Natasha followed Steve into Annette's home. She was extremely nervous. Seeing her sister alive and all grown up was something she never expected. She would probably be ecstatic if her heart weren't broken. A little girl that Natasha assumed had to be her great niece ran to Steve and he picked the child up and gave her a squeeze before addressing Annette. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
"We were well-protected," Annette replied, hugging Steve. "Thank you for sending your friends. I'm so sorry we got you into this mess."
"I got myself into this mess," Steve replied, "and I'd do it again. This is my friend Sam, and this is Natasha. She's the one who sent the others to protect you."
Suddenly, Annette was looking at her and Natasha put out her hand. "It's so good to see you Ana," she whispered, forgetting to use her new name.
Annette pulled her into a hug. "You look so much like the pictures of my mother. You have to belong to my Natalia. Please tell me I'm not wrong."
Natasha hugged her sister back tightly. "I am Natalia. I'm here," she replied, patting Annette on the back. "I never dreamed you made it out of the fire."
Annette pulled back and Natasha could feel her staring at her again. "She's telling you the truth, Annette," Steve replied. "The Red Room gave her a serum a lot like mine. She doesn't age at a normal rate."
"Natalia," Annette wept, "you're alive. I can't believe it, but if I'm asleep, don't wake me."
Natasha was soon hugged by Elizabeth. She could see that the cancer was already making her frail, and it killed her to think of what she would have missed if this charade had kept her away any longer. "Elizabeth," she whispered, "I'm so sorry your children were in danger. I didn't know the agents were compromised."
"You got us out of danger and you're here. We've been looking for you for so long."
Finally, Tony spoke. "I'm pretty sure Red can handle security from here on out. Maybe we should give these ladies some time alone."
"Sam and I have another mission," Natasha heard Steve tell Annette. "I'm not sure when I'll be back. I'm glad you have your sister. She said she would stay and help you. You don't have to go through this alone."
Annette nodded and hugged Steve. "Thank you. Don't be a stranger."
"I'll do my best," Steve replied before placing kisses on Nadia and Annabeth's heads and hugging Elizabeth. "It's going to be okay," he reassured the woman.
He gave Natasha a nod and left, and Natasha tried to pretend it didn't break her heart that he hadn't hugged her, too.
Sam must have seen the look on Natasha's face, because he gave her a hug and whispered in her ear. "I got him. Don't worry. He just needs to clear his head. I've got your number. I'll check in, okay?"
"Thank you, Sam. If you get in over your head-"
"You'll be the first one I call, and you'll come save us. I know. It's pretty obvious how you feel about him. He feels the same way. That's why he's so upset with you. Give him time."
Berlin, Three Months Later
Steve and Sam walked into their hotel room and tossed their packs on the floor. "I see we're staying at another 5 star establishment, Cap. Do you even know how to use Trivago? There's this little thing called reviews-"
"Can it Sam. We've got two beds and a bathroom. That's all we need and the location is perfect," Steve replied before flopping onto his bed. His phone buzzed as soon as he sat down, so he looked at the waiting text message. "It's from Annette. Elizabeth has passed," he said softly.
"So, we should probably head back to Boston," Sam replied. "Want me to book the flight?"
"No," Steve replied firmly. "By the time we could get back here, our lead would be cold. Bucky keeps slipping us. We need to stay here."
"You sure that's the best call. These people are like family to you," Sam chided. "Don't you think you should be there?"
"They are like family to me, Sam, but they have Romanoff and she is their family."
"So that's how it's going to be now, huh? Romanoff? She has a name, Steve. You used to speak that name constantly when we were running together in D.C."
"She was playing me, Sam! I got Annette her sister back. That's what I promised I'd do, but I can't see Natasha right now. It's too hard."
"Okay, Cap, whatever you say," Sam replied. "But, it's pretty obvious to me that Natasha fell for you, and she's not the kind of woman most men would leave hanging. I guess I misread your feelings in D.C. Got to say I'm a little relieved. She and I talk pretty regularly."
"What do you tell her? You can't jeopardize our mission."
"We don't talk about Barnes. We just talk. She's really stepped up and helped her family through this sickness. Did you know Elizabeth asked Nat to adopt the girls?"
Steve shook his head, but he wasn't surprised. He'd seen Nat will Clint's kids. He knew she wouldn't let Annette lose her grandchildren any more than he would have if things had gone differently. "That's good. The girls need to be protected and grow up together."
"So, you trust Nat enough to let her raise the girls you were so crazy about. I guess that's progress. You're sure you don't want to see where things could go now that the secrets are out in the open?"
"I am not interested in Natasha Romanoff!" Steve declared. He almost believed the words as they came out of his mouth. "Maybe I should say it aloud more often," Steve thought.
"Good, then you don't mind me talking to her on the phone? Maybe even asking her to dinner when we get back?" Sam asked.
"No!" Steve replied, a little too quickly.
"No you don't mind or-"
"I do mind. I mind a lot, okay? I just can't be with her without wishing things were different. I really thought we were headed somewhere, Sam, but it was just part of her lies. Do I trust her with Annette and the kids? Yes, no one will protect them the way she will. But, I can't trust her with my heart. And, I'm sorry, Sam, but I can't watch her move on with someone else. If you want to be with Natasha, just go."
"Easy, Cap, I'm not after your woman. I'm just trying to make a point. If you don't get past this soon, she will meet someone else. She won't wait around forever. Are you going to let someone else take your place? Raise those girls with her? Hold her in his arms every single night? Or, am I booking us a flight back to Boston?"
Boston
Natasha wrestled the wiggly baby into her dress and carefully put the matching bow in her hair. "There you go, princess. Your momma would be so proud of her sweet baby," she whispered, placing a kiss on the child's forehead then handing her to Sharon. "Thanks for doing this, Sharon. It would be hard to hold the baby and comfort Annette and Nadia today."
"I really don't mind, Nat. That's what friends are for, right? If she gets fussy, I'll take her out of the service," Sharon replied. "I like your version of babysitting duty a lot better than Fury's."
"I haven't spoken to him since right after the Senate hearing," Natasha replied. "He wanted me to come back and help reform Shield. I said no and he grumbled something about how I was supposed to keep Rogers in the organization not cost him two agents."
"Two of his best agents," Sharon corrected. "Hill and I hear him complain about that almost daily. You could still come back, you know."
"I promised Elizabeth I would raise the girls," Natasha replied.
"Lots of Shield agents have children. You may have noticed the almost monthly baby showers in the break room."
"I don't think I can go back to Shield. Fury would make promises, but the first time he decided he needed my special skillset, they'd all go out the window."
"You're probably not wrong," Sharon agreed. "Have you thought about Tony's offer?"
"You know about that?"
"He may have approached me with a similar one. The facility is actually looking really good. I'm thinking about taking him up on it."
"I didn't know you wanted to be an Avenger."
"He was thinking more a liaison-someone to work as a go between for the Avengers and Shield," Sharon explained.
"You'd be the smart choice. You should do it."
"You didn't exactly answer my question."
"Steve leads the Avengers. He needs to be able to trust his team, so I don't need to be on it," Natasha replied firmly. "It's for the best."
Pepper walked in to the room. Nadia followed, quietly clutching the rag doll that had once been Natasha's. "What's for the best?" Pepper asked.
"Natasha's not taking Tony up on the job offer," Sharon replied.
"Of course she is, she just doesn't know it yet," Pepper replied as Natasha placed a bow in Nadia's hair that matched the one in Annabeth's. "Tony has outfitted your apartment with a lockdown mode. The entire apartment is like a safe house. He even made sure there was a guest room for your sister."
"She says she can't work with Rogers," Sharon added.
"I did not. I said Steve can't work with me, and he shouldn't have to try," Natasha corrected. "I really appreciate the trouble Tony's gone to but I just can't do it." She looked down at the girls. "We need to get going. I'll get Annette. Nadia, why don't you walk with me?"
The funeral ended and Natasha stayed pretty close to Annette. Clint and Bruce were never far from her side, and Natasha was grateful for the back up. With Sharon helping with Annabeth and Pepper and Tony looking out for Nadia, Natasha really had all the help she needed. She just couldn't help looking around for Steve. He was so close to Elizabeth, but he didn't show. She really messed this up.
Berlin
"And, it's another dead end," Sam said as they left the apartment building.
"He was here. We just missed him," Steve replied.
"He's not the only thing we missed today. We should have gone to Boston."
"I know," Steve said sadly.
"Where to now?"
"Back to D.C. Trail's gone cold. Time to go home."
"Then what?" Sam asked.
"I have no idea."
"We could stop off in Boston."
"I promised Natasha I'd give her a heads up before visiting, so she could make herself scarce. Annette and the girls need her right now. Boston will have to wait."
"Well, at least you said Natasha instead of Romanoff. We'll call that progress."
Steve sighed. It sure didn't feel like progress to him. Sam was right about one thing though. He should have gone to Boston. Even if he wanted a chance with Natasha, and he wasn't sure he did, she was probably not very happy with him for staying away.
I know Steve and Natasha didn't get any time together in this chapter. That will change very soon. I'm just letting them stew in their misery for a bit. Time to find out whether absence make the heart grow fonder or not. What do you think? Will their next meeting cause sparks to fly or will the awkwardness make things fizzle? Their little adventure with the Dugans changed the course of Winter Soldier (which is good for Fury). How will it affect the events of Age of Ultron?
