Some time after Christmas the other year, Kate and Yelena arranged a time to go and have that drink. Kate had run it by Clint first, just incase she mysteriously disappeared or Clint thought it was the worst idea ever because Yelena was a dangerous assassin, in which case Kate wouldn't have gone, but Clint seemed happy for Kate to make friends with Yelena. In a way, Kate hoped that by agreeing to drinks would mean that Yelena might leave her alone, only much to Kate's annoyance, it was the best damn night she'd had in basically ever, and they'd talked and laughed so much it was so inconvenient because Kate had not really wanted to like Yelena, only she liked her a lot and damn, that was so annoying.

Anyway, after that first night being such a success, there was no way Kate could not then have dinner with Yelena a few nights later. It was nothing fancy, just Chinese at this little place which Kate knew that did amazing dumplings and the crispiest spring rolls. That dinner too was an annoyingly good success, so when they went to Kate's favourite Vietnamese place because Yelena had never had phở and Kate had to remedy that at once, and Yelena loved it, then when they were leaving Yelena held Kate's hand and Kate had no idea if it was in a friend way or not, well, they became close, and a few months later Yelena convinced Kate had she had to get a bigger apartment because her current one was too small, also it needed proper air-conditioning as Yelena could deal with the cold, but she was no good in the heat, and then they got an apartment together. Yelena began to be able to tolerate being in the same room as Clint (Clint was kind towards her, but Kate understood Yelena's heartbreak over the whole Clint being alive and not Natasha issue), then Clint introduced them to Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson and Yelena was so cool about it and Kate was not cool at all, way too much fangirling, but at least Bucky and Sam were cool about that.

But that was all ages ago now. There weren't really any actual Avengers anymore, but Kate did think it was pretty cool that she had three of them in her phone. Obviously she saw Clint all the time, and Bucky and Sam seemed to turn up from time to time, which was cool, especially now that Kate could be cool around them. Or mostly cool, anyway.

And Yelena? That was complicated. They shared an apartment, but had seperate rooms and weren't really girlfriends and it was all mostly platonic? Most of the time? Sometimes they'd be talking so much and so late into the night, they'd end up sleeping in the same bed, and sometimes when alcohol was involved they'd kiss. Kate didn't want to make things weird; she liked whatever this was, and she wasn't even sure what words she'd use to describe it. But best-friends? Roommates? Something like that was at least true, even if it did sound like that song about historical girlfriends being "roomies" or whatever the lyrics were. It was weird and confusing but Yelena was also a reformed child assassin, so maybe their relationship or whatever it was wasn't the weirdest thing about them.

"Ok, well if there's anything else you want, and it's not on the list, I'm not getting it," Yelena said, grabbing her phone off the bench.

"I always write things on the list," Kate said. "You're the one who doesn't."

"Because I do most of the shopping."

"Except on the occasions I go, then you complain I get nothing you wanted."

"Getting groceries is my job," said Yelena. "You take too long and get distracted and get all things we don't need."

"That I do," Kate grinned. Yelena was heading out to work. It wasn't paid work, Yelena's visa didn't allow for that, but she liked helping out in the refugee kitchen, and had discovered a particular knack for cutting vegetables. Kate didn't complain, the work kept Yelena happy and occupied for a few hours around lunchtime each day.

"Ok, I'm going, or I'll be late."

"I'll text you if I think of any other groceries."

"Or not, because I won't be able to carry them on my bike."

"I'll start a list for tomorrow then!"

"I'm leaving," Yelena called, walking down the narrow hall and picked up her motorbike helmet. "See you later, Kate Bishop. Have a nice nap, Lucky."

"See you later," Kate said, and watched Yelena go, before flopping down on the couch besides Lucky the dog, who was more than happy just to sleep and do nothing, then demand food as though he'd been super busy. "I need to take you for a walk," Kate said to Lucky, who didn't stir. Kate smiled. Her tasks for the rest of the day were pretty easy: finish that essay for her master's degree which she'd been procrastinating on for ages, take Lucky for a walk, do some life admin bank stuff. At least online banking existed. Maybe she'd start with that as it didn't involve that essay, or finding shoes.

Kate went and got her laptop and opened up the banking website. She'd never wanted to use any of the family money, but now with her mom in prison and the penthouse being rented out, well, Kate had access to quite a lot of money. If it wasn't for Yelena, though, she would have kept her distance from it, but Yelena deserved nice things. Ok, yes, Yelena had done some murders and other very questionable things, but she promised Kate she was out of that line of work. Technically, Yelena had defected, but Kate knew Yelena's loyalties didn't have a lot to do with national borders and such things, and more to do with people, or one person in particular. Plus none of the whole child assassin thing and associated actions when she was growing up had really been Yelena's fault. They'd talked a lot about everything that had happened, a lot of it was awkward or uncomfortable or just plain sad, but it felt good to talk about. At least it did for Kate, Yelena always grumbled before opening up, but then would talk to Kate for hours.

"Speak of the devil," Kate said as her phone rang. "What did you forget?" she asked Yelena, putting the phone on speaker so she could keep going with the banking.

"Can you track my phone?" Yelena asked.

"Like, on Find My Phone, or using other options?"

"Other options," Yelena said.

"Everything ok?" Kate asked, suddenly feeling that everything was definitely not ok because Yelena had never ever asked Kate to track her like this.

"Nope," said Yelena, her voice even. "I'm being followed. Three guys on bikes."

"But you've only been gone a few minutes," Kate said, opening the Bishop Security webpage and logging in.

"They must have been watching me. Know my routines, or watching the apartment block, anyway."

"You're sure they're following you?"

"I have gone around a whole block and back again," Yelena said, sounding frustrated. "Have you got my location?"

"Almost," Kate said, her heart now racing. This was bad. "But how were they watching you?" Dumb question, Kate thought. As if Yelena would know that. New York City had a lot of towers. A lot of windows. They could have been anywhere.

"I don't know. They're obviously good."

"But you're better."

"I know that," said Yelena, "But they're following me now and I don't like it. I want to shake them, but I think they know where we live."

"So…?"

"So, I'm thinking and riding and trying not to cause a traffic problem. Do you have my location?"

"Yes," Kate said, looking at the little dot on the screen. "Wait, am I in danger too?"

"I have no idea," said Yelena, "But I'll let you know when I do. Send my coordinates to the others."

"Like Bucky and Sam and Clint?"

"Yes."

"Even Clint?" Kate asked, just to be super sure.

"Yes, even Clint!"

"Ok, ok," Kate said, and quickly sent the link.

"Kate. They're mercs."

"They're what?"

"Mercenaries. Hired hitmen. They're on hired motorbikes. I saw one of the plates up close, they're Boston plates, not NYC. They're hire bikes, I'm sure. Their clothing looks standard issue. Kate, did you send my coordinates to the others?"

"Yes?" Kate said, her voice catching in her throat.

"Stay home until one of us gets in touch. I have to go."

"Please be safe."

"I can't promise that. Just stay home."

"Ok, well please don't do anything dumb, and - " the phone cut out. Lucky stood up on the couch, turned around, and lay back down, resting his head on Kate's knee. "I think something is wrong," Kate said, her heart pounding as she patted his soft, golden ears. "Oh Lucky, this feels bad."

…

"Stay still."

"What - ? Get off me. I - "

"Yelena, stay still," Bucky said, switching to Russian as he knelt down by Yelena's head. He needed Yelena to lie still. She needed to lie still. When he'd first seen the scene, he was very worried, with motorbikes and people seemingly lying everywhere, and a growing bunch of pedestrians standing around doing nothing. At least Sam had called 911. Maybe Kate too. A quick check, and Bucky confirmed that the other three guys were all still alive, though injured. Yelena was injured too. Bucky kicked away the gun that was near her hand.

"Get off - wait, why are you here?" Yelena asked, finally focussing her gaze on Bucky.

"Because you told Kate to get help."

"And you were right here?" Yelena asked.

"Yes," Bucky said, crossing Yelena's arms across her chest and holding them there, glad she was wearing a helmet and that it didn't look damaged. "Sort of. I was at the New York Historical Society. They've got an upcoming exhibition about the guys from NYC who went off to World War Two, and those that came back. I'm consulting."

"Because you went?"

"Yep," said Bucky. Steve had been so good at these things. Bucky felt he was only good at pointing out mistakes, but at least he was wanted for something other than being a human weapon. And at least this conversation was keeping Yelena talking and awake. Bucky had the thought that her going to sleep right now might not be great.

"But you didn't come back," Yelena said, looking up at him.

"I did eventually."

"Yeah, like seventy years later."

"So?"

"I have so many questions."

"Same," said Bucky, "Like why are you so lucid when you've been shot?"

"Oh, that's easy," said Yelena, "I just ignore it. I've been shot before."

"In the thigh?"

"Maybe not that bad," she said, briefly lifting her head and looking down at her right leg. "Oh, that does look bad. It does hurt, but it's broken lower anyway. One of those guys rode his bike into me. As I fell I grabbed his gun and shot him. Don't worry, none of them are dead, I'm a good shot and I promised Kate no killing. And yes, my arm hurts but it's not broken, and my shoulder is ok too from when I fell. It'll bruise but I'll be fine. These guys are such idiots. Did you know this is a trap?"

Bucky felt the hairs not he back of his neck stand up. "A trap?"

"Obviously," said Yelena, as though she wasn't lying on the road in the middle of the street with a gun-shot wound and a broken leg and a few mercenaries lying nearby, withering in pain, and instead they were at a cafe and she was telling Bucky an exciting story. "These guys are fairly good. I didn't even know they were following until I left the apartment. But if they wanted me dead, I would be dead. Do you think they've been following me for a while? A couple of days? Damn, that thought it so annoying, you know? I've gotten soft. Losing my edge. Ugh, so annoying."

"You would be dead if they wanted you to be," Bucky said, surveying the scene again and understanding what Yelena was getting at. Now he saw that the mercs were in standard-issue boots, and that their bikes looked rented. He looked around the crowd, to see if anyone looked like a threat, but the threats could come from anywhere. "Kate too."

"Kate is safe," Yelena said. "This isn't about her. It's not really about me, either. I'm just the bait. No point killing me, then I'd be dead. No one wants dead bait. Little injury, not an issue. Shot in thigh, break the femur? Pretty serious issue."

"Yeah, it is," Bucky said.

"It really does hurt if I think about it," Yelena said. "But I'm not bleeding out, am I? They didn't get the artery?"

"Doesn't look like it. That would be a lot more blood."

"Ok, good. Because that would be an uncool way to die. It really does hurt."

"I believe you," said Bucky, hearing the wail of sirens in the distance and praying they were coming here.

"It's a bit embarrassing, being the bait," said Yelena, but she smiled. "Idiots. It will probably work, but she's smarter."

"Who…?" Bucky asked, worried that Yelena was starting to lose it. As good as her pain-management techniques were, they wouldn't last forever, and she was starting to look worryingly pale. He had to keep her talking, but she didn't seem to need much prompting.

"Such idiots," Yelena chuckled. "Now I know, and everything is ok. Is the help coming? I feel like some help, now, please. Don't worry, I'm not going to move. Does Kate know I'm ok? I'm ok. Someone needs to tell Kate. Kate needs to know I'm ok."

…

"You were carrying?"

Kate flung the curtain open to the small area of the ER where Yelena was lying.

"Kate! You made it," Yelena said with a smile, though she looked awfully pale and her eyes looked glazed. Plus being covered in hospital blankets and those emergency foil blankets made anyone look unwell by association.

"You promised me," Kate hissed, as there were a lot of other people around, and she didn't need them all to hear her having a domestic spat as she pulled the curtain shut again. "No guns."

"No guns," said Yelena.

"You shot three guys!"

"And one of them shot me."

"But you promised. No guns."

"Yes, I did," Yelena said. "And it wasn't mine. Have you had a green stick before? I love the green stick."

"The - what?" Kate said. She was feeling a million things at once. Sam had called her and said Bucky was with Yelena and the ambulance was coming. Once they knew where Yelena was being taken, Kate had caught a cab to the hospital, not trusting herself to get there of her own accord. Her mind was all over the place. She'd met Bucky in the ER, and he'd given her a brief overview, but missed the point where Yelena had shot the guys with someone else's gun. Suddenly Kate felt stupid. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Why?" Yelena asked. "You haven't seen the green stick before?" she asked, holding up the green whistle which the paramedics used to administer fast pain relief.

"Oh," said Kate, it finally hitting her that Yelena was on a lot of medication right now. She was so overwhelmed by everything that just only now noticed all the cords and wires and things stuck to Yelena and jabbed into her arm, tracking every breath, every heartbeat. "Right. Yeah, green whistle. I've heard of them."

"So good, Kate. You should try it. I mean, don't do drugs. But if you get hurt. Green stick. So good."

"I think you're on morphine now," Kate said, standing there dumbly. She didn't know what to do. She partly wanted to pull Yelena into her arms and hold her, but at the same time she was afraid to touch her. She'd never seen Yelena look so unwell. In fact, she'd never seen Yelena unwell at all. Kate felt scared.

"Am I?" Yelena said. "I got a broken leg, Kate Bishop. So annoying. And shot in the same leg. It hurts. Sort of. I have my green stick. Also I don't know if I'm really hungry or if I want to vomit."

"Oh, ok," said Kate. "Yeah. Right. You're being given a lot of medication. Bucky said you're going to get some scans soon, and they'll check exactly what's broken. You're probably going to need surgery. But scans first."

"Kate, are you ok?" Yelena asked, holding out her hand, the one not holding onto the green whistle.

"Nope, totally freaking out," Kate said honestly. She might as well be honest. This was Yelena. Yelena was so strong, but right now she really, really did not look well.

"Hold my hand."

Kate took a couple of steps to come closer, and held Yelena's hand. It was clammy and hot. Yelena gave Kate's hand a squeeze. Kate squeezed back.

"Do you know where my rings are?" Yelena asked, looking Kate in the eye, though her focus seemed off.

"What?" Kate asked, again wondering if Yelena was losing the plot.

"My rings," Yelena repeated. "The nurse came here before and took them off. And my necklaces and my earrings. Or maybe she was a thief…"

"I will find your jewellery," Kate said. Good, she thought, that gave her something to do. Something that wasn't freaking the hell out, because she was definitely doing that too. "I - I'll find them for you."

"I miss my rings, I want them back," Yelena said.

"Yeah, they're not big on jewellery in the hospital, especially if you need scans and x-rays and stuff."

"Ugh, Kate," Yelena said, giving Kate's hand another squeeze. "Today is so annoying. I'm meant to be cutting vegetables right now. Ugh, it means Omar will be cutting the vegetables and he cuts them too chunky. He's the best on serving the meals, but not cutting vegetables. Rosemary might be there, she's good, but so slow. Maybe Tom is there? Luisa needs to know I'm not coming. Oh my gosh, do they know I'm not coming? What if they think I'm late? Or forgot my shift?"

"Pretty sure Sam has already called them," Kate said, thinking Yelena's job was far from the most important thing right now, but it meant a lot to Yelena, and Kate respected that. "But I will confirm."

"Mercs are so stupid," Yelena said. "So stupid. They give everything away."

"They were targeting you," Kate breathed. "They could have killed you."

Yelena laughed. "They were targeting me, but I was not the target. And yes, three guys trained that well versus me, well, they could have killed me, but they didn't want to. And I didn't kill them either! I made sure my shots were non-lethal."

"Thank-you."

"Are you proud of me for not killing the baddies?"

"Yes."

"Kate?"

"Yes?"

"We literally have a weapons closet at our house."

"It's a spare bedroom which we use as a store room - "

"Filled with weapons."

"And workshop."

"For making weapons."

"Trick arrows.

"Which are weapons."

"Not all of them."

"But we do not have any guns. I do not have any guns. I promise you that, Kate. But I will use them to defend myself should some stupid mercenary crash his bike into me and scare me. Ok?"

"Ok," Kate said, wanting to cry.

"And I'm going to be ok," Yelena said, against catching Kate's eye.

"Ok," Kate said again, her voice cracking.

"Don't be sad about me," Yelena smiled. "I'm fine. I have my green stick."

Kate nodded. Yelena didn't look fine at all. There was so much she wanted to say, from the doctor will probably come for you soon, to I'm sorry I got so upset about the gun thing, to I love you and I really need to you to be ok.

"Is Bucky still here, did you say? And Sam?"

"Bucky's here. Sam's coming."

"They'll look after us," Yelena said with a small smile. "We're family, Kate Bishop. Big Avengers family. They're all going to look after us."