Natasha
(November)
"Clint, are you even trying?" Natasha teased, reaching for another knife to throw at the target.
Usually Clint was a solid competitor when it came to any sort of weapon-throwing, but today his skills were lacking.
A lot.
"Yeah, yeah. I know, I suck," he murmured, lining up to throw another knife. Once again, it hit one of the outside rings of the target.
Natasha placed the knife back down, turning to look at him.
"No witty comeback? What's wrong with you today?" She folded her arms across her body and leaned against the table, indicating that she wasn't going to continue until he confessed.
"I'm just tired, I guess. I don't know, I just don't feel right," Clint shrugged.
"Come here," she waved her hand, and he took a step closer. Gently, she felt his forehead with the back of her hand.
"You feel warm," she commented with a frown.
"Or maybe it's just that your hands are freezing, jeez," Clint flinched away from the cold contact and Natasha rolled her eyes.
"Okay, well obviously you're not dying since you're still capable of being a pain in my ass."
"Bold of you to assume that I wouldn't be a pain in the ass even as I'm dying," Clint quipped.
"Touché. Either way, I think we should call it quits for the day," Natasha replied.
She began packing up the equipment that they had been using. Clint began to help, but stopped a few minutes later.
"What's wrong?" Natasha asked, turning to where he was standing. He was sweating, but goosebumps covered his arms. In just a few short minutes, his face had drained of all color.
"I'm fine. Just got a little woozy for a second," he replied, voice strained.
"Clint," Natasha's tone was uncharacteristically gentle, a voice saved for loved ones. "Let's get you upstairs to bed. Friday?"
"Yes Ms. Romanoff?" The AI's voice replied.
"What is Clint's temperature?"
"Mr. Barton is currently running a fever of 103.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Would you like me to call Dr. Cho?"
Natasha winced, knowing that she probably should drag Clint to the Tower's medical center and call the doctor. But she also knew that he was going to go kicking and screaming if she did. She decided to just have Friday monitor the fever and let her know if it got any higher.
"Not right now, Friday. Just continue to monitor his temperature and if it reaches 103.5 or higher, go ahead and get Helen here."
"'Don't need the doctor," Clint mumbled, swaying slightly as Natasha linked their arms together and began pulling him towards the elevator.
"Sure you don't."
They rode up to the penthouse floors in silence, though Natasha supposed it could possibly be because Clint was falling asleep. Once the elevator arrived at the correct floor, she practically had to drag him out of the elevator to his room.
"You need to change out of these clothes, and I'm not doing it for you. Do you think you can manage it on your own, or do I need to go get one of the guys?" Natasha asked, pulling a change of clothes out of his dresser drawers and tossing it on to the bed beside him.
"I got it, I got it," he waved at her, and she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
"Okay. I'm going to go grab you some water and some Gatorade, and you'd better be dressed when I get back."
He waved at her dismissingly, and she exited, closing the door behind her.
As she made her way into the kitchen, she noticed Harry sitting at the counter, hunched over whatever he was working on.
"Hey kid, what're you up to?" She asked, opening the door to the fridge and pulling out bottles of water, several different flavors of Gatorade, and a few ginger ales.
"Just trying to come up with a holiday menu for Lily's," he replied, looking up at her and eyeing the variety of drinks in her arms. "What are you doing?"
"Clint's sick, so I'm trying to keep him hydrated," she explained. Harry's eyes got wide, and Natasha knew what he was thinking.
"He's going to be okay, but I'm sure he would love some chicken noodle soup, or something light and easy to keep down."
"I'll start making him some for an early supper," Harry hopped up from the stool and began bustling around the kitchen to get things started.
"Just let me know when it's ready and I'll take it. I know you'll want to see him, but we don't need you getting sick too. Let's try to keep the spread to a minimum, okay?"
Harry nodded understandingly. He had spent enough time in the medbay over the past few years, he didn't feel like spending any more time there because he was sick.
Natasha made her way back to Clint's room and knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. When one didn't come, she pushed open the door.
Clint had fallen asleep laying horizontally across his bed. He had changed into a pair of sweatpants, but had fallen asleep before he could put on the shirt as well. Natasha sighed when she saw him, and made her way over to where he was laying.
Placing the drinks down on the nightstand, she rubbed her hands together to try to warm them up, remembering what he had said early about how cold they were.
"Clint?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly. "Clint, wake up."
He grumbled, rolling onto his side slightly.
"Hey, let's finish getting dressed and then you can get into bed."
He hummed in agreeance, and his hand fumbled for the shirt. Natasha grabbed it and helped him put it over his head, then guiding his arms through it.
"Thanks Tash," he whispered, laying back down.
"Do you want to lay down the right way? Maybe use a pillow?" She teased with no malice in her words.
Clint hoisted himself up on shaking arms and turned, positioning himself the correct way. Natasha pulled the covers back as he slid underneath them, and then laid them back on top of him.
"Thank you," he murmured again, eyes closed and voice thick with sleep.
Natasha stood up straight and made her way to the door quietly, slipping out into the hall. Harry was standing not too far from the door, holding a steaming mug of tea.
"I promise I wasn't going to go in. I just thought I'd bring it to you so that you could give it to him," he explained.
"He just fell asleep, but I'm sure he'd appreciate this. I'll enjoy it for him," Natasha thanked Harry, taking the mug from his hands.
"You were taking really great care of him. It's like watching a mom with her son," Harry commented, and Natasha froze for a moment.
She had come to terms with the fact that she would never be able to have children a long time ago. And it wasn't something she ever pictured for herself- it had never been anything she desired. But there were moments in her life that gave her a glimpse at what might have been, if she had decided to have kids of her own. Taking care of the team whenever they were hurt or sick was just something she did, but it was something that allowed her a glimpse. More than anything, what upset her the most was the fact that she had lost the choice to decide for herself what she wanted.
"I-I'm sorry if I said something wrong," Harry's voice was timid. He had noticed how her shoulders had stiffened, just barely, but enough to know that something had made her tense.
"It's alright, it's nothing you could have known," Natasha reached out and placed her hand on Harry's shoulder gently.
"Do you want to help me make the soup? I can teach you how to make it, it's really easy," Harry offered. Natasha smirked and gave him a small nudge with her elbow.
"Only if you let me be the taste tester for this new holiday menu," she teased and he gave her a big grin.
"Deal."
*
(June)
"Hey Tash," Steve greeted as he stepped out on the roof. Natasha was sprawled out in a lawn chair with a book as she soaked in the warm summer sun. She glanced up at him through her dark sunglasses and closed the book, dog-earing the page to mark her spot.
"That better not be one of my books you just did that to," Steve teased, motioning to the bent page. Natasha just rolled her eyes.
"You're so uptight sometimes," she bantered back. "And no, it's not your book. I like to push my limits but I don't blatantly disregard instructions."
Steve shot her a look that made them both laugh.
"So what's up? Or did you just feel like coming out here to make sure I'm not damaging one of your precious books?"
"Hey, I'll have you know that some of those books are considered collectors edition now," Steve pointed out. "But I wanted to see if you'd want to take the bikes out later and go for a ride? It's supposed to be a nice night and I've been feeling really claustrophobic in the city recently."
"Sure," Natasha shrugged. "It's been a while since I've gotten out for a ride. Might have to have Tony look over my bike to make sure it still runs alright."
"I was planning on leaving here around 5, that way there's still a few hours of daylight left. Does that work for you? I was thinking about driving to Catskill- it's a pretty drive and there's a diner there that serves the third best apple pie I've ever had."
"Only third best?" Natasha raised her eyebrows.
"After Harry's and my mother's," Steve stated matter-of-factly. Natasha didn't ask who's was number one- she even didn't know if Steve knew.
"That works for me. I'm serious about having Tony look over my bike, so I'll go mention it to him now. I'll meet you in the garage shortly before 5."
"Sounds good," Steve smiled and made his way back inside.
A few hours later, the two of them met downstairs in the garage decked out in leather jackets and Kevlar pants.
"Tony give you the green light?" Steve asked, swinging his leg over his bike and revving the engine.
"Said she's still running like a dream," Natasha replied, following suit.
"Then lets get this show on the road," Steve smiled, and the two of them made their way out of the Tower's garage and through the busy streets of New York City.
It took them about 30 minutes to get through the chaos that was the middle of New York City, and out on to the open road. There, they road comfortably beside one another for the next few hours, winding up the highway past heavily forested areas and through the hills of New York.
Natasha let herself feel the weight-lifting feeling of the wind blowing past her as they drove further and further. She let herself enjoy the scenery that they passed- sunlight shimmering on a lake, birds soaring overhead, and a fox that was trotting alongside the road.
About 10 miles left, Steve signed carefully to her. Moments like this made her grateful that she had cared enough years ago to learn sign language to communicate with Clint. Especially during S.H.I.E.L.D missions where his hearing aids had been destroyed.
Natasha signed back a quick "OK," and they continued their way down the highway.
The final ten miles flew by quickly and before Natasha knew it, they were pulling into a parking space in front of a small diner.
"Are we actually ordering food, or are we eating our weight in apple pie?" She asked as she got off of her bike.
"My superhuman metabolism says that I can do both," Steve teased, opening the door for her and letting her enter the quaint restaurant first.
The two sat in a quiet booth in the corner near the window. Natasha eventually decided to get a BLT and sweet potato fries so that she would have room for this award-winning pie that Steve was going on about.
"I've been meaning to ask you for a while now, how are things going with the S.H.I.E.L.D group?" Natasha inquired after they had placed their order.
"They've been really good. I think everyone is starting to get comfortable enough around one another that its becoming a really great space for healing. I'm glad that there are resources like this nowadays. Mental health was such a taboo topic when I was growing up," Steve replied. He wore a proud smile like he always did when he was discussing the group. Natasha couldn't blame him one bit- he and Bucky had put in a lot of time and effort to make the group a safe space for everyone to feel welcome.
"I'm glad to hear that. In a lot of places, the subject is still taboo, so I'm glad that there's a place everyone can go and feel welcome."
"I think it's been helping Harry a lot too," Steve added, taking a drink of his water.
"I agree. That poor kid deserves a lifetime of happiness to make up for the last sixteen years of hell," Natasha felt a spark of anger at the thought of everything Harry had been through.
"I'll toast to that," Steve agreed, raising his water.
The two continued to converse quietly through their meal until the waitress came back to see if they wanted anything else.
"Can we get two slices of your American Apple Pie, please?" Steve ordered, smiling at Natasha like a little kid in a candy store. A few minutes later, the waitress brought out two slices of warm apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream.
"Are you ready for this?" Steve teased, getting a heaping forkful of the pie.
"I'm scared that I'm going to be disappointed after how much you've hyped this up," Natasha laughed as she dug into her own pie. But as soon as she took a bite, her eyes widened as she looked to Steve.
"Okay, you're totally right. Harry's still has the edge over this one, but this is a damn good pie."
"Told ya," Steve laughed.
There was a comfortable silence as they savored their pie and took in their surroundings. Natasha had always teased Tony about his people-watching hobby, but she found some enjoyment in doing so as well. And, as it turns out, Tony's people-watching had brought one of her favorite people into their lives.
"Sometimes I wish I could bring myself to move out of the city. There's something so calm about a town like this."
"You'd get bored," Steve replied, "But I understand what you mean. Clint and Laura were talking about their 'what ifs' the other day, and one of them was moving upstate. I know I could talk Bucky into it, but I think we'd both miss the team and the city's hustle and bustle if we moved right now."
"I think Clint is serious about it. I caught him looking at listings the other day," Natasha smiled, thinking about her permanently bachelor friend finding the one he wanted to settle down with. "Tony and Pepper have talked about calming down and moving, too, but I think they want to wait until Harry is a bit older. Especially with the bakery booming and Peter being in the city."
Steve smiled fondly. The team may not be related, and they might fight sometimes, but they were family. And they were the closest thing to family that both Steve and Natasha had had for some time.
Steve checked his watch and glanced outside.
"We'd better get going soon if we want to make it back to the city before it's really dark out," he announced. He pulled his wallet out and laid down some cash, making sure to leave a sizable tip for their waitress.
"I'm so full that you might be able to just roll me back to the city," Natasha joked, "and yet I think I could eat another slice of that pie if it were offered to me."
The two of them laughed as they left the diner.
"Just signal if you see anything or need to stop," Steve told her as they mounted their bikes.
"Sounds good. Make sure to watch for deer as the sun goes down. I really do not feel like making a call to Tony to come pick us up because you tried to go motorcycle vs animal."
"Your concern is comforting," Steve teased.
"You've won harder fights. My money is on you, but I still don't feel like having a front row seat to that show tonight, so just keep an eye out."
"Yes ma'am," Steve chuckled, and they took off.
They rode in peace for about 45 minutes, the sights becoming even prettier as the sun began to set in the sky, bathing everything in a beautiful golden light. The breeze became cooler and the sound of cicadas echoed all around them. It wasn't until they reached a clearing that Natasha felt the need to get Steve's attention.
Pull over, Natasha signed, sticking her hand out and motioning to Steve that she was going to pull off on the side of the road.
"You okay?" Steve asked with concern as they came to a stop. Natasha nodded, staring out at the field in front of them.
"Look at it," she breathed.
Thousands of fireflies illuminated the field in a flickering glow. Natasha sat in awe of the sight, and Steve watched her. There was a child-like joy about her-- something Steve had never seen her display in front of the team. Something he had never seen her display at all.
"It's beautiful," he commented, turning his gaze to the field.
"My sister loved fireflies."
Steve's head whirled around to look at her. In all of the years of knowing Natasha, he had never heard her mention a sister. He had assumed she was an only child.
"We were adopted," Natasha explained, knowing what expression was on Steve's face without even looking at him. "Our parents, Alexi and Melina, were undercover agents that needed to perfect the nuclear family disguise. So Yelena and I entered the picture. Even though we were adopted just to fulfill a role, we were still a family. We loved like a family, and we fought like a family. Until the Red Room..."
She trailed off, and Steve didn't know if he wanted to hear any more details.
"I managed to get out, but I haven't seen her since. I don't know if she remembers me, or if she's alright. I don't know where she ended up. My biggest regret has been not taking her with me when I left."
An uncharacteristic tear slid down Natasha's cheek and she quickly brushed it away.
"It's been almost twenty years since I last saw her, and I still think of her everyday. In the little things that we used to enjoy together-- like the fireflies."
"Wow," Steve murmured. "Tash, I-"
"Never knew," she turned and gave him a sad smile. "I know."
"Have you ever told anyone?"
"Clint knows. He's the only one, and I've sworn him to secrecy. You know our whistle?"
"Yeah, I've heard you two do it a few times," Steve nodded.
"It used to be Yelena and I's," a wistful look crossed her face.
"Oh Tash," Steve murmured. "Have you tried to find her? There's got to be something online that-"
"I've tried. But at the end of the day, you can't find someone who doesn't want to be found. And I would bet my life that, if she's out there somewhere, she's made herself damn near nonexistent to the rest of the world."
Steve took this in, recalling how difficult it was to track Bucky down once he had been freed from Hydra. He wondered if maybe he could ask for Tony's help finding Yelena, but he didn't want to break Natasha's trust by telling anyone else that she had a sister. If she hadn't told the team, it was probably for a reason.
"You've got the look on your face," Natasha commented.
"What look?"
"The 'I'm trying to solve all the world's problems' look."
"I'm just thinking," Steve replied.
"It's okay, Steve. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll probably never see her again, and it's okay."
Natasha felt her chest constrict slightly at the thought. Even though it was true, she had come to terms with it, it didn't make the thought any easier. To have no idea where her sister was or what her life was like-- it was hard.
"I just... I wanted to stop and take a moment to remember her," Natasha explained, motioning to the flickering field filled with fireflies.
"I understand," Steve placed a hand on Natasha's shoulder, and she looked up at him with uncharacteristically teary eyes. Steve opened his arms and let her step into his embrace as he wrapped her in a hug.
"If you ever want to talk about it- any of it, good or bad- you know that you can always do that with me, right?"
"I know," Natasha mumbled into his chest, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She took a deep breath and she took a step back. Suddenly, she let out a small laugh.
"What?" Steve smiled.
"Her favorite song was American Pie," Natasha continued to laugh, recalling the name of the pie they had just ordered. Steve, upon having the same realization, let out a laugh of his own.
Eventually their laughter died down and Natasha let out a sigh.
"We should keep moving. I just... wanted to take second," she announced.
"Okay," Steve agreed. But as they got on their bikes once more and continued driving towards the city, there was only one thing on his mind.
He was going to try to find Yelena Belova.
*
(September)
"Nat!" Steve hollered from across the gym. Natasha motioned to Clint from where they were sparring that she was going to tap out for a moment.
"What's up?" She questioned as she stepped off the mat, trying to catch her breath.
"Sorry to interrupt you," Steve apologized, waving at Clint. "I just wanted to say that when you're done training today, there's something that I want to talk to you about. Would you be able to meet me down in Tony's lab?"
Natasha frowned slightly, but nodded. "Yeah, I can do that. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine. There's just something I wanted to show you."
"Okay. We'll be done here in about 15 minutes and then I'll go take a quick shower. I'm offending myself right now."
Steve laughed and nodded. "Okay, there's no rush. I'll meet you down there."
He turned around and left the gym, and Natasha turned back to Clint.
"Did that seem weird to you?" She asked, trying to decipher what Steve could possibly want and why they had to meet in Tony's lab.
"Honestly, nothing seems weird to me anymore. Not after everything this team has been through together," Clint shrugged.
"Fair enough," Natasha nodded in agreeance. But as they continued to spar, there was a small part of her that wasn't completely focused on that match. Something was telling her that this wasn't "no big deal" like she was trying to tell herself.
"What is up with you?" Clint asked as he helped her up from the mat where he had just pinned her. "Normally you could block that move in your sleep."
"Sorry, I guess my mind is just wandering," she replied, trying to shake it off.
"We were almost done anyway, why don't we just knock off early today? Besides, Laura and I are going out tonight and I could use some extra time to shower and go to the store to buy some flowers."
"I swear, you two are always together. You might as well just move in together," Natasha teased, but the look on Clint's face caught her by surprise.
"Oh my God, you are, aren't you?"
"I might have found a house upstate. I'm planning on taking her up there in a few weeks to look at it."
"Clint," Natasha said in a sing-song voice, giving his arm a light slug. "I'm proud of you."
"Nothing's official yet. Hell, she might not even say yes. It's kind of a big thing," he shrugged, but Natasha could tell by the way that he was smiling that he was excited.
"I'd say it's safe to assume she'll say yes," Natasha laughed, thinking about all of the time the two had been spending together over the past few months.
"We'll see-- there's still a lot I need to think about. Anyways, why don't you go shower and see what Steve wants?" He gave her a playful shove in the direction of the elevator, and she held up her hands in concession.
"Okay, okay. But I'm only leaving because I'm very intrigued by what those two yahoos want me to see. Otherwise, we'd be having a little interrogation because I want to know everything."
"I promise I'll tell you in due time," Clint swore.
"You better!"
She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse where she was determined to take the fastest shower ever so that she could get down to the lab and find out what Steve and Tony had gotten themselves up to.
*
"I've got to be honest, Steve, you've got me very intrigued right now," Natasha announced as she stepped out of the elevator. She was slightly surprised to just find Steve standing behind a desk, Tony nowhere in sight.
"Where's Tony?"
"He's not here, I think he and Harry went to go run some errands," Steve replied, leaning against the desk.
"And he left you here to use his computer all on your own?"
"Don't start with me," Steve narrowed his eyes jokingly.
"It was right there," Natasha bantered. "But seriously, are you going to tell me what's up?"
Steve took a deep breath, suddenly appearing a bit more nervous.
"I don't want you to be upset with me," he prefaced, leaning down and messing with something on the computer.
"What did you do?"
With a click of a button, Steve projected the computer's screen in front of them. Natasha let out a small gasp as photos of a much older Yelena appeared before her.
"I found Yelena," Steve told her.
Natasha couldn't speak, a lump forming in her throat. The last time she had seen her sister, she would have been no older than 8. The woman on the screen in front of her was no doubt Yelena, but she was older now, somewhere in her 20s.
"How did you.... Where-" Natasha stopped to collect herself, trying to formulate words. "Is she okay?"
"She's just fine. It turns out the Red Room was disbanded a few years ago and the founder was killed. She managed to get out before then. She's living in an apartment in Budapest at the moment."
Natasha managed to tear her gaze away from the computer screen and look at Steve. He couldn't decipher the emotions that were on her face.
"Do we know if she remembers anything?" Natasha's voice was quiet.
"Tash," Steve stepped around the desk and handed her a piece of paper. "I wrote her a letter."
Natasha's eyes widened, and she took the paper from him as if she were handling glass.
"She wrote back," she breathed.
"She remembers you. She remembers everything," Steve assured her. Natasha felt as though someone had punched her in the chest.
"I'm going to leave the computer pulled up and let you look through everything. I'll leave you alone while you read the letter. If you want to write her back, the address is written on a sticky note on the desk," Steve told her quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder before he left.
"Steve," Natasha called, making him stop and turn around. Before he had another moment to think, Natasha had flung her arms around him in a hug. He wrapped his arms around her, relief flooding him. He had been so worried that she would be upset that he overstepped.
"Thank you," she whispered before stepping away from him.
"Anytime, Tash."
He squeezed her arm one last time reassuringly before disappearing into the elevator. Natasha's gaze returned to the letter in her hand and she read it. And then read it again, and again, and again.
Steve,
I have been staring at your letter for the past hour while I try to figure out what to write. To start, yes- I remember everything. I especially remember Natasha. I have thought about her every day since we were children, but I have been too afraid to try to find her for fear that she may not remember our family. You already have my address, but I have written my phone number at the bottom of this letter. I would very much like to have Natasha contact me.
Thank you,
Yelena
Quickly, she hurried her way over to the desk and quickly began looking through the information Steve had found. She desperately wanted to pull out her phone and call her sister now, but she needed to make sure it would be safe to do so first.
As she sorted through all of the information Steve had found, she grew more and more excited and more and more terrified. While it appeared as though it would be safe to contact Yelena, she was scared-- they had not spoken in almost 20 years. What had become of their relationship that, at one point, had been a nearly inseparable bond?
But fear did not rule Natasha's life. She grabbed her phone and quickly dialed the number, raising the phone to her ear as she sunk down into the chair.
The phone rang once... twice... three times... four...
"Hello?" A woman's voice filled the other end of the line. "Natasha?"
Tears pricked at Natasha's eyes and she felt a lump building in her throat.
"Hi Little One."
*
Steve let out a deep breath as the elevator doors closed behind him and he began his descent to the lab. After three hours, he had not heard anything from Natasha and, while he didn't want to hover, he was growing a bit concerned.
So concerned that he had asked Friday to verify that none of Tony's private jets had been used to make an emergency flight to Budapest.
It wasn't that he didn't want Natasha to connect with her sister- the exact opposite, actually. It was just that he didn't want her flying over there by herself to meet with a skilled ex-assassin for the first time in years.
He realized that made him a hypocrite, but it didn't matter.
The elevator let out a soft 'ding' and the doors opened. He stepped into the lab and heard Natasha's laugh echoing around the room. He smiled as he walked further into the room and found her in the chair with her feet propped up on the desk.
When she noticed him, he quickly signed to her, 'you okay?'
She nodded and gave him a smile.
"Yelena, Steve just walked in. I'm putting you on speakerphone," she pulled the phone from her ear and tapped a button, and suddenly the sound of Yelena's voice filled the room.
"Hello Steve," Yelena greeted, a Russian accent tilting her words. Steve could hear the smile on her face, and he looked to Natasha who was the most relaxed that he had ever seen her.
"Hello," he greeted back. "It's nice to... meet you?"
He shot a look at Natasha with a shrug, and she laughed.
"Steve is 105 years old. Phone calls are still weird for him," Natasha teased as she explained to Yelena.
"You are going to have to explain that one to me at some point," Yelena said, making everyone laugh.
"I'm excited for you to meet him. He's a great friend," Natasha smiled and looked up at Steve gratefully.
"Yes, I can tell from his letter. I am also excited to meet this Clint Barton. He sounds like fun."
"I don't know that the world is ready for you to meet Clint yet," Natasha laughed.
"You may be right," Yelena laughed, and then added on. "And Harry. I would very much like to meet him."
Natasha and Steve shared a smile. "He'll have you wrapped around his finger immediately, I promise."
"From what you have told me, he already does."
Steve placed his hand on Natasha's leg that was still crossed and resting on the desk.
'I'm going to head back upstairs. Just wanted to check on you,' he signed.
'Thank you' she signed in response, a seemingly permanent smile on her face.
On the other end of the line, Yelena said something that caused Natasha to laugh, and Steve found a smile crossing his own face as he listened to the sound. He had been worried about what their relationship would be like once they reconnected-- it had been so long since they had last spoken. But based on the fact that they had been on the phone for hours and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, he was going to guess that everything was working out well.
Now the only thing left to do was break the news to the team and find a way to reunite the two in person.
*
"Hold on," Tony raised his hands up to stop her. "You have a sister?"
"Yes," Natasha confirmed.
"And Steve tracked her down using my computer?"
"Also yes."
"Somehow that's the piece of information that I'm having the hardest time dealing with right now," Tony shook his head in disbelief.
"What did you think I was doing when I asked to use the computer in your lab?" Steve leaned against the arm of the couch where Natasha was sitting, an amused smile on his face.
"I don't know. Definitely not tracking someone down, that's for sure," Tony ran a hand over his face. "Did anyone else know?"
Clint raised his hand from where he was sitting across the living room. Everyone else shook their heads no.
"I'm sorry if you feel like I've betrayed your trust by keeping this a secret-" Natasha started, but Harry cut her off.
"Nat, you weren't betraying us. This was something that was private for you and it was hard to talk about. I understand not wanting to share that, and I know everyone else here understands it too."
There was a hum of agreeance throughout the group.
"So what's the next step?" Pepper, always the planner, asked. "Are you planning on flying to Budapest, or will she be coming to visit here?"
"She wants to meet all of you, so I thought it may be best for her to come here. I promise, though, I wouldn't bring her here if I thought it would be dangerous."
"I know you wouldn't," Pepper gave her a soft smile.
"Just to make sure, though, Natasha and I are going to fly to Budapest and meet her, and if everything checks out, we'll bring her back here with us," Steve explained.
Tony nodded. "When are you thinking about doing this?"
"As soon as possible?" Natasha spoke, phrasing it like a question. Pepper grabbed her phone, thumbs flying across the keyboard. A moment later, her phone buzzed in response.
"I can have you two on a plane by tomorrow morning at 6 a.m," she told them.
"That's perfect, thanks Pep," Natasha smiled.
"I'm really happy for you Nat," Peter spoke for the first time, giving her a big smile. "I always wanted a sibling, and I'm glad you guys found each other again."
"Me too, buddy," Natasha stood up, and Harry rose to his feet as well. He stepped around the living room table and opened his arms to give Natasha a hug. She accepted the hug willingly and embraced Harry back.
When Harry stepped back, Peter was the next one to give Natasha a quick hug, and she embraced him back as well.
"Awww," Clint cooed, standing up and stepping up to be the next one to give her a hug. She stepped back and pointed at him, a warning look on her face.
"Hug me and you die," she warned, but there was no malice in her expression which caused everyone to laugh. Begrudgingly, she pulled Clint into her side and gave him a quick one arm hug.
"Okay, am I the only one still caught up on the fact that Cap was able to find someone using a computer?"
"Yes!" The team answered in unison, causing everyone to laugh.
"Okay, okay!" Tony held up his hands in defense, but he too was laughing.
Natasha looked at her watch, seeing that it was starting to get late.
"It's getting late, so I'm going to head to bed," she announced to everyone. She turned to Steve and smiled.
"We've got an early flight to catch."
*
Natasha's heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. Her palms were sweaty and she wiped them down the sides of her thighs.
"Are you ready for this?" Steve asked as he shot her a concerned look.
"It's a little too late to not be ready, don't you think?" She motioned to the apartment door that they were standing in front of.
"We could still turn around and get back on the plane if you really wanted to. You haven't knocked on the door yet."
Natasha shook her head. It wasn't that she was scared about seeing her sister. It was that she was nervous that she was going to meet a new one. Someone that she had never met before.
It wasn't fair to Yelena to expect her to be exactly the same person she was when she was 8, but Natasha hoped that her morals were the same. That she was still a kind person with a carefree spirit and who loved her family dearly.
But life had been hard on them, and Natasha was scared that it may have remolded her sister into someone that she was not. Someone that Natasha disliked.
She shook her head, trying to get the negative thoughts out of her head. They had come all of this way for the two of them to reunite, and that's what they were going to do. Natasha knew from her phone calls and constant messaging that Yelena was the same fun-loving-- albeit, slightly more dangerous-- person that she had been during their childhood.
They were going to be fine.
"I'm going to knock on the door."
"Okay," Steve replied, patiently standing behind her. He had gotten her this far, but this was something she need to do herself.
Natasha took a deep breath and raised her hand. It hovered for a moment before she followed through, rapping her knuckles against the wood.
There was the sound of light footsteps on the other side of the door, getting closer and closer until-
The door opened, revealing a shorter woman, probably around 5'3" with large, piercing blue eyes. Her blonde hair was French braided back into a short ponytail.
Neither of them spoke. A beat of silence passed before Yelena let out a whistle.
Their whistle.
Natasha's eyes brimmed with tears as she finished the whistle.
"Hi Natasha," Yelena spoke, voice soft.
"Hi Yelena."
The two stared at each other for a moment, unsure of how to proceed with the moment.
"Fuck it," Yelena muttered suddenly, stepping forward and throwing her arms around her older sister. Natasha found herself immediately reciprocating the embrace.
They stood like that for what might have been seconds, what might have been minutes-- Natasha did not care. For the first time in almost 20 years she felt as though she was complete. The piece missing from her life had been found.
Finally, the two broke apart once more and looked at one another.
"You are so beautiful," Yelena motioned up and down at Natasha.
"So are you. You're all grown up," Natasha's eyes softened in the way that they did when she was looking at Peter or Harry.
Yelena threw her head back in a laugh.
"That tends to be what happens after 20 years," she teased. Her eyes made their way off of Natasha and on to Steve, who was still standing patiently in the hall, trying to give the two of them as much privacy as he could.
"You must be Steve Rogers," Yelena greeted, waving him inside the apartment and closing the door behind him.
"Yes ma'am," he extended his hand, and Yelena accepted it with a laugh.
"Very polite, no?" She raised her eyebrows at Natasha. "And very handsome."
"And very engaged," Natasha replied, smiling.
"Also very gay," Steve added with a straight face, causing Natasha to snort.
"Relax, I am just making an observation," Yelena teased. "Thank you for reuniting my sister and I."
"It was my pleasure. Natasha has been an amazing friend to me and helped me reunite with my fiancé. It was time for me to return the favor."
Yelena turned back to Natasha and motioned to her apartment.
"I would offer to give you a tour, but I must admit that I am very excited to catch up and to meet your friends."
"I'm sure there will be plenty of time for tours later," Natasha grinned.
"I have had my bag packed since the first phone call," Yelena pointed to the bag that sat next to the front door. "I really am very happy to see you again."
Natasha's heart broke wide open and more love than she knew she was capable of having poured out for her little sister.
"Me too."
*
"I'm sure Harry has been cooking all day in anticipation of your arrival," Natasha explained as she helped Yelena carry her bags into the elevator. "He's been texting me throughout the day asking how things are going."
"He sounds very sweet. There is no need for him to go through all of the trouble of cooking for me. I do perfectly fine with boxed macaroni."
"Do not let Harry hear you say that," Steve chuckled. "Nobody is eating boxed macaroni, not when he's in charge."
"But have you ever tried putting the hot sauce on it? It is quite good."
"I cannot say that I've ever tried that," Steve contemplated this for a moment.
"One of dad's specialties," Natasha added.
"More like the only thing that he could cook. He had to find a way to change it up somehow," Yelena laughed.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened, and Natasha immediately noticed the aroma of homemade lasagna permeating the air.
"I told you," she nodded towards the kitchen.
"I'll go put these bags in the guest bedroom. You two just go meet everyone," Steve grabbed Yelena's suitcase and duffle bag from her and made his way down the hallway towards the bedrooms. Natasha lead her sister into the kitchen where she found Harry mixing something in a bowl and Peter sitting at the island reading a textbook.
The two looked up, and Harry set the spoon down and took a step out from behind the island.
"Harry, Peter, this is my sister Yelena,," Natasha introduced.
Peter was the first one to extend his hand to her.
"I'm Peter. Peter Parker."
"Hello Peter Parker. It is nice to meet you," Yelena smiled as she shook his hand. She then turned to Harry.
"Which means you must be Harry," she greeted. "I have heard a lot about you."
"It's so nice to meet you," Harry reciprocated, extending his hand out to her. Natasha felt pride swell inside of her. She knew that a year ago, Harry would have been near a panic attack at meeting a stranger- even one that was related to someone close to him. But now, he was initiating the first contact between the two of them and was barely showing any signs of being nervous.
"I've made a lasagna for dinner and I'm currently making a nut mixture for some baklava. I know that sounds like a weird combination, but-"
"Those are two of my favorite things. I look forward to it, thank you for going through all of that trouble," Yelena cut him off before he could work himself up. He smiled gratefully at her and returned to his baking.
"We'll be back in a bit. I'm going to go introduce her to the rest of the team," Natasha told the two boys.
"Tony is in the lab with Bruce and Clint. They're working on designing some new arrows," Peter directed them.
"Good luck," Harry teased.
As they turned to head to the elevator to go down to Tony's lab, Steve and Bucky were making their way down the hall.
"Ah, this must be Bucky Barnes, no?" Yelena looked to Natasha for confirmation.
"How did you know?" Steve asked, placing his hand on Bucky's shoulder. He was worried that Yelena's recognition might be related to some previous connection that neither of them consciously remembered.
He had no idea how involved the Red Room was. If there was a possibility that they could have been tied to H.Y.D.R.A.
And the last thing anyone needed was two ex-assassins triggering one another.
"You are not the only one who can do fancy research Steve Rogers," Yelena wagged her eyebrows up and down, causing everyone to relax.
"I like her already," Tony's voice spoke from behind them, and he stepped out of the elevator with Bruce and Clint on his tail.
"And this is the Tony Stark you spoke of?" Yelena inquired, and Natasha gave another nod of confirmation.
"Welcome to New York City," Tony greeted her, then he turned in the direction of the kitchen. "Whatever Harry is making smells amazing."
"He's made two of the largest lasagnas I think I've ever seen," Natasha laughed, recalling the size of the dish that she spotted in the oven. "I don't think anyone will be going hungry tonight."
"He's the reason I've had to increase my time in the gym by twofold," Clint chuckled, laying a hand over his stomach. "I think I gain 10 pounds just smelling his cooking."
"Natasha has mentioned he is a very good chef. I look forward to trying his cooking. I am always on the lookout for good food," Yelena smiled, leaning in to whisper to Natasha. "Bonus points if I can use hot sauce."
Natasha shook her head with a laugh and motioned towards Clint and Bruce.
"Yelena, this is Dr. Bruce Banner. He is the smartest and nicest person you will ever meet. And this is Clint Barton, who just so happens to be my agency partner and the biggest goofball you will ever meet."
Bruce extended his hand in greeting, and Yelena accepted it and wondered briefly how many handshakes she was going to receive today.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Bruce spoke with a kind smile. "I'm glad you could come visit."
"Thank you, you as well," Yelena responded politely. She turned to Clint and was about to speak when Lucy trotted up to her and began sniffing at her pant leg.
"Awww, you have a puppy?!" Yelena exclaimed, bending down to pet the golden retriever.
"Technically she's Harry's, but she is off duty right now," Tony explained.
"I have always wanted to get a puppy, but my apartment 'does not allow them' because they are 'destructive animals,'" she scoffed. "I am more destructive as a human than a dog would be, I am sure."
Everyone laughed, thinking of Tony's track record which Clint was slowly working his way up to tying.
Yelena stood back up and wiped her hands on her pants quickly, turning back to Clint.
"I am sorry, that was rude. It is nice to meet you Clint Barton," Yelena stuck her hand out to Clint, and Natasha eyed him with a 'be nice' warning. Clint threw her a look back that said 'I'll behave.'
"Natasha's told me a lot about you. I'm glad I finally get to meet you," Clint reciprocated.
"Is that everyone?" Natasha asked, looking around. Pepper had messaged her earlier and said that she was going to be running a little late because of some company meetings, but she promised to be there some time before dessert.
"I think so," Steve responded and turned to Yelena. "Overwhelmed yet?"
"Natasha has told me how wild you all are. So far, I'm underwhelmed actually," the Russian shrugged, and this earned a laugh from Clint.
"You have no idea what you just signed yourself up for," Bucky told her with a smile.
A mischievous grin crossed Yelena's face and she looked at Natasha excitedly.
"Bring it on."
*
"If I eat another bite of food I will explode, and that feels very rude," Yelena groaned, leaning back at her chair.
"Harry, how can I help you clean up?" Natasha asked as she began picking up the team's empty plates.
"If you just want to set those in the sink, I'll handle the rest. Thank you," Harry replied. Natasha was about ready to argue with him, as he had already done all the cooking, but remembered that there's a good chance he would be doing very little cleaning. Sometimes magic was really cool.
Natasha smiled as she exited the dining room and heard her sister laughing along with her friends. It was like she was part of the team, her personality blended so well with everyone else's.
Especially Clint, which she was going to have to watch. The two of them together could only mean trouble.
She paused for a moment before she re-entered the room, listening to everyone interacting. She had pictured this moment (in many different variations) for years. She had always wondered how Yelena would get along with the team, and she wasn't entirely sure that her hesitations to reunite hadn't been out of fear that the team wouldn't like her.
They had become her family and it mattered to her what they thought, no matter what front she may put on at times.
So the fact that everyone was getting along made her indescribably happy.
"Does anyone want a cup of coffee or tea?" Harry rose from his seat, Peter standing up with him.
"No thanks, kiddo. I think I'm okay," Tony replied. Everyone else echoed Tony, and Harry took Peter's hand.
"I'm going to make some tea for the two of us while I clean up, and then head to bed. Goodnight everyone."
"Goodnight," the team echoed.
"I'm not far behind them. It's been a long day," Steve announced, and Bucky nodded.
"Thanks for going with me today," Natasha thanked him again, and he gave her a soft smile.
"Anytime."
"Goodnight Steve Rogers," Yelena sing-songed.
"Goodnight Yelena," Steve chuckled.
He and Bucky made their way out of the kitchen, and Natasha looked to Yelena.
"Are you tired?" She asked, and Yelena shook her head.
"Not at all."
Natasha grinned, coming up with an idea.
"Follow me," she rose to her feet, Yelena following suit. Natasha turned to Clint, Tony, Pepper and Bruce who were the remaining members of the team still seated at the table.
"Goodnight everybody," she spoke as they began their departure.
"Hey, make sure you guys get some good sleep tonight. Tomorrow is game night and I plan on bringing out the big guns!" Tony called out behind them.
"Tony, you know I could kick your ass in my sleep," Natasha replied lazily.
"Ditto!" Yelena echoed with a laugh.
"Hey, whose side are you on?" Tony sounded offended.
"Preferably whoever is winning."
"Get out of here," Tony dismissed, but he himself was laughing. "You two have a good rest of your night."
Natasha lead her sister out of the dining room before another playful argument could begin. Once again she found herself thankful for Yelena's comfort level around the rest of the team. It felt like she could finally take a breath.
"Am I allowed to know where you are taking me?" Yelena questioned as they stepped into the elevator.
"The roof," Natasha responded, but did not elaborate.
"You are not going to push me this time, right?"
"You make it sound like I shoved you off of a skyscraper. It was one time, you were 6, and I didn't even touch you."
"That is not how I remember it," Yelena teased.
"You were, at most, 5 feet off the ground. You were fine," Natasha rolled her eyes, remembering the shed incident.
"Maybe that is why I am so short now. Maybe it stunted my growth. We will never know now," Yelena shrugged.
"Shut up," Natasha laughed.
The elevator let out a soft ding and the doors opened, revealing the rooftop stargazing spot that Steve and Bucky had helped Peter set up last year to surprise Harry.
"What is this?" Yelena's voice was inquisitive and contained a hint of child-like excitement.
"Harry loves to stargaze, but you can't see the stars in the city because it's so bright. So he made this," she motioned up to the black canopy and flipped on the projector. It immediately illuminated the canopy with stars, splaying out constellations on the black fabric above them.
"This is very cool," Yelena remarked, a hint of awe in her voice. She laid down on the L shaped outdoor sofa that was set up underneath the canopy and stared up at the projection. Natasha joined her, laying on the opposite side of couch so that their heads were almost touching.
"Tomorrow I'll take you out and show you around the city. But for tonight I figured we could just lay here and talk."
"Yes, it is my first time in New York City," Yelena smiled. "I am excited to explore."
"And we have to end the trip at Lily's, which is Harry's bakery."
Yelena turned to face Natasha. "You are trying to fatten me up while I am here."
Natasha laughed. "If you're nice, he'll let you taste test some of the cookies straight out of the oven."
"Now you are just taunting me."
The two of them giggled before settling into a comfortable silence. Minutes passed and Natasha could tell that the lighthearted mood had shifted into a more serious one.
Finally, Yelena was the one to break the silence.
"I was afraid that you were dead."
Natasha turned on to her side to face her sister, but Yelena remained on her back as she stared up at the fake stars.
"The Red Room- it was so horrible. It didn't seem like escaping was an option, even once I had done it. I knew you were smart so the chances that you made it out were decent but... there was always a part of me that doubted it. That is why I have not tried to find you. And I am so sorry."
Her voice sounded choked up, and Natasha noticed a tear slip down her cheek and disappear into her hairline.
"Hey," Natasha reached out and grabbed her sister's hand. "We found each other now. It's okay."
"But we lost so much time," Yelena finally turned to look at her. "I love your friends and I am glad that you have them but.... they've had so much time with you."
"Oh малыш," Natasha squeezed Yelena's hand. "We have time now. And I'm so sorry that it's taken so long."
Natasha took a deep breath, trying to find the words that she wanted to say.
"I tried to find you, I did... but I could have tried harder. I should have gone to the ends of the earth trying to find you again. But there was a part of me that was scared that even if I found you, that you wouldn't remember me. And to me, the idea of knowing that you were alive but had no recollection of who I was or who we used to be together? That was more painful to me that thinking you were dead. And I'm so sorry."
Yelena gripped Natasha's hand back, giving her a small, sad smile.
"I forgive you."
Those were the words that Natasha had needed to hear. She bit her lip, trying to collect herself.
"Good," she finally spoke as soon as she was confident her voice would come out evenly without breaking. "Because I need a partner for game night who is completely with me."
"Oh we are going to kick so much ass," Yelena promised. The two of them laughed, hands still clutching one another.
"They have no idea what the two of us can do when we're with one another," Natasha remarked. Yelena turned to look at her, a look of sincerity and slight mischief in her eyes.
"I don't know about you, but I am excited to figure that out together."