flee
Something shifted within Fury since he and Yelena had that conversation. Yelena can see it whenever she’s near him. He’s not quite so… hostile toward her anymore.
For the first time since she called Maria, they land on base for the helicarrier to get tuned up for a few days. Clint is absolutely delighted because is adamant that he wants to take Yelena out for ice cream.
“You just want an excuse to eat sweets on SHIELD’s dime,” Maria retorted and Clint grinned at her innocently.
The main base is a shift from the helicarrier. Nobody really knew who she was. While Yelena had gotten to know the agents on the helicarrier who because aware of ‘Maria’s kid’, these people see someone who shouldn’t be there and treat her like a lost child, talking down to her until Yelena has to show them that she has level three clearance that lets her get nearly anywhere on base.
The first night on base, Yelena didn’t bother sleeping in the bed set up for her in the room they were staying in, crawling right into Maria’s bed instead. Everything was new and unfamiliar and it unsettled Yelena. She had a horrible feeling that something bad was going to happen and it made her tummy feel yucky.
It’s two days into them staying on base when Maria has a meeting that she needs to attend, leaving Yelena with Clint. Yelena wasn’t to interrupt her unless it was an emergency. Yelena’s definition of emergency varied from Maria’s but she knows that she would be welcome in Maria’s lap at any time.
Clint took this opportunity to tell Maria that he was finally going to take Yelena out to get ice cream and show her a few of the sights.
Yelena watched Maria pull Clint aside to warn him that if he lost her or if she even got so much as a hair out of place that he was going to be shipped to Antarctica for a month.
Clint grins at her, bobbing his head up and down. “Ma’am, yes ma’am!”
Yelena doesn’t think she’s ever been in an ice cream parlor. She has a tight grip on Clint’s hand as she peers over the cases of ice cream. Her eyes scan the containers, trying to read the labels taped to the glass.
There are too many choices and her tightening grip on Clint’s hand alerts him to the situation. He crouches down and they start to break down the choices.
Does Yelena want a cup or a cone?
One scoop or two?
Does she want chocolaty or fruity?
Mix-ins?
Yelena finally settles on two scoops in a cup. One scoop was a bright blue color, flavored ‘blue-moon’. Another was a peanut butter cup flavor because it reminded Yelena of her big sister.
Clint gets a chocolate and raspberry cone. He pays for their treats and they take a seat in the corner booth where Yelena can watch the people who enter and exit.
“What do you think?” Clint questioned halfway through his cone. “You like it?”
Yelena nods, sticking another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She liked it a lot.
“There’s a Lego store near here,” He comments and upon Yelena’s confused glance, he elaborates. “A toy shop.”
“So?” Yelena questioned, licking the last of the ice cream off her spoon.
“So? Let’s go!” Clint gives her a boyish grin, his enthusiasm contagious as Yelena finds herself mirroring his smile.
Yelena finishes first and waits for Clint to finish his. Once they’re done, Yelena retakes his hand as they walk.
Clint is excitedly pointing out different sets in the Lego shop when Yelena notices the same woman near the back of the line in the shop was now in the Lego store as well.
It could be a coincidence. Still, that same yucky feeling came back and Yelena focuses on that woman rather than Clint’s rambling.
It’s not until the woman turns her head and their eyes meet that Yelena realizes why she felt so unsettled.
“Clint,” Yelena tugs on Clint’s hand. Clint glances down at her with a questioning hum. “I wanna go home.”
Clint paused, frowning. “Everything okay?”
“I want to go home.” Yelena insists again. “Now.”
“Okay.” Clint puts the set he was looking at back on the shelf. He doesn’t ask any more questions but holds his hand out to Yelena.
Yelena wants a vantage point on the woman. “Carry me?” She asked shyly. She didn’t like anybody else other than Maria to carry her, too many things could go wrong, but she would make an exception for right now.
Clint definitely notices her odd behavior but says nothing as he hoists her up into his arms. Yelena wraps an arm around his neck, her eyes scanning the crowd until they fall onto the woman again.
Yelena keeps her eyes on the woman the whole time, peering over Clint’s shoulder as Clint carries her out of the store toward the parking lot.
Yelena’s eyes meet the woman’s once again. Yelena narrows her eyes, daring the woman to try something. She can see the black flash of a gun tucked under the woman’s dress. Yelena could see her hand hover over the fabric where the gun was. Yelena curls her fingers into Clint’s shirt anxiously, her eyes scanning the crowd to look for more of the women.
Yelena keeps her face pressed to the glass the whole ride back, casing the road for suspicious cars following them. As soon as they’re parked, Yelena slips out of the car and takes off toward Maria’s office.
“Woah, hey!” Clint darts after her. “Yelena, you can’t interrupt her!”
Yelena lets out a yell when Clint scoops her up over his shoulder. “Put me down!” Yelena twists. She uses her small stature to her advantage along with the fact that Clint forgot she was the best child assassin there was. She easily slips out of his grip, putting him down on the ground on his back.
“Yelena, stop!” Clint wheezed, the air knocked out of his lungs. Yelena ignores him, darting down the hallway toward where she knew Maria was.
Yelena grabs the doorknob, barely hesitating before pushing the door open.
Heads turn to look at her. Yelena can see Fury open his mouth to scold her but Yelena’s feet don’t stop until she’s right in front of Maria.
“Mama, they’re found me! They’re going to group up to come and take me away! I don’t wanna go--” Yelena babbles out quickly. Maria’s face is twisted in confusion and she reaches out to grip Yelena’s shoulders.
“Yelena, sweetheart, breathe. Look at me,” Maria says and Yelena pauses long enough to gulp down a few lungfuls of air. “I need you to tell me what’s wrong in English.”
Yelena hadn’t even realized she switched languages. She tries to explain but she suddenly forgets the words in English. She knows that her face must show how distressed she is because Maria scoops her up.
Clint appears in the doorway, out of breath and holding his ribs where he landed harshly. “Sorry--” He moves toward them. “She got really upset all of a sudden and demanded to come back home.”
“Did something happen? Did she get hurt? Did something trigger her?” Maria was moving toward the door, stopped by Fury’s voice.
“Hill, stop. Sit your ass back down,” Fury orders, his eye scanning the room. “The rest of you are dismissed.”
There are glances of confusion going around the room.
“Do you understand motherfucking English?” Fury slams his fist down on the table. “Dismissed!”
Agents scatter from the room quickly until the only ones left were Maria and Clint.
Maria retakes her seat at the table, sitting Yelena down in her lap facing her. “Look at me. I need you to calm down so you could tell me what’s wrong.”
Yelena reaches out to grip onto Maria’s forearms. “Mama.” She manages to get out. “I don’t wanna go.”
“Go where?” Maria coaxed, her hands cupping Yelena’s face to wipe away frustrated tears.
“Back. I don’t wanna go back.” Yelena manages to spit out, gripping onto Maria tightly.
Maria’s face shifts. “Why would you go back? Did you see something?”
Yelena nods. “Widow.” She finally forms the word, bitter on her tongue and leaving her feeling nauseous.
A seriousness settles onto Maria’s face. “Where?” She demands, glancing up at Clint. “You saw a Widow?”
“A Widow?” Clint repeats in confusion, glancing down at Yelena. “You saw a Widow?”
“You didn’t tell Clint?” Maria stares down at Yelena incredulously. Yelena shrinks in on herself at the stare.
“For fucks sake,” Fury huffs, a reminder that he was in the room. “Yelena. Where did you see a Widow?”
“Lego.” Yelena breathes out, focusing on Fury. “Followed.” She’s struggling to form the words in English. “Gun.”
Fury stares at her, his head tilted down as his one good eye meets hers. “They will not be taking you back.” He tells her seriously. “We won’t let them.”
Yelena sucks in a breath of air at the weight of his words. “Promise.” She demands, her voice warbling with fear.
His eye narrows slightly and for a moment Yelena worries that she’s pushed too far. But then he lets out a solemn nod. “Promise.” He replies.
Yelena twists to burrow into Maria’s arms. Maria and Fury ask a few more questions about the Widow until Fury dismisses Maria with a wave of his hand.
“Sir--” Maria starts but Fury shakes his head.
“Go be with your scared kid, Hill,” Fury tells her sternly. “That’s an order.”
Maria seems torn between her duty as a Deputy Director and protecting her kid or her duty as Yelena’s mama and comforting her frightened child.
The latter wins. Maria stands with Yelena in her arms and moves toward the door. Yelena buries her face into the crook of Maria’s neck. Maria carries her back to their room and tries to set her down on the bed.
“Don’t leave me!” Yelena immediately yelps, clinging to Maria tightly. “Don’t go! Please don’t go!”
“I’m just going to take my shoes off,” Maria tells Yelena calmly, kissing her forehead. “I’m right here.”
Yelena lets Maria go long enough for the woman to pull her shoes off before Yelena launches herself at Maria again. Maria catches her, pulling her close.
Yelena’s still getting used to getting attention she wants from Maria. She wraps her arms around Maria’s neck, burying her face into Maria’s collar. Maria bounces Yelena in her arms, rubbing soothing circles in her back as she hums.
Yelena doesn’t want to leave Maria. She doesn’t want to go back to the Red Room, she wants to stay here with Maria. Seeing that Widow reminded her that the Red Room was still out there and still wanted her back.
She doesn’t know how long Maria paces the room but the motion is soothing. Being surrounded by her mama’s scent helps Yelena calm down to the point that she starts to doze under the soft ministrations.
She can hear Maria talk on her earpiece a little while later, her voice low but fierce.
“I don’t care. Flush them all out. Get rid of them,” Maria orders in a hushed growl. “Put Barton on this one. He'll get the job done.”
Yelena can’t hear the reply but feels Maria press a kiss against her hair.
“I’m not letting them take my daughter from me.” Maria hissed out passionately, the bouncing motion halting for a moment. Yelena dares to peel her face out of the crook of Maria’s neck and look up at her in sleepy confusion.
Maria’s face softens when she sees Yelena, the bouncing motion resuming as Maria reached a hand up to gently guide Yelena’s head back to her shoulder.
Yelena feels safe and protected.