Chapter 29
The farm looks exactly like it had the last time that Yelena had visited except now where were Widows wandering about the property.
Yelena can spot Toni easily. Mainly because she’s still wearing the Taskmaster’s helmet and there’s not a single widow within ten feet of her.
Yelena sets on lightly jogging ahead of Natasha as they approach. “Toni!”
Toni’s head jerks up moments before Yelena leaps to wrap her limbs around Toni. Toni catches her, even if she flinches at the sudden action. But Yelena wraps her arms and legs around her and gives her a tight hug because Yelena remembers just how much she needed one last time.
The tension in Toni’s body slowly drains out and Yelena reaches to the latches on the Taskmaster helmet. “Can I see your face, please?”
Toni doesn’t reply for a few moments and Yelena doesn’t pull the helmet off without her consent. Finally, there is the slight tilt of Toni’s head and Yelena undoes the helmet before pulling it off.
Toni’s face is blank and cold but her eyes hold a softness in them that Yelena doesn’t think many people see.
Yelena lets Toni go and pulls the helmet onto her own head, glancing up at Toni. “What do you think? This would make a rocking motorcycle helmet.”
The edges of Toni’s lips quirk up as Yelena glances around to take in everything that was now tinted red.
“Your helmet is cool,” Yelena said before pulling it off and holding it back out to Toni. “But I like seeing your face better.”
Toni blinks down at her in surprise, her fingers moving up to brush against the scarring on her face from burns that had long since healed.
Yelena reaches up to gently grip her wrist and pull it away from her face. “I like the Taskmaster helmet but I like your face more.” Yelena smiles at her.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Toni tells her, and Yelena shrugs.
“Natasha called ahead to Melina,” Yelena shrugs it off.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Toni pulls the helmet back onto her face.
“What? Why not?” Yelena feels a stab of rejection but manages to keep it out of her tone.
“You didn’t want to see Melina. You told me how she hurt you. She can hurt you again,” Toni shakes her head before sighing. “I’m glad to see you.”
“Guess what!” The reminder of part of the reason she was here pops up. “I had help getting rid of my trigger words!”
While it’s hard to read facial expressions behind a helmet, Toni’s body language tells her that she’s surprised. “Really?”
Yelena nods her head. “They’re gone. Nobody can put me back under with just a few words.”
Toni’s arms wrap around her and pull her close, and while the action was unexpected, it wasn’t unwelcome. Yelena wraps her arms around Toni.
“I’m happy for you,” Toni tells her softly.
Yelena pulls away after a few moments. While she’s really glad to see Toni, the reminder of what she came here to do saps the excitement from her. “I need to speak with Melina.”
“You should wait for your sister,” Toni comments and Yelena glances behind her to where Natasha had been following her only to see her sister engaged in conversation with one of the Widows that they had saved.
“I wouldn’t dream of not waiting. I had to promise to stay where she can see me,” Yelena reassures Toni. “How are things here?”
Toni sags tiredly. “The same. We have saved Widows who ran after hearing my name.”
“You’re not your father,” Yelena leans against her side and Toni leans into the touch. It makes Yelena wonder who is giving these Widows the kind touches that they need. “You’re Toni.”
“That doesn’t matter to them,” Toni shakes her head slowly. “I’m a Dreykov and that’s all I’ll ever be.”
“When’s the last time you were hugged?” Yelena decides to just go straight for the question.
“You are the only person who touches me more than necessary,” Toni tells her. “Other than Natasha once on the day the Red Room fell.”
Yelena thought that a large part of her own successes in learning to become more than an object of the Red Room was how Natasha got her used to touches. Yelena could be calmed down with kind touches from those she trusted.
“You should think about coming back to the tower with me and Natasha,” Yelena said, reaching her hand up to grip Toni’s. “There’s a man there named Anthony but he goes by Tony. Kinda like you.”
“I’m unsure if they would welcome me,” Toni said quietly as Natasha pulls away from the conversation with the other Widows.
“Why wouldn’t they? They all have had shitty things done to them. They don’t blame me for the things I’ve done. They don’t blame Natasha. They welcomed me with open arms,” Yelena squeezed Toni’s hand before letting it go. “I’m just saying. Think about it.”
“Ready to head inside, little one?” Natasha drapes a protective arm over Yelena’s shoulders.
“Better now than never,” Yelena shrugs, leaning into her sister’s touch as they head up the rest of the pathway to the house.
“Girls, you have come to visit!” Alexei booms and moves to sweep them into a bone-crushing hug. Yelena’s immediate reflex was to tense up and brace herself.
Toni steps between them, grabbing Alexei’s arm before he touches them.
“No touching,” Natasha tells him firmly, her hand rubbing Yelena’s arm gently. “Where’s Melina?”
Alexei frowns. “She is in her lab. Can I not hug my daughters?”
“I’m not even going to grace that with an answer,” Natasha tugs Yelena around Toni. “Where’s the lab?”
“Melina doesn’t like people interrupting her,” Alexei shakes his head. “Come, come. We can catch up while she finishes.”
“Can we look at the photo albums?” Yelena interrupts Alexei before he can go off on some story recapturing his Red Guardian days.
Alexei grins and nods his head, leading them into the living room. Yelena finds them neatly lined up on a bookshelf along with some other books and journals.
Yelena carefully pulls one off the shelf and flips it open to the first page.
The conversation in the background turns to muted chatter as Yelena slips through each page slowly, raking her eyes over the photographs. Natasha was in her late teens for the mission in Ohio and Yelena had always thought that Natasha was a grumpy teenager.
Natasha had very few genuine smiles in the photographs before her. Not like the grinning Natasha that Yelena had photographs of back at the tower. The Natasha in these photographs was cautious and hesitant, her face always looking surprised or displeased.
Yelena frowns slightly. She remembered things differently. She remembers looking at the photographs when she was little and seeing Natasha smile.
That was before Yelena learned about wearing masks and reading facial expressions.
“You’re here.”
Melina’s voice made Yelena jump. She was so engrossed in the photographs that she hadn’t heard anyone approaching.
“Ah, Melina, my love,” Alexei plants a kiss to her cheek. “Our girls have returned to us!”
Melina inclines her head, glancing at Natasha. “You said that you needed to talk.”
“I did,” Natasha moves toward Yelena to wrap an arm around her. “Have someplace quiet where we can talk where there will be no prying ears?”
“You’re asking too much in a house of spies,” Melina tuts but she turns to lead them. Yelena tugs the photo album under one arm and follows after her, tucking herself against Natasha’s side.