"Why are you leaving?" Clint asked.
"And where?" Captain America added.
Yelena sighed, she really didn't want to deal with this right then, "Do we really have to tell you guys?"
There was a chorus of yeses in reply.
"We might as well," Natasha said, "Inaya needs to know anyway."
Yelena grumbled something in reply.
A few minutes later, everyone was settled in the living room, except for Cooper and Nathanial, who Laura had sent outside to play with Fanny. She was going to send Lila too, but Lila convinced her not to because she was "too injured".
"So, you gonna spill everything?" Sam asked.
"Apparently," Yelena muttered.
"They would've found out eventually," Natasha pointed out.
Yelena was convinced that was her way of telling her that she would have told them about everything eventually, "I guess so."
Wanda smiled at them. "You don't have to be pressured into telling us everything." she said, "No matter what those idiots tell you."
Bucky and Captain America nodded in agreement. Yelena tilted her head to the side, trying to figure everyone out. Wanda was encouraging, but also seemed curious, which surprised Yelena. She had been in Yelena's head a few times, why didn't she just learn Yelena's whole past then?
Bruce seemed calm, but also curious. Yelena could tell that Tony was burning with curiosity, probably because it annoyed him that he couldn't figure out Natasha's past before then. Sam seemed excited.
Yelena wasn't sure what Bucky was thinking, it was hard to tell with him. Steve seemed impartial about if they told them or not, which made Yelena wonder if he already knew.
Yelena already knew for sure that Clint knew most of it. Maybe even all of it. She wasn't quite sure how much Natasha told him.
Laura didn't seem to know though. Lila was excited. That was the only way to explain it. But she was at least trying to hide that excitement and remain calm.
Natasha and Yelena glanced at each other one last time before they started at the very beginning.
Ohio.
"Wait, so you're saying that you guys lived with each other in Ohio for three years posing as a family?" Bruce asked.
Natasha nodded and Yelena looked back down at her hands. What was she supposed to say? That it was a fake three years? That it was a fake family?
Yes. That's what it was. Fake. The whole time.
It was real for me.
But not to anyone else.
It was real to Nat, she said so.
She could be lying to you, just like everyone else.
"Yelena?"
"Hmmm?" she looked back up at her sister.
"They just wanted to know how old we were at the time."
"Oh. I was six, Nat was twelve."
"So you're... thirty-four years old?" Tony asked.
Yelena glanced back at her hands, closing her eyes for a moment. Five years. She had missed five years. And when she came back nothing was the same, "Not... not quite."
No one spoke for a second. Yelena knew that at least three people in the room knew what she was talking about. She had already told Clint and Peter, and she knew Natasha knew. Laura, Inaya, and Wanda could know as well.
"You blipped," Captain America realized.
"That's terrible!" Laura exclaimed.
Yelena shrugged. It was like blinking once and suddenly having everything change around you. It was a weird feeling, but Yelena wasn't sure if it was absolutely terrible.
Wanda frowned, "I had no idea."
So maybe she hadn't gone through all of Yelena's head.
"At least you're younger now!" Sam joked, trying to lift the mood of the room.
Bucky rolled his eyes but there was a slight smile on his face when he spoke, "That's not how it works, idiot."
Lila laughed, "Or is it???"
While they chatted, Yelena looked over at Inaya, who was watching the others with a ghost of a smile on her face. She seemed more comfortable here than she did in the compound.
"So you're just visiting your parents in Ohio to help with something then?" Clint asked, bringing them back on track.
"Not quite," Natasha replied, "We're visiting them at their place."
"What happened to Ohio then?" Lila asked.
"You know... I'm not sure... Do you know?" Natasha said, turning to Yelena.
"It was sold to someone else. A family," she replied.
Tony nodded to himself, silently making a mental note to find and buy the house later. It was probably in the old SHEILD files somewhere.
"I'm coming with you," Clint finally stated.
Natasha raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
"You might need some help!"
Yelena didn't believe that for a second, and from the non-committal noise Natasha replied with, and the looks the others gave him, neither did they.
"Don't lie, you want to meet Nat's parents," Sam said.
Clint gasped, "How dare you assume that!"
"He's not assuming," Wanda replied with a smile.
Lila grinned, "Can I go too?"
"No," Laura said.
"Why notttt?" Lila whined.
Laura raised an eyebrow, "What happened to 'too injured to go outside'?"
Lila opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again, searching for a reply, "I... uh.... not for this! Plus I need to go! I want to talk to them and see if they have any tips for me on becoming Blackhawk! The most amazing superhero!"
"So you're saying you're too injured to play outside, but not injured enough to not go on a probably dangerous trip to who knows where?"
"Exactly!"
Laura sighed and shook her head. "You can go if Wanda goes too."
Yelena tilted her head to the side slightly. It seemed like after they had told Laura how Wanda had risked injury while protecting her kid she seemed to trust her a bit more than the others.
Does she trust me then? I did save Lila....
She wouldn't trust someone like you. Not after all the terrible things you've done. Just wait, as soon as she finds out... she'll leave. Just like everyone else...
...but she trusts Natasha... doesn't she?
If she does then she's wrong to. Natasha's not someone to trust.
Shut up! Natasha's the only person I actually trust! She's saved my live countless times and is my sister for crying out loud! You don't get to say anything about how trustworthy she is.
......just you wait.....
Wanda blinked, "Uhm, I guess I can go. If it's fine with Nat and Lena."
Did she just give me a nickname???
Natasha glanced at Yelena, "It's up to you."
Up to me? To make this decision? That's a big trust to put in me. Do I deserve to be trusted for this?
Focus on the question, Yelena!
Was she okay with Wanda, Lila, and Clint coming? She guessed that she did trust them a bit more than the others. But how much more? Enough to possibly put her life in their hands?
No. She didn't.
But they were Natasha's fam--second family.
Why'd you stop yourself? You know that you're her second family to her. Not them. She may be first to you, but you'll always be second to her.
Yelena plastered a smile on her face, feeling anything but fine, "It's fine. They can come, but no one else."
Sam let out a disappointed whine, but everyone else agreed. Eventually, Sam did too, he just needed a whack on the head from Bucky first.
"Shall we all go get ready," Clint asked.
"Sure. You coming Inaya?"
Inaya bit her lip, looking unsure. She definitely wanted to say something but seemed afraid to.
"Actually... I... I'dratherstayhere," Inaya instantly looked like she regretted saying that, "I mean, only if that's alright. I didn't mean to speak out of turn. I'm sorry!"
"Inaya," Laura waited until the other widow looked at her, "It's completely fine. We'd be happy to have you here with us."
"Really?"
Laura gave her that same motherly smile that she gave Yelena the first time she was here, "Of course! It'll be great to get to know you better!"
Inaya gave her a hesitant smile.
"Lemme guess," Tony said, "you want me to ask Fri to send a jet over here?"
"If that's alright, then yes," Clint said.
Tony nodded, "It's fine."
A few hours later, a Quinjet was at the house, Natasha, Yelena, Clint, Lila, and Wanda were ready to go, and they were almost done saying their goodbyes.
The rest of the Avengers had decided that they were going to stay at the farm for a day or two more before going back to the Compound. Cooper and Nathanial were sad to see everyone go, but they were excited for Inaya to stay.
Yelena just wanted to leave already, she didn't see the point in saying goodbye to everyone. They would either come back fine, or die. Even if they were to die, saying goodbye would just make things worse. It would make you all teary-eyed and sappy, and then it would distract you from the mission.
Friends are a distraction too. A distraction and a liability. Family is even worse.
"Yelena?" Tony asked.
"What."
Tony wasn't her favorite person in the world. He was stuck-up, arrogant, and rude. But he was also really caring about his friend and family and super loyal.
That will get him killed one day. Trusting so many people.
"...I'm sorry about not believing you the first time we met," Tony said.
"It's fine, practically no one did." Yelena just wanted the conversation to end. Why couldn't they get going already?
"No it's not. I really am sorry." Tony gave her a smile, "Stay safe, Little Red. I'm not sure what any of us would do if you were gone."
He cares.
No he doesn't. No one cares about you. It's a lie. He's trying to trick you into trusting him.
Yelena grinned at him, mostly just to hide the conflicting feelings and thoughts with the appearance of confidence, "No promises."
She really was making no promises.
She would die for the mission if she had to.