Requested by RainbowL12 Natasha has trigger words like Bucky and someone uses them so she attacks Steve.
Steve had never doubted Natasha's loyalty to SHIELD. She'd never given him reason to, and despite other agent's whispers, he'd never seen her do anything that would hint at a betrayal.
She'd asked him once before if he trusted her and he'd been able to tell her that he did.
The apparent shock on her face made him wonder if he'd been the first person to tell her that.
He supposed that his trust in her was part of why she trusted him.
That was probably why she'd called him not long after the whole Hydra ordeal asking for his help with a personal mission.
He'd been more than willing to go. He had a certain fondness for Natasha that he didn't have with many other people.
When he'd answered the phone, he had been more than a little bit surprised to hear from her so soon.
"Natasha?" He had asked.
"Yeah it's me," She answered.
"Is everything alright?" Steve asked, growing concerned. Natasha wasn't the type to just call to check in. Not after such little time.
"Yeah, yeah, everything is fine. I just needed to ask you for a favor."
Steve nodded, "Anything."
He heard her sigh, "I can't explain over the phone but I need your help. It's a personal mission and there's no one I trust enough other than you. Can we meet somewhere to talk?"
"Yeah. Where do you want to meet?"
"I'm already at your apartment."
Steve laughed slightly, walking towards his motorcycle, "Of course you are. I'll be there in five minutes."
He hung up and sat down on his motorcycle before speeding off towards his apartment.
When he got there, all the lights were off.
He opened the door and walked into his living room.
"Hello?" He asked.
The light to the living room flicked on and he saw Natasha leaning against the wall with a small smile, "Hey."
"I'm guessing we don't have a lot of time so I'll get right to it. What's going on?"
Natasha sighed, "Remember how I told you that I needed to find a new cover?"
Steve nodded.
"Well, I'm running into some issues. The Red Room is trying to kill me."
Steve frowned, "What?"
She walked past him and sat down on the couch, "When I released all of SHIELD's intel last month, I also released all the data we'd been using to track down the Red Room."
She looked up at him and Steve frowned, "What happened to your eye?"
Natasha rolled her eyes, "I just told you that people are trying to kill me, what do you think happened?"
Steve frowned again, "Are you alright?"
Natasha nodded, "It hardly hurts. You should see the other guy."
Steve sighed, "What do you need me to do?"
Natasha bit her lip slightly, "Come to Russia with me."
Steve raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"Steve these people aren't going to stop trying to kill me. I have to take the whole organization down. But I can't do it alone."
Steve nodded, "Okay."
"Okay?"
Steve nodded again, "When do we leave?"
Natasha shook her head in disbelief, "Are you sure you want to get involved with this? I don't have much of a plan, and if you associate with me, they'll want to kill you just as much as me."
"I'm sure. If last month is anything to go by, I think the two of us make a pretty good team when it comes to bringing down people who want to kill us."
Natasha sighed, "Yeah. We do."
"So when do we leave?" Steve asked, standing up and offering her his hand.
She took it and stood up besides him, "As soon as you're ready."
Steve nodded, "Give me ten minutes."
Natasha nodded and Steve quickly went into his room to pack a small bag.
"What do I need to bring?" Steve asked.
Natasha leaned against his door, "Warm clothes and your shield."
Steve raised an eyebrow, "No suit?"
Natasha shook her head, "It'll be too obvious."
"Okay."
Steve gathered his things and threw them into a bag before joining her at the door, "I'm ready."
Natasha nodded, "Let's go then."
He opened the door from her and followed her to the stairs until he saw her stop.
"What?" He asked.
"I think they followed me here. Look," She said, pointing out the window at a large black truck where two large men were standing.
Steve frowned, "What do we do?"
"Put your arm around me and look happy. They'll be expecting me alone so they won't look twice at a happy couple walking to their car. We'll need to take your motorcycle too, they'll know what my car looks like."
Steve nodded and did as she said, pulling her closer to him as they walked out of the building.
"Laugh at something I said," Natasha whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder and looking up at him.
Steve did so and reminded himself that none of it meant anything and that it was all for a mission.
When they got to the motorcycle, Steve sat down in front of her and she wrapped her arms around him, leaning her cheek against his back.
"Turn left out of the parking lot and go straight for three miles. Once I'm sure they aren't following us I'll let you know which way to go."
Steve nodded and did as she said.
Three miles later she had him pull over and took out a small map.
"We have to get to this airport. I've got a contact there who can lend us a plane to get to Russia."
Steve nodded, "Okay."
They got back on the bike and made it to the airport in a little under two hours.
"Where's the plane we're taking?" Steve asked.
Natasha pointed to a smaller jet at the end of the row of planes, "There. She left the keys inside and it's fuel is full."
Steve nodded and they walked the rest of the way to the jet, leaving Steve's bike parked at the airport.
"You know how to fly this thing, right?" Steve asked while Natasha tried to get ready to take off.
Natasha gave him a slight glare, "Yes I know how to fly it."
Within minutes, they were in the air heading for a place in Russia that Natasha had told him was the last place she'd known their headquarters to be.
Natasha put the plane on autopilot and leaned back in her seat, looking exhausted.
"Do you want to go in the back and sleep? I'll wake you up when we get there."
Natasha shook her head, "I'm fine."
Steve frowned, "Nat, you can't take down the KGB without sleep. Go get some rest."
Natasha sighed but didn't look like she had the energy to argue, "Fine, but I'm not going in the back, switch seats with me and watch the controls."
Steve nodded and did as she said.
A few minutes later when he looked over at Natasha, her head was against the glass and her body was curled up so that she fit completely into the small seat. He'd never seen her look so calm.
He watched the plane controls carefully, not wanting anything to go wrong.
In ten hours, they arrived and Natasha landed the jet in a small field.
"You ready?" She asked Steve, handing him his shield.
Steve nodded, "What's next?"
"The old headquarters is about a mile away. There might be something left behind that will help us find where the new one is."
Steve nodded and followed her as they walked away from the jet.
When they got to the place, Steve was surprised to see it was an old dance studio.
"This is it?" He asked.
Natasha nodded, "They covered up the Red Room by disguising it as a dance studio, they even taught us ballet. It was used as a cover on missions sometimes too."
Steve nodded and walked towards the entrance.
Natasha paused outside the doorway.
"Everything okay?" Steve asked.
Natasha nodded, "Yeah. I'm fine."
Steve had a hard time believing her but didn't ask any further questions.
Inside the Red Room wasn't what Steve expected. There wasn't anything in particular that would make someone question what had happened inside and yet he had heard terrible things that the girls had undergone.
Natasha led him down the hallway, her gun drawn and her eyes scanning every inch of the room.
They entered a room that looked like a small study and Natasha slowly put her gun away, looking around the desk and bookshelf.
Before she was able to really find anything, there was a large crash and Steve turned around to see the door now covered by a steel one.
Natasha's eyes widened, "It's a trap."
Steve threw his shield at the door and frowned when it didn't budge, "What now?"
"We have to find a way out," Natasha said, grabbing her gun again.
Then there was sound coming from a speaker inside the room.
"Natalia," The voice said slowly.
"Twelve," It said.
"Alone."
Steve looked at Natasha, confusion lacing her features as her face went pale.
"Natasha what's going on?" He asked.
The voice spoke over him, "Ceremony."
She backed up against the wall and covered her ears with her hands.
"Red."
Steve walked towards her, "Nat what's wrong?" He asked, bending down towards her.
She shook her head, "You have to go Steve. Get out of here."
"Monster."
Steve shook his head, "I'm not leaving you. Never."
"Moscow."
Natasha squeezed her eyes shut, "I don't know how long I can fight it Steve."
"Lost."
"Fight what?" Steve asked.
"San Paulo."
Natasha shook her head, "Their trigger words Steve. If they don't stop I'll lose control."
"Flames."
Steve looked around and tried to find the speaker as Natasha curled up in the corner.
"Twelve." It repeated.
He threw a shield at the only thing that the sound might have been coming from but the voice continued.
"Alone."
Natasha threw the gun across the room and Steve turned to her with a frown.
"Ceremony."
Steve walked back towards her, "Natasha you can fight this."
"Red."
Natasha shook her head, "Not for long. You have to go. You have to."
"Monster."
Steve shook his head, "No."
"Moscow."
She stood up and stripped herself of whatever weapons she had on her.
"Lost."
Steve grabbed her wrist gently, "I trust you Natasha. You won't hurt me."
"San Paulo."
She pushed him away, "I won't want to Steve but I will. You've seen Bucky like this. I can't resist it for long."
"Flames."
Steve shook his head, "I don't care. We're getting out of here together."
"Twelve."
"Alone."
"Ceremony."
Natasha shut her eyes again, "I don't want to hurt you Steve."
"Red."
"Monster."
"Moscow."
Steve held her hands tightly, "You won't. Just fight it Nat. You can do this."
"Lost."
"San Paulo."
"Flames."
She stepped back again, "I can't lose you Steve. You have to find a way out."
"Twelve."
"Alone."
"Ceremony."
Steve shook his head again, "You won't lose me. We're getting out of this together."
"Red."
"Monster."
"Moscow."
Natasha cursed, "I love you Steve. Please go."
"Lost."
"San Paulo."
"Flames."
Steve frowned, she loved him?
"Twelve."
"Alone."
"Ceremony."
"Red."
"Monster."
"Moscow."
"Lost."
"San Paulo."
"Flames."
Steve could barely breathe he heard the room suddenly fall silent save for he and Natasha's breathing.
"What's your name?" The voice said in Russian.
Natasha stared straight through Steve, her green eyes appearing almost grey.
"Natalia Romanov."
Steve frowned and shook her gently, "Natasha come on, fight this. I love you too."
She didn't respond.
"You have a new mission Natalia, kill Steve Rogers."
Natasha's eyes suddenly focused on him and she kicked him in the chest, sending him backwards as he tried to reason with her.
"Natasha it's me. It's Steve. We're friends. We're partners. You know me."
She ignored him and threw a small knife towards him, it skimmed his shoulder and he winced at the sudden pain.
"I won't fight you." Steve said, raising his shield to defend himself but refusing to return any of her blows.
She grabbed the gun that had been laying on the ground and shot him just above the knee.
He fell down with a quiet yelp and raised his shield just in time to stop the bullet that she shot at his head.
"Natasha it's me," He pleaded.
She had no response to his words again, instead, she grabbed another knife and began trying to stab him with it as he was backed into a corner.
"I know you Natasha. You like peanut butter sandwiches and you steal everyone's clothes from the laundry room. Clint's kids call you Auntie Nat and they love you more then anything. You're a genius and I love you."
Natasha seemed to hesitate for a moment before her gaze hardened once again and she raised her gun at him.
Steve sighed and dropped his shield, "This isn't your fault Natasha. This isn't you."
Her finger rested on the trigger, the gun aimed directly at Steve's forehead. She paused, recognition begin to swirl in her eyes.
"Steve?" She asked, her eyes suddenly becoming watery as the gun fell to the floor.
Steve nodded and pulled her in for an embrace, "I'm okay Nat. It's okay."
She shook quietly in his arms and Steve only pulled away because he knew they needed a way out.
Eventually, he was able to break the steel door and they took off towards a nearby safe house.
Natasha was silent the entire way there.
Steve limped besides her and tried to stop thinking about his leg. It hurt like hell but he wasn't going to make Natasha feel worse then she clearly already did.
"Sit down," She told him gently when they got into the safe house that was actually more like a small cabin.
Steve raised an eyebrow but did as she said. She came back with a first aid kit and some alcohol.
"What are you doing?" Steve asked.
Natasha cut away the fabric surrounding his wound, "I figured since I'm the one who shot you, it's only fair that I make sure it doesn't get infected."
Steve frowned, "You don't have to do that."
She shook her head, "Yes I do."
She worked at trying to remove the bullet and mumbled quiet apologies when Steve winced or let out a small groan of pain.
Once she was done, she left the room silently.
Steve got up and limped into the bedroom they'd be sharing. He found her sitting alone of the bed, her eyes focused on the wall.
"None of that was your fault Nat."
Natasha scoffed, "Of course it was. I should have never brought you into this."
Steve frowned, "I could've said no but I didn't. I knew exactly what I was coming into and I don't regret my decision to come."
"Did you know I would try to kill you?" She asked, her tone bitter.
Steve shook his head, "No. But neither did you. You can't help what happened today Natasha."
Natasha stood up, "That's the fucking problem Steve. I should be able to help it. I've been away from the Red Room for years now and I still revert right back to their weapon the second they say those damn words."
Steve stood up, reaching for her hand but she brought it back.
"You don't get it Steve. I was in therapy with a Shield Psychiatrist for almost a year so that we could get rid of the response I have to those words. But I wasn't strong enough to fight it and it almost got you killed."
Steve grabbed her shoulders gently, "You were strong enough to fight it Natasha. If you weren't, I'd be dead right now."
Natasha's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at him.
"I held a gun to your head and was ready to shoot you."
Steve shook his head, gently pulling her into his embrace, "I'd of forgiven you."
"Why?" Natasha asked.
"Because I love you and I trust you."
Natasha narrowed her eyes, "You love me?"
Steve nodded, "More than the world."
Natasha sighed and leaned into his touch, "I'm sorry."
Steve leaned down and gently kissed her, "It's okay. I promise it's okay."
"I love you too," She whispered, leaning up again to kiss him softly.
Hey guys. Here's an extra long chapter to make up for my long breaks between chapters. I hope you guys enjoyed this and if you did please comment and vote!