Chapter 30
Melina takes Yelena and Natasha upstairs. As they’re moving down the hallway, Yelena paused in front of one of the doors as a memory hits her. She stands in front of what was once the bedroom that she and Natasha had shared.
She had spilled cherry kool-aid on the carpet once when she was four and wonders if the stain is still in the carpet. She was staring at the door, just letting the memory wash over her when Natasha’s hand moves to cup one side of her face and tugs her head to look at her instead of the dor.
“Yelena?” Natasha asked softly. “Where did you go?” She slides her fingers over Yelena’s hair.
“Just remembered something,” Yelena murmurs softly, glancing back at the door. “Sorry.”
“No need to be sorry,” Natasha wraps an arm around her to gently guide her away from the door. Melina had stopped six feet away, watching them carefully.
The three of them continue on down the hallway until they stop in front of what Yelena knew as the ‘KEEP OUT’ room. Yelena had been told as a child to never ever go in there unless it was an emergency. She never had and what lay behind the door had been a mystery until now.
The walls are lined with weapons and equipment. There’s a monitoring system and security measures along one wall, showing cameras that watch the property.
“Alright. You wanted to talk,” Melina closed the door behind them before moving further into the room.
“Do you have my birth certificate?” Yelena blurts. “Like, the one that was made for you adopting me?”
Melina inclines her head, moving toward a filing cabinet tucked in the corner. She enters a code before pulling a drawer open and sifting through the files before pulling out a piece of paper and holding it out to her.
Yelena reaches out to take it, her eyes glancing over the page. Her breath catches in her throat. “I have a middle name?”
She hadn’t known she had a middle name. She just assumed that she was never given one.
“Fyodorovna?” Natasha reads the middle name out from over Yelena’s shoulder.
“Did you really not know your middle name?” Melina raised an eyebrow. “I used to call you by your full name when you were in trouble as a child.”
Yelena doesn’t remember that. She brushed her thumb over the name stamped in ink. “I just thought my name was Yelena Belova…” She said quietly. “Yelena Fyodorovna Belova.” She whispers her full name under her breath.
“Why did you ask for your birth certificate?” Melina questioned, closing the filing cabinet before folding her arms.
Yelena is jerked out of her thoughts at the question, tearing her eyes away from the paper. “I want you to unadopt me.”
Melina raised an eyebrow before letting out a small huff of laughter. “That’s not a thing.”
Yelena feels belittled at the laugh. “It is.”
“You’re still a minor. I can’t just give up guardianship of you,” Melina shakes her head, shifting to reach for the paper.
Yelena jerks the paper up to her chest. “This is mine!”
“I’ve held onto it for the past thirteen years,” Melina frowns.
“Let’s get back on track,” Natasha interrupts, her hand reaching out to gently give Yelena’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Yelena wants you to surrender guardianship of her over to me.”
Melina glances between them. “I seem to remember that we’ve already had a talk like this. You’re not ready to take care of a child, let alone a Widow.”
“You knew me for a grand total of three years when I was a teenager. You don’t know what I can and cannot do,” Natasha replies steadily, tilting her head to the side. “I’m only here because Yelena wanted this.”
Melina turns her gaze to Yelena. “You’re putting too much faith in her. She’s on the run from the government.”
“You say that like you’re not,” Yelena retorts, shifting to subtly lean into her sister’s touch. “I know what I want. I want this.”
Melina’s eyes flicker between staring at Yelena or looking over Natasha. “I’ve missed you.” She said instead, her gaze set on Yelena. “I’ve been worried.”
“You don’t get to miss me. You don’t get to worry. You did horrible things to me,” Yelena points a finger at her. “Well, guess what? You can’t do it again. I got rid of the triggers.”
Melina shakes her head. “That’s not possible.” She insists.
“Then try it,” Yelena dares her, feeling Natasha’s grip on her shoulder tighten as a warning.
Melina does. “Broken. Ballet. Handcuff…” She runs down the list of trigger words. Yelena gets stiff and tries to keep in the present as she shoves off the panic that threatens her. Melina finally prompts. “Widow?”
Yelena takes a deep breath, giving her a shaky grin. “See?” She reaches her hand up to wiggle her fingers. “All gone.”
Melina reaches out as if to touch her face but Yelena shrinks away and Natasha intervenes, grabbing the hand.
“How did you do it?” Melina demands, looking at her with fascination.
“Sign guardianship over and I’ll tell you,” Yelena barters, holding her gaze.
“Tell me and I’ll talk with Alexei about it,” Melina offers instead.
Yelena lets out a huff. “Talking with him isn’t the same thing as saying yes. Sign guardianship over and I’ll tell you.”
Melina pursed her lips and it was obvious she knew there was no budging on this. “I don’t agree with this.”
“I know. You’ve made your preference quite clear to me,” Yelena folds her arms. “But why can’t you just let me be happy?”
“Of course I want you happy,” Melina frowns, reaching out once again. Natasha moves to intercept her but Yelena stops her, wanting to see what Melina would do.
She didn’t expect Melina to cup her face just like when she was six and upset, gently dragging her thumbs over Yelena’s cheeks. “I’m sorry for the way that things have turned out,” Melina said quietly.
Yelena’s eyes meet hers. “You’ve hurt me.”
“I know. I never wanted to hurt you,” Melina said, her voice soft as her thumbs stroke Yelena’s cheeks. “I never wanted things to go so far with you.”
“You took my control away from me. You have no idea what that feels like,” Yelena said, managing to keep her tone steady. “You don’t know what they did to me.”
“I don’t,” Melina’s hand moves to brush a strand of hair out of Yelena’s face. “I have made many mistakes when it comes to you and it pains me to admit that I lost you long ago.”
“Was I ever even yours to begin with?” Yelena questioned quietly and Melina’s face crumples slightly.
“No… perhaps not. But you could have been. You could have been mine,” Melina drags a deep breath in. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“But you did. You keep hurting me and never once have you even acknowledged it or apologized,” Yelena’s vision blurs with tears so she looks down at her feet to avoid looking at Melina. “I want to stay with Natasha.”
“I know…” Melina lets out a long sigh and gently tugs Yelena closer. Yelena sniffles, her breath hitching as the dam inside cracks. Melina wraps her arms around her gently and Yelena is enveloped in the scent of what was once her mama. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, my little lightning bug.”
Yelena cries. She mourns the loss of a mother she wasn’t sure she ever truly had.
Melina holds her while she sobs. She doesn’t whisper softly or rock her like Natasha does but she holds her close and strokes her thumb over Yelena’s face as if memorizing each new scar and mark that wasn’t there when she was six.
When Yelena stopped audibly sobbing, Melina gently transfers Yelena into Natasha’s hold. Natasha sways and kisses the bridge of her nose before nuzzling her nose against the top of Yelena’s head.
“Do you have the papers?” Melina glances away after clearing her throat.
“Papers?” Yelena echoes, reaching up to wipe at her face.
“For the guardianship transfer,” Melina clarifies and Yelena’s heart skipped a beat.
“I didn’t know if you were gonna say yes,” Yelena admits in a tiny voice as she curls into her sister. “I don’t have them.”
Melina lets out a hum. “I’ll talk with Alexei.” She said.
Yelena feels like collapsing in relief. She had imagined so many things going wrong. “Thank you…”
Melina gives a curt nod. “Well… if there is nothing else…” She glances at the door and Yelena understands the dismissal.
Natasha leads Yelena out of the room and down to the bathroom for privacy.
“Are you okay?” Natasha asked her softly, her hands cupping Yelena’s face to look her over.
“Yeah,” And Yelena was. She was okay.