Part Three
Natasha
September 22, 2014
"This is escaped Colorian refugee Marzda Cadanar. I am leaving Earth. Come and get me."
Her voice came through the Daxomite transmitter that we had salvaged from a wrecked ship. "When was this?" I asked, keeping my face blank.
"Three days ago," Tony answered.
"Three days?" I hiss. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"
He shrugs, "given your history with her we weren't sure how you'd take it."
"At least now I know where she is," I tell them, trying to say it like a joke but failing. Not that knowing where she is does me a lot of good when she wasn't even on the planet.
Steve looks at me kindly, "she got all the invading Daxomites to follow her."
I nod, "let me know if that changes." Striding out of the briefing room I head for my floor, and once there I go to my room and collapse into bed. Not a day has gone by that I didn't regret not going with her.
The look on her face as I had said those horrible things haunts my dreams. But I had to say them, she never would have left me behind if I hadn't, and if I had gone with her, the team would have hunted us to the ends of the earth.
Or maybe that was just an excuse I kept telling myself to justify abandoning her.
"Please be safe," I whisper to whatever god or deity that might be listening.
But only Clint answered me.
"I'm sure she will be," he says gently, standing in my doorway.
"You obviously have forgotten how reckless she is," I tell him, trying to joke.
He can tell my heart isn't in it though, "one thing I do remember is how much she loves you. Nothing could stop her from coming back to you."
"I said horrible things to her," I remind him. "I broke her heart. On purpose, Clint. She's not coming back."
He smiles gently, "we both know that a few mean words wouldn't stop her."
"Pardon the interruption," JARVIS said, "but there has been an unexpected guest at your house Miss Romanoff."
"You have a house?" Clint asked in surprise.
"No, Marzda has a house," I say as I get out of bed. "Do you know who it is JARVIS?"
"The Maximoff twins."
"I'll take care of it." Brushing by Clint I head to the living area and grab my keys and a jacket. "I'll be back later," tell him.
Heading to the garage I go to the bike that Marz had gotten me. Hopping on, it purrs to life under me and then I'm weaving through traffic. Not long after I pull up in front of the house I've avoided for the past few months. There's an unfamiliar car in the driveway and as I turn of the bike the front door opens.
Sighing, I get off and make my way towards the door. When I get to the porch Wanda greets me, "you got here faster then we thought you would."
"Oh?" I ask as I go inside. All the furniture we bought had been delivered and I was surprised to see that it had all been set up and arranged.
Wanda closes the door behind me and we head into the living room, "I wasn't sure if you'd come at all," she admits.
"Why are you here?" I ask, rounding on her.
She looks uncertain as she motions to a chair, "maybe you should sit down first."
Crossing my arms I say, "I think I'll stand."
"Well I'm going to sit because it's a long story," she says as she gets comfortable on the couch. "Ok, so we are here because Marzda asked us to bring you something."
"You saw her?" When she nods I ask, "when?"
"Three days ago, before she.... Went off world. She'd been with us for a few weeks though, in Hawaii."
"How was she?" I tried and failed to keep the worry out of my voice.
"She was alright, and she left you a note." Wanda picks up a thick envelope from the table and holds it out to me.
"What's in it?"
"She didn't say, just that it would explain everything and that you'd need it."
Taking it from her I opened it to find another smaller envelope, a thick stack of papers and a journal that was rubber banded together. Pulling out the smaller envelope I opened it to find a letter. A short letter but it was better then nothing.
My dearest Natasha,
I'm so sorry it had to be this way. I need you to know that I never meant to hurt you. Please don't be mad at the twins, nothing that happens next is their fault, they were just doing as I asked. My journal will explain everything.
I love you always,
Your Marz
Setting the letter down, I reread the words over and over. She still loved me, even after all the things I'd said. I look at Wanda who was sitting there watching me, "what does she mean 'what happens next?"
Wanda sighs and calls for her brother who comes in holding something wrapped in a blanket and as he comes towards us it lets out a small cry. "Did you have a baby Wanda?"
Her eyes dart around, "uhh no, Marzda did. It's her baby, and yours."
Surly I hadn't heard the right, "mine? How?"
"Oh she could explain this so much better than me and I told her that but here we are," Wanda rambled. "Oh what did she say? Right! Something about how her species can reproduce with the same sex but only if they are Bonded. She wanted to tell you, especially when she went into labor." Wanda chuckled, "man did she curse your name that day."
"You were with her?"
Wanda nodded, "with her? I delivered her. That's why she came to Hawaii, she had been staying with some old contacts of hers and she didn't trust them enough to have Olympia around them."
My eyes snap to the baby, "Olympia?"
"She said it was after her grandmother."
The baby starts to cry and Pietro rocks her, making soothing noises. Looking from him to Wanda i suddenly feel nervous, "can I?"
"Of course you can, she's yours."
Standing up I go to him and look down at the baby, her green twin irises looking back at me. "Hello little one," I whisper. He wordlessly shifts her into my arms and I look at him with mild panic, "what do I do?"
He smiles and shrugs, "love her."
Olympia makes a cooing noise and my eyes go back to her. She has my hair but her eyes, those are all Marzda. "I think I already do. How'd you do that, huh?" I ask her softly.
"It's hard not to love babies," Wanda chimes in.
"Especially your own," Pietro adds.
Turning to them I say, "I'm going to need help, and obviously Marzda trusts you. So, will you help me?"
They look at each other and smile and then look back to me, "of course," they say in unison.
A few hours later I was sitting in the master bedroom reading through the journal while the twins took Olympia to the store. They said it was no problem and that I should read the journal in peace. For the first twenty minutes I couldn't even open it, I just stared at the rubber bands holding it together.
The longer I stared at it, the more curious I became until I finally tore of the rubber bands and opened it. The first page was blank so I flipped to the next and the words my dearest Natasha greeted me. The next page was the same, as was every page in the entire journal.
Every page a letter to me.
Settling in I start to read, and that's where the twins find me a few hours later, surrounded by pictures and used tissues.
"Are you ok?" Wanda asked with concern as she rocked Olympia.
I hold my arms out and Wanda hands her to me, "she knew," I tell her. "She knew before she left, she tried to tell me so many times. How could I have not seen it?"
"Sometimes we only see what we want to see. For you, the idea of her being pregnant was impossible so your brain didn't let you consider the possibility, or let you put the pieces together."
Slowly I said, "like you and Pietro?" At Wanda's surprised expression I continued, "don't worry, I won't tell. Just... be safe, one baby in the house is plenty."
"It's not like that!" Wanda squeaked out before bolting.
Snuggling Olympia close I breath her in. Somehow, she smells like Marzda, or maybe it's just my brain trying to bring me some semblance of peace and calm. Setting her on the bed between my legs, I hold her tiny hands, "your mother really knows how to plan a surprise," I tell her. "I'm not sure what she told you about me, if anything, but I want you to know that I will do my best. And nobody will hurt you while I'm around, I promise."