As promised, at exactly six o'clock Ryan and Tessa showed up at Steve and Katie's door with pizza in tow. Zawadi barked eagerly, trying to jump up on Ryan as he held the pizzas just out of reach. "Hey, hey buddy, no pizza for you." Ryan cooed at the dog as Steve grabbed onto the Rhodesian's harness and gently pulled him away from their visitors.
Kayla traded Ryan a beer and took the pizzas into the kitchen to keep away from the dog. James sat on the carpet, playing with a set of large, multicolored blocks as Tessa sat on the ground next to him, beginning to help the child build his little tower. Ryan plopped down in his usual spot on the tan couch behind Tessa, watching his girlfriend with the child as Steve sat in his recliner nursing his own beer.
Ryan watched Tessa play with James, noticing the way her eyes lit up and her smile grew as he laughed and clapped. "Hey, no baby fever Tess."
"No, never." She laughed, leaning back to look up at Ryan. James moved and plopped down in between Tessa's legs and began pulling on her blouse as he tried to stand and lean against her. He pulled her hard and Steve leaped from his seat to unlatch his fingers from the woman.
"James. No yanking." Steve chastised quietly in his son's ear, but the boy began to whimper, wanting to go back to his blocks. When Steve released the child, he fell to the ground and began playing, already having forgotten how his father took him from his playmate. Steve addressed Tessa once he knew his son was preoccupied, "Sorry about that. He's a strong little dude."
"Yeah, I can tell." Tessa grumbled as she massaged the area around her neck where her shirt had pulled. "Katie, where's the pizza?"
Kayla emerged from the kitchen carrying the pizza boxes and paper plates, which she set on the ground after securing Zawadi behind the baby gate. "I decided on the paper plates after all."
Tessa laughed and flipped open the box of sausage and mushroom and grabbed a slice of pizza as Steve looked skeptically at the pizza. Tessa noticed his confusion and chuckled, "What? It's my favorite."
"I didn't realize those were pizza toppings," Steve muttered, leaning back into his chair as Kayla brought him two slices of pepperoni pizza before sitting on his lap, eating her own piece of cheese.
Kayla giggled a little, using her free hand to hold Steve's jaw, "After all these years, you still don't know that anything can go on pizza?"
"After all these years?" Ryan sneered playfully, and Kayla's eyes widened as she realized her error. She quickly turned to Ryan and Tessa, laughing nervously as she felt her cheeks heat up.
"That we've been together. I always order the weirdest pizzas. Like, they'll put M&Ms on them if you ask." She explained awkwardly, trying to alleviate the situation she'd inadvertently created.
After all these years? After all these years you'd think I'd realize my husband was just a man.
"Yet here you are, with the plainest one of them all." Tessa gestured with her own slice, and Kayla opened her mouth to defend herself, but closed it, putting her hands up defensively.
"I do what I want."
The four were interrupted by a knock at the front door. Kayla and Steve exchanged a surprised glance, and Kayla got off Steve's lap as he stood, moving to the door to see who was there. Tessa continued to play with James, oblivious to Steve and Kayla's apprehension about a surprise visitor. Steve opened the door and was quickly ushered back inside by the Black Widow.
"Steve, I need a place to stay..." Natasha's urgent tone trailed off when she turned to the left and realized they weren't alone. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I didn't realize you guys were busy."
"Natalie!" Kayla cried happily as she jumped to her feet and sprinted across the room, wrapping her arms around the redhead. Natasha's long hair was cut short in a curly bob, not unlike the style she sported when Kayla first met her over a decade ago. When Kayla pulled away, she studied her friend quickly, her eyes wide to warn Natasha to play along. She turned quickly and beamed at Ryan and Tessa, "This is my sister Natalie. Natalie, this is Tessa and Ryan. They live next door."
"You look really familiar," Ryan said quietly, studying Natalie, but Kayla intervened before he could realize she was the woman he was hunting.
"Only if you've spent time in Ohio because that's where my family lives." Kayla laughed, and Natasha chuckled along, grabbing onto Kayla's shoulder supportively. Kayla turned from her friends to Natasha, "You said you needed a place to stay? What's wrong?"
"Sam and I broke up. Really, really bad breakup. I'm... I'm afraid to go home. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have bothered you guys with everything going on with Sarah but I didn't know where else to go. Mom and Dad will never let me hear the end of it if I go home." Natasha explained to Kayla easily.
Ryan leaned forward over Tessa, watching the two women curiously. Natalie looked so much like Natasha Romanoff, but he also had to admit the resemblance between her and Katie Carter was palpable. The two were clearly sisters, they fit together like a worn glove. "Sam's the boyfriend?"
"Girlfriend." Natasha corrected, and Ryan nodded understandingly as Tessa continued playing with James, only occasionally looking up at her friend's sister. Natasha shoved her hands in the pockets of her grey and black sweater jacket, "I really can go if you need me to. I just can't go back to Sam, she's a nutcase right now. She's been verbally abusive, Katie."
"Have you filed a police report? I can help you out if you need me to." Ryan offered sweetly. Natasha looked to Kayla questioningly and Kayla's breath caught in her throat before she shoved it out and explained.
"Ryan's a police officer. A good one too, he's a part of a special department trying to help families recuperate after everything that happened the past five years. He could help you if you wanted- but for tonight, please stay here and get some rest." Kayla turned to Ryan, "We'll discuss it and reach out to you in the morning if we want to file a police report. I know it's out of state, but still-"
"No worries Katie, I'll take care of everything," Ryan said, still watching Natasha carefully. This was Katie's sister. He could see it. But she looked so much like the woman who stole that child.
"You want some pizza and beer? We have a ton. Join us!" Tessa invited, gesturing to the floor beside her and the pizza boxes stacked just outside of James's reach.
Natasha smiled shyly at the brunette, "I appreciate it, I really do. I don't want to crash your double date though."
"How about I get you settled into the guest room. You can get some sleep, we won't be too loud, I promise." Kayla offered, gesturing toward the staircase.
"Are you sure Katie?" Natasha asked, her green eyes pleading. Kayla couldn't tell if she was still acting or if she was really desperate, and she was reminded that one of her best friends was one of the greatest spies in the world.
Kayla nodded meekly, "Yeah, of course. As long as you're away from Sam. I never liked her you know." Kayla added with a scowl, then nodded toward the stairs to lead her 'sister' to the spare bedroom. As Katie led Natalie upstairs, Ryan turned to Steve questioningly.
"Your sister-in-law looks just like Natasha Romanoff." He told the soldier bluntly and Steve lowered his head defensively, setting his jaw.
"I've known her for years. I promise Natalie isn't an assassin. She couldn't hurt a fly. One time she woke me up in the middle of the night to kill a spider while Katie and I were living with their parents." Steve adjusted the arms of his dark glasses as he spared a quick glance up the stairs, "I'm just worried about the situation with Sam. Katie's been worried about her for months. That woman is ruthless."
Ryan shifted uncomfortably on the cushion of the tan couch, but Tessa just shot him a dirty look over her shoulder, pulling her long hair aside as James continued to focus on his building blocks, "Stop being paranoid. You won't have to deal with the Black Widow. She wouldn't come to a sleepy town like this."
"A cop? Are you kidding me Kayla?" Natasha hissed at her friend as soon as Kayla closed and locked the door to the spare bedroom upstairs. Kayla's resigned, frustrated face told Nat everything she needed to know about what her arrival would mean for the couple.
"Tess is my friend. I didn't know her fiancé was a cop. They live next door. Plus, the more time we spend with them, the more likely he'll make sure nobody bothers us." Kayla justified as she crossed her arms, tapping her index finger on her forearm as she stared down Natasha, "We asked you to come yesterday and you blew off Steve. We didn't expect you to take up our offer, otherwise, we would have been more prepared."
"I can't trust anyone. I can't talk over the phone, even the burner phones. I got run out of the city. I'll make my way to Clint's, I just need to lay low for a while. They'll check with Pepper, but not here."
Kayla pushed herself away from the wall and embraced Natasha, holding the back of her head tightly as her other arm kept Natasha pulled close, "I'm so glad you're alright. We need to figure out how to end this. This isn't a life for you-"
"I'm a spy Kay, this is the only life I've ever known. I've just... been more low profile in the past." Natasha bit back quietly, venom dripping in her words for the life she'd lost. The life they'd all lost. SHIELD. The Avengers. Even the little band of renegade vigilantes that Steve led around the world. It was all gone now.
Kayla released Natasha and twisted her lips, trying to decide the best course of action. "Stay here for a few days. It'll keep up appearances for our cover if you do. If you leave now, you look suspicious, and then we look suspicious. Steve can take you to Clint's. He'll pretend its a business trip or something." Kayla thought aloud, trying to come up with a realistic plan as she held onto Nat's arms.
Natasha pulled away and plopped her black duffle bag onto the bed, sitting next to it as Kayla brainstormed. She ran her fingers along the black quilt, taking in the elaborate sewing that made up the twists and turns of the elegant pattern, "Maybe we need to fake my death too."
"Too many deaths begin to look fishy. You're the Black Widow, people would believe it if you just vanished into thin air."
"Your father is the one spearheading this manhunt, and he has Sam under his thumb. They all think I have James. They won't stop until they get him back safe and if they don't, they'll keep hunting me." Natasha argued, keeping her voice low as she looked toward the door. "Perhaps it's not my death we need to fake."
Kayla yanked her neck back in disbelief, placing her hands on her hips fiercely, "You don't mean my son?"
"Well, obviously it's just for show." Natasha snorted, rolling her eyes at Kayla's response. "If your father thinks James is gone, he may continue hunting me, but they'll decrease the manpower."
Kayla shifted her jaw, thinking through Nat's plan. It did make sense. But Matt and Sandra Ellis had lost everything: their only daughter and her family. Their only link to Kayla Ellis was her son. Could she take that from them? Even just the idea that he was out there somewhere?
"I don't know Nat, how are we going to do that without implicating you more? Then the story goes from 'keeping him safe' to 'murder' real fast." Kayla put air quotes around her words as she groaned, "This is so complicated. It's all my fault, I did this."
"Yeah, but you did it to save my life, so I'll deal with it. I'm sorry you have to deal with it too though." Natasha met Kayla's eyes with her own piercing green ones. Kayla could see tiredness she wasn't used to seeing in Natasha. It was the weariness she'd worn during the snap when Nat single-handedly ran what was left of the Avengers for five long years. Her second chance at life was breaking her soul.
"We'll figure this out. In the morning. I need to get back down there. Ryan already seems suspicious of you." Kayla whispered as she pressed her ear to the door, hearing Ryan and Steve laughing loudly downstairs. She twisted the handle and opened the door slowly before turning back to Natasha, "I'll check on you when they leave."
"Thank you, Kayla. I appreciate it." Natasha finally admitted with a deep sigh, forcing a hopeful smile across her sharp features. "Have a good night."
"You too Nat." Kayla closed the door behind her and bounded down the stairs into the family room, where she was greeted by anxious stares from Steve and Ryan as Tessa held James's hands while he tried to walk. "Look at you and the little man!" Kayla crossed the room and plopped down next to her friend, causing her son's attention to break away and focus in on his mother. He waddled over to Kayla and collapsed against her chest with a thud, knocking the breath out of her for a moment before she rubbed his back lovingly.
"How's your sister? She seems pretty shaken up." Tessa asked, trying to gauge her friend's reaction. Tessa could sense there was more at play here, but she wasn't going to go so far as to assume her neighbor was the sister of an assassin. But Katie Carter and her husband were a bit odd, so Tessa used any and every opportunity to understand exactly who she was dealing with.
Kayla caught onto Tessa's intentions though, and kept her calm demeanor intact under the questioning, "I think she's gonna be okay. It's just a breakup, not the end of the world. It just seems that way because Sam was so intense. Plus, Mom and Dad never really approved of her, you know, dating another woman." Kayla fabricated more story, trying to make her tale seem believable to her neighbors. "She's gonna stay here a few days. I, for one, I'm cool with it, because she can help me watch the kids while you're at work. The four of us could actually go out for once. I hope it's okay that I said she could stay." Kayla directed her words at Steve and he shrugged, rolling his blue eyes beneath his glasses.
"Yeah, why not. Free room. Free babysitter."
"That's the spirit." Ryan chortled as he took another long sip of his beer, still not able to let go of the familiar woman, even if all signs pointed to her being nothing more than Katie's sister. "She still looks like the Black Widow."
"Really? You think? I think she looks like me." Kayla shrugged nonchalantly, unbothered by the man's accusations. Kayla beamed at James as he opened and closed his mouth, making silly faces at his mom. Suddenly, Ryan's phone began to buzz loudly on the table next to him. He looked over to it lazily and groaned before grabbing onto it.
"I'm sorry guys, I've got to take this. It's work."
Kayla and Steve met each other's eyes for a moment as they heard the man talk in hushed tones as he walked further toward the kitchen. Ryan paced back and forth, pressing his fist to his lips as he took in the information from his boss. After about three minutes, he hung up and walked back, lowering his hand to help Tessa off the floor, "Sorry guys, we've got to go, I'm getting called into work."
"It's seven fifteen, the night's still young. You go, I'll be home in a while. The pizza's not even cold yet." Tessa said evenly as she leaned her back against the couch. "What's happening?"
"I can't go into details. It's classified. I just want to know you're home safe, okay." Ryan told Tess sternly, and she took his hand and allowed him to pull her up with a firm yank. Ryan turned to Steve with a grim smile, his steely eyes hard as the blonde man rose from his recliner, "Next time I want you to break out that sketchpad."
"You got it boss." Steve replied as he thrust his hand at Ryan to shake, smiling as the police officer nodded in return. Tessa hugged Kayla before being led out the front door by Ryan. She looked over her shoulder nervously before Steve was able to close and lock the front door.
Author's Notes:
Nikkita Starr- Don't get too excited about Sarah getting stronger. She's her father's daughter, and she's basically a little pre-serum Steve in a modern age. As for Tessa? She's a curious one, but as hard as she works to find the truth, those around her work hard to keep their secrets.