Project Vita Nova || Yelena x oc

Chapter 14

Valary felt her jaw drop. After two months of hopeless waiting, would they finally be able to capture Delick. A new excitement filled Valary at this new hope.

"You did? Did you find Delick?" Valary asked excitedly, trying to sit up. Yelena just pushed her down so she could finish fixing her bandage.

"Not another tablet I hope." Yelena says sarcastically, causing Valary to burst out laughing. Natasha just gave her sister a dry chuckle as she pulled her back pack off. Digging around for a minute, she pulled out something that she kept enclosed in her fist.

Yelena had just finished Valary's bandage as she began to sit up again. Natasha made her way over to Valary's side as she held out her fist. Valary cupped her hands as Natasha dropped something into them.

The sight of it knocked the breath out of her lungs. The object was a thick rose gold ring, with an intricate rose etched into the top of the metal.

Valary's breathing became more sharp as she stared at the ring. She couldn't believe she was looking at it, that she was actually holding it. More memories she had tried to forget began to resurface, flashing violently across Valary's mind.

"No..." Valary whispered, her eyes beginning to mist ever so slightly.

"Val?" Yelena placed a hand on her shoulder.

Ignoring Yelena, Valary threw the gently placed covers off her and stumbled out of bed, taking no notice of the jabbing pain that shot through her.

How did Delick get this? He's sick...sick for this. She felt the cold metal as she clenched her fist tight, both hating and loving the ring. Valary hobbled into the tiny living room, her breathing becoming more and more erratic. The walls felt like they were caving in on her. She knew the last thing she should do was go outside, but she needed to get out.

She grabbed the doorknob and started to frantically pull on it, wishing her lungs would work properly. The door finally opened when she felt someone tug on her wrist. Valary whirled around, a panic stricken fist raised in the air.

"Val, hey. What is it?" Yelena stood there, a firm grip on Valary's wrist. She looked between Valary's panicked eyes and her raised fist. Natasha appeared behind her sister.

"He can't have this...how did he get this." Valary stammered as tears began to overflow. She lowered her fist as she looked at Yelena's worried eyes.

Yelena led Valary away from the door, still gripping her wrist. The duo sat down on the couch as Yelena pulled Valary into a tight hug, trying to calm her down.

"Shh, it's ok. You're ok." Yelena whispered as Natasha slowly made her way over to the two.

After a couple minutes of sitting like this, Valary and Yelena separated. They looked at each other for a second as Yelena cupped Valary's face, wiping away a stray tear that fell down her cheek. Valary gave Yelena a weak smile. She was enjoying the view.

"Val, I hate to seem insensitive but I need you to tell me what it means." Natasha said in a quiet voice. Yelena pulled her hands away as Valary looked down at her clenched fist. She slowly opened it to reveal the ring, held in her sweaty palm.

"That ring...it used to belong to someone I knew." Yalary's voice was shaky, as if anything could tip her back over the edge of another breakdown. She looked back up at Yelena. Natasha kneeled down beside her sister. Valary took a deep breath before she continued.

"Do you remember when I told you about the day I was taken?" Valary asked the two.

"Hydra attacked the Shield facility and took you and another girl, Ellah Harrison." Natasha recited, watching Valary.

Valary nodded as she looked back down, a sad smile growing as she looked at the band of metal in her hand.

"Shield hired my parents when I was about three years old. When we moved into the Shield facility, you can imagine there weren't a lot of other kids for a three year old to play with. But there was one other family who had a kid my same age. It was Ellah. We grew up and did everything together. Got in trouble together, started out training together, got kidnapped and turned into a science project together." Valary gave a dry laugh as a tear fell down to cheek. She sighed and shook her head, looking away from the watchful eyes of the two people who she considered her closest friends. "This ring was Ellah's. But I don't understand how Delick got it."

"Do you have an idea of what it could mean?" Yelena asked, placing her hand on Valary's open one.

At the sudden touch, Valary felt her heart begin to beat faster. She hated how she couldn't understand her feelings for Yelena. She was still completely clueless of what her feelings truly ment.

"It means Delick's waiting for me to come to him. He wants me to come looking." Valary looked back at Yelena, who's hand was still on Valary's.

"But the question remains, where is he?" Natasha asks no one in particular.

With the ring, Valary knew exactly where Delick was. She remembered how the ring was lost the day Ellah died. She hated the memory more than anything because of how twisted Delick had made it. Somehow, he had climbed into every happy memory that Valary tried to keep sacred.

"I know where Delick is." Valary confessed, looking down at her and Yelena's hands. The two next to her just stared at her, either in confusion or amazement.

"How?" Natasha asked, her shock obvious on her face.

"I remember where this ring was lost and I thought Delick had it destroyed." Valary met Natasha's eyes.

"So where is he?" Yelena's pure amazement was apparent in her voice.

"Home." Valary whispered, swallowing the fear that rose with in her as the thoughts of returning to that place began to haunt her.

(I apologize for the filler/smaller chapter today. I'm trying to figure out how to wrap this all up and this was a necessary sacrifice for the ending to be great!) 

(I hope you guys are doing fantastic and I'm sending my usual good vibes your way!)