Chapter 8
MJ is pretty used to just going with the flow when it comes to Yelena.
Yelena loves that about MJ. She calls her in the morning and explains the circumstances and MJ shows up an hour later with a packed bag. (it helps that Tony calls Mrs. Jones and makes an excuse about an SI project)
Yelena introduces MJ to Clint. Clint glances between the two of them holding hands and gives them a wide grin that Yelena doesn’t understand but MJ flips him off and tells him that if he says anything then she’ll gut him.
MJ is only touchy-feely with Yelena. Yelena is only touchy-feely with MJ and Natasha. Natasha is only touchy-feely with Yelena, Clint, sometimes Steve, and on the rare occasion Tony.
“Right. We’ll fly most of the way there and finish off with an hour or two in the car,” Clint tells them.
MJ hugs Natasha when she sees her, something that neither of them expected.
“You can’t leave again,” MJ declares, her face red when she pulls away as she realizes what she did. “I forbid it.”
“You forbid it?” Natasha’s lips quirked upward in amusement.
MJ nods her head. “Yup. Everybody was miserable when you were gone. So you are not allowed to get kidnapped again.”
“I’ll be sure to not get kidnapped again,” Natasha said and MJ grins up at her.
MJ has to end up sitting by Natasha as Yelena takes the co-pilot seat on the jet they use. Natasha was too injured so Yelena pulls the headset on and glances at Clint and grins.
The takeoff was easy and once they are steady in the air then MJ switches with Yelena so that she can go sit with Natasha.
Of course, MJ doesn’t know how to fly a plane. But Clint is all too happy to start to teach her.
Natasha leans against Yelena and the two descend into a comfortable quiet as Yelena gently cards her fingers through her sister's copper hair.
Neither of them speaks or move until MJ reappears to tell Yelena that they need to land. Yelena reluctantly peels away from her sister and joins Clint again in the cockpit to help him land.
There they transfer everything into a car. Yelena and MJ ride in the back, MJ stretched out and falling asleep against Yelena. Yelena curls up against the door, MJ’s head in her lap as she dozes.
Natasha twists in the passenger seat so that she can easily see Yelena in the back. Clint plays the radio on low and enjoys the comfortable quiet in the car.
MJ jerks awake halfway through the car ride. Yelena doesn’t hesitate to pull MJ close and whisper to her.
Yelena knows that MJ needs physical comfort after a nightmare. She’ll never reject Yelena because there is only one type of night terror that she has and that is the memory of the diner.
Yelena, however, has plenty of different night terrors. MJ had learned to make herself known and announce her presence and every touch before it happens.
“You guys okay?” Clint asked them after a few moments, attempting to give them some semblance of privacy by focusing on the road.
“Fine,” Yelena replies, MJ nearly in her lap from where they had become a tangle of limbs on the right side of the backseat. “Turn up the radio?”
Clint obeys, reaching out and turning up the radio as the station plays popular hits from the 90s.
The sun is just starting to set when they arrive at the farm. It takes a few moments for Yelena and MJ to untangle and straighten out.
Yelena lets out a small smile at the sight of the farm. MJ bumps her shoulder when she passes with her bag. Natasha grips Yelena’s hand as they approach the door.
Laura is welcome, giving everyone except her a big hug. Laura smiles at her and reaches out and sets a hand onto Yelena’s hair instead, knowing how Yelena felt about physical contact. Yelena smiles at her appreciatively.
They make their way into the kitchen where the kids are halfway through dinner and leave grease stains on Yelena’s pants as they clamber over their Auntie’s in their hellos. They’re introduced to MJ before they’re corralled back to the table to finish their food.
It’s a controlled kind of chaos that comforts Yelena. She has a general idea of what is expected of her while she is here. Laura heats up leftovers for them and the couch is made up for MJ to sleep on.
There is no fighting or meltdowns or panic attacks. The evening is peaceful and quiet.
Clint helps Natasha change her bandages while Yelena and MJ lounge on the couch and watch television.
Yelena feels like a teenager around MJ. The girl seems to know just how to pull out the playful side in Yelena. Her favorite thing to do was wack Yelena with a pillow whenever she wasn’t expecting it or chucking random things at Yelena just because she liked watching Yelena catch items without even looking.
“You have to teach me how to do that,” MJ had begged and Yelena had shrugged and smacked MJ in the face with a pillow in response.
Yelena turns in when Natasha does, saying her goodnights and ensuring that she quietly thanks Clint for the invite.
“I gave you a key, kid. You don’t need an invite to come here,” Clint tells her before sending her upstairs to bed.
Yelena curls up with Natasha in the guest bedroom and falls asleep.
She wakes up with absolutely no idea of where she is. She’s jumping out of the bed and halfway out of the bedroom when a hand grabs her shoulder and she twists to flip them.
“Yelena, no!”
Yelena pauses at her name as someone moves behind her.
“Yelena, it’s Michelle. MJ. Let Natasha go. She’s already hurt,” The person behind her says. “It’s okay. You’re safe. We’re at that farm. Clint’s house? Remember?”
No. She doesn’t remember. She can’t remember. “No.”
“Let her go, Belova…” MJ said and Yelena takes a deep breath before letting the person go. Natasha’s face swims into view and a pang of guilt hits Yelena.
She could have hurt her already injured sister even more.
“There we go. I’m going to place my hand onto your shoulder, okay?” MJ said moments before a hand is set onto Yelena’s left shoulder. Yelena turns to glance at MJ.
“I can’t remember how I got here,” Yelena whispers the confession, a blank space in her memory. All she remembers was sitting next to Clint in the co-pilot seat before she’s waking up at the Barton Farm.
“That’s okay,” Natasha finally speaks up and Yelena glances at her sister. “You’re safe. It’s just me and MJ.”
“What time is it?” Yelena reaches up to cover her face, horrified to find nearly ten hours of her memory gone when she gets a reply.
“I’m going to leave you with your sister, okay?” MJ tells her and Yelena nods, feeling MJ squeeze her shoulder before pulling away and heading back down the stairs.
“Come here,” Natasha pulls Yelena close and Yelena turns to press her face into the crook of Natasha’s neck.
“I’m sorry,” Yelena whispers.
“You didn’t hurt me,” Natasha said softly but Yelena shakes her head.
“I’m sorry that I can’t remember,” She amends, feeling Natasha run her hand over her hair.
“It’s okay,” Natasha said but Yelena knows that it’s not. It’s not okay to lose half of a day of memory.
“James told me that someone named Wakanda can help me,” Yelena whispers.
“Wakanda is a place, not a person,” Natasha corrects softly. “And they helped to get rid of the conditioning on Bucky…” She pauses. “I can see if they would be willing to help you. Is that something you want?”
“Anything.” Yelena just wants to stop having blank patches in her memory. She wants to get rid of waking up with no idea where she is or forgetting important conversations. “Please?”
Natasha presses her lips against Yelena’s forehead softly. “Of course. Anything for you, little one.”