2016
St. Petersburg, Russia
Natasha woke with a start as and she looked around quickly to see that she was in her bedroom. Her shoulder sagged and she looked beside her in the bed to see Kennedy lying there, spread out like a little starfish as she slept quietly. She smiled at the sight as she began to relax.
She was still in Ohio.
She was home.
She looked over at Kennedy once more before climbing out of the bed and carefully stepping over Yelena's makeshift bed on the floor and into the hallway. With quiet and careful steps, she made her way down the hall and stairs. She headed outside and went over toward the playset, taking a seat at the bottom of the slide.
The nightmares of the Red Room kept Natasha awake at night and when she did find sleep, she couldn't go long without the wretched place sneaking into her subconscious.
"Can't sleep?"
She spun to see Melina – well her mother – standing there. Natasha shook her head and Melina nods as she walks over to Natasha, tapping her shoulder, "Up."
Natasha stands and Melina sits where Natasha once was and the young girl crawls into her lap.
"How'd you know?" Natasha asks.
"Your steps aren't as quiet as you think they are," Melina says as she tickles Natasha's side, making her giggle. Melina smiles down at the girl, "I thought the nightmares were getting better?"
"They are. Kennedy makes them better," Natasha says softly, "But sometimes they sneak in, and then I can't sleep."
"You want to know something?" Melina asks and Natasha nods her head, "Sometimes I get bad dreams too."
"Really?" Natasha asks, "But you're-"
"So cool?" Melina finishes and Natasha laughs as she shakes her head.
"No, you're an adult. Adults aren't supposed to get bad dreams," Natasha tells her.
"Well, I get them," Melina tells her, "And mine are of the Red Room too."
"How do you make them go away?" Natasha asks as she looks up at Melina with wide curious eyes.
"You think of things that make you happy. Things that make you feel safe," Melina tells her.
"What makes you feel safe?"
"You," Melina answers, "Yelena. Your father. The Allens."
"They can't fight," Natasha states.
"No," Melina says, "A safe place isn't just people being able to fight for you. It's somewhere you feel comfortable. Where you can be yourself with people that you care about. And even though the Allens can't fight, I know that they would do anything for us."
"I feel safe here," Natasha says, "With you and Kennedy and Yelena and dad."
Melina smiles, "I think you found something to ward away the bad dreams."
Natasha looks up at Melina, tears forming in her green eyes, "I don't want to go back. I want to stay here."
"I know," Melina says, "I want to stay here too."
"Then why don't we?" Natasha asks.
It was a difficult question and Melina wanted to tell Natasha that they could, that she would never take her back to that awful place.
"Natasha, we've only been here a year. This mission is going to take a long time. Don't think about going back to the Red Room. Think about right here, right now."
Natasha looks away from her, "I want to cry, but crying is bad."
"No, it's not," Melina tells her, "It's okay to cry."
"Is it?"
Melina nods her head, "Mhm."
"I'm going to cry but you can't say anything," Natasha says and Melina laughs. Natasha was practically an adult at nine years old, but at the end of the day she was still a child and Melina loved that about her.
"I'll be quiet and just hold you," Melina says, and Natasha nods her head as she keeps looking forward. She listens as Natasha cries, sniffling occasionally and reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes. After a few moments, Natasha's breathing seems to even out.
"All good?" Melina asks.
Natasha nods her head, "All good."
"Will you look at me?"
Natasha turns, her little cheeks were red and so were her green eyes. The sight broke Melina's heart. No child should ever have to go through this. She stroked her fingers through Natasha's short blue hair.
"I know what will make you feel better."
"What?" Natasha asks.
"A pool day and ice cream," Melina tells her, and Natasha's eyes light up.
"Can Kennedy come?"
Melina laughs. Natasha couldn't go anywhere without Kennedy now. The girls were a packaged deal with Yelena trailing after them.
"Of course, she can," Melina tells her.
"Does Yelena have to come?" Natasha asks and Melina laughs.
"Yes, she's your sister!"
"Ugh," Natasha says, "Fine."
Melina chuckles as she picks Natasha up. The girl squirms in her arms not wanting to be carried. It made her feel like a baby, but Melina carries her inside the house. And sets her down when they're in the kitchen.
Natasha pouts as she looks at her, arms crossed over her chest, "I'm not a baby."
"I know," Melina says, "You're a big girl."
"I am," Natasha tells her.
"And even big girls have bad dreams sometimes," Melina says, "But what do we do when we have bad dreams?"
"We think of our safe place," Natasha says, and Melina nods her head.
"Do you want me to tuck you back in?"
"No, Kennedy is laid out like a starfish it would be too hard to do without waking her up and I want to make sure she gets ample sleep," Natasha says, making Melina's eyebrows furrow.
"You want her to get ample sleep?"
"Yeah," Natasha says, "She's been staying up late reading the encyclopedia."
"Why?" Melina asks.
Natasha shrugs, "She's weird."
"But you like her."
Natasha smiles widely, "I like her a lot."
"Okay well go upstairs and enjoy Kennedy's starfish."
Natasha smiles, "I will."
She heads back upstairs, walking quietly as she passes her parent's bedroom.
"Goodnight Natasha," she hears her father say.
"Goodnight," she says as she runs the rest of her way back to her room. She gently opens the door, not wanting to wake Yelena, only to find that she wasn't on the floor anymore, but in the bed with Kennedy.
Natasha walked over to the bed to find her younger sister on top of Kennedy. Natasha shakes her head as she climbs in the bed beside the two of them.
"Bad dream?" Kennedy asks softly. Natasha looks over at her to see Kennedy's eyes still closed.
"Yeah," Natasha says.
"Yelena had one too," Kennedy says, "She said the vacuum monster was back to get her."
Natasha smiles, "Not the vacuum monster."
"I tried telling her vacuums are friendly, but she doesn't believe me," Kennedy says, "What was your dream about?"
Natasha's silent for a moment before she softly answers, "Losing you."
Kennedy opens one eye as she looks over at Natasha, "Seriously?"
"Seriously," Natasha says as she lays on her side.
"You're never going to lose me," Kennedy tells her, "I promise."
"Even if I move away?"
"We can be pen pals," Kennedy says, "It depends on where you move, but most letters only take three days to send."
Natasha slides closer to Kennedy, resting her head on her shoulder and placing her hand on Yelena's back. Yelena twitches at the touch, snuggling closer to Kennedy.
"You're my safe place."
"Really?" Kennedy asks in a soft voice, "No one's told me that before."
"I'm sure Yelena thinks so," Natasha says, "I mean look at her. She's starfish."
Kennedy smiles as she looks at Yelena.
"I hope I stay a safe place for you guys."
Natasha smiles at her, "You will. I know it."
After crying, taking a shower, and being held by Melina, Kennedy was finally able to fall asleep. The older widow left Kennedy alone in the room before heading out to the living room to find Natasha, instead, she found Wanda who was sitting on the couch in thought.
She notices Melina and nods toward the door, indicating that Natasha was outside. Melina smiled at her thankfully before going outside, finding Natasha sitting on the steps. She took a seat beside her and sighed.
"For a moment, we're going to pretend that we're two former assassins that used to be mother and daughter," Melina states.
Natasha's eyebrows furrow, "That's exactly what we are though."
Melina smiles, "I know."
Natasha snorts and shakes her head as she looks at the green pastures before her, "This is all my fault."
"Yes, it is," Melina tells her, and Natasha looks over at her. Melina shrugs in response, "I'm not going to lie to you."
"Thanks," Natasha says, "How is she?"
"She believes that she can no longer have a family and she's questioning her feelings for you."
Natasha's eyes fall shut and she buries her face in her knees. This is what she had wanted to avoid four years ago. However, Kennedy had adjusted to her lifestyle with great ease. It was Natasha who hadn't been able to adjust to the one Kennedy wanted.
"That woman loves you," Melina states, "And she is fighting herself to hold on to that love, but Natasha you have to give a little."
She looks at Melina. What did she know about it? Aside from a three-year-long fake marriage, she'd never been in a relationship. Melina picks up on her skeptical look and she looks away from Natasha as she looks straight ahead.
"I learned so much in Ohio," Melina says with a small smile, "More than I ever learned in the Red Room."
"What did you learn?" Natasha asks.
"I learned about love. Friendship. Loyalty, true loyalty. In Ohio I supposed I learned how to be human," Melina looks over at Natasha, "Those weren't only the best years of Yelena's life, but the best years of mine."
"You got out," Natasha points out, "You could have gone back. You could have lived."
"You think this is being out?" Melina asks, "Dreykov could show up here at any moment with a request. He wants me to build something or kill someone. This isn't being out, this is being on standby."
"You've made a life for yourself. You're married, you have a family, and yet it seems you're taking it for granted to be a so-called Avenger," Melina states, "Do you know how many widows wish they were in your position? That they had people that cared about them?"
"I know," Natasha mutters.
"I wanted to be a mother," Melina says, "I wanted kids. A family. And then I got it. I had you and Yelena and the two of you were just babies when we got you. Still innocent. Every year we were there I thought to myself 'This is it. This is the day that you take those girls and you run."
That was a surprise to Natasha, "You were going to run with us?"
"Oh yeah," Melina says with a smile, "I wanted to take you girls somewhere Dreykov could never find you. I wanted to keep you safe. I wanted you two to have a normal childhood."
Melina sighs, "But that could never happen. Dreykov, he wanted you too much. You were his star pupil, his perfect widow, and you didn't even know it."
"How could he have known so soon?"
"He knew the moment you were born," Melina tells her, and Natasha looks at her with nothing but confusion on her face, "Dreykov had a program which tested the genetic potential of infants. You were unlike any child ever born and he had to have you. You weren't abandoned by your mother. You were taken."
Natasha's heart sunk to her stomach at the revelation. Her entire life she'd thought that nobody wanted her. And now she was learning that not only had her birth mother had wanted her, but Melina had wanted to take her away as well.
"Do you know where she is?"
"She wouldn't give up on you, so Dreykov had her killed."
There was a sharp inhale of breath at the revelation and Natasha suddenly began to mourn a mother that she had forgotten. That she'd thought didn't want her.
"Dreykov took everything from me," Natasha says shaking her head. Just when she thought that she was free of him, it was like he came back with a vengeance.
"I know," Melina states, "But there are some things that you can take back."
"Like what?"
"Kennedy," Melina states, "The two of you were always meant to find each other. Two halves of the same soul Meredith used to say. There was nothing that could stand between you and there still isn't."
"I heard her," Natasha says, "She hates me."
"She doesn't hate you," Melina says, "She could never hate you. She hates the circumstances, and she needs someone to blame. The root of the problem is her love for you."
"What do I do?"
"Give Kennedy what she wants. Stay home before you lose her, or worse, get yourself killed. Kennedy has lost her father and she's going to lose her mother. She can't lose you. She needs something stable. And you've repaid your debt, Natasha."
"I haven't," Natasha says softly shaking her head.
"You have," Melina says, as she reaches out and places a hand on Natasha's shoulder, "Trust me, you have."
Natasha's lip quivers and Melina can tell she's about to start crying, so she slides close to her and throws an arm around her shoulder. As a kid, Natasha never liked crying, but the moments that she did, Melina never said anything, she just held her, and then the two of them would act like it never happened.
And so, Natasha cries in Melina's arms. In the arms of the only mother, she's ever known and now the only mother she will know.
After a moment, Natasha takes a deep breath, composing herself. Melina looks at her.
"All good?"
Natasha nods her head, "All good."
"I'm gonna go check on Yelena now," Melina says, as she stands.
"I uh," Natasha stands quickly and looks over at Melina, "I bought the house in Ohio. When I went back for Kennedy. I bought it."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Natasha chews on her lip anxiously, "We can go home."
Melina smiles at Natasha, "We'll destroy the Red Room, and we'll go home, okay?"
Natasha looks down sheepishly as a small smile crosses her lips, "Okay."
Melina heads inside and Natasha takes a deep breath before heading inside as well.
"So like you just," Anya moves her hand in a similar motion to Wanda's and the older woman sighs as she pinches the bridge of her nose.
"She doesn't like when people do that," Reagan tells Anya as she pulls a card out of the deck and shows it to Yelena, "Is this your card?"
Yelena bangs her head against the edge of the bed, "For the hundredth time, no. That is not my card."
Reagan stares at the deck, "This should have been your card."
"It's not," Yelena responds.
"Is this your card?" Anya says as she produces a card from her sleeve. Yelena sits up straight as she looks at it.
"That was my card," Yelena says.
"How'd you get it?" Reagan asks as she snatches it from Anya and looks over at it.
"I stole it," Anya responds, focusing her attention back on Wanda, "So like when you need to turn the lights on do you do it physically or do you just use your powers?"
"What type of question is that?" Yelena asks.
"A real one!" Anya retorts.
"I physically turn the lights on. When you're stalking someone do you track their software or use Instagram?" Wanda asks.
"Depends on if the person I'm trying to find has strong social media presence," Anya responds.
"So where'd you get the vest?" Reagan asks as she moves over, leaning against the bed beside Yelena.
"From a store," Yelena states bluntly.
"It's cool," Reagan tells her, "Lots of pockets, very handy."
Yelena narrows her eyes at Reagan, "You like my vest?"
"Yeah," Reagan says with a smile.
"Thanks," Yelena states softly, "It's uh it's actually the first thing I ever bought for myself. The first decision I've ever made for myself."
"It was a good decision," Reagan tells her, "But you can fit a lot of weapons in there to kill people."
"You know I don't like killing people," Yelena says, as she glances away from Reagan. Kennedy's younger sister was nice, but she was also fearful of her, "I don't like hurting people. It's the only thing I've ever known. It's the only thing I've ever been good at."
"I'm sorry," Reagan says, "If I've seemed judgmental. Despite my sister dating Natasha, I grew up pretty sheltered. The world's been pretty black and white, but recently I've learned that isn't always the case."
"I think you're really cool," Reagan adds, "And I was kind of jealous of you. I mean Kennedy was willing to risk her life to find you. I thought – I thought maybe she loved you more than me."
"I was jealous of you," Yelena responds, and Reagan looks at Yelena surprised, "You got to grow up with Kennedy. And then you got both Kennedy and Natasha. I kind of felt like you took my place."
"I felt like a placeholder for you," Reagan responds, "A void left that only you could fill."
"Maybe we've both been wrong," Yelena states.
"Yeah," Reagan states, a smile grows on her lips, "Want to be my newer and cooler older sister?"
Yelena shrugs with a coy smile, "Already ahead of you."
"Is this your card?" Anya asks, holding a card before Wanda. She snatches it out of Anya's hand and glares at her.
"How the hell are you doing this?"
"You could learn if you read my mind," Anya suggests.
"I don't read minds," Wanda states, "I respect boundaries."
Yelena's eyebrows furrow as she looks over at the two of them, recalling why she'd come back here, "You know when I came back here with the bottle of vodka, I kind of wanted to drown my sorrows. Alone."
"We know," Reagan says as she shuffles the cards, "But we're family which means I legally cannot leave you to drown your sorrows. Alone."
"What she said," Wanda says as she points over to Reagan, "I tried to give you space but then Alexei started crying to me, and I was getting uncomfortable."
"What was he crying about?"
"Something about his father peeing in his hands to keep them from freezing?" Wanda shakes her head, "I'm not sure."
The four girls are silent as they process the words and then at the same time they get the same image in their head of a younger Alexei and his father, and they all start laughing.
"I haven't heard that sound in forever," Melina says in the doorway. The girls all look up at her. She smiles as she holds up a book.
"Is that a photo album?" Reagan asks.
"It is."
"Baby Yelena?" Anya asks.
Melina nods, "Baby Yelena."
"I have to see this," Wanda says.
Yelena stares at Melina curiously. After everything that had happened at the dining table, she wasn't sure that this mission in Ohio had meant anything to anyone but her.
"You kept it?" Yelena asks.
"Of course I did," Melina says as she holds the album out to Yelena. She takes it and opens it, the first couple of pictures were taken before their mission. They knew it would be suspicious if they didn't have a family album.
"Yelena, you were so cute," Wanda states, "Look at those Christmas pajamas!"
"These were staged," Yelena says, getting everyone's attention, "We needed them for the mission. To look normal."
"These however are not," Melina says as she reaches out and flips to the middle of the book. Yelena looked at the pictures and a lump formed in her throat at the first day of school pictures that were taken of her, Natasha, and Kennedy. On the same page was a picture of them from a road trip they took into the city.
"I remember this day," Yelena says softly.
"I do too," Melina says, "We all pretended that we didn't know how to read maps so Kennedy could guide us around."
"For some reason, we kept ending up at bakeries," Yelena says as she looks at the other three girls, "We ate like seven different pastries that day."
"You had the biggest tummy ache ever," Melina says with a laugh.
Yelena turns the page of the album and looks at the pictures. A childhood that she didn't think mattered was documented in photos. Yelena's eyes begin to burn as she looks up at Melina. She takes the book off of her lap, handing it to Reagan as she stands up and hugs Melina.
"It was real for me too," Melina whispers to Yelena.
Yelena clings to Melina tightly.
"We're going to stop Dreykov and then we're going to go home," Melina says as she looks at Yelena, smiling reassuringly at her, wiping away Yelena's tears, "Our real home."
Yelena nods her head.
"Group hug?" Reagan asks.
"Group hug," Wanda agrees.
The three of them jump up and they hug Yelena and Melina, making Yelena laugh through her tears.
In the other room, Natasha stood in the doorway as she watched Kennedy sleep. She looked so peaceful and that only seemed to make Natasha feel more guilty for what happened.
"I get that you're a spy and all but that's pretty creepy," Kennedy mutters as she opens one eye.
"Oh," Natasha says as she looks into the living room to find Alexei snoring on the couch. There was no out this time. She pushed herself off of the threshold and enters the room, "I um just wanted to see how you were doing."
"Awful," Kennedy answers with a small smile.
"Yeah," Natasha says as she takes a seat on the bed beside Kennedy. The doctor sits up a little as she looks over at Natasha. The redhead swallows as she looks down nervously, "I've always known what to say to you, but for the first time in my life I don't know what to say other than I love you, and please don't leave me."
"Leave you?" Kennedy asks.
"I know that you blame me for all of this, and I blame myself. I shouldn't have ever dragged you into all of this-"
"I knew what I was getting into," Kennedy says, "I just wanted you."
"And I never gave you just me," Natasha sighs, "I never tried to just give you me. It was me with S.H.I.E.L.D or me with the Avengers and now me with my extremely fucked up family."
"It's okay," Kennedy says softly, "I happen to like your extremely fucked up family. Well, Melina and Yelena at least."
"It's not okay," Natasha responds, "I want you, Kennedy. Just you. You're my safe place. The best thing that ever happened to me and I cannot lose you. I won't make it."
Kennedy's lip quirks, "You know for the record, I would never leave you. We don't take breaks. I was just emotionally overwhelmed with everything that happened. And yeah I kind of hated your guts."
"Ouch," Natasha says, "But also well deserved."
"But," Kennedy says, as she holds up her hand showing off her ring, "You're stuck with me for life."
"I really hope so," Natasha says as she takes Kennedy's hand and kisses it.
"I'm about to say a word that you're not going to like," Kennedy says as she looks at their hands.
"Don't say it," Natasha pleads.
"Counseling," Kennedy says and Natasha winces.
"You know I have an aversion to talking about my feelings."
"I do," Kennedy says, "But if we're going to save this, we're going to have to do something. I already mentally have my therapy appointments scheduled for Tuesdays. That way I can get brunch with Marin and try to assimilate back into normal life."
"I um wanted to ask you something," Natasha says, "Melina told me that you didn't want a family anymore. Did Dreykov – did he?" She can't bring herself to ask the question.
Kennedy looks away from Natasha as she bites her lip, "He didn't. It's me. I can't – I just can't imagine bringing a kid into this."
"This?" Natasha asks.
"We'd be bad parents," Kennedy states with a shrug, "And I think that everything that's happened with Dreykov has solidified that."
"No," Natasha says firmly.
"No?" Kennedy asks.
"No," Natasha states, "We would not be bad parents."
"Our lives aren't normal," Kennedy insists.
"Then we'll make them normal," Natasha says, "I'll retire as soon as we get back to the States. My only request is that I get a motorcycle."
Kennedy's brows furrow, "A motorcycle?"
Natasha shrugs, "I need something for my thirty-two-year-old crisis. And my I'm-going-to-be-a-mom crisis."
Kennedy stares at her, "Natasha-"
"You've given so much up for me," Natasha tells her, "It's my turn. Besides it turns out we'll have a plethora of babysitters."
Kennedy chews on the inside of her jaw, "There's one more thing I should probably tell you."
"Okay."
"When we were in Budapest and Yelena had to shoot me. I'd gotten free of Dreykov's manipulation."
"What?" Natasha asks.
"There was a moment," Kennedy states, "I had control and I wanted it to stop. I didn't want to hurt you guys and my brain was scrambled so I put the gun to my head and-"
"You were going to pull the trigger?" Natasha asks.
"Nat, I just wanted it to stop."
"You promised me that you'd never leave me," Natasha says as she stands up.
Kennedy's eyes water, "I know."
"And you were going to?"
"Natasha it's more complicated than that," Kennedy says, "I just – I needed a reprieve. You don't understand, he went to work on my brain like - like it was a fun little experiment. I couldn't tell reality from thought. I just – I wanted peace."
Natasha nods her head, "Then I'm sorry to say that I'm really glad Yelena shot you."
"Yeah," Kennedy says, "Um could we just keep that between us? I really don't Reagan or Wanda to worry."
"Of course," Natasha says.
"Still want kids with me?" Kennedy asks.
"Yeah," Natasha says nodding her head as she looks at Kennedy, "I really do."
"Not to interrupt this moment of strong and effective communication," Melina says from the doorway, "But we have a plan to kill Dreykov."
"Okay," Natasha says.
Melina's eyes go to Kennedy, and she holds a thumb up, "I'm okay."
"You are indeed not okay. But you're a tough girl," Melina says with a smile. She heads out of the room and Kennedy smiles.
"Glad she's consistent," Kennedy says as she stands.
Natasha throws an arm around Kennedy's shoulder. They head into the kitchen, and they find the other girls sitting there.
Wanda smiles, "I don't have to worry about you two getting divorced, do I? Because if it comes down to a custody battle I know who I'm picking."
"You don't have to worry about that," Kennedy answers as she pokes Natasha's side, "I'd kill her."
"I'd let her kill me," Natasha says as she sits down at the table beside Yelena. She leans over to see a photo album and she looks up at Melina, "You kept these?"
"Yep," Melina answers.
"Fifth grade," Reagan says, "Not your best look."
"I was ten!" Natasha retorts.
Yelena looks at the picture and then at Natasha, "You did look funny."
"Oh whatever, you were missing teeth," Natasha retorts, making Yelena frown.
"Should we wake him up?" Anya asks as she thumbs over at Alexei's sleeping body on the couch.
"No, he's more tolerable this way," Yelena states and Natasha smiles at the comment as she and Yelena share a look.
"Okay," Melina says, "In all honesty, I don't know where the Red Room is. But I do know how to get us there."
Her eyes go over to Kennedy and Natasha, "He wants both of you. I still have contact with him. He thinks I'm loyal to the Red Room. He'll come immediately. That's how we'll get there. Getting before Dreykov is a little more complicated."
"We'll swap places," Natasha says, "He'll want a rundown on how you captured us."
"You won't be able to hurt him," Melina says, "Every widow has been implanted with a pheromone. As long as you can smell him, you can't hurt him. You have to severe the nerve."
"You three are going to Norway," Kennedy says as she looks at the three younger girls.
"What? Why?" Wanda asks.
"We'll need an escape," Kennedy says, "Wanda you know how to fly the jet. Reagan, I love you but your brain is needed elsewhere and Anya, while extremely capable-"
"I am a baby," Anya says.
"You were shot and are currently using a sling," Kennedy finishes.
"Oh," Anya says, cheeks flushing.
Reagan reached over and squeezes her cheeks, "You are a baby though."
Anya slaps her hands away, making everyone laugh.
"Um there's a fault with this plan," Yelena says, "We are going to a place that's heavily guarded by a bunch of trained widows and we lost the serum."
"We didn't lose it, someone gave it away," Anya mutters.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have just let you get a bullet in your head. That's my fault," Yelena retorts.
"Everyone calm down," Melina states, "This delays us slightly but we can replicate the serum."
"Oh," Reagan says as she reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out her glasses, and puts them on, "I scanned the serum with JOCASTA when I sent it to Mr. Stark so he could evaluate it. JOCASTA, do you still have the properties of the dust?"
"Yes Ms. Allen, would you like me to pull them up?"
"Yes please," Reagan says as she smiles, "Not so useless am I now?"
"We said you were occasionally useless," Wanda responds.
"Reagan, you and I will replicate the serum. We'll make enough so that if we encounter any widows we can free them. The rest we'll have to depend on Mr. Stark for. The rest of you prepare yourselves. This won't be easy, or particularly fun."
"I don't know I think it can be fun," Yelena says with a shrug, "Like in a fight on the playground kind of way."
"This is nothing like a fight on a playground," Wanda says shaking her head.
"Yeah what playgrounds were you on?" Reagan asks.
"The same ones as Kennedy and Natasha," Yelena answers, her eyes lighting up, "Do you guys remember when Natasha got into a fight with that Jessica girl?"
"When she pulled Jessica's hair out and she had to get that awful bob haircut?" Kennedy asks with a laugh. She looks over at Natasha, "You were kind of scary."
"I only fought her because she kept stealing your gloves!" Natasha exclaims, "God I hated that girl."
"If it makes you feel better, her husband cheated on her," Reagan says, "Everyone in town talks about it. He takes his mistress out with no shame."
"That does make me feel better surprisingly," Natasha responds.
"What I would give to punch her," Yelena mutters.
"It was satisfying," Natasha tells her sister with a smile.
Yelena shakes her head, "I'm so jealous."
"Maybe you can punch her when we go back to Ohio," Melina suggests, "With reasonable cause."
"Oh my gosh," Anya says, "I have the perfect plan. But we can talk about it later because we obviously need this serum so that we can free widows and take down the Red Room."
"Right," Reagan says as she stands up, "JOCASTA meet Melina, Melina meet my program JOCASTA."
"Hello JOCASTA," Melina says.
"Hello Melina, here is the information that you need for the serum. I have listed the ingredients for you so that you may replicate it."
"Perfect," Melina says, "You know, I'm going to have to meet this Tony Stark. His tech is fascinating."
"Uh oh," Kennedy mutters, "You're going to have to introduce your family to your other family."
Natasha sighs as she looks over at Yelena who was flipping through the photo album, "I know."