- I mentioned before that some new characters would be brought into this story. If you read the last chapter of the Avenging Spider, I'm pretty sure most of you will be able to guess who's showing up in this chapter.
Enjoy.
...
Three weeks later...
Natasha raised the porcelain cup to her lips and took a careful sip of her tea. It was early in the morning and she had just finished eating breakfast. Turning to the next page of her book, the Black Widow was about to read the opening sentence when the Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man wandered into the kitchen. The two of them looked utterly exhausted, with dark bags casting shadows beneath their eyes. Peter pulled out a chair for Wanda and waited for her to sit down first before he took the seat beside her.
"Looks like you both had a long night." She said, pouring some tea for them both.
Thanking her with a nod, Spidey drank a bit of the green tea. The hot beverage tasted refreshing and helped to fight off the drowsy feeling from overwhelming his mind. "Sort of. Our kids woke up at two in the morning and they wouldn't stop crying for a long time."
"We were finally able to get Maybelle and William to go back to bed at around six." The young Sokovian mother mumbled, resting her head on Peter's shoulder. "Hopefully, they'll stay that way until noon. It'll give us a chance to catch up on our own sleep."
"Carol, Maria, and I can watch over your kids. You two rest for as long as you need."
"Are you sure? We don't want to trouble any of you."
The Black Widow smiled. "It's fine. Lest you both forget, we're their mothers too...and it's only right that we help to take care of our children."
Peter and Wanda smiled back at her, with the latter reaching for her hand. "Thank you."
She clasped her fingers around Wanda's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. When Natasha let go a moment later, FRIDAY's voice suddenly chimed in from above. "Ms. Romanoff? There's an unknown encrypted number attempting to reach your phone. I've put the caller on hold for now."
"Unknown number? Did the caller say who they were?"
"No. There were no words spoken over the line. All that could be heard was this sound."
FRIDAY played the recording of the call she made earlier. There was some faint shuffling noises in the background before a single note whistle sounded out over the line. Neither Spidey nor the Scarlet Witch knew what to make of it. The Black Widow on the other hand...her eyes widened slightly out of recognition.
Natasha reached into her pocket and pulled out an old gray burner phone. "It's okay, FRIDAY. I know who it is...patch her through."
"Do you want us to leave?" Peter asked. He and Wanda were ready to give her some privacy if she needed it.
"No, it's fine. I don't think we'll be talking over the phone for very long."
She flipped the phone open and hit the green accept button. It wasn't long before the familiar voice of a young lady spoke up over the line. "Finally...Привет, старшая сестра. Вы пропустили меня?"
"Yelena, ты в порядке?" She inquired.
"Hmm? I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"Because I told you to only call this number if you were in trouble."
Yelena rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I remember. But none of us have heard from you at all since we last saw each other. This was the quickest way to reach you and we just wanted to make sure you're okay...unless that's not allowed."
Natasha took a deep breath before she spoke again, this time with more warmth in her voice. "I'm alright. Tell Melina and Alexei I'm doing just fine. Wait, are they still together?"
From the side, Spidey just smiled as he listened to the conversation. It seems Yelena was calling to simply check in on her older sister. The Scarlet Witch didn't know who this mysterious woman was and planned to ask the Black Widow about her later.
"Unfortunately, yes. The two of them have been acting more lovey dovey since we all came back from...what was it called again? The Decimation? It's kind of nauseating to watch мать and Толстый старик sometimes when they think they're alone."
"Don't remind me...seeing them flirt with each other when we sat together in her kitchen almost made me throw up."
The younger Russian woman chuckled. "That was awkward for the both of us. I'm glad you're doing well...is it okay if I come visit you? Hearing your voice again is good but I miss seeing you in person."
Natasha blinked twice, taken aback by what she just asked. Getting a phone call from Yelena today was surprising enough. Her asking to come here for a friendly visit was completely unexpected. Unexpected but not unwelcome.
"Sure...I miss you too." She quietly admitted. "Depending on where you are though, it might take a while for you to arrive at the Avenger's Compound."
"I know...which is why I'm flying over to New York now. I should be there in about three hours."
"Why am I not surprised? Well, let me know when you get here and I'll open the security gates for you."
"Will do. See you soon, Natasha." Yelena said before she hung up.
The Black Widow turned her attention back to the two youngest Avengers. Spidey leaned forward a bit in his seat. "So your sister is coming over for a visit?"
Putting her phone away, she nodded. "Yeah. She'll be here in a few hours. Sorry for the short notice."
"Ah, don't worry about it. This should be interesting."
Wanda looked intrigued. "I never knew you had a sister. What's she like?"
"...A very blunt and direct sort of person. Yelena can also be snarky sometimes but she's nice once you get to know her."
"I'm looking forward to meeting her then. Peter and I will try to get some sleep before she arrives. That way, we won't be too tired to speak with your sister."
"Good idea. You both look like you're about to faint out of exhaustion any second now." Natasha mumbled. "Again, don't worry about the kids. The others and I will look after them while you two rest.
Peter pecked a gentle kiss on the Black Widow's lips. "Thank you. Just watch your ears if William wakes up first. He cries a lot more loudly than Maybelle does."
"Best way to calm our son down is to sing him a couple of lullabies." Wanda advised. "We found that out ourselves just this morning."
"Understood. I'll let Carol and Maria know too. Now go get some sleep."
The young Sokovian mother gave her a friendly hug before she and Peter rose to their feet. Grabbing hold of each other's hands, they walked out of the kitchen and began to make their way back to their room. Natasha picked up the teapot and poured the last of the green tea into her cup. Captain Marvel and Hill walked in a few minutes later, still sweating a bit from their training session in the exercise room.
"Hey, Natasha." Maria greeted with a bottle of water in hand. She and Carol joined her at the dining table. "We ran into Peter and Wanda in the hall. They told us we'd have a guest coming over later...and that it was someone you personally know."
The Black Widow nodded before she proceeded to explain about who this guest was in greater detail.
...
"Are you nervous?"
"About what?"
Maria folded her arms. "About seeing your sister again. The last time the two of you met was almost six years ago, I think."
"...A little bit." Natasha admitted, adjusting her grip on the gift wrapped box in her hand. "It probably doesn't even feel that long for her though. She was one of the many victims of the Decimation too."
Her friend nodded in understanding before the place grew silent again. The two of them were waiting outside in front of the Avengers Compound. Yelena was due to arrive any moment now. The new parents were still sleeping in their room, although Peter did wake up at one point to prepare a light snack for her sister before he returned to bed. Carol took over for Maria just a few minutes ago and was currently watching over the kids in the nursery.
The roar of an engine was soon heard and they turned their gaze to the distant road. Driving down the tarmac was an old silver highlander, with the younger Widow most likely being the one behind the wheel. It slowed down and stopped next to where the two of them were standing. The engine shut off before the front door opened...and her sister finally exited the vehicle.
Her appearance has changed a bit since they've last seen each other. Yelena's long blonde hair now hung loose past her shoulders instead of being tied back in a braid or ponytail. She was properly dressed for the cold autumn weather, wearing a simple yellow sweater and white jacket to keep herself warm.
Yelena twisted her body from side to side to relieve the stiff feeling in her back muscles. "Think I sat for too long on that damn plane...Hello, сестра. Long time no see."
Natasha held out both her arms with a smile. "It's good to have you here. I've missed you."
She stepped forward and eagerly embraced her older sister. Maria stayed quiet, grinning as she watched the two of them reunite. It was good to see her old friend with such a happy expression on her face.
"I've missed you too. Who's this?"
"A good friend of mine. We used to work together when SHIELD was still active...this is Maria Hill. Maria, meet Yelena Belova."
Yelena extended a friendly hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Hill accepted her hand and shook it firmly. Truth be told, she sort of already knew who Yelena was.
They've never met in person before until now but SHIELD used to have an extensive file on her. She read it a couple of times and the one detail that stood out the most was her high kill count. Yelena's reputation as a ruthless and efficient child assassin had been well earned back then...not that Maria was planning to mention it. She never judged Natasha for her bloody past. There was no way in hell she'd do that now with her friend's younger sister.
"I have something for you." The red-headed Black Widow offered the gift wrapped box for her to take.
"Oh? What is it?" Yelena asked, accepting the mysterious gift. She stared at the brightly coloured parcel with curious eyes.
"Let's go inside first. We'll be able to speak more comfortably in the dining room."
She nodded in agreement and followed them as they led the way into the building. Just before they walked past the doors, Yelena set the alarm to her car by pressing one of the buttons on her keys. She wasn't expecting for it to get stolen but better to be safe than sorry.
Once they all got into the elevator, Natasha pushed one of the buttons to reach their floor. "So how are Melina and Alexei doing?"
Yelena slipped the car keys into her jacket pocket. "They're getting older but otherwise alright. The two of them run a small farm together in the northern countryside of Ukraine."
Her older sister raised an eyebrow. "Farm, huh? Does she still raise pigs?"
"Some...but Мать mostly raises sheep now. The nearby town pays Melina a lot for the rich wool that comes from her sheep. The fat old man just handles most of the general labour around the farm while she cultivates the crops and takes care of the livestock."
Maria smirked out of amusement. "I take it Melina and Alexei are your parents or something?"
The beautiful Russian blonde nodded. "Well, they're the closest thing we have to parents anyways."
The elevator arrived at their destination and FRIDAY opened the doors for them. Exiting the lift, Natasha and Maria led the way down the hall with Yelena following closely behind. Their guest kept staring at the gift-wrapped box in her hands...wondering just what it was that her older sister got for her. All she could tell so far was that the present didn't have much weight to it.
"Here we are. Make yourself comfortable." Her older sister said when they finally entered the kitchen. "I'll get you something to drink."
"So this is where you live nowadays...it's a nice place."
The Black Widow just shrugged in response before she grabbed a clean cup from one of the drawers. Hill put the dessert that Peter baked earlier into the microwave, hitting the right buttons so that it would heat up for one minute. Taking off her jacket, Yelena took a seat in one of the wooden chairs. She set the parcel down on the table and began to tear away the colourful wrapping paper. A box was revealed to be underneath as expected but when she removed the lid...a quiet gasp escaped her lips.
Folded neatly inside was her old green vest. It was the first piece of clothing she ever bought for herself before it was given to her sister as a parting gift.
Natasha soon returned with a fresh cup of hot chocolate in her hand. "You were right about the pockets being useful. I was able to hide a lot of knives and spare ammo in them."
"...You've kept it all this time." Yelena murmured, her heart feeling very moved.
"It was a present from you. I wasn't going to throw it away. I loved wearing this vest...but I think it suits you more than it does me."
"Well, I guess I do look better in green than you would."
The Black Widow rolled her eyes before she put the hot chocolate down on the table and sat next to her. Placing her arm around Yelena's shoulders, Natasha held her close for a hug. The beautiful Russian blonde melted into her embrace and whispered a heartfelt thank you.
Maria quietly approached them with the heated pastries in her hands. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything. Snack's all warmed up and ready."
She set the plate down in the middle of the table. Just the sweet scent alone was enough to make them all nearly drool. It hadn't been easy for the Black Widow or Hill to hold themselves back from sneaking an early bite of the dessert after their boyfriend finished baking it.
Yelena stared at the golden cookies with nostalgic eyes. "...Is that Rogaliki? I haven't had that in years."
"Peter thought you might be hungry from your long trip so he made a fresh batch for you to have." Her older sister explained.
"He's the man that you're dating, right? You mentioned his name once when we were flying to Siberia to fetch Alexei."
"Yeah. We've been together for almost six years now."
The young Russian woman let out an impressed whistle. "Six years? Damn...now I really want to meet this guy."
"You will later. He's resting at the moment though after going through a sleepless night." Natasha said before she pointed towards the Rogaliki. "You should eat some of these before they get cold."
Yelena obliged and grabbed one from the plate. Enjoying the delicious scent for a moment, she eventually took her first bite of the cookie. The taste buds on her tongue was soon met with a light sweet flavor. There was just the right amount of powered sugar sprinkled on top and the honey filling in the middle tasted wonderful. Maria and Natasha chuckled at the amazed expression on her face before they began to partake in some of the Rogaliki too.
"Божьи Мои...this is really good."
"Peter's a talented cook. Your sister and I always love eating the food he makes." Hill finished eating one cookie before she reached down to the plate to grab another.
Yelena popped another cookie into her mouth. "I can see why. I hope he gets here soon. I'd like to thank him for taking the time to make these for me."
"Did someone say my name?"
...
Peter managed to wake up and slowly sat upright with a quiet grunt. He looked to his left and smiled upon seeing Wanda beside him, who was snoring quietly in her sleep. They both have been napping for the past three hours. Spidey still felt a bit tired but he did feel more alert at the very least. The Scarlet Witch on the other hand needed to rest for a bit longer...not that it surprised him.
His girlfriend hated having to wake up early and loved to sleep in whenever she got the chance. Now that they had two wonderful children to care for, their opportunities for sleeping in were going to be rare and few.
"...Wanda?" Peter whispered, caressing the side of her face.
A quiet groan escaped her lips as she slowly opened her eyes. "What time is it?"
"It's almost ten thirty. I think Natasha's sister is here now. Should we go meet her or do you want to stay in bed?"
"It's been three hours already? That felt more like a fifteen minute nap."
He chuckled. "I know. I'm sure Natasha will understand if you want to sleep for a while longer."
She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I've been wanting to meet this Yelena woman. Before we go though, let's check on Maybelle and William first."
"Good idea."
The two youngest Avengers climbed out of their bed and walked into the bathroom together. They brushed their teeth again and washed their faces quickly. Changing out of their sleepwear, Peter and Wanda put on a fresh set of clothes before they left their quarters. The twin babies normally stayed with their parents in the same room but Captain Marvel and Hill moved them to the nursery next door so they could rest without any disturbances.
Spidey opened the door before they stepped inside. The room was filled with stuffed teddy bears and other sorts of animals like lions and tigers. All of the walls were decorated with wallpaper that showed cute cartoonish versions of the Avengers, with both the Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man featured very prominently.
Both parents were a little embarrassed about that but the others just found it to be very amusing. Pepper had been the one to design the whole place and it was pretty obvious she did not spare any expense in having this nursery built for maximum comfort. The spare crib was located near the back of the room. Little William was fast asleep inside it while Maybelle dozed safely in Carol's arms. The cosmic powered heroine herself was sitting in a rocking chair, moving it back and forth at a slow pace so the sleeping child wouldn't accidentally suffer from motion sickness.
"Hey, you two." Carol greeted with a quiet voice. She stood up from the rocking chair and carefully passed Maybelle into Wanda's arms. "I hope you're both feeling better."
The Scarlet Witch kissed her daughter's little forehead. "A three hour nap doesn't really make up for nine hours of lost sleep...but it's better than getting no rest at all. I trust there was no trouble here?"
"Nope. They did wake up for a little bit though while Maria was watching them."
Spidey walked towards the crib, reaching down to brush his sleeping son's cheek with the back of his hand. "Really? What did Maybelle and William do?"
Carol stretched her arms to get the blood flowing. She'd been sitting in the rocking chair for almost an hour. "Nothing much. They just stared at everything and moved their little hands around before dozing off again. Neither of them have stirred at all since I took over for Maria."
That didn't surprise him at all. Their kids were only three weeks old...sleeping and eating would be the most they could do until they were a couple of months older.
"Oh yeah, Natasha's sister is here. FRIDAY informed me about that just a few minutes before you two came in."
"We know." Wanda said. "Peter and I were on our way to go meet her. You want to come with us?"
Captain Marvel shook her head. "Maybe later. Someone still has to look after these two."
"You sure? We could watch over them now."
"I'll be fine. Besides, she might be staying with us for a while so I'm sure we'll meet each other sooner or later."
The young Spider gave her a friendly pat on the back. "I'll grab you a drink and some of the cookies I made earlier. You must be a little hungry from sitting in this room for so long. Is there anything specific you want or will water be fine?"
Carol grinned. "I could never say no to your cookies. A bottle of iced tea would be great."
"You got it."
Peter and Carol shared a quick kiss with each other. Wanda handed Maybelle back to her before they left the nursery together. Closing the door behind them, the two youngest Avengers continued to walk down the hall. The voices of Hill and the Black Widow could be heard as they got closer to the kitchen...along with a new young female voice. All eyes in the dining area turned to look at the couple when they finally stepped through the doorway. Maria and Natasha smiled in greeting while Yelena stared at them with curiosity. The Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man in turn spared a curious glance at her too.
"Did someone say my name?" He asked. "We couldn't help but overhear you all talking from out in the hall."
...
- Sorry if the bit of Russian dialogue written in this is incorrect. Yelena calls Melina Мать, which is one of the Russian terms for mother while she describes Alexei as the Толстый старик...it basically means fat old man.
- Rogaliki is a type of Russian baked dessert. They're basically cookies that resemble miniature croissant rolls.
- I thought it'd be best for Melina and Alexei to settle down as actual farmers after taking down the Red Room. Given her convincing disguise as a humble pig farmer in Saint Petersburg in the Black Widow movie, it seemed fitting.