When their paths are crossed
“You have a new mission objective.”
Robin pauses in where she was stitching a stab wound, glancing at the guard. “Report.” She orders, focusing down at the wound to finish the last few stitches.
“You are being temporarily reassigned,” A file is held up and Robin makes a vague gesture with her bloodied gloves. “General Dreykov is waiting for you.”
“Now?” Robin conceals a groan tying the last end of the stitch on the woman in the bed in front of her.
“Now.” The guard confirms, waiting for Robin to peel her gloves off after bandaging the stitches.
Robin turns and snatches the file up, flicking through it briefly to scan the contents. A long-term assignment expected to last at least a year. “I see. Thank you.”
Robin shrugs her white coat off and drapes it over the chair in her office, briefly pausing long enough in the mirror to glance in the mirror and run her fingers through the short dark hair. She kept it short to keep it out of her face and eyes while doing surgery.
She heads down the hallway, looking over the details in the file provided to her. There were going to be children involved. Robin hated missions with children.
There’s a woman already in General Dreykov’s office along with a young girl and a guard holding a sleeping toddler.
“Ah, my pretty songbird,” Dreykov perks up when he sees her. “I see you got my message.”
“I’m being reassigned to Ohio?” Robin barely has time to ask questions before the guard is moving toward her and shoving the toddler into her arms.
Robin adjusts her grip, cradling the toddler close to her. There’s a flush on the young girl’s face that informs Robin that she’s been drugged. She feels Dreykov watch her closely as she presses a finger to the girl’s neck to check her pulse. “What did you give her?”
“Just a small sedative to help with the long journey ahead of you,” Dreykov hums. “Fret not, my pretty songbird.” He then turns to gesture at the other two in the room that had been standing stiffly. “You’re being put in charge of these two widows along with what is to become my next muse.” Dreykov’s eyes flicker to look at the toddler in her hold. “You are to look out for their health, their training, and keep them in line.”
Dreykov stands and everyone in the room stiffens except for the sleeping child in her arms blissfully unaware. “We have Melina, who will be working as a scientist at SHIELD,” Dreykov runs his fingers down the woman’s neck before turning toward the child. “And little Natasha, our most promising widow.” He reaches out and cups the girl’s face in a way that sickens Robin.
The girl is staring straight ahead with a blank look on her face, every muscle in her body taut and stiff.
“Or, as you will get to know them,” Dreykov finally moves and makes his way toward Robin. Robin moves a hand to cup the back of the toddler’s head, the urge to hold her closer growing. “Your wife and two daughters.” Dreykov reaches up and brushes his fingers along Robin’s cheek. “You will do well, this I know, my pretty little songbird.”
Robin swallows her surprise, glancing at the other woman, her fake wife, once again before schooling her face and nodding. “Yes, sir.”
Dreykov finally pulls away and Robin shifts the sleeping toddler in her arms as she watches Melina accept a thick manila folder with their new identities.
Dreykov looks at her once again. “I expect updates. Do not fail me, my pretty birdy,” Dreykov warns her, his face darkening for a few moments before they’re ushered from the office.
They’re herded toward the garage and Robin rests a hand on the back of Natasha’s neck, ignoring how she tenses up under the touch. Melina is passed a set of keys and they’re stopped in front of a black car.
The small car is already outfitted with booster seats for the girls and a bag of necessities to get them started. Robin focuses on strapping the sleeping toddler into her car seat, checking her breathing and heart rate. She didn’t know how much sedative was given to her or if she would have a reaction. Melina already slid into the driver’s seat and was thumbing through the file she was given.
Robin closes the door and moves around the car to the other side where Natasha was waiting for orders. Robin was familiar with widows and their mindsets. She opens the door and lifts Natasha up into the booster seat, buckling her in as well before closing the door and moving toward the passenger seat.
Melina holds out a wedding ring toward her as soon as Robin settles in the seat. There’s a matching one already decorating her ring finger. Robin takes the ring and slides it on, frowning slightly at the feeling. She never wore jewelry or rings. Too much of a risk when doing surgery and procedures.
Robin briefly glances behind her at the two children before taking a deep breath. She looks through the files she was given. The toddler is named Yelena and she’s three. Natasha is eight and has been a widow since she was four. Their new fake last name is Lewis.
Melina is the one that drives as Robin continues to sort through the variety of paperwork. “How is your English?” Robin glances at Melina.
“Adequate,” Melina replies quietly in a flawless American accent. Robin twists in her seat to look at the copper-haired child in the back.
“And yours?” She questioned the girl.
“Adequate,” The girl mimics Melina’s answer although there’s a lilt of Russian. They’d be able to pass it off as a childhood lisp.
“Do you know what to address us as?” Robin needs to know how much the child had been briefed on.
Natasha hesitates a few moments too long. “Mother.” She finally replies.
“We can’t both be mother,” Melina comments, her eyes focused on the road.
“Right,” Robin agrees with her, glancing at Natasha. “We need two variations that you are going to remember.”
“Mom?” Natasha said after a moment, glancing between the two women as she seeks approval. “Mama?”
“That will work,” Robin agrees and Natasha untenses at Robin’s affirmation. “Who is who?”
Natasha is quiet, clearly debating over what the right answer is.
“I will be mother. Mom.” Melina said in a detached way. “You will be Mama.” She glances at her as if remembering that Robin was their handler. “If that is acceptable.”
Robin doesn’t see an issue with that so she nods. “My name is Robin.” She realizes that she was never formally introduced to them. “You may call me that in private when we get to the house.” She addresses Natasha.
Robin then glances between the two children and Melina. “Okay. Any questions? For anyone?”
It was quiet once again in the car and Robin lets out a small sigh as she opens the next set of papers to reveal medical charts for the three.
“Well, I have questions,” Robin declares, closing the folder of important documents. “And you can decline to answer if you wish.” She glances at Melina. “Have you been on an undercover assignment like this before?”
“No.” Melina gives a curt shake of her head. “Not one with others. Certainly not one with young widows.”
“Yelena isn’t a widow yet,” Robin corrects.
This was Robin’s first long-term assignment. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one.
Robin declares that they need a break three hours into the car ride. She can spot Natasha squirming slightly in place despite the face the young girl never spoke of her need to use the bathroom.
Melina doesn’t argue, pulling over at a gas station.
“Take Natasha inside to the bathroom, I’ll stay here with Yelena,” Robin tells Melina, needing to check in on the toddler that was still sleeping.
“Natasha doesn’t need me,” Melina replies as if she forgot she was supposed to play the role of the girl’s mother and that normal parents wouldn’t let their young child walk into a sketchy gas station alone.
“Fine. I’ll take her then. You stay here with Yelena,” Robin steps out of the car and stretches before reaching out to set her hand onto Natasha’s shoulder and guides her inside.
Robin waits for Natasha just outside of the bathroom, glancing around the gas station warily. There’s a drunkard quietly slipping candy bars into his pockets with a flick of his hand. Natasha exits the bathroom a few moments later, gravitating to Robin’s side.
Robin quickly ushers Natasha back to the car before the drunkard pulls the knife she spotted on him. Natasha climbs back into the booster seat herself, buckling up. Robin moves to the other side of the car to check on Yelena.
The toddler’s face is flushed slightly from the drugs and Robin smooths her hair out of her face to feel her forehead. The toddler lets out a sleepy whine in response.
“Shh, I know,” Robin checks the toddler’s heartbeat and breathing once again before settling her back down and sliding back into the passenger seat.
It takes nine hours for them to reach their new address in Ohio. At the tail end of it, Yelena started to rouse and fuss. Robin does her best to feed and soothe her from her place in the front seat.
The stars are out by the time that they pull up to the address given to them. Yelena had fallen back asleep and Natasha was dozing, her chin resting against her chest.
“Go check the door,” Robin passes the key to Melina. “I’ll get the girls.”
Melina takes the key and heads up to the front door while Robin carefully unbuckles Yelena and pulls her up into her arms. The sleepy toddler burrows into her touch, pushing her face into the crook of Robin’s neck as the woman moves around to the other side of the car and opens the door. “Natasha, it’s time to wake up.”
The girl jerks awake, reaching for a weapon that isn’t there. It takes a few moments for her to gain her bearings.
“It’s only me. Calm down,” Robin undoes the girl’s seatbelt. “C’mon. Everything should be all set up.”
Natasha steps out of the car and Robin grasped her hand to walk up the pathway to the house. The door was unlocked and Melina was already inside doing a sweep of the house.
“Shoes off,” Robin instructs, toeing her own boots off by the front door. Natasha sleepily follows until her little red sneakers are sitting next to Robin’s boots. “Go find your room.” Robin lets Natasha’s hand go and the girl doesn’t hesitate to follow the order.
Robin quickly explores the house, finding the master bedroom before finding a toddler’s room that is fully furnished like the rest of the house. Robin sets Yelena down in the crib, the toddler barely stirring.
Robin finds her new office with a desk and cot and an umbrella stand of bamboo sticks. She then finds Natasha’s room. The girl is waiting at the foot of the bed with her hands clasped behind her back.
There are clothes already in the closet when Robin peeks. She finds a nightgown and passes it to Natasha. “Go to the bathroom and change.”
Natasha hesitates for a few moments. “You are supposed to watch me change to ensure I have no contraband on me.” She said quietly as though she was afraid of the repercussions of correcting Robin.
Right. Robin had forgotten about that. She’s too tired to argue on the first day. They’d tackle the issue another time. She nods and makes a gesture with her hand. “Fine.”
Natasha quickly strips and Robin stops her from pulling the nightgown on, reaching out to touch some nasty bruising on Natasha’s torso. “What happened?” She kneels to inspect it closely. The bruising was relatively fresh, only a few days old.
“I was punished,” Natasha shivers softly at Robin’s touch.
Robin frowns, prodding at her ribs slightly. “Breathe deeply.” She feels Natasha inhale deeply and feels for broken ribs. “Does it hurt?”
Natasha gives a small nod.
“Finish,” Robin pulls away and Natasha pulls the nightgown on. Robin remembers widows being handcuffed to the bed because they’d try to run, especially the younger ones. Robin doesn’t have to search hard to find the pair of handcuffs in the nightstand and Natasha obediently raises her wrist.
Robin handcuffs Natasha to the bed before pulling the blanket up and smoothing it over her. “Call for me or Melina if you need us.”
“Yes ma’am,” Natasha whispers and Robin flicks the lights off before leaving the room.
Melina was in the master bedroom when Robin approaches. “The children are in bed.”
“We’re supposed to share a bed,” Melina comments, glancing at the king-sized bed.
“That’s generally what married couples do,” Robin mused, searching for her own pair of pajamas. She was taller than Melina by a few inches so the sizes were different.
“I’ve never shared a bed before,” Melina finally confesses as Robin changes into her pajamas. Robin had never been bothered by nudity before, whether it be someone else’s or her own.
“Do you still sleep with handcuffs like the younger widows?” Robin questioned her, running a hand through her hair before tossing her clothes into the hamper.
“I used to before I proved my loyalty,” Melina finally moves to look through the dresser.
“We need to train Natasha out of using the handcuffs,” Robin tells her, moving about the room to inspect what was in the drawers.
“We?” Melina echoes. “You’re the doctor. The handler. I’m just here to play the part.”
Robin arched an eyebrow. “You’re going to be that girl’s mother. That means that this involves both of us.” She’s interrupted by a yawn. “Do you sleep on the left or the right side?”
Melina glances at the bed. “Left.” She comments, calling the side closest to the door. Robin shrugs, taking the right side.
“Sleep, Melina. It’s been a long day,” Robin slides under the covers.
“I’ll go in a moment,” Melina said, gathering up her own pair of pajamas before heading into the bathroom.
Robin lets out a small sigh and falls asleep quickly.