We're in this together
Melina is angry when Robin tells her what she had done.
“Yelena is not someone you can-- you can test with!” Melina’s immediate response is anger. It’s an emotion that she knows well. It’s easier to be angry than it is to feel hurt.
“Melina--” Robin starts but Melina hits her. Robin doesn’t know if she feels guilty but she doesn’t even aim to block the hit. “Are you done?”
“How could you?!” Melina demands and Robin reaches out to grab her shoulders when she aims to hit again.
“Go to the garage,” Robin orders. “Go dance or hit the bag or throw knives. Do not come out until you are calm.”
Melina’s jaw clenches. “Is that an order?”
“Yes. Go, now,” Robin gives Melina a small push toward the garage.
Melina spins on her foot and marches into the garage, the door slamming behind her.
Robin turns to head up to her office when she froze at the sight of Natasha, her eyes wide as she stood stiffly.
“How much of that did you see?” Robin asked quietly. Natasha doesn’t reply so Robin takes a few steps toward her, pausing when Natasha tenses up. “Sweetheart--”
“She hit you.” Natasha interrupts Robin. “And you… you let her.”
Robin takes a deep breath. “I did.” She crouches down so she can look Natasha in the eyes.
Natasha shifts slightly in place, eyeing Robin. “You’re the handler. She hit you and you didn’t even hit her back.”
“Melina’s much too angry to tell me what is on her mind,” Robin opens her arms to beckon Natasha closer. Natasha slowly shuffles closer, reaching her hand up to graze her fingers along the cheek that Melina had struck.
Robin reaches up to cup Natasha’s face in turn and Natasha leans into the touch. “Don’t send her away.” Natasha whispers.
“I’m not sending anybody away,” Robin immediately replies, pulling Natasha’s head closer to press her lips against the girl’s forehead.
“Don’t hurt her,” Natasha then amends, looking up at Robin with pleading green eyes.
“I’m not going to hit her,” Robin tells Natasha. “Come here, sweetheart.”
Natasha wraps her arms around Robin’s neck and Robin hoists the child up onto her hip to cuddle her close.
“How about me and you go out for a little bit, hmm?” Robin knew that Melina was upstairs at that very moment with Yelena, probably looking her over for any sign that Rosalie or Maggie had hurt her.
“Out where?” Natasha questioned quietly.
“That’s a surprise,” Robin taps the tip of Natasha’s nose, smiling when the girl scrunches her nose up at the action.
“Okay,” Natasha agrees and Robin calls up to Melina to let her know that she and Natasha was going out.
Melina appears at the top of the stairs, Yelena cradled close to her. The toddler looked quite content in her hold. “Where are you going?”
“To the shops,” Robin said. Melina eyes her for a few moments, her eyes landing on the red mark on Robin’s face before nodding, ducking her head down. Robin can see the guilt in her eyes.
Robin helps Natasha get her shoes on before the two head out.
The two go to Walmart. Natasha takes Robin’s hand as they cross the parking lot to enter.
“What are you looking for?” Natasha asked, glancing around the big store and shuffling slightly closer to Robin, gripping the tall woman’s hand just a little tighter at the crowds.
“Their Christmas things,” Robin replies as they walk toward the back where the Christmas items were on display. “It’s about a month until then.”
“But why are we looking?” Natasha walks with Robin, her eyes drinking in the crowds and displays.
“Because we need to look like a normal family,” Robin reminds Natasha as they stop in front of the display of stockings. “We’re going to take Christmas photos for the album. We need to make it look real.”
Natasha looks up at the display. “I’ve never celebrated before…” She comments quietly.
“I know,” Robin pulls Natasha up into her arms again. “We need to pick one for me. Which one do you think?”
Natasha frowns, glancing up at Robin before looking back at the rows of stockings on display. “I don’t know. Which one do you like?”
Robin shakes her head. “You pick one.”
Natasha eyes the rows, quiet as she thinks. She finally reaches out a hand to point at one of them. “That one?”
Robin reaches out to take the baby blue stocking with a white bird on it. “This one?”
“Yeah… ‘cause your name is Robin,” Natasha’s fingers run along the bird stitched onto the stocking. “Even if it’s not your real name…”
“I think you made an excellent choice,” Robin praised. “Very thoughtful. We need one for Melina next.”
Natasha glances back at the rows. She finally reaches out to point at another baby blue stocking with a ballerina from the Nutcracker on it. Robin takes it and adds it to hers. “Now we need one for you.”
Natasha takes a considerably longer time to pick hers out. She kept hesitating, unsure and overwhelmed.
“Any one of them,” Robin said, swaying them in place. “Would you like help?”
Natasha gives a tiny nod so Robin reaches out to suggest a few.
Natasha ends up picking one that was red with a black cat on it wrapped in Christmas lights.
“Excellent choice,” Robin smiles. “Now we need one for Yelena.”
Natasha barely hesitates before picking one out for Yelena. This one was also red and had a dog wearing a Christmas hat on it. “Yelena loves dogs.” Natasha comments.
“I’m sure she’ll love it,” Robin sets Natasha back down onto her own feet, taking her hand again. “We need some santa hats and candy canes.”
Robin was in the middle of picking out a box of candy canes when she turns to find that Natasha was not next to her like she had been a few moments prior. “Natasha?”
Robin moves to the end of the aisle to peer around. It was quite crowded in the Christmas section. Robin looks for a head of bright red hair.
Natasha finds her first, appearing from around the corner and throwing her arms around Robin’s waist, stiff and tense.
The scolding Robin had planned dies on the tip of her tongue when she feels Natasha cling to her desperately.
Robin crouches down. “What happened?” She questioned, letting Natasha wrap her arms around her neck instead.
“I’m sorry--” Natasha curls her fingers into Robin’s shirt. “Up?”
Robin frowns slightly. It’s the first time Natasha had verbally asked to be held. Robin hoists Natasha up into her arms, shifting the stockings and candy canes in her hold. “I’ve got you, sweetheart.”
Natasha pressed her face into Robin’s neck. “He’s here.” She whispers. “My teacher.”
Robin pulls Natasha a little closer, kissing the side of her head. “I’ve got you. He won’t lay a hand on you.” She promised. “Can you hold the stockings?”
Natasha grips the stockings with one arm and Robin reaches up to rub her back, passing the box of candy canes to her other hand so she had a free hand.
Robin keeps an eye out for the soldier, holding her oldest child close. She decides to head straight for the checkout.
Robin doesn’t spot the soldier but she doesn’t doubt that Natasha saw him. She checks out and the cashier offers Natasha a yellow smiley-face sticker.
Natasha doesn’t let go of Robin until they reach the car. Even then, Robin needs to peel the child off of her to set her in the booster seat. “It’s alright, sweetheart.” Robin buckles her in. “Let’s go get a warm drink, hmm? There’s a cafe nearby that I saw.”
Natasha nods slowly, glancing out the window, her eyes searching for her teacher.
The cafe was only a few blocks down and Natasha reaches her arms up as Robin opens the door to the backseat. Robin scoops her up, pressing a few kisses to her face in the same way she did with Yelena to get her to giggle.
While Natasha doesn’t giggle, she grins, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
Robin carries her into the cafe, the comforting scent of sweets and chocolate surrounds them. “What do you want, sweetheart?”
Natasha tilts her head up to peer at the menu. Robin can hear Natasha mumbling under her breath as she sounds out the names of items she’s unsure of how to translate.
“Do you want one of the pastries along with a drink?” Robin questioned and Natasha’s eyes flicker to look at the array of pastries in the display case. “You can get a pastry and a drink.”
Natasha was quiet for a few more moments.
“I think I’m going to get a blueberry muffin and a coffee,” Robin tells Natasha. “What about you. Do you want a cocoa?”
“Cocoa.” Natasha nods slightly, her eyes scanning the menu again. “And…” She pauses.
“And what, sweetheart?” Robin prompts, trying to spot where Natasha was looking. “You want a chocolate croissant?”
Natasha lets out a tiny nod so Robin finally steps into line. Natasha rests her head against Robin’s shoulder, quiet as she watches the people move about the small cafe.
Robin orders and pays before carrying Natasha over to a booth to wait for their order.
Natasha sits across from her, still on guard from her encounter with her teacher.
Robin watches her quietly for a few moments. “What do you usually do for Christmas?”
Natasha looks up at her in surprise at the question. “Nothing. It’s just a day.” She said.
Robin nods her head, thinking over in her head what she was going to do about Christmas.
Their orders come and Robin watches as Natasha’s eyes light up when she tries the chocolate croissant. Robin mentally adds the cafe to a list of places that they could go.
Robin eats her blueberry muffin and drinks her coffee. Natasha eats her treats like she’s afraid someone will take them away. Guarded and quick.
Robin reaches out when Natasha finishes her drink. Natasha curls in on herself slightly, pulling the empty mug close to her.
“You’ve got a milk mustache, sweetheart,” Robin explained, her thumb running along Natasha’s upper lip to wipe it away. “Was it good?”
Natasha slowly sets the empty mug down onto the table, nodding her head.
“We can come back another time,” Robin offered, smiling when Natasha perks up slightly at the offer. “We better get back home before Melina wonders where we wandered off to,” Robin stands and offers Natasha her hand. Natasha doesn’t hesitate to reach up and grip it, following Robin back outside.
Melina and Yelena are in the living room when they finally return. Robin carries the bags to the kitchen and sets them on the kitchen table as Natasha heads straight toward Yelena to play with her.
“We need to talk,” Robin comments when she spots Melina lingering in the doorway of the kitchen. Melina moves forward and reached out toward Robin’s face.
Robin flinches slightly when Melina’s fingers prod at the mark she had left on her face.
“I’m sorry.” Melina whispers.
“I know you are,” Robin said. “Let’s go talk in my office.”
Melina stiffens slightly before nodding and heading upstairs first.
Robin stops by the living room to let the girls know that she was going upstairs to talk to Melina and to come get them if they needed anything.
Natasha looked worried but nods her head.
Robin smiles at them before turning and heading up to her office.