Family | Steve Rogers

9

The "family" continues to walk. Mile by mile they go. Nobody says a words. They just keep walking.

Natasha is focused on the mission.

Yelena is trying to keep her father out of her head.

And Lauren can't stop thinking about her husband. She hasn't talked to him in so long... she hasn't had the time to tell him the truth. About what happened. About how they could have started a family... could have.

As the miles seem to grow longer, Yelena breaks the silence.

" Are we there yet?"

" You'll know when we're there," Alexei says, then snorts like a pig.

Within an hour, they hear pigs snorting as they walk down the mountain. They walk towards the farm house in the middle of no where. They see a woman dressed in black, carrying a large sniper riffle. They walk around the chain link fence and walk closer to the woman with an all to familiar face.

"Mom".

They all stare in silence. Melina takes her times to look at them all, from her "husband" to her three girls.

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

Melina guides them into her house, and Natasha watches her every movement. Melina goes to put away her weapon, Natasha still on high alert.

Lauren and Yelena sit at the dining room table, Yelena on the side and Lauren at one end. Yelena stares out the window as the memories flood her mind. Lauren puts her hand over Yelena's.

Yelena looks at her sister and gives a half-assed smile. She grabs her sister's hand and takes a deep breath. Lauren pours them both a shot of vodka as Alexei goes into the bathroom to change.

Meanwhile, Melina and Natasha talk in the kitchen, then make their way to the dining table to join Lauren and Yelena. They all hear Alexei groan as he tries to fit into his old uniform.

" Let's drink," Melina says as she pours her and Natasha a shot.

After spending way too much time changing, Alexei walks out of the bathroom in his old uniform. He clears his throat to get their attention, and Melina wolfs whistles when she sees him. Alexei excitedly exclaims about how his uniform still fits, and hums his theme song as he sits at the end of the table.

" Family... back together again," Alexei says as he looks around the table.

" Mmm, seeing as our family construct was just a calculated ruse that only lasted three years, I don't think we can use this term anymore, can we?" Melina asks, then downs her shot.

" Agreed. So, here's what's gonna happen--" Natasha starts.

" Okay. A reunion then, huh?" Alexei asks as he fills his plate up with food ," I want to say something right off the bat. You haven't aged a day. You're just as beautiful and as supple as they day they staged our marriage."

At his words, all three sisters drink.

" You got fat," Melina says, " But still good."

" I just got out of prison. I, uh... I have a lot of energy," Alexei says.

" I'm gonna throw up, " Lauren mumbles as she pours herself another shot.

" Please don't do that," Natasha says, " So, here's what's gonna happen."

Melina is very quick to resume her motherly rule.

" Natasha, don't slouch," She says.

" I'm not slouching," Natasha says.