Natasha burst out of the Capitol building and a gust of wind brushed past her face. It was mid-spring in DC, and it was not fully warm or cold. Natasha was still freezing though. She paced herself back and forth across the entrance to the Capitol building. With every step, she found herself getting closer to vomiting again.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Natasha thought to herself. She mentally made a list of the recent food she had consumed, and none of it tasted bad. The last time she could remember being sick was a few months ago, but that was just the flu.
Natasha began to feel dizzy, so she sat down on the stairs leading up to the Capitol. Natasha had never felt this exposed or defeated in her life. She missed Steve so much. She had not gotten a text, a call, or even a measly letter from him in the past couple of weeks.
She has been on her own before, but this time it felt different. It felt like a piece of her was missing, a piece she did not know even existed in her heart. Natasha kept thinking of different scenarios as to where Steve could be, but her thoughts were suddenly interrupted.
"Hey Nat.." Clint said softly, "they want you back in for a few more questions."
Natasha rolled her eyes and got up slowly, "fine" she said as she walked back in.
________________________________
Where is he?" Stern asked.
That was abrupt Natasha thought. The first question they are really going to ask her was where Steve was? Even though they had already asked her that previously Are they that stupid she thought to herself.
"Who is he?" Natasha asked cocking her head with a sly smile.
"I think you know who I am asking about Agent Romanoff. Where is Steve Rogers?"
"You've asked me this question already. I don't know if you've already forgotten the answer, but I do not know where he is" Natasha replied annoyingly
"He's been subpoenaed," Wenham reminded her. "He has an obligation to appear before this committee."
"He probably doesn't know he's been summoned. He's out of the country and out of communications."
"You've had no contact with him?" Bryant asked incredulously.
It hurt too much to think about it. "I think I just said that."
"Convenient," Stern declared. Natasha turned to glare at him, but her harsh gaze did nothing to faze him. "When do you expect his return?"
She swallowed thickly. "I can't answer that."
"Can't or won't?"
She resisted the urge to be rude. "I can't answer," she affirmed, saying each word slowly and forcefully. "I'm not in contact with him. I don't know where he is or when he will be back. All I can tell you is he's still fighting against the evil HYDRA left behind."
Scudder was not pleased. He appraised Natasha coolly. "Then would you care to explain on his behalf how this country's expected to maintain its national security now that he and you have laid waste to our intelligence apparatus?"
Was no one listening? "HYDRA was selling you lies, not intelligence."
"Many of which, as Senator Stern correctly remarked, you had personal hand in telling," Scudder returned. The cameras flashed like mad. "We have more data than we can possibly analyze, millions of reports spreading over the world like wildfire and some of them are so disturbing that they beggar belief. I ask you again: can you differentiate for us which are lies and which are fact? It would be prudent to know, since with SHIELD's collapse you have exposed sensitive information about not only its operation but the operations of the World Security Council, NATO, and the dozens of foreign nations and intelligence agencies that were a part of its network, including the secrets of the United States. Can you tell us which out of all these missions and operations–" He gestured to the folders before him on the table. "Which were the ones where you served our interests rather than theirs?"
