Chapter 24: Girl Talk

Natasha saw Harleen straight away. She ran up and pulled Harleen into a tight embrace.

"Are you ok?" Natasha said as she let go of Harleen.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Harleen replied. Clint came up and hugged Harleen quickly before letting go and saying,

"Hey, how are you?"

"Yeah I'm doing better. How was your mission?" Harleen asked Natasha and Clint.

"Yeah it was good. The typical undercover kind of stuff." Clint said.

"We need to go talk." Natasha said to Harleen.

"Yeah ok." Was all Harleen could reply back with.

"Let me take you to lunch?" Natasha asked.

"Ok, just let me grab my coat." Harleen went upstairs and grabbed her coat. She went down to meet Natasha in the lobby. Natasha lent against the wall with her phone in her hand.

"You ready Natasha?" Harleen asked.

"Yep, definitely." Natasha said as she slid her phone back into her pocket. Natasha opened the door and held it open for Harleen to walk through. They walked down the street and found a small diner. As they entered they both took a seat and picked up a menu. After a couple of minutes a waitress walks over with a note pad and pen in hand.

"How can I help you guys?" The waitress says in a thick southern accent.

"Um can I get a green tea with a chicken salad sandwich?" Natasha says as she puts the menu down.

"Yep. And what will you be having?" The waitress says to Harleen after jotting down Natasha's order.

"Can I get um your eggs Benedict with a coke please?" Harleen says as she slowly puts her menu down.

"No problem. It shouldn't be more than twenty minutes." The waitress replies walking away and taking their menus.

"So how are you really going Harleen?" Natasha asks once the waitress is out or hearing range.

"I told you I'm fine." Harleen replied back trying not to sound annoyed.

"Not what I was told." Natasha said quietly but loud enough for Harleen to hear.

"Fine. Yes I drank a little too much, but I'm fine and I'm learning my lesson."

"Drank a little too much? You ended up in the hospital with a few cracked ribs and blacked out. In my book that's drank TOO MUCH. And what do you mean learning my lesson? Why are you still learning?"

"Whatever. I'm learning my lesson. Steve booked me into AA meetings. I go there every Thursday at seven in the morning. Today was my first meeting."

"That's good than. I'm glad you're doing this. It'll be good for you." Natasha said to Harleen.

"Here are your drinks, green tea and a coke." The waitress had return with their drinks and told them their food was almost ready. Natasha and Harleen thanked her and waited until she left before they continued their conversation.

"So how was your first meeting?" Natasha asked Harleen.

"It was good. Very reviving. It felt good to open up a little bit. I was glad Steve was there though. I don't think I could've done it without him."

"That's good. Don't forget you have people that are willing to listen to you. So Captain America went to an AA meeting with you? How heroic of him." Natasha said snorting a little as she tried to keep down laugh.

"Ha ha ha Natasha, you're so hilarious. Yes he came with me, since it was his idea. That reminds me though. I need to apologise to poor Steve."

"Why what happened?"

"I sort of went off at him earlier this morning. I don't know why I did. I just did. He was only trying to look out for me."

"I'm sure he'll forgive you. If I know Steve he'll think it was his fault and he will try and make it up to you. So expect flowers or a card or something." Finally the food arrived and they sat in silence for the remainder of the meal. The paid for the food and left a big tip for the waitress before making their way back to the tower.