Widow Sisters and Friends (Restoring Our Broken Hearts)

Truth Cuts Deeper Than Any Knife

"This was an extremely difficult fight, and we all understood the cost in taking a direct stand against Thanos and in trying to bring back all of those who were blipped. Some time ago, we began the endeavor to fight back after the great loss five years ago. It was a hard process but some of the most incredible people across the universe united to face this threat together," he read, and Yelena felt that pit in her stomach steadily growing as she remained entranced, everything else fading away as the man announced the next words.

"We want to thank and to honor a few of our very own dear friends and family that so bravely and heroically sacrificed themselves for the smallest chance to bring so many people back to their families and back into the world where they belong," he began, and Yelena felt her stomach plummeting in a downward spiral as she stared in pure dread.

"The late Vision: a synthezoid created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. He was not a true human, but he had more humanity than many actual humans in the world," a few images of the odd purple-red creature flashed onto the screen, but Yelena could not care less as she mentally begged the man narrating to continue just a bit faster to get through this list and wash all of Yelena's fears away.

"The truly inspiring leader of the Avengers: Captain America also known as Steve Rogers. A man of action and a heart beating for not just the American people but for the people of the world and beyond," a slideshow of images depicting Steve in his countless patriotic depictions flashed up onto the screen, and Yelena felt an impatience gripping her deeply.

"One of the loudest voices of the Avengers: Iron Man or Tony Stark. Often referred to as the billionaire, the playboy, or the philanthropist but actually being a man of family and of true heart," a ton of pictures of Tony in and out of his suit displaying themselves onscreen, and Yelena felt as if time were moving in slow motion.

However, her mouth went dry as her jaw slackened, and her eyes widened slowly as she took in the sight of the next person displayed before her. It was as if her heart had stopped in her chest and the entire world around the television screen had disappeared into nothingness.

There looking into the camera with one of her rare smiles was the one and only Natasha Romanoff. Yelena's big sister. Yelena's entire world.

"The silent, stoic bombshell of the group: Black Widow or Natasha Romanoff. Perhaps one of the less flashy of the group, but definitely not one to be discounted in terms of her skill and of her love that she held for those dear to her."

The slideshow for Natasha ended on her striking her infamous pose, a slight smirk on her face as she raised a signature eyebrow and Yelena was slapped in the face with so, so many flashbacks rushing her all at once.

Ohio. Back bridges. Macaroni and cheese.

We're both upside down.

And I bet you're going to fall down first!

Planes. Dark, dank transport containers. Photo booth picture reels.

The Red Room.

Budapest. Fighting.

You weren't really my sister.

Bandaging each other up.

Family reunion.

Who cares? That wasn't real.

Abduction. The Red Room. The Red Room falling from the sky.

We're both upside down.

The vest. Separation again. Small contact here and there.

Promises of living together in New York one day.

Such a poser.

Yelena could not breathe. Her chest was tightening, and she was stumbling backwards helplessly, needing to get out somehow or some way. She blearily and just barely registered Ana coming toward her carefully, holding her hands out and saying something.

Yelena offered her one quick glance, everything closing in on her as she lost focus, Natasha's everything flooding her all at once.

When Ana took just one step too close to her, Yelena immediately met eyes with her for just one moment.

She ran.

Yelena was out of the house and tearing through the nearby forest as quickly as she could. She barely registered the dulled pain of tree branches scratching her arms and legs and ripping her clothes in multiple places. She just kept running.

Eventually, she reached a clearing in the woods, and an ill-placed fallen tree caught Yelena's foot and she came falling forward into the snow. Yelena crashed down onto her front, and she just laid there for a moment, registering all of the pain.

She slowly pulled herself up and onto her knees as she took in the blood streaking her hands. She could not feel anything. It was as if her entire body was numb, her chest heaving as she just sat there collapsed in the snow.

Natasha could not be gone. She was not gone. She had always been out there somewhere for Yelena. She might not have even been thinking about Yelena, but she had always been out there where Yelena could hear about her and almost imagine her face again.

They had been together. Yelena had felt her in her arms. For the first time in over twenty years, she had finally gotten her sister back. Yelena had heard the most precious words that she had the pleasure of listening to in years.

It was real to me, too.

Natasha had held her. She had touched her face, lit her skin on fire with the sweet feeling of true kind touch after so many years deprived. Natasha's eyes were real and full of emotion and such a deep, true, raw memory within her. It was fresh. How could that light in those eyes go out so fast?

How could it be true?

Was it true?

It was an official statement released by the family of Tony Stark...

Could it really be true?

Yelena could still feel that erratic heartbeat coursing through the redhead. She could hear her voice clearly in that moment when Natasha had begged her not to jump. She could feel Natasha's hands on her, and she could feel the heat rolling off of her. She could smell her sweat, what was left of the shampoo in her hair when she had stuffed her face near the loose tendrils of red.

She could see the red. The bright, blinding, beautiful red that had always brought reassurance to Yelena. The most gorgeous shade of red she had ever seen. Her favorite color in the world.

Yelena had just gotten her sister back. Had just gotten back the chance of a real life with her where they could be together again.

But now she was just being pried away all over again.

Yelena felt the pressure building up in her chest. Her hands were shaking as the hot blood ran down them from her cuts from the trees. Everything was growing blurry and there was such pain.

So Yelena screamed, her voice splitting the calmness of the snowy forest. And she cried, doubling over heavily as she grabbed at the snow, grabbed at her clothes, grabbed at her hair. Anything she could get her hands on.

Mourning the loss of her love. Mourning the loss of a chance at a life with her. Mourning the loss of just Natasha.

"Natashka, I'm upside down."