Thank you all for the reviews! I have enjoyed reading them. I am really enjoying writing this story and I don't believe there is enough Natasha/Maria fanfiction out there. I am surprised I am not getting as many hits on this and maybe it is just because it is not as good as I think it is. But it is what it is! I enjoy writing this so I will continue! Well hope you enjoy the newest update.
Chapter 8:
Maria was slowly helped up by Thor and Steve as Natasha and Bruce came closer. Maria let out a small groan as she was helped up. Maria was never one for showing any weakness but her body was quiet literally broken.
"Easy Maria," said Steve with a comforting hand on her back, "from what I can see, your shoulder is dislocated, you have a concussion, possibly broken ribs and that gash on your face and left thigh are going to need stitches. But good news is there doesn't look to be any internal damage."
Maria nodded at his comments. She would get through this. She always does.
Natasha and Bruce are now about 5 feet from the group. Natasha ignores the questioning looks from her team and she only has eyes for Maria right now.
Reaching a shaky hand up to Maria's left side of her face, the right was not an option as it was bloody and bruised, Natasha cupped her cheek.
"Hey," she whispered her voice cracking at the level emotion that building up inside.
"Hey," whispered Maria closing her eyes and leaning into the touch.
Natasha heard the men move away as Bruce mumble something about privacy.
Natasha and Maria stood there in silence for a few more moments before Natasha dropped her hand and carefully slid her arms around Maria pulling her into a gentle hug. Natasha set her head on Maria's good shoulder and nuzzled into her neck. If Maria could feel the wet tears on her neck she didn't comment.
Maria brought her functioning arm up around Natasha to run her fingers through her hair.
"Nat…" whispered Maria. "I am okay sweetheart. I am a little banged up but I am okay."
Maria's words didn't seem to comfort Natasha but in fact seemed to have the opposite effect she was intending.
A choked sob left Natasha's throat. Natasha need to have Maria closer as flexed her arms around Maria's middle but Natasha knew that any more pressure would cause Maria pain so she stopped. If only she could stop the tears that seemed to run like a river down her face.
"I thought you were dead," cried out Natasha into Maria's neck. "The sound of your body hitting the house…it was this horrible crunch…and you didn't get up…"
Maria held on to Natasha the best she could and soothed her partner. Maria knew words were not going to help. Comfort and just letting Natasha release her emotions were the only thing that was going to calm Natasha down.
Natasha and Maria stood there for quite some time just taking in comfort in knowing that they were both alive, that they both still had each other.
Natasha finally pulled back and any hint of just breaking down was gone from her face. The only evidence were the tear tracks down her cheeks. Natasha stepped back and Maria watched her eyes rake over her large amount of injuries to her body.
"When I get my hands on that….that thing," growled out Natasha. "I am going to put him through a grinder. He will be nothing but bolts and wires by the time I am done."
"And I will help," nodded Maria agreeing with Natasha. Ultron made a giant mistake by making his quest for world domination personal by attacking their home.
"The kids…" started Maria.
"Tony has them," replied Natasha. Her children were safe. Tony would make sure they were safe.
"I need to see them. We need to find them," said Maria her voice cracking at the emotions she felt thinking about her children, no doubt terrified, without either of their mothers to comfort them.
"We will get them Maria," promised Natasha. There children would be back in their arms soon.
"We need to get you fixed up first. The kids shouldn't see you like this," whispered Natasha indicating to the blood still seeping from the deep wounds on Maria's body. "Come on, I think the bathroom is still intact. We will get you stitched up, put that shoulder back in place and then we will go find the kids."
Maria opened her mouth to protest. No. She needed her children now. She needed to see them. To hold them. To let them know how much she loved them.
Natasha was quicker, already predicting Maria's protest.
"They are safe Maria." Said Natasha as smoothly as possible. "Tony will not let anything happen to them. I am going to have Bruce work on a way of contacting him without Ultron knowing while we clean you up. Please give me 15 minutes to clean you up and for Bruce to make contact and I promise you that we will get our children back," said Natasha ending the sentence with as much conviction as possible. She would move mountains to get her children back and anyone who stood in her way will regret it.
Maria stared down at Natasha as she listened to her words. Natasha was right. Maria would like to think she was the rationale one of the two, which most of the times she was but when it came to her children, it seemed Maria's had none.
Sighing Maria nodded and allowed Natasha to help her walk into their home, or whatever was left of it.
As they entered their home Maria couldn't help the sadness that entered her heart at the sight of their home, the home where the made so many memories, completely destroyed. The dining room table was still intact and that is where they found the rest of team sitting down around it. They all looked worse for wear.
Steve stood up at the sight of them his mouth opening with concern about how the two were doing.
"I am going to get Maria fixed up," interrupted Natasha. "Bruce can you please find a way to send a message to Tony without Ultron getting ahold of it. We need to see our children." And with that Natasha started walking again, slowly, helping Maria towards the bathroom.
The men watched as they made it to the intact bathroom. Natasha helped Maria sit down on countertop before turning to shut the door. Steve caught her eye before she shut the door and the lethal look in Natasha Romanoff's eyes had Steve tense just slightly. Natasha was pissed. Ultron managed to piss off a very lethal enemy, and by the look in Natasha's eyes, Ultron would be finding out very soon that you don't fuck with Natasha Romanoff.
Maria was sitting on the countertop looking down at Natasha cleaning her wound as delicately as possible. Maria would have foudn the look of of complete concentration on Natasha's adorable in any other situation but this one. That same look was on Natasha's face last month when Maria came home from work to find her family coloring at the dining room table. Natasha never did anything half-assed, not even when coloring out of a Mickey Mouse Club House coloring book. Maria smiled at the memory, she wonder if those pictures that were hanging on the fridge survived the destruction?
"What has you smiling?" asked Natasha still looking down at the cut on Maria's leg.
"The last time I was on this countertop and you were on your knees I remember it being a lot more fun," teased Maria, smiling as Natasha looked up at her for the first time since starting her task. Just like the day Maria all those years ago Maria was sucked into those emerald eyes as Natasha stared up at her.
Green eyes met blue and Natasha just smirked at her. The predatory look in her eye letting Maria know that if she wasn't broken she would gladly give her a repeat performance. Natasha then looked back down and resumed her task. Natasha finally determined that it was as clean as it was going to get before grabbing the needled and thread off the countertop.
Reaching forward Natasha placed her hand on Maria's wound moving the mangled flesh together in order to start the stich. Her eyes closed at the sound of Maria hiss and her leg flinch under her fingers. She had stitched up Maria a few times, their roles have been reversed way more, since Natasha refused to report to the medic after missions. But this, this moment was different. The thought of causing Maria more pain pulled at her heart. She almost lost her today…
"Stop hesitating," gritted out Maria seeing Natasha stop the needle just centimeters before her skin.
That was all the push Natasha needed as she quickly inserted the needle and began the task of stitching up the 4 inch gash. Natasha prided herself in being a fast at putting in stitches. When she was on her own before SHEILD Natasha did her own stitching and has mastered it over time. She probably did a better job then the medical unit at SHEILD.
Natasha finished the task in what she believe was record time before tying it off and cutting the extra thread. Standing up Natasha then started to work on right side of Maria's face. Stitches will need to be placed just above her eye and along the two inch cut along her cheek.
Natasha went to work on cleaning out the wound as Maria watched her.
"Are you going to tell me what happened after I was knocked out or do I have to get details from the boys?" asked Maria watching as Natasha paused in her cleaning of the wound but not making eye contact with her.
"We won. That's all that matters," replied Natasha resuming her task.
"No, that is not all that matters," replied Maria reaching up and grabbing Natasha's hand stopping her from cleaning her wound.
Natasha stared down at the floor refusing to make eye contact with Maria.
Maria waited. She knew this was one thing she could not push Natasha on.
"Just when I thought they can't affect me anymore," whispered Natasha her voice defeated. Maria eyes widened just slightly at the sound of Natasha's voice but she stayed silent, listening.
"They tortured me, broke me, built me back up, only to torture and break me again," whispered Natasha.
"And then I was free," Natasha bringing her eyes up to meet Maria's. The haunted look in them caused Maria to visibly flinch.
"I found you, we had children,I finally did work that had meaning. I thought I was finally living my life free, free from them…but I was wrong. I fooled myself into believing I could ever be free from their grasp," whispered Natasha her voice dripping with self-loathing.
"You were thrown into the house. I thought you had died…" Natasha's voice cracked a little at that and Maria reached out to touch her arm in comfort. Natasha flinched at the touch and moved away from her hand.
Natasha didn't need to look up to see the pain that was no doubt in Maria's eyes from her action. Natasha knew Maria was just trying to help but right now with these emotions and feeling at the forefront of her mind, the thought of anyone touching her made her skin crawl. God! She hasn't felt like this since SHIELD first rescued her all those years ago.
Silence engulfed the room for a few more moments before Natasha felt like speaking again.
"I was so angry. The rage…it was consuming me. Then…I became everything the Red Room always wanted me to be, the thing I have been denying that I am since the day I joinged SHEILD. Natashsa finally brings her head up to look Maria in the eye. "I am a monster."
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