New York City, NY, USA
I sit in a car looking in the rear-view mirror that over looks a back alley. I'm watching a drug dealer waiting for a major Russian mobster we have been tracking for 5 months, who immigrated from Russia illegally with his gang, his name was Ivan Telpov . I have my feet on the dash bored, as if I'm waiting for someone to get out of the store. A short man with a stocky build walks into the alley with two tall men, they're all in black suits; except the drug dealer. I bring out my lipstick and begin to "apply" it.
"Fury, he's in." I speak into my lipstick communicator.
"And Hawkeye?" Fury's voice comes through the speaker, that looks like an earbud.
"The Hawk is in place." I respond, that was right Clint was undercover as the drug dealer. I look back in the mirror. The two taller men have their hands tucked in their suits, one of them hands Clint the money. Clint hands them the "drugs", but from where I sit I can tell Clint didn't hide his gun good enough. Because as soon as Clint opens his trench coat to get the "drugs" the two men quickly reach for their pockets and pull out guns, they point their guns to Clint.
"Sir, permission to act?" I ask into the communicator
"Request denied. Wait for back up. Understand Barton?" Fury says. I ignore his choice. I grab my gun and I am about to leave the car.
"Agent Barton, is that clear? Wait for back up." He repeats. I pull the earphone out and leave my communicator. I point my gun at the tall man closest to me and I shoot his gun out of his hand. The two body guards, Ivan and Clint all look my way. The second man shoots at me, but just in time I'm able to roll out of the way. Clint pulls out his gun and shoots the second through the neck. Clint makes his way to me and soon enough he's right beside me.
"I thought you'd never make a move." He says to me, I remain emotionless.
"I acted against Fury's orders." I admit. We're interrupted when a shot goes off, We slip apart and go in different directions. It looks like they were not alone, they brought some back up. I shoot one of the guys the leader was with in the head and then I shoot another guy through the neck. Somehow Clint and I get stuck in the middle of the group. There we were back to back, possibly going to be our last moment.
"How many on your side?" I hear Clint ask. I count.
"6, What about you?" I respond
"Same. So it's 2 against 12. Well let's hope Steve and Bruce are ready to take care of Archer in our stead." Clint says.
"You really though it would be that easy? We are gangsters, we are not stupid." The leader says in a heavy Russian accent.
"It's a shame to see the Black Widow and her partner Hawkeye die without a fight, but at lease you're making it easy. Kill them." He orders
"Any ideas Nat?" Clint asks me.
"Shoot to kill." Is all I can think of. I raise my guns and I know Clint has his bow at the ready.
"В небе! (In the sky)" I hear one of the men yell. I look up to see Stark's suit hovering over us. Stark lands beside Clint.
"Did I miss anything?" Stark asks us.
"Not yet." Clint replies.
"Good, duck." Stark says. Clint and I duck, soon afterward a red beam goes around and kills the circle of men.
"Thanks Stark." I say to him. Stark lifts his helmet.
"Yeah, no big deal." Stark brushes it off. I hear someone wheezing, I go toward Ivan, who lays there on the ground, bleeding out.
"Он вернется к вам, Наталья (He will come for you, Natalia)" He says to me, blood spilling from his mouth.
"Кто? (who?" I ask
"Человек из прошлого (Someone from your past.)" He coughs up a lot of blood. I put my foot on his chest, I raise my gun and shoot him through the head.
…..
I lay in bed, Clint's arms around me holding me close. It's 1:00 am and I still can't sleep. I'm thinking about what Ivan had said. To tell the truth what he had told me, scared me. I couldn't just think about myself anymore, I had Clint and Archer, one weakness used against me and I could put their lives in danger. I remove Clint's arms from me and I get up, to go to the bathroom.
I turn on the hot water tap and turn the shower on hot. I sit on the cold tile floor, I'm in a grey cotton tank top and red plaid flannel bottoms. I bring my knees to my chest and breath heavily. I think about my past, the red rooms and him. Steam fills the room, some of it escapes when the door opens.
"Nat, are you alright?" Clint asks as he shuts the door behind him. I think about lying to him and telling him I'm fine, but he would get it out of me no matter what.
"No, I'm not." I say, Clint sits down next to me.
"What is it?" Clint asks.
"What Ivan said to me today, before I killed him. I feel like me being here is going to put Archer in danger." I look at Clint, he stares straight forward as if thinking of something to say.
"Natasha, everything is going to be fine we have Stark who is a genius, even if he is a bit of a narcissist. Steve, who has socked Hitler in the jaw a dozen time. Bruce who is a green rage monster. Thor who is a god and then to top it off his parent are us, top assassins. He'll be fine." Clint tells me.
I'm more assured, but not quiet yet. I don't continue to talk, I just smile at Clint.
"Thanks Clint." I say quietly
"No problem Tash." Clint kisses my temple. We go back to bed and with much difficulty I fall asleep.
…
I walk into the living room, I had just woken up. I wear a light yellow v-neck t shirt and blue jeans. I look to the couch where Clint is holding Archer.
"Hey squirt." Clint smiles, Archer giggles as Clint bounces Archer on his knee.
"Morning Natasha." Steve says from the armchair. Steve wears a white t shirt and a pair of tan pants.
"Morning Steve." I smile as I sit down next to Clint, who was still holding Archer. Clint wears a black shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
"Hey." Clint smiles, I smile back.
"I want him." I take Archer from his father. Archer's smile leave, as I take him from Clint, but the smile re-appears when he sees my face.
"Stark and Bruce not here yet?" I ask as Archer bounces his knees.
"No, they got stuck in Malibu, Pepper went into labour this morning." Steve tells me. I look up from my six month son.
"Your kidding. Do you know how she is?" I ask. Archer makes some sort of noise, I pay my attention back to Archer.
"Stark has been calling every half an hour. He hasn't called since an hour ago." Clint says, as Archer holds his finger. I nod, still looking at Archer.
"So I'm guessing in the end they didn't have to induce labour." I say, Steve shakes his head.
Almost immediately the phone rings, Steve gets the phone.
"Hello." Steve speaks into the phone, Clint and I look away from our son to Steve.
"Ok. Yup see you in a bit." Steve hangs up the phone and looks at us.
"Who was it?" Clint asks.
"It was Stark, they are on the way home." Steve goes back to reading his book.
"Any news on Pepper and the baby?" I ask, Steve looks up at me.
"No, We'll just have to wait." Steve sighs. I get up with Archer on my hip, I plop Archer down on Steve's lap. I sit back down on the couch next to Clint and we wait for Stark.
…
Clint has his arms around me and my head is resting on his shoulder. When Stark shows up through the door, we all sit up.
"Yeah, I'm a father." He says cooly. We all stand up, Steve hands me Archer and we go toward Stark.
"What's the kid's name?" Clint asks as he puts his hands on my shoulders.
"Simon Howard Stark." Stark beams proudly.
"Simon Howard Stark-Potts." Pepper's voice cuts in as she walks beside Tony, with new born baby Simon wrapped up in a red blanket in her arms. We all take turns holding Simon, I give Archer to Pepper when I hold Simon. He's so tiny and so innocent. Another thing worth protecting in our lives here at Stark tower.
…..
It's the middle of the night and Archer begins to cry. I get up from bed and go to my son. I walk into Archer's room and I go to his crib. I'm about to reach in and pick him up when I feel a presence behind me. I spin around to see a broad figure sitting in the cherry wood rocking chair.
"I never imagined the Black Widow going soft." The man speaks, I recognize it immediately, it's the voice that haunts me.
"What do you want Bucky?" I ask. He gets up and come towards me, his brown hair shinning in the moonlight.
"You, Natalia." He responds, I grit my teeth.
"Get out." I hiss, Bucky smiles.
"That man has made you soft. Had he not you would be fighting me right now. Or would you?" Bucky brings his hand to my cheek, I hastily pull away.
"Don't touch me." I say rather aggressively
"Remember what I told you Natalia. Love is for children, it lasts as long as a childhood does and your childhood didn't last long, now did it? Nor will your son's, I will be back for the child and for you." With that he leaves. I stay in the same spot, shaking, so scared I can't move. Archer stopped crying as soon as Bucky left. Tears fall from my eyes. I was going to put everyone in danger, I had been compromised.