The benefit of the doubt
Robin wakes up early the next morning and takes a few moments to observe Melina. Melina was curled against her, her left wrist pushed up above her head like Natasha slept sometimes because she had gotten used to wearing handcuffs.
Robin gently wrapped her fingers around Melina’s forearm and brings her arm and pressed a soft kiss to Melina’s wrist.
Melina sleepily shuffles to press her face against Robin’s shoulder. Robin can’t help but smile softly, rubbing her thumb gently against the pulse point on Melina’s wrist.
Robin enjoys just laying there and watching Melina until she eventually peels away to go to the bathroom.
Robin enjoyed the fact that Melina lets out a sleepy protest, trying to pull her back to bed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Robin kissed her forehead before detangling herself and heading into the bathroom.
Robin takes a few moments after using the bathroom to inspect her topless form in the mirror. There were a few new scars from General Dreykov that she’d gotten over the past three months she had been in Ohio.
Robin brushed her fingers over the new scars and over a few old ones.
Melina had very few scars. Most Widows do. Widows were used for seduction so scars were a big no-no.
Robin felt ugly compared to Melina a lot of the time. Robin was everything that Melina wasn’t.
She tears her eyes away from the mirror before she gets lost in her head. Robin finds her pajama shirt and pulled it over her head.
As she passes by the door on the way back to bed, something in her tells her to go check on Yelena.
Robin pulls her lower lip between her teeth, hesitating before leaving the bedroom.
Yelena’s door is cracked open when Robin very clearly remembers closing it. She moves closer to peer through the door.
Her heart skips a beat at the sight of Belka standing in front of the crib. Robin can’t see what she’s doing from her position but Belka is holding the toddler.
Robin wants to burst into the room and snatch her baby back and yell at how Belka dared to think about touching her.
But Belka isn’t hurting Yelena. She looks like she’s making a conscious effort to hold Yelena correctly.
Belka isn’t saying anything, just standing in front of the crib with a sleeping toddler in her arms.
Robin pushed the door open and Belka physically jumps. Robin frowns because Belka should have heard her coming.
“Belka…” Robin watches Belka pull the toddler closer. “What are you doing?”
Belka glances at her before looking down at the toddler. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”
“Sorry?” Robin prompts, shuffling into the bedroom. “What are you doing?” She prompts again.
Belka looks up at Robin. “I… don’t know.” It looked like it pained her to admit it. “I’m not hurting her.”
“I know.” Robin reaches out for Yelena and Belka briefly tightened the grip on her before holding her out. Robin takes the sleeping toddler from her, briefly running her fingers over Yelena’s face to check her over. “Why are you in her bedroom?”
“She’s… small…” Belka murmurs, standing stiffly as she watches Robin’s actions.
“She’s three. Although she is slightly small for her age,” Robin stares down at Yelena. “You haven’t seen a baby in a long time, huh?”
“No ma’am,” Belka agrees. “I haven’t gone outside the Room in many years. My specialty is training Widows so I am not needed on missions.”
“How old were Melina and Natasha when you trained them?” Robin asked, adjusting Yelena in her grip so the toddler rests her head onto her shoulder.
“I don’t keep track,” Belka glances away for a moment as she thinks. “I trained the older one four years ago. The little one two years ago. I never train for more than a year at a time.”
“Why not?” Robin frowns, running her fingers along Yelena’s back gently.
“I am unsure. I do what they need me to and nothing more,” Belka replies obediently. “I am theirs to use as they please.”
Robin watches her for a moment before reaching out one of her hands. “Here. Move your arms like this.”
Belka lets Robin manipulate her arms and stiffens when Robin shifts Yelena into her hold so Belka can cradle the sleeping girl.
“There.” Robin glances up at Belka. “She likes feeling the warmth of another person holding her.”
Belka furrows her brow and it’s the most emotion Robin had seen on her face. “You’re letting her indulge in bad habits.”
“She’s not a widow yet. She’s three,” Robin looks up at Belka. “If I treated her like a widow then General Dreykov would receive someone aggressive who lashed out and was disobedient.”
“That makes no sense. She’d learn,” Belka glances up at Robin.
“Maybe eventually. But she’d be killed long before that. I do not enjoy killing children, Belka,” Robin watches the woman.
Belka’s eyes were trained on Yelena. “I do not either.” She admits in a whisper.
“It seems pointless to waste the lives of so many children,” Robin continues when she senses that she had an opening. “I wasn’t raised a Widow. I wasn’t even part of the Red Room until I was a few months from my eighteenth birthday.”
Belka looks up at her. “I was taken when I was twelve… I was on vacation with my parents in France.”
“My father accumulated a large amount of debt. My mother fell ill when I was young and rumor had it that the Red Room was accepting applicants to test new drugs. It would expand the lifespan of the average human and strengthen the immune system,” Robin glances at Belka to see the woman listening intensely.
Robin glances at the curtains that let moonlight peek into the room and cast a soft white glow over the nursery. “It worked. My mother lived eight years past the expected date of her death. My father owed and didn’t have the means of paying.”
“They took you?” Belka questioned and Robin shakes her head.
“He sold me,” She corrects. “I was seventeen, soon to be eighteen. My disappearance wouldn’t have caused any questions. I was too old for them to put with the Widows and I had nothing to offer them.”
“You’re a doctor?” Belka frowns slightly.
“Do you think that I actually have a PhD or my license? I had been interested in pursuing the career of being a medic when I was younger so I had been obsessed with doctor shows. I proved basic first aid and surgery knowledge despite my lack of schooling,” Robin stares at Belka. “The general brought me books and I read. He brought me bodies of dead guards and widows to cut apart and explore.”
“Doctor Robin… not even a real doctor…” Belka mused.
“It’s been eight years since I was taken,” Robin said. “My name isn’t even Robin.”
“My name wasn’t always Belka,” The woman said quietly.
“What was it?” Robin coaxed slightly but sensed she pushed too far when Belka’s face goes blank.
“It doesn’t matter. That person is dead. I’m Madam Belka now,” Belka pushed the toddler back at Robin abruptly.
Robin quickly adjusts her grip on the toddler. “My name--”
“Doesn’t matter,” Belka hissed at her. “Who you once were doesn’t exist anymore. I serve the motherland. I am a Widow for them to use how they please.”
Robin watched her before turning her back and settling Yelena down in the crib. “I serve the motherland.” She agrees quietly. “I am General Dreykov’s most trusted doctor.”
She hears footsteps and when she straightens up and turns around, Belka is gone.