A mechanical chirping interrupted Melina's concentration. She grumbled, not liking to be taken away from her work. Not when she was this close. But she couldn't let the security alarm go unattended. She got up from the worktable in her laboratory and limped over to the wall panel to see the screen alert. Her cast was off, but her leg was still a bit weak. More annoying than anything.
She swiped through the different security camera views. Alexei was on his run through the woods on the far side of her land, which made her smile. He got bored while she worked, since he couldn't very well help her with complex biochemistry, so she had suggested that he find something to do with his time, something to rid him of all his excess energy. They could only have sex so often, after all. He could go round after round after round, recovering far quicker than a man of his size and age and weight ever should, thanks to the super serum. Melina, however, had work to do, and could not allow him to distract her with multiple orgasms. After two days in her highly fortified home where they ravished each other past exhaustion, Melina needed to insert some discipline between them. So now Alexei went on runs and helped out with the pigs. And when he came inside, sweaty and tired and glowing from the endorphins brought on by exercise, she was eager for the break from her work to climb atop him and ride him till they passed out.
But Alexei had learned—after many reminders—where the security boundaries were. He did not cross them and set off the alarms anymore. He was not the cause of the alert. Melina swiped through the cameras until she gasped.
Melina grabbed a handgun from the hiding place by the door and went through to the kitchen and out to the front of the house. The fence was far away, and she cursed her leg for making things so difficult for her. If Alexei were here, she'd make him carry her. It was easier that way. And Melina had given up the shame and pride instilled in her by being a Black Widow. Dreykov was gone, at last, and Melina was free. No more Iron Maiden, only woman who loved a man who loved her back. Man who would do anything she asked and woman who would let him.
"Took you long enough," the visitor said sourly when Melina finally got to the fence.
"Broken leg takes long time to heal at my age," Melina answered. She hit a few buttons on her tablet for the passcode to open the gate. "Hi, baby," she greeted.
"Hi, Mama." Yelena entered and closed the gate securely behind her, approaching Melina with a smile. But she paused. "You have a gun to greet me?"
Melina didn't bother to take the gun out of where it was strapped inside her jacket. She knew that Yelena knew. Widows, the both of them. Melina explained, "I always have a gun when I leave the house."
"No one followed me," Yelena assured her.
"I trust you," Melina said, gathering her youngest daughter into her arms. After twenty years apart, Yelena had become her baby again, and all the feelings and all the love had come rushing back amidst taking down the Red Room and now rescuing the other widows.
Trust did not come easy to Melina, and as much as she tried so desperately to push away everything about Ohio, everything that had changed her so deeply, it was not all gone. She could trust her family. She could love them. Dreykov had taken so much from her. But he could not take that.
The two women made their way back to the house, moving slowly to accommodate Melina's limp. They talked about her progress with the antidote. She had cracked the formula but replicating the chemical was limited as she had to source the component ingredients.
They were interrupted when Alexei came jogging over. He saw them when he emerged from the trees, their movement in the distance catching his eye. "Melina, let me…"
He did not wait for her to answer before scooping her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, used to this by now. And Melina kissed his cheek gratefully.
Yelena watched them with a mildly disgusted look. "Ugh, you know the leg will take too long to get strong if you keep doing that."
"Is okay," Alexei insisted. "We have time. We like it this way."
Melina grinned proudly. Oh if Dreykov could see his Red Guardian now, see what Melina Vostokoff did to him. If Dreykov were here, he would be sickened by what he would see as weakness in his super soldier. But Melina knew better. For herself and for Alexei. They had love and comfort and joy. Things they'd pretended at in Ohio before they became real. Things they clung to now that they were finally able to claim them. Melina had no intention of letting them go. No intention of letting Alexei let her go.
Alexei shifted his hold so he could hold Melina in one arm and use the other to hug Yelena. "Hello, baby," he greeted.
"You're not so fat now," she noted.
"And my beard is trimmed. Your mama makes sure I am clean and healthy."
"Only so I can enjoy when you are dirty," Melina teased, grabbing his earlobe between her teeth. Alexei's knees went weak and he stumbled slightly.
"Oh my god," Yelena muttered.
At last, they reached the house and Alexei put Melina down. "Come," Melina announced, "Let's have a drink."
Alexei got the vodka and Melina collected glasses. The three of them gathered around the kitchen table. The fourth place setting across from Yelena was conspicuously empty.
"So is that all you've been doing here for weeks? Alexei works out and Melina does science?" Yelena asked, downing the first shot.
"I help with pigs," Alexei said.
"Sounds really boring," she scoffed.
Melina and Alexei shared a look, both trying not to laugh. "We are not bored," Melina said simply.
Yelena watched them both and grimaced. "You two are the worst."
"I promise, Alexei is the best," Melina cooed, her eyes not leaving his.
Alexei grinned, and a low growl of Russian words fell from his lips. Words that made Melina ready to climb into his lap and lick every part of his body she could reach.
"You know I can understand you!" Yelena shouted. "Can't you two cool it for like ten minutes while I'm right here?"
Melina tore her focus from Alexei and turned back to Yelena, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Sorry, you're right. We have been conditioned for after Alexei finishes his run in the afternoon. We are not used to having company."
"Ugh, after the run?" Yelena complained. "All sweaty and gross and smelly?"
"I have a lot of energy," Alexei explained.
Melina hummed happily in agreement.
Yelena poured herself more vodka.