emmylou | natasha romanoff

the interrogation.

1995
Springfield, Ohio

"Kennedy," her mother said as she kneeled before her, "These people just want to ask some questions about Natasha and her family. I want you to answer honestly, okay?"

"Okay," Kennedy says, with no intention of doing that. She'd promised Natasha that she would never reveal anything that she told her about where she was from or who she truly was. Natasha may have been gone now, but she promised she'd come back and so Kennedy had to keep her promise for Natasha to keep hers.

The men in ties lead Kennedy and her mother to a room. Her mom attempts to follow her inside, but the men stop her.

"Just Kennedy," one of them says, "We feel that we'll get through better to her alone."

Kennedy looks behind at her mother, fear flooding her veins. Her mom offers her a reassuring smile, "It's okay baby, I'll be just outside."

The door closes and Kennedy turns around to see that there was a woman already seated at the small table in the room. Three walls and a glass pane that did not allow Kennedy to see outside, but it did allow people to see inside. She'd noticed that on her way in.

Kennedy takes a seat across from the woman, her legs dangled as she sat back in the chair. It made her feel small. She wondered if that's what they were going for.

She watches curiously as Valentina fiddled with some sort of device. It took Kennedy a moment to realize that it was a tape recorder. She looked at Valentina who offered her a small smile before glancing down at a sheet of paper.

"Hi there," the woman says as she smiles and holds her hand out for her to shake, "My name is Valentina. What's yours?" 

"Kennedy."

"Will you tell me your full name please?"

"Kennedy Emily Louise Allen."

"So, your full name is Kennedy Emily Louise Allen," Valentina observes, "That's a lot of names."

"My grandmother's name was Emily, and my other grandmother was named Louise. They both wanted me to be named after them. Someone combined the two and called me Emmylou, but no one calls me that anymore."

Especially since Natasha was gone.

"Emmylou," Valentina says testing it on her tongue, "Cute."

"If you think so," Kennedy responds with a shrug.

"Do you know why you're here, Kennedy?" Valentina asks, and Kennedy knew exactly why she was there.

"My mom said that this is about Natasha."

Valentina leans close as though sharing a secret, "Did Natasha call you Emmylou?"

"She did," Kennedy answers as she looks down at her fingers.

"You miss her, don't you?"

For the last few weeks since Natasha's disappearance and the revelation that they were a group of spies who were there for American intelligence, Kennedy has been treated as though missing Natasha were a crime, but she did and there was no point in lying about that.

"Yes."

"We can find her," Valentina tells her, "And you can help us. We just need you to answer some questions."

Kennedy wasn't dumb. They were appealing to her desire to see Natasha again. She remains silent and Valentina takes that as a go ahead as she opens a folder.

"You and Natasha met because you were in the same third grade class and you were neighbors, correct?"

"Yes," Kennedy answers.