Helplessly stuck
“Mama!”
Yelena’s wailing, nothing but distress. Robin immediately starts to move toward her room but she can’t seem to move fast enough. She keeps losing her balance and the doorknob doesn’t turn the first few times she tries.
Then she gets the door open and is met with Yelena covered in blood, sobbing as a figure hunched over the crib to caress Yelena’s face softly.
“Back away!” Robin yells at them, moving to lunge forward but her feet are stuck to the ground. “Don’t touch her!”
“Aw…” A familiar voice coos softly over the toddler, finally picking them up out of the crib. “How cute… you think you can take me.”
The figure turns around to reveal Belka, scarring creeping up her neck, and some part of Robin twists with the thought of ‘I did that’.
“Please, Belka--” Robin reaches out. “Don’t take her!”
Yelena reaches for Robin in return, sobbing her little heart out. “Mama! Mama!”
“Shh. Your new mama’s got you now,” Belka croons to Yelena, rocking the toddler in her arms, just how Robin had shown her.
“Belka, please…” Robin finally manages to yank a leg free and takes a step forward before there is a noise.
Natasha is standing in the doorway and Robin turns to cover her but there’s a loud BANG! and Natasha collapses forward as blood trickles from a newly formed hole in her head.
“No! Natasha!” Robin cries out, falling to her knees. She tries to collect her oldest child up in her arms but she’s so heavy and the blood just keeps pouring out of the wound in her forehead. “No, please. My baby…”
Robin looks up at Belka, holding a gun that smokes at the end from the recent shot filed. “What did you do?!”
“You took away my chance for a baby. I’m taking away yours,” With that, Belka shoots again and pain erupts in Robin’s stomach. She’d been shot in her uterus. There’s nothing but cramping pain shooting through her abdomen.
Robin sobs when another gunshot rings out and Yelena’s sobs are cut off when a bullet flies through her skull and embeds in the wall behind her. Robin looks up at Melina standing in the doorway.
“Why would do that!?” Robin screams at her.
“She was our enemy now,” Melina’s voice was monotone. “I couldn’t let Madame B turn her.”
“She was a baby! Our baby!” Robin can’t breathe. Belka shoots Melina and Robin is still stuck on her knees as her family dies around her. “Please, please, please--”
Belka reached her hand up and pressed the gun against her temple before firing the last shot and dropping dead.
Robin is left surrounded by dead bodies of the people she failed to protect, sobbing as she slowly bleeds out through her fingers.
Robin jerks awake, a sob crawling out of her mouth. “Please, please, please--”
A hand gently falls onto her shoulder and Robin violently flinches.
“Please, please, don’t leave me. I’m sorry--” Robin can feel the blood of her daughter covering her hands. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
Then the light in the room turns on and Robin is left looking up into the concerned face of Melina.
Robin’s just so relieved to see her alive and safe that she throws her arms around Melina, pulling her close and burning her face into Melina’s shoulder.
Warmth. The rising and falling of her chest as she breathes. Her heartbeat thumping against Robin’s own chest from where they were pressed together. Melina’s breath caressing the top of Robin’s head when she places a soft kiss to the panicked woman’s dark hair.
“I’ve got you, lovely,” Melina is whispering, one hand cradling the back of Robin’s head, her fingers playing with the baby hairs on the back of her neck. “It’s alright. You’re safe.”
Robin curls her fingers into Melina’s shirt, trying to pull her closer desperately. It takes a while before Robin feels like she can breathe without choking for air. Even then, she’s still unsettled.
“The children--” Robin manages to get out and Melina understands what she needs, pulling away.
Robin moves to check in on Yelena first, scooping the sleeping toddler up carefully as her fingers brush over the hair and head of her baby. She checks for any signs of injuries and is relieved when there is nothing. Yelena lets out a small sigh of content in her sleep, snuggling against Robin’s warmth.
Robin pressed a kiss to the top of the sleeping toddler’s head before carrying her out to set her in Melina’s arms for a moment.
She needed to see Yelena and she wasn’t going to get any more sleep that night.
Robin opens the door to Natasha’s room next. Natasha sits up, confusion on her face when she rubs the sleep from her eyes.
Robin approached the bed, taking a seat on the edge, and reached out toward Natasha. “I’m sorry for waking you, sweetheart.”
“It’s night…” Natasha comments softly, blinking sleepily up at Robin.
“I… I had a bad dream and needed to make sure you were alright,” Robin confessed, her hands gently cupping Natasha’s face, her fingers brushing over Natasha’s forehead to check for wounds.
Natasha leans into the touch, her eyes fluttering shut again at the ministrations. “Okay…” She mumbles out. “Are we sleeping in the big bed?”
Robin lets out a breath. “Is that okay?” She asked quietly and Natasha shifts to raise her arms for Robin to carry her. The tightness in Robin’s chest eases up when she’s actually able to pick up her oldest child, unlike in her dream.
Natasha rests her head onto Robin’s shoulder, letting out a sleepy sigh as Robin stands.
Some nights, it’s a miracle that none of them wake until morning and have a peaceful night's sleep.
Melina was already in the master bedroom, laying back in the bed with Yelena on her chest as she gently rubbed the toddler’s back to soothe her when she sleepily fussed. Robin sets Natasha down in the middle of the bed before climbing in after her and pulling the blankets up over everybody.
Her family was all there and they were safe. They were alive. Robin hadn’t failed her duty.
“I love you,” Robin whispers to them, pressing a kiss to the top of Natasha’s hair before moving to kiss Melina’s cheek.
Melina smiles up at Robin softly, reaching a hand over to run her fingers over the short dark hair on the woman’s head. “Love you too, my love.”
Robin won’t be getting anymore sleep but being able to watch over her loved ones eases the anxiety buzzing in her chest. Melina falls asleep not too long after Natasha does and Robin stays up to keep watch.
Everybody except Melina jumps when her alarm goes off in the morning for work. Robin accepts Yelena for sleepy morning snuggles while Melina showers and changes into her uniform.
Natasha curled up against Robin’s side that Yelena wasn’t occupying for her share as well. Robin keeps her eyes trained on the bathroom door.
Having Melina out of sight despite knowing she was only in the bathroom just made Robin feel horrible again.
If Robin had it her way, she’d keep them home today and not let them out of her sight. But if they were kept home then the General would call and demand answers. Robin can’t have him getting upset and she certainly doesn’t want him or any of his guards to come snooping around.
At least Yelena didn’t have daycare that day. Robin was free to hold and cuddle the toddler all she wanted.
The happy, innocent girl easily helps distract Robin, demanding to play blocks and dolls.
And who was Robin but a mother eager to indulge her child?
The sounds of Yelena’s giggles as she stacks and then knocks down blocks is infectious and Robin soon finds herself chuckling to Yelena’s antics.
Yelena asks to go to the park so Robin bundled her up and the pair went. Yelena loved the swings, demanding Robin push her higher. “Higher, mama!” Yelena calls out between giggles. “Up!”
When Robin picks Natasha up from school, the coil of uneasiness in her stomach had nearly vanished. Natasha climbs in the car, quiet as always after school as she waves goodbye to Elliot.
Perhaps it was just Robin but Natasha seemed uneasy. Then again, Robin was very overprotective that day and just searching for any little reason that her family needed her.
Robin takes the two children to the cafe she and Natasha had visited and liked. Robin orders them the same thing and Yelena helpfully tells the cashier their order again but in Russian this time.
The poor cashier who doesn’t get paid to deal with multilingual toddlers who just like showing off merely serves them their drinks and pastries.
Yelena barters with Natasha to try and get a taste of her sister’s chocolate croissant. She offers half of the cake pop that Robin bought for her.
“You already licked it,” Natasha wrinkles her nose at Yelena but tears off a piece of her pastry to give to Yelena anyway, turning down a bite from the licked cake pop.
Robin then settles them in front of the television when they get home. Yelena picked out the cartoon that she liked best.
Yelena, wanting to be like her older sister, picked out Natasha’s favorite cartoon to watch. Robin takes a seat on the couch, watching Natasha show Yelena the different cartoons they had available.
Robin’s then surprised when Natasha turns on the cartoon and then turns to climb into her lap. Natasha’s not one to usually initiate physical contact, always hesitant and waiting for Robin to reach out first.
Natasha wraps her arms around Robin’s neck, barely even paying attention to the cartoons as she sets her chin on Robin’s shoulder.
“Everything okay?” Robin questioned, reaching up to run her fingers through the child’s copper hair.
“Yes.” Natasha nods her head slowly. “You’re very… nervous today.”
“I’m sorry,” Robin expected Natasha to pick up on her mood. The child was very observant like that. “I’m still feeling the effects of last night.”
Natasha lets out a hum before pulling away to look up at Robin. “I like it when we sleep in the big bed.”
“Yeah?” Robin questions and Natasha nods.
“I like sleeping between you and Melina… it’s safe,” Natasha replies, resting her hands onto Robin’s shoulders. “And Yelena’s there too. It’s nice to see her at night sometimes because she’s little and gets scared sometimes.”
Robin smiles softly at Natasha. “I’m sorry when I wake you up at night checking on you.”
“I was taught to wake up whenever there was movement when I was asleep. It keeps me safe,” Natasha shakes her head. “I like being able to wake up and see that it's you or mommy and be able to close my eyes again.”
Robin grins when Natasha refers to Melina as ‘mommy’. “Yeah. Come here, baby.” Robin pulls Natasha close, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Natasha basks in the affection until Yelena realizes that she was being left out and clambers up onto the couch to flop onto the two of them and demand snuggles as well.
Melina joins them when she arrives home, a soft smile on her face as she sits next to Robin.
Robin finds it perfect. All of her little family in one place, all happy and content.
For now, that was enough.