A bajillion and one
Robin doesn’t sleep that night. She keeps an eye on her girls and an ear out for danger.
Her focus was mainly on Yelena. Yelena had fallen asleep with her thumb in her mouth and was drooling onto Melina’s shoulder. Robin was going to have to break that habit and it was going to be hard.
She thinks of the other things she’d have to introduce to Yelena. Swats. Knives. Guns. Yelena was only four but Robin had to prepare her the best she could for the ‘summer showcase’ they had in less than a month.
Yelena looked so young when she was asleep. She reminds Robin of the sleeping toddler that was pushed into her arms nearly a year ago.
The next month was going to be hell and Robin wasn’t looking forward to it.
As they get ready to head back home the next day, Rosalie pulls Robin aside and pushes a small box into her hands.
Robin looks down to see the morning after pill she had asked Rosalie to procure. “Thank you.” She breathes out.
Rosalie shuffles in place before pulling out another box and shoving it at Robin. “Just in case.” She said.
Robin’s heart skips a beat when she looks down at the box for a pregnancy test. Staring down at it made her feel sick. “Thank you.” She murmurs, tucking the box into her pocket. “I mean it.”
“Was it Dreykov?” Rosalie asked Robin quietly, causing the tall woman to suck in a sharp breath.
“I don’t know.” She finally admits, her voice quiet.
Rosalie reached out, hesitating before setting a hand onto Robin’s shoulder. Robin is reminded of all the time she snapped at Rosalie to not touch her but decides to let her for the moment. “Things get too bad… I have the connections. I can’t help you or your wife but I can take the kids.”
Robin considers the implication of the statement. Handing her kids over to Rosalie and Hydra. “What would you want in return?”
“I need your favor as Dreykov’s favorite doctor,” Rosalie tells Robin. “If I have to take them then I need an in with him.”
Robin supposes that’s fair. It would probably get her killed for it but in exchange for the safety of her children… “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Rosalie.”
Rosalie gives her a curt nod, briefly squeezing her shoulder before stepping away.
As soon as Robin arrives home, she takes the pill. Yelena spares no time in finding her in the kitchen, hunched over the sink.
“Mama!” Yelena wraps her arms around her legs. “Come play with me?”
Robin pulls away from the sink, scooping Yelena up and peppering her face with kisses. “I would love to play with you, baby.” She could allow herself this time to speak with Yelena about what was coming up.
Yelena giggles, squishing Robin’s cheeks between her hands. “That tickles, mama!” She declares before smacking her own kiss onto Robin’s nose.
Robin will mourn the day that Yelena loses this childishness and naivety.
“What shall we play with, hmm?” Robin carries Yelena out of the kitchen and upstairs. She can hear Melina in Natasha’s room talking to her. Robin doesn’t interrupt them, carrying Yelena into her room.
“Play blocks, mama,” Yelena darts toward the basket of blocks as soon as Robin sets her down. She drags them out, dumping them all out on the carpet until the ones with the Russian alphabet mix with the English alphabet ones.
Robin lowers herself to her knees as Yelena starts to sift through the blocks. She’s content to stack blocks and build castles with Yelena for a little bit before approaching the subject. “Yelena?”
Yelena pauses, peering up at Robin.
“You know when Mommy and Natasha have competitions on the weekend when they see who can score more?” Robin questioned. Yelena nods her head, setting down another block.
“Mommy almost always wins,” Yelena says. “But I always cheer for Nattie.”
“That’s right,” Robin inclines her head. “You’re a big girl now. In fact, I think you’re big enough to join in on them too.”
Yelena’s face lights up. “I can join?” She questioned before screwing her face up in confusion. “But they use knives. I’m not supposed to use knives, mama.”
“That’s right. Knives and guns are dangerous and I told you never ever to touch them without my permission, right?” Robin sits up and pats her lap. “Come here.”
Yelena stands and wanders around the half-finished castle, a block still clutched in her hand. She eagerly climbs into Robin’s lap, letting the tall woman cradle her against her chest.
“Natasha was your age when she learned how to use them,” Robin says, nuzzling her nose against Yelena’s. “But you cannot tell anybody that you’re learning. It’s a secret.”
“Secret?” Yelena repeats, bringing a finger up to her lips.
“A secret. Only you, me, mommy, and Natasha can know. Okay?” Robin questioned. “Nobody else. Not your friends at daycare, not your teachers, not even the neighbors.”
“What about Aunt Rosalie?” Yelena asked, running her thumb along the letter carved into the block in her hand.
“You can tell Aunt Rosalie. But that’s it,” Robin says. “Do you understand?”
“Yes mama,” Yelena bobs her head in a nod.
“And you must never touch them without me or your mommy there,” Robin continues, swaying Yelena to keep her attention. “Okay?”
“Okay, mama,” Yelena nods again.
“Now, what did I just tell you?” Robin questioned to ensure that Yelena was listening.
“I can’t tell nobody but Aunt Rosalie,” Yelena parrots. “And I’m not supposed to touch the dangerous things without you or mommy.” She then peers up at Robin for approval.
“Atta girl,” Robin pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Yelena squirms in delight at the praise. “You’re also going to start big kid school with Natasha in the fall.”
“I get to go to school with Nattie?” Yelena perks up with a smile.
“You’ll go to the same school but not in the same class,” Robin corrects, letting Yelena climb out of her lap to keep building her castle.
Yelena lets out a hum, continuing to stack blocks.
“Do you have any questions?” Robin asked and Yelena barely even glances at her as she asked it.
“Where’s my daddy?” She stacks another block. Robin nearly chokes on her own spit at the question.
“Why do you ask that?” Robin inquired calmly.
“None of my friends have two mommies,” Yelena knocks her castle down with a huff. “Danny says that having two mommies was disgusting so I pushed him in the mud.”
“Well…” Robin wonders if she should tell Yelena the truth about where she came from. “Do you remember where you lived before you came to live with me and mommy?” Robin eyes Yelena as the girl starts to sort the blocks alphabetically again.
“Before the bad man?” Yelena asked, focusing intensely on stacking the blocks alphabetically.
“Before,” Robin clarifies.
“I lived with other little girls who didn’t have mommies and daddies. Then one day the bad man came and I woke up with you,” Yelena finally peers up Robin.
“Well, you were given to me and mommy to love and help you grow up,” Robin says carefully, ensuring that she doesn’t lie. “You don’t have a daddy, instead you have two mommies.”
Yelena lets out a grunt, finally abandoning her blocks once again to climb into Robin’s lap again. “I don’t need a daddy. I got you and mommy.” She grins up at Robin.
“Yes, you do,” Robin pressed a wet kiss to Yelena’s cheek, smacking her lips to elicit the giggles that she loved hearing from Yelena’s mouth. “Me and mommy love you very much. You know how much?”
“How much?” Yelena grins widely.
Robin holds her arms out wide. “Thiiiiiiis much!”
“I love you this much!” Yelena also spreads her arms out. “Time a bajillion!”
“A bajillion?” Robin gasps. “That’s a lot of love.”
“Gotta lot of love,” Yelena bobs her head in an eager nod.
“Well, I love you a bajillion and one,” Robin retorts, tapping her finger against Yelena’s nose.
Yelena levels Robin with a stare. “That’s not a number, mama.” She informs her.
Robin can’t help but chuckle, the anxiety and panic of the previous day fading some as she spends her time with her youngest baby.