Chapter one

It was another boring day at work. Natasha Romanoff glanced down at her cell discreetly willing the time to move faster. But the numbers didn't budge. She tossed it back into her bag and glared at the computer screen in front of her. She was stuck in a dead end cubicle job working from nine to five, making little to nothing financially and to top it all off she was sure that her boss, Mr Fury would be in his usual mood when he got back from his trip overseas. Natasha was dreading the second he would step into the office. It would be orders and orders and nothing else but orders until the day finally concluded and she was able to go home and curl up in bed with her cat, Snooki.

Unfortunately for Natasha tho, she had to pull a side job that evening and by side job it would mean groping some not so good looking men, stealing their wallets and grabbing some cash. She was behind on rent and she had, had to resort to this tactic more than once in order to survive. Growing up part time in Russia had taught her numerous good life skills. How to speak Russian, run fast and that everyone is always a target. Natasha shivered as she thought about her numerous not so good escapades that she had done in the past. Sure she had worked with professionals, bank robbers, jewellery thieves and scam artists. All had come with lots of benefits but she had been flagged once or twice by the cops and since then she had decided that she would try living a normal or a relatively normal life away from the spot lights of police vehicles.

"Miss Romanoff please come to my office." Nick Fury's voice boomed from his office.

Natasha groaned. The furious bastard was back.

After Fury's usual demands, time had luckily flown and Natasha was soon out in the rush of city traffic. She waited thirty minutes at the bus stop before hopping on to her bus that took her way from the hustle and bustle towards a more subdued but lack lustre part of town. She stayed in a one bedroom apartment and had the world's most annoying landlord, Maria Hill a tough as nails retired New Yorker Cop. Natasha groaned when she saw her landlord's car parked out in front of her apartment building. She would have to climb up the fire escape and on to her small balcony ...again until she could give Maria the money she owed her.

Natasha slipped open her sliding door and was greeted by Snooki, her lovable and adorable tortoise shell cat. Natasha picked up her feline companion and loved the little fuzz ball till she meowed and clawed her way out of Natasha's arms. Her apartment was beyond small and terribly cramped. The room was painted a neutral white , she had just enough room for her double bed , a sofa couch and her television. It was home and that was all that mattered to Natasha. She preferred her small apartment compared to her parents mansion.

After a brief cold shower, Natasha slipped on her favourite pair of black skinny jeans and a red v –neck shirt before flipping her shoulder length hair over one shoulder. Luckily for her she had been blessed with luminous white skin and deep auburn red hair that naturally were just good features. She didn't feel like dolling herself up for tonight. It was strictly business and she didn't need to put on a show for anyone.

Steve's bar was a popular hangout spot in the fancier part of town; it was a fifteen minute bus drive from Natasha's. When she arrived at the bar it was overcrowded already. She figured she would wait awhile until all the occupants were more sedated with booze. The owner whose name happened to be Steve was working the bar and when he saw Natasha he grinned and flagged her over.

"Hey Romanoff the usual?" Steve asked as he pulled out her favourite cider and handed it to her.

"Thanks Rodgers." She smirked calling him by his surname.

It had been the usual banter between them for three years. Natasha never considered him anything more than a friend. Steve was a great guy but he was just too all American good guy wholesome type and even though she had a very dormant libido these days, that type of man didn't stir much inside her now days. Although she was pretty sure that Steve more than likely had a crush on her but she was glad he never tried to advance his feelings and do anything about it. He probably knew she would kick his ass. She hadn't let anyone in since her last relationship and she was planning on keeping it that way. She popped the lid of her cider and frowned as she thought about Bruce Banner her ex and well technically if she was being specific ex fiancé.

Natasha had met Bruce at a charity Gala that was displaying the rarest diamonds of the world. Her crew had been on a stake out accessing security parameters, prospectuses of the place and looking for any leads or loose ends in the crowd, someone willing to spill information due to her favourite way of investigation, via alcohol. Natasha had been dressed to the nine's posing as a lawyer, when Bruce quite literally knocked into her and spilt his drink all over. He had been all apologetic and sincere but she had seen him earlier watching her, no doubt trying to figure out how to strike a conversation with her. He had chosen the whole pour a drink on a girl and see how far you get tactic.

When he had asked her name she had jumped into her persona, Natalie Rushman. One of her many identities she had learned to fabricate over the years. She had expected him to be a drunkard trying his hardest to hit on her but she soon discovered that he was a scientist and borderline genius. He seduced her with his thirst of knowledge and obscure interests in all things science. When the job of the heist had been completed she had decided to take a six month break so that she could join Bruce on his many adventures in the Amazon , researching and helping others who were sickly and underprivileged. For the first time she had fallen for someone, and when he proposed to her she had wanted to tell him everything, who she really was. Not Natalie Rushman an inspiring lawyer /philanthropist who came from Chicago , but Natasha Romanoff , adopted daughter of a mad man and Russian mafia leader. Natasha who knew a wide set of skills that could be used for despicable things but choose not to.

But she never did tell him who she was. Her fear of his rejection stopped her from revealing anything vital about herself. So for nine months she lived a lie. However Natasha soon learned that even though Bruce was almost perfect in every way, he had a dark side. A side she never knew that had existed until she caught him in the act. They had been in Calcutta, Bruce had been doing research in the area and she had decided to step out in the warm summer evening to go for a brief walk. When she had returned back to their small building she had caught Bruce, injecting himself with a green serum. When she had questioned him he had been vague and non descript, claiming it was vitamin shots and so forth. Natasha later learned that Bruce was using himself as a guinea pig for his own inventions. Natasha had pleaded with him to stop that he would kill himself but he refused to listen to her. His continued abuses lead to him having symptoms very similar to bipolar and when it was bad he would take it out on her, physically. Natasha tried to help and intervene but nothing worked. So one morning she left her ring on his bed and Natalie Rushman stayed behind with him.

She had then returned to the lifestyle she was comfortable with, stealing but when that became dangerous she decided enough was enough. She needed a new perspective and a new vantage point. This was why she was now in a bar, sussing out her next target for the month's rent. A few men were tragically drunk and others not nearly enough but so far none of them were giving off vibes. Money vibes that is.

Until he walked in ... and that's when everything in Natasha's Romanoff's life came crashing down.