No-One But You (The Mystic Consultant) - Part 2

Chapter 52: Istanbul (Part 2)

Yelena Belova took a seat within the small aircraft that S.H.I.E.L.D. graciously provided Clint Barton. The archer didn't say much to her after he started up the engine, but the Black Widow's adoptive sister ignored that. She did make sure to ask him a number of questions tho. The questions all related to his older brother. Barton kept breaking focus after Yelena spoke. He eventually told her to read over his brother's file during the flight.

Touchy touchy.

The young woman arched an eyebrow after she heard the archer speak. His mood was boring, and that was a shame. Yelena knew from her sister, that Barton was normally a funny person. She looked behind her as soon as Natasha finally entered the space. The widow tossed a duffle bag down by her seat, and she gave Barton and her sister a kind smile.

"Oh boy, what is it…"

Faces never lie, even if the person was an expert at lying. Yelena could tell something was wrong as soon as she saw her sister's face. The Widow just shook her head, then she started talking to the brooding archer about where they were stopping first. Natasha's sister glanced back at the aircraft door. According to an exit document, she was expecting one other person to join them. Barton seemed extra ready for them to leave, and it seemed like the Widow arrived solo.

"Barnes isn't coming?"

"Nope. He's staying home.."

Oh? Yelena controlled her expression as best she could. The sister kept her mouth shut as the aircraft left the ground, and the team of three took off from the S.H.I.E.L.D. hangar. The mood in the aircraft was dull, depressing, and Yelena was not a fan. She took a moment to look over at a somber looking field agent Clint Barton, then she changed her focus over toward her sister.

"Why is Barnes not here? Tell me. Why is he staying home?"

Yelena didn't see the harm in asking, and she knew that they had a while to go before they were going to reach their first destination. Natasha drew a ton of air into her lungs after she heard her sister speak. The questions didn't cause her any harm, but Natasha reeeaaaallllyyyy didn't want to discuss it. Her little sister said something about how they had an opportunity to start behaving like "normal" sisters. Natasha even heard her say the words, "boy talk" and boy problems.

"Obviously, you both are having yourselves some boy problems. Barton, I read who you were living with as I prepared myself for this mission. Why isn't Victor Strange coming with us? Huh? Is he staying at home with Bucky Barnes?"

Yelena laughed, and it felt like the aircraft suddenly took a nosedive. She received no verbal reaction whatsoever from the baby archer. Clint stumbled at the wheel for a moment, but he was determined to ignore what she said. He kept his thoughts off of anything relating to Victor Strange, and he just focused on flying the damn aircraft. Natasha on the other hand, she turned her entire body toward her left, and she gave her sister a very cold stare.

"What? I'm trying to lighten up the mood in here. My God, you two are already boring me, depressing me and driving me to drink."

Natasha kept staring at her adoptive sibling. She agreed the vibe in the aircraft was a bit on the somber side, but the Widow was never really good at any sort of "boy talk". In fact, the entire notion made her cringe. The Widow relaxed against her seat for a moment, and she thought over what she could say to Yelena in that moment.

It was a unique opportunity for them. Natasha didn't deny that, and she did have an objective in mind to help the archer move on…

"You know, Barnes is a good looking guy, with nice choppy chop hair. I wouldn't let that one get away sister. He should be here with you."

Terrific. Natasha's relaxed demeanor stiffened up after Yelena brought up Bucky for the third time. She didn't like how their morning went at all, and in her mind she was regretting her decision to leave Bucky's apartment. In the long run, the Widow knew that it had to be done because she was never going to be on the same page as James Buchanan Barnes.

Apparently, she took way too long to respond to anything that Yelena said, so Natasha's adoptive sister maintained a surprised look on her face. She didn't understand what the deal was with the people around her. She loudly said, why all the silence? And, why not talk about all the boy drama? Yelena studied her sister. She actually kicked her leg, and Natasha gave her an annoyed look.

The subject could be discussed. Natasha thought about it, and she glanced over at their pilot. The archer wasn't budging, and he was already digging into his bag of snacks. Natasha thought about the heartbreak that they both were enduring. Her pain was more self-inflicted, but over the years, she began to see Clint Barton as more of a partner than anything…

Natasha felt safe enough to speak on what her sister had brought up. The Widow took her time with her thoughts, then she spoke up after a long while.

"Yel, would you stop, all of this… if someone wanted you to?"

"You mean, if a good looking man wanted me to?"

Yelena chuckled a little bit, because she could read between the lines. She was about to ask if Bucky Barnes wanted her to stop. The sister planned to ask about it in a devious way, but she decided to hold off after she saw Natasha's face. It was obviously a sore subject for the Widow. Fancy that. Yelena felt pretty happy to hear it, and, in that moment, she felt like she was actually experiencing girl talk with an actual sister.

The younger woman tried to control her reaction. She was enjoying the moment a bit too much. She thought over what Natasha said, and she tried to replicate her serious and somber tone.

"Just kidding. Uhh, if someone wanted me to stop, would I stop? I think I would. Certainly."

Yelena tried to remain mature, because in her mind she began to think she would stop in a heartbeat if Bucky Barnes asked her to. She never made a move on someone that was obviously in love with the Widow, but she committed to an honest response for her in the moment. Natasha listened to the response. She thought over what her life would look like if she operated on a "rotation" for someone and gave that person what he wanted.

"Would you marry that person? That, good looking man… if he asked and you had the chance."

"Hell yes."

Natasha almost laughed, because her sister answered the second question a bit too quickly for her liking. It amused the Widow to no end, and she noticed that the aircraft took another tumble around in the sky. Agent Barton was eavesdropping on the conversation, and he was surprised to hear what Natasha was saying. Whoa whoa whoa people…. the archer did not expect to hear anything about people getting married, or whatever.

"See, that's why I won't stop. I want that, for other women. For the others.. when we find them."

Natasha's mind went to a dark place, and she couldn't stop herself from doing it. She took it there, because the Widow knew too much. She understood that the life she could have with Bucky Barnes, meant denying another woman the chance to experience something similar. Yelena held a look of confusion after her sister spoke. It took her a moment to sort of crack the code behind what Natasha said to her.

"Wait, you mean? What do you mean you want other women to have the good looking man? I'm not really following.."

Natasha finally laughed. Her laugh was brief and quiet, but she thought Yelena's response was hilarious. NATASHA was actually processing something very dark, and dreadful. The Widow was thinking over all the S.H.I.E.L.D. cases relating to women being trafficked as they sat there safe talking about boys in some hi-tech aircraft. The amount of traffic that S.H.I.E.L.D. dealt with on a daily basis was, insane. In that moment, thousands of women were out there, living in captivity, while others got to spend their days with men, like Bucky.

Any woman alive that day was lucky to have him. Natasha understood that more than anyone.

Her heart was in pain as she processed her own thoughts. She thought about her last meeting with Fury, all the cases that she had, and the ones that were still building up. Natasha Romanov decided to speak very clearly, and finally articulate the reason why she intentionally left Bucky's apartment that morning. She officially left his home, and any notion of a relationship with him on that day for a very specific reason.

Natasha felt ready to say it out loud for her sister and S.H.I.E.L.D. partner. She sat up in her seat, and she looked directly at Yelena Belova as she committed herself to every word that left her mouth.

"So, I'll say it again Yelena, and I won't be vague. I'm just saying…. I DO, what I do, so other women can be with someone like him."

It's very simple, and it hurt the Widow's soul to the core. She knew that it was a tough choice. She was very clear about it with Bucky as well, and Natasha knew that it was something that she was always going to regret. Natasha felt if she stopped herself to be with him for even for a moment, then that meant another woman was going to suffer. It was just too cruel of a notion for Natasha to wrap her head around, so in her heart, she thought it was best to just end it.

"That…. is… the saddest thing I've ever heard."

Yelena meant what she said as well. She heard Natasha's words loud and clear, and her heart kind of broke for her adoptive sister in that moment. She tried to imagine denying herself the love, joy and all the devotion that comes along with a good looking man, for someone else? The young woman had to laugh, I mean? She couldn't believe what her sister was saying.

Hmm… Yelena processed her sister's self-torment, then she turned her focus back towards the pilot. It seemed as though Clint Barton was dealing with a bit of heart break as well, but his situation seemed more bizarre, and far less depressing.

"And, what about you? Are you gifting Victor Strange to everyone else in the world as well?"

The archer cleared his throat after the focus returned to him. Oh, his relationship with Victor Strange was very friggen over. The archer already made that crystal clear to himself in his mind when he gave him his key back. He already had his belongings removed from the apartment he shared with Victor too, and in his mind, no clarification or last words between them were needed.

"No, I'm not into giving gifts. But, there is an irony to share about all this.."

Oh? An irony to share? Yelena moved up a little bit in her seat. Natasha appeared deep in thought. She was still processing her own decision, until she heard Barton's voice. The Widow was glad to hear him speak on the subject, so she glanced over in his direction. The archer contemplated the irony connecting every subject they were discussing.

"Victor's always been in love with THE GUY who's basically responsible for all of the women not being with men like Bucky. He's the reason why Natasha does what she does."

Now, fancy that. Clint Barton gave a small laugh after he shared his thought. Oh wait, Ezekiel Stane had been re-classified as a saint. The archer had to roll his eyes after that one. He had a bit more to say, because he absolutely hated Ezekiel to the core, but the baby archer declined to carry his thoughts on it any further. Yelena pondered the irony for a moment, then she gave her sister a second look.

Coincidently, Natasha hated Ezekiel Stane to the core as well, so her response was a giant smile.

Chapter: END

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