Three minutes
Two weeks since the General’s visit left Robin hunched over the sink in the master bathroom, a pink box clutched in her fingers.
She had yet to take the pregnancy test. She couldn’t find the will to open the box. What if it came back positive?
Robin couldn’t carry his baby. She couldn’t be their handler and pregnant, it wouldn’t be allowed. She had sworn to herself that she would never have a child of her own because she refused to let an infant be held over her head by the General.
“My love?” Melina appears at Robin’s side, her hand cautiously stretching out to rest on Robin’s back. Her eyes flicker down to the box and she lets out a soft sigh. “Is it time?”
Robin swallows hard, glancing up at Melina. “I’m nervous.” She admits quietly. “What if…” She can’t pull the words from her mouth. They’re stuck clogged at the back of her throat.
Melina moves closer, gently pulling the box from Robin’s fingers to set it onto the sink so that she can take Robin’s hands in her own. “No matter what happens, no matter what the outcome is--” Melina moves forward to kiss Robin. “I love you.”
Robin inhales sharply, squeezing Melina’s hands gently. “I don’t--”
“Let’s take this one step at a time,” Melina brings Robin’s hands up to press a kiss to her knuckles. The action soothes Robin, a sense of love and peace washing over her.
No matter what, Melina was here.
Robin reaches toward the box, finally gathering the courage to open it. She looks over the instructions, her eyes scanning the page. “Three minutes.” She murmurs before looking down at the plastic stick in her hands.
She’s given plenty of pregnancy tests before, mainly to Widows who missed their periods as their date for their hysterectomy drew near. She’s never taken one herself. She’s never needed to.
“I’m right here.” Melina reminds Robin softly.
Robin ducks into the bathroom.
When she finishes, she sets the test onto the sink and glances at her watch.
Three minutes.
Melina doesn’t hesitate to wrap Robin back up in her hold. Robin lets out a soft sigh, stooping down to rest her head on Melina’s shoulder. Melina doesn’t hesitate to thread her fingers through Robin’s hair the way she knew Robin liked.
Robin curls her fingers into Melina’s shirt, inhaling her wife’s scent. It was just about a week until they were to be presented to the Red Room. Miguel had passed along a message that the General expected the girls to hurt and be hurt.
Melina hums quietly, the same song that Robin sang to their girls when they were upset. The song was a form of comfort and hearing it always comforted Robin in some weird way.
Robin doesn’t know why she chose it. Maybe because it was one of the few songs she knew or maybe because it was soft and slow.
The song is about a relationship slipping through the fingers despite how hard it’s being held onto. Perhaps Robin didn’t realize the meaning at the time or perhaps a part of her thought it ironic.
Robin thinks about what she would do if the test was positive. If it was then her whole ‘killing the General’ plan would be shot to shit. He’d know no matter how hard she tried to hide it or how secretive Rosalie was in picking her up things.
He’d know and he would make her pick. Her family or the unborn baby.
She doesn’t even know if the baby would be his. She doesn’t know who did what to her while she was unconscious. If the baby did indeed have General Dreykov’s blood in it then there was no doubt he would not let her get rid of it.
Robin could see him ripping her from this little family and shoving her into his. She could see little Antonia Dreykov being told she’d have a brother or a sister. This ultimate act would forever brand Robin as his, even more so than the name carved on her lower back.
“You’re getting lost in your head,” Melina’s voice is soft, her nails gently scratching at Robin’s scalp. “Come back to me, my love.”
Robin realizes she’s crying, salty tears rolling down her cheeks and wetting the collar of Melina’s shirt. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Melina pressed her lips against Robin’s temple. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Robin peers down at her watch, watching as the last thirteen seconds tick by before looking at the pregnancy test sitting on the counter. “It’s time.”
Robin dares to reach out and pick up the test, taking a deep breath before peering down at it.
One single pink line indicating that she was not pregnant.
The wave of relief that washed over her nearly made her knees buckle. “Negative.” She breathes out, letting Melina take the test from her to inspect it herself.
She wasn’t pregnant. Despite that, it didn’t mean that the General or his men didn’t assault her.
“Robin?” Melina checks in and Robin realizes that she’s spacing out again.
“Sorry.” Robin apologizes once more before shaking her head when she remembers Melina’s words. “I think I need to go lie down.” She admits.
“Go.” Melina urges and Robin presses a quick kiss to her lips before heading back into the master bedroom and climbing under the covers. After a brief moment of deliberation, she pulls the covers up over her head and curls up into a tight ball.
Robin closed her eyes, her hands cradling her stomach as she gets lost in her thoughts again.
She only comes back out of her head when she becomes aware that there is a small figure standing just beside the bed shifting impatiently from foot to foot.
Robin peels the sheets back far enough to see Yelena standing there. Yelena perks up when she sees Robin’s face.
“Mommy said you weren’t feelin’ good. I’m not s'posed to be here but I wanted to see you,” Yelena rocks on her feet, looking up at Robin anxiously. “You sick, mama?”
“I’m not sick,” Robin holds out her arms and Yelena doesn’t hesitate to scale the side of the bed to flop into Robin’s hold. “Just a little tired.”
Yelena sits on Robin’s stomach, peering down at her. “You taking a nap?”
“I was,” Robin says, reaching up to poke at a ticklish spot on her baby’s side.
“That tickles, mama!” Yelena squeals, slapping at Robin’s hand.
“Oh?” Robin feigns surprise. “What about here?” She wiggles her fingers against another ticklish spot and Yelena squirms.
“That too!” She giggles, gripping Robin’s wrists. “Mama, stop!”
Robin does, instead tugging Yelena down to pepper her face with kisses. The sound of Yelena’s giggles never fails to soothe Robin’s nerves like a balm to her soul. No matter the pressure, fear, or uncertainty she felt, Yelena’s innocent laughter made everything feel like it was going to be okay.
“That’s a lotta kisses, mama,” Yelena grins down at her, squirming closer to Robin and tucking her head against the tall woman’s collar.
“Well, I got a lot of love to give my baby,” Robin replies, snuggling Yelena close. “I love you a bajillion and one.”
Yelena lets out a huff. “Well, I love you a bajillion and one too, so there.”
“I wasn’t aware this was a competition,” Robin chuckles as she rubs the girl’s back.
Robin was just fine with Yelena being her baby. She didn’t need one of her own. She had everyone she needed in her little family.
Yelena’s thumb moves toward her lips as she settles down against Robin. Robin once against grasps her hand in hers, bringing Yelena’s fingers up to her mouth to press a kiss to them instead.
One week. One week until Yelena may lose her childish giggle. One week until they are all slapped with the fact that this wasn’t real.
Robin and Melina weren’t actually married, they weren’t actually parents, Natasha and Yelena weren’t actually sisters. This whole thing was just a sham.
But no matter how hard anyone tried to tell Robin that, no matter how many times General Dreykov would remind them of that, Robin would remind them of the opposite.
Melina may not be her actual wife but Robin loved her more than anything and wouldn’t hesitate to marry her if she had the chance. Yelena and Natasha may not be hers by blood but they were her daughters.
This family might be fake but it’s hers.