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"I'm sorry, Yelena," Melina says, "I didn't know what I was doing, but I should've had enough common knowledge to know right from wrong. You have to understand, though, that I was trapped. We all were, except for Natasha."

"Natasha got lucky," Yelena responds coldly, "She was one of the best and Dreykov sent her to work with the KGB and she fell into the hands of Hawkeye, who somehow has a heart and decided she was worth saving. I got lucky that Oksana sprayed me because the technology that you created stripped me of my ability to do anything without someone making the choice for me!"

"What was I supposed to do, Yelena?" Melina asked, frustration lacing her voice, "Dreykov made me into his puppet! I never got a life outside of it, all I remember is Red Room, Red Room, Red Room! The first glimpse I got of a normal life was when I was instructed to be a mother to you and Natasha. You were the first baby I ever held!"

Yelena's quiet. She knows that Melina was forced into everything. She knows that Melina isn't evil. She knows.

"That doesn't mean you had to push me away for being gay. I'm still Yelena. You had to have learned by now that there is safety in numbers, in keeping people around, I mean, seriously, I know you're not stupid, Melina!"

Yelena swears she sees tears glistening in Melina's eyes when she speaks again, and it almost takes Yelena aback. Melina doesn't cry.

"I'm sorry, Yelena," she crosses her arms and leans back against the counter with a heavy sigh, "You didn't deserve the life that you were brought into. You were always meant for better things and you deserved a family that loves you. I know you have that now with Natasha and I'm so grateful that you could do what I couldn't."

"I know that!" Yelena yells, "I know I deserved better, but what's done is done! And just because I deserve better doesn't make that an excuse for you being horrible and pushing me away, again!"

Melina sighs, "I'm sorry, Yelena. If I could change things, I would."

"You can change things, Melina," Yelena insists, "Your life is your own now, I don't understand why you can't see that."

"Christ, Yelena," Melina pinches the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger, closing her eyes as she thinks.

Yelena curses herself for the urge in her hands to move, resorting instead to twisting her socks with her toes, comforted that Melina can't see that happening. She doesn't need Melina to see her weaknesses.

"I considered running," Melina says after a long pause, "I thought some days about forgoing the mission, wrapping you in your favorite blanket with that stuffed animal you used to drag around everywhere and taking Natasha and running."

She blinks, and Yelena watches as she bites her lip, hard, as if she's trying to keep all of her emotions at bay. Yelena knows the look so well because she knows how it feels and she finds herself hating that she's empathizing with Melina.

"It was before he put trackers in all of his girls, too, so we wouldn't have been too hard to track," Melina takes a deep breath, "I should've fought harder, Yelena. You could have had a normal life with a big sister that loved you and I could have been your mother."

Yelena swallows, "There's a but."

Melina nods, "But I didn't. I... I stayed a pawn and got shot before I could make a case to let you go. And if I could go back in time and change that, I would."

"Can you please," Yelena swallows the ever-growing lump in her throat, "Can you please just accept me for who I am? I'm still the same Yelena."

Melina's quiet, looking at Yelena with some indiscernible look. It's quiet for a minute until Melina finally speaks, "You're not."

Yelena swears she can hear her heart fracturing.

Melina clears her throat, "The little girl I knew thirty years ago was so pure. She had all of her faith in her big sister and sat on her father's shoulders and smiled in her sleep. And I know that I took part in ripping that part of you away, and I can still see that you're Yelena, but you've also grown up. You're not the same person as you were when you were six. But that's not a bad thing."

She swallows, "And there are a lot of things that I've had to unlearn since the Red Room collapsed... my adversity to your relationship will have to be one of them."

Yelena nods, looking down at her feet when she feels tears building in her eyes and tries her hardest to will the emotions away. Hearing that Melina would be willing to just try makes her too happy for words.

"Thank you," she says softly once she's collected herself, "Um, maybe you could come visit me and Natasha in New York soon?"

Melina nods, "Well, if what you are saying about Natasha getting engaged is true..."

Yelena smiles, "I really hope it is. Her... her partner is... we're really close. And Natasha's really happy."

"Speaking of Natasha," Melina eyes her suspiciously, "Why did I receive frantic calls from her about where you are?"

Yelena shakes her head and shrugs, "I have no idea. Really weird, honestly."

"Yelena," Melina warns, and Yelena throws her hands up.

"I left a note!" Yelena exclaims, which riles Fanny up. Fanny sits at her feet, an excited look on her face. Yelena looks down at her, "Don't snitch."

"I'm sure Natasha would've loved to help you is all I'm saying," Melina responds, a rarely seen amused look on her face.

"The Widows are my problem," Yelena says softly, "also, based on what Sonya's told me, Natasha would do more harm than good for this girl. She seems to be easily spooked."

Melina nods, "Okay, but when Natasha calls me again, I'm telling her that you stopped by here."

"But you won't tell her where I'm going, right?" Yelena asks carefully, and Melina shakes her head.

Yelena can't help herself this time and she walks across the room, hugging Melina tightly, "Thank you, Mama."

Melina's stiff for a second before her arms wrap around Yelena tightly.

Yelena remembers in the back of her head that Melina never was a hugger (and based on her reaction, still isn't), but right now, they're hugging, and it's the best thing that Yelena never knew she needed.

It almost makes her want to stay here, but she knows she has a widow to rescue.