The closest thing to a daughter

Season 1 Episode 32

The footsteps came closer with such speed that it was impossible that the person - whoever it was - would just pass by the alley. And inwardly, Natasha Romanoff was now preparing for a real fight against Abigail's father, but this was not what happened. Instead of the big man, a medium-sized policewoman approached them and eyed the young Novanoff conspicuously. Nat protectively pushed herself in front of the little one to prevent someone from grabbing her for the second time that evening. At that moment, of course, she thought they were looking for her because of the robberies, but the real reason was much more deeply cutting. "Abigail, you need to come with me," the policewoman spoke reassuringly but without loosening her stance of authority to intervene in an emergency. Quickly Abigail got up from the dirty floor, knocked the imaginary dust off her dress and took a few steps back. "What no! I didn't do anything," she defended herself, actually forgetting about the robberies and really confused about the woman's appearance. "Your father reported you missing. You need to return to your family, Abigail," she explained and Abigail's face froze.

Back when she had run away from home at the age of five, her birth parents had not filed a missing person report. Apparently they didn't care and now after twelve years he started looking for her? No matter what the reason was behind his sudden change of heart, it just couldn't be a good one and Abigail would be hell-bent on going back to him. The policewoman came closer to her and Abigail stumbled back even further, but when she hit the wall, she grabbed the little girl's wrist. "NO! I'm not coming!" screamed Abigail at the top of her lungs, trying to get free, but to no avail. "You're going to Child Protective Services until there's an investigation." Again Abigail pulled her hand back and actually managed to free her wrist from her grip. "No! No... Nat please, don't let them take me," she cried kicking herself in panic, tears welling up inside her in desperation. She couldn't let herself get any more upset in case she would release her powers, but there was no way she could go back to her parents. "Abigail..." began Natasha and her voice broke. It was the look in her eyes which told Abigail that Nat would do nothing to keep her here. "I can't do anything..." she breathed, because that was all her voice would allow. Already more and more tears were making their way out of her eyes, blurring her vision. It was Natasha's tears which caused Abigail to stop her attempts to escape, and the policewoman seized the opportunity and clasped her thin wrist again.

"Nat..." she whispered desperately and that whisper, that cry for help, broke all walls in the usually composed Black Widow. As the policewoman ran to the car along with Abigail, Natasha ran after them a few seconds later. When Abi saw this out of the corner of her eye, she had new hope that Nat would do something to save her after all. But she was wrong agin. "Abigail, I'm going to help you get through this, I promise you," she yelled as the door for the back seat was already opened. "Don't bother..." she replied with cold, disappointed ice-blue eyes and got into the car. Only a few seconds later the car drove away, leaving behind a crying Natasha.