bruises
The drive back was tiring but what surprised Yelena the most was when Natasha actually fell asleep. Natasha’s head rested on her shoulder, her eyes closed as she slowly relaxed until Yelena realized that she was asleep.
Widows didn’t sleep around those they didn’t trust. Even when Yelena was so exhausted during deprogramming that she was falling asleep standing up, she didn’t dare do it where she wouldn’t be safe.
Yelena doesn’t know if Clint realizes how much trust Natasha is putting in him to fall asleep like this with him driving in such enclosed quarters.
Yelena turns and glances at Clint, trying not to move too much under Natasha’s weight. Clint feels her gaze and turns his head to glance at her before smiling. Yelena rests her head onto Natasha’s, smiling back.
Yelena’s pretty tired after the long car ride and then the trip in the jet that took them back up to the helicarrier. She exits the plane onto the runway, startled when she’s tackled.
“You’re back!”
The only reason Yelena doesn’t judo flip whoever decided was a good idea to throw themselves onto her was because she recognized Skye’s scent from where the girl had wrapped around her.
“Hi.” Yelena greets, wrapping her arms around Skye. “I am.”
“You actually came back!” Skye sounds both elated and surprised at her appearance, clinging to her. Yelena notices how hoarse her voice is.
“I said I would,” Yelena reminds her, picking Skye up by her waist and moving forward a few feet before setting her back down so that Clint and Natasha could exit the plane as well. “I’m here. Did you doubt me?”
Skye shakes her head, pulling back and opens her mouth only to freeze when Yelena touched her neck. Yelena immediately saw the cause for Skye’s hoarse voice, a red-purple ring of bruising around her neck. “What is this?”
Skye’s eyes grow wide, flinching slightly. “It’s nothing.” She murmurs.
“This isn’t nothing.” Yelena tells her, her jaw clenched as Skye squirms against her touch. Yelena gently runs her fingers along the line, trying to place what had done it. “This is from something being wrapped around your neck.”
Yelena feels Natasha get off the plan and lean over her shoulder to inspect Skye’s neck as well. Skye shrinks in on herself with what Yelena recognizes as shame so Yelena pulls her back into another hug. Skye doesn’t hesitate to grip Yelena again.
“Where’s Bobbi?” Yelena asked because she had thought that Bobbi would watch over Skye at least while Yelena was gone.
“She got called out, I think. I haven’t seen her for a few days,” Skye murmurs, her grip on Yelena tightening. “Are you mad at me?”
“No.” Yelena doesn’t know why she would even be mad at Skye in the first place. “I’m not mad at you.”
“Good… good,” Skye lets out a long sigh. “I’ve missed you.” She admits.
“I missed you too,” Yelena replies, taking a few moments to just hold Skye. “Are you okay?” She finally asked.
Her words cause Skye to crumble, her face burying into Yelena’s shoulder. “Not really.” Came the muffled reply.
Yelena’s not good at comforting people but owes it to Skye to at least try. “Come on. Let’s get out of the cold.” She murmurs. Skye pulls away, dipping her head down and letting her hair hide her face. Yelena keeps an arm wrapped around her and walks with her back into the helicarrier.
Yelena heads toward the empty office where she knew they wouldn’t be disturbed and where her favorite cat was. “Have you ever met Goose?”
“Goose?” Skye croaks out in confusion until her eyes land on the orange cat sitting on the desk. “Oh. Goose. I didn’t know they had a name.”
“Yeah. Goose belongs to Carol Danvers but the Director looks after them when she’s away,” Yelena explains. “Here, sit.”
Skye does and Yelena pulls away long enough to scoop the cat off the desk. Goose lets out a chirp, nuzzling into her. Yelena can’t help but smile, carrying Goose over to where Skye was sitting and sitting down next to her.
“So, do you wanna tell me what happened?” Yelena asked as Skye reaches out to pet Goose. She knows that Skye heard her but lets the silence linger in the air as Skye searches for the right words. “Or I can guess if you want.”
“No, that’s not-- It was an accident,” Skye stumbles over her words, her eyes cast down onto the ground. “I didn’t mean to make anybody upset.”
“Being upset isn’t an excuse to choke people,” Yelena reaches out to touch the mark again. “Did you go to medical to get this treated?”
“No. But Phil saw and flipped his lid. He got me this special tea from May and made me ice it. I’m pretty sure the guy was fired or sent away for training,” Skye murmurs, her fingers stroking Goose’s back. “I didn’t mean to cause a big commotion or make a mess.”
“We can’t control how other people think or feel,” Yelena was still learning that. “Did… did you fight back?”
“No!” Skye pulls away, burying her face into her hands. “I couldn’t! I just-- I just froze.”
Goose chirps, hopping out of Yelena’s lap and into Skye’s as Yelena reaches out to grip her wrists.
“Stupid. How could I be so stupid--” Skye shakes her head.
“You’re not stupid,” Yelena tells Skye sternly, gently pulling her hands away from her face. “And it’s not your fault that you froze.”
Yelena wonders why the hell nobody else told Skye this stuff. They were adamant that Yelena knew.
“I--” Skye starts, peering up at Yelena with glassy eyes.
“It’s not your fault,” Yelena repeats firmly. “Do you hear me?”
Skye slowly nods her head. “I’m sorry.” She says although Yelena’s unsure of what she’s apologizing for.
“Don’t be,” Yelena pulls Skye into another hug. “I can teach you.”
“I’ve really missed you, Tiny Dancer,” Skye murmurs against her shoulder.
“I missed you too, Skynet,” Yelena said softly.
By the time Skye had been comforted and settled down, it was already getting pretty late. Yelena hadn’t had a chance to see Maria or inquire about where Bobbi was, not to mention how tired she was from the long trip.
Yelena decides to just see them in the morning and after dropping Skye off at her room, went to her own bunk where Natasha had already settled for the night.
Yelena changes and climbs into bed with her sister, letting out a soft sigh.
“How’s Skye?” Natasha asked, wrapping Yelena up in her arms.
“Sad.” Yelena murmurs, resting her head onto Natasha’s collar and letting her eyes close. “I’m gonna ask Bobbi if she can train with us when I see her.”
“I saw Maria. She seemed kinda disheveled but she asked about you,” Natasha’s fingers run along Yelena’s back.
Yelena missed the bed back at the Barton farm. It was a lot more comfortable than the small bed they had here. Despite that, she had missed SHIELD. “Yeah?”
“Mmhmm,” Natasha kissed the top of her head. “I can see you’re exhausted, Lenochka. Go to sleep.”
Yelena doesn’t have to be told twice. She lets her eyes slip shut as she inhales the scent of safety and security. “G’night Nattie.”
“Goodnight, Lee-lee,” Natasha said softly. Yelena jolts slightly at the sound of her childhood nickname but she’s much too exhausted to think too much into it, falling asleep quickly.
It’s so cold and everything is too loud.
She can hear her heartbeat in her chest, thudding so loud that she’s almost sure that Madame can hear it. She can’t make her hands stop shaking no matter how hard she tries, curling her fingers into fists to try and hide each tremble that wracks through her frame.
She’s scared.
She knows that it’s not allowed so she tries to hide it but there is no denying it. She’s very, very frightened.
“Back straight!” Madame snaps, the bamboo cane in her hand cracking against the wall right above Yelena’s head. It startles her but she wastes no time in straightening up, sucking in a lungful of air before letting it out.
At times like these, she misses her big sister. Nattie was the strongest and bravest person there was so at times like these when Yelena is so scared that she feels stuck to the spot, she pretends to be Nattie.
“Enter!” The low gravelly voice calls out and Yelena takes one last breath before moving forward into the room. It’s a large office with only one purpose. Widows that enter either come out dead or promoted.
The man behind the desk smiles when he sees her and Yelena doesn’t stare as a body is carried out behind her. “Ah, my most prized possession. Come here, let me get a good look at you.”
She moves forward, the rug uncomfortably soft under her bare feet. She hadn’t even had the chance to change from her pajamas before she was dragged from her bed. She holds still when his hands move forward to cup her face gently, his thumb stroking her cheek with such a gentleness that no other Widow was granted.
“I hear that you have been making advancements,” He says before pulling away and leaning back. “It is time for you to prove it.”
The door opens and the Widow that Yelena is to kill is led in. Yelena doesn’t dare glance at her, not until she was given permission.
The General leans forward, grasping the brass knob on the left drawer of his desk and slowly tugs it open until he produces a sleek black handgun from the drawer. He holds it out and Yelena reaches out to take it.
It’s heavy in her hands. Yelena has the choice to either check the magazine for bullets and get punished for not trusting the General, or not check the magazine and get punished for failing to ensure her equipment was working.
She checks.
“Don’t believe me?” The General chuckles, reaching out to run his hand along the back of her neck. “Why so tense?”
“I’m a Widow, I am made of marble,” Yelena replies, careful not to let her voice waver.
“Atta girl,” He replies fondly, his hand caressing her cheek before he spins her around. “Finish it.”
Something is wrong. This is the wrong Widow. She doesn’t know how she knows this but the hair should be red, not brown.
“Do it.” The General urged. Yelena raised the gun, taking a deep breath in to steady herself.
The head lifts and Yelena freezes, wide-eyed as she stares down at her target. “No--”
Maria’s blue eyes are cold as she stares up at Yelena from where she was kneeling. “I knew it.” She retorts in a low tone. “Once a monster, always a monster.”
“No, I--” Yelena’s grip on the gun wavers.
“Finish her!” The General barks. Yelena’s eyes flicker between the man behind the desk and the woman kneeling before her.
“I can’t. This is all wrong. Maria--” Yelena lowers her arm. “I’m not a monster.”
“You can’t pick and choose.” Maria tells her harshly. “You’re just a murderer, so ready to kill the next Widow who came in. Go ahead. Kill me. Prove me right.”
“I don’t wanna kill you--” Yelena winces when the General slams his hand down.
“Hesitation is unacceptable!” He roars, standing. Yelena can’t move, her feet are stuck to the same spot on the ground.
“Maria, please!” Yelena begs, dropping the gun. “I don’t want to hurt you!”
“You are a Widow,” Maria tells her. “All you do destroy.”
With that, the General picks the gun up off the floor and finishes Maria for her.
“No!” Yelena jerks forward, her feet still glued to the floor. “Maria!”
Yelena awakes with a gasp, her heart racing dangerously in her chest as the sight of Maria coated in blood haunts her vision.
Yelena unlatches the handcuffs around her wrist after fumbling for a few moments, sliding out of bed and moving toward the door.
“Yelena?” Natasha reaches toward her, her hand cupping the back of Yelena’s neck and the teenager resists the urge to fold under the touch.
“I need to find Maria--” Yelena breathes out, unable to get out anything more than Maria’s name when she tries to explain. “Maria--”
“Okay,” Natasha breathes out and Yelena resists the urge to cry in relief. “Let’s find Maria.”