Chapter One
Red Room - 2001
Natasha's screams were all that filled the room. Her torture, their pleasure, as she reminded herself. She was giving birth- certainly not by choice. She had always thought children were distractions to her work.
The wails of the baby interrupted her. "Девушка. A girl."
Natasha took the child from the hands of this corrupt organization, and her eyes set upon her crystal blue eyes. She had thought they would be green.
"Ekaterina," she smiled, brushing the top of the baby's head with her hand. Kind of cute, she would have thought, had only the baby not been ripped from her hands.
"Natasha, wonderful." Dreykov held the baby at its chest without a care in the world. He stumbled a bit as he took it away from the begging woman, nearly dropping what he considered an object.
"Dreykov, no, she's just a kid! Please." Natasha begged, her arms outstretched in the ripped hospital bed trying to get to her child.
Holding the now crying baby out of her reach, he tried helplessly to stop Natasha's pleas. "I," he started, "will let you name it, being how generous I have been throughout all of this."
Dreykov placed the child in the arms of a waiting doctor, who left the room to go clean her. Dreykov turned to Natasha, who lay frozen with tears pricking the edge of her eyes. "I'm waiting."
"E- Ekaterina."
Dreykov smiled. "Lovely." He turned to go, leaving behind a helpless woman who had been separated from the one thing she thought she would never need.
A child.
⧗ ⧗ ⧗
"I give a welcome to all who have attended this year's winter showcase! Many of the young women here will stay under my protection, but any of the children under five years are welcome to be taken by the highest bidder!" Dreykov turned away from the microphone, walking down the stage steps as the men and women that filled the room clapped.
Natasha observed the little girls in the center of the room, each one seemingly scared and tied together. No, that's not what she was looking for. She scanned the room for a two-month-old child, finding her in the arms of a man.
"Hey! брось ее! Drop her!" The man watched her with curious eyes. Peeking out of his cap he had long, brown hair, and some stumble on his chin.
Watching her carefully, he lay the baby back down in the small little crib that was sat out and backed away.
Cautiously walking forward to the small child, Natasha observed her growing child. Having not seen her in a little over two months, she held the girl with loving arms, holding the small figure to her chest.
The baby breathed, her eyes closing as she discovered the scent the woman carried. Lavender, maybe some vanilla.
"Who are you?" Natasha looked at the man who had picked up her daughter with aggressive eyes.
"The Winter Soldier." He stated, the words coming from his mouth smooth as ice. He knew he had a reputation, so why not use it to get his way?
"And why would you be interested in her?"
The Winter Soldier stared at the back of the baby's sleeping head, refusing to make eye contact. "She was alone and looked cute."
Pursing her lips, Natasha nodded. "Well, she's with me now. So you can leave." She turned her back away from him, holding the baby to her chest.
The Winter Soldier, knowing he would be breaking protocol, couldn't help but ask a question to the young mother. "How old?"
Looking down at her feet, Natasha blinked. "Ekaterina is two months."
She watched as he smiled, nodding his head. "Like the name." He pulled his hood further up his head, walking away.
Breathing out a sigh, Natasha opted to put her baby down. She didn't want to leave her, but if she held onto her any longer, she knew she would be caught.
Stirring awake, the child started to cry, confused as to why the nice redhead had placed her down.
Noticing the sudden noise, Natasha picked up a little pink bunny that sat on the floor next to a child's cage. "Shh, shh, look what mommy got you. Yeah, do you like that?"
Natasha couldn't help but smile at the little girl as used all her strength to hold the bunny upright in her small hands. She began to stroke her daughter's head. "I'll be back for you, don't worry. I'll be back."
She did not get the chance to come back.