meet me at our spot | n.r x oc | ✓

*9 - honey, we're home

[Mentions of drinking]

[natasha's pov]

A few hours later, we walk up to a metal gate, Melina standing behind it, armed with a rifle. I haven't seen her since that day in Cuba... The day they took us to Red Room.

Melina looks the same as she did nearly twenty years ago. Memories of Ohio swim back into my head. Some are good, most are bad. I'm sure that at some point in my childhood, they were all good. But that's a part of growing up-- realizing that some good memories weren't actually good, after all.

Stefaniya must have noticed that I zoned out, as she slowly slips her hand into mine. I look over to meet her eyes, slightly lifting the corners of my mouth in a small smile.

"Who are you?"
Melina nods to Stefaniya. Yelena takes a defensive stance in front of Stefaniya, who whispers something in her ear. Yelena backs down.

"Stefaniya Kotova. I was in the same Widow unit as Yelena."

Melina eyes her suspiciously before lowering her rifle.

"Honey,"
Alexei says.
"We're home."

Melina says nothing back as she walks through the gate to a small house across from the... Pig farm? I have no idea.

"Come on, girls,"
Alexei calls out. I follow him, Stefaniya and Yelena walking side-by-side behind me.

"What's that necklace you have on?"
I ask Stefaniya.

She holds the charm of it on her thumb, showing off the tiny heart charm.
"It belonged to someone close to me,"
she explains sadly. I don't push the topic any further.

"Welcome to my humble abode,"
Melina opens the door and lets herself in.
"Make yourself at home. Let's have a drink."

I follow Melina to the kitchen while Alexei, Yelena, and Stefaniya wandered off to some other parts of the house. Melina opens up the pantry door, then slides open the inner frame of the pantry, revealing a hidden room.

"Hey, no funny business,"
I warn.

"I am putting away my weapon."

I roll my eyes and move across the kitchen to get a glass cup, filling it with water from the sink.
"Are there any booby traps around here? Anything we need to know about?"

"I didn't raise my girls to fall in traps."

"You didn't raise us at all,"
I remark bitterly.

"Oh, maybe so. But if you got soft, it wasn't on my watch."

"Hmm."

Melina hands me a couple plates of food.
"Help set the table?"

I nod and take the plates and walk to the dinner table where Stefaniya puts a small bundle of flowers into an empty vase. Yelena is sitting down at the table already and I put the plates down in front of her.

Once the table is all set, Stefaniya excuses herself.

"I'll give you all some time alone. Thank you, Melina, for inviting me in."