Sorry for the wait, but here is a new chapter, finally. As promise, you didn't have to wait 6 months. Only 5 months and 10 days ...
Anyway! Thanks for your reviews, notably guest 2. I didn't thank you properly last time ^^
Dear Guest, thank you again. It's been a long time since your review and you probably forgot it, but here is the answer : I'm glad you loved Bruce's scene, it is one I also really like. My exams went extremely well, thank you. I watched Captain America - Civil War and it's amazing. I hope you had the chance to see it too! Have you had the chance to catch up any of the previous Marvel movies? I hope so, because it is half the pleasure :)
As for the interaction between this story and the movie, I do not know yet exactly how I'll join them, but ULDN will probably get a little "alternative universe" side. I hope you're alright with that.
Last but not least, thank you Enji for the endless pressure! (you can thank her for the never ending texts and emails asking me when I'll post the next chapter).
Here is, at last, Chapter 9!
Chapter IX
A Spider Through The Wall
« The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again »
Itsy Bitsy Spider, Nursery Rhyme
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
December 7th, 2015 : a new phase of the Black Widow's mission was to begin.
Natasha knew to win her targets' confidence would be a piece of cake. Although Anna-Grace and Bruce had installed, without even being aware of it, walls between them and the world, as if they were in the Holy Temple and strangers had to stay outside and watch, not knowing what was going on inside, the spider trusted her ability to be one of the only few allowed past the walls. And if to be able to join them in the Holy Temple meant crossing each wall, one at the time, so be it. Considering the Black Widow made the wariest people trust her for a living, this mission would still be one of the easiest she would ever have.
Her way in would be Bruce, of course, as he already was infatuated with her. Moreover, knowing she had all of the family's attention when the owner and his friend were absent, Natasha chose Mrs. Williams' Monday morning shift so as to be alone with her and the child.
Thus, feeling extremely confident and relaxed, the Black Widow came down to the lobby like she always did in front of targets. Playing the act, she smiled tenderly at the couple in front of her, Bruce on her left and seating on the counter, and Williams on her right. The young Bruce, of course, reddened when their eyes met.
However, she suddenly realized, his redness was not inoffensive. Quite the opposite actually.
She had been fooled by her knowledge, had taken her mission for a trifle exercice, had let her guard down, had forgotten how much SHE loved adult Bruce Banner ; like a physics equation for which you forgot a component, the result was not the one expected, and his sight made something click inside her, opening a safe she didn't know was there.
In a couple of seconds, his shy smile, the way his buckles moved along with him, the way he averted his eyes and at the same time couldn't help but look at her brought back memories of what was, eyes full of past digging into her soul.
In a couple of seconds, the way Williams smiled tenderly at the child revealed what she would never have, dreams of what could've have been, if he wasn't the Hulk and she wasn't Black Widow, visions of what life had taken away from her, the possibility of a child, their child.
Out of the safe IT came : a fire burning high, a wave washing all in its trail, a punch in her stomach. Hadn't she been the Black Widow, she knew she would've needed to take a deep breath, because it was almost too much. After all, you can push back everything you feel deep down, one day or the other, it's all bound to come back to the shore.
But then IT transformed into a sweet lullaby sung in Russian by a voice she didn't know she remembered ; liberating but far more dangerous. The way Bruce looked at her and Williams made her want to be selfish. Forget the mission, forget the world that could burn to its death. She wanted to get to know this woman who was capable of wining HER Bruce's heart so quickly. And more than everything, she wanted to be at the end of his smiles, even if he didn't know who she was and how much she loved him. To have a glimpse of what she had before the accident was all she asked for…
In less than a minute, the Black Widow adjusted her mission, avoiding the catastrophic explosion that would've resulted had she been anyone else. She avoided the trap and only looked tenderly at the child she loved so much standing in front of her without a hint of recognition in his eyes, knowing he was her way in but keeping in mind that she had to be careful. All she had to do was to win their trust and affection before they even knew how well disposed she was to them.
So, once at the counter and leaning on it, she cheerfully greeted the family, hiding behind a kind face all of her mixed feelings and thoughts.
The « mother » welcomed her gently but Bruce only flushed deeper, and stared at the drawings in front of him, trying to hide behind his buckles. Turning to the mother, Natasha causally tried to start a conversation:
- « How are you doing, Mrs. Lorien? »
- « Very well, Miss Rushman. » answered the blond lady gently, before adding with a soft voice « Bruce, say hello to Miss Rushman. »
Bruce suddenly raised his head and looked at his "mother", ashamed. His face, an open book, clearly revealed his trust issues. Williams only smiled at him, and after passing her hand through his buckles, nodded towards Natasha. Bruce kept his eyes on his drawings, scared to death, and with a good amount of courage, raised his head to quickly look his idol in the eye, red like a tomato, and almost inaudibly say:
- « Good morning, Miss Roshman. »
- « No worries, Bruce. » Natasha lightly said, erasing his guilt with a quick sly smile and a wink, before turning to his "mother" : « Do not trouble yourself with such matters, I know kids can be extremely shy. I understand them, it is not easy to go into the world when almost everything is bigger than yourself. »
Her eyes fixed on Anna-Grace Williams' face, she still was able to spot from the corner of her eye Bruce's relief. He really does't want to give me a bad impression of himself. And seeing how happy was Williams about her answer even though it only transpired through a smile, Natasha was glad to pin this event as her first step in the right direction. She was crossing the first wall of the Holy Temple, and she knew that it was very hard to be rejected outside once you entered.
This small event installed a serene atmosphere in the room. Still leaning on the counter, Natasha fixed her eyes on the drawing Bruce was working on, and asked him what it was. He only glanced at Anna-Grace, who the spider saw from the corner of her eye silently encourage him, before the kid looked timidly at Natasha, red again like a tomato, and said:
- « This are Mr. Darcy and Lizzy. »
- « Really? And may I ask why you chose them as your subject of art? »
He glanced at her, and taking a pencil to continue adding hair to Mr. Darcy, he tried to casually say:
- « You know their story? »
- « Of course, I do, kiddo, who doesn't? » she answered.
He didn't respond, only shrugged. But she knew she had made an other good point, when she saw how relaxed he was she didn't ask him how HE knew the story. This was so much like her Bruce, she couldn't help but smile tenderly at him. Examining his drawing instead of him, she asked, feeling more serene than she had had in a long time:
- « So, kiddo, why this story? »
He looked back at her, but she kept her eyes fixed on Mr. Darcy, and with Williams working beside them, he clearly felt secure enough to continue drawing. This time, it was because he was focused on it, not because he was avoiding her. He was inviting her into her world, she had passed half of the first wall.
He said:
- « Mr. Darcy's sister, Georgina... »
- « Mhh... »
- « She almost did something really bad because a bad man lied to her. She didn't know it was so bad, but she almost did. And she feels guilty. Even though she shouldn't. And Mr. Darcy, he understands that. He doesn't think she's a monster. He doesn't want her to leave. He protects her, against the world. He's there for her. He still loves her. And when he meets Lizzy… »
- « Yes, kiddo? »
- « Lizzy understands everything. And, while Darcy starts protecting her too, Lizzy starts protecting Georgiana… » he whispered.
Natasha didn't say a word, as Bruce finished Darcy's hair, then started and finished Georgina, next to Darcy and Lizzy, holding hands. For a child who went through so much trauma, the drawing was extraordinarily full of colors, of love and life. When all was done, she only said:
- « You are right, it is a beautiful story. I especially love how Lizzy enters their world. It was a very tight world, just the two of them. But Lizzy enters, and she illuminates all, taking care of them, while they take care of her. She doesn't destroy their world, only makes it bigger and better. »
Bruce then raised his head and almost beamed at her. His face was still red, but now his eyes were full of stars, not because she was beautiful but because she had touched his soul. And because of this, Anna-Grace was now well disposed towards her. The first wall had been crossed, and to enter into the Holy Temple was now only a matter of time.
Indeed, half of the mission was completed, she had caught him, he would love her. She only hadn't expected to be caught so quickly.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
As days went by, Natasha continued her mission of getting close to the kid and the woman. Knowing full well she was getting attached too, she risked it. After all, her heart was on the line the minute Bruce entered her life.
So, she kept coming down to the lobby, trying to go there every time Peter Stradivarius or Rosie Carpenter weren't there - which was starting to be rare as they seemed to try to spend as much time as her with the Williams family - and enjoying every minute spent with Bruce.
However, and this was a surprise for her, she was getting along extremely well with Anna-Grace. Of course, it was easy to pretend to appreciate someone as a secret spy, and to avoid touchy subjects when you knew someone's past, but even though, Natasha Romanoff had an affinity with Anna-Grace Williams.
Natasha, obviously, was crossing other walls.
It had started with Bruce, of course. Anna-Grace was thankful for Natasha's gentleness towards her "son" and how easily she made him talk. After only two days, he was confortable with her, which was more than what Carpenter could claim. Indeed, when the lady's noisiness and liveliness amused Bruce, he always was thrown back when she addressed him, and even more now as he seemed quite tired. On the contrary, and this was what the Black Widow wanted Williams to see, Natasha adapted to Bruce. Knowing how to calmly enter his world, she never stared at him, alway talked with a soft voice, and laughed a lot. She never tried to touch him, respecting his personal space, always found a way to pick the subjects which could make Bruce forget his shyness. That last part, of course, was made easier by the fact that Natasha knew Bruce better than both Anna-Grace and the little boy.
Moreover, Natasha always found a way to make Anna-Grace confortable, never talking about personal subjects while allowing small talks to paint an image of herself, be it through the weather, books or Bruce.
Thus, every time they met, Anna-Grace Williams' face clearly showed the Black Widow how the blond lady was revising her opinion on her client, erasing the thought that she was a superficial and rich young girl to form the image of someone who loved Bruce, and was actually a nice person.
At the other end of the relationship, it wasn't long before Natasha enjoyed their talks as much as Anna-Grace did, and for those talks to become sincere.
It had started with Bruce, of course. Natasha was grateful for Anna-Grace's care for the boy. He obviously loved and trusted his « mother », and felt safe around her. The Black Widow knew very well how that in itself was a miracle, considering Bruce, even at 4 years old, already had had an « awful father » luggage.
Moreover, Anna-Grace was letting her cross walls towards the Holy Temple. Even if Natasha could've developed a relationship with Bruce without Williams' "agreement", she was thankful for not being shut out of any kind of relationship with the boy. Anna-Grace Williams, careful as she was around new persons, wasn't shutting the world out. It was a good sign, considering what she had been through.
Finally, Natasha had to admit Anna-Grace Williams, as an individual, was growing on her. Reading the blond lady was easy, and what she could see was the portrait of a nice girl who had made mistakes and was relentlessly trying to build a life out of ruins.
Thus, between the "mother" and the "son", Natasha could almost forget her mission.
But, of course, reports to Steve and Fury made it impossible, as well as news form Tony's lack of "advance" and above all, the hack in her chest she felt every time she left Bruce. As much as she loved spending time with him, he wasn't her Bruce, and his "absence" every day was like a yoke on her shoulders that kept getting heavier. Crossing walls had never felt so toughly personal.