The Perfect Girlfriend - Blackhill

Chapter 8 - Friday

Maria woke up on Friday morning to the annoying buzzing of her phone. It wasn't her alarm, because she turned it off, but someone kept calling her again and again.

It was almost eight. Natasha was still asleep by her side. She looked at the screen of her phone to see four missed calls. She started to get up, just as Natasha stirred beside her.

"What time is it? Where are you going?"

"It's early, before eight. You can go back to sleep if you want to."

Natasha nodded and turned on her side, closing her eyes again.

Maria grabbed her workout clothes and went to the bathroom to change. Then, she left the house with her headphones and she returned the calls as she went for her morning run.

Coulson was calling to update her. He talked to Clint and arranged for the Widow to meet the Hulk in his containment unit on Monday. She pointed out she wasn't even a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, certainty not his superior, so he didn't need to update her. He made a joke about thankfulness and they said their goodbyes.

Then she called Pepper, who kept her on the phone for thirty minutes to talk about feelings and honesty and Maria was exactly one condescending comment away from faking her own death and never returning to New York City. She finally managed to get off the phone on her way back, listening to both Steve's and Tony's voice messages saying they couldn't get in contact with Natasha and to call them back.

She was about to call one of them when she reached the house. She shrugged, mentally noting that she should call them later, before taking off her headphones and getting to the backyard for the second part of her workout.

When she got to her room and headed for the shower, Natasha was still asleep. They came home well past three the night before, so Maria had four hours of sleep and could perfectly understand how Natasha didn't feel like getting up yet.

When she got out, Natasha was just stretching. Clearly she had just gotten up and changed.

"My phone's dead." she said out loud, while she connected it to the charger.

"Oh, I forgot." Maria remembered right then. "Both Tony and Steve left me voice messages, saying they tried to call you but couldn't reach you."

Natasha frowned deeply. "Did something happen?"

Maria's eyes got slightly bigger and she laughed a little ironically. "Funny."

Natasha's frown only got deeper. She was about to speak when a knock on the door distracted them.

"Come in." Maria said.

Sara busted in, closing the door, waving at them and hopping on the bed.

"Good morning." Natasha told her with a smile.

Sara grunted. "I need your help. Sit." She gestured to the bed, next to herself, where she was half laying, her feet on the floor, but her upper half down.

They exchanged a look, then did as told.

"I need help with my vows." she said, her eyes closed, while she massaged her forehead.

"Your wedding vows?" Maria asked, incredulously. "The ones you told me you were writing Monday when I called and again Tuesday morning, and the ones you told me you finished Wednesday before dinner?"

"I never said I finished them. I said I was almost done." she corrected her. "Maria, please, I'm too hungover to deal with your lecture."

"Let's hear what you have." Natasha proposed.

Sara sighed, lifting the papers in her left hand. She cleared her throat. "I love Luke very much and that is why I am marrying him."

She lowered them again. Maria raised an eyebrow.