Things Are Almost Perfect

Chapter 24 ~ I Think I Have a Promise to Keep

"About what?" Natasha asked, shifting her weight to her other foot. She really just wanted to join her sister and spend time with her.

"Well.... you're back now.... fully...." Tony said.

"And?"

"...do you want the world to know?" he asked, "Do you want me to tell everyone?"

Natasha looked away from him for a moment and out of the room, where she could hear happy talking and laughing.

Did she want the world to know?

It would be so easy to tell everyone.

It would be so easy to let everyone know she was alive then just continue to be an Avenger like before.

But did she want that?

Something inside of her told her to do it.

To be selfish and agree and become the famous Black Widow again. And she almost did agree with it. It would be so easy to just open her mouth and agree with it.

But then she thought of Yelena.

Yelena hadn't gotten out of the Red Room like Natasha had. She hadn't found a new family. She hadn't experienced so many things that Natasha did.

She didn't have that choice.

And now, Yelena didn't know all of the good things about the world that Natasha did.

She only knew darkness, and death, and pain, and...

....and loss.

And what about her anxiety? Without Natasha's help she wouldn't accept that it's there or ask for help from the right people.

Sure, if Natasha agreed and let Tony tell everyone she would still be around. But she would be busy with the Avengers. Busy saving the world.

Who was Natasha kidding?

If she stayed with the Avengers as Black Widow, Yelena wouldn't stick around for long. She didn't trust the Avengers like Natasha did. Maybe one day she would trust them, but that would take time.

No, Natasha needed to be Natasha, not Black Widow. She needed to be Yelena's older sister, not a superhero.

She needed to help Yelena through everything that would happen next and work hard to teach her the good that was in the world.

She needed to stop saving the world for a bit and instead save her little sister.

"No," Natasha finally told Tony, "I don't want the world to know yet."

Tony nodded, "Alright... Can I ask why?"

"Yelena. I need to be here for her. I need to be her sister, and I can't do that if I'm an Avenger."

Tony nodded again.

Natasha smiled, "Plus, I think I have a promise to keep."

Tony had no idea what she was talking about, (which annoyed him to no end), but it was nice to see his friend smiling, even after everything that had happened recently.

So he smiled too, and they made their way over to join their family.