Author's note:
Hello, I'm just going to get straight to the story!
Natasha finished the braid on Lila's hair before watching her run off to play with her older brother. A smile graced her lips as she watched the two play their own little game.
"Do you want anything to drink, Nat?" Laura asked kindly as she sat on the sofa beside her.
She shook her head. "No, thank you, Laura."
Laura turned a little to watch her children as they wrestled. "What's bothering you, Nat?" She suddenly questioned, eyes still on the kids. "I can tell there's something going on that's bugging you- you're acting strange today."
"Just bad dreams. Or at least dreams that I don't want." Natasha answered. Maybe letting Laura and Clint get a full peaceful night's sleep was a bad idea- it meant that they now saw everything.
Laura smiled softly at her. "What are they about? You can tell me if you want." Her voice was full of understanding.
She looked at her, indecision evident; talking about them brought them out in the open- they wouldn't be there just when she closed her eyes, but whilst they were open too. Her eyes returned to the two children. "A distorted past. A lie that changes everything. A family who didn't die."
"And is this family… yours?" There was clearly curiosity in Laura's tone, but she also exuded saintlike patience and a maternal air that made her so very easy to talk to. And it was obvious that she cared.
"Yes." Natasha answered before elaborating. "A mother, a father… a little brother named Daniil."
Laura nodded. "I see. Do you know why these dreams are suddenly occurring? Has anything happened recently? Regarding your past?"
Natasha ran a hand down her face; these dreams were making her even more tired than not sleeping. "It's probably due to Wanda unleashing my deepest fears when she was sided with Ultron."
"Ah." Laura replied. "And… do you know if these are just dreams?" She probed.
Natasha scoffed. "Of course they are just dreams, Laura. My parents died in a fire when I was a baby- and I definitely have never had a brother." She replied, almost aggressively.
Laura backed off easily. "Alright, alright. But why are you losing sleep over them if they're completely untrue?"
"They are annoying; what if you kept having a dream about a child of yours that didn't exist?" Natasha questioned. "What if you kept dreaming that you forgot about… your parents, or your family? It's annoying and frustrating."
"I know, but everyone dreams rattling things sometimes- if it were totally a figment of your imagination, why would you keep having similar dreams? And why would you react so severely if it were just a dream?" Damn, Laura could be a psychologist.
Natasha stood up. "I think I do need a drink now. Where does Clint hide the alcohol?"
Laura chuckled. "You know, when I said 'drink', I meant something you could drink in front of the children. Alcoholic beverages are restricted until after bedtime."
"Why do you think I declined?" She asked rhetorically. "And I'll find them myself, then." She decided, walking off and into the kitchen. She stopped and smirked. "Bedroom." With a roll of her eyes she walked up the stairs and easily found their stash of alcoholic beverages.
Natasha picked up Lila, who had fallen asleep on the couch, and carried her to her bed.
"I could have done that," Clint commented from behind her.
She offered him a glance before pulling the covers over the young girl. "Doesn't mean you have to." She replied after a few moments before turning to face him. "She's not that heavy." She added as an afterthought, feeling like she needed to defend her action as she slipped past him into the corridor.
He caught her arm, stopping her before she had the chance to get that far away from him. "That's not what I meant- you should be getting some rest."
"I'm fine."
"You're lying." Clint stated. Their eyes met, and the tension could be cut with a knife, but neither of them turned away. "Don't even consider denying it; I know you too well."
"Do you?" Natasha questioned, tilting her head to the side slightly. She leant forward, testing him, testing if he'd retract- if he did, then she won. She stopped; there barely a gap between them, and he clearly was not backing down- and damned if she did. "You don't." She answered her own question.
Clint's eyes hardened slightly as he challenged her; if possible, he moved closer to her. "Try me."
A noise to their side nearly made her move, nearly made her back away, but she held her ground. Clint was the one that leant back and turned to see what the noise was, and she followed his gaze to see Laura. Taking a step back, Natasha ignored the awkward atmosphere. "Good night." Without waiting for a response, she turned and made her way down the stairs. She stopped when she heard them talking.
"What was that?" Laura questioned.
"Nothing." Clint replied, his voice too calm and collected. "She's tired."
Laura hummed with disbelief. "I know." She replied.
When Natasha heard the footsteps, she quickly slipped into her room and laid down on the bed. It was probably wise to remain here for now. After a long while, and silence, she allowed herself to fall asleep- she couldn't simply walk around like a zombie.
"When can I see my ma and pa?" Natalia demanded, crossing her arms angrily at Ivan, who stood in front of her.
He sighed, obviously fed up with the question. "Little spider, come sit with me." He spoke calmly as he sat down on the bed she usually occupied. She joined him obediently, keeping her little arms crossed. "Your parents are dead."
"What! No they're not! You're lying!" Natalia accused, standing back up. However, she didn't get far as Ivan's large hand grabbed her arm and pulled her violently onto his lap. He held her still.
"They are dead. They died in a fire when you were a baby."
Natasha tried to wiggle out of his hold. "No they didn't! My dad dropped me off here a few weeks ago! He's not dead!"
Ivan shook his head. "No, he didn't. You are mistaken."
"No, I'm not!" Natalia screamed. "Let me go!" Her legs and arms waved around as she tried to escape from Ivan, but it was useless.
Natasha jumped up, her gun out and pointed. Her eyes scanned the room only to realise that she was alone. However, that didn't calm her- if anything, it made her more suspicious. She took cautious steps through the room as she collected her things; she needed to leave right now. Pivoting on the point at a noise, her eyes found Clint at the same time that her gun did.
With a careless raise of his hands in surrender, he spoke. "Don't shoot; just me."
"I have to go, I have to know." Natasha stated, holstering her gun as she threw on her jacket.
"Wait… what?" Clint asked dumbly as he became just as awake and alert and she was. "What's going on, Nat?"
She slung her bag over her shoulder, barely giving him a glance as she walked from the room. "Clint- everything is wrong. It's just not right and it's not adding up. But it does add up in my dreams- that adds up. Maybe Wanda's mind tricks aren't really tricks. Either way, I need WiFi to figure it out and this place has the worst signal I have ever known."
"Natasha, calm down. You're not making any sense." Clint pleaded, following her out of his house.
She walked a few more steps before stopping and turning to face him. "It was a lie! All of it was a lie!"
"What was?"
"My parent's didn't die in a fire… at least, I don't think they did." Natasha sighed deeply. "That what they wanted me to believe, that I had no family… but they didn't die when Ivan took custody of me." She shook her head. She had been certain that the dreams were just that- dreams. But now she was questioning everything- maybe they were memories. And if they were, then she was going to find out the truth, her real past and most importantly, what really happened to her parents. "I have to know, and I can't do it here."
Clint stepped forward, almost too close, but she held her ground. "What if you find out something you don't like?"
Natasha stepped closer to him, but he didn't move either. "Then at least I'll know the truth." With that, she turned and walked off; they both knew this was something she had to do, and that he couldn't go with her. But Tony, on the other hand, was just who she needed.
Thank you for reading!