Fixer Upper

   Yelena let out a contented groan, resting her hand on her stomach as she looked toward the television at the movie that she currently had playing.

   She and Natasha had come to the compound for Natasha to work on something. After offering her help and Natasha sweetly telling her that she could just hang back and relax, Yelena had very happily settled down on the couch to look at the recorded movies and put something on for her to enjoy.

   “Yelena! Just the person I wanted to see,” Kate’s voice spoke up.

   Well, so much for relaxing in peace…

   Yelena furrowed her brow, moving her head back as she looked at Kate upside down from where she was approaching not too far away. Yelena groaned, moving her head back upright as she waited for Kate to approach more closely.

   Kate moved so that she was in front of the couch and conveniently between Yelena and her line of sight toward the television. Yelena looked at her, taking in the sight of the kid before her.

   As soon as she looked at her, she realized that Kate was standing there far too hopefully. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she looked slightly out of breath as if she had been in a hurry.

   Yelena instantly knew that Kate absolutely had to be wanting something from her. However, Yelena was in a terribly lazy sort of mood, and she was most certainly not loving the notion of getting up unless it was for the sake of food or Natasha.

  “Whatever you’re going to ask, the answer is no,” Yelena headed her off.

   Instantly, Kate lost her hopeful look and had something that was a bit more pleading in her eyes. Kate just sighed, shaking her head as she tried to convince Yelena of something that she had not even introduced the idea of.

   “Look, hear me out, okay? I need a ride,” Kate expressed, and Yelena groaned languidly.

   “And? Why don’t you ask Natasha?” Yelena questioned, and Kate shrugged with a bit of a frown on her face.

   “I would, but she’s busy doing something with D,” Kate explained carefully.

   “Lewis?” Yelena thought that over, surprised at Kate’s statement.

   Natasha said she had something to do, but Yelena had not exactly expected her to go and work in the lab. That was not what Natasha commonly helped with, and it left Yelena less than perfectly pleased simply because it meant that Natasha was most certainly indefinitely preoccupied.

   Worst of all, in that one statement, Yelena got her answer to her next question about Darcy’s availability. She could not even tell Kate to ask Carol because Carol was off in space to help someone or another who had gotten in contact with her. She had to speed away so that she could take care of the emergency.

   So that successfully limited Kate’s options to Yelena unfortunately.

   “Look, I also… I kind of wanted the chance to spend some time together. Y’know… Just me and you,” Kate confessed, her eyes softening into something almost resembling some manner of admiration that Yelena was beginning to realize only came from Kate when she was looking at Natasha or Yelena.

   Yelena instantly looked at her skeptically, trying to fight her urge to give in despite the fact that she already knew she had lost the battle this time around.

   Yelena did not particularly mind spending time with Kate despite her halfhearted complaints, but she usually wanted to do it on her own terms because while Kate was always in the mood to do stuff, Yelena was a lot of times not necessarily in the mood to do the admittedly insane and energetic things that Kate wanted to do.

   Granted, when it was Yelena’s own idea to do said insane and energetic things, it was a different story, but as it was, Yelena had certainly not thought of this idea and actually had a much less crazy idea in mind for right now.

   Yelena was currently very comfortable situated on the couch and watching a movie. If Kate wanted to join her doing that, she would not have an issue at all— of course, she would tease her and playfully complain—but Kate had some kind of idea that involved moving their rear ends farther than just to the kitchen for snacks.

   However, something in her tugged just a bit at Kate’s admission of wanting to spend time with her, and Yelena immediately berated herself for going soft. She had not used to be quite that sympathetic when it came to Kate, and she could not believe herself for having sunk this far deep.

   Yelena shook her head, just now noticing the duffel bag in Kate’s hands. She cast Kate a suspicious glance, trying to figure out what exactly was going to entail needing a duffel bag. Yelena even noticed a bow-like shape showing through the loose material of the bag, which only served to confuse her further.

   “Where do you want to go exactly?”

   “Go suit up in your White Widow mission stuff and you’ll see,” Kate grinned, and Yelena squinted a little, not really impressed with Kate’s mysteriousness.

   Yelena was quickly beginning to regret her own lack of formidability.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

   “Everyone, say hello to Hawkeye and the White Widow,” the librarian introduced, and all of the children wasted no time in excitedly welcoming the two. The chorus of mismatched voices and imperfectly timed words sounded off around the room. Kate wasted no time in happily waving in reply as she offered a wide, toothy grin.

   Of all the things that Kate could have dragged her into, Yelena had never expected a conference room area in a library with a bunch of children around the age of eight.

   She had quickly figured out what the duffel bag was for. It had been full of Kate’s things with her superhero outfit and her bow and quiver. She had not brought any arrows, but other than that, she was completely decked out.

   Yelena herself had gotten dressed and had brought her guns, knives, and even her widow’s bites. For all she knew, they were going on a mission, but as soon as Kate had told her in the car that they were not going to need to kill people, Yelena realized that she had slightly overdressed.

   Therefore, she hid the guns in the car and shut the widow’s bites off so that they would not have any potential accidental firing incidents on their hands.

   However, as soon as they had gotten in here with a bunch of kids, Yelena was more afraid than she had ever felt around any enemies. Children were way scarier than bad guys because they were completely the opposite of anything Yelena had really faced.

   Kate, however, seemed remarkably at ease and even excited about this whole thing, and Yelena made a mental note to ask her how exactly that Kate had gotten herself volunteered for this job. She was surprised that they would not want one of the original six to talk there, but she supposed that they were probably willing to take what they could get.

   “Today, they’re going to tell us a bit about their superhero adventures together and for the creative writing contest, you guys are going to submit something related to superheroes. It can have your favorite real superhero or one that you make up,” the librarian explained to the children, and they all nodded excitedly, their eyes mostly trained on Kate and Yelena.

   Yelena had seen the signs when she had come in, and to her shock, Kate’s name had been plastered all over the flyers with the name “Hawkeye” accompanying it and the creative writing contest in question in large lettering.

   “Now, let’s hear what our heroes here have to say,” the librarian turned over the floor to the both of them and Yelena suddenly felt an inexplicable nervousness gripping at her stomach and chest as she stared at the group of children.

   While Yelena would ordinarily take the lead in things, Yelena truly had no idea how to handle this and she was not sure how to even start. She had no real experience with dealing with younger children of this age.

   To her shock, however, Kate suddenly stepped forward, looking at the group of kids with a smile as she stood before them confidently.

   “Hey, guys! It’s so great to be here today, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to talk to you all and tell you a story! I’m going to be sticking around afterward for any questions if you guys have some, so you just remember all of them in your noggins,” Kate told them, starting off as she moved right into things. The kids laughed a little as Kate made a goofy face and pointed to her head as she accentuated her words.

   “So for our story today, I was thinking that I could tell you guys about the time that me, the White Widow here, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and several other heroes teamed up at Iron Man’s party and fought a bunch of evil aliens,” Kate explained to them, beginning her story as she stuck to the more popular superhero names instead of their true identities.

   Yelena knew the story that Kate was referencing. It was the day of the gala that was held in Darcy’s honor after she had discovered her meteor. Carol had been acting as her bodyguard because she knew that the Kree were likely going to invade and try to take the meteor or kidnap Darcy to force her to take them to it since it held a valuable metal within it.

   “It all started when a genius scientist named Darcy found a meteor. But not just any meteor. This meteor had a special metal inside of it. But this metal was super important to a bunch of aliens called the Kree, and they were very mean people, so our friend Captain Marvel decided to protect Darcy so none of the Kree would try to capture her,” Kate kept her words mostly simple so that the kids could understand, and Yelena just watched her wordlessly, unsure of what to even try to say as she awkwardly stood behind Kate a little.

   “We were all friends with the scientist Darcy, and Iron Man threw a party for her celebrating her big discovery,” Kate moved her hands animatedly, telling her story as she smiled happily. There was genuine adoration in her voice as she doubtlessly thought of Darcy.

   “But that night, when the party started, the Kree came and they crashed in, looking for Darcy and the meteor,” Kate started into the beginnings of the action. The kids all gasped as Kate fully captivated them with her storytelling, and Yelena just watched her carefully, her hands behind her back as she stood there quietly.

   The truth was that Yelena could hardly think of anything to add to the story as Kate went along.

   She honestly could not get past the fact that the girl was doing this so eloquently. Kate could be so awkward in so many ways and Yelena so often had to take charge of situations when it was just her and Kate. But Kate was in her element here and she seemed to be thriving even with a whole crowd of kids staring her down.

   It truly brought a different side of Kate to light that Yelena was not entirely sure that she had ever seen before.

   “Captain Marvel used to know the Kree and she knew their leader,” Kate simplified, and Yelena raised her eyebrows just a little. To say that Carol knew the Kree was just a little bit of an understatement.

   “The Kree came in with super armor that made a forcefield around them. When I tried to shoot my arrows, they just bounced off, and when White Widow here tried to hit them, their forcefield threw her back,” Kate accentuated her words with a movement of her hands, grabbing Yelena’s shoulders as she pushed her back just a little.

   At that moment, Yelena shot Kate a slightly unhappy look before choosing to finally speak up with her own additions.

   “But I was not hurt, and I practically landed on my feet,” Yelena added, and all of the children’s eyes were instantly on her. She felt slightly uncomfortable, and she shifted a bit. Kate flashed her an excited grin, but at Yelena’s slight discomfort, Kate seemed to understand that Yelena wanted the attention shifted back to Kate at least for the moment.

   Kate leaned forward conspiratorially, and she stage-whispered to the kids.

   “She landed on her butt,” Kate informed them, and they all laughed mostly because of Kate’s word choice.

   Yelena rolled her eyes, but she could not help a slight smile at the fact that she had somehow helped to contribute to the kids getting a laugh even if she was the literal butt of the joke.

   “So we weren’t able to break their defenses, and it looked like things were hopeless. But that was when Captain Marvel charged in with her electric superpowers, blasting them back and saving Darcy,” Kate explained to the kids.

   “She defeated all of the enemies and we captured their leader, and in the end, all was well, and we all ended up safe,” Kate finished, looking at the group.

   However, before the librarian could step up to cue the children to applaud Kate and her story, Yelena spoke up.

   “You forgot the coolest part,” Yelena interjected as she stopped Kate, and the kids instantly looked at her along with Kate. Yelena swallowed back the slight nervousness and spoke up.

   “Y’know, the part where Captain Marvel punched the leader guy so hard that he flew through the air like Team Rocket on the Pokémon show,” Yelena explained, and the kids all laughed at the sound of her deadpan voice coupled with the inflections of her words. Yelena could not help a slight grin.

   “And you forgot the important part where you were almost hit in the head by your own—”

   “Okay, let’s stick with the appropriate parts of the story,” Kate told her, grinning nervously as she tried to avoid the more violent parts of the story. Yelena scoffed in reply.

   “Why must you be so boring, Katie-Bear?” Yelena questioned, and the kids laughed as they listened to her voice.

   Yelena could not help a bit of a laugh of her own.

   “Don’t call me Katie,” Kate grumbled under her breath. She then sighed as she offered the librarian a look to try to convince her to go ahead and wrap things up.

   “Okay, children, let’s thank Hawkeye and White Widow,” the woman told them.

   All of the kids suddenly sounded off, thanking Kate and Yelena enthusiastically. Kate grinned widely as she shrugged in reply, eating up the attention and enjoying every minute of it. Yelena could not help a bit of a smile herself as she eyed them all.

   “Feel free to come and ask questions if you want, and then our heroes will have to head home for the day. They’re very busy,” the librarian explained, and the kids wasted no time in hurrying up toward the both of them.

   Kate instantly knelt down to their level so that she could speak to them better, and Yelena hesitantly kneeled next to her, not sure how to do this but figuring she would do her best.

   “So what’s our first question?” Kate asked, and one little girl quickly spoke up.

   “What almost hit you in the head, Katie-Bear?” the kid asked, and Kate froze, not impressed with the nickname at all.

   Yelena just laughed heartily as she enjoyed Kate’s obvious unhappiness with the nickname.

   Strangely, at the end of it all, Yelena found that she did not regret getting off of the couch and stopping her movie at all. She actually felt an odd sense of accomplishment and warmth in her chest. Even more weirdly, she felt the oddest sense of pride rising within her at Kate’s eloquence at working with the kids, and it made her wonder if that was how Natasha felt when she saw her and Kate doing things.

—

"Why do you both have to leave?" You cried, standing in front of your mothers that were trying to walk in the QuinJet "I deserve an explanation."

"Baby..." Natasha, your Mama, sighed "We already told you. Nick wanted both of us on this mission. That's why."

"Yeah, kid." Maria, your Mom, nodded "We'll be very quick. We promise."

"I don't understand why you don't want to tell me where you're going. She rarely goes out into the field." You frustratingly pointed with your hand toward Maria

"Kiddo, listen to me." Your mom placed her hands on your shoulders "This time I was ordered to go out there and fight by your mama's side on the field. We aren't going alone. The team will also be there with us."

"Which only makes my belief that something's wrong stronger." You pointed out "Please don't go. Both of you."

"We have to, kitten." Your mama cupped your face "Just as Mom said, we'll be back home before you know it and we'll do whatever you want us to do together." She kissed your cheek "We love you so much."

"We love you, kid." Maria kissed your other cheek

Both women pushed past you and walked in the Jet with a hammering feeling in their chests.

You never reacted like this when they had to leave for a mission. Not even when you were a little child.

"She'll be fine." Maria smiled reassuringly at her wife, putting her hand on Natasha's shoulder "She's a big girl now."

"It's not her that I'm worried about." Natasha sighed, placing her hand over her chest

"Then what is it, oh my sweet Russian wife, that is bothering you so much that you became so sad all of a sudden?" Maria sang in a childish voice, trying to put a smile on Natasha's face

"You're such a child." Natasha chuckled tearfully as she playfully slapped Maria's arm "But Y/N is right, Masha. We don't know the details of this mission ourselves. You usually direct the mission from the operational center and get sent on the field only when there's a world threat. Not to mention that we don't even know where we're going to. We just know that we have to retrieve a file with important information, nothing more."

"Hey..." Maria gently lifted Natasha's chin with her fingers "We'll be fine, beautiful. Don't you worry. We will safely finish this mission and we will come back to our daughter in one piece. I promise."

"I trust you with my life." Natasha rested her forehead against Maria's

"Umm... We're also here." Clint awkwardly interrupted their moment, getting the couple's attention as he pointed from him to the entire team that had to assist at the sweet moment between them

"Just get a room." Tony shouted "And only then can both of you eat each other's donut."

The couple rolled their eyes at the same time at Tony's inappropriate joke.

"Asshole!" Maria shouted, taking Natasha's hand and walking over to the seats

—

You were laying on your bed, just staring at the ceiling of your room when alarms started ringing throughout the entire compound.

"What in the name of Fury is going on this time?" You groaned, quickly standing up from your bed and running downstairs

The sight you were greeted with wasn't the one you expected.

Because just as you took the last step of the stairs, your mothers passed in front of you, both laying unconscious on two stretchers, as they were carried to the med bay.

Wasting no second, you got over the initial shock of what you just saw and bolted after everyone, bursting through the med-bay's door with a speed that would make Pietro jealous.

"Y/N, wait." Steve was the first one that tried to stop you from following your mothers inside the OR

"Get off of me, Uncle Steve." You shouted trying to push Steve's strong arms away from you

"Y/N, listen..." The Captain tried to reason with you but you were having none of it

"Get the fuck off of me, Steven!" You shouted, making Steve let go of you "What happened to them?!"

"Look, kid..." Clint took a step forward "They're going to be fine. Okay?"

"Don't you dare call me 'kid'." You interrupted Clint with a frustrated shout "Only my mom is allowed to call me that. No one else. And don't you dare lie to me by telling me that they'll be okay. I asked a question and I need an answer. What happened to my mothers?!"

Everyone present in the room could see the anger boiling in your eyes.

They could see the way your fists clenched and how your skin was slowly turning from its usual pale color, that you inherited from Natasha, into a shade of dark red.

And in that moment they all stopped and for the first time in your 18 years of life they all took a good look at you.

But this time they actually looked at you, taking every small detail and feature of yours in.

They could see Natasha's pale skin and Maria's dark brown hair.

They could see how the emerald's dark green met the ocean's light blue in your eyes.

They could see Maria's height and her sharp jawline perfectly mixed with Natasha's beauty spot on the right cheek and her bottom nose.

How Maria's slightly long ears were beautifully combined with Natasha's plum lips.

And thinking about it now, your personality wasn't disappointing them just like your physical appearance wasn't.

Sharp wit, fighting spirit, and fearless soul were the best traits of both Natasha and Maria.

And you inherited all from them.

You are the perfect mix between Maria Hill and Natasha Romanoff.

You are the living proof of the endless love the two women have for each other.

"I asked a question, damn it!" You screamed, pulling everyone out of their reverie "I am waiting for an answer. It's either you tell me or I go inside there and find out myself anyways."

"Why don't you calm down first so we could talk." Wanda tried to reason with you

"I don't need to calm down!" You kept screaming "I need to know what happened to my moms!"

"There was a trap." Steve quickly explained before you got the chance to get even angrier

"Care to explain more in detail, Mr. America's Ass?" You raised your eyebrow at him, your voice sounding less angry and more calculated now

Steve wanted to scold you for your audacity to address him by that hideous nickname but chose not to as he knew that it would only make the situation worse.

He knows that you're just worried and scared.

You aren't being mean intentionally.

Just like Natasha, this was your coping mechanism. Your way to deal with stressful situations is to be sarcastic.

"Natasha, your mama, was sent to take a file from one room as we, the rest of the team, stayed outside in an attempt to cover her so she could sneak inside unnoticed." Steve sighed sadly "But we were so wrong."

~~~~~

"Natasha, what's your status?" Steve asked through the comms "Status, Natasha!" He repeated when he got no answer from the redhead

"Hang on!" Natasha shouted after she landed on the hall in front of the room she needed to get inside of

The spy started running to the two guards that were guarding the door in from a few swift moves, she took them down with the help of her Widow Bites.

"I'm in!" Natasha announced

"Can you move a little bit faster?" Asked Steve that was now attacked by the enemies

"Leave her alone, Steve!" Maria shouted through comms, as a few gunshots were heard as well "She's multitasking!"

"Whatever you say, Hill." Steve rolled his eyes

"Don't talk about my wife like that or you won't be a part of the Avengers anymore when we get back home." Maria threatened as she was focused on shooting down agents

"Thank you, my love." Natasha told Maria, as she started searching through the drawers of a desk "I'll make sure to thank you tonight for protecting me."

"I'll make sure you don't forget your promise, gorgeous." Maria smirked, shooting down another enemy

"Eww..." Clint exclaimed with a disgusted face "We didn't need to hear that."

"Get over it, Barton." Maria replied

"Guys, stop being so dramatic." Natasha interrupted the argument between her wife and her best friend "Look, I have the file and I'm going back to-"

Natasha's sentence was cut short as she suddenly started coughing, sending Maria into an instant worried state.

"Baby? Baby, Natasha, talk to me, beautiful." Maria called worried through the comms "What's wrong, darling?"

"Masha... Masha, I can't-" Natasha coughed "I can't breathe."

"Hold on tight, my girl." Maria took down the last agent before turning around towards the building Natasha was in "I'm coming to get you out of there."

"Maria, stop!" Steve shouted as he started running towards Maria "Tony, what's happening inside?"

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. did a quick analysis of the building." Tony explained "Apparently they released a certain gas inside the room Natasha's in. They're poisoning her."

"I'll get her out of there." Maria tried to push past Steve that was now holding her in place, stopping her from running to Natasha's side

"You know better than that, Hill." Tony landed next to Maria, taking his helmet off "We can't go inside there before knowing what type of gas they released and how it's affecting the human body."

"I don't fucking care about your poisoning effects and research." Maria shouted, completely blinded by worry "My wife is inside there and I'm not just going to sit around and watch how she dies inside there while we are standing here doing research."

"Mia..." Natasha coughed, her voice drained out of all power "Please take care of Y/N. Protect her for me. Tell her how much her mama loves her." She went quiet for a second before saying a few last words with the last strengths the ex-assassin has "I love you, Maria. Forever..."

"I will save you, Natasha!" Maria shouted desperately

The only answer Maria was greeted with was the sound of a body hitting the ground and the commander knew that her wife's body was the one to hit the ground.

She couldn't waste more time or she'll be too late to save her soulmate.

Taking Steve by surprise, Maria quickly sneaked out of his grip and took off running toward the building.

But thanks to his super serum, Steve managed to catch up with Maria in no time, standing right in front of the building's door.

"Hill, stop." Steve held his hands up "You can't go in. I promise we'll save Natasha but you need to wait."

"Rogers..." Maria coldly stated

"Hill..." Steve said as coldly as Maria

"Now open up that door, before I grab you by your hair plugs and bitch slap that smug look off of your face." The woman threatened

"Think about Y/N." Steve tried to reason "Just think about her."

"I'm thinking about her." Maria tearfully admitted "That's exactly why I will go inside there and rescue her mama."

"You won't change your mind, aren't you?" Steve sadly sighed

"I would better die by her side than have to live without Natasha." Maria sniffed

"Very well." Captain America stepped aside "But I won't be the one that will explain to Y/N why her mom did what she did."

"She'll understand one day. Just remind her that I and her mama love her more than anything in the world." She nodded

Steve didn't question Maria more as he stood aside with a solemn look on his face.

"I'm coming, Tasha." Maria muttered under her breath "I'll get you out of there."

~~~~~

"She ran inside after Natasha and somehow managed to pull her out of that room without passing out." Steve continued to explain what just happened not even one hour ago

"Then why were both of their bodies littered with cuts and bruises if Mom had managed to pull Mama out of that damned room?" You cried, tears streaming down your face, unable to control your feelings anymore

"They were caught up in an explosion." Tony finished for Steve "We had to dig them out from under the wreckage."

You angrily punched the wall that was closer to you as you let out a heart wrecking scream.

It was a scream filled with a mix of worry, anger, and desperation.

Both of your mothers were badly injured and you were left alone without their comfort and guidance.

God only knows how badly they were actually hurt and how much that gas and explosion affected them.

"Y/N..." Wanda softly whispered, gently placing her hand on your shoulder

"Leave me alone!" You screamed through your cries, backing away from anyone's touch

In those moments you only wanted to be touched by your mothers and they weren't there.

They couldn't hug you or wipe your tears away.

They couldn't tell you that everything will be okay as they always do.

"You're not alone, Y/N." Wanda continued "You have all of us."

"I don't want you!" You shouted "I want Mama and Mom!"

Wanda sadly looked down at the floor, just as everyone else did. There was nothing any of them could say or do that would bring you some comfort.

"How bad is it?" You sniffed, trying to recollect yourself

"We don't know yet." Clint admitted

"Okay..." You breathed out with a nod "Okay... Maybe-Maybe is not that bad. Yeah? Maybe they're just a bit battered but they'll be fine. Right?" You tried to convince yourself "Right?"

"That's right, kid." Steve nodded

—

It has been the most grueling 8 hours of your entire life as you waited for any type of news, good or bad, about your moms.

"How long is this going to take?!" You screamed frustrated, pacing the waiting room for the one thousand time

"As long as needed." Clint sighed, leaning his head back

Just then, the door of the surgery room opened and an exhausted Bruce stepped outside.

Silence fell over the room, as everyone gathered around Bruce in a semi-circle, anxiously waiting on an update on their friends.

"Y/N..." Bruce started with a sad tone of his voice, shifting his attention to you "I want you to be the strong girl that your mothers raised you to be."

Various quiet sobs came from the team as they knew that Bruce's speech could only mean bad news.

"What-" You confusedly started asking but Bruce cut you off

"Just know that they wouldn't want you to be sad about this and that they love you very much." The doctor continued "You are their everything. That's why you need to be strong."

"Bruce, what's going on?" You choked back a sob "Where are my moms? How are they feeling?"

"Look..." Bruce took off his glasses "The explosion didn't do much of a damage. They both have a few broken ribs, Natasha has her leg out of place, which I fixed by the way, and Maria has a broken arm. Both have concussions and different types of wounds but that's nothing a little rest and the right treatment can't solve."

"That's good?" You asked, a small smile full of hope forming on your face "Right? I'm going to take care of them and make sure they recover in no time. I'm their daughter. I'll take the responsibility to look after them while they heal."

But as quickly as hope formed inside your heart, just as quickly disappeared when Bruce continued to explain, completely ignoring your previous sentences.

"But that gas..." Bruce looked away from your gaze "It was poison." He said tearfully "I'm so sorry Y/N, but they're as good as dead."

"No..." You took a step backward "No. It can't be..."

"The poison already spread through their entire body and I've only been able to slow down that process but I don't have the cure for it." Bruce looked at his friends "They have 72 hours at the most, but their bodies already started showing signs of giving up."

Clint fell back into a chair as Wanda fell into the arms of the first person that was beside her, that so happened to be Steve, and started sobbing.

Everyone reacted to the news that their two beloved friends weren't going to make it.

Everyone except you.

You were frozen in place.

The impact this shocking news had on you, left you reactionless.

"Kid..." Bruce called you again

You slowly raised your head and looked at him with big, empty eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"You have reached the legal age of being able to make your own decisions." He continued "And you are their only child. That's why I need your consent to take them off the life support machines before they end up having a painful death. Do I have your permission to turn off the machines?"

Bruce's words hit you like a speeding train.

How can he ask you something like this in these moments?

God damn it!

You were just told that the two women that gave you your life, that taught you everything they knew and that did nothing more than idolize you were almost dead and it will only be a matter of time until they actually will be dead and he expected you to just play it off like it was no big deal?

"Can I see them?" You questioned worryingly too calm for the team's liking

"Of course." Bruce nodded "You don't have to give me an answer right away as I know this is a very difficult, almost impossible, decision to make. Just follow me."

You quietly followed Bruce inside the room where he had taken your mothers and conveniently placed their beds together very closely.

"We'll give you some time alone with them." Bruce gently patted your back and quickly exited the room

Once you heard the door click behind you and were sure that no one else was inside the room, you brought yourself to look up at Natasha and Maria, a sob filled with pain leaving your mouth, seeing the state they were in.

They looked so pale, so motionless, so... lifeless.

You couldn't bare seeing them like this.

You were scared to get closer to them just in case you would unintentionally hurt them by doing so.

But you also knew that neither one of them would like for you to keep your distance from them.

They had always loved having you as close to them as physically possible. Always making sure to remind you that being in your presence, was a blessing for them.

Ever since Bruce, alongside the world's best scientists and doctors, discovered a way that allowed women to have a child together without the need for a man, Natasha, and Maria took any risk there was necessary only to have a baby that was theirs.

And much to everyone's surprise, their prayers were heard and the couple has been gifted with a beautiful baby girl that became their entire world from the moment they learned they were expecting for the first time.

They have been gifted with you.

—

You dragged a chair, that you placed in between the beds where your mothers were laying unconscious and dared to sit down on it.

You didn't want to hurt them but, taking a deep breath, you gathered up enough courage to very gently grasp their hands in yours.

You were holding Maria's hand with your right hand and Natasha's hand with your left hand.

"Hey, Mama." You quietly said, running your thumb over her knuckles "Hi, Mom." You did the same to Maria "I miss you both so much. I wish you would be awake to tell me what to do." Tears welled up in your eyes "I wish I didn't have to choose for both of you. I just want my moms back."

You sniffed away your tears.

Right at that moment, Natasha and Maria needed their girl to be strong for them and you are going to be strong for them.

"Do you remember that time when I was 6 and Uncle Tony accidentally blasted a ball of energy out of his suit at me?" You chuckled, tears still present in your eyes "I'll never forget the looks on your faces when I woke up after being knocked out cold for an entire week. You both were so relieved to see me awake. Although I didn't fully understand at that time what was happening, I do now. I can vividly remember Mama's red puffy eyes or Mom's dark bags under her eyes. I can remember how both of you have treated me with so much gentleness while being careful to not cause me any more pain. You also tried your best to make sure I wasn't left with a scar and you did a pretty good job considering how bad the scar on my chest should have looked like but you both took care to be nothing more than a faint reminder of that day."

The steady beeping of the machines provided you with some comfort as you knew that, maybe, by the tiniest of luck, your mothers could hear you and fight to stay alive.

"I promise that I'm going to repay you for all those kisses, cuddles, sweet words, and care you have showered me with." You looked at Maria's face then at Natasha's "I promise that I will save you both."

You weren't exactly expecting an answer but both your hands have been lightly squeezed at the same time.

You looked down in disbelief at your hands that were still holding your mothers' hands.

This couldn't just be your imagination? Or a coincidence? Right?

Bruce would call it muscle reflex but you decided to call it a sign that you should carry on with your plan.

"Thank you, moms." You smiled brightly, still looking at their hands "I see that even almost dead you're both still as supportive as you have always been."

A knock on the door got your attention and looking up, you found the team walking inside the room, ready to collect their answer from you.

Your face instantly turned emotionless, not wanting to give away at least one hint about your plan.

"So Y/N..." Bruce spoke up "Have you made your decision?"

"I did." You nodded, looking at everyone

"Y/N, darling, don't rush yourself into making the wrong decision." Wanda pleaded "There's still plenty of time to think about it."

"I already know what I want to do, Aunt Wanda." You coldly replied "I don't want my mothers to suffer anymore. I don't want them to be in even more pain."

"And?" Tony impatiently asked, earning a slap on the back of his hand from Pepper that was sitting beside him

You looked back down at your mothers and sniffed.

"I love you both so much." You whispered "Thank you for being the best moms anyone could ever ask for. I am the one that was blessed to have such loving mothers as you."

And with that, you leaned down and gently kissed the back of Natasha's hand, then also kissed the back of Maria's hand, lingering on both kisses as you knew these kisses will be the last you'll ever be able to give to your mothers.

You carefully stood up, but instead of letting go of their hands, you carefully placed Natasha's hand in Maria's, making them hold hands even in their unconscious state.

Taking a step back, you admired your work and smiled.

You knew how much they loved the reminder that the other was right beside them.

You closed your eyes, trying to linger in this moment before all the emotions left your body and you turned towards Bruce and the rest, slowly approaching them with a determined look on your face.

"I will do what I have to do." You declared

"Y/N?" Steve didn't bother to hide his confusion at your actions "What are you planning to do?"

"Fight for their lives." You explained "I'm going to fight for their lives just like they did for mine. I'm going to save them."

"Don't you dare do anything reckless, kid." Clint shook his head at you "Neither Natasha nor Maria would want to see you in danger because of them."

"Give me 24 hours." And with that, you ran past everyone and out of the compound

Your mind was filled with only one goal.

To find the cure that will save your mothers.

—

True to your word, you stumbled inside the medbay's door, exactly 24 hours later after you left without any further explanation, and collapsed to the ground.

The team, which was very anxiously waiting for a sign from you, gasped as they saw the state you were in.

You were bleeding from multiple parts of your body and were barely holding on to life but the determination and stubbornness, that were representing the Romanoff-Hill family, were very present in your eyes.

"Y/N!" Wanda gasped, running to your side and falling to her knees beside you "Oh, Y/N, what have you done, sweetheart?"

You didn't have much power left and you wanted to save it for saying only the important things.

So you just lifted your hand, which was holding 2 bottles, up, showing it to everyone.

"What is this, Y/N?" Bruce asked, taking the bottles from your hand and starting to inspect them

"The antidote." You whispered, making Bruce's eyes go wide

"We need to take care of you first, then I'll give it to your mothers." The doctor said, leaning down to pick you up only to be stopped by you "Y/N, we don't have time for games. We're running out of time."

"I know..." You whispered "Tell Mama and Mom that I love them so much."

"Y/N!" Wanda cried "Don't say that!"

"I ain't going to sit around and watch this." Clint growled through his teeth "I won't be the one to face Maria and Natasha if we let something bad happen to the apple of their eyes."

Clint quickly took a step forward, getting ready to bend over and pick you up but Steve stopped him.

"Steve, what are you doing?" Clint teared up

"She made her decision." Steve stated with a solemn voice "As hard as it is for us, we need to respect it."

"No..." Bruce shook his head at Steve, as he tried his best to tend to your wounds "You can't be serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Steve asked "Go, Bruce. Save Maria and Natasha. You asked Y/N to make a decision and she has. Now fulfill it."

Bruce looked down at you "I'm going to save them. I swear." Then he stood up and ran to the room where the couple was in

You smiled contently as your eyes started to close. Your mothers' smiles being the last thought in your head before everything went black.

—

"Y/N!" Wanda cried as she shook your body "What happened to you? I know why you did it but what hurt you like this?"

"How am I going to explain this to Natasha?" Clint muttered, trapped in a state of shock

"We will find out what happened to her, Clint." Steve patted Clint's shoulder

But the question remains.

Now that they have managed to successfully save Maria and Natasha with your help, how are they going to break this news to them, given the fact that it was only a matter of time till they'll wake up?

How do you break this kind of news to someone?

—

   Natasha sat up straight in the bed, trying to hold back the scream that was threatening to rip itself out of her throat. It was clawing at her, and it took everything within her to keep it at bay. She was neatly hyperventilating with the pressure in her throat.

   It was undoubtedly the worst nightmare that she had had since they had started living here in the mission house. Usually, while her nightmares were frequent, they never jarred her to the point of nearly screaming. She would usually only jerk awake with a flinch, taking a good look around the room to ground herself before going back to sleep.

   However, this time, it was different than usual.

   She held her throat, the strength of the choking sensation almost feeling as if someone had their hands wrapped around her neck.

   It was only an illusion, a trick of her mind, but she still felt the cold terror running through her as the flashbacks sunk their talons into the forefront of her mind.

   She hated the nightmares that were flashbacks of real things that had happened. She often had dreams of things that could possibly occur. The possibilities were endless with those, and she honestly preferred her odds in those situations than the ones that she already knew the outcome to.

   Those were the ones where she was truly helpless. Truly hopeless.

   She knew what was going to happen regardless of her best efforts, and she could only remain in utter terror as she went through the horrors that she had endured throughout her young life all over again.

   Disgusting hands on her as they directed her to do things that no young child should ever have to. Whether it be murdering other little girls in cold blood or other sorts of situations that were far worse and stuck with Natasha for much longer. Those sorts of situations left her feeling like she could never scrub the sensation from her skin.

   Natasha rubbed her face, trying to ground herself, and she ran her hands over her arms, almost shivering as she attempted desperately to pull herself together.

   “Natty?” a small voice questioned.

   Natasha instantly flinched hard, gaping at the small person standing at her bedside as she remained wide-eyed. It had taken everything in her not to reach for the concealed knife underneath her pillow that she still tended to keep there even after about a year of living there in supposed safety, and she instantly found herself in utter horror at even the mere implication of possibly pulling a weapon on the little girl there next to her.

   Yelena was looking up at her, eyeing her carefully.

   Despite only being four years old, Yelena was surprisingly intelligent. She of course did not pick up on all social cues, but she succeeded in understanding quite a few.

   “You okay?” Yelena asked, her sweet honey-greens glowing in the dim light coming in from outside as the moon shone in on them and illuminated their forms. Natasha swallowed hard, blinking hard as she tried to pull herself together.

   “What are you doing awake?”

   “You were talking,” Yelena simply explained, and Natasha rubbed her face, hating herself for waking this sweet child up. She then brought herself to look at the little girl and take in the sight of her more fully.

   She looked so innately innocent in that moment that it almost hurt Natasha to even look at her. Her blonde curls were tousled and her adorable, chubby cheeks were puffed a bit as she looked at Natasha through sleepy yet concerned eyes.

   “You have bad dreams?” Yelena questioned, not fully being able to exercise grammar.

   However, Natasha thought that she did considerably well for her age considering that she had not had to endure slapping for use of improper language.

   “Are you scared?”

   “N… No, I’m fine,” Natasha hesitantly lied.

   While deception came second nature to Natasha, she always had a hard time being able to lie to Yelena.

   On one hand, she had no qualms about lying to her in order to shield her from the harsher sides of life. However, in times like these, some part of her wanted to accept the vulnerability with the only person in the world that she could afford to be that way with.

   “You look scared,” Yelena pointed out, and Natasha paused, looking at her as she met those concerned eyes. Natasha wet her lips, deciding what she was going to say as she thought it all through.

   She ultimately decided that as much as she wanted to be vulnerable with Yelena, she could not. Yelena was a little girl and someone that Natasha had come to view as well as accept as a little sister. Natasha had to be strong for her.

   Natasha took in a breath.

   “I’m fine, little one…”

   “Can I sleep with you?”

   Natasha looked at her carefully, observing her without a word as she nodded numbly. Yelena wasted no time in trying to heave herself up onto the bed, and Natasha reached out, carefully helping her onto the bed as her gangly limbs wrapped around Yelena’s chubby baby body.

   Yelena laid down on the bed next to her, and Natasha let her arm rest across Yelena with her hand smoothing across those wild curls.

   Her eyes softened as she looked at her adorable baby sister that she loved so dearly. Natasha could not bear to think of Yelena suffering even a fraction of the horrors that she herself had relived that night.

   Yelena was so precious. So delicate. She was everything to Natasha, and to imagine something happening to someone that was literally her everything was more than she could bear.

   Natasha did not know how much longer that this mission was going to last. She had not been able to garner much from the conversations that she had managed to eavesdrop upon. She knew that they were nowhere near as far along as they should have been by now. However, this was largely because they were working on fully gaining the trust of everyone around them and becoming a well-known as well as respected part of the community without anyone knowing much about them.

   It even was harder than it sounded to accomplish that.

   Natasha just did not know what she was going to do. All she knew was that she could not let anything happen to Yelena. She would gladly give her life for Yelena if it meant that she would be free.

   She was hoping it might not come to that, but that could have been too much to ask. She knew that she trusted Melina as fully as she could trust someone that was older than her and had as much experience with the Red Room as Melina did. She was hoping that maybe she would have some sort of plan.

   As much as she hated to admit it, she actually trusted Alexei at this point. Not as much as Melina, but some part of herself trusted him more than she had ever trusted any man before. She was always wary of men because she knew they were oftentimes the greatest evil in the Red Room. However, Alexei had somehow managed to find his way into her heart. She hoped that maybe he would not let anything happen to them. He was the one that could truly protect them.

   She knew that Melina was by no means defenseless and could definitely protect them as well, but Natasha was not entirely sure if she would fight. She saw the haunted, almost robotic look in Melina. She recognized it fully and she knew what it did to people.

   Natasha knew their situation was hopeless, and so she was doing her best to think of something that she herself could do when the time came. But she was just a small girl and the idea of going out into the world with just her and Yelena was terrifying. Not as terrifying as going back to the Red Room, but it was still frightening because she had no idea how to function in the real world.  She did not know how she could take care of herself and Yelena both.

   She was in a hopeless, helpless situation with no clear answer.

   Natasha was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts by a small, warm, almost clammy hand touching her much cooler skin on her face. She quickly met Yelena’s eyes.

   “Why are you crying?” Yelena asked, and Natasha felt her throat clench as she realized that she was indeed crying despite her best efforts to fight the tears.

   “I was just thinking. It’s okay,” Natasha assured her, her voice cracking just a bit. She cleared her throat softly and quickly in an attempt to cover it up.

   “What were you thinking about?” Yelena questioned, still looking terribly worried, and Natasha considered her next words carefully before speaking up finally.

   “I was just… I was thinking about how much I love you,” Natasha confessed, forcing the tears back despite the fact that she felt utterly raw right now with how fresh and painful that her emotions were.

   “I love you, too,” Yelena replied. Natasha leaned forward hesitantly, her head pressing against Yelena’s as her larger nose softly rubbed against Yelena’s small button nose.

   “I’ll always protect you,” Natasha promised, her every word filled with the vow of murder and protection. She would do everything in her power to make sure that Yelena would never have to live a life like her own.

   “I’ll protect you,” Yelena assured her in return, and Natasha was instantly taken aback a little at the sincerity in Yelena’s small voice. Her youthful, innocent, loving gaze was almost more than Natasha could handle. It was more adoration than she thought that she could ever begin to earn or deserve.

   And the fact that Yelena wanted to protect her, despite not being able to physically do it, meant the world to her. No one in her life had ever wanted to protect her. Her own mother had given her up like she was nothing.

   But this small girl with nothing but love in her eyes and no real idea of what protecting even meant or what she would protect Natasha from meant every word of what she said. She wanted Natasha, and the idea that someone could want her— that actually did want her— was almost more than she could fathom.

   Natasha closed her eyes, moving up a little as she shifted to bring Yelena into an embrace. Yelena moved with it. She doubtlessly did not know the significance of the hug, but she was more than willing to move with it, and it meant enough to Natasha for the both of them.

   Thank you, she thought.

   Natasha had started to get extremely worried about Yelena. She had gone to the Avengers compound to do something with Carol, but she had been gone way too long and she had not answered any of Natasha’s calls or texts.

   Natasha was getting ready to head to the compound, but she suddenly heard the doorbell ring. Natasha furrowed her brow, heading over as she opened the door.

   To her shock, there was Carol standing there with Yelena in her arms as she held her with an arm under her knees and an arm under her head and shoulders. Natasha gaped at the both of them, fear gripping her as her mind instantly went to the worst.

   “She was unconscious when I found her,” Carol softly pointed out, and Natasha instantly freaked out even more.

   “What happened?! Is she okay?!” Natasha demanded, moving forward quickly as she touched Yelena’s face, holding it in her hands as she tried desperately to figure out if she had any injuries.

   “She’s fine. I think she was just really tired,” Carol told her, and Natasha looked at her blankly for just a moment before she realized that her statement truly did make sense.

   Upon closer examination, Yelena was sound asleep, and Natasha knew that Carol must have been right. Yelena had not been getting any sleep lately, and all it took must have been just a bit of downtime for her to completely pass out on Carol.

   Natasha moved out of Carol’s way, allowing her to come in as she started to guide her to the back of the house where Yelena’s room was. Fanny was at Carol’s heels, trying to sniff Yelena as they went.

   “She had decided to take a break when we were sparring, and so I just headed over to blow some time on the punching bag. I was talking to her, and when I realized she wasn’t responding, I looked and she was asleep against the wall.

   Natasha nodded slowly, the fear dissipating from her as relief settled in upon her.

   Natasha opened her bedroom door, and Carol moved through the doorway, carrying Yelena to the bed as she gently laid her down on it. Natasha softly shut the door behind her, keeping Fanny from coming in so that she would not wake Yelena up.

   Once Carol moved away, Natasha headed in, placing her hand on Yelena’s head as she swiped the hair out of her face. Yelena hardly stirred, and Natasha knew that Yelena was truly and deeply exhausted if she did not react to touch at all. However, she always had sort of a sixth sense when it came to knowing who precisely was touching her in her sleep, and if it was Natasha, she usually did not stir.

   Natasha could not help a gentle smile. She softly raised up and moved away, and she stopped next to Carol at the foot of the bed.

   “Thank you for bringing her,” Natasha expressed softly, and Carol shrugged easily.

   “You’re welcome. It wasn’t a big deal,” Carol assured her, looking down at the shorter woman. Natasha shook her head.

   “I’m just thankful because she’s so comfortable with you,” Natasha gently expressed, and Carol raised her eyebrows.

   “Really?” Carol questioned, and Natasha nodded easily, finding herself slightly more tender and in touch with her emotions than usual because of her immense worry from earlier and from Carol coming in and quelling all of her worries in her usual dependable manner.

   “Yeah… She fell asleep in front of you, so that definitely means she trusts you a ton,” Natasha spoke up, her voice soft as she tried to keep from disturbing Yelena.

   Carol simply gazed at her wordlessly, taking it in. Natasha suspected that Carol already had some suspicion of this.

   “She really cares about you, and you’re honestly one of the only female people that I’ve seen her get along with so quickly,” Natasha admitted, and Carol’s expression shifted slightly to reflect her surprise.

   Carol was silent for just a moment, presumably in thought, and Natasha just watched her baby sister from where they were standing near the foot of the bed, her chest rising and falling softly as she slept deeply.

   “I knew she cared, and I knew it was special. I guess I just didn’t know it was quite that out of the ordinary for her,” Carol voiced her thoughts aloud, and Natasha huffed, smiling at her softly.

   “Trust me, for her to actually let you touch her as much as you have and for her to actively seek you out to spend time with you one-on-one is not something she does with hardly anyone besides me or Peter,” Natasha explained, and Carol nodded slowly. Natasha felt her heart warming as she realized Yelena was snoring just barely at this point.

   Carol huffed, lightly bumping her shoulder into Natasha’s as she looked over at her.

   “At least I’ve won over one of you,” Carol joked softly, allowing a bit of dramatics to enter her voice as she tried to mess with the redhead.

   Natasha just narrowed her eyes playfully, bumping into her in return.

   “I happen to think a lot of you, too, Danvers. You’ve become one of the people I trust the most, actually,” Natasha expressed, and Carol looked somewhat taken aback as she turned her attentions solely to Natasha.

   “You’re a really great friend, and you’ve always been willing to be there for me and my sister, and that means a lot,” Natasha admitted, and Carol slowly nodded as she soaked in the words. Natasha offered her a bit of a smile, knowing that the blonde had her own issues and that the words must have meant an awful lot to her.

   There was dead silence for a few long moments, and Natasha allowed her to think all of it through.

   “Last time someone said something to me like that was when she was pregnant with my niece,” Carol confessed, her voice so quiet that it could barely be heard if Natasha had not have been paying close attention.

   “And I ended up letting her down,” Carol admitted, trying to make the words more casual than they actually were. However, Natasha knew the depth of them, and she wasted no time in softly reaching her hand up to touch the woman’s back.

   Carol was numerically so much older than her and could be wise beyond her years, but in some ways, it was like dealing with Yelena or Kate. There was some part of her that carried a youthful air, and the way that she seemed to handle losing Maria— the torture and pain of it hiding within her every second of every day— reminded Natasha quite a bit of her own baby sister.

   While usually Carol was like a good friend to her, the both of them on an equal playing field, it was in these few and far between moments of weakness that Natasha wanted to be the big sister to her since it was a guidance and love that she so clearly was craving and missing in her life.

   “You didn’t let her down. You’ve got Monica back now and as far as I’ve seen, you’ve been the best person in her life since her mother,” Natasha explained, and Carol remained quiet as she took in the words, letting Natasha affectionately run her hand up and down her back.

   “You were never perfect, but no one could expect you to be because none of us are. You’re human, and things happen that none of us want or mean for,” Natasha explained, and Carol swallowed, tears finally showing in her eyes. Natasha could tell that she was trying to fight them with all that she had.

   “As far as I’ve seen, you’re the best friend that anyone could ask for,” Natasha stated, nothing but the most confidence in her tone. Carol worked her jaw, listening to Natasha’s words, and she raised her arm to wrap it around Natasha in return, putting it around her shoulders.

   “Wow, Nat. You’ve really got a way with words, huh?” Carol joked, trying to muster some amount of playfulness to dispel the thickening air around them.

   “I’ve got a way with the truth,” Natasha answered, patting Carol’s back, and Carol just huffed, shaking her head as they went back to looking down at Yelena.

   Carol took in a deep breath before turning her attentions back over to Natasha.

   “Do you have a sharpie?” Carol asked, dead seriousness in her tone. Natasha furrowed her brow, letting her hand drop as she looked at her strangely.

   “Yeah… Why?” Natasha asked, and Carol allowed a smile to break through her poker face.

   “I was thinking I could give Squishy here a little surprise,” Carol pointed out, tilting her head in Yelena’s direction to accentuate her words.

   Natasha sighed deeply, shaking her head, and Carol just grinned, laughing as quietly as she could manage to keep from waking Yelena.

   “You okay?” Natasha questioned, not wanting to specifically ask how it went but at the same time dying to know.

   Kate furrowed her brow, staring straight out the windshield, and Natasha felt her stomach clenching up a bit as it knotted, worry filling her as she tried to squash the urge to march into the prison and pay Eleanor a little visit herself.

   “It went well, Tasha,” Kate simply stated, and Natasha raised her eyebrows, absolutely shocked considering everything that had happened between Kate and her mother and how Kate’s mother had acted toward her in the past.

   “Really?” Natasha questioned, unable to help sounding surprised. Kate nodded, barely glancing at her as she took it all in.

   “Yeah…”

   Natasha was quiet for a few moments, hoping that Kate would follow up with more details on the entire thing.

   “What happened?” Natasha finally could not resist asking, and Kate seemed to snap just a little out of her stupor.

   “She said that she guessed that the superhero stuff was not as bad as it could be if it was teaching me to protect myself. And she said she was sorry for me being put in danger because of her. And she just wants me to be safe.

   “And then we just kind of agreed to disagree on the superhero-ing thing, I guess, and we just talked for the rest of the time,” Kate explained, and Natasha slowly nodded, taking it all in.

   She then turned her attentions more primarily to Kate, eyeing her carefully.

   Strangely, Kate did not look too happy at all. She seemed strangely numb to everything, and Natasha was not sure what to make of Kate’s strange mood. She was ordinarily so happy, and Natasha did not know what had caused this change. Especially since things had gone so well that day.

   “Did you enjoy it?” Natasha questioned, subtly prodding for information to perhaps get an idea of what Kate’s current thought process was.

   Kate blinked, shrugging.

   “I mean… It was great and I loved it,” Kate expressed. Natasha raised an eyebrow, knowing there was more to what Kate was going to say. It was not just the fact that Natasha could see how weird she was being. It was also in Kate’s voice that she had something else to say but was holding back on it.

   “But?” Natasha cued, offering her a way to keep going. Kate shrugged, looking over at Natasha as she regarded her for a long moment.

   “I guess I just got caught up thinking when I was in there,” Kate admitted, and Natasha furrowed her brow, tilting her head.

   “How so?” Natasha tentatively questioned. She did not want to push too far, but she knew that Kate was wanting to say the things that were swirling in her mind.

   Natasha knew the mind of an overthinker on a personal level, and she knew that Kate herself could be an overthinker. Things that did not occur to most people sometimes had a tendency to nastily dawn in upon overthinkers, and Natasha strongly suspected that Kate was suffering from that exact thing right then.

   Kate swallowed, taking in a breath, and Natasha knew she had pushed past the barriers now. Natasha turned a little more in her seat toward her, showing Kate with her body language that she was fully attentive and engaged in an attempt to make this a little easier for her.

   “It’s stupid.”

   “Not to me,” Natasha immediately answered, and Kate looked at her immediately, thankfulness shining in her eyes.

   “You’re really special to me, and my mom’s really special to me. And now that it looks like I have her back for at least a minute… I don’t know, Tasha,” Kate paused, taking in a deep breath.

   “When Mom was arrested, I had Clint and his family, and even though they were an absolute blessing, I needed my mom and I didn’t have her,” Kate told her before her eyes went wide and she realized fully the potential implications of what she said.

   “I mean, it’s not like you’re my mom or anything! But like… I’ve needed someone in my life that was sweet and kind and nurturing or whatever and,” Kate trailed off, obviously not knowing how to explain herself as she moved her hands around uncertainly. She was doing her best to form the words, but there was no good way to get out what she was trying to say.

   Natasha knew this, and she could not help the warm feeling that ran through her at Kate’s sweetness.

   “Gosh, I’m just making a mess of this,” Kate chuckled humorlessly, and Natasha shook her head, listening to her carefully as she devoted her full and undivided attention to the brunette.

   “You’re fine,” Natasha expressed, her voice calm and soft as she remained still. Kate took in a breath.

   “I guess what I’m saying is that you’ve been one of the best people to come into my life and you made me not feel alone since my mom has been in prison. You’ve been there so much for me,” Kate told her, her voice warm as she gazed at Natasha with nothing but the most adoration. Natasha felt her chest swell, affection for the kid filling her heart.

   “And now that my mom and I worked whatever it was out in there, I’ve felt so much better already,” Kate admitted.

   Natasha nodded, tilting her head just a bit as she tried to guess what Kate was going to go for next. She was not quite sure where Kate was going with this considering the fact that Kate was on such a squirrely track of saying things and backing up.

   “I mean, until the thoughts snuck in and made me think about things that are just dumb,” Kate continued, and Natasha could see that Kate was getting visibly more upset. She resisted the urge to extend her hand, waiting to see what Kate needed specifically.

   “I just… I don’t want you to leave me now that Mom is at least for now back in my life in a good way,” Kate at long last confessed.

   Immediately, Natasha felt like she had been slapped in the face with the utter tragic sadness of the statement.

   Kate was such an important part of her life at this point that she could not imagine life without her. Yelena was her first baby sister, but Kate had become her second but definitely not lesser one. Kate was one of her most favorite people in the world, and to think of a life without her in it now was almost completely unfathomable.

   Natasha opened her mouth, starting to try to form some sort of argument to quiet Kate’s thoughts.

   “Kate—”

   “Mom’s probably not going to stick with it, though, because I know how she is and how much she hates what I’m doing, and if she ditches me and you’re not here like you were before… I don’t know what I’d do,” Kate explained, and Natasha felt her heart hurting deeply for the fact that Kate seriously thought that Natasha might would leave after Kate was not practically disowned and unloved.

   “I don’t think I could be alone again,” Kate expressed finally as she looked at the redhead once more, those beautiful gunmetal blues full of pain and tears that Natasha could not bear to see on the sweet girl’s face.

   Natasha shook her head, extending her hands as she touched either side of the girl’s neck. Her thumbs were softly resting just along Kate’s jawline as she grasped her gently yet firmly.

   “Kate, I am not going to leave you as long as you’ll have me with you,” Natasha expressed, her voice soft as if the slightest noise would break Kate. Kate was leaning into her grasp, and Natasha raised her thumbs to rub her jaw under her cheekbones softly.

   Kate nodded in reply to her, and Natasha smiled gently, trying to make her feel better.

   “You’ll never be alone again if I can possibly help it,” Natasha reassured her.

   “Thank you,” Kate mumbled in Natasha’s grasp.

   “You’re my baby sister, angel. You’ll always be,” Natasha expressed, and a tear slipped down Kate’s face. Natasha moved her thumb to wipe it away. Kate stared back at her for a long moment before trying to move closer, her arms clambering to try to grab Natasha around her neck and shoulders and embrace her.

   Natasha moved forward, shifting one of her hands to hold the back of Kate’s neck and moving the other one to grab Kate’s body and pull her nearer. Kate buried her face in Natasha’s neck, hiding her face as she allowed herself to cry.

   Natasha knew that this was just a release from all of the pain that Kate had been feeing with her mother for so long, but she could not help but feel her own eyes threatening to tear up, too.

   Eleanor did not know what a gift she had with Kate. Or maybe she did. After all, she was trying to patch things up with Kate.

   Regardless, Natasha knew one thing.