Chapter 3
Lately, Annika and Nicola have been out of the house more often, exploring the world as they figure out how to navigate it on their own. They've continued to meet up with Viktoria, Irina, and Alice for what Natasha can only imagine to be a chaotic but fun time.
They come back from one of their trips with a decision they've made. They want to start freeing widows.
So Natasha tells them what they need to know with a reminder that she's proud of them no matter what they do.
Over the next week or so, Natasha and her two oldest do research on not one, but two widows, Katya and Calliope, stationed in Greece. They're fifteen and twelve and they're posing as a family with handlers from the Red Room. The trio look for documents saying their families are alive but find no connections to the girls, ultimately deciding they'd live with them.
"You know we'll have to move, right?" Nicola asks.
Natasha nods and sighs. "Yeah."
That safe house had three rooms because she hadn't originally planned to be on her own. It was supposed to be her and Clint, so they had a place to lay low while taking down the Red Room. Then it was supposed to be her and Delilah. They only lived there for a little while before Natasha left it behind.
Natasha knew she'd eventually have to move as she took in more Widows, she just hadn't anticipated this many of them. Although there was space in Annika and Nicola's room and people could be moved around, privacy was highly valued among the seven of them and the fifth rule on the list, and she knew things were bound to get tense with them being so close together. The issue was where they'd go. She'd probably have to buy a bigger one because none of her other safe houses were that big.
Annika interrupts her train of thought. "We'll worry about moving later, the extraction, remember?"
Natasha goes with them for their first extraction on a day where their handlers are sure to be gone only to find what can only be properly described as a bloodbath.
Their handlers had been killed along with several others, who Natasha assumes to be soldiers from the Red Room if their attire is anything to go by. That leaves the girls, only fifteen and twelve, hiding somewhere in the house. The three of them spread out but tread lightly, the likelihood that the girls think they're soldiers or Widows coming to kill them is a very high possibility and she tells her girls to stay sharp.
Annika finds them first, both girls hidden away in a closet. The oldest, Katya, points a gun with shaking hands and even shakier breathing, protectively cradling her wrist close to her and holding the unconscious younger girl in her lap. Calliope has a purple bruise on her cheek and the rest of her face is flushed, although her lips are blue. Katya's face is bruised, a bloody nose and split lip. There's an X carved into her cheekbone, a stream of blood trickling down her face. Natasha surmises worse injuries but isn't entirely sure with the way she curls in on herself and Calliope.
"Don't take her." Katya pleads, holding the younger girl close.
Natasha's heart pangs at the familiarity of the setup. She can't help but see herself in Katya with the way she protects the younger girl.
"We won't take her." Natasha promises.
Nicola tells her who they are and why they're there, recognizing the goal and trying to earn her trust as quickly as possible.
Katya hesitantly inches out of the closet but realizes that she'll need a doctor and stops. She guards herself again, shoving herself and her sister back into the closet.
Natasha can't seem to get her out after a few minutes so her girls take the lead.
"They won't hurt you, we'll make sure of it. We just can't fix you ourselves." Annika says.
Katya ponders over her words and Nicola quickly adds on, "You won't be able to protect your sister if you're dead."
Katya's head snaps up and her eyes meet Nicola's, her words seeming to do the trick. She tries to stand with Calliope in her arms and stumbles, Annika gently taking Calliope and Nicola catching Katya, effortlessly lifting her in her arms.
They make it back to the jet and Natasha sets in coordinates for the Avengers Tower.
"Let me do it." Annika requests with a sigh, gesturing to the controls.
Natasha gets ready to say Annika has no idea how to fly a jet, let alone this one, but Annika stops her with a roll of her eyes and takes the pilot's seat. "I've got it. I know how."
Well, the more you know...?
Satisfied that Annika would be fine after a few minutes of careful observation, Natasha hovers nearby while Nicola tends to Katya. They're talking to one another, although Nicola is doing most of the talking, Katya providing one worded responses when she wants. Nicola's face is twisted in concentration as she cleans Katya's cuts and waves Natasha off as she observes.
"Ma, I know what I'm doing. Go check on Calliope." She says, her voice stern as she focuses on Katya.
Natasha does as she tells her and deduces that the youngest of the two has a high fever, something she's sure Nicola has already figured out.
Nicola helps Katya into a seat, taking a seat next to her. "No way to tell what Calliope's been sedated with, not without, y'know, equipment. Her lips and fingernails are blue and her breathing is slightly labored so I'm sure she has some form of pneumonia, I'm assuming bacterial. How long has she been sick?" Nicola directs the question to Katya, the girl tensing up under their gaze.
"A week." Katya answers. "They were giving her cough syrup and stuff but it wasn't helping much. Will she be okay?"
Nicola nods. "She'll be alright, with proper care. She's really sick right now so she'll need a chest x-ray to properly diagnose her and amoxicillin to treat her pneumonia. It'll take a week or longer but she'll get better."
Natasha nods, brushing a strand of loose curly hair out of Calliope's face.
Nicola . "You're a much more complicated case. You have what's called distal radius fracture and a broken rib. The most that can be done for your rib is rest, ice, and medication, probably aspirin or ibuprofen. You'll need surgery to fix your wrist and recovery time is long, but nothing life threatening for either of you unless your rib punctures your lung."
Katya's eyes widen. "That-that seems pretty life threatening, Nicola."
Natasha raises her eyebrows with a tight lipped smile. "Yeah, I'd say that does seem like it'd be life threatening."
Nicola sighs. "I know, I know, sorry. You'll be fine. Don't stress about it too much."
"Uh, okay. Are you a doctor?" Katya asks hesitantly.
Nicola stiffens. "I was. For a few years in the Red Room."
Natasha wonders how she ended up being a doctor in the Red Room, and wants to pry for more information but knows there was a reason Nicola never told her about it in the first place. Nicola doesn't share any more than that and Katya seems to want to know more too but doesn't ask.
"And I noticed the, um, the brand." Nicola continues. "Which I've cleaned along with the rest of your cuts, but will still need some extra attention when we land. The last thing we want is an infection. Like I said, your wrist will definitely need surgery but I'm worried about that broken rib, too." She sighs. "Hopefully it doesn't have disastrous effects. "
Natasha halts at her mention of the brand, wondering why she hesitated to mention it, but notes the way she quickly moves past it and files it away for later, going back to worrying about her broken rib. She calls Tony and fills him in, adding what Nicola told them and requesting a small fleet of doctors.
They're hours out from the tower and Katya's face is contorted in pain, having refused the medication Nicola offered. Katya winces after a small jostle.
Nicola asks Katya if she wants pain medication yet again and the young girl turns her down, mumbling a "no" under her breath and avoiding eye contact.
Nicola sighs and nods her head in the direction of the co-pilot's chair. Natasha gets the message and carries Calliope to it, setting her down before checking on Annika again.
"Alright, take a break, Ani, hold the kid for a while." Natasha says, jolting her out of the head space she was in.
"You sure? You know I have this handled, Mom."
She chuckles, nodding. "I know. We've still got a few hours until we get there, though. Take a break."
Annika hesitates but obliges and they switch chairs, both listening in on Nicola's conversation with Katya. Nicola had convinced her to take pain medication and was now walking her through the inevitable surgery to fix her wrist.
Nicola spares no details and Katya listens intently. When Nicola asks how she got her injuries she lets out a sob, hunched over in pain.
Natasha listens closely and looks for signs that Nicola needs her to step in as Katya details how she got her injuries. How the entire thing went down, really.
They sit in silence for a moment until Katya quietly prompts them to say something.
"Why'd you kill them?" Natasha asks.
"Because they deserved it!" She snaps. Then she sighs. "And I wasn't going to run and leave Callie alone. Cassandra didn't deserve it. She was...good to us. She didn't know what she was doing but she was better than the soldier."
She continues. "I-I didn't kill her. Just our...father. And the others. They were going to take Calliope back and I'd rather die before I let that happen."
"Yeah, and you almost did." Nicola chimes in. "If you died, what do you think would happen to your sister?"
Katya huffs, avoiding eye contact. "Like any of you would care."
"Hey." Annika chides softly. "We wouldn't have come if we didn't care. You two are the whole reason we're out here. We live in Russia, a whole seven hours away."
Katya looks over at her and narrows her eyes. "Russia?"
Natasha nods firmly. "Yeah. The only reason we aren't going back to our house is because your sister is sick and you're injured."
Katya lets out a humorless laugh and sighs again, her expression contorting into one of pain. "They messed me up pretty bad."
Nicola sighs. "They did. But we'll be back home in no time."
"Both of us? Callie and me?" Katya asks.
"Well, we're not just going to leave you." Annika says simply. "And you're not going back. Dreykov is dead."
The relief on Katya's face is palpable and she catches all of them off guard when she puts her forehead on Nicola's shoulder and giggles.
Her giggles gradually turn into full blown laughter, which turns into cries, Katya sucking in sharp breaths of air. She pulls away to put her head in her good hand and Nicola tugs her closer and strokes her hair.
After Katya's tears cease, they move up after she asks to sit with Calliope and Nicola and Annika stand around the chair as she asks question after question about the plans after they touch down. Oh yeah, Natasha definitely sees herself in Katya, curious and refusing to back down until she gets the answers she wants.
Katya doesn't sleep for the next nine hours of the flight, and Natasha's concern grows by each hour that ticks by as her breathing becomes more labored.
When they arrive, Nicola carries her and Annika carries Calliope, the five of them getting weird looks from the few agents that are in the lobby before Natasha ushers them into the elevator and to the med bay floor. Tony's waiting for them, a tired but concerned look on his face.
"You found these doctors, right?" Nicola demands.
"Uh, I-I, yeah, I found them." He stutters. "Best I could find."
Annika nods. "Good. They better be because if they fuck this up, if you fuck this up, Stark, I will kill you."
Natasha knows he'd chuckle if he didn't know she was deathly serious.
Natasha laughs for the exact opposite reason. "Alright, Nika, reign it in. No killing or maiming."
Nicola narrows her eyes at Tony. "No promises."
He nods slowly, his eyes wide. "Right. Well, I'll leave you to it."
He speeds to the elevator and disappears after that, although Natasha's sure she'll see him later.
Katya recoils into Nicola at the change of atmosphere. "No. I can't." She whispers, inhaling sharp breaths of air as her eyes dart around frantically. Nicola sets her down on an examination table and they reassure her that they won't let anything happen to her or Calliope.
"Hey. Breathe, Katya. I've got you." Natasha takes the reins, standing in front of her. She grabs Katya's hand and Katya leans into her while doctors walk them through the procedure.
The doctor who's going to fix Katya's wrist introduces herself as Doctor Juniper Carson, slowly but surely gaining both Katya and Natasha's trust as she walks them through the procedure and recovery time.
It's mostly nothing Nicola hasn't already told them until Katya coughs up blood onto the pristine white floor.
Natasha pushes down the panic that surges through her, wanting nothing more than to gather the girl in her arms and just leave.
Instead, she holds Katya's hand when they insert a chest tube and has to calm her down enough for them to give her medication for both the pain and her anxiety. It's no easy task and Katya panics further when she can't see Nicola, Annika, and Calliope before they wheel her away. Natasha tells her they'll be waiting when she gets out of surgery.
They let her stay when they deliver anesthesia and take her into surgery and Natasha tells them to alert her when she's out of surgery to wait for her.
She heads down to her floor to find Annika and Nicola trying to comfort a terrified Calliope, who cries for Katya. She's backed herself into a corner and wields a pocket knife, her eyes sparkling with something dangerous.
Perfect timing. Natasha thinks.
"Hey." She says, announcing her presence, trying to shake off the wobble in her voice after seeing Katya cough up blood-
No. None of that. It's fine. She's seen much worse. Calliope needs comfort and reassurance right now, and Tony told them Doctor Carson was the best he could find so Natasha shouldn't even worry. And she knows she must be the best, knowing that children in unfortunate circumstances bothers Tony as much as it sets off Natasha's maternal instincts.
Now Nicola and Annika's tired eyes meet hers, unsure of what to do. She tells them she's got this and ushers them into the living room to call their sisters.
Calliope meets her eyes when she enters, shying into the corner even further. Natasha takes a seat on the floor in front of her and introduces herself. She explains what's going on and tells her that Dreykov is dead, and about the dust in the most detailed way possible. She's upset that Katya isn't there and Natasha has to calm her down all over again.
Once she's calm, she seems to be listening to each piece of information but Natasha knows her next question will be about Katya.
"So she's hurt?" She asks, lowering her knife after the meltdown.
Natasha can hear the unspoken, "because of me" in the way she cuts off at the end, but nods and Calliope curls in on herself, a frown on her face.
She sniffles. "They'll take care of her?"
Natasha reassures her that they will and Calliope seems content with that for the moment, exhaling a sigh of relief before asking about the dust.
Natasha gets up to rummage through a bag and retrieve it, showing her how it works. Calliope follows every movement with her eyes and tells her when she's ready, wrinkling her nose and swaying slightly with the newfound clarity. She brings her knees up to her chest and whimpers, Natasha nearly losing her composure at the sight. She reaches out for Natasha, clinging to her the second she gets close enough.
"Relax, little one. You're safe." She whispers into her hair.
Calliope clings to her and buries her face into her shoulder as Natasha carries her to the bed, Natasha's shirt stretching in her tight grip. The patch of her shirt quickly grows wet from Calliope's tears and Natasha rocks her from side to side when they get settled.
It was late when they returned and it's getting later now so all of them are tired, but Natasha brings up her being sick and how they'll go about it to prepare her for what's to come and she apologizes.
"I'm still useful. I promise."
Natasha runs a hand over her head. "I know you are. But you need a lot of rest to get better."
Calliope twists her head to look up at her. "Will I have to go back to school?"
Natasha shakes her head. "No. Do you...want to?"
Going to school was something she nor her girls had never brought up but if that's what she wanted, Natasha would find a way to make it work.
"No." She sighs. "They didn't like me there."
Natasha doesn't press on what she meant and she doesn't seem to want to share anything else so the subject is dropped. Until later, when Natasha needs to know what school they went to so she can figure out how to make it seem like her handlers pulled Katya and Calliope out of school.
Natasha realizes it's been hours since they last ate and Calliope's probably hungry. She is, too.
"Let's get something to eat." She says, knowing she'll deny being hungry if Natasha asks.
Natasha goes to move her so she can get up easier but Calliope clings to her, making noises of discontent when they shift.
Natasha sighs and hoists her up out of bed. "Alright then. Hold on."
She carries her to the kitchen, past Annika and Nicola, who are on the phone with their sisters.
Annika passes her the phone and she has to convince Calliope to let her put her down for a few minutes. Natasha pulls the phone away from her ear when they greet her, their hello's ringing through the speaker.
She greets them in return and they ask her when she'll be back. She sighs because she hadn't thought of that, not with the recent developments. In the midst of her panic and haste to get back downstairs she forgot to ask about recovery time. So she fills them in on the recent events and tells them she doesn't know. There's silence on the other end until she's met with a few disappointed "oh"s. She apologizes profusely and they brush her off, Holland telling her they hope she gets back soon. They exchange I love you's and goodnight's, and she passes the phone back to Annika, guilt radiating off of her in waves.
If the pair notice they don't say anything. Natasha tells them to go and eat something and prepares for the struggle that will be getting Calliope to eat something.
She's sitting on the kitchen island, swinging her legs and toying with the knife she had earlier.
Natasha goes to ask her what she wants but settles for giving her options instead, considering how a few of her girls acted having a bunch of choices. Nicola and Annika chime in with how things taste and what they like, asking what she likes.
"I don't know." She admits. She carefully examines the food and Natasha sees her expression change the moment she gets an idea.
She thinks for a moment before uncertainly suggesting, "pancakes?"
Natasha smiles. "Pancakes it is."
Calliope tilts her head. "But it's dinnertime."
Annika shrugs. "If it's what you want then we'll have it."
Natasha would make pancakes if it wasn't so late, but none of them have got the energy so they sit on the couch and order them.
Calliope sits between Nicola and Natasha, peering over at Natasha's phone to see what she's doing.
"Anything else?" She asks before ordering.
Nicola and Annika shake their heads but Calliope looks deep in thought. They wait for her answer and she says she wants apple juice after a while of contemplation.
So they get pancakes and apple juice and Calliope asks Natasha to try hers before she eats it, wary of her food being poisoned.
Natasha waits for updates on Katya, finally deciding to just go back up there herself after pacing the floor with Calliope in her arms.
"Ma, she's an hour into surgery." Nicola says.
Natasha nods. "Right, and one of the doctors said it'd be anywhere from 30-90 minutes so I should go now, huh?"
Annika sighs. "I mean...sure. Do you want us to wait with you?"
Natasha shakes her head after a moment. "No, we'll be good. Get some sleep, okay?"
"Only if you promise to do the same." Nicola challenges, her eyebrows raised.
"I'll try...?" Natasha says with an apologetic smile.
Annika and Nicola share a look before nodding. "Alright then. Try and get some rest, both of you." Annika says, getting up to press a kiss to Calliope's head and a half hug for Natasha, before Nicola does the same.
They exchange 'I love you"s and head to their respective locations, Annika and Nicola to their room and Natasha and Calliope up to med bay.
Calliope droops against her, her arms looped around Natasha's neck. The elevator stops at Tony's lab and he gets in, looking as tired as ever.
"Hey, Nat." He greets, yawning. "Update me. What's goin' on?"
As much as she wants to drag him into bed and make him sleep for a day, she tells him about Katya's injuries.
He nods, taking in the information. "Damn. She'll be good, though, yeah?"
"In pain, yeah, but good. Safe." She responds.
"Good." She thinks she hears him sigh in relief. "It's just...kids, y'know? They're still kids."
She gets it. They deserve a lot better than what they've been given and Natasha plans on giving them better.
The conversations she has with Tony are either decently lighthearted, alarmingly dark or somewhere in between, which confuses everybody else. Barely any words have to be exchanged for them to get what the other is trying to convey.
"I know." She sighs. After a few moments of silence she's at the med bay floor.
Before she gets off, Tony says, "Well, I'm glad your kids are...good."
Natasha smiles. "Thanks, Tony. Go to sleep, kay?"
He chuckles. "I'll try."
They're separated by the doors of the elevator as it closes and Natasha tries to make herself and Calliope comfortable in an uncomfortable plastic chair just outside the room they had Katya in. It's another thirty minutes before Doctor Carson comes out, surprised to see them there.
Natasha remembers the earlier conversation with her girls and the question she forgot to ask. "How long will her chest tube need to stay in?"
"It should take a few days, a week at most." She informs her.
Shit. A week for Katya's chest tube and a much longer recovery time for her wrist, even after the cast is off and a removable splint is put in place. Natasha knew her wrist could heal at home with occasional check-ups at the tower but she wouldn't risk an infection having her home with the chest tube in and not having the materials to fix it. So they'd have to stay at the tower. She makes a mental note to ask Annika and Nicola to pick up their sisters tomorrow.
Natasha pulls herself out of her thoughts when the doctor mentions antibiotics for Calliope's pneumonia.
A quick check up leads her to believe Calliope has bacterial pneumonia. She elaborates further by telling Natasha about the chest x-ray Calliope will need to diagnose it so they can prescribe the right medication for it. Pretty much just a repeat of what Nicola told her but she listens anyway for anything new Nicola hadn't mentioned previously.
Natasha can feel Calliope stiffen in her hold so she asks if they can put it off until tomorrow.
Natasha groans internally when she sighs and shakes her head apologetically.
It takes thirty minutes to get Calliope calmed down and she wants Katya to be nearby, so Natasha helps her out of bed and supports most of her weight as they watch her. The x-ray itself only takes five minutes but Calliope needs comfort afterward all the same. Natasha balances her on her hip so she can hold Katya close.
The chest x-ray confirms her illness and Doctor Carson tells her what they need to do.
"Take these three times a day, six hours apart, for anywhere from five to ten days depending on how fast she recovers. Katya, you'll be in pain tomorrow and you'll have to take medication for that. Ice and rest is best for your rib, no strenuous activities. Not only that, but the tube will cause some discomfort. You'll take medication for the pain for the first three days on a schedule. After the first three days, you'll take it only when you need it." She advises.
Katya huffs in annoyance.
"You can't just tough this one out, alright? You'll need it." Natasha tells her, flicking her nose playfully.
Katya rolls her eyes but nods. "Fine. I'll take them when I'm supposed to...and when I need it."
Doctor Carson smiles at the interaction. "Good. Call if you have any concerns or new developments before then, especially for that burn. I'll clean and dress it again tomorrow, and you'll take care of it yourself after that. I'll be back tomorrow." She says, handing Natasha all the medication they'll need and a slip of paper with her office number.
Natasha thanks her for all her help and they retreat into Katya's room. It's a tight fit for the three of them but they make it work, careful not to cause any discomfort for Katya.
Natasha tries to sleep, like she told her oldest she would, to no avail. The adrenaline from the extraction hasn't seemed to waver even after the two are asleep, and she doubts it will.
So she stops trying to fall asleep and instead focuses on Katya and Calliope, looking for signs of distress on their features. Even after she's sure they're alright, it's late, well, early enough that Natasha doesn't see the point in going to bed now.
She's staring at the ceiling when Katya stirs, mumbling, "Go to sleep, Mom."
Natasha's startled for a moment but turns to kiss the top of Katya's head. "Alright, sweet girl."
Taking one last look at the sleeping girls to convince herself they're truly safe, no longer suffering for the time being, she reluctantly slackens onto the surprisingly soft pillow and falls asleep to the feeling of Katya and Calliope pressed against her.