The Good Lord Has Promised to Me

by Druid_Moon

Summary:

A sort-of conclusion to Amazing Grace, as told by Natasha, with a few extras thrown in.

Notes:

Wow, guys, I can't tell you how much all of your comments mean. I'm really terrible at replying, and I apologize because you all deserve replies, and I'm sorry it took me so long to finally wrap this up. I hope you enjoy the final mini-chapter, as well as the extra goodies I've packed along for the ride.

Chapter 1: Natasha

Natasha has had many names throughout her life- Natalia, Natalie, Natasha all being the most recent- but through all her lives, she has prided herself on her observation skills.

Darcy and Clint have been married for seven months, and she is happy for them, as happy as she can be for someone else. They both earned a place in her heart, scarred and fractured as it is, and in her loyalty. So it is unsurprising when Natasha sees and knows that something is amiss.

Even after her marriage, Darcy still cooks Family Dinner Night on Thursdays. She makes a point to rotate the food choices and offer alternate dishes if someone dislikes her offerings (or, in the case of the Corned Beef and Cabbage Massacre, Steve and Bucky devour everything before anyone else has a chance to eat), and to try and please everyone who makes it to dinner.

Seven months after her wedding, Darcy does not make her usual Italian dinner. Instead of lasagna, she makes plain spaghetti and meatballs. Everything is slightly... off, Natasha notes, slightly sweet compared the usual savoriness of Darcy's cooking, but she doesn't mention it.

Nor does she mention it when Darcy refuses the garlic bread, almost shoving Jane off her chair in her haste to pass it along.

The dessert that night is from a local bakery, not homemade. Darcy waves off complaints, saying she wasn't feeling well and they could either suck it up or not eat the cake she painstakingly picked out

(which is a lie, as Darcy would never pick a raspberry jam cake to go with spaghetti, no matter how sick she was)

and now Natasha is alert.

The variations in routine continue. The food is consistently sweeter, but only slightly, and overall more bland. Darcy hasn't actively baked in a while, and while she swears she's feeling better, Natasha notices things that contradict her statement.

She's paler, paler and prone to sweating, and her clothes are ill-fitting, as if she's been steadily loosing weight. However, she and Clint continue to deny that something is wrong, and if anything, Clint seems to be... jovial. Clint was only jovial when baby agents were weeping in fear and frustration.

This is not right, and Natasha is concerned. Concerned, and determined to get to the bottom of this new mystery.

After all, you never place a puzzle in front of a cat.

-o-

“Jesus Christ, Natasha!”

Natasha shrugs, her face smooth and still as she watches Darcy clutch her chest and slow her breathing. “You did tell me I could stop by at any time.”

“Through the door, Nat. The door. Which is most decidedly not in the ceiling. How the crap did you even get into the ceiling there aren't even tiles-”

“What is wrong with you?” Natasha cuts her off abruptly, face serious as she stares at her heart-sister.

Darcy gapes in response.

“Your tastes in seasonings has changed. Nothing outright salty or savory, all food now has a hint of sweetness or blandness, depending on what you're making. You turn down garlic at every turn. Your clothes no longer fit. You're pale and sweating yet deny to have a fever. Clint is not panicking, therefore you are not sick. So tell me, little one, what. Is. Wrong.”

Darcy bites her lip, her hand pressed lightly into her stomach, and seems to be debating something when the pieces suddenly click in Natasha's head and she knows.

In three strides, she is across the room and kneeling before Darcy, her eyes locked onto her stomach with something akin to awe.

“Darcy, are you...”

She nods, and Natasha exhales, her forehead coming to lightly rest against Darcy's stomach. She murmurs a prayer in Russian, eyes closed as she gently grips her heart-sister's hands and rocks back onto her heels, eyes jewel-bright and swimming.

Darcy doesn't say anything, just squeezes Natasha's hands as the assassin stands and gently ushers her over to the couch. Natasha settles, her head on Darcy's thighs as she continues to stare at her stomach in wonder. “Do you know how far?”

“Doctor says about nine or so weeks?” Darcy has a blush on her cheeks, eyes bright behind her glasses. “I told Clint back when I missed my first cycle- I've always been so regular, being late even a day was weird- we didn't want to tell anyone else, in case- in case something happened.”

Natasha nods, all too aware of the complications and dangers of pregnancy. “Is it healthy? Are you healthy?”

“So far, looks like. Other than super sucky morning sickness that lasts all day- seriously, if this kid is a picky eater I don't know what I'll do.”

Natasha stands at that, pushing Darcy back into the cushions before making her way into the kitchen and through her cupboards.

“Nat, you know I love you but I swear to all of Thor's relatives, if you're rearranging my spice cabinet again-”

“Here.” Natasha places a box of Saltines and a glass of water and cucumber slices in front of her. “You will need to settle your stomach before dinner. I will cook, and take into account your new restrictions. You will tell me if they change, and I will accommodate them. When your husband gets home, he and I will speak.”

“Nat-”

“Darcy. Clint is the brother I never had, but he is an idiot. He has not thought of everything, and you both will need help before my niece is born.”

“You are not- wait, niece?”

Natasha aims another glance at Darcy's still-small stomach. “Niece. She will be a miniature version of you and Clint will be stupid with love for her, as he should be.”

“How do you even know that, I'm barely even showing!”

Natasha gives her a feline smile. “I'm Russian. It's a thing.”

-o-

As Natasha predicted, Clint is an idiot and had no idea Darcy was losing that much weight, or that her taste in food had changed. After a very thorough conversation in Natasha's private training room

(during which Clint may have hit the practice mats a little hard)

he wises up and starts acting more like a supporting, doting husband. He brings Darcy lunch in the labs, and arranges for her to have a private office that's built more like a safe room than cubicle. He runs out to the grocery store in the middle of the night to fulfill her cravings, keeps water bottles and crackers stocked in virtually every room of their suite. Natasha is surprised

(and slightly irritated, her teammates are idiots)

no one else seems to pick up on the subtle changes, just the big ones- which means, of course, that it all comes to a head in a spectacularly loud and obnoxious way, courtesy of Stark.

-o-

“Romanoff! Barton! Lewis! Or is it the Bartons? Either way, Team Drinking Exercise, common floor, now.”

“No can do, Tony.” Darcy doesn't even look at the billionaire, instead snuggling deeper into the couch cushions as Clint rubs the stress from her calves. “Tonight's our standing Date Night In, and that prevails over any Random Thing you might have going.”

Natasha can almost hear the capital letters in Darcy's reply, and snickers from the kitchen. This brings Tony's attention to her, which immediately brings complaints.

“If it's Date Night In, why is the Spysassin #1 in your kitchen? Why is she a part of Date Night and I'm not?” he pouts, and Natasha can hear Darcy's sigh from across the suite.

“She's a part of Night In because she's quiet and understands that company does not have to be active to be appreciated. Also because she gets me stuff from the kitchen while Spysassin Number Husband rubs my feet.” Darcy deadpans, groaning as Clint works a particularly stubborn knot. “Also, I'm not up for drinking right now. So yeah. Go get wasted and have fun, and remember to get pictures of the Keg Chug this time.” she waves her hand in dismissal, groaning again as Clint moves down to her ankles.

“Jarvis, when was the last time Lewis drank anything?”

“Earlier today, sir, she drank two cups of cucumber water and-”

“No no, not boring adult drinks, I mean fun adult drinks! Beverages of a fermented and bottled nature.”

“I am not at liberty to discuss.”

“What do you mean, not at liberty to discuss? I'm taking the liberty, discuss it!”

“Sir, I cannot discuss medical information without the express permission of the person involved.”

“What does medical have to do with-” Tony stops, his mouth open, and Natasha can see when it clicks in his brain. “Jarvis!! Call a team meeting, we have to-”

“Natasha, now!” Clint barks, but she is already moving, intercepting Tony and wrestling him to the floor with ease.

“Tony,” she growls into his ear, “You will not speak of this to anyone. Clint and Darcy have their reasons as to why they haven't announced anything, and you will not ruin this for them. Do you understand?”

Tony makes a noise that sounded vaguely like an affirmation, Jarvis reaffirms that he will make sure of it, and Natasha releases Tony as she stands to tower over him, protective fury and love as she glares down.

“Good. If I find out you have told anyone before they have a chance, you will suffer, Anthony Stark,” she promises. “Now get out and leave them in peace.”

-o-

Clint and Darcy agree to tell the team, because while Tony may be terrified of Natasha at times, he's also an incorrigible gossip and there is no way he can keep this secret.

Natasha spends all day in the kitchen,

(a fact that makes James adorably grumpy)

cooking all the favorite dishes for each Tower resident. She enlists Jarvis's aid in ordering and memory recall, and by the time dinner rolls around, the entire dining room is groaning under the weight of all the food she's made. She has Jarvis call everyone for dinner, but requests that Darcy and Clint be last to arrive. Everyone else is settled in by the time they arrive, and Clint is grinning and Darcy is pale but they're both excited, hands clasped as he stands by her side.

There is screaming when they make the announcement, Jane leaping out of her chair and throwing herself onto both of them in her excitement

(even as small as she is, Jane can pack a wallop, and so Clint positions himself to take the majority of the impact)

and Pepper is not far behind. Steve and Bucky are next, shaking Clint's hand and pounding him on the back when he's free of flailing limbs and squealing women. Thor pulls both of them into a massive hug, his laughter booming through the room, and Tony finally loses his restraint as holograms fill the room, shouting congratulations and throwing digital confetti. Sam and Bruce are more reserved, but they each give Darcy a hug and congratulate the happy couple.

Later on, Natasha is following them back to their suite when Clint tells her to come inside. She follows silently, watching as Darcy retrieves a small bag from the movie cupboard and holds it out towards her.

“It's not much, but we feel like if there's anyone who deserves this right now, it's beyond a doubt you.” she says softly, and Natasha feels like the earth could open beneath her and swallow her whole and she would not care, because inside the tiny decorative bag is a t-shirt that reads “World's Best Aunt”.

She's not even aware that she's speaking, repeating “thank you” over and over again in Russian as she clutches both of them close. Darcy is crying happy tears, Clint is laughing and there are tears in his eyes, and Natasha-

Natasha swears, then and there, to earn those words, to hear them herself from her niece's lips.

Because shirts are nice, but love is even better.

Chapter 2

Summary:

An abbreviated playlist of the songs that inspired I Once Was Lost. Each track is meant to be a sample of the music Darcy listens to while she crafts her gifts for each of her loved ones.

I Once Was Lost from druidmoon on 8tracks Radio.

Track 1 - Gran
Track 2 - Jane/Erik
Track 3 - Thor
Track 4 - Pepper/Tony
Track 5 - Natasha
Track 6 - Bruce
Track 7 - Natasha/Steve/Bucky
Track 8 - Clint/Darcy on the rooftop
Track 9 - Clint/Darcy

Chapter 3

Summary:

An abbreviated playlist of the songs that helped inspire But Now Am Found. This one follows events more than specific characters.

But Now Am Found from druidmoon on 8tracks Radio.

Track 1 - Darcy flees New York
Track 2 - Darcy returns Home
Track 3 - Darcy dreams of Gran
Track 4 - Pepper and Jane's leaving party
Track 5 - Clint cooks for Darcy
Track 6 - Darcy's heart is broken/Clint is an idiot
Track 7 - Clint makes up for being an idiot
Track 8 - He pulls gardenias from her hair (and the inspiration that started this whole thing)

Chapter 4

I promised you all links and patterns to the inspirations for some of the gifts Darcy made throughout the series, and I'm very pleased to finally deliver.  Some of the patterns are exactly the same, others were the inspiration for a particular gift.  Some of these I have made, some of them are on my list, but all of them are beautiful in their own way and I hope you enjoy them as much as you did the story.

 

• Darcy's Loopy Green Scarf: a jumbo-sized version of the Drop Stitch Cowl
• Jane's Sweater: inspired by the Star Paths Cardigan
• Erik's Sweater: inspired by the Lyric Tree
• Thor's Sweater: inspired by Raglan mit Blättern
• Pepper's Scarf:  inspired by Dayflower Scarf
• Natasha's Stockings and gloves: inspired by Bloody Socks
• Steve's Blanket: a larger version of the Carriage Blanket
• Natasha's Shawl: inspired by my Bird of Prey shawl, which uses the Bird of Prey pattern
• Darcy's Dress: a sleeveless version of the Maddie Dress
• Clint's Hat: the Mohawk Hat
• Darcy's Shawl: inspired by the Spanish Peacock Shawl

 

Some of the gifts mentioned in the story (Bucky's lap blanket, Tony's car blankets and pillows, the RV afghan, even Clint's sweater at the end) are all based off generic patterns that can be either knit or crocheted.  The only one I don't really have a specific pattern for is the pair of socks Darcy made Sam, but I like to think she was able to write a pattern with tiny falcons flying around.

Notes:

This concludes Amazing Grace. Once again, I want to extend my thanks to all of you wonderful folks who loved this story as much as I did, and continually amaze me with your kind words and support. Thank you so much for all the encouragement and love, and for sharing your own stories with me. I read each and every one of them, and those stories are honestly the most incredible and wonderful part of Amazing Grace. Thank you, thank you for sharing, and happy crafting to you all.

If you'd like to keep track of my non-fandom related crafting, you can find me over on Ravelry at DragonflyKiss.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 3 of Amazing Grace