The Product

He watched her, one eyebrow raised as a concession. "Do you want sugar?"

"Black is fine." She looked better, still a bit pale, because Kudrin's serum just wasn't as good. But better. There were no dark circles, no shallow, gasping breaths. "What is the play?" 

"We need to get the kids out of the city." Yelena commented. "Problem is, we're traveling with someone who everyone will know." She barely moved her head to indicate Sam. 

"We can use that." He holstered his gun. "Do you have one of the projectors?"

"Mhmmm." Yelena eyed him. "It's keyed to me." 

"Can you extend it to look like two people?" He asked. "You leave with him, looking like two kids."

"But where will the kids actually go? If we can hold a few days-"

"We can't." He shook his head. "There's no way we can. This building is full of civilians - full, Yelena, I'm not accepting them as collateral damage." 
 

Yelena grunted, arms crossed. "Why do I need to go with the American?"

"I trust him." He retorted. "And they will expect Marina to go with us."

Yelena grumbled again and Marina turned to look at Sam, still cradling the cup with the remains of his coffee. The entire planning session had been in Russian, and neither of the women seemed inclined to switch to a language understood by everyone there - it was probably kinder for the children to not be included in the debate. 

Sam was watching them, arms crossed, not looking impressed. "Oh, am I going to be part of the conversation now? Not just ex-russian spies?" 

Both women turned to look at him, clearly unimpressed. 

"He grows on you." He said, slowly. "All eyes are going to be on him."

"Like mold." Yelena muttered under her breath. 

"And nobody will be watching us slip out the back." Marina sighed, closing her eyes. "Evan can't follow us."

"I don't intend for either of them to be moving under their own power. Dose them with sedatives, I can carry both of their weight." He explains. 

He's not prone to gestures in Russian, there's something only Americans bring out in him. With the widows, his expressions are limited and his tone is level. 

Yelena wrinkled her nose. "I'll do it."

"Do we have to sedate them?" Marina asked, voice slightly wistful. 

"I can't risk them moving around, throwing my balance. It's too dangerous with as fast as we'll be moving." He's inclined to be sympathetic - he doesn't want to sedate the children either. 

But he knows that sentiment won't help. 

"Is it safe to retreat to your mother?" Marina asked, voice soft. 

"The active widows are there. We'll be safe." Yelena knew more about that than he did, but he trusted her judgement. 

Ross was going to be looking for him as soon as he did this, there was no way around it. But he couldn't let this happen. 

Evan and Becca were his. 

"So we agree?" He asked. 

A breath, Marina's shoulders rose and fell with the force of it. She downed the rest of the coffee. "When do we start?" 

He would need to start by explaining the play to Sam, but he didn't mention that. "Eat. It might be a few days before we can again."

She hummed, and walked the few steps to the kitchen. 

"I'll start programming the net." Yelena stated, breaking away. 

He turned to Sam, sighing. "So."

"So." Sam's voice was level, slightly irritated. 

He grimaced. "Sorry. They're paranoid."

"Uh huh. Because you trust everyone." 

He found a point on the wall, sighed, and crossed his own arms.