Ashley is the only reason you guys got this chapter this week – she is an amazing friend! :)

Chapter Eleven: Revelations

Natasha and Ashley were standing in the kitchen, making lunch while Clint and Barney kept the twins occupied. Christopher ran through the kitchen, making the two women look up as Andrei followed the young boy inside. "Afternoon, Ladies," he greeted, smiling at the two of them.

Ashley raised an eyebrow as she moved over to greet him. "Andrei, what are you doing here?" she asked as he hugged her briefly.

"I need to talk to Natasha about part of her cover. It won't take long but we have to discuss it between us, and Clint, before deciding on the choice we should take," he answered.

It was Natasha's turn to raise an eyebrow at him. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, putting the knife down on the counter.

Andrei paused before answering, "No. Not unless you think it is when I tell you."

Natasha nodded. "Does Clint know about whatever it is?" she asked, watching Andrei carefully. He shook his head, looking jumpy.

Before anyone could make any further comment, Clint walked into the kitchen with Lucky, Barney and Natalia quick on his heels. Christopher giggled from where he had hid behind Natasha's legs. Clint placed his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow at his nephew.

Natasha turned her head back to Andrei. "Is this something we should get over and done with as quickly as possible?" she asked.

Andrei nodded and led Natasha and Clint into the living-room. Before Andrei could say anything, Natasha cut in, "You figured it out."

Clint and Andrei turned to Natasha, confusion written over her fiancée's face while Andrei was simply surprised. "You knew?" he asked, stepping towards her.

"Figured it out the day we met," she replied, watching him carefully. "I don't believe in coincidences," she added with a soft smirk.

"Moya sestra," Andrei whispered before hugging Natasha. "I thought you were dead," he whispered into her hair.

Natasha returned her twin brother's hug. "I thought you were dead too, moy brat," she whispered. "You have to tell me the whole story of how you got out of that fire," she informed him as she pulled away.

Andrei grinned and nodded. "And you have to tell me how Hawkeye managed to catch you, little sis," he replied.

Clint looked at the twins. "What the fuck is going on?" he finally asked.

Natasha and Andrei turned to Clint. "We're twins," the red-head informed her fiancée, smirking as he opened and closed his mouth.

Clint finally let it register in his brain. "That's what's been on your mind," he stated rather than asked, smiling smugly when Natasha laughed and nodded. "So you're going to be my brother-in-law," he said to Andrei.

Andrei nodded. Then he warned the archer, "If you hurt my sister again, I will use you as a practice dummy."

"I'll buy you new katanas if I do," Clint replied as he noticed Natasha frown. "I'll even beg you to use me as a practice dummy."

Natasha stepped forward and slid under Clint's arm as he raised it for her. He hugged her to his body, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "This is a good chance for you two to get any answers about your childhood that you never had before," Clint commented.

Andrei nodded. "We should sit so. I think we'll be here for a while," he suggested.

Natasha and Clint took a seat on the couch while Andrei sat across from them. Looking at his sister, he started, "As I told you before, we were born in Volgograd, Russia while the Soviet Union was still in power." He frowned slightly. "Our parents were Alexander Dreykov and Sophia Alianova Romanova. Papa was a senator while Mama was a ballerina. They were engaged when they found out that Mama was pregnant, didn't marry. When we were five-years-old, our house was set on fire. Our parents were got us out but the men, the ones who set the house on fire, shot them and dragged their bodies back into the building. We were put into an orphanage. Sometime within a year, you were taken by a man called Ivan. There was no surname or paper trail. When I was six I was adopted by Maria and Jose Romero, friends of our father. Sergio and Olivia are my adopted siblings. I tried to find you but this Ivan guy removed his steps well."

Natasha frowned at him slightly. "Why would Ivan want to kill a Senator and a ballerina?" she asked.

Andrei shared her frown. "I'm not sure about that. When I started at the F.B.I., I started my own investigation into the fire and our parents. Papa wasn't particularly a fan of the Communist Rule. Or rather the way Stalin had changed it from Lenin's views and the leaders thereafter lead the Union. The KGB decided to terminate any other opposition. Mama and the two of us were collateral damage."

"So the KGB used the excuse of the fire and political deaths for recruiting young girls for the Black Widow programme," Clint observed, feeling Natasha tense in his arms. "Tasha?"

Natasha buried her face in her hands for a moment. "The Madam of the Red Room told us that our only duty was to serve the Motherland. To purge it of the poison of others," she stated, slowly looking up. "They took all of the girls as punishment to at least one of our parents," she commented.

Clint pressed his lips to her temple, offering her silent comfort, not knowing what words that could help her if any.

Natasha's eyes closed again, her mind playing back a repetitive nightmare she had been subject to as long as she could remember…

Smoke was rising from the building. People all over the place were screaming. Sirens were blaring as ambulances and fire engines arrived at the scene. Two frightened five-year-old children called out, "Mama! Papa!" The black-haired boy had his hand around his twin red-haired sister's hand, guiding her through the panicking crowd, neither letting go of the other. Feeling scared as the fire fighters used the hoses in an attempt to tame the fire, the twins hid behind a near-by car, crying as they were still unable to find their parents…

Clint held her close, gently running his hand over her baby bump, giving her support as she relived the memories of her parents' death. Andrei reached out and held her hands in his, watching her as she slowly opened her eyes, a distant look in her eyes.

"Talia?" Andrei whispered, watching her carefully.

"Sometimes you can't remember things until someone reminds you of them," she whispered, her eyes clearing. "I guess we'll be both feeling this way until we get used to," she commented.

Andrei smiled sadly. "I'm sure Julia and Clint will help," he added…

Natasha sighed as she climbed into the bed beside Clint, resting her head on his chest as she lay down. Clint pressed his lips to the crown of her head. "You okay?" he whispered, laying his hand on her baby bump.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, leaning into him. "I don't want our baby to go through what I went through. Or what Andrei went through when I was taken. Or what you went through," she confessed softly.

"We won't let our baby boy go through any of that," Clint promised her. "He'll want for nothing."

Natasha nodded and let Clint pull her closer, his heartbeat and his arms around her back lulling her to sleep, knowing she and her baby were safe in his arms…

To answer the reviews from the previous chapter:

ClintashaForever: Thank you :)

Arwennicole: Thank you :) I finally got round to updating this: hope it was worth the wait :)

Sophia: I updated as soon as was possible: hope it was worth the wait :)

Aliana: Thank you :) I updated as soon as was possible: hope it was worth the wait :) And I'm glad you enjoyed the songs :)

JuliaAurelia: Thank you :) I thought it would be interesting to have Clint and Nat split up the cooking duties :) Four exams this month, so it's good :) Thank you :)

princess2015: She's about six months now :) Hope it was worth the wait :)