews frequently. She hoped it would continue to be that way, because Sam deserved it more than anything.

"I still want to sock her in the face sometimes, though," Jay responded casually as he went to wait by the front door. "Where're we going, Uncle Sam? Can we go to the park? Can we get ice cream after?"

"Ice cream? Sounds like a plan to me, and you can even pay, Uncle Sammy." Charlie grinned as she rejoined everyone, followed by a chuckling Steve.

"Like mother, like daughter." He smiled at Marlena, causing the corners of her own lips to turn up.

"Uncle Sammy hasn't had a job in a while, Miss Barnes, so how about you break into your piggy bank and help a guy out?" Sam joked, though Charlie took him very seriously.

She walked over to the front door and scooped up a handful of pennies and nickels from a bowl on the entryway table. Everyone watched as she carried them over to Sam, but instead of handing the coins to him, she held them in her left hand out in front of her. Her right hand hovered above the change and before Marlena could stop it, she began using her powers to change the coins into a small pile of crumpled up cash.

The adults stood dumbfounded at what Charlie had just done, especially Marlena. There'd been several times where Charlie had accidentally altered reality, but this was one of the first times she'd known what she was going to do before she did it. It was planned, and it made Marlena wonder if it actually wasn't her first time doing something like it.

"I was born with the wrong powers," Jay huffed, crossing his arms over his chest at the door.

"Uh, Charlie..." Marlena made an attempt to lower herself to Charlie's level, though her large belly and aching back fought against her. "We have to be very careful about what we use our powers for, sweetheart. You know you aren't supposed to be using them at all without asking me first."

Marlena hated that things had to be this way. She hated scolding her daughter for simply being who she was, but it was for her own protection, just until they could figure out how to ensure she was not a threat to herself or those around her. It broke her in two to see Charlie's excited expression quickly fade into a look of regret.

"I was just trying to help, Mom."

The sad expression that spread across Charlie's face affected everyone in the room. Marlena quickly wrapped her arms around her daughter in an effort to reassure her. "You are a good girl, Charlie. You have a pure heart, and that might just be one of the things I love the most about you."

"C'mon, pipsqueak," Sam cleared his throat as Charlie hugged Marlena back, though the sad look on her face lingered just a bit longer. "Let's hit the road. We've gotta start thinking about what ice cream to get later."

Steve gave Sam a nod as if to thank him, to which Sam nodded back silently. Marlena watched the two men interact, and the way they were able to do so without words comforted her. Their friendship had only grown over the years, and she was very glad that Steve had someone like Sam. Bucky, of course, would always be Steve's best friend, but with the ups and downs that'd occurred since Bucky's return, Sam had been a bit of an anchor between the two of them.

Charlie pulled away from Marlena's arms and walked over to Sam, looking up at him with eyes that could melt anyone on the spot. She reached out and took Sam's hand in her own, pulling him towards the front door where Jay was still patiently waiting.

"I want two scoops—one chocolate and one salted caramel," Charlie replied confidently, still latched onto his hand.

"And butter pecan for little J-man, right? Just like your Dad," Sam winked at Jay who eagerly nodded in response.

Marlena rushed to place a kiss on each of her children's heads before they bid their farewells and left with Sam. It took all of one minute for the three to leave the house, and their absence brought a deafening silence to it. As much as Marlena enjoyed peace and quiet, she still missed her kids the second they were apart from her. She wondered if that empty feeling she got inside would always linger during their absence, or if it was the lasting effects that losing them for five years had on her.

"We're running late," Steve's voice drew Marlena out of her daze; she hadn't realized she'd been staring at the door as if waiting for Charlie or Jay to come back through it for a hug.

"They're growing up so fast," she whispered, mostly to herself, but Steve was still close enough to overhear her.

He rushed over to her after picking up his car keys from the entry table and engulfed her in a tight hug. "They'll always be your babies, Mar," Steve reminded her, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Marlena smiled up at him, though he could see a hint of sadness in her eyes. Her emotions had been all over the place the past few weeks, not only because of the pregnancy hormones, but also because of the wedding planning and Charlie's ongoing predicament.

"I'm a mess." She forced a chuckle and leaned into Steve.

"Yes, but you're my mess," he whispered back to her, giving the small of her back a reassuring squeeze. "Now, let's get going. I can't believe this is our last appointment before the baby comes. I hope these last two weeks go by fast, because I'm just dying to meet her already."

Marlena's heart skipped a beat; she could see in Steve's eyes every time he looked at her how happy he was to be having his first child with her. She knew nothing, though, would compare to the look on his face when he would finally meet their little girl.

"She's definitely not brewing in here for another two weeks, I can promise you that. I'll evict the little monster if I must; she's got my blood pressure all out of wack." Marlena chuckled as she rubbed her belly gently. As annoying as the difficulties during the pregnancy had been, she knew she'd miss having her baby girl all to herself once she was out in the world.

"And you have been admirably strong through it. Whenever she decides to make her appearance, we'll be ready." Steve smiled and caught Marlena's lips in a brief kiss before the two headed out of the door in a hurry.

The two walked hand-in-hand down the front steps of their Brooklyn brownstone. Marlena absolutely adored the street they'd chosen to live on; it was lined with a canopy of trees that reminded her so much of her home in Washington DC. It felt as if they were a million miles away from the big city, when in reality, they were just a short drive over the bridge away.

At first she'd been hesitant to move from an apartment into a townhouse so far along in her pregnancy, but after Steve received his portion of money left to him by Tony, the timing seemed just right. They could have afforded something bigger had they not shared some of the wealth with Bucky, Sam, and Wanda, but they didn't care. They didn't need or want anything bigger. Making sure the ones they held so dear to them were well off was most important to them, and the brownstone they'd made into their home was more than enough.

The car ride to the doctor's office gave Marlena some much needed time to think. Though Steve had the radio playing quietly, Marlena was able to tune it out as she gazed out of the window and watched the buildings and people pass by in a blur.

She knew that with each passing day, Charlie was only becoming stronger, and she worried that their efforts towards finding ways to help her would be minimized while trying to care for their newborn. The worry had been on her mind for the past few days, but even so, she was so overjoyed that the time to meet her precious baby was almost near.

The day she found out she was pregnant seemed so far away now; so much had happened and changed since that day—one of the biggest changes being Natasha's and Tony's deaths. More than anything, she wished that she would walk out of the hospital doors with her baby swaddled in her arms and see the two of them waiting to congratulate her.

Her thoughts then switched to Bucky. The months between Christmas and now had been good for the both of them, for the most part anyway. There were many times that they got to spend together with Charlie and Jay, and they could both see the positive effect it seemed to have on Charlie during the hard time she'd been going through.

Things were sometimes still tense between them, but with each passing day, Marlena could see Bucky growing more comfortable around her again. Though she knew he had a long way to go still, she could not wait for the day he'd be truly happy again. She wanted that so desperately for him.

"I can't believe Bucky is out there baby shopping by himself right now," Marlena finally broke the silence, a smile breaking out on her face as she continued watching out of the car window.

Steve chuckled as he pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's office. "Sam said he actually asked Wanda to help him out."

Marlena turned to look at Steve as he focused on parking their car. "I've been meaning to tell you, I would really like for Wanda to be with me during the birth."

She searched his eyes for a reaction, and she wouldn't intrude on his thoughts; she wanted him to tell her himself if he had any issues with it, though she suspected he wouldn't. Steve was so incredibly supportive of her, and always made sure all of her needs were taken care of, especially when it came to her pregnancy.

Steve turned the car off and met her eyes. "You think you had to tell me that for me to know?" His smile confirmed Marlena's suspicions.

"Am I really that predictable?"

Steve only grinned as he exited the car and jogged around the front to open Marlena's door for her. She gladly took his helping hand as she hopped out. "You and Wanda are practically glued at the hip. I had a hunch."

"She's been so distant since losing Vision, though," Marlena said with a sigh, her heart aching as she reflected on the tremendous loss she knew her cousin felt so deeply.

Steve rubbed Marlena's back comfortingly as they entered the office. "She just needs more time, Mar."

"I don't think all the time in the world will ever be able to mend her broken heart," Marlena replied solemnly as she wrote her name on the sign-in sheet at the front desk.

"Being a part of the birth will mean so much to her."

"I'd feel bad for Mom, but Wanda was with me during the birth of the twins, and Mom is already working so hard to make the final preparations for her own baby," Marlena pointed out, thinking about how strange it was that her mother was giving birth likely just a few weeks after her. "And traveling up here would be a lot of stress, her doctor said."

Steve nodded as they took a seat in the waiting area. "I bet she's beyond annoyed that she's having to redo a nursery in the same house she used to have one." He looked down at the floor with a smile, thinking about how similar Miranda and Marlena could be sometimes, despite the fact that they were not actually related by blood.

Marlena snorted, grabbing the attention of several other expecting mothers in the room. Her face reddened with embarrassment, but it also caused her to laugh a bit more. "Please, you should have seen how overboard she went with the nursery for Mason when he was born. I mean, imagine a nursery as '2000s' as it can get."

He cocked his head and raised his brows in response. "I can't imagine it because I was a hundred feet deep in an ice block in the early 2000s, sweetheart."

If Marlena thought her first snort of laughter wasn't bad enough, it surely was now.

"Miss Claire, we're ready for you now," a nurse called out to them from the door to the clinic.

Both Steve and Marlena had to take a moment to compose themselves and hush their laughs as they followed the nurse back into the examination room.

"I see you're in good spirits," the nurse—Marlena remembered her name as Angela—smiled at her as she set Marlena up with various pieces of equipment. "That's good! How have you been feeling?"

"Anxious," Steve replied from his chair in the corner.

"I was actually asking Mom here," Angela chuckled. "But that's normal, Mr. Rogers."

"I'm exhausted, actually," Marlena replied, watching as she began taking her vitals. "I would very much like for this little one to come out already so I can have my body back. I'm out of breath after walking five feet, and I'm over it."

Angela and Steve exchanged humorous looks.

"You're the one who had twins a few years back, right? Having only one this time should be a walk in the park."

"She's restless," Marlena countered, looking up at Steve from where she laid back in the exam chair. "But she's actually been pretty calm today."

"Resting up for the big day." Angela smiled warmly as she prepped Marlena's ultrasound.

"Marlena's convinced she may come any day now," Steve replied, his eyes still locked with Marlena's. Every moment they'd shared since confessing their feelings for one another had affected him so deeply, but this—bringing a child into the world with her—was the greatest thing he could've hoped for. Marlena was beautiful inside and out, and so incredibly strong in his eyes.

"Well..." Angela spoke up after several minutes of silence while she viewed the ultrasound screen. "There she is."

Steve stood up from his chair and was at Marlena's side in an instant, grabbing her hand as both of them looked between Angela and the ultrasound.

"I can't believe she's nearly here" Marlena rushed out, her heart skipping a beat. Steve squeezed her hand, indicating he was just as giddy as she was.

Angela kept her eyes on the screen as she moved the doppler around Marlena's belly. "She looks perfect."

Marlena and Steve smiled simultaneously, and Angela removed the doppler from Marlena's stomach. She cleaned up the petroleum jelly from her skin and tossed the cloth in the trash.

"I'm going to take your samples into the lab; Dr. Simmons should be with you once we have all the results," Angela informed her. She smiled and collected everything she needed before disappearing through the door.

While Steve and Marlena waited for the doctor to come in, they talked about all of the things they thought their baby girl would be. They talked about whose eyes she'd have, whose nose, whose personality—to which Marlena insisted she'd have her own unique one—and everything in between. Thinking of the days ahead made both of them so much more relaxed about what the future had in store for them, even though with their lives, the future was always unpredictable.

"Mr. Rogers, Miss Claire..." Dr. Simmons entered the room with her famous pink clipboard. "How have your symptoms been?" She looked to Marlena with kind eyes.

"Manageable," Marlena hummed back, "but I did have a bit of blurred vision this morning. Lasted a bit longer than usual."

Steve looked at Marlena with narrowed eyes; she hadn't told him, not because she didn't want to, but because she hated worrying him. He had a tendency to overreact anytime she had even the smallest of symptoms, and his nerves only made her nervous, too.

"Well, that would make sense considering your urine sample showed quite a bit of protein present," the doctor stated. "After looking through the rest of your tests, I believe the best option is to induce you today. I know that's not what you were expecting, but I don't want you to worry; you're almost at the end of your 37th week, so you've made it a few days longer than most mothers with gestational hypertension."

Marlena and Steve exchanged worried glances, but a part of Marlena had expected an early birth so she was not as surprised as Steve. When she'd voiced her suspicions the past few weeks, however, she thought she'd still have a bit more of a warning. An induction that very day was definitely not what she'd imagined.

"Is she going to be okay?" Marlena asked quickly, Steve's hand gripping her's tighter.

"She should be just fine," Dr. Simmons spoke as she scribbled on Marlena's paperwork. "She'll be a bit underweight, which is normal for an early induction. It's a good thing you came today, Miss Claire; if we let you go any longer your hypertension is likely to turn into preeclampsia."

Everything the doctor was saying was twisting Marlena's stomach and she couldn't help but feel nauseous. Steve noticed her shifting uncomfortably on the exam chair and brought her hand to his lips, kissing it reassuringly.

"So what happens from here?" Steve spoke up as Marlena leaned back in the chair, trying to calm her nerves.

Dr. Simmons removed the paperwork from her clipboard. "I'll have the front desk fax your paperwork over to the hospital. Mr. Rogers, we'll have an ambulance transport her so we can keep track of her blood pressure. I'm sure this news isn't helping that. Would you prefer to ride with her or follow behind in your own vehicle?"

"We stay together," Marlena replied weakly, her heart racing. She knew this was only worsening her condition but she couldn't get a grasp on things as they were moving so quickly.

"Miss Claire, I can assure you that an early induction has been a possibility since we confirmed your hypertension at your 22 week appointment. We talked about it then, and do you remember what I told you?"

Marlena nodded hesitantly. "You told me the best thing I could do for the two of us is to stay—"

"Relaxed and positive," the two said together.

She looked to Steve for comfort, and his reassuring smile was everything she needed. He kept his hold on her shaky hand as she stood up and followed Dr. Simmons out of the exam room.

Everything from the moment she'd boarded the ambulance with Steve to the ride to the hospital had been a bit of a blur. She was more than aware that the nurses riding along with her were consistently checking her blood pressure, her heart rate, and the baby's heart rate, but everything else they did or said was lost on her.

Marlena was far too distracted trying to get in touch with Wanda and Bucky, while Steve called Sam since he was with Charlie and Jay. By the time they got through traffic to the hospital, up to the delivery floor, and settled into their room, they'd managed to let those closest to them know.

The nurses that were there to aid in the delivery were in and out frequently as all preparations were made for the birth. Marlena couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with how quickly everything was playing out. Everything they were telling her seemed to go in one ear and out the other, and Steve noticed this. It wasn't before long that the nurses just started speaking to Steve directly, to which he listened very carefully.

Marlena was drawn from her thoughts when she heard a nurse mention something she'd been hoping she wouldn't hear—a cesarean section.

"What?" Marlena spoke up, causing the nurse and Steve to join her at her bedside. She felt out of breath, though she'd barely moved on her own since they'd loaded her into the ambulance over an hour before.

"Miss Claire, your blood pressure is very high. Since you're at risk for preeclampsia, we can't allow you to have a natural birth," the nurse explained to the two of them. "Notice how you are experiencing shortness of breath? We're concerned about fluid entering your lungs. You're already displaying concerning symptoms and we can't wait this out. I'm so sorry—"

Choking back tears, Marlena nodded understandingly. She knew the doctors and nurses were doing all they could, and she respected them greatly. She just hadn't wanted things to happen this way, and the feelings she was experiencing both physically and mentally were exhausting her.

"Where's Wanda?" Marlena turned on her side to look at Steve as the nurse left the room to retrieve the delivery team.

"I'm here, draga," Wanda's voice brought Marlena a sense of relief for the first time since everything had started.

Wanda crossed the room quickly and engulfed her cousin in a gentle hug. The second they made contact, Marlena felt more relaxed. She knew Wanda was fully capable of reading her mind and at the moment, talking was difficult.

"Where's Bucky?" Steve asked as he also hugged Wanda.

"In the waiting room. He told me to tell you both that he's here for you, whatever you may need." She smiled and took Marlena's right hand in her's.

The delivery team entered the room and Marlena gripped Wanda's hand tighter. "Wanda, will you—"

"I could hear your thoughts from a mile away," Wanda teased, nodding down at Marlena. "I'm not leaving your side."

Marlena smiled weakly and turned her attention back to Steve. "I love you. Please, tell Charlie and Jay I love them, too. And Bucky. And Sam. Just tell everyone."

Steve and Wanda both chuckled; Marlena often put up a tough exterior due to their lifestyles, but both knew better. Marlena was still, underneath it all, the sweet and sensitive woman they'd always known.

"You'll be just fine, sweetheart." Steve leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you."

Wanda glanced away as the two interacted, her heart aching in a way it so often did ever since she'd lost Vision. As the delivery team began prepping to move Marlena to an operating room, Steve bid his farewells and went to join Bucky, Sam, and the children in the waiting room.

The last thing Marlena remembered was the tiny tubes the nurses placed at her nose to sedate her. She could feel it tickling the skin above her lip as she stared up at the ceiling, the lights above growing blurrier by the second. She could feel Wanda's hand intertwined with her's, warm and reassuring. As she drifted into darkness, she thought of how differently her day began, and how when she woke up, she would be meeting her baby girl for the very first time.

Wanda refused to release her hold on Marlena's hand until the doctor practically forced them apart. Seeing Marlena in this condition, drifting away into unconsciousness brought Wanda feelings that she hadn't been prepared to experience. Though she knew this was a medical procedure, the trauma she'd endured time and time again from losing those she loved made it difficult to watch.

She waited for Marlena's eyelids to close and then backed away from the operation to give the doctor and nurses the space they needed. She paced in the back corner of the room as she tried to keep her mental connection to Marlena in tact, though Marlena's unconsciousness made it nearly impossible. Part of her wanted to watch everything; she felt she should keep her eyes on her cousin no matter what, in case something were to happen...but she just couldn't bring herself to look.

The way the team cut open Marlena's skin caused Wanda to feel ill; she was met with flashbacks of destroying the Mind Stone, and with it, Vision. Every time she tried to make eye contact with Marlena's body, she saw Vision's body instead. She'd anticipated none of this—this reaction. If she'd known, she might not have replaced Steve in the operating room. She pressed her fingers to her temples as she leaned against the back wall, the words and thoughts of the nurses and doctors overwhelming her.

"How is she doing, guys?"

"She's stable, but her blood platelet count is low."

"Alright, I see the baby."

"Cut here, please."

"Careful. Careful, now."

"She's still doing okay?"

"Her blood pressure is still higher than I'd like to see."

"Here—the umbilical cord."

"She's waking up, Doc."

"Up the anesthesia."

"She's a tiny thing, isn't she?"

And then Wanda heard the sound of a baby crying. She removed her hands from her head and looked up to see the nurses cleaning up Marlena's new daughter just a few feet away. The sight of her made Wanda's heart warm, and she instantly felt a connection.

"You can come over," one of the nurses spoke to Wanda, waving for her to join them.

Wanda approached hesitantly, looking over at Marlena as she lay asleep on the operating table. A part of Wanda felt wrong to see the baby before Marlena could, but the doctor had a lot of work left to do on Marlena before they could wake her.

"Hi, draga," Wanda whispered, looking down at the baby girl now wrapped in a swaddle, crying loudly.

"You can hold her if you want," another nurse offered, picking the baby up in her own arms.

Wanda looked over her shoulder once again; the doctor was now working diligently at closing Marlena's incision site. She looked back to the two nurses and nodded hesitantly, reaching out for the baby girl with trembling hands.

The second the baby was in Wanda's arms, she stopped crying, her eyes still squeezed shut. Her innocence was so pure and fragile that Wanda feared even holding her would somehow hurt her.

"Ea este frumoasa (She is beautiful)." Wanda felt a tear drip down her cheek, and she rubbed her face on her shoulder to prevent it from falling onto the resting child in her arms.

Words could not begin to describe the feeling Wanda experienced as she held her littlest cousin close to her. As she stared down at the peaceful little girl, she began to feel consumed with her emotions. She was so untouched by the tragedy of the world; Wanda longed to remember what that was like.

Completely entranced, she began to see within the child all of the things that she so desperately wanted—things she knew she could never have. She saw hope for a future that she knew she would never be her's. She felt love, but she also felt loss, and one was overpowering the other no matter what she did to will it away.

Losing Vision had utterly destroyed Wanda, but she kept going because she knew she had to. Marlena needed her cousin. Charlie needed her guidance. Bucky needed her support. Pietro needed his sister. The needs of others were what kept her fighting off every emotion; they were the only reason she felt she'd survived this long in the first place. And now, her walls were coming down, and it was all because of the baby in her arms.

In a perfect world, Vision would be by her side. She'd be holding a baby of her own. She'd never know what it felt like to lose. She'd never feel pain. She'd never feel loneliness. She'd feel only love—pure and unending love. She'd have everything. But this wasn't a perfect world; it wasn't her world, and it never would be.

Wanda could feel the darkness that resided within her since she was forced to destroy Vision only growing. It was manifesting into something darker, and she could not hold the baby a second longer. Wanda feared that her lack of control would somehow corrupt her—ruin her. She rushed over to one of the nurses and practically forced the baby back into her arms.

"I'm sorry." Wanda held back more tears, her words barely audible. "I have to step outside."

The nurse nodded back, but Wanda did not stick around to allow her to speak. She burst out of the operating room and down the long hallway to the waiting room, her fists at her side. She barely realized that she hadn't looked at Marlena one more time before leaving, but it was too late. All she knew was that she could not be in that hospital. She could not be around anyone. She didn't know what was happening to her, but she wouldn't allow it to interfere with Marlena's and Steve's moment.

"Auntie Wan!"

Wanda heard Charlie shout in her usual giddy tone, and though it hurt Wanda to ignore her, she could not bring herself to look at the child. If Charlie was around her, she was likely to expose Wanda's thoughts and feelings to everyone else, and that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

"Is everything okay, Wan?" Bucky's voice came next, but he, too, went unanswered.

"Are you okay? How's Marlena?" Steve was following after Wanda, but she didn't dare turn around.

She felt that she could bring the entire hospital down if she shed one more tear; she was a time-bomb.

"Wanda?"

Without a word, Wanda found the hospital doors and was walking through them into the dark of the night alone, leaving Steve, Bucky, Sam, Charlie, and Jay behind.