She remembered the room. It was painted white, but it was peeling. With an almost blue light in the ceiling. There was no window. There were never any windows. She was four. Or maybe five? Hair in twin braids, sat at the single table, booted feet swinging lightly as she stared at the puzzle. She didn't pay any attention to the electrodes stuck to her scalp, or to the three doctors sat behind her. They didn't hide behind glass; this was their domain so why would they need to hide? She knew she was always being watched. To pretend otherwise was insulting to the child.

She moved the final piece into place, and she heard several scribbles behind her.

"Well done, Anya." One doctor sat in front of her; a female doctor. She didn't see her often. She said she was a doctor of the mind, she'd once said. She did different tests, and got agitated when other doctors or scientists tried to interject. She was called Dr. Hahn.

"They told me you were asking questions earlier. When you had your lessons?" She said. Anya's small green eyes looked up from the puzzle since its completion. She slowly nodded. "Do you want to ask me those questions?"

Anya licked her lips, breathing heavily. She heard the scribbling behind her stop. But one look from Dr. Hahn and she could almost hear to the others start to perspire.

Anya titled her head slightly. "They were explaining families to me…" Anya started, watching Dr. Hahn warily. The doctor nodded, leaning back in seat. Her leg was jiggling lightly, as she craved a break to go and take a smoke.

"Family dynamics and sociological concepts, with Dr. Ludwig?" Anya nodded. Before she asked the question she really wanted to ask, she asked another.

"Do you have a mama?" The six year old said, and took the doctor by surprise.

"Well, yes…is that what you wanted to ask?" The doctor peered her eyes, her leg still jiggling for the need for nicotine.

"Do I have a mama?"

This was the first time Dr. Hahn actively acknowledged the other doctors present in the room. They'd expected the questions years earlier. She glanced over at them before back at the small child in front of her.

"Yes. You do, Anya."

"Where is she?" The small girl sat up straighter in her seat, her attention unbreakable. "Can I meet her?"

Dr. Hahn sighed through her nose. "You'll meet her one day, perhaps. She's not here. She was once with us, but left. She left you here with us when you were born and she then turned her back on us all."

Anya hadn't expected that answer. She half-expected to receive no answer and a hit with the shock stick to remind her not to ask again.

She felt she would have preferred the shock stick.

"Now, I want you to do this next exercise as quickly as you can," Dr. Hahn changed the puzzle over and watched as the girl resumed her work, a slightly dejected look on her face.

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"What we want to know, is how the child came into existence if the regular method of human reproduction wasn't used," Vision always spoke in a clinical and scientific manner, that it was the only way of reminding the over Avengers that he wasn't human. Tony blinked as all he heard was the voice of his old friend.

"Is she a clone or something?" Sam suggested, but Tony shook his head.

"No, F.R.I.D.A.Y. picked up two individual sets of parent DNA. Kid isn't a clone, though we're still looking to find out who the Daddy is," Tony chucked one of the paper files back into the box, taking a sip of the amber liquid. Shirt sleeves rolled up and the start of a migraine forming, he fell into a leather seat in the communal area.

"Ok, so she's not a clone, she's a complete individual, well that only leaves genetic engineering. Am I right?" Rhodey put in. "Think about it, Romanoff never gave birth, never even knew the kid existed. Seems like she was…well, cooked up in a lab or something."

"It would explain the kid's attitude; they've engineered her and taught her everything from day one," Tony sighed. "Thing, is, where'd she get the super-duper blue glowy powers from?"

"Super-duper blue glowy powers? Really?"

"Give me a break, my brain is fried trying to get through all the encrypted files."

"Any luck with those?" Clint asked as he walked into the room, half hearing the conversation. His eyes focused on Nat, who was sat in the corner, reading over every paper they'd collected for the fifth time. She was so silent Tony had forgotten she was there, and felt slightly guilty.

"Should finally be able to access them by morning. F.R.I.D.A.Y. has been working double time trying to get in. They really planned on us getting these files."

"Thing is," Sam said, now wary that Nat was in the room. "What was the intention? I mean like, they've created a kid in a lab. Given that kid super powers, and for what? What was their plan with her?"

"I imagine something along the lines of global domination? To wipe all of us out?"

They'd all noticed how Nat's eye were still, no longer reading the page.

"Then why hasn't she done that while here?" Clint asked, frowning as he sat beside Nat, resting a hand on top of hers.

None of the Avengers knew how to answer him.

They all sat in silence. Tony finished the last of his drink and mumbled about needing to make a call. Eventually, they all filtered out, various tasks taking their attention away from the topic. Soon, it was just Clint and Natasha.

"How you holding up? It's strange when you go quiet." Clint gave her a smile, not really receiving one in return. She had returned to pouring over the paper sheets before her. There wasn't much there; mostly schedules, the results of various blood works and observation notes. Nat was determined to stay awake until the AI had broken the encryption so she could read the digital files and understand more of the world her daughter came from. She was just about to start re-reading about dietary restrictions when Clint took the file from her hands.

"I think you need to get some sleep, Nat."

"You expect me to sleep when all this is going on?" She titled her head.

"Of course not. But Laura told me I ought to at least make you try and get some sleep." Nat raised her eyebrows. "She sends her love, as does Lila. I'd say the others, but Cooper is now too cool to say those sorts of things and Nate just drools."

Clint was happy to see that got the smallest of smiles out of his friend.

"Where is she?" Nat asked, not looking exactly at Clint, but still reading his face.

"Wanda is showing her to her new room." Nat gave a slight nod. The girl had pushed her way out of arms from their earlier altercation that day. She'd been inconsolable, running as fast as she could from Nat. The assassin found herself on the floor of the corridor, one of the few moments in her life where she was too stunned to move. It had taken her a few moments to move, only for fear to overtake her as there was no sign of the child in the building. She looked and looked, and soon Steve found her back down by the waters edge.

"She thinks I put her there, Clint. For years, they've told her that."

"And you've told her the truth. And will tell her the truth for years more. Kid's had a rough time, been told a lie since she was born. Gonna be kinda hard to wrap your head around, I suppose."

Nat silently agreed, but that didn't stop the burning sensation in her chest.

"You want to go up and see her?" Clint asked, and Nat gave him a smile that he knew she was hiding behind.

"Hardly think she is going to let me tuck her into bed."

"Didn't ask if you thought she'd want to see you. I asked if you want to see her." Nat gave a small smile again, and Clint didn't miss the shine in her eyes that she stubbornly forced back.

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She liked the window. The room was spacious with a bed bigger than she'd ever slept in before. She'd always slept in same small room in the lab. Or the Box. But there wasn't enough room in there to lie down to sleep, so she always stayed awake. In the Other Place, she'd shared the room with other girls. She couldn't get used to sleeping in the room with others; hearing them breath and shift kept her on edge.

The Other Place had a window. But like her home, she couldn't leave the bed. The window had been on the far side of the room, and she'd never gotten to enjoy it. But Wanda explained this was her room – she could do what she liked. She didn't know what else she could possibly want to do other than look out the window. It overlooked the water, and in the distance, she could see the faint traces of a city.

Wanda was in the room behind her, placing folded up clothes away in the closet and drawers. She'd taken the liberty to order some new clothes for the girl – the oversized items she wore were no good, nor was the blue jumpsuit she'd arrived in; it had been sent straight to the incinerator.

"You live here?" Anya said quietly, her hands on the cool glass.

"Yes," Wanda said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Since I met the Avengers, and since my home is now gone."

"Where has it gone?" The girl asked, finally drawing her eyes away from the glass. Wanda gave a strange sort of smile.

"It's gone now. So this is my home. My room is across the hall. You can come in at any time. You're my new neighbour." Anya stared at her, unblinkingly, before looking back at the glass.

"Who else lives here?" Wanda knew exactly who she wanted to know about. "Well, Steve does," Anya smiled. "Vision and I. Tony comes and goes really, as do a lot. Sam goes back to Washington a lot. Rhodey spends a lot of time here too. Clint for a few weeks at a time before he disappears." The young woman paused slightly. "Your mama lives here too."

Wanda watched as Anya remained still as she returned to stare out the window. Wanda rubbed her knees before walking back to the closet and finding some pyjamas. The night was setting in, and the sky was becoming inky as dark clouds creeped in with the promise of a storm.

"Here you go," Wanda placed the soft clothes, a long sleeved shirt and pants, patterned with smalls bears. She'd found the pattern cute, and watched as Anya ran her hands over the soft material.

"Mine?" She whispered more in confusion than shock. Wanda nodded, and was surprised when the girl let her help take her oversized clothes off to change. The young woman bit her tongue hard when she saw the bruises. She bundled up the oversized borrowed clothes to take them to the laundry room, but saw Anya grip onto the striped hoodie, so decided to leave it with the girl.

"I'll go take these downstairs, I'll be back soon."

Anya turned to keep looking out the window, but night had fully crept in, and now she couldn't see much outside, only the faint outline of trees swaying in heavy wind. She heard the footsteps coming up the hall, and knew it wasn't Wanda. She saw the red hair in the glass, but didn't turn to look at her. Instead, she breathed onto the glass, and drew in the mist. She decided to try and trace the trees.

Both knew the other was there, but neither spoke. Nat found her fingers nervously tugging at the sleeves of her grey jumper. This was new – she didn't get nervous. That was trained out of her. Yet being around the small girl made her nervous, her heart beating faster and at a strange beat. She looked at the girl in her new pyjamas, and smiled at the childish pattern.

Innocent. Something she wished she herself and her daughter could be. But she was far from that, and any innocence Anya had, had been taken from her as soon as she was born.

Nat briefly let her mind wander away – how was she born? Had it been in a lab, in such a cold and sterile environment? Without any love or warmth? Or had another woman carried her? That thought made her blood boil, the idea of someone having the experience of feeling her child grow inside them. Something that should have been hers but it had been taken. The ability without her consent; and the experience without her knowing.

"Vse gotovy ko snu, malyshka?" All ready for bed, little one?

She stepped closer, but Anya didn't acknowledge her. Instead, she furiously wiped away her picture on the glass, and walked over towards the bed, determined to keep her back to the Widow.

But Nat didn't stop. She wouldn't.

"Your hair is tucked into your collar." She said, but the child gave no indication she'd heard her. Nat stepped forward, not stopping, even when she saw Anya tense. She lightly pulled the hair from the pyjamas. She still didn't turn around. Nat's fingers weaved their way into the brown hair, and she found herself slowly braiding it. From the top, she began a single long braid, but as she twisted the hair, the girl pulled away. She finally turned and stared the red head with a steely look. But Nat did not cower away. She leaned down and stared back at her daughter with a just a strong gaze.

"Vy mne ne verite seychas, no odnazhdy vy poverite. I ya budu prodolzhat' govorit' tebe pravdu kazhdyy den'. YA vsegda budu zdes', malyshka." You don't believe me now, but you will one day. And I will continue to tell you the truth every day. I'm always going to be here, baby girl.

Anya said nothing, just continued to stare with a hard gaze. But Nat could play the long game; she could undo everything Hydra had put into the girl's head. She would take back the child they'd taken from her.

She didn't know why she spoke Russian to the girl – she clearly understood and spoke English perfectly fine. Nat frowned to herself at the thought, but snapped out of it as Anya finally made a move. She climbed on to the bed, sitting crossed legged, but with her back to Nat. She stared at the wall as if it were the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen before. Natasha held back a small sigh as she straightened her back. Instead, she played her own move; she switched the lamp on besides the bed, and leaned forwards and placed a soft kiss on the back of the girls head, her hair tickling Nat's nose.

"Sweet dreams," She said quietly as she stepped back. She switched the main light of the room off, letting the lamp give a soft glow over the bedroom, before she pulled the bedroom door half shut. She stayed outside the door for a few moments, listening, but Anya must have been staying perfectly still as no noise reached her. Nat closed her eyes briefly, before walking away from the bedroom. She glanced back as she reached the end of the hallway; thinking to check on Anya in an hour maybe. The room was round the corner from her own, so she'd never be far.

"Rough night?" Steve gave a sad little smile as Nat crashed into one of the couches, her eyes closed.

"You could say that." She opened her eyes and looked at the soldier. "Thank you, for being good with her. She likes you." Nat smiled softly. Steve smiled and looked at his feet.

"She's just scared Nat. I think…I think she's scared to like you in case she loses you."

Nat closed her eyes again and gave a small smirk. "You're definitely in the wrong job, Rogers."

A/N: Once again, thank you for reading! I promise more action is coming in the next chapter! Please feel free to follow/favourite and to leave a comment!