The Shadow's Story

The Family

I'm sorry this took so long. I'll try to have another chapter up this week but I'm busy. Here's the chapter.

Elena's POV

I had been staying with Alexei and Melina for two days while mom and dad recovered. I had gotten to know them and I enjoyed being around them. I was looking through a scrapbook from their time in Ohio when I heard a knock on the door. Before I could do anything though, Yelena Belova walked through the door and saw me on the couch immediately.

"Who are you?" I cringed at her accusing tone.

"Uh..." I was at a loss for words when Alexei came from the kitchen.

"Yelena! Meet our guest, Elena. Elena, Yelena. Yelena, Elena." He made gestures back and forth while introducing us.

Just then Melina came through the door to the bedroom supporting mom with her arms. "Good job Natasha!" Mom was smiling but froze when she saw Yelena.

"Yelena!" Yelena changed her focus to mom and she got worried.

"I came as soon as I could. What happened?" Her Russian accent was strong and it was similar to Alexei and Melina's.

"The KGB shot at the car while we were driving. James took two bullets and I dragged him here and then passed out." Yelena processed that for a moment and then.

"James! Does he remember everything?" Mom nodded. "But that means..." She trailed off and turned to me. "Elena." I smiled and waved. Yelena turned back to mom and shook her head. "This got even crazier than the last time I saw you." She went to mom's other side and helped her over to the couch. "Tell me everything."

We explained everything.

By the time mom and I had finished telling the story Yelena, Alexei, and Melina were staring at us in bewilderment. Mom looked tired so I started to help her up and into the bedroom. Yelena stood up and grabbed her other side to help support her.

"I'm glad you guys are trying to have some sort of family." I looked over at Yelena. "It seems like I just got my parents back, but I can't imagine what it was like for you. I'm glad that you have your family and can find a little bit of humor in the world despite everything." I smiled.

"Thanks." She nodded her head.

By the time we got back to the bedroom mom was feeling a bit better but we insisted on laying her down. Dad was sitting up in bed and I left Yelena with mom and ran over to hug him.

"Dad!" I heard him laugh.

"Elena!" He sounded tired but he looked better than he did two days ago.

The wounds on his chest seemed to be pretty much healed and he didn't seem as tired and weak as before. I hugged him making sure to keep the pressure off his chest.

"How long have I been out?" Dad looked at me.

"About five days." Yelena looked up from the other side of the bed.

"Five days!" I nodded.

"Fury brought me in to find you. The Avengers were welcoming as always by the way." Dad rolled his eyes. "You should be fine by tomorrow to head back. Fury needs you and mom in as soon as possible so he can get the information and briefing." I stopped and looked at dad. "I'm glad I didn't lose you." He smiled.

"I'm glad too."

2006

James' POV

(Shadow!) The girl's head snapped up. (Stand with your hands up.) She did as she was told and the door to the cell opened. (Come.) She did without complaining.

I was told to get up and follow her to the training room where five huge men were waiting. (Kill them.) She stepped forward and attacked.

They were dead a minute or two later.

(Good.) Six men came out and she killed them all in a minute.

(Again.) Ten men came out this time, the biggest men yet. She glanced back at the commander who nodded and she attacked.

Five minutes later they were dead.

We were led back to our cell and as soon as the commander was gone she sunk into the wall and stared at the roof of the cell. Her eyes were haunted and I hated to see that.

(Why do you do it?) Her attention never wavered from the spot on the roof.

(I don't know anything else. They say my parents left me and that I'm training to get revenge. I'm doing it so one day I can get out.) She looked at me carefully. (I have one memory that I know for sure.) She stopped.

(What?) She took a deep breath.

(I'm not older than three. I don't know how I know this but I do. They told my parents I was dead, then wiped them both. I remember screaming. I was down the hall from it and I started crying. A woman came and took me from my bed closer to the screaming. There was a man in a chair. The woman held me up to the glass and talked to me.) She stopped. (She said, (You must behave child. He remembers the past and they punish him for it. He remembers love. You must block that out. If you block out the emotions then you survive.) The man stopped screaming and the technician asked him what he remembered. He told them that he remembered Natalia and Elena. Then they put him back in the chair and he came out a robot.) She stopped and her eyes found the ceiling again.

I took in the appearance of the girl. She looked like me in a way. Her hair was the same length and shade of dark brown.

But I knew what she was talking about somehow. Like I knew it from a different perspective.

It hit me.

I knew her. Well, in a way.

(Your name is Elena, isn't it.) She looked at me and I saw pain in her haunted eyes.

(Nice work Sherlock.)

(Who?) She shrugged.

(They gave me a book on him to read so I could learn how to read English. He had a partner named Watson. He solved mysteries. I thought that it was funny, he solved mysteries and I created them.) She laughed at her own joke.

(You have a warped sense of humor.) She raised her eyebrows.

(Better than being a robot.) She shot back immediately.

(I guess.)

(Besides.) She let out a shaky breath. (It's what you get growing up here.) I laughed. (They also gave me some old articles on murders over the past 60 years. Kennedy, the Starks, the Zodiac Killer. The world's a dark place, we're not helping either.)

I woke up laying on a bed next to Elena. I sat up and my chest didn't hurt as much so I assumed that I was better. I went into the bathroom to take a shower and when I came out Nat and Elena were sitting on the bed dressed and ready for me.

"What's next?" I looked at Nat.

"I wish I knew but we'll have to face everyone again soon." Elena nodded and then stood up and walked out of the bedroom.

"She's upset." I sat down next to Natalia who leaned on me. "She doesn't want to lose us again, but she doesn't want us to give up everything for her."

"They all need to get their shit together and accept her. She doesn't need any more rejection in her life." Nat looked up at me and smiled.

"So if I asked you to choose between Steve and Elena, who would you pick? If you had to give up Steve to have your daughter or your best friend and leave your daughter again."

"Elena. I would choose you and Elena everyday. Steve needs to accept that he gets me and my daughter or he doesn't get me." Nat smiled up at me and stood up to leave the room.

"We need to make that clear to her. She doesn't need to think that we'd even consider leaving her for a second." So we did.

We made a plan to come back for Christmas and we talked to Elena and packed our stuff to go back to the Avengers.