Black Widow: Dark House

55. "Youth"- Daughter

Bold Italics- Russian

Italics- any language besides English

**- thoughts/ memories

**Melina stood in the kitchen, soap running down the soft skin of her hands as she washed dishes while keeping an eye through the window of the girls. They were playing with a neighborhood girl, on the swing in front of their home. Or at least that how is was supposed to look. The girls were a front, meant to draw attention away from them, the perfect cover. She scanned the houses, looking for anything that might invoke someone watching them. A ruffled curtain, lingering eyes, someone taking the same walking route too many times, anything.

Then she heard a scream, her attention snapping to the swing.

Ana, who was called Sasha for this mission, on the ground, her arm at an awkward angle, and Natalia standing over her, a snarl on her face. Yelena sat against the tree, her knees to her chest, hiding her face as her shoulder shook.

"Don't you dare call her that!" Natalia shouted as Melina made her way outside.

"Okay, okay guys time out" Melina said in her best American accent, reminding all of the girls why they were really here. She caught Ana just before she lunged at Natalia.

"That's enough! What happened?" Melina asked, separating the two girls before blood shed ensued, which with these particular girls, was very likely to happen.

"She called..." Natalia looked down at Yelena, "Helen a runt. She kept calling her that over and over and wouldn't stop."

"I was just playing, you didn't have to push me off the swing you as-" Ana started to snarl.

"We do not use that language at this house Bethany" Melina warned, making sure to emphasize her mission name, reminding Ana why she was really here.

Ana looked up at her, a fierceness and determination in her eyes that Melina couldn't help but noticed mirror her own. But this was more important. Their mission was more important. And she needed to be reminded of that.

Melina knelt in front of her, Ana's dark hair falling over her shoulders, giving Melina a flashback of herself when she was Ana's age. She took her hands in her own, gently but firmly as she got closer to Ana, their noses nearly touching.

"Go home little lion" Melina whispered, her words barely reaching Ana's ears before being carried away by the warm Ohio breeze that seemed to be a constant.

Ana looked up at her and swallowed hard, her eyebrows still knitted together as she dropped her hands from Melina's grasp and started to walk home. Natalia watched her go, her jaw set as she stook next to Yelena, who refused to look up.

Ana turned her head back, the final blow of rebellion as she stuck her tongue out at Natalia and then dashed home. Melina found herself smiling faintly as she watched the young girl, her throat tightening just a bit as she struggled to control her emotions.

"I swear the next time I see her-"

"You're not going to do anything" Melina cut Natalia off, turning to her with her hands on her hips, "we don't push people, especially our friends."

"She's not my friend" Natalia snarled, looking down at the ground as she kicked the tree next to her.

"Sometimes those people who aren't your friends at first are the ones you end up needing the most later on. Either way, no more fighting. Now go get washed up for dinner" Melina said with finality.