"A heart to love, and in that heart, Courage,"

We're Broken

FR: M

Subject: report

TO: F

Director Fury,

The two of them seem to be enjoying their stay. You were right, there does seem to be a strong romantic undercurrent in their relationship. Unfortunately, I cannot observe them unless they call me. Nothing strange has happened. Last night, when I drove them back to their room, Agent Barton seemed upset. That could have just been my imagination though. If I may speak frankly Director, these are the two best agents SHIELD has. I have a hard time reading them, they mask their emotions well. I will report in two days from now unless the situation changes. 

                                                                                                                        Mathis

Clint POV

"You have heart." I can't believe she had said that. She couldn't have known, but she might as well have slapped me in the face. I guess I deserve it after all I did. What had been a wonderful night had been ruined. I know Nat didn't mean anything by it, Hell, it was probably a compliment. But still, it hurt. 

We went to bed together. We often did it in the field so it was normal for us. I was wearing some sleep pants and a tank top. She wore a t shirt and some sweat pants to bed. We slept back to back. It was in the middle of the night that she woke me. She was sweating and breathing very hard. She was having a nightmare. This happened often, too often honestly. 

But this night was different. She was freezing to the touch when I went to touch her forehead. When I went to wake her up, she gasped and opened her eyes. But she wasn't awake. She laid there paralyzed, gasping for air, with her eyes frozen in horror. I was scared she was having a seizure. I became terrified at the idea of her in so much pain. I shook her and started yelling "Tasha wake up!!!" 

She suddenly grabbed my hand and squeezed it. She looked back into my eyes, hovering over her. 

"Clint? Is that you?" 

"It's me Nat."

"Where were you?" Tears began to well up in her eyes. I had only seen her cry a few times. 

"I was right here Nat." 

She began shivering from how cold she was. She still had a hold of my hand, so I put my other arm around her, and held her. She rested her head on my shoulder, and started sobbing. She rarely cried, and when she did, it broke my heart. I didn't know what to say. I never do. I don't think there is anything I could say or do to help her. There was no one I could kill, or fight to make this go away. All I could do was be there for her.

"I'm right here Nat," I said. I didn't even realize I was saying it. "And I always will be." 

Natasha POV

I could see both of them so clearly. Sergei Drakov, and his daughter Tanya. I was cold, I was calculating. I knew that the Red Room wanted to make an example of both of them. Sergei had given his daughter to us. And she had left and returned to him. He did not return her. This was unacceptable. I dragged his unconscious body by his hand to the nearby wall. I then slammed my knife into his palm, pinning him to the wall. He cried out when the pain brought him back to the waking world. He was soon asleep again though, from the beating I had just given him and from blood loss. I then walked over to young Tanya. I had helped begin her training in gymnastics and combat not but one week ago. So young. 

I knelt in front of her, and spoke to her in a very soothing voice in Russian. "Tanya, we know that you did not mean for this to happen. You're so young, you're so beautiful. You show so much promise. Come back with me to the Red Room ok? We'll keep you safe."