Time is the Only Constant

Maria placed two frozen waffles into the toaster and picked up her daughter, placing her on the kitchen countertop. The little girl stayed still, her head angled slightly to the door of the main bedroom.

“Hey,” the Commander tapped Ellie’s thigh, “no eavesdropping.”

She could hear the somewhat muffled conversation of Natasha talking quickly in Russian. 

“Do not know Eve or where she is dropping,” the child looked at Maria, her head tilted slightly to the side as she squinted. 

“It’s a saying,” the brunette shook her head, “it means don’t listen to conversations that aren’t for you.”

“How do know they are not for me then?” 

“Well if they aren’t talking to you then the conversation probably isn’t for you.”

“Can miss important information,” Ellie countered, “like we are having waffles, it is good  Soldat  listening because now he knows and can have some.”

The man in the living room became even more rigid, if that was possible, to the point where it looked painful. Maria wondered how the girl knew so much about the man, somewhere in the back of her mind she knew.  

“Right  Soldat ?” the girl called into the living room.

He inclined his head, still sitting painfully straight. Against her better judgment, the brunette pulled two more frozen waffles out of the freezer, realizing they would be running out soon. 

“Would you like a waffle… Barnes?” she couldn't bring herself to call the man by his first name and wasn’t sure if the name  Soldat  was reserved only for those who knew him as a soldier for Hydra. 

He stayed still, his eyes still cast on the blank TV screen in front of him. Ellie hopped down from the counter and spoke to him quickly in Russian as her breakfast was placed on a plate with peanut butter. Maria resisted the urge to reach for the weapon on her person, watching as the girl stood in front of the man. 

He stood to his full height, towering over the little girl that he followed to the table where he sat down in the same spot of the table as he had the night before. Ellie took her own seat and waited for Maria to bring her breakfast. 

“Meds first,” she spoke softly as she placed the medicinal liquid in front of the child.

Ellie made a face before downing the small container followed quickly by a bite of the peanut butter waffle. Barnes watched the entire encounter, glancing away only after Maria looked in his direction. The child tore into her food as she did most mornings, stopping briefly to tell the man next to her that he should add more peanut butter to his breakfast as the waffles slid in front of him.

“Hey,” Steve’s voice was slightly hoarse as he limped into the room, looking both better and worse than he had the night before. 

“Waffle?” Maria asked from where she stood in the kitchen.

“Um,” he blinked through black eyes, glancing at the occupants of the kitchen table, “Sure, thank you.”

She placed two more waffles in the toaster and leaned against the countertop as Steve approached the other two occupants. 

“Your hair…” the blonde smiled.

“He does not like in his eyes,” Ellie spoke up defensively, using a tone Maria was not familiar with.

“It looks fantastic,” Rogers continued, “thank you for helping him.”

The girl inclined her head and relaxed the vice grip she had on her fork, “You’re welcome America man.”

“Ellie, we talked about this,” Maria shook her head and handed the blonde two waffles, “you can call him Steve.”

The child squinted and tilted her head, “does not look like Steve, looks like America Man.”

“Fair point,” America Man reached up and touched one of the gashes on his forehead. 

“Here,” Maria handed the man an ice pack as there was a knock on the door, everyone immediately fell silent. 

The tension in the room was palpable as the Commander walked towards the front door. She had one hand on the weapon still in the waistband of her sweatpants as she looked through the peephole. 

“Come on, I really gotta pee!” Clint’s voice was clear through the door. 

Maria opened the door just enough to reveal two grime-covered agents. 

“Thank God,” the archer was through the door and headed towards the bathroom before Maria could ask any questions.

“Sorry, we’ve been on clean up since 4am,” Bobbi slipped through the front door, trying not to get any of the dust that covered her on Maria’s personal belongings. “We were a couple blocks away but they turned off all the water and gas lines.”

“No problem, come on in,” the brunette locked the front door and walked into the apartment that was now nearing full occupancy. 

“Oh shit,” Morse looked at the dining room table.

Ellie snickered. 

“Oh shit- or no I mean-” the blonde faltered.

“It’s fine, she’s heard worse,” Maria waved her hand, recalling the times the child had sat with her through meetings, “don’t mind the dust, we’re going to have to clean anyway.”

“Sorry,” both Steve and Bobbi spoke in unison as the latter took a seat at the kitchen counter, keeping her eyes on the Winter Soldier the entire time.

“How’s clean up?” Maria had only picked up bits and pieces on the servers that were still active. 

“Grim,” Bobbi stared at the man responsible for at least some of the deaths she had come across.    

“He was brainwashed for nearly 70 years,” Rogers was immediately defensive. 

“I’ll tell that to the bodies,” the blonde shot back.

“Hey,” the Commander raised her voice slightly, leveling the two agents with a look before glancing at Ellie. 

“Sorry,” they once again spoke in unison. 

It was a tense silence as Maria sighed, and offered the same items she had all morning, “Want a waffle?” 

“I do!” Clint called out from where he exited the bathroom, “It’s been a long morning, I mean with all the dust and debris we haven’t- Oh shit-”

Ellie once again snickered from her seat next to Barnes. 

“Oh, you want to laugh rugrat? I’ll give you something to laugh at,” Clint joked as he approached the child.

He began to reach for her but stopped as the soldier threw his metal arm against the girl’s chest. 

“Hey!” Maria stepped forward, Barnes glanced between all parties.

Ellie spoke quickly to the man in Russian, Bobbi’s eyebrows raising in surprise as the man slowly lowered his arm, allowing Clint access once again. The archer, without missing a beat, resumed his duty of making the girl laugh by picking her up and tossing her in the air. The rest of the adults all resumed looking at Barnes as he sat with his eyes fixed on the table in front of him.

“Hey, Ria,” Natasha called from her bedroom, “can I talk to you for a second.”

“Hi Tasha,” Clint called over the giggles of the little girl. 

“Hey,” the redhead responded quickly, clearly having something heavy weighing on her mind. 

“Watch her?” Maria asked the blonde as she walked towards the bedroom.

The archer gave a fake salute and threw the child back in the air as Maria walked into the room.

“I got subpoenaed,” Natasha closed the.

“What?” Maria knitted her eyebrows together, “by who?”

“The US government by way of Ross,” the redhead flipped her phone screen around to show the official summons. 

“When?” she squinted at the screen. 

“Friday.”

“Before or after Fury’s funeral?” 

“Before.”

“Of course,” she sighed, “you know they’re going to try and keep you there the whole day.” 

“I won't miss it,” Natasha looked up into Maria’s eyes.

He wasn’t really dead, they both knew that, but they also knew that there was the death of something greater that they would be mourning as the casket entered the ground. Neither woman had a job anymore, neither knew when they would see Fury next, the sadness they would display during the ceremony would be honest. 

“And after the service?” she tried to keep her voice from sounding too hopeful.

“Depending on how the hearing goes, I’m guessing I’ll have to stay away from DC for a while. I’m going to go check on Lena for a while, she's…” the spy hesitated, “less than thrilled about the data dump.”    

“I get it,” Maria cast her gaze away from the woman in front of her. 

“And you?” Natasha’s voice bordered on worry.

“Well,” she laughed with no humor behind it, “I don't have a job, I don’t have the Center for Ellie anymore, I guess for the first time in a long time I’m…”

“Free?”

“Scared.” 

The two stared at each other for a moment before Natasha pulled the brunette into a tight embrace. 

“It’ll be okay, Masha,” the Russian promised in her ear. 

“I know,” she pulled away, “it’s just the last time I was in this position I was 18. I didn’t have the Government breathing down my neck for answers, I didn’t have a former Hydra killer seeking sanctuary in my home, I didn’t have a kid.”

She felt her mind begin to spiral as she took the reality of the situation in until a hand was placed at her sternum. 

“It’s going to be okay, we’re going to figure it all out.” Natasha’s voice was calm and level.   

The two stayed like that for a moment longer, Maria closed her eyes and felt the warmth of Natasha’s hand on her chest as it melted away the fears that sat right behind it. 

“I was worried about you,” she opened her eyes once again, recalling the fear she harbored most of the day before. 

“Me? I had the easiest job out of everyone yesterday,” the Russian shook her head.

Maria reached out and traced over the bandage that still sat over the woman's gunshot wound. 

“That doesn’t count,” the redhead brushed her hand away. 

“It does,” she insisted, “it does, and I was worried and I just think that you have to remember you have people in your corner that worry about you.”

“I know I do, I’ve had them in my corner for a while now.”

“Yeah well… some of them may care a little more than others and get stressed out more when you get shot,” Maria shrugged and glanced at the floor.

“Oh yeah, like who?” Natasha probed. 

“I heard Ruiz was stressed, and Laura was far from happy when she found out,” Maria deflected before sighing, “and I was… worried about you.”

“Barely more than a scratch,” the redhead laughed before cupping Maria’s face, “but I appreciate that you care.”

“Of course I do,” she leaned into the touch, “and I’d say that’s more than just a scratch.”

“In Russia-” the spy started.

“Yeah yeah, you had to eat ice and fight bears,” the brunette waved her hand dismissively, “doesn’t mean you can’t still have someone who worries about you.”

Natasha smiled slightly and rolled her eyes. 

“Speaking of Russians, any idea why it looks like Ellie knows Barnes?” Maria raised an eyebrow. 

“I…” the redhead shrugged noncommittally, “you remember how I knew the rifling on that slug when Fury was being operated on?”

Maria nodded.

“It was a little more than an op gone wrong. The Room was looking for intel that we had gotten word of through our work with Hydra,” the spy recalled, “well when we showed up, he was there too. He started working with us, he recognized the widow I was with from an old mission and assumed we were getting the band back together.”

The Commander listened, knowing that none of this information would have helped them if Natasha had disclosed it earlier. The woman liked to keep bad memories close to her chest. 

“Well, when he found out that we were not working together and just using his information…”

“Bye-bye bikini season,” Maria echoed, ghosting her fingers over the woman’s hip.

“Exactly, but I don’t think he remembers that. It was the one and only time I worked with him,” Natasha shrugged, “or at least he didn’t bring it up yesterday.”

“So you’re saying she probably knows him pretty well?”

“I’m saying she could know him pretty well, I can ask Yelena about it when she’s no longer nuclear,” the Russian sighed.

“That mad huh?” Maria winced.

“Yeah, that mad. She felt like dumping all of the information was a personal decision that got taken away from her which, widows tend to dislike.”

“Ah, I see,” she nodded, “want me to talk to her?”

The words came out before she could explain them, something that was obvious by the redhead's eyebrows shooting up.

“I mean- I know the head of cyber, he owes me a favor and maybe we could get some of the big stuff out of the leak?” Maria tried to cover.

“Be my guest, but if you have an angry widow on your hands I’m not the one to blame,” Natasha chuckled.

“Okay,” she nodded in agreement, “let’s get back out there before we have two angry widows.”

Maria opened the door and immediately felt 4 sets of eyes on her. Barnes was once again sitting on the floor with his back resting against the couch, Ellie sat next to him speaking quickly to Bobbi in a language Maria couldn’t quite place. The Commander could see what Ellie couldn’t (or at least pretended to ignore), she was within arms reach of every other adult in the room. 

Clint sat on the armrest next to her as he talked to Steve who was perched on the coffee table. Both men gave small nods as Maria approached. 

“I am a poly… glot?” Ellie asked Bobbi as she opened her hand. 

“You're a mockingbird is what you are,” the blonde smiled and placed another sticker on the girl's finger. 

The child hummed and placed the new sticker on the surface in front of her. It was then that Maria realized what her daughter was doing. Barnes sat still as his metal arm slowly filled with space-related stickers. 

“Hey, hey,” Maria shook her head, “did you ask before you started doing this? You know stickers are hard to get off of… things.”

“Yes,  Soldat  doesn’t care.” Ellie pushed some of her curls out of her face and resumed placing the sticker. 

Maria looked around the room, no one seemed to be in protest of what the girl said. She looked at the man and sighed before heading to the kitchen and making coffee. Something told her it was going to be a long day. 

In true Maria Hill fashion, she had been right. In fact, it hadn’t just been a long day but a long day that bled into a long night that started all over again the next day. By dinner time on the second night, they were all exhausted but a majority of the problems had been resolved. 

Natasha had a legal team to represent her and focused talking points based on the questions that would most likely be asked. She would try and attend the funeral and leave to go see her sister directly after. Steve’s face and body had mostly healed. He and Barnes had created a game plan to get off the radar in Romania for a while, the latter had only said a few words during the last few days but was insistent on getting to an old apartment to prevent any further troubles he had caused. It was the second reason Maria had decided not to hate the man. The first being how he interacted with Ellie. 

The little girl toted the man around like a teddy bear, wherever she went she would extend her hand and drag him along. In fact, it was the scene that Maria was watching as she paced nervously in her kitchen. 

“You have to do it, Ria,” Steve placed a firm hand on her shoulder. 

“I agree,” she scrubbed her face. 

“She’s just going to keep asking,” Natasha spoke up from her spot on the counter next to her. 

“I agree,” she repeated. 

Ellie continued to talk to the man next to her even as Maria approached. The girl looked up with her big green eyes, pizza sauce still lingering in the corners of her mouth.

“Hey, Bear we gotta go talk for a second,” she reached out her hand, watching as the girl squinted before taking it. 

<what> the child signed.

“Come on,” she opened up her bedroom door and closed it behind her once they were both inside. 

They sat on the end of the bed, tension beginning to fill the room from both parties. 

“I have to tell you about something sad,” Maria braced herself as she looked at the child next to her, “you know how you have been asking me about Fuzzy?”

The girl had been insistent on calling him the day before, wondering where the man was and when she would see him again now that “mommy’s work is gone”. 

<yes> Ellie nodded. 

“And you remember when you had to stay at the farm with LoLo when I had to fight the baddies here?” 

“Yes,” the girl whispered. 

“Well,” she swallowed, “during one of the fights, Fuzzy got really hurt.” 

Ellie’s eyes were wide as she took in the information. 

“And he is gone now,” Maria hated the lie that came out of her mouth. 

“Gone?” Ellie squinted and tilted her head before fingerspelling <P-H-I-L>

“That’s right, gone like Phil.”

The girl got up and shook her head before opening the bedroom door and running until her little legs stumbled into Steve who reached down to help her back up. Ellie closed her eyes tightly as Steve’s hand got closer. The portal below her opened before Maria could say anything, a second one opening above the girl as she cried. 

It was a flash of black and blue as the child’s body fell from one to another, gaining momentum as she continued to fall. Natasha and Barnes watched in horror as Ellie’s screams died out, the force becoming too great on her body. 

“Move,” Maria yelled to Steve as she braced her own body for the collision that was about to happen. 

She moved quickly, trying to doge limbs as they came towards her until she had successfully wrapped her arms around the girl and pushed her out of the continuous loop. Ellie’s head was cradled close to her chest as she soothed the child who breathed slowly and started to regain consciousness. 

“No,” Ellie croaked out, tears falling instantaneously, “Fuzzy.”

“I know, Little Bear,” Maria kissed the top of the girl's head as she began to sob. 

“Here,” Natasha was suddenly at her side, handing her a tissue. 

The Commander wiped the tears away from her daughter’s face, trying her best to comfort the child she held in her arms. Natasha handed her another tissue, Maria looked in confusion before realizing she had her own tears falling. The redhead rubbed her back softly as the two let their tears fall.

They had decided that even with her Red Room training, it would be for the best to tell the child that the man was gone. Fury was the one who put up the most protest, not wanting to cause the girl he viewed as his family any pain. Maria had explained that if they were to really sell the funeral, Ellie would need to be there, and to be there she needed to know why. No one wanted to risk the 6-year-old slipping up and jeopardizing the entire cover. 

“Her training, she can do this, she can act like a sad kid, “ Fury argued. 

“I’m not making my kid lie for anyone,” she argued back, “she will never associate me with things they made her do in the Room.”

There was a long pause before the man spoke again. 

“She is the first person I see when I’m back,” he had demanded. 

“I know,” Maria obliged.

And so she found herself crying on the kitchen floor with her daughter over a man who wasn’t dead. It was a few minutes before the girl finally calmed and fell asleep cradled in her arms. 

“She okay?” Natasha had worry etched into her features. 

“Teleporting, especially like that, always takes a lot out of her,” Maria continued to soothe the sleeping child, “I’m going to go put her to bed.”

The Commander tucked Ellie into her bed and kissed her on the forehead, hoping the child would sleep soundly despite the highly emotional state she fell asleep in. She placed her head in her hands and took a breath to calm herself before facing the world once again.

“Ria, I’m so sorry I didn’t know she would-” Steve stood up first.

“It’s okay,” she held up her hand, “I should have warned you. I didn’t think it would have gone that poorly.”

“Is she okay?” Barnes asked, addressing Maria for the first time.

“She’s okay.”

They all sat in silence for a while longer before Steve once again spoke up.

“I think we’re going to head out tonight,” he cleared his throat, “with the funeral and the hearing tomorrow I’m worried about there being more cameras.”

“That’s smart,” Maria agreed.

“I wanted to thank you again for everything that you did for us, Ria.”

She nodded, it hadn’t been much, in fact, she had wished she could have done much more for the man she considered a good friend. Still, she nodded.

Maria packed the two men another dinner as the sun set, not sure when their next meal would be, and not wanting to risk moving while the sun was still high. Right before they went to exit the apartment, Maria stopped them.

“I can’t refuse her another goodbye,” she approached her room and gently pulled back the covers. 

“Ellie, time to say bye to Soldat,” she whispered in the girl's ear.

The child rubbed sleep out of her eyes before sitting up and climbing out of the bed. Barnes knelt down as Ellie approached him, the two spoke quietly to each other as the sun dipped below the horizon. 

“ Wait ,” the girl told the man before walking into her room and unzipping her backpack. 

As soon as she heard the noise, Maria knew what the girl was doing. Sure enough, a moment later the girl had a travel-sized flashlight that she held out to the man who still wore braids on either side of his head. Barnes took it and clicked it on once to test it before nodding to the child who spoke to him again in Russian. 

Maria watched as the child gave both men hugs as they exited the window they had come in through two days prior. They would be away for the foreseeable future, but not gone in the same way as her boss. Something that Ellie was also thinking about as she turned around and signed <Fuzzy>. 

“I know,” Maria picked her daughter up and held her close under the gaze of Natasha. 

She closed her eyes and breathed in the sweet smell of the girl's child-friendly curl shampoo. There were still a million things to do, to work on, to solve. But standing there with the two people who meant more to her than anyone else, Maria felt like she could breathe. Another minute passed before she felt Ellie start to doop in her arms once more. 

The child was back in her own bed, fast asleep by the time Maria closed her bedroom door. Natasha hadn’t moved from her spot on the couch, only looking up once the brunette sat down next to her. 

“Nervous?” They hadn’t talked about the hearing much after finding legal counsel. 

Natasha shook her head. 

Maria raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, maybe just a little,” the Russian held her fingers close together and squinted, “I’m more nervous that it’s going to take too long and I’m going to be late to the funeral.” 

“It’s okay if you do, ya know,”  it’s not like he’s really dead , she thought to herself. 

“I want to be there.”

Maria hummed and leaned back against the couch, as she closed her eyes and tried not to overthink things. Everything was about to change, she could feel the difference on the brink and wasn’t sure if she should be excited or terrified. The woman next to her sat still, too still.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Maria joked until she saw that the redhead's eyebrows did not relax, “hey.”

Natasha looked at her as she interlaced their fingers, “It’s going to be okay.”

“How do you know?” The Russian’s voice was small.

“Because you told me that it would be,” she recalled how the conversation had been reversed the day before, “and I trust you.”

They sat together in silence, taking in the moment that was different, that was changing just as everything else in Maria’s life had been. 

“Tell me why this hasn’t worked before?” Natasha asked quietly. 

“Because,” Maria shrugged, “work, and our own stuff, and-”

“Mommy,” Ellie called out from her room.

“And because I have a kid,” the Commander got up and crossed the room quickly.

She opened the door slightly and entered the room to find a sleepy Ellie, eyes barely able to stay open. 

“Yeah, sweet girl,” she sat down on the edge of the bed. 

“Scott?” the child asked.

“What about Scott?” she smoothed curls out of the girl's face.

“Where is Scott 2?” 

“I think back at the farm, right?” she furrowed her brows, hoping that there was not an insect crawling around in her apartment. 

“Can call and ask tomorrow?” Ellie’s eyes continued to droop. 

“Yeah, we can call Lolo tomorrow and you can talk to Coop,” she rubbed the girl's back until she was back asleep. 

The events of the day along with using so much energy would often leave Ellie in between a place of reality and dreaming. Something Maria had found out during a particularly bad nightmare the night after she had teleported. The child had been convinced she was back in the room and cried until Maria picked her up and carried her around, showing her that she was awake and in a different location. 

“Love you,” she kissed the girl's head and went back into the living room. 

She expected to find Natasha on the couch still, instead, she could hear a faint conversation as the woman sat on the fire escape talking on her phone and smoking. She could see through the window that between drags, the Russian was smiling and left her alone. 

It was where Natasha spent most of her time for the next few days, while Maria worked on the funeral plans (and kept Ellie occupied on things other than her Fuzzy) the redhead would sit outside talking on the phone. The Commander wasn’t positive about what, but she knew that it was important and that Natasha would share with her if she needed to. She gave her space. 

“I think it looks nice,” Maria held up the navy dress so the girl could see it. 

“Do not want, Mommy,” Ellie shook her head. 

“Okay, how about these?” She held up a black shirt and pants. 

<no> 

“We have 10 minutes, we don’t have time to argue,” Maria smoothed out her own black dress.

Ellie continued to stare at her, Natasha knocked on the door getting both of their attention. 

“Hey I’m about to head out,” she spoke through the door. 

“Come on in,” Maria called back, “fine, you pick.”

In an instant, the child got off her bed and raced toward the closet. Natasha walked through the door, with straight hair, a black leather jacket, and motorcycle keys in hand. 

“You look nice,” Maria smiled as her daughter re-emerged from the closet. 

“So do you,” Natasha commented, her cheeks tinted pink.

“No, Ellie you can’t wear that to the funeral,” she shook her head. 

The girl shoved the fabric back into Maria’s hands, “Yes.”

“No, I told you we don’t have time to argue, come on let’s pick something else out.”

“I think it’s fitting,” Natasha spoke up, much to the delight of the child. 

“For Fuzzy,” the girl insisted. 

She narrowed her eyes at the spy before sighing as both Russians gave her puppy dog eyes. 

“Fine,” Maria pinched the bridge of her nose and started helping the child change, “I hope everything goes well today.”

“I’m confident it will,” Natasha said so matter of factly, there was no room to disagree.

“We’ll say bye after the funeral?” she zipped up the girl's outfit and looked up at the Russian.

“I’ll try my best, flight leaves at 5.” The woman averted her gaze. 

“Okay, then good luck,” Maria stood up and hugged Natasha, “you’re going to be okay.”

“You too,” she agreed, “bye kid.”

“ Bye .” Ellie waved. 

And then it was Maria and Ellie alone once again for the first time in over a week. The two finished getting ready, Maria braided the girl's hair and they headed out to say goodbye to The Director along with most of the previous SHIELD Agents. 

It was a sight to be seen as they pulled into the cemetery for the graveside service. The number of people in attendance was well over 100 with faces that were both incredibly familiar to Maria and ones that she had never seen before. She put the car in park, unbuckled her daughter, and took her hand as they walked through the crowd. Every person stepped out of their way as they walked closer and closer to the site, Elile kept a vice grip on her mother's hand the whole time. 

Clint and Bobbi were sitting in the front row, two spots next to them saved for Maria and Ellie. Next to them sat someone that no one had expected to show up. 

“Hi, Mel,” Maria kept her voice low as she walked up to the woman who looked to be fighting off tears as she looked at Maria and Ellie. 

“Hey,” the woman smiled before opening her arms and wrapping Maria up tightly for just a moment. 

“Ellie!” a little voice called out.

The girl spun around and ran towards the voice until she and Liam were on the ground from hugging so tightly. 

“I have to-” Maria explained. 

“Go ahead, we’ll catch up later,” the woman nodded. 

“I like your outfit,” Liam pointed out as he brushed some of the grass off his black pants. 

“Thank you, I like that,” Ellie pointed to the boy’s tie. 

“Thanks,” the child began to ramble as his parents caught up. 

“Hey Hill,” Ruiz gave a sad smile, “I’m so sorry for your loss, he was such a great man.”

It would be the phrase that Maria would hear over and over again before the service. It was after the 10th or maybe 15th person that she realized they all saw her as the only real family Fury had. It made the day that much sadder. 

Finally, they took their seats, the first ones in the first row, and listened to people give speeches and recount memories of the fallen Director. Maria herself had gotten up at the end to talk about Fury and express her gratitude for everyone who had come. However, it wasn’t until Ellie got up to say goodbye to the man that everyone fell silent. 

In a sea of black, there was one person in color. An astronaut among the stars. 

The child ran her hand along the casket until she got to the top, flipping the visor of her costume helmet up as she spoke softly, “Bye Fuzzy. I love you.”

Maria picked the girl up and placed her on her hip as they walked away from the coffin, the sound of crying agents audible behind them. She was about to retake her seat when she saw a glint of red hair in one of the back rows. She knew exactly who it was, and although that was as close as they got during the service, it brought her comfort knowing that Natasha was there. 

The wake after was long, and by the end of it there was nothing more that Maria wanted to do than go home and decompress with her daughter. May had come and talked to them for a few minutes, asking Ellie about her interests and explaining what she could about the current mission she was on. Apparently, there was stability in it even after the fall of SHIELD. Clint, Bobbi, and Sam also talked for a while before heading back to help with the remainder of the cleanup. Natasha had signed from across the room that the hearing had gone fine (something Maria would have to verify later) and goodbye. 

The drive home was quiet as Maria played music and let the girl in the back seat pick whatever she wanted for dinner, she was too tired to cook anyway. The dinner was barely finished by the time the child in the astronaut suit was falling asleep, the weight of the day forcing her eyes closed. Maria helped her brush her teeth before tucking her in and calling it a day. 

She poured herself a glass of bourbon and sat down on the couch. She had just closed her eyes as the lock to the widow next to her flipped. 

“You’re supposed to be on a flight to Italy right now,” Maria sat up and handed her glass to the woman sliding through the window. 

“There are other flights,” the Russian took a sip and handed the glass back, “besides, we didn’t get to finish our conversation the other night. I feel like there was more you wanted to say.”

“Oh, was there?” Maria snorted and took another sip. 

“Yes, there had to be,” Natasha got closer, “because those were terrible answers to the question I asked.”

“Terrible huh?”

“List them again.”

“Um,” she wracked her brain to remember her answers, “I think I said we have our own stuff-”

“We’re always going to have our own stuff,” Natasha interrupted her, “that’s part of life, next.”

She had a fair point, “I have a kid-”

“So do I.”

It was different, but another solid rebuttal. 

“The work policy-”

“SHIELD is gone, you're not my boss. Technically you’re not anyone's boss.”

Maria thought about it for a moment; Natasha was right. There were no more by-laws, no more forms they would have to fill out, and no more worry about if this was an abuse of power. She had Ellie, but Natasha had Yelena. They would always have their own things, but the woman in front of her was the one she wanted to share them with.

Maria placed her hand on the woman’s cheek, leaned down, and kissed her. The Russian’s fingers threaded themselves through the back of Maria’s loose hair, pulling her impossibly closer. 

“You’re right,” Maria was the first to pull away, “and the truth is I like you, Tasha. I mean like… actually like you. Not just sex, not just for fun on the carrier.”

She took a breath and deceived it was now or never, “I like when you call me first thing in the morning, and when you send me videos that are just for me right before I go to sleep. I like how good you are with Ellie and how you get her more than even me sometimes. I like how you know what I need before I do sometimes, and how when you laugh your nose scrunches up, and how your hair gets wild after missions. I like when you tell me about Ohio and old ops and what you think of certain restaurants. I like- I- I just really and genuinely like you.”

She watched as Natasha smiled and shook her head, “took you long enough.”

And then they were kissing again, simultaneously light and passionate, rushed and calm, it was as if everything they were had come to life as the two captured each other's lips over and over. Natasha pulled away and rested her forehead against Maria’s.

“I told her I would be there by tomorrow,” she spoke softly, “but this isn’t me running.”

“I know,” Maria kissed her again, “go see your kid.”

She kissed the woman one more time and let her finish the glass of amber liquid before seeing her out. When she sat down on the couch this time, she no longer felt tired, in fact, she felt more energized than she had all day. Maria glanced at the time on her phone, hesitating slightly before finally clicking on the contact, the line rang a few times before a bright voice cut through. 

“Maria, so glad to hear from you! With everything that happened I was worried- well that doesn’t matter now does it?” Pepper stopped herself, “What do I owe the pleasure?”

“Remember that offer you gave me in Miami?” she asked the woman. 

The woman’s voice was light and airy as she laughed, “I was hoping you’d call.”