Chapter 2

November 18, 1949 Hattie's farmhouse after the evening meal, around 7 pm

Natasha had always found the motions of cleaning the dishes to be soothing. One, she loved the warm water on her hands. Two, instead of doing damage, she was cleaning instead. Decked out in light green shirtwaist dress that made her eyes glow, and short low maintenance hair, back when she fought in Wakanda, she looked like she was straight out of the history books. Well almost.

Natasha heard her host, now just Hattie to her come into the room, shivering from the cold outside. Hattie did chores early since the heavy rain from yesterday turned into sleet that turned into snow. The 'perfect day' turned out not to be so perfect after all.

"All the animals are tucked in for the night. I just hope no one decided to come now for Thanksgiving. Howie likes to come a little early to give me 'presents.' I would stay up to help whoever comes in from this nasty storm but I'm worn out. I told you I'll do the dishes!" Hattie exclaimed as she switched from her wheelchair, which to Natasha's amusement was decked out for the weather with sturdy wheels, padded seat and a little windbreaker, to a kitchen chair. It seemed that 'Howie' prepared for almost everything.

For some reason Hattie had insisted on doing the chores even if Natasha pitched in when she could. It annoyed Natasha that she was fine helping out with Buttercup at the Barton's farm but the animals here didn't trust her. The cow kicked over the milking pan too many times before Natasha admitted defeat, then there was the chickens. Enough said. So Natasha helped around the house as much as she could.

Hattie had to smile at Natasha, once again insisting on earning her keep. She was closed off, mysterious, secretive, slightly wide eyed to farm life, or rather as Hattie recalled not. Natasha six months ago moved more easily then at first. It seems that falling off a cliff hurt.

When the redhead came to seek out the breakfast smells, Hattie had to chuckle at the shocked face her guest had when she walked out of the bedroom towards the kitchen. "Yeah it's a bit much but Howie was always like that. I'm Hattie Sage. You're on my farm in Nebraska near the edge of Holt County. Nearest town is six miles away. I would drive you but I recently lost my husband and am a bit stuck for a few days."

Hattie didn't care much for funerals and so buried her husband out in the back by his big tree aka a small spruce that was his baby that they planted after Johnson died.

Natasha wasn't exactly listening as she took in the house that had a layout that was decades ahead of 1948. Literally. Who in their right mind decided to build a 1970's style house?! That is she thought it looked like that style.

"Howie?" Natasha asked after introducing herself and Hattie did likewise. She was into her second pancake. Mrs Sage could cook.

Hattie was a slightly plumb older woman in her early sixties, a sharp eyed, keen minded person. Natasha noted that Hattie had her teaching certificate, marriage license and other important photographs on the wall of her living room and kitchen.

The lady had nothing to hide. Hattie took a jab into the dark. "Now what's a nice looking young spy like yourself doing in a place like this?"

Natasha was one who was never caught off guard, but this time, ironically she was. She almost choked on her coffee.

"Why do you say that?" Natasha ask after recovering.

Hattie drawled out in a dry tone, "Well it's either your scars, the huge hole in my barn roof which you are going to fix or it's the futuristic looking outfit I found you in. Take your pick dearie."

Hattie stared at her with unblinking blue eyes, sipping her coffee, Natasha wasn't one to squirm but she had the feeling that she was stuck here, after all she was clearly dead in her universe.

"Well since I'm formally dead, I'll start from the beginning. I was born December 4 1984….."

Hattie was quiet as Natasha told her high tale and their coffee had been filled three times before Natasha finished her outrageous story, with some edits. Hattie wasn't a math teacher for nothing. She had helped grade English essays once in a while, she knew when something was left out.

"So Howie's offspring invented time travel, why am I not surprised? That's Howard Stark to you." Hattie had to grin at the slightly shocked face of her time displaced visitor. "The little tyke put his brand name on your clothing. It was a bit of a given. Now are you sure you can't go back?"

Natasha shook her head. "I checked, there is no return button plus other things aren't invented yet so there is no way for me to go even if I could."

A sudden gush of wind and snow flurries from the slowly becoming a blizzard shook Natasha out of her thoughts of her first morning six months ago. Hattie was almost inhaling the strong coffee that Natasha made in preparation for when Hattie came back in.

"The storm is really coming down. I hope Howie and his companion is going to be ok." Natasha was going to be out of the picture so to speak when Peggy freaking Carter came. Or at least try too. Natasha was a spy but Peggy Carter founded S.H.E.I.L.D. She took on and won against Dottie Underwood, but since Dottie was unstable to begin with, but still.

An urgent knock more like a bang sounded at the front door, Natasha taking up a defense stance and waved Hattie away from the door who just went to the kitchen to prepare more hot drinks. Natasha had become fond of the woman, after all she believed her and this 'six month' respite was good for both of them.

Natasha had a time getting to door to close once two very snowy figures entered the house. She stilled when Hattie exclaimed "Winifred Barnes what on earth are you doing here?! To bring your expecting young daughter as well. For shame on you."

"This is the last time I've ever going to come visiting you after all the times you begged me to come for Thanksgiving Hattie!"

"Natasha come and meet my friends Mrs. Barnes."

Natasha gulped and turned around to meet her one time lover's mother and sister. This wasn't going to go well.

Mrs. Barnes or Winnie as she requested to be called had a firm calloused handshake and sharp blue eyes, just like her son James. Rebecca or Becca, had the same warmth of personality but with a sassy side, just like Yelena.

The two warmed up with hot chocolate for Becca and coffee for Winnie from the unending storm that slowly gathered from no snow to almost 12 inches during the next few days.

Meanwhile, the Asset continued on his journey, ignoring the gripping of his companion. He had a job to do and he'll do it, darn the storm or not.

Yelena on the other hand was freezing even with the heater up on high blast. It was nearing 6 pm and they were a few miles out from the town that was nearest to the Sage farm. The rain was horrible, the highway, if you called it that was beyond words, and she knew that something had to give else they wouldn't make it. How the hell did the weather turn from the 70's a couple of days ago to this?!

They stopped briefly for a catnap and food and woke up to a howling blizzard with gale force winds, snow creeping up the car and no indication where they were. Yelena stayed silent as the car slipped and slide across the uneven pothole ridden road. No sign of where they were. Logically they knew they were close to the farm, but how far?

Unending snow that didn't stop, nor did her companion stop, he was relentless in his quest. It didn't help that the HYDRA had them on 'speed dial' and the mission was all that mattered to the Soldier. Yelena jerked in surprised as Jimmy tugged a heavy blanket they found when they came across a snowbound car with three bodies in it, one a small baby. Yelena had insisted on seeing if they could help since they had been coming in the opposite direction.

"Can't have my handler die on this mission. Can't report without you."

Jimmy was beginning to worry. He could go through the storm no problem or at least he thought so but his companion wasn't as hardy. The worry was also a concern, why did he start caring about something other than the mission at hand? Yelena's sass sparked a long dead something in his heart.

Howard Stark almost instantly regretted going to Hattie's farm for Thanksgiving. They had touched down in Sioux City, IA ok but a few miles from Hattie's farm they started to hit a snag. The rain while horrible was easy to drive through after all he had one of his souped-up cars ready from them, then the rain turned into this horrible mushy snow stuff.

There was another bang sometime later a few days later during the night after all the residents of Sage farm went to bed or at least most of them did.

Natasha wished she had a working gun or at least something as two figures stumbled in from the cold.

She doubly wished it when Peggy Carter drew a gun on her. No, it wasn't a gun but a stout walking stick, iced over by the horrible weather. Looks like Stark made it after all. Peggy pulled Howie into the warm living room to warm up as the inventor was shaking from the cold.

A half hour passed with warm drinks and a change of clothing that went a long way to warming up the new occupants in time for bed. Then there was another thump and the front door opening forcefully. Natasha's eyes widen as two other figures rushed into the door. What in the world was Yelena doing here?!

Natasha's heart stopped or skipped a beat when she realized that the other person was her James.
There was a sound of a breaking mug as Becca had gotten up to make some tea in case someone else came into the house from the storm.

"Jimmy?!" Becca would recognize those blue eyes just like her own anywhere. Jimmy was dead, but how was he here, now?