The Orphan and the Widow

Chapter 1

"Sofia. Please." Nat crouched beside me. "I need you to come with me." She pleaded.

"Nat. You know I can't." I held my head in my hands. "Where would Bella stay? She can't stay alone."

"Yelena. Yelena is coming down anyway, since I have to go, so you don't need to worry about Bella."

"I'm sure it's not serious." I reasoned with her. "I don't need to go with you."

"If Cap called me, and told me he and Tony need my help, it's serious." She said sternly. "Cap and Tony haven't talked in 2 years. If they are suddenly working together it's serious." She lifting my chin gently. "You know how stubborn they are."

"What if I'm scared of it being serious..." I whispered quietly.

"Then be brave." Natasha told me in Russian.

"I can't..." I responded in the same dialect. "I'm scared of loosing control. Again."

"Being brave doesn't mean not being scared." She reminded me in English. "It means being scared but doing it anyway."

"I..." I felt a tear roll down my cheek. Nat quickly wiped it away.

"It's going to be okay. I would never let anything happen to you again." She looked me in the eye. "But you need to have this experience. I need you there with me."

I mustered all the strength and bravery I had. "When do we leave?"

Nat gave me a grim smile. "30 minutes."

"Nattttt," I groaned, but laughed.

Nat and I walked upstairs where Bella was reading in her room.

The 13 year old girl was propped up on her bony elbows, and staring intently at her book while mouthing the words.

"Bella." I came over to the bed, followed by Nat. "Nat and I have an important trip we need to go on. Yelena is arriving any minute to stay with you."

"What!" She turned and sat up, her long legs over the side of the bed. "Why can't I come?"

Nat came over and knelt before my little sister. "Because it's going to be all boring business."

"I know you're lying." Bella warned.

"We have to help Uncle Steve and Uncle Tony fight a bad guy." I said simply, glancing at Nat out of the corner of my eye.

"Yes. But we'll be back as soon as possible." Nat assured Bella. "I love you, красивая (beautiful)"

"I love you too, Natasha." Bella put her forehead against Natashas.

The front door opened, and I held Bella's hand as we walked behind Nat to the front door.

"Yelena. Thank you for coming." Nat embraced her younger sister figure. "Sofia and I have to leave, but we'll call you tonight."

"Okay." Yelena whispered something in Russian in Nat's ear, but I could make it out. "Please be safe. I need you, and so do these girls. Don't do anything rash. Think about your family."

"I will Yelena." Nat smiled weakly. "The car just arrived."

"Bye Bells. I love more than you could ever know, and I'll be back soon." She hugged the small, girl to my chest.

"Promise?" She said in Russian.

"Promise." I hooked my pinky with hers, then our pointer fingers, and I kissed her thumb.

Nat hugged Yelena and Bella, and with teary eyes, we left.

We drove the private airport, and got on the plane Stark provided.