Chapter 1
‘Russia’ Tony sighs ‘oh all places to run out of fuel why did it have to be Russia?’ he looks over to where Clint is desperately searching for a town, or a safehouse near their jet they could afford to fly to
‘I mean it could have been….Belarus, or Jamaica-we could do with some sun, or maybe even Alaska, that’s pretty-but why the hell RUSSIA?’ hes about to go off on another rant when a knife flies at his head and sticks in the quintet wall about a millimetre left of his ear
‘I thought that would shut you up’ Nat grins
‘ahhh you’re over your motherland, aren’t you happy little red? this is home’ he gestures to the land below them and another knife lands on the wall to the right of his ear
‘Tony, I think they want peace’ Steve stands up and walks over to where the two SHEILD agents are busy in the cockpit ‘you either help or you sit in the back’ he points to where Bruce and Thor are playing tick tack tow on a scrap of mission report paper (yes Maria will kill them, but apparently if they blame Nat she’ll drop it)
‘alright Mr America’ he salutes jokingly ‘just don’t kill us or drop us in a field full of Russian spies’
‘well I cant promise you that’ Natasha murmurs under her breath, finally plugging in a coordinate and pulling out her phone
‘im brining some guests home to crash. Pls tell mama’ she types out and sends quickly, almost immediately theres a message
Blondie 2.0 TM
Is it Maria?
Pls say its Maria?
I swear I prefer your gf over you
Ew your gf
That’s gross to think about you and maria
Oh no eww ewwww MENTAL IIMAGES HELP IM SCARRED
Natasha rolls her eyes at the screen
Little Red Riding Hood
yelena be serious
I’m landing in 10
Blondie 2.0 TM
Allright ill tell mama
Little Red Riding Hood
Thank you
Blondie 2.0 TM
You owe me one though
Little Red Riding Hood
I didn’t tell Mama you got stabbed last Thursday
Blondie 2.0 TM
Suchka.
Fine.
I still prefer Maria
she promised to teach me how to play bass guitar
‘we’re going to be deafened next time you and Maria come over’ Nat snorts, showing the text chain to clint who snorts
‘allready am, keep up’ he deadpans, rolling his eyes ‘I have never been more grateful to be able to turn off my ability to hear’ he laughs a bit then looks over to where Natasha has taken over landing of the quinjet, taking it down to land in a grassy field
‘are you sure about this Nat, I mean, they know you have your secrets, but I think they were thinking more literal skeletons in your closet, not you know…’
‘me in the closet with a full on adopted family in Russia’ she asks, raising her eyebrows
‘well if you put it like that… yes’ Clint look nervous, but Natasha just stands up stretches and pats him on the head
‘It’ll be fine BirdBrain, just don’t get into a drinking competition with papa this time’
Then the wheels bump down onto the land and the jet cloaks, Nat opening the ramp and starting to walk out into the fresh, cold air
‘well hurry up then’ she says over her shoulder, watching the other avengers nervously look around
‘when Tony said please don’t drop us in a field full of Russian spies I don’t think he was joking’ Bruce hesitates at the bottom of the ramp as Thor strides past him
‘well I hope you don’t die small Midgardians-it has been an honor to fight with you’ and then his hammers up and hes gone, burning a mark into the grass what makes Nat frown
‘mamas gunna hate him’
‘what was that?’ Tony sneaks up behind her ‘whatcha say’
‘doesn’t matter Stark-lets get walking’
‘walking’ Steve asks ‘do we even have a destination?’
‘yep’ Clint pops his p
‘where?’ Bruce asks, following Nat as she strides off to the left
‘home’ Nat allows herself a small smile and ignores the shouts of her teammates behind her, allowing her feet to walk the way she knows so well. The sun sets behind them as they walk and its almost dark when Nat suddenly throws out a hand
‘hold it’ she orders and Steve stops, Tony walks into the super soldier, then Bruce walks into the billionaire, then Clint walks into the scientist.
Then Steve leaps back as a huge bazooka is aimed at his chest and the others crash to the ground
‘hands up or ill see how pretty the twilight is through the middle of your chest’ an accented Russian voice says slowly and Steve honest to god trembles as the others clamber up behind him
‘Ma’am, hi, I am so sorry, please don’t hurt us, we come in peace’ he stammers out and Natasha laughs, Melina instantly recognizes the sound and spins around
‘my big girl’ the calls and natasha hugs her tightly
‘mama, im home’
‘mm… finally’ Melina whispers into her hair, then hold her at arm’s length and looks over her
‘you look peaky-its that stupid American food, come, come Yelena made some borkst’ then Natasha is pushed in the small of the back though the gates and towards the little farm house
‘hang on lady’ tony calls, stepping forward and finding himself face to face with the barrel of a gun
‘okay then, excuse me ma’am’ he tries again ‘Nat told us we could stay here, if that aright’
‘you can stay with the pigs’ Melina smirks ‘except him’ she points at Clint ‘hes with Nat’
She steps to the side and looks past the men
‘where Maria, isn’t she coming?’ she looks, confused at her daughter
‘no mama, Maria’s working, we got cut off on a mission, ran out of fuel a few miles out’
Melina smiles softly ‘you’re just like your father, no planning ahead, just hope it works out. This is why you ned Maria, invite her around again, she is always welcome here’
‘masha knows that’ Natasha says in undertones, leaning towards her mother, then nodding at the men
‘they don’t know’
‘they don’t know? How much’ Melina tils her head at Nat like a curious cat ‘how much haven’t you told them?’
‘everything. They don’t know about me, or maria, or even that theres an Us when it comes to her and I, its complicated, but its okay, everyone that needs to know knows’ she assures her mother who nods and looks over to where Bruce has started sniffing
‘Americans are so weak’ she sighs, taking him by the arm ‘fine. come into the warm’
‘t…thank you ma’am’ he stammers out
‘none of that’ Melina says slightly ‘you are friends of Natasha, and friends of Natasha are always welcome here. Call me Melina’
‘thank you Melina’ Steve adds politely, following her down the path and into the small glass porch
‘thank you mama’ Natasha adds at full volume and Tony walks into the wall
‘MAMA?!?!’
***
‘Here sit on the sofa and try not to faint’ Natasha shoves Tony down onto the sofa as he turns bright red
‘IM SORRY MAMA’ he squawks again and Steve nods violently
‘whats going on Nat’
‘I thought you didn’t have a family, you said your mother was dead’
‘she is’ Natasha shrugs ‘but this is my…’
‘adoptive mother? foster mother?’ Melina supplies ‘random old lady she adopted as a food giver and weapons fence?’
‘yeah that’ Natasha grins slightly as the others’ minds whirl with this information
‘have you told Yelena you’re coming im sure shed be down if she knew’ Melina asks Nat and Steve speaks up
‘whose Yelena?’
‘yelena is…’ Natasha struggles to find the words when suddenly above them theres a loud crashed, then a small earthquake seems to shake the house as someone crashes down the stairs
‘SESTRA’ a voice yells and a bundle of blanket throws themselves on Natasha
‘Lena’ Natasha stumbles back ‘you’re squashing me’
‘suck it up bitch, this is what you get when you haven’t come over in weeks’ the blanket enveloping natasha squeezes her tighter and Natasha goes red
‘im serious you’re going to kill me’
‘perish’ the voice says moodily
‘yelena.’
‘natasha.’ the voice mimics
‘Maria wont come and visit if you kill me’ Natasha finally argues and is released
‘ouch, you really went there’ the blanket moves back to reveal a young women, her blonde hair tousled and growing out darker at the roots in a pair of huge jeans tied with string at the wait and something that looks suspiciously like a Black Widow merch hoodie
‘just think of it on your grave stone: Black Widow-killed by her little baby sister hugging her’ Yelena chortles
‘that would be funny’ Clint snorts and fist bumps Yelena
‘ahh Barton, my….’ She winces, thinking ‘5th favourite American’
The archer gasps dramatically ‘5th? I mean that little to you’
‘yes’ Yelena blinks
‘I’m 1?’ Nat asks with a grins
‘nope. Maria, then you, then Kate Bishop, then Taylor Swift, then Clint’
‘acceptable’ Clint nods ‘im under the Queen herself’
‘exactly’ Yelena nods as Natasha replies
‘Maria’s Canadian’
‘whose this Maria?’ tony asks
‘yeah, why do you keep mentioning this person?’ Bruce adds
‘Is she another sister?’ Steve looks at Nat who turns slightly pale
‘ohhhh’ Yelena eyes light up ‘you don’t know? Well-’ Melina slams a hand over her mouth and pushes her firmly up the first couple of stairs
‘quiet child, go and get your father-tell him we have guests’
‘fine’ Yelena groans, then looks at Steve and grins ‘he’s going to pulverise you’