Chapter 18
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
AN: Thank you to all who have added to alerts, read, reviewed or any combination of the three. It means a lot to me.
AN2: TEN REVIEWS AWAY FROM 300, THANK YOU SO SO MUCH. You are all amazing and I am so thankful to each and every one of you who reads this. It means so much to me.
"Of course, I'm so so sorry." Natasha tells her friend re holstering her gun.
"It's okay. I would have done the same, plus I should have learnt my lesson after last time." Melinda comments.
"You really should have." Natasha comments remembering the incident Melinda is talking about, "How bad?" she asks worried.
"Flesh wound." Melinda says turning around and closing the door with the arm that wasn't just grazed by a bullet, "Don't look like that, I'm okay. I know the risks of entering one of your safe houses without warning. It's not your fault." She tells her friend as the guilt is clear on Natasha's face.
"Not my fault?" Natasha asks shocked, "I shot you. It doesn't get much more my fault." Natasha reminds her friend.
"I should have opened the door waited to see if there were any gun shots then entered. You were protecting yourself and Skye. It's okay. I've done worse to you." Melinda reminds her friend.
"True." Natasha admits, "Sit down, I'll get the first aid kid and Skye." Natasha tells her friend who nods and sits down, "And you've got to stop blaming yourself for that." She adds.
"Oh by the way, nice wig." Melinda says with a small smirk as she knows that Natasha prefers to cut, dye, grow or add extensions to her hair when going undercover rather than wearing a wig.
"Shut up." Natasha says with an amused smirk as she heads back into the bedroom, though she is feeling quite guiltily for shooting her friend.
When Natasha enters the room once more her first stop is to kneel down at the side of the bed so that she can see underneath it,
"It's okay, you can come out." Natasha tells her niece.
"What was that sound?" Skye asks scared.
"That was a gun being fired." Natasha tells her, "I thought someone was here to hurt us but they weren't, your Mom's here." Natasha informs her niece.
"Really?" Skye ask excited.
"Really." Natasha confirms and Skye goes running out of the room while Natasha grabs the medical supplies.
When Natasha walks back into the main part of the safe house she sees Melinda hugging her daughter.
"I've missed you so much Mommy." Skye says to her mother.
"I've missed you too." Melinda tells her daughter.
"This is going to hurt." Natasha says as she sits down next to her friend and starts to remove the bullet fragments.
"I know." Melinda tells her with a roll of her eyes, "Have you been good for тетя Наташа?" Melinda asks her daughter.
"Natalia." Skye corrects, "I'm supposed to call her Natalia so that the bad people have a harder time recognizing her." Skye informs her mother.
"Good job." Natasha says with a smile.
"She's right, it's good that you remember that." Melinda tell her daughter, "Have you been good?" Melinda asks and Skye nods, "Breakfast on the way or here?" Melinda asks wincing as Natasha digs out the fragments, knowing that especially considering one of them just fired a gun they have to get moving soon.
"On the way." Natasha tells her, "How attached are you to that bike?" she asks curios.
"It's Tony's." Melinda answers.
"Ah not very then." Natasha tells her, "I'm almost done here." Natasha comments, "Skye if you have to go to the bathroom or anything go now." Natasha tells her niece and Skye nods and goes into the other room, "What's the plan?" she asks.
"I'll explain in the car." Melinda tells her and Natasha nod and she begins to wrap Melinda's arm.
Once Melinda's arm is treated Natasha walks over to the bag of things she got and gets out a jacket, top and jeans and throws them to Melinda.
"Here, get changed." She tells her friend.
"Thanks, it's a good thing we're the same size." Melinda comments.
"I've always thought so." Natasha responds, "Especially considering we have the same taste."
"Not really a surprise when you think about it" Melinda comments as she starts to get changed.
Even though he knew that when he woke Melinda wouldn't be by his side Coulson still hates it when he wakes up alone. Not wanting to lay in his and Melinda's bed alone Coulson gets up and heads down to the kitchen where he finds Clint.
"Coffee will be ready in a couple of minutes." Clint tells his friend.
"Thanks." Coulson tells him.
"You okay?" Clint asks worried.
"Worried." Coulson answers simply.
"Ah that makes sense." Clint comments, "I would be more worried if you weren't." he says to him, "If it helps I'm worried too." Clint responds.
"It doesn't." Coulson tells him, "But I'm glad that I'm not alone in my worry." He tells his friend.
"Did you really expect that you would be?" Clint ask as he walks over to the coffee maker.
"No."
Far away from the plane and where Natasha, Melinda and Skye are Quinn has woken to the news that Mike can't find a single lead on Natasha and Skye's location.
"Great, just great." Quinn says to himself sarcastically, "Because Tori didn't need another reason to be pissed at me." He comments as while he is the older sibling his sister defiantly inherited their fathers' anger which makes her quite scary most of the time, even to him.
"What did you screw up now?" Victoria asks from behind him and Quinn is confused about when she arrived as for once he didn't hear her.
"Nothing, Peterson did." Quinn tells his sister, "Romanoff has gone off the grid and Skye's with her, and he can't find them." Quinn explains.
"Great, just great." Victoria says sarcastically, "We've got no chance of finding her. No one can disappear like Romanoff." Victoria informs her brother.
"I've got all communications in and out of the plane monitored and sweeping the cameras that I can gain access to that are around where we last saw them." Quinn tells her.
"It won't do anything." Victoria tells her brother, "She's ghost when she wants to. She can be invisible in plain sight with easy, we won't be able to find her until she wants to be found."
"Romanoff might be good but I'm betting that she has never had to disappear with a child before that makes things different. We'll find them." Quinn tells her.
"You're not listening to me Ian, I've been working with her for fifteen years." Victoria tells her brother, "Believe me when I tell you that unless she wants to be found then she will not be found, not by us."
"Then what are you suggesting?" Ian asks, "We need Skye, you know that. So how are we going to find her if we can't find the person she is with?" he ask curious.
"That's simple brother of mine, we wait until they go back onto the plane." Victoria says like it's the most obvious thing, "Romanoff will keep Skye away from her parents, at the most a couple of days, we've just got to wait until then." She explains.
"We shouldn't make our move right away." Quinn tells his sister, "We should wait until we've gotten them into a false sense of safety." He comments.
"Finally, I was wondering when your genius would show itself." Victoria tells her brother.
"So we're waiting?" Quinn asks after rolling his eyes at his little sister.
"We're waiting." Victoria confirms, "But that doesn't mean that we won't stop looking for Romanoff."
"I never figured we would."
An hour after they left Natasha's safe house Melinda, Natasha and Skye are on the road. Melinda sitting in the back with Skye while Natasha drives.
"How's the arm?" Natasha asks when she notices that Skye has fallen asleep, something she isn't surprised about considering how early it is.
"Fine." Melinda tells her, "Like it said it was just a flesh wound." She reminds her friend.
"So I'm guessing there is a plan." Natasha comments.
"Yep, we've got to stay off the grid for three days." Melinda tells him, "On the third day between twelve and one pm Clint will met us at the cabin and we'll go back to the plane." Melinda tells her.
"The cabin, you serious?" Natasha asks surprised, "I though you said you would never go back there." She comments.
"Which is exactly why no one will think to look for us there." Melinda points out, "We've got to assume that Quinn has looked into us which means he would know the places we are likely to go. We thought it would make the most sense make a place that few people know about as a meet up spot especially considering the few who do know about it know that I have said on several occasions that I will never go there again." Melinda explains.
"Good plan." Natasha tells her, "And till then?"
"We stay off the grid. Make sure Quinn doesn't find us, protect Skye." Melinda tells her friend.
"In that case I know the perfect place to go." Natasha tells Melinda
"I was counting on that." Melinda tells her.
On the plane Fitz, Simmons and Ward wake just as Coulson and Clint finish breakfast.
"Morning." Jemma greats as walks over to the table.
"Where's agent May?" Fitz asks curious.
"She got a call from Agent Hill. She's gone to the New York base to give her a hand with a few things." Coulson lies.
"She left when we don't know where Skye is?" Ward asks surprised as it doesn't seem like something Melinda would do.
"Skye's with Nat and Nat won't contact us for a few days, not until she is positive that it is safe to do so, truthfully I think Mels was thankful for the distraction." Clint tells Ward, using the cover story that he and Coulson came up with.
"Right." Ward says though it is clear that he thinks something more is going on.
"Your safe place is a market?" Melinda asks her friend amused as Natasha pulls the car into a small town market.
"We need supplies genius." Natasha tells her, "Wake up Skye." Natasha tells her and that's what Melinda does.
"Huh, what's going on?" Skye asks confused once her mother wakes her.
"We're going to get some food." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Where are we?" Skye asks interested.
"I'm not really sure." Melinda admits as they get out the car, "But I know that we are going to get something to eat and why we do I need you to not wonder off, to always stay with us, can you do that?" Melinda asks Skye curious and Skye nods, "Good." Melinda tells her and the three people exit the car.
Several hours after they left the market they arrive at a parking lot in the middle of what seems like a wildlife park.
"You going to explain what we are doing here?" Melinda asks Natasha as they get out the car.
"My святилище is three miles away." Natasha explains as she goes to the trunk.
"Seriously that's where you're taking us?" Melinda asks shocked, "Are you sure you're okay with that?" Melinda asks as she knows how much of a big deal it is.
"I wouldn't have brought you here if it wasn't." Natasha tells her friend, "It's the safest place I know. It's the best place for us." Natasha tells her, "Help me put this stuff in bags." Natasha says and Melinda walks to the trunk and helps Natasha to put all the shopping they brought into a duffle bag bags, "We shouldn't have to leave until we're leaving to go to the cabin." Natasha tells her and Melinda nods,
"I'm guessing we have to walk there." Melinda says.
"Yeah, there is no other way." Natasha tells her.
"Skye, come here." Melinda says as Skye is standing near the front of the car.
"What is it Mom?" Skye asks curious.
"We've got to walk for a while, will you be okay with that?" Melinda asks.
"Yeah." Skye responds.
"Good, if you get tired just let me or тетя Наташа know, okay." Melinda says to her daughter who nod, "And it's really important that you don't wonder off. You need to stay where тетя Наташа and I can see you at all times, do you think you can do that?" Melinda asks and Skye nods.
"Good." Melinda tells her, "I take one bag you take the other." Melinda says to Natasha who hands her the lighter duffel bag, "Lighter one really?" Melinda asks.
"You're hurt." Natasha responds.
"That doesn't mean I can't carry a bag." Melinda points out.
"I know, but your might have to carry Skye if she gets to tired, it's better that you take the lighter one." Natasha tells her closing the trunk.
"Good, I don't need you going easy on me." Melinda tells her friend.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Natasha respond, "Let's go." She says and they walk away from the car.
On the plane Ward, Fitz and Simmons are down in the lab while Clint and Coulson are upstairs.
"Do you really think that May's gone to help Agent Hill?" Ward asks the other two curious.
"Why don't you think she has?" Simmons asks curious.
"Because it doesn't make any sense." Ward tells her, "May leaving when Skye is still missing just doesn't seem like something she would do." Ward explains to them.
"Well where do you think she is?" Fitz asks curious.
"Finding Skye and Romanoff would be my best guess." Ward comments.
"Why would Coulson and Clint lie about that?" Simmons asks.
"A hundred reasons." Ward tells her, "I just wish they wouldn't lie to us."
"Like you just said they must have a hundred reasons to lie which means they must have a reason why they are lying to us, I'm sure when we need to know we will." Simmons says and both Fitz and Ward look at her, "What?" She asks confused.
"You sound like him." Fitz says pointing to Ward.
"Gee, thanks." Ward and Simmons say sarcastically.
After walking for an hour, where at the thirty five minute mark Melinda had to pick up Skye they arrive at the place Natasha calls her святилище which looks to be an abandoned barn.
"I'm guessing it's not like it appears." Melinda says to her friend.
"Of course not." Natasha tells her, "Did you really expect it to be?" Natasha asks curious
"Not at all." Melinda says amused.
When they arrive at the door Natasha pushes a panel at the door to reveal a hand scanner which Natasha puts her hand on. Once a green light appears on the scanner the door opens and they go in.
"Before you ask that isn't connected to anything but itself." Natasha tells her friend.
"Didn't expect it would be." Melinda says, "Wow, nice." She tells her friend as what looks like an abandoned bar form the outside is actually a quite nice one bedroom apartment.
"Thanks." Natasha responds as locks the several locks on the door, "This is the only way in." she reveals, "I'll get started on the food because the last thing we need is you cooking and starting a fire when were in the middle of the woods." Natasha tells Melinda.
"Seriously cooking jokes from you?" Melinda asks her friend.
"Couldn't resist." Natasha responds, "Clint and Phil aren't here, someone had to make the joke."
"Mom, what are we doing here?" Skye asks confused.
"We're going to stay here with тетя Наташа for a few days." Melinda explains to her daughter as she puts her down.
"Why?" Skye asks.
"Because it's safe." Melinda explains, "We've got to stay here for a couple of days so that we can be safe." Melinda explains.
"Is Daddy going to come?" Skye asks.
"No." Melinda tells her, "But in a few days we're going to go to him." Melinda explains, "But until then it's just going to be me, you, and тетя Наташа." Melinda explains to her daughter.
"Okay." Skye responds, "What can I do?" Skye asks.
"Um." Melinda says looking around for something for Skye to do, "Tasha do you have paper and pencils by any chance?" Melinda asks curious.
"I do actually." Natasha tells her friend walking over to one of the draws in near the fridge to grab out paper and pencils.
"Why?" Melinda asks curious.
"You never know what you're going to need." Natasha responds handing over the paper and pencils.
"How about drawing?" Melinda asks curious and Skye nods, "Good, let's sit down." Melinda says and she and Skye sit down on the ground.
"What is тетя Наташа making?" Skye asks curious.
"Tasha?" Melinda asks.
"Pasta." Natasha answers.
"Yummy." Skye responds with a smile and she begins to draw.
Back on the plane both Coulson and Clint are up in his office going over and over what they know about the people who they trust.
"You know Ward doesn't believe that Mels is with Maria." Clint comments.
"I know. But until we're ready that doesn't matter." Coulson comments.
"Unless he calls Fury or Hill." Clint points out.
"If that happens we'll deal with it, but I don't see him doing that." Coulson admits.
"I hope you're right." Clint admits, "Do you think Mels has found Nat yet?" Clint asks curious.
"Who knows, it's Mels and Nat we're talking about." Coulson tells him, "They are both amazing at tracing people down but Tasha's very amazing at hiding." He reminds him, "We got three day wait to find out what happened." He explains.
"It's going to be a long three days." Clint comments.
"Oh yeah." Coulson comments looking at a pictures of him, Melinda, Skye and in some of them Clint and Natasha on his desk, Skye being different ages in each of the pictures.
Later that night Skye is in asleep in the on bed in the apartment slash barn while Natasha and Melinda are sitting on the couch.
"Take of your jacket." Natasha tells her friend, "Don't make me do it for you." Natasha adds and Melinda rolls her eyes.
"Tasha, you need to relax I've had worse, this was just a flesh wound." Melinda tells her best friend as she removes her jacket.
"That I gave you Linda." Natasha reminds her.
"Tash, I don't blame you, accidents happen." Melinda reminds her, "How's it looking?" She asks curious.
"Good." Natasha assures her and she re bandages her friends arm, "Do you want to sleep first or me?" she asks
"You." Melinda informs her, "I doubt that I'll get sleep anyway so you should." Melinda tells her.
"There are weapons stashed in all the normal places, just in case." Natasha tells her friend.
"Good to know." Melinda responds.
"See you in a few hours." Natasha says standing up and walking over to the other room where she plans to sleep next to Skye.
"Tasha." Melinda says and Natasha pauses and looks back to her, "Thanks for bringing us here, I know how much of a big deal it is for you to let another person come here." Melinda tells her.
"I know I've been private about this place but from the second I knew I needed a safe place to get us I knew this was the only place we could go, I trust you here Linda, you and Skye, making sure the three of us are safe are important to me." Natasha explains.
"Thanks Tash." Melinda tells her best friend with a smile. Natasha nods and heads into the other room. Once Natasha has left the room Melinda makes herself comfortable on the couch making sure that she has the gun from the duffle bag in her hand as she does.
PLEASE REVIEW
PLEASE REVIEW
PLEASE REVIEW