"told you it would be good bonding time"
"Keep an eye on the kid for me this weekend, would you?" Tony asked as he hurried around the lab, gathering his things.
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "You want me to babysit?"
"Not babysit. Just...keep an eye on her. Make sure she stays out of trouble." Tony shot her a pleading look. "Come on, it's just for a couple days while I'm out of town. It'll be good bonding time for you two."
Natasha sighed, but reluctantly agreed. She wasn't exactly the maternal type, but clearly this was important to Tony, and she supposed someone did need to look after the enhanced teenage girl while he was gone.
Which was how Natasha found herself standing awkwardly in the kitchen that evening as the young superhero bounced in. "Hi Miss Natasha!" Penny greeted brightly, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl.
"Hey kid," Natasha responded. An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Natasha wasn't one for small talk.
"Um, Mr. Stark said you'd be hanging out with me this weekend?" Penny said uncertainly. "Since he's going to that tech conference?"
Natasha nodded. "That's right. So, what do you want to do?" She cringed internally at how stilted she sounded.
Penny shrugged and took a big bite of her apple. "I dunno. We could watch a movie? Ooh, or we could train together!" Her eyes lit up excitedly. "I bet I could learn a lot from you!"
Natasha felt a small smile tug at her lips. The kid's enthusiasm was infectious. "Alright, training it is."
Soon, the two were in the tower's fully equipped gym. Natasha watched closely as Penny demonstrated her strength and agility, easily swinging herself up onto the high bars and performing flips and spins.
"Impressive," Natasha nodded. She motioned for Penny to follow her over to the sparring mats. "But let's see how you do in hand-to-hand."
Penny bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet as she faced Natasha on the mat, hands up in a defensive stance. Natasha went easy on her at first, not wanting to hurt the kid, but soon found that Penny could hold her own pretty well. She had quick reflexes and more strength than her slender frame suggested.
After almost an hour of sparring, Natasha finally pinned Penny down. "Gotcha," she said, slightly out of breath. She stood and held out a hand to help Penny up.
"That was awesome!" Penny grinned, ignoring the hand and springing lightly to her feet. "You totally kicked my butt! I can't wait to tell Ned about this, he's gonna freak."
Natasha felt that small smile returning. The kid really was charming, in her youthful, exuberant way.
"I'm gonna grab some water," Penny said, heading for the mini-fridge they kept stocked. "Want one?"
"Sure, thanks," Natasha replied, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. She watched as Penny reached into the fridge, her oversized t-shirt slipping off one slender shoulder. Natasha was struck by how young and vulnerable she looked. Just a kid, really. She felt a surprising surge of protectiveness.
Penny skipped back over with two bottles of water and handed one to Natasha. "Ready for round two?" she asked eagerly.
Natasha hesitated. "How about we take a break?" she suggested instead. "I don't want you wearing yourself out."
Penny looked slightly disappointed but agreed easily enough. She took a long swig of water and leaned against the wall, watching Natasha curiously.
"So what made you want to become a superhero?" she asked after a moment.
Natasha blinked, caught off guard by the question. Her journey to becoming Black Widow was long and painful, riddled with red that she didn't want to revisit.
"It's complicated," she said at last. "I didn't have much choice in the matter." She turned the question back on Penny. "What about you?"
The girl immediately launched into the story of getting bitten by the radioactive spider on a school field trip to Oscorp. "And then I discovered I could do all this cool stuff!" she enthused. "Crawl on walls, enhanced strength, spider sense...I had to try and help people, you know?"
Natasha nodded thoughtfully. She envied the innocence Penny still held, having gained her powers through an accident of circumstance rather than the rigid training and conditioning Natasha had endured. This child had chosen this life for herself.
She studied the young, fresh-faced girl standing across from her. With a start, she realized that Penny was almost the same age Natasha had been when she began her own training, although her memories of that time in the Red Room were fragmented at best. A fierce desire to protect Penny from the harsh realities Natasha had faced rose within her. She would not let this child's light be dimmed.
"Miss Natasha?" Penny's voice broke into her reverie. "You okay?"
Natasha cleared her throat, shaking off the wave of emotion. "Yeah, I'm fine, kid."
Penny didn't look convinced, but she let it go. "Sooo..." she drew the word out conspiratorially. "What do you say we ditch the rest of training and watch a movie instead?"
The corners of Natasha's mouth turned up. "I say lead the way, Spiderling."
Penny's answering grin was radiant.
Later, after pizza and a Disney movie marathon - Natasha made a mental note to never tell the other Avengers about her intimate knowledge of animated musical numbers - Penny had fallen asleep curled up under a blanket on the couch.
Natasha studied the girl's face, relaxed in sleep. She looked even younger than her 15 years, dark lashes fanning across pale cheeks dotted with faint freckles. Without thinking, Natasha gently brushed a strand of hair back from Penny's forehead. The action sparked a memory from long ago, of her mother doing the same.
Natasha quietly tucked the blanket more securely around Penny and then headed down to her own room, her mind churning with unfamiliar thoughts and feelings. When had she started thinking of the girl as Penny instead of Spiderling? The childish nickname had slipped out without her even realizing.
Perhaps Tony had been right, Natasha mused as she got ready for bed. This weekend was turning out to be beneficial for both of them.
The next morning found Natasha in the kitchen, staring in consternation at the contents of the fridge. She wanted to make breakfast for Penny, but most of her culinary knowledge revolved around field rations and the occasional bland porridge. Still, she was determined to come up with something edible.
Twenty minutes later, Penny wandered blearily into the kitchen to find Natasha scowling at a pan of lumpy pancake batter. She hid a smile.
"Morning, Miss Natasha," she said, sliding onto one of the stools at the kitchen island. "Whatcha making?"
"Pancakes," Natasha sighed. She shook her head ruefully. "At least, that's the idea. Cooking was never part of my skill set."
Penny hopped up and joined her at the stove. "Here, let me help."
She showed Natasha how to ladle the batter onto the skillet in neat circles. Together they flipped the pancakes at just the right time, ending up with a towering stack of fluffy golden cakes.
Penny doused hers in syrup while Natasha opted for just butter and a touch of jam. They ate together at the kitchen island, morning sunshine streaming in through the expansive windows. For the first time in a long while, Natasha felt something like contentment.
"Got any plans for today, Pen?" she asked.
Penny's eyes lit up at the nickname. "Ned and I were gonna hang out, but he had to bail last minute 'cause of a family thing. So I'm free!"
"Hmm." Natasha tapped her fingers idly on her coffee mug. "How do you feel about ballet?"
Penny looked surprised but intrigued. "I did ballet for a few years when I was little. I wasn't very good though." She grinned self-deprecatingly.
Natasha waved a hand. "I can teach you. It requires discipline and control over your body, both useful skills. And it doesn't hurt to be light on your feet."
Penny considered this and then nodded eagerly. "Yeah, okay! Let's do it!"
Soon they had changed into leotards and tights and were standing at the barre in one of the tower's mirrored exercise rooms.
"Shoulders down, turn out from your hips, heels grounded," Natasha instructed. She corrected Penny's posture with light touches. "Good. Now, plié..."
They spent the next couple hours working on ballet technique and choreography. Penny was a quick study, able to easily replicate Natasha's movements. Her enhanced abilities allowed her to execute leaps and turns with precision and grace.
Natasha felt a swell of pride watching the girl dance. While her own early ballet training had been rigid and often cruel, this was an act of joy. Penny's face shone with exhilaration as she whirled and spun across the studio.
"Beautiful," Natasha praised after Penny successfully completed a complex sequence she had demonstrated. Impulsively, she pulled the girl in for a quick hug.
Penny's cheeks turned pink, but she looked pleased. "Thanks, Miss Natasha. That was really fun!"
Natasha squeezed her shoulder. "You did well, little spider." The endearment slipped out unintentionally, surprising her.
Penny ducked her head, still blushing, but smiling.
They spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in the media room, Penny chatting animatedly while Natasha listened with quiet amusement. She learned all about Penny's school life and friends, her worries and dreams. The girl spoke freely, seeming to instinctively trust Natasha. It reminded her that perhaps she too had once been so open, before life had hardened her.
Later, Natasha busied herself making dinner, hoping to avoid another pancake debacle. She kept the menu simple - baked chicken, roasted potatoes and veggies. Cooking turned out to be not so difficult when following an actual recipe.
Penny hung back and watched her prepare the meal, curiosity etched on her face. "Can I help with anything?" she finally offered.
Natasha considered for a moment before handing her some potatoes to scrub clean.
They worked in comfortable silence, Penny washing vegetables while Natasha chopped and seasoned everything. Soon mouth-watering aromas filled the kitchen.
"Smells amazing!" Penny said as Natasha pulled the roasting pan from the oven. Her eager smile made something expand in Natasha's chest. When was the last time she had cooked for someone else? She couldn't recall.
Over dinner, Penny chattered on about her favorite foods and restaurants. Natasha made a mental note of the places the girl mentioned, thinking it might be nice to take her out sometime.
When they had finished eating, Penny jumped up to help clear the table. As she leaned around Natasha to grab a plate, she paused and said quietly, "Thanks, Mom."
Natasha's hands stilled, breath catching in her throat. Slowly she turned to look at Penny, taking in her wide eyes and flushed cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Penny stammered.
"It's okay," Natasha said gently. And strangely, it was. That one word, said so innocently, had released a well of emotion she didn't know she'd been holding back.
Without thinking, she pulled Penny into a fierce embrace. After a startled moment, Penny's arms came up around her waist, hugging back just as tightly. They stood like that for a long moment, Natasha stroking the girl's hair. She pressed a light kiss to the top of Penny's head.
"Come on, little spider," she murmured at last. "Let's clean up."
They quickly finished washing the dishes, then settled on the couch to watch a movie. Before long, Penny was out like a light, head pillowed on Natasha's leg. Natasha found herself gently running her fingers through the girl's hair as she slept. The motion soothed them both.
When Tony returned the next day, he found them just like that - Penny still fast asleep with her head in Natasha's lap.
Natasha pressed a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. Quietly, so as not to disturb the slumbering girl, she said, "She called me 'Mom.'" A hint of wonder colored her voice.
Tony raised an eyebrow in surprise, but then a knowing grin spread across his face. "Told you it would be good bonding time." His expression softened. "She's a special kid."
Natasha's eyes dropped back to Penny's sleeping face, peaceful and content. "Yeah," she agreed quietly. "She really is."