Hot coals and high tempers
Natasha sits next to Elliot on class, a lingering sense of wrongness echoing after her. Elliot keeps tapping her foot with his under the table to ask if she’s okay.
Emily joins them at lunch and she questions if Natasha is okay, offering one of the cookies that the cooks made.
Natasha doesn’t know how to explain it. She just knows something is wrong and considers faking sick to get sent home. She knew that if she shoved her finger into the back of her throat then she could force herself to vomit, they’re sure send her home then.
But then she remembers the last time she missed school and how much trouble Robin got into and decides against it.
At the end of the school day, Natasha waits with Elliot like usual, listening as he babbles on about the newest Ninja Turtles episode as she scans the parking lot for Robin’s car. To her immense displeasure, Rosalie walks up with Yelena holding her hand.
“Nattie!” Yelena yanks her hand from Rosalie’s and surges forward to barrel into Natasha, wrapping her arms around her tightly.
“Hi, Lee-lee,” Natasha greets her, wrapping her arms around her as she glances up at Rosalie who approaches much more slowly. “Rosalie.”
“Kid.” Rosalie greets back, a seriousness on her face that makes Natasha’s heart drop into her stomach.
“Where’s my mama?” Natasha demands, pulling Yelena close. Yelena is happy to cuddle into her, squirming happily.
“She couldn’t make it,” Rosalie grunts out and Natasha supposes that not talking about it in the open is a good idea. Rosalie holds out her hand and Yelena peels away from Natasha to take it again.
Natasha reaches out to reluctantly take Rosalie’s other hand at her prompting to cross the busy parking lot. Her mind is swirling with thoughts.
Why can’t Robin come to pick her up herself? Is she hurt? Dead? Where is she?
Rosalie’s car isn’t like Robin’s. Rosalie had a big truck that only had room for two people. Rosalie didn’t have Natasha or Yelena’s car seats so Yelena has to sit in Natasha’s lap for the ride back.
Natasha finally works up the courage to ask Rosalie the most prominent question on her mind. “Is she dead?”
“No.” Rosalie’s eyes flicker to peer at Yelena who had her face pressed to the window to watch the trees pass. “But you’re spending the night.”
Fear shoots through her at the statement. Natasha’s only ever spent the night at Elliot’s and that was only while Robin was hurt. Was Robin hurt again?
“Is he there?” Natasha thinks of the General and how he was the biggest danger Robin regarded. Robin would definitely send them away to keep them safe.
“Don’t know,” Rosalie replies quietly.
Natasha briefly thinks about going home anyway but quickly dismisses the idea. She’d be in so much trouble that she probably wouldn’t be able to sit on her bottom for a week.
Robin had yet to beat her like the Red Room. She’d use the thin bamboo canes for swats but had only in the recent months started pulling her over her knee instead of telling her to take position against the wall. Robin would use her hand rather than the cane and it stung in a different way. The first time Robin did it, Natasha was so startled that she didn’t react until Robin had sent her into the corner.
None of the Red Room operates or her handlers had ever taken her over their knee before. They always used some object. Belts, canes, whips, batons.
She supposed she was lucky that Robin didn’t do it in public or in front of Melina and Yelena like the Red Room would do. The Red Room liked humiliation and showing off punishments to warn the others. Punishments were only given in Robin’s office.
Before Robin, Natasha had never been made to stand in the corner as punishment. She’s never had a time-out and she thinks that it was more embarrassing than getting swats. Yelena got put in the corner whenever she was bad.
“Don’t even think about it,” Rosalie must have taken her silence as scheming.
“I wasn’t!” Natasha protests, pulling Yelena closer as they take a turn, and Yelena stumbles. Natasha didn’t trust Rosalie. Every time Rosalie showed up on their doorstep it led to Robin and Melina fighting.
Natasha hated it when they fought. She didn’t want to pick sides or be used to decide who was right.
“Sure,” Rosalie scoffs in disbelief and Natasha supposes that it’s only fair Rosalie doesn’t trust her in return.
Natasha stares out the window until they arrive at Rosalie’s house. Rosalie’s dog Maggie greets them at the door and Yelena darts off into the house happily with Maggie hot on her heels.
Rosalie turns to look at her. “You’re going to stay here until I get word from the boss that you’re allowed back home.” She says. “I don’t care what it takes.”
Natasha tilts her head up stubbornly. Rosalie had no authority over her. “You can’t make me.”
Rosalie raised an eyebrow. “Wanna bet? I will tape your butt to a chair. I will cuff you to towel rack.”
“You can’t punish me.” Natasha retorts, folding her arms.
“I will gladly take you over my knee and spank you until you can’t walk,” Rosalie threatens, leaning forward to stare Natasha in the eyes. “I have my orders. You will be staying here until I say so, do you understand?”
Natasha considers saying no. She considers pushing Rosalie to see if she’ll follow through with her word and beat her. “Fine.” She finally mumbles through gritted teeth.
Natasha reads a book she got from the school library until Melina arrives back from work. Melina looks tense and uneasy and it makes Natasha feel unsettled.
“Where’s Robin,” Natasha demands as soon as she sees Melina.
“Busy,” Melina says and Natasha is frustrated at being brushed off. Melina goes into the kitchen with Rosalie and Natasha sets her book down to slide close to the wall.
“--do this any longer.” Melina hisses.
“You have to trust that she’ll to what’s right,” Rosalie says although there’s a frustrated lilt in her tone.
“She thinks that killing herself would be what’s right if it came down to it,” Melina growls in a low tone. “I’m tired of her sacrificing herself for us. She can only go for so long before he finally kills her.”
“He still needs her. As long as he needs her, she’ll be okay,” Rosalie sounds reassuring.
“And when he doesn’t need her anymore? Will I come home to her dead body on the floor? If she dies--” Melina abruptly cuts off.
There was a shuffling noise and Natasha pressed her ear closer against the wall. “--know why?” Rosalie’s voice is a whisper. “Hail Hydra.”
Natasha jerks away from the wall in surprise before she scrambles to push it up against the wall again. Did Robin know Rosalie was Hydra? Why would Rosalie tell Melina? Natasha was right to not trust her.
Natasha has the pocket knife Robin gave her for her birthday in the front pocket of her backpack.
“Of course.” Melina hisses out and Natasha can hear her pace. “Fucking hell…”
“There’s a line between them and the Red Room,” Rosalie says. “I’m with the captain.”
“Her name is Robin!” Melina snaps, her voice rising. “And she is my wife!”
There’s quiet for a few seconds. “Of course.” Rosalie replies. “Robin.”
There’s the sound of harsh breathing before footsteps move toward the wall where Natasha was. Natasha peels away, moving toward where she had discarded her book but she’s not fast enough.
Natasha lets out a choke as the collar of her shirt is yanked and she’s pulled to her tiptoes. She peers up at Rosalie’s unimpressed face.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Rosalie questioned, giving Natasha a small shake. “You think you can eavesdrop on a soldier?”
“Nobody will tell me anything,” Natasha grabs the neckline of her shirt for leverage and hoists her leg up to kick Rosalie in the face.
Rosalie doesn’t drop her but her head snaps back with the kick. Natasha squirms as Rosalie drags her over her knee and the hand not gripping her collar grabs the waistband of Natasha’s jeans.
“No!” Natasha yells, squirming. But Rosalie is a soldier and she’s strong. Robin doesn’t make them strip for punishment. “Stop!”
“What are you doing?” Melina appears in the doorway. “Let go of her!”
“She--” Rosalie starts but Melina moves toward them.
“I don’t care, you don’t put hands on my kid!” Melina snaps and Rosalie lets Natasha go. Natasha scrambles to scurry to Melina’s side.
“She’s not your kid.” Rosalie replies calmly despite the fury in her eyes as she wipes a dribble of blood from her nose. “She’s a Widow and you need to get her in line.”
Rosalie spins around and storms out of the room. Natasha jolts as Melina’s hand clamps down onto her shoulder and she realizes that she’s still in trouble. “I want mama.” She tells Melina.
Melina lets out a long sigh. “I know.” She replies before marching Natasha upstairs to the guest bedroom. “I do too.”