The cool wind from the night blew gently through the window. Lilac curtains swayed in the wind. Mila could feel the air on her skin, sending goosebumps up her body. It felt good, it felt right.
"Hey, it's getting late, I think you should get some rest" Yelena leaned against the door frame. Mila nodded and pulled the creme sheets down from the top of the bed.
"Yelena, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, what's up" she moved towards the bed. Mila sunk down momentarily as Yelena lowered herself onto the mattress.
"I don't get it, any of this" she pointed all around her. "I don't understand why I was taken, why you ran away, who you ran away from. None of this makes sense. I still don't understand how you knew my name" she let out a rough breath out. Trying to calm herself down.
Yelena was silent for a moment, she had a look on her face that confused Mila. Almost as if she was fighting with herself. "Okay, I'm going to tell you some things that are going to confuse you, you just have to stay calm and let me explain. Okay" she sighed. Mila blinked hard, trying to shut up the voice in her head telling her to run. She looked right into Yelena's green eyes.
"Okay" she positioned herself directly in front of the blonde.
And so Yelena explained everything to her. From the kidnapping from Hydra, the old building and the people in it. The Red Room and how they were trying to take her away from Hydra. Yelena told Mila that she had overheard the plans and wanted to help her, that's how she knew her name. "The Red Room wants you, to train you to reach your full potential, they don't think you will be able to achieve that locked away with a man who doesn't let you out of his sight". She was talking about her papa.
"My papa. That's who they're talking about. Well they don't have to worry about him anymore, he doesn't even know who I am" she let out a shaky breath. She missed her papa more than anything, it hurt just thinking about him. Mila blinked back the tears harshly.
Yelena had only known this little girl for 24 hours and she already felt attached to her. She understood now why the Red Room had a specific graduation ceremony. Attachments compromised the mission.
She wrapped her strong arms around the little girl, encasing her in a hug. Mila wasn't hugged a lot. By her papa yes, all the time. They practically lived attached at the hip but she hadn't seen him in a while. "You can cry Mila, that's okay" Mila shook her head rapidly.
"No no no I can't" she tried to get out from under Yelena's arms, "I'm not allowed to show emotion. Yelena let go, Yelena stop. Please" she whispered the last part. Mila gave in and let go, she broke down and sobbed. That was okay, she needed to break down. Mila had been holding so much together, she needed to let it out. That was okay.
Yelena held onto her for what seemed to be hours, she didn't mind. In all honesty she wished she had someone like this in the Red Room, someone to hold her and console. No tell her it's going to be okay, because she knows it won't, but to tell her things get easier, eventually.
After Mila's break down she fell asleep. Yelena rolled her onto the bed properly and tucked her in. She kissed her fingers and held them gently to Mila's forehead. "Goodnight Mila" she whispered.
Yelena tiptoed to the door and left, shutting it quietly. Letting out a sigh she tossed herself onto the couch. Picking up her phone she dialed a number.
"Hello" a voice came through.
"She's safe, I have her now and I think she's starting to trust me, let her guard down. Give me a week tops and she will comply" Yelena spoke softly, trying not to wake Mila.
"One week, that's all you have. Do not disappoint Yelena, you know what's at stake here".
"Yes headmistress" and she ended the call, putting the phone in her pocket and picking up a book from the coffee table. As if nothing had happened moments prior.
***
It's been four days since the Soldier found the bodies in the old building. The Old Man was getting frustrated. For a secret organization with ties in almost every government in the world, they could not find one little girl.
Everyone on the base was looking for her. If she wasn't the only test subject they had, they would have left her to die but they needed her. The Soldier was no better than the Old Man, only he hid his frustration better. No one knew where his little girl was and he was worried. He has spent every waking moment since the day he remembered trying to picture everything about her. Her red hair, the way she spoke, the small freckles that dusted her nose. Her fingernails that dug into her nail beds from her always biting or picking at them. Her quiet footsteps from learning how to dance.
Dance. That's what they were missing. He banged on the metal door desperately. A guard opened the door furiously. "What do you want Soldier?" he barked.
"The dance instructor, Viktor where is he?" he heaved.
"Why do you care?"
"He knows where the girl is" he bit his tongue, keeping himself from saying her name. The two guards stationed outside his cell looked at eachother, then moved out of the way of the entrance. The Soldier looked at them puzzled.
"Go".
He nodded and took off running down the hall towards her training room. Guards started following him, guns raised. They all thought he had gone crazy again. Alarms were set off and red lights were flashing. The Old Man stepped out of his office confused. Doctors followed, the whole base was on lock down and the Soldier ran to the training room.
"Viktor" he yelled, stepping towards him. Every step for him was three for Viktor. The Old Man signaled for the guards to lower their weapons, he had an idea of where this was going. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"I don't know what you are talking about" he hesitated.
The Soldier grabbed him by the neck and pushed him against the wall. "Where is she? Where is Mila?" He didn't care that he let her name slip, he wanted to know where the hell his daughter was.
The Old Man smirked, not caring that he remembered her. He knew sooner or later he would. There wasn't anyway for him to forget her and he didn't care. All he cared about was getting his project back.
Viktor gasped for air. The metal closing his windpipe. He struggled in the Soldiers grip. "Where is my daughter?" He fumed.
"The Red Room, the Red Room wanted her" Viktor was losing oxygen. He paled and his eyes started to bulge out. "They sent a squad here and I let them in, they took her to some building and now they have another girl with her. She is supposed, supposed to become the next Black Widow. I, I didn't have a choice. I'm sorry" he quivered.
A door opening drew some guards attention away from the Soldier. Dr. Pavlov snuck into the room. Her hair was clipped up and she had on a grey skirt and a black blouse. It had been a few days since anyone had seen her.
Showing no fear, Yana walked towards the Soldier. Hiding the shake in her hand, she slowly placed her well manicured hand on his cool metal bicep. "He told us enough, let him go" she spoke softly. The Soldier kept eye contact with Viktor and slowly released his grip on his throat.
Viktor sank to the floor trying to catch his breath. Yana kept her hand on his arm as he lowered it. He looked at her with cold calculated eyes, trying to remember who she was. Her doctor, Mila's doctor. The fear left her face when she was the gratitude fill his eyes. The Soldier turned to face the exit and started walking away from the crowd. Yana's hand still firmly latched to his bicep.
She walked with him all the way back to his cell. There was no hesitation when walking into the cell either. Yana removed her hand from his arm and he felt the warmth escape his body. He sat on the cot, the squeaking of the springs filled the silence in the room. She didn't know what to say, and he didn't know what to do.
"I'm sorry" she shifted awkwardly on the floor, her hands clasped in front of her. She kept her gaze on the stain on her shoe. He looked up at her, sadness clouding his eyes.
"For what?" he kept his gaze on her, not wavering.
She gulped and stepped forward slightly. "For letting them wipe her from your memory, for letting them take her away from you" she whispered. He didn't say anything, just left her apology to hang in the thick air.
"You don't need to apologize for something that wasn't your fault" he stated. She walked towards him slowly, afraid of making him uncomfortable. She pointed to the cot, asking to sit. He nodded and scooted away slightly. Yana sat down on the edge of the hard mattress, leaving about three feet between the pair.
"I knew what they were planning on doing and I didn't try to stop them. I should have tried" she stared down and her hands. He didn't know what to do with himself. She was upset and he didn't know how to make her feel better. It wasn't her fault, there was nothing she could have done.
"It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done" he leaned over into the empty space and gently picked up her hand in his. "If you tried anything they would have killed you".
She didn't flinch when he touched her, like he thought she would. To his, and her, surprise she threaded their fingers together and leaned into the empty space. He closed the space with his body, supporting her head with his shoulder. The sound of sad sniffles filled the dark room. Yana felt embarrassed about crying in front of him about his own daughter but she couldn't help it. She wanted Mila back.
"We have to get her back, I don't know how much longer I can stay in this place without her" she rubbed her nose with her free hand. The tears still streamed down her face.
"We'll get her back, I promise we will" he lifted her chin with his metal hand to face him. He placed his hand on her cheek gently, afraid of hurting her. She leaned into his touch and cried some more. He wiped the tears with his thumb. "We will get her back" he whispered.
A pounding on the door pulled them apart. "Get ready, we have a hit on the girl" he yelled through the thick metal. Yana looked at him and smiled a soft smile.
"Go get her" she whispered, squeezing his hand. He placed his hand on the back of her head and nodded.
The Soldier hit the door with his fist signaling he was ready to go. The guard opened it and looked directly at Yana. He looked at the guard, anger in his eyes. "She is coming as well, no questions".
Yana froze, she hadn't left this place since the day she was taken. Almost 10 years ago. He looked at her and nodded slowly, she stood up and moved towards him, grabbing his hand. He squeezed it and walked out of the cell together.
***
"How are you so good at this game, I don't understand" Mila laughed, shoving a chip in her mouth.
"I'm just that good I guess" Yelena smirked, placing down another card. Watching Mila's face turn red from the card she placed down. "I win" she shrugged.
"That's not fair" she stood up from the floor, placing her cards on the table. "I'm going to get more chips, start a new game". It had been 5 days since the phone call. Yelena didn't seem any different around Mila, she acted like nothing happened. To Mila nothing did happen, she was sound asleep when Yelena was on the phone. Preoccupied with the dream she was having, a good dream.
Mila had picked up a few things from Yelena in the time they've together. She slowly taught Mila to read some basic words, she taught her what a tv was and how to use one. Mila felt happy here, it was different then her previous home. She still missed her papa every night, she missed Yana too. Some nights Yelena would wake up to Mila's voice. She sat by the window in her room, talking to the night sky, sometimes there would be a small butterfly on the window sill with her.
She was torn, she really wanted Mila to be safe, she deserved it but she had a mission that she could not fail. Mila adored Yelena, she was like a big sister to her. She discovered she was only 15, she was a kid just like her just trying to stay alive.
Mila pulled the half empty bag of chips off the counter and poured some more into a bowl. Careful not to spill them on the floor, she slowly walked over to the couch. "The bag is empty now you might have to get some more if you keep beating me-". Yelena was no longer on the couch. "Yelena?" she called out.
"Shh, Mila I need you to go hide in your room okay. I'll be there soon, just go" she pulled the bowl from her hands and placed it on the table. Her hand moved to her waist band. "Go, it'll be okay" she smiled.
Mila ran to her room, panicked and confused. She heard the front door burst open and a bunch of different voices. Her heart was pounding, she could feel it in her eardrums. She placed her ear against the door, trying to hear what was going on. Yelena was out there on her own with god knows how many people. Mila swiftly ran to the nightstand next to her bed. She pulled out a gun and loaded it.
The door made no noise when she opened it. Moving against the wall with the gun against her chest she rounded the corner. Yelena was holding the gun up to someone. Their back was facing Mila so she had no idea who they were. A gunshot went off. Another and the person in front of her had fallen over. Yelena tucked and just missed the first gunshot, then shot the person in the chest.
"Mila, I told you to hide" she hissed.
"I'm not afraid Yelena" she moved towards her, gun still cocked.
"You should be" she whispered. Another man burst into the room, fired at the girls. Mila moved in front of Yelena and shot at the man. He went down, more people flooded the place. They were outnumbered, the girls dropped their guns and slowly raised their hands, surrendering.
The soldiers parted like the red sea, allowing an older man in a suit step forward. He was laughing wickedly. "Yelena Bolova, how good to see you again. I see you met my Mila". Mila scoffed, a disgusted look washed over her.
"I'm not your Mila" she spat.
"Quiet girl" he stepped in her way of vision, hiding the figures that approached from behind him. "I had a nice chat with Madame B Yelena, so nice of her to tell me her plan after you kidnapped her" he pointed to Mila. She looked up at Yelena, hurt in her green eyes. "It's a shame you didn't finish your mission though, I'm sure you would have made an excellent Black Widow" he mocked her.
"You knew. You knew the whole time. You lied to me, tried to keep me here, for what? Why am I so important to the Red Room?" she snapped.
"Mila, you have to understand I didn't want to do it, not after I met you. You have to believe me" Yelena begged.
Mila turned away from the blonde, she felt like she was going to collapse. She wanted to throw up. Yelena betrayed her, she trusted her and she stabbed her in the back.
"These men will take you back to the Red Room, after today Hydra has no ties with the Red Room. Have a good trip" the men pulled Yelena out of the house. Mila's ears were buzzing, blocking out Yelena's cries. She walked towards the door, head down, gaze glued to her purple socks. The ones Yelena gave her.
Mila paused when a pair of grey shoes entered her view, there was a small stain on one of them. She looked up and sucked in a sharp breath. Yana was kneeling in front of her, arms open. Mila wrapped her arms around the doctor and began to cry.
Looking up from Yana's shoulder, she saw another figure. One with a metal arm and a small gun in his other hand staring at her. Mila wanted more than anything to run up to him and have him hold her but she couldn't.
The Soldier stepped towards the girls. Yana looked at Mila's expressionless face and felt her heart break. She didn't think he remembered her. He kneeled in front of them, nothing on his face. Yana saw then how much the two were alike. Sure she didn't have his brown hair or blue eyes, but she had his nose, his mouth, his habit of staring a little longer than normal.
"Mila" he whispered. She looked at him, not able to tell if he knew who she was. Mila looked at Yana, who just nodded at the 8 year old.
"Papa" she mumbled. He nodded and she felt her whole body collapse. He caught her and pulled her into his chest. "You remember" she muttered into his jacket.
"Yes Mila, I remember" he placed his hand on her head, running his fingers through her hair. Yana looked at the father and daughter, wiping away a few tears. He grabbed her hand with his metal one. Yana looked at him gratefully.
The Old Man scoffed and looked at his men. He signalled for them to exit the room, leaving the messy family on the floor of a broken home.
Wow this is a long one. I am really proud of this chapter, it's one of my favourites. Thank you for reading and voting and commenting, it really makes my day. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you though of it!
-Emma :)