Scarlett
Part 14
"Why the rush? Did anybody die?" asked agent Romanoff entering the meeting room where not long ago Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross waved the folio of Sokovia Accords in front of their faces. She sat down on one of the vacant chairs and looked at the company.
Tony, Steve, Vision, Sam and Wanda were already sitting at the oval table.
"Fury stepped down from the office. Today is Friday. It means on Monday Everett K. Ross will be in charge of the S.H.I.E.L.D. I mean not in charge but he comes with the monitoring mission. He wants to know everything about everyone, every project the S.H.I.E.L.D. was running, every person hired. He will turn the world upside down, especially after what happened in Nigeria." Steve was standing with his hands on the table. He watched everyone in the room trying to penetrate into their minds. "We have a small problem which is a size of a child, whom we all know. We have to decide her future fate."
"I can adopt her. Give her shelter, provide with a good scholarship at any boarding school she likes. She's pretty smart. In ten years she can become a well-known scientist." Tony said as a matter of fact.
"This is amazing but quite impossible. To make documents for adoption Scarlett has to be in the database. The girl doesn't exist in the system." Captain America corrected the Iron Man.
"Rogers, money and my connections can help in her magical appearance in the foster system. This is not a problem," he stared at the blonde man with a challenge in his eyes knowing that Steve didn't like such methods.
"As tempting as it can be, Tony. You're a public person. There would be a lot of rumors on why Mr. Stark adopted a child. I think Fury made it clear, that he doesn't want anybody to know about her. Besides, you're going to sign the accords. This gives the power to the UN council which will control everything." Steve disagreed with the billionaire.
"Do you have any other ideas? What can you give her, Rogers?" Stark exploded.
"Calm down, boys," Black Widow interfered. "That's really wonderful that you care, but Fury had already decided. I have the necessary documents. Secretary Ross said we can retire. So, I retire. Scarlett will be with me. I began to pack our things. You can't even imagine how much stuff can be collected in 3 months."
"When were you supposed to inform us about this?" asked Stark frowning.
"On Sunday, I wanted to book a table at the restaurant, to make a farewell party, kind of." She looked apologetically at her team members.
"Nat, do you think it's wise to let Scarlett out? She hasn't received a proper vaccination yet. She's still vulnerable like Amazon tribes were eliminated by lethal diseases after they were discovered by explorers." Vision expressed his concern.
"Yes, it's rather risky. She communicated and contacted with us. We have contacts with other people and she got just some minor health problems probably because of that. I hope everything will be fine. I'm more worried about her adaptation mechanism. Scarlett started going out mostly in the wood. The farthest place she had been was the runaway at the airport when she met us from the quin jet. I can't predict how she will react in the street of the busy city. Simulations in the classroom is one thing, reality – another." Natasha also wasn't eager to rip the girl off the routine she was in. "Yesterday Scarlett was ready to go with me to the end of the world. Today she was weeping she's not prepared to leave."
"Still, you have to leave this Sunday. Vision, take care of any cyber tracks on Scarlett that might appear. Tony, you have to take care of Cheshire. I don't want any type of information on the girl to get into the Security Council disposal." Captain America as usual took hold of the situation.
"Do you have a plan where to go?" Wanda sounded concerned about the woman and the child.
"Usually I rent an apartment, but since I have been living at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters for so long, I moved completely here. Half of my things I have at the deposits. It's secure, so no need to worry. I think on Sunday I take Scarlett and we'll go travelling. I just need to rent a proper car for that," explained Romanoff.
"Are you kidding? She's not adapted to the city or travelling yet. Besides, I promised to take her to a classical music concert. I've already booked the tickets and organized everything! I thought we agreed on that." Stark stood up and started pacing from one side of the room to another like a lion in the cage.
"Listen! It's not my fault that everything has changed!" Natasha was really pissed off by Stark's behavior. Why on Earth he always tried to emphasize his importance.
"In my opinion, you two should work together," said Vision reasonably. "Tony, you can provide accommodation for Nat and Scarlett at the Stark tower. The girl will have the possibility to adapt to the city life. They will leave after the concert as you previously agreed."
"Meanwhile, we'll have the time to think over Sokovia Accords," told Steve.
"Then pack your things. Your suites will be ready in the evening. Any preferences?" Finally, Natalie could see sparks in Stark's eyes.
"You know I'm not a squeamish person neither is Scarlett."
"So, let's get to work!" Steve gave the final order.
At Romanoff's apartment, S.H.I.E.L.D.
Scarlett helped Natasha to pack toys into a big cardboard box.
"Where are we going?" She asked putting two Lego constructors into the box.
"We'll stay for a while in the Stark's tower. I found a place where we'll be living but it needs reparation. So, we'll travel by car for a month. You'll see the country." Natalie was putting clothes into a neat pile. "By the way, in the evening we're having dinner with Tony and his girlfriend."
"What's a girlfriend?"
"A woman, whom Tony dates."
"Like a fiancée?"
"No, not like that." Natasha shook her head. "They live together but they are not going to get married."
"Like us! Are you my girlfriend?" Scarlett looked at the agent puzzled.
Romanoff just rolled her eyes. "No, I can't be your girlfriend. If you don't have a crush on me," she joked.
The child frowned.
"Cheshire, give the definition of 'a girlfriend'," Scarlett said really confused by the word.
"According to the Oxford dictionary 'a girlfriend is a person's regular female companion with whom they have a romantic or sexual relationship." Cheshire answered immediately.
"Oh, like a concubine. I understood!" The child explained with enthusiasm.
"Sometimes your expertise in ancient culture makes me shiver," Natasha muttered.
"Why?"
"Usually 9 year olds don't know such words and especially their meanings."
"I don't want to go then. Can we, please, stay here?" She tried to depict the best puppy expression on her far from being pretty face.
"Scarlett, we discussed this already! Stop nagging!"
Stark Tower hours later
To say that Scarlett was impressed was to say nothing. Tony allowed them to live in the best suite that the girl could imagine. She had a separate room with a door. Natasha's room was opposite Scarlett's. The bathroom was amazing even though the child wasn't keen on taking baths or soaking in the water. On the other hand, Black Widow availed herself of taking a long, hot bath with soapy foam. If she could purr, she would definitely do that. Scarlett walked about the suite examining the other rooms. Each one had its own character and great modern style. When the girl saw her bed, she stood for a minute with jaw dropped because a king size bed was too much for her small form.
In the evening Pepper, Tony, Nat and Scarlett were sitting at the table in Tony's living room. The child was quiet as usual in presence of the person she didn't know well and didn't know what to expect. Dinner went to its final close, when suddenly Natalie made a remark.
"Scarlett, what is it made of?" The child has already taken a spoon to eat the dessert.
"Hm, chocolate, I guess." The girl shrugged and timidly put the spoon on the table.
"What happens if you eat chocolate?" Natalie continued the interrogation.
"I end up with a tube in my throat," Scarlett whispered.
"Oh my God!" exclaimed Pepper. "Nat, I'm sorry. I didn't know that she's allergic to chocolate. Tony, why didn't you tell me?" She looked at Anthony Stark trying to kill with her gaze.
"I didn't know. My work is to teach science. I don't compose a menu for midgets!" He retorted.
"It's alright, Pepper. She has to be attentive. I won't always be near to check on the food she eats."
Scarlett put the dessert aside.
"We have vanilla ice-cream. Would you like some?" Pepper proposed looking apologetically at the child.
"She'd betray anyone for a spoonful of vanilla ice-cream." Natasha winked at the girl.
Scarlett didn't know the word "betray" yet. So, she didn't comment on the woman's remark.
"Just a moment." Pepper went to bring the ice-cream.
After dinner Tony took the girl in his laboratory while Natasha helped the hostess to put the dished in the dish-washer.
"A beautiful engagement ring," Nat commented on the piece of jewelry with a diamond on Pepper's hand. "Congratulations!"
"Oh, thank you. After that accident with Scarlett Tony became too sentimental to my mind." The other woman shrugged as if nothing happened.
"I think he should have done it much earlier than now." Natalie smiled at the woman.
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Of what?" Romanoff didn't quite catch what she should be afraid of.
"Leaving the team, going God knows where with a half child half animal."
The last remark made Natasha feel quite uneasy in Pepper's presence.
"Scarlett is not an animal. Didn't you see her?" Romanoff stood with her arms crossed showing her disapproval.
"Nat, I'm not judging. Tony showed one of her trainings in the gym. I saw her with fangs and claws. Don't tell me that she's an ordinary human being." Pepper stated as a matter of fact.
"We don't choose our parents. She is a victim of an experiment. But it doesn't make her different from any other children."
"I can't agree more. I see a sweet but extremely shy little girl. Still, I also know what this child is able to do in her other state."
"I'm not afraid of her. I'm afraid of other people, who don't understand what this child went through. Thank you for a delicious dinner. It was a long day, so if you excuse me." Natalie left the room.
In the morning the Black widow came into Scarlett's room only to find it absolutely empty. She knocked on the bathroom door but nobody answered. She went about the room. Still, nothing. The woman called several times until finally the door of the closet opened and Scarlett went out rubbing her eyes with one hand.
"Scarlett, what were you doing in the closet?"
"Good morning." She greeted the woman yawning on the way out. "Sleeping."
"Why were you sleeping in the closet?" Romanoff raised one eyebrow.
"This bed is like the whole room! And the room seems like the whole apartment we lived before. This was the smallest place in here! Even though, if you try to talk there, you'll hear an echo!" The child explained.
"Are you agoraphobic?"
"ἀγορά in Greek is "gathering of people" and φόβος means 'fear'. Why do you ask if I'm terrified of people's gathering?" The child didn't get the notion at all.
"Also, the first word means 'wide open spaces'." Romanoff corrected the smart child.
"Not really, but I'd rather sleep in the closet."
"Why didn't you come to my room?"
"It's as big as mine. Besides, you say that I should behave like an ordinary child."
Natalie rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, you certainly do behave."
To be continued…