Chapter Seventeen
"Lainey, talk to me."
"Don't wanna."
"Sweetheart, I know this is hard for you to understand." Natasha had finally had enough of Lainey avoiding her and decided to corner her at bedtime that night. Lainey never said no to quality time with her mother, no matter how upset she was, so this was the perfect opportunity. "It's hard for me to understand, too. But try to talk to me. Tell me how you feel."
Lainey wanted nothing more than to tell her mother all about how she had powers now. She wanted to tell her how much Wanda had helped her and how much better she's gotten at controlling them. She wanted Natasha to know everything. She wanted to be the one to tell her everything.
But she couldn't.
For the very first time, she felt like she couldn't come to her. And it hurt. She didn't know if she could trust her.
If Natasha found out about her powers, where would that leave them? What if she didn't want her anymore? Would she hand her over to the government? And even if she did change her mind about the Accords, what would happen to her? It's not like the government was fond of the woman. What if they locked her up, too?
This had to stay between her and Wanda. The less anyone else knew, the better.
"Please?" Natasha rubbed her back.
Lainey sniffled and turned around to face her mother, getting a glimpse of the woman's concerned features and desperation. "Mama? Stay?"
"I would love to stay with you, but I have to start packing. I leave for Vienna first thing tomorrow morning."
"Nooo." Lainey whined, latching onto the redhead's hand. "Mama, stay here."
"I have to go for work, Honey."
"Then I wanna come, too."
"You have school, sweet girl."
"I wanna come with you."
Natasha knew she should probably stand firm in her decision to have Lainey go to school the next day, but something inside of her was screaming at her to take the child with her.
It was so strong, she couldn't ignore it.
"Alright." She relented. "You may come with me. Get your bag and start packing."
Lainey smiled and crawled out of bed, pulling her suitcase out from under it before she rushed over to her closet, pulling out her favorite outfits.
"Don't forget Yana." Natasha smiled softly, motioning to the stuffed monkey in her bed. "I think he'll want to come along with you to keep you company."
"Why are we in London, Mama?" Lainey asked, walking hand-in-hand with her mother through the city streets.
It was a little chilly, so Natasha made her wear a jacket and some boots to combat the slippery sidewalks as a result of the rain.
Lainey loved the rain. She wished it was raining now. The cold water felt so good on her skin and the soft patter of the droplets hitting the ground was soothing.
"To see Steve."
"Why?"
"He just lost a friend. I think he could use one of your extra special, big hugs when we see him."
"I can do that." Lainey hopped over a big puddle and grinned at her reflection in another one. "Is it always so rainy here?"
"Not always." Natasha smiled. "Don't let George get wet, okay?"
"Okay." That was actually a good point. If George got wet, he'd get smelly and then Lainey wouldn't want him in her bed. It was better if he stayed dry. "Is that the church?" She asked, pointing to the Cathedral across the street from where they were.
They were several people standing outside, dressed in dark clothing. So Lainey naturally assumed that that was where they were headed.
"You're full of questions today, aren't you?" Natasha smiled and lifted Lainey up onto her hip. "Yes, this is the church."
"Yay! We're gonna see Uncle Steve!" She cheered, catching the attention of a couple of people walking by.
They didn't seem like they appreciated the outburst, because the looks on their faces were less than pleasing. They probably didn't spend much time around children because of how loud they could be.
"Ssh." Natasha laughed softly. "He'll hear you from all the way inside."
Natasha didn't care. She knew what she was getting herself into when she adopted Lainey and she wasn't going to try to change her. Children were supposed to be rambunctious. Any adult who had a problem with the way Lainey behaved could take it up with her.
"You're silly, Mama." Lainey rested her head on the woman's shoulder as they made their way inside.
The church was completely empty, save for Steve who was near the altar. He looked like he was spaced out, but Lainey knew that he could sense them walking down they aisle.
"When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone." He said, not turning around. "Then I found out she was alive. I was lucky to have her."
'She' being, Peggy Carter. Lainey remembered when she and Steve went to the museum in D.C. She learned all about Peggy there. She thought the woman was so cool to create S.H.I.E.L.D. the way she had. And she was sad for Steve. It was never easy to lose a friend.
"She had you back, too." Natasha offered him words of comfort.
"Who else signed?" He turned to look at the two.
"Tony, Rhodey, Vision."
"Clint?"
"Says he's retired."
"Wanda?"
"TBD." Natasha smiled. "I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There's plenty of room on the jet. As long as you don't mind this one bouncing off the walls." She tickled Lainey's side.
"No tickles, Mama!" Lainey squealed making both adults temporarily forget what was troubling them.
"Just because it's the path of least resistance, doesn't mean it's the wrong path." She handed her daughter over to the man. "Staying together is more important than how we stay together."
"What are we giving up to do it?" Steve questioned. "I'm sorry, Nat. I can't sign it."
"I know."
"Then what're you doing here?"
"I didn't want you to be alone." Natasha drew him into her embrace. "Come here."
Lainey enjoyed being in their arms. She knew it wouldn't last very long because they needed to go their separate ways, but for now, it was good enough for her.
"I can't breathe." Okay, maybe they could loosen up just a little bit.
"Hold my hand, okay?"
"Okay." Lainey didn't think twice before attaching herself to her mother's hip, looking around at all the people in the room.
The UN was big. Really big. And it made her feel that much smaller.
Everybody was running around with an important job to do. And she was just…there. She felt lost in the sea of adults.
"Excuse me, Ms. Romanoff?" An employee approached her mother with a few blank forms.
"Yes?"
"These need your signature." They spoke politely, waiting for Natasha to sign. "Thank you."
"I suppose neither of us is used to the spotlight." A tall, dark man smiled politely.
Lainey knew that he was the Prince of Wakanda. She learned about Wakanda in her history class, but to her, he was still a stranger.
So she buried her face in her mother's stomach to try and hide herself away. She still wasn't very good with people she didn't know. That would take time.
"That makes three." She heard him say.
"It isn't so flattering." Natasha responded, placing a gentle hand on Lainey's head.
"You seem to be doing alright so far. Considering your last visit to Capitol Hill, I wouldn't think you'd be particularly comfortable in this company."
"Well, I'm not."
"And that alone makes me glad you are here, Ms. Romanoff."
"Why? You don't approve of all this?"
"The Accords, yes. The politics…..not really. Two people in a room can get more done, than a hundred."
"Unless you need to move a piano." Another man joked in greeting. "Ms. Romanoff."
"King T'Chaka." Natasha bowed her head in respect. "Please, allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria."
"Thank you. Thank you for agreeing to all of this. I'm sad to hear that Captain Rogers will not be joining us today."
"Yes, so am I."
Lainey wasn't. She was only sad that she didn't insist on staying behind with Steve. She'd rather sit in a hotel room in silence, than be in this crowded room full of people doing several different things and having several different conversations all at once.
"And who do we have joining us instead?"
The eleven year old whined when her mother pried her away and forced her to turn around. Natasha never let her hide herself away like that, but she was hoping that today would be different.
"This is my daughter, Lainey." The woman introduced the child. "Lainey, can you say, 'hello'?"
Lainey chewed on her bottom lip and dove right back into her mother's arms before waving. "Hello."
The two men didn't seem offended in the slightest. In fact, they were pretty amused by the whole thing. "Hello, child." The king smiled. "It is a great pleasure to meet you."
"I hope the meeting does not bore you too terribly." His son winked and took her hand, pressing a gentle kiss on the back of it.
Lainey blushed bright red and hid her face in her mother's stomach once again. He was so handsome. She didn't think he could be anything but a prince.
"Thank you." Natasha rubbed her back. "You just made her day."
"If everyone could please be seated. The assembly is now in session."
"That is the future calling." King T'Chaka gave her a nod. "Such a pleasure."
"Thank you." Natasha returned the favor before ushering Lainey to their seats.
Lainey kicked her feet back and forth as King T'Chaka stood up at the podium and began speaking. She tried to listen to everything he had to say, but her mind kept wandering. Her attention span for adult business was very, very short and all she could think about was ice cream.
She wanted some double chocolate chip on a cone. She could totally eat it all before it melted all over her. And it wasn't even hot outside, so it would last longer. Maybe Natasha could get mint chocolate chip and they could sit in a park and eat together.
Did they have parks around here? And if they did, did they have ducks? Lainey wanted to feed the ducks. They were so cute. Not as cute as monkeys, but still cute.
The poor girl was ripped out of her thoughts when Prince T'Challa ran from the window, screaming. "Everybody get down!"
Natasha jumped into action, yanking Lainey out of her seat and onto the ground. Lainey moved so fast, it took her a second to regain her equilibrium. And it was just in time for a large explosion.
Lainey squeezed her eyes shut as the ground underneath her shook. The sound of the explosion going off was enough to make her ears ring. When she felt everything beginning to settle, she slowly opened her eyes just in time to see T'Challa on the ground, cradling his father.
A tear slipped from her eye as she watched the two, unable to do anything.
And then a thought occurred to her. Would she have been able to do something if she'd known what was going to happen? Would she have done anything? Or would she selfishly keep her powers to herself?
"Mama, I'm fine." Lainey rolled her eyes as her mother looked her over for the millionth time since they left the building. "I'm not hurt."
"Alright." Natasha let it go. "But if something does start to hurt, you'll tell me?"
"Yes." She huffed, no longer in a very good mood. Having a bomb go off near the building you were in did not garner a good reaction. "He's sad, Mama." She changed the subject, pointing to the prince who was sitting on a bench a ways away from where they were.
"He's been through a lot today."
"I heard the police say the Winter Soldier did it." Lainey tilted her head. "Do you think that's true?"
"I don't know."
"But he's Uncle Steve's friend."
Even though she knew that the Winter Soldier had done horrible things, Lainey couldn't bring herself to believe that it was Bucky who was responsible. From what she had seen in the museum and from what Steve told her, Bucky was incapable of hurting other people.
There had to be something they didn't know.
"He hasn't been Uncle Steve's friend for a very long time now, sweet girl." Natasha cupped her chin. "Stay here, okay?"
"Okay."
The child watched as her mother sat down by the prince to talk. They were too far away to hear what was being said, so Lainey thought she'd occupy herself by doing something else.
She looked around, but all she saw were EMTs and police officers. And every square inch of the area was roped off. There was nothing to do and nowhere to go.
"I'm bored." She muttered to herself, pressing her chin to the palm of her hand.
But suddenly, her luck changed. Her eyebrows furrowed as she felt something tickle her leg. At first, she moved, but once she was still, it started up again.
Looking down under the bench, she found the most beautiful little thing she had ever seen.
A kitten.
The kitten had shiny black fur and the most vibrant green eyes that stared up at her with curiosity. It looked a little malnourished, but was healthy enough to cuddle with Lainey's leg.
"Hi." Lainey made sure her mother wasn't looking before she got down on the floor to pet it. "Why are you here all alone? Where's your mama? Are you all alone? You look like you are."
The kitten licked its paws before looking up at her, purring when she scratched behind its ears.
"I guess you don't have a mama, huh?" Lainey looked around, but she didn't see any other cats. This one must really have been its own. "That's okay. I had a mama, but she didn't really want me. Did yours want you?"
The kitten meowed as if to answer her and pawed at her.
"Having a mama that doesn't want you is kinda like not having one at all. I didn't have one, but then she broke into my house." She pointed at Natasha, who was now on the phone. "And then we became friends…..and then she adopted me. She's the best mother in the whole wide world. She's my real mama."
For not having a grasp of the English language, the kitten seemed to understand every word that Lainey had just said. It even crawled onto her lap and nuzzled into her. Its whiskers tickled Lainey's fingertips, urging her to scratch under its chin, purring when it got what it wanted.
"What if I take you home with me?" The eleven year old suggested. "I can take care of you! I can be your friend!"
And to her surprise, the kitten meowed.
"I'm glad you want to. Because I need a friend, too. You're gonna come with me. But you have to be real quiet. Mama doesn't know about you yet and I have to tell her." The girl whispered, sitting back up on the bench with the kitten in her arms
She figured the little feline might be cold, so she took her jean jacket off and wrapped it up so it was nice and snug. Apparently, she had perfect timing. Because as soon as she was finished, Natasha ended the phone call and made her way back over to her.
"Why'd you take your jacket off?" She questioned.
"I got hot." There was no possible way that Lainey could've gotten hot with the chilly Vienna breeze blowing by every couple of seconds. So she wasn't fooling anyone. "I did, Mommy."
And if Natasha didn't know Lainey was lying before, she did now. The girl rarely called her 'Mommy' unless she was extra sleepy or just not feeling her best.
Or when she was trying to cover something up.
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?" The woman crossed her arms and quirked a brow.
That was what Lainey liked to call her 'Mom Look'. She learned pretty fast that whenever Natasha gave her that specific look, she'd better do what she was told to do or say what she was supposed to say before it was too late.
"So you're not hiding anything from me?"
Lainey made the mistake of looking into her mother's eyes. She couldn't say anything now.
"Alayna Romanoff, you have two seconds to tell me the truth or—"
"—Wait, Mama!" Lainey had no idea the threat was empty, but it worked just the same. Before she knew it, she was unraveling her jean jacket, revealing the small kitten she found.
Natasha looked at the little girl's frightened face and took the kitten from her hands, holding it in her own. She didn't appreciate the lying, but she could understand that Lainey may have been a little desperate for a companion. She probably thought she'd say no to the animal and lied to hide it.
But Natasha wasn't that against having an animal in the house. Cats were pretty clean. Cleaner than dogs. And Lainey seemed like she was already attached to it.
She had to admit, it was kid of cute, playing with her hair and meowing so softly.
It wouldn't be right to just leave it here.
"What's her name?" She asked, having just checked the kitten's gender.
"I can keep her?"
"Yes, you can keep her." Natasha smiled. "But I'm not taking care of her. You are."
That was wishful thinking. She couldn't even pretend to fool herself with that one. She was going to end up doing most of the work with this cat.
Who was she kidding?
"Okay! I can take care of her!"
"Alright." The redhead sighed and placed the kitten back into her daughter's arms.
"Thank you, Mama!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just don't let that cat in my bed."
Bonus Scene:
"So, what's the kitten's name?"
"I don't know." Lainey shrugged, kicking her feet back and forth from her seat on the quinjet while the feline sat contently in her lap. "I can't think of anything good enough."
Naming a pet was hard work. Just when Lainey thing she had a name, she changed her mind because it didn't sound good enough. She wanted the kitten's name to be special, something that was unique to her and her personality.
"Oзорствo." Natasha spoke after a short period of silence.
"Huh?"
"Oзорство for a name. She looked like a mischievous little thing and I'm sure she's going to get into all kinds of trouble when we get home."
Now that wasn't a bad suggestion. In fact, Lainey liked it a lot. 'Mischief' was a cool, descriptive name. It didn't get any better than that.
And when the kitten meowed, Lainey knew that it was perfect for her.
"I think she likes her name." Natasha smiled.
"I think so, too." She smoothed some of the cat's fur down before allowing her to nip lightly at her hands.
"You'll be partners in crime before you know it."