the fallout
“Maria, honey when you’re done school I need you to come right home okay?”
Maria nodded, “Yeah sure, Do you need me to do something?”
“Watch Monica!” Carol called from the other room.
Fury nodded, “Watch Monica for a little.”
Maria nodded again and headed out the door to her car. The second the door clicked shut behind her Fury entered the office that Carol sat in. Their CPS report was up on the computer screen and Carol was filling out her portion. May and Nick had filled out theirs the previous night. May had supplied the names of all the girls and her suspicions of abuse.
Carol and Maria could only provide insight for Natasha however they were sure it applied to all. They provided the house address and name of the owner and their own personal phone numbers.
Carol had Fury check over everything before they submitted it.
“How long will it take to be processed?”
“I’d bet a few hours?”
“And if they don’t find anything?”
Nick shook his head, “They will, they have to.”
“Where are they going to send them?”
“I’m not sure.”
Carol bit her lip, “God Maria is going to hate us.”
“Let her, if she would rather these girls be abused than her girlfriend move away then I have taught her nothing.”
“I could take her-”
“Carol you cannot-“
Carol chewed on her lip as she thought it over.
“Carol you cannot take her, you don’t have your foster license and you aren’t related to her.”
“Don’t you have your foster license?”
“No, I didn’t think I would foster any other kids after you both.”
“Can’t you renew it or something? Cant you- you just need to- Fuck!”
“Breathe sweetheart, you need to slow down, I know this sucks but there is nothing more we can do. I cannot foster Natasha, even if I had my license I cannot have her be here while she is in a relationship with Maria,” Carol wiped at her tears and Fury pulled her into his arms, “Everything is going to be alright.”
“You don’t know that. She could be sent anywhere, god I barley know the kid and I’m freaking out.”
Fury pulled away as his phone began to ring, He quickly left the room to answer it.
After a solid ten minutes Fury hung up and returned to Carol.
“CPS got our submission and will be sending out multiple social workers this evening for a house check. They said they want the kids to be home for it so they are going to arrive after school ends.”
“Aren’t you going to be working then?”
“Yeah, I’m not sure if it’s better or worse that I’m stationed around that area today.”
“Most likely better. I’m just hopeful everything goes as smoothly as possible.”
At eleven am Nick Fury found himself in his work uniform walking into the station to clock in. Him and his partner Gary Gooseman (everyone calls him Goose) got fresh cups of coffee before heading out to their police vehicle number 616.
They began their normal patrol, responding to minor situations and occasionally handing out a parking ticket, overall it was an incredibly calm day, It was calm until 3:30 when-
“Vehicle 616 to 236 Main Street we need back up for a 270. Siren use prohibited. Discreetly come to the house.”
Fury put the vehicle into drive and resisted the urge to speed there. Stepping outside of the vehicle he found his way to the woman who seemed to be from CPS.
“We have yet to do a house check we wanted to have police here in case needed.”
Fury and Goose nodded, “We understand, how would you like us to assist you.”
The woman smiled as if this wasn’t a big deal, “Oh you can both just follow me.”
She approached the door and Fury tried not to show how nervous he was. As she knocked the sound of someone running came from behind the door. A young girl opened it.
“Hello Sweetheart I’m with Child Protective Services, Can you find me Mrs. Beivel?”
The girl nodded and ran off, shutting the door behind her. She came back moments later with Mrs. Beivel who looked quite out of breath.
“Hello I’m Alicia Frought with Child Protective Services, We received a report suspecting abuse in the home and have a follow up search to do.”
Mrs Beivel looked astonished, “Abuse? Are you cetain, how could anyone believe that. That is downright offensive, I spend all my time caring for these girls that no one wants and you claim I am abusing them.”
“I am sorry Mrs Beivel but it is standard procedure, may we take a look around.”
“I do not feel comfortable with that, I have done nothing wrong and all of my girls are perfectly fine.”
The CPS worker opened her file and pulled out a warrant to search the property.
“We have a warrant.”
Mrs Beivel read the paper over before opening the door wider, “I guess you can come on in then.”
“Thank you Ma’am.”
The CPS worker did a standard search of the base floor with Fury and Goose tailing behind. They saw some girls along the way but Fury had yet to see Natasha. After they searched the upper floor the CPS worker requested to speak to the girls after searching the basement.
Madam B gathered all the girls at the large table in the kitchen.
“Girls where is Natalia?”
Most of the girls didn’t answer, Olga did though, “Where you left her?”
Madam B schooled her glare into a soft smile and nodded.
“I will be right back, excuse me.”
“We’ll just come with, we still need to look over the basement before any discussions happen anyways.”
Madam bit her tongue and nodded curtly.
They walked down the rickety basement steps and all Fury could think of is “where you left her.”
What the hell did that mean?
After what felt like eternity Madam B was knocking on an old door calling for Natasha to come out.
The CPS worker told her politely that they had to check the room so Madam B sighed and opened the door.
Fury caught the sight of blood on the carpet before the door was slammed shut and locked. There was scrambling on both ends, Madam B as she barricaded the door and Fury as he started to break the door down. The second the door caved in it was clear he wasn’t going to be getting anywhere easily.
Madam B stood across the room with Natasha held tight in her a choke hold, a gun pressed to Natasha’s temple.
Madam B was smiling sadisticly as she pressed the gun harder into the girls skull.
“Drop your weapon!”
“Take another step and I will blow her brains out.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“I’m doing what I have to do! You want to take her away! My whole life has gone into making sure these girls will be successful and now you’re taking them away! How would you feel huh? If i took away your precious little Maria?”
“I would be very sad,” Nick inched closer, “she is very important to me, I love her very much. Do you love your girls?”
“Of course I do! Natalia though, Natalia is special.”
Fury nodded and took a step around a fallen chair, “She is, our children are all very special Mrs Beivel, That is why we need to protect them, to keep them safe.”
Fury was only five feet from the pair now.
“And sometimes to keep the safe, we need to do difficult things.”
“I know that! Don’t you think I know that! What do you think I’m doing?! I’m protecting her!”
Four feet.
“You do a very mighty job of that, but it must get tiring.”
“Yes! That’s why Natalia is so good!”
Three feet he started reaching a hand toward her gun.
“Let me help you protect her. I can help you save her Mrs Beivel. You just have to let me.” Nick closed his hand around the barrel of the gun, quickly pulling it to face the ground before throwing it to the side. He pulled Natasha away and Goose jumped to cuff Madam B.
Madam B began to scream bloody murder, «NATALIA, YOU STUPID GIRL»
Once Goose had read the Miranda laws and walked Madam B out of the room Fury turned to Natasha who was shaking were she stood.
“Where are you hurt?”
Natasha didn’t respond Instead she grabbed onto Fury’s police jacket with one hand, her face was blank as she stared off. Fury shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“We’re gonna head up to the kitchen okay? Once we have everyone we’re going to head up to the station.”
Natasha nodded and pulled the jacket tight, she was wearing only a sports bra and pair of short shorts. All of her scars had been on full display before Fury gave her his jacket.
Nick took her and the CPS worker up stairs into the kitchen. The CPS worker had already begun to call several other families and contacts for emergency placements. Several other cop cars appeared at the house and each took two to three girls over to the station at a time.
Nick called Carol, asking her to bring some food for the girls and a sweatshirt for Natasha down to the station, before he hung up Carol requested to speak with Natasha. Fury got in the car and handed the phone to semi dissociated redhead who sat between Olga and Sofia.
“Hey Kid, it’s Carol I’m gonna meet you at the station and bring some food and a jacket. How’s that sound?”
Natasha nodded, “yes, good.”
“How are you doing?”
“I am fine.”
“Is there anything else I can bring you sweetheart?”
“Maria.”
“Maybe, Can you hand the phone back to Nick?”
Natasha nodded and handed the phone to Nick who had just begun driving.
“Nick speaking.”
“Can I bring Maria?”
Fury thought it over, “I don’t know, it’s a touchy subject and I don’t want her to have any setbacks, but, If she insists on coming I understand and I won’t say she cannot.”
“Thank you Dad, I’ll bring sandwiches and chips down.”
“Water bottles too please.”
Carol agreed before hanging up. The blonde rushes to Maria’s door.
“Hey kid I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.”
Maria sat up confused at the seriousness in Carol’s voice.
“There was a call to CPS about Natasha’s house. When CPS was going through it Mrs Beivel turned violent on one of the girls and they arrested her.”
“What, Where is Natasha- Is she okay? Is-“
“Natasha is okay, I know she’s a little shaken up, all of the girls are down at the station so you and I are going to get some supplies together to bring down okay?”
Maria nodded and Carol pulled her into a hug, “She’s okay don’t worry, she’s with Dad right now. I heard she was a little cold though so why don’t you pick out a sweatshirt to bring her and I’ll get started making some sandwiches for them.
Carol ended up making twenty sandwiches and bringing twenty water bottles to go with it, she bought a party box of chips on the way that had about four bag inside. Maria sat in the passengers seat fidgeting with the hoodie in her hands.
“Carol, do you think she’s mad at me?”
“No sweetie I don’t think so.”
“What’s going to happen to her?”
“I’m not sure kid.”
Maria was silent the rest of the ride. When they got to the station there was no sign of any girls from the widow group home. Maria quickly found her dad and he hugged her before showing her to the room that the girls were in.
The girls all looked up when Maria and Carol entered the room. Maria immediately found the on with messy red hair and a police jacket on. Maria sat in the rolly-chair that was right next to her and moved a little closer.
“Natasha, here.” Maria handed her the sweatshirt and her arms trembled with the weight of it, “Can I help you?”
Carol busied herself handing out food and introducing herself.
Natasha looked at Maria for the first time and nodded. Maria helped her take Fury’s jacket off and Maria’s hoodie on. Natasha melted into the fabric and seemed to come back to herself a little.
Maria walked to Carol and grabbed some food to hand out. Maria then saw the girl who had signaled for help multiple times, She now knew her name was Katya and she was the youngest out of all the girls.
“Hi, I’m Maria, You’re really brave.” She didn’t know why she said it but she did and she didn’t regret it.
She gave food to Svetlana and Sasha who were practically sitting in the same seat. Svetlana had a protective grip on Sasha’s jacket that tightened as Maria came close.
Maria just handed them the food silently with a smile and moved to the next girl. Once everyone had food Maria realized she has skipped Natasha. She quickly grabbed a sandwich, a bag of chips and a water bottle and brought them over to Natasha. She sat next to her and offered her the food, Natasha shook her head. Maria opened the sandwich and handed it to her.
“Please eat something.”
She grabbed the sandwich and Maria could clearly see the trembles coming from her arms.
“Are you okay?”
Natasha didn’t respond, she took a bite of the sandwich.
«Can we go walk outside?»
Maria furrowed her eyebrow at Natasha’s words. Olga, who sat beside Natasha on the other side translates and Maria nodded, offering her hand.
Natasha gripped onto the hand and began to stand from her seat.
Maria signaled to Carol they would be going for a quick walk and Carol nodded her approval.
Once outside the station Natasha was quick to wrap an arm around Maria’s waist, pulling her close.
“They said Mrs Beivel attacked one of you, who was it?”
Natasha squeezed Maria’s waist, “Me.”
“Oh.” Maria’s hand brushed her upper back soothingly, after she had helped Natasha change she knew her lower back was still angry and red from pervious…beatings- she didn’t want to think about it.
“Are you okay?” They had stopped walking now.
“m’fine.” Natasha still hadn’t let go of Maria’s waist, even as Maria turned to face her. She had to look up to be able to make eye contact with Maria.
“You don’t have to be.”
“I’m fine,” her voice cracked a little.
Maria pulled her in and held her tight, “You aren’t perfect, no one is.”
“I’m marble.”
“Natasha, please just stop pretending everything is fine.”
Natasha didn’t respond all she did was tighten her hold around Maria’s waist. It wasn’t until she felt the tears on her shoulder that she took in the small shakes that came from Natasha’s body.
“I’m sorry.” Her words were broken by sobs but Maria simply walked her to the curb and helped her sit down on it. She sat beside her and Natasha sat in her lap, clinging to the girl. Her arms wrapped around Maria’s back as sob after sob hit her.
Maria was quick to wrap her arms back around the other girl as she rocked the two of them gently.
“Masha I’m sorry.”
“No, stop that, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Natasha was unable to breathe at a certain point and Maria knew she needed to get her to call down to some degree, “baby,” the nickname slipped out, “you need to breathe.”
Her inhales were ragged but at least she was breathing again. Natasha dug her nails into Maria’s back as she cried, “they’re gonna make me talk.”
Maria rubbed her back, “You’re going to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Natasha sobered up at her words and nodded, “I need to see your phone please- I have to call- Please.”
Maria handed the phone over immediately and within seconds it was ringing Bucky’s contact.
“It’s Natasha, They found out about everything for the most part.”
“where are you now?”
“Police Station. Listen, I’m going to tell them about Hydra, if they interrogated you don’t say a word about the last time Madam B did an offering.”
“I won’t, do you know where they are sending us?”
“No, they haven’t said anything about that. I’ll let you know. Goodbye James.”
Natasha handed the phone back to Maria who was a little stunned.
“Is he in the same situation?” Natasha nodded and Maria rubbed her eyes, “I’m so sorry Tasha. I should have- I should’ve done something sooner-“
“Do not blame yourself.”
Maria shook her head and rubbed at her eyes again, “i’m sorry, i’m not going up cry i promise.”
Natasha pushed her head onto Maria’s shoulder, “It’s not your fault, thank you for being here.”
—-
“YELENA! WHERE IS MY PHONE?”
The nine year old giggled from her spot under her own bed. Maria sighed over the line.
“Yelena, did you steal your sisters phone to call me again?”
Yelena giggled again, “Maybe… Look at what I got from school today!”
Maria listened as Yelena rambled on about her day eventually the story was broken off by Natasha entering Yelena’s room.
“Lena where the hell is my phone?”
“YOU SAID A BAD WORD, TELL HER RIA!”
Natasha rolled her eyes and crouched down to see underneath Yelena’s bed. She pulled out Maria (her phone) and Yelena followed, her hair getting messed up as she did so.
“You can’t say bad words!”
“Yes I can, I’m an adult.”
“Barely.” Yelena rolled her eyes and jumped onto her bed, “I want to talk to Ria more!”
“So do I, you already did your talking.”
“Ugh! No fair!”
“Ha!” Natasha closed Yelena’s door behind her and let out a sigh, “I’m sorry about her.”
“You know I don’t mind at all.”
Natasha held the camera up to a better angle as she entered her own room, “How is Monisha? Being a trouble maker?”
“Just about the same level as Yelena I believe.”
Natasha sighed, “So awful then, I would say we should set up a play date for them but I think they wipe out half of North America if unattended for a second.”
“Too late they already met up and moved onto Europe.”
Natasha laughed for a little, after her burst of happiness died out she became more serious, “I miss you.”
“I miss you too Baby, I’ll see you so though.”