Riley and the sisters had made their way out of the city, finding a gas station where they could patch up their wounds and rest for a few hours. Riley remained in dog form as she sat outside the gas station, waiting for Natasha and Yelena.
Riley began to listen into the sisters' conversation, catching Yelena talking about the Avengers.
"You die and one of the big ones comes to avenge you." Yelena said.
"Wait, what are the big ones?" Natasha asked.
"Me." Riley replied in Natasha's mind and Natasha shook her head with a smirk on her face.
"Well, I doubt the God from space needs to take an ibuprofen after a fight." Yelena answered.
Riley zoned out from the conversation as a young boy ran over to her and began to stroke her. When Riley looked back at the sisters, she saw Yelena in Natasha's fighting pose.
"When you're fighting...with the arm and the hair, and you do like a fighting pose." Yelena said as she demonstrated.
Natasha looks down at Yelena, watching her little sister.
"It's a...It's a fighting pose. You're a total poser." Yelena said.
"I'm not a poser." Natasha replied defensively as Yelena laughed.
Riley walked into the store and began to nestle herself into Natasha's leg before looking up at Natasha.
"I'm not a poser." Natasha said to Riley as she gently stroked her head.
Riley nodded and walked back out of the store, followed by the two sisters.
*TIME SKIP*
Riley had returned to human form and was now disguised, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, as well as a hoodie. Riley sat beside Yelena as she talked with Natasha about Dreykov and his widows. Riley picked up the vodka, which was sat on the table and discreetly began to use it to somewhat heal Yelena's would before wrapping it with a bandage. Yelena thanked Riley before she stood to sit beside Natasha.
"Dreykov destroyed my birth certificate, so I reinvented it. My sister moved out west and her husband's an architect. You're working part time though, whilst you nurse your son." Yelena informed.
Natasha and Riley chuckled as they listened to Yelena.
"That's not my story." Natasha said.
"Far from the truth." Riley replied before yawning.
Yelena took a sip of her drink before looking to Riley with a curious look in her eye.
"So, what is the truth then?" Yelena asked.
Riley looked to Natasha, "May I?"
Natasha nodded with a smile before taking a sip of her drink.
"Natasha is a highly recognised and respected member of an organisation, which is focused on protecting the world from all kinds of threats. She is single, but that doesn't mean that she hasn't had suitors try to be her 'Mr Right.'" Natasha secretly took Riley's hand in hers underneath the table, "But it turns out that Natasha is already in love with someone, but she hides it because she knows that this person has already met their soulmate. Natasha also has several friends, such as the billionaire, the war-hero and the scientist, to name but a few. What Nat desires most though is to have the chance to just...relax, in a home of her own, where she can just forget about the struggles of life and be happy with the person she loves most." Riley informed.
Yelena nodded before looking at the children and the dad spending time with his son by the garage beside them.
"Did you ever wish for children?" Yelena asked.
Natasha looked at the children as they played and Riley gently squeezed Natasha's hand, comforting her.
"I want a dog." Yelena said as she put on her vest.
Riley looked to Yelena with a smile, "I would definitely recommend that. I'll be able to train it for you, whilst you know I'm also a dog."
"You should definitely do that, but where will you go now?" Natasha asked.
"Well, I don't know. I don't really have anywhere to go back to, so anywhere I guess. I could go to America with you, maybe go back to Ohio." Yelena replied.
Natasha leaned onto the table with a smile on her face.
"Don't." Yelena said.
"What?" Natasha asked.
"You're going to give me some hero speech." Yelena replied.
Riley looked to Natasha, interested to hear what was going on in that beautiful mind of hers.
"I was thinking maybe before you leave, we could take out Dreykov and the Red Room once and for all." Natasha informed.
"Even though the Red Room is impossible to find and Dreykov is too slippery to kill?" Yelena replied.
Natasha nodded.
"Sounds like a shit lot of work." Yelena replied with a smile.
Natasha smiled with her drink in her hand.
"Did you see where he put the keys?" Natasha asked.
"Yep. Top drawer, green cabinet." Yelena replied.
The sisters smiled at one another before they clinked their drinks together.
*TIME SKIP*
Riley and the sisters were in the car. Natasha and Yelena were sat in front, whilst Riley was sleeping on the backseat in dog form.
"You know this is the first piece of clothing I've ever bought for myself." Yelena said as Natasha drove.
"That?" Natasha asked.
"Yeah, you don't like it?" Yelena asked in reply.
"Is that like, uh...Army Surplus?" Natasha asked.
"Okay, it has a lot of pockets. But I use them all the time and I made some of my own modifications..." Yelena said before crossing her arms, giving up with her sister.
Natasha chuckled at Yelena.
"Shut up." Yelena stated, "The point is I've never had control over my own life before and now I do. I want to do things."
Natasha looked to Yelena before looking back to the road.
"I like you're vest." Natasha smiled.
"Gah, I knew it. I knew you did, it's so cool, right?" Yelena asked with a smile.
"It's cool. Yes." Natasha replied.
"And you can put so much stuff in there. You wouldn't even know." Yelena said with a smirk.
Yelena settled back in her seat as Natasha drove on with a smile on her face.
"I really don't know where the Red Room is, I'm sorry." Yelena informed.
"I know. But I think I know somebody who does." Natasha replied.
"Oh, yeah. Who?" Yelena asked.
"We're gonna need a jet." Natasha replied.
"So, that's where we're going?" Yelena asked.
"Yeah, I know a guy." Natasha replied.
Whilst they drove towards their destination, Yelena decided to find out more about her sister.
"So, what's really going on with you and Riley? How did she get her powers and why does she have so many?" Yelena asked.
Natasha chuckled lightly as her sister rambled out her questions.
"Okay, I'll start with the last two. Riley was abducted from college and subjected to HYDRA experimentation with the tesseract. She gained her powers from being exposed to the tesseract. HYDRA scientists kept notes on her powers, discovering that unlike their other successful subjects, the Maximoff twins, she gained new powers near enough every day." Natasha explained.
"Wow, that must of been hard. Being at college and enjoying the aspect of your future, then suddenly having it ripped from you, having your life completely changed forever." Yelena replied.
Natasha nodded, "When Tony and I found her, she was a broken shell of who the person she used to be. But after she began to build her trust in us again, particularly me, she began to heal mentally and emotionally. I became her anchor."
"So, going back to my first question...are you two like friends or something more?" Yelena asked.
"Okay, you know that big speech about me that Riley gave earlier." Natasha started.
Yelena nodded.
"Well, half of it was true. Riley is my soulmate, but her soulmate is Wanda Maximoff. The thing is Riley tells me that they're just friends that soulmates are not always lovers and I believe that because I know that Wanda and Vision are like...together." Natasha informed.
"So, if Riley's soulmate is with someone else and she's okay with it...why haven't you shot your shot yet?" Yelena asked.
"With everything going on, the Avengers breaking up and us going after the Dreykov and the Red Room...I just don't want to start a relationship in all of this mess. Do you see what I mean?" Natasha replied as she looked to Yelena.
"Yeah, you don't want to have a relationship during a time of crisis and chaos because you don't want to pour your heart out to then have it ripped apart if something were to happen to Riley, same goes for Riley with you. I get it, you just want to keep her safe. You throw a relationship into the mix and you begin to make mistakes, take risks you shouldn't." Yelena said.
"I mean, I really really like Riley. I just, I can't stand the idea of losing her. With us being on the run from Agent Ross and now the Widows...I can't afford to put my heart on the line." Natasha stated.
Riley overheard the entire conversation and buried her head further into the seat as she tried to go back to sleep. The idea that Natasha was preventing their relationship because she was scared to lose her was sweet, but Natasha knew that she could take care of herself. Like she had said to Yelena, she was the most powerful person in the car and she knew that. So, what was really stopping her from admitting to Riley what she truly wanted?