I placed the phone down and quickly went beside Nat who looked more worried for me than for what she just heard my grandparents say about her.

“You ok?” I asked her to which she smiled and nodded.

I could not bear to see that smile that hid all her pain. I pulled her close to my chest as I stood in front of her. “I have heard worse, David. Don’t worry about it.” She told me as she hugged me back.

'I should have listened to her.' I felt like beating myself up. She has always been a good judge of character. She saw and noticed something in my grandparents I never had. From the first time, she met our grandparents, till now. 'How could I not notice the assholes they were?'

I looked down at Nat to see her calm. I hated seeing how she holed everything up and did not show me anything.

“Cry if you want to. It is just me and you here.” I told her after hearing her voice.

“It’s ok David. They are our grandparents. They are naturally worried about us. Don’t be angry towar…” Her voice started breaking off as I felt tears staining my shirt.

She has heard worse but not from people she considered so close and important to her and me.

She kept crying for a long time. It was just silent tears, but I knew every drop of her tears contained an unbearable amount of pain that could not be let out by any sort of screaming or wails.

She probably got tired because when I checked after a while she was sleeping in my arms.

I slowly got onto the bed and gently laid down with her on top of me without waking her up.

*Beep* A while later my phone started ringing. I raised my hand, and it flew towards me as the ringtone went silent.

Looking at the caller ID, it was mum.

Answering it quickly, I could hear my dad shouting in the background. "You shouldn't be calling people whores, especially your own daughter-in-law!?"

“Where is Nat?” My mum asked me in her unusually serious voice.

“Sleeping,” I told her.

My mum sighed hearing that. “Who is dad shouting at?” I asked mum.

“Your grandparents. I made him call my parents as I couldn’t exactly shout at them like he is doing.” My mum told me.

“You didn’t tell us that she couldn’t become pregnant David. My parents weren’t too happy to find out from my cousin that she couldn’t have kids due to certain procedures done on her.” My mum informed me through the phone.

“I didn’t marry her for kids mum. I married her out of love. Besides I didn’t want to worry you guys and upset her even more mum.” I told her.

“I can understand. My parents are very touchy on the subject of pregnancy and things like that due to how long it took between me and Rob. Not to mention when they found out we all were lying to them. They thought she was putting you in danger by being in your life, but Rob just explained to them that you belong to Shield as well.” My mum informed me and I finally understood why they were so rude to Natasha earlier, but still, they shouldn’t have been that harsh.

“Did she cry?” My mum asked me.

“Yeah, a lot. She fell asleep crying on me quietly.” I told her which earned a moment of silence from mum.

“She did not exactly have a normal childhood mum. So, she cherishes family more than anything in the world."

"I understand David but..." I interrupted my mum.

"You know what she said to me before she broke down? ‘It’s ok David. They are our grandparents. They are naturally worried about us.’. She was trying to comfort me even when she was in pain mum. So please tell them not to say anything like that to her again. Please mum.” I felt my eyes becoming misty as I remembered her pain, through the phone.

My mum was silent on the other side as she heard me crying.

She put the phone down. I could hear her walking toward my dad.

My dad sounded angry at first when mum took the phone off him. “Julie give me the phone, I am not fini…!” Then he quickly became quiet hearing my mum rage at her parents through the phone.

“How dare you say that to our kids!? She saw you as her own grandparents and that is how you treat…”

“David?” My dad took up my mum’s phone.

“Hi, Dad,” I answered him after calming down a bit.

“How is she?” My dad asked me.

“She cried a lot, so she is sleeping now,” I told him but I had noticed Natasha had already woken up a long time ago.

“What triggered your mum?” Dad asked me fearfully, probably after seeing mum so angry.

“Nat…” I explained to dad which earned an angry sigh from him.

“Well, I am going to call that shitty cousin of Julie’s and give her hell as well.” My dad said before he hung up.

I placed the phone by the side before caressing Natasha’s head. She didn’t look at me and just kept her eyes closed pretending to be asleep.

“I am sorry for my grandparents, I should have trusted your judgement,” I told her.

“Our grandparents.” She corrected me as she finally looked at me to which I smiled.

“Yes, our grandparents,” I told her back as I kissed her.

We stayed in each other’s arms for a while.

After a while, we received a call from mum. “David, I think we are going to face a lawsuit against us for verbal harassment.” My mum said to me happily.

“Not exactly something to be happy about mum,” I told her.

“I know but calling that bitch a bunch of names and telling her to fuck off was the most pleasant thing in my life.” My mum stated proudly.

“I am going to assume you are talking about your cousin here,” I told her.

“Obviously. Anyway, help us find a good lawyer quickly.” My mum quickly said in worry.

“The least I can do for you,” I told her.

“Is she awake?” Mum asked me.

“Yeah,” I told her back.

“Give her the phone,” Mum told me to which I did.

“Hi, mum,” Natasha answered and both of them talked for a while.

After a while, dad joined in the conversation and Natasha started laughing once more.

They hung up the call after talking for nearly an hour.

She looked really happy and cheerful... for now.