Black Widow: Dark House

57. "Daddy Sang Base"- Johny Cash

Bold Italics- Russian

Italics- any language besides English

**- thoughts/ memories

Melina stepped inside the quaint house, leaving the door open for the rest to follow as she carried her gun with her through the walkway. The house was clean, well put together, and oddly comforting as she walked through, leading the rest of the group.

"Welcome to my humble abode" she said, wandering back to the cupboard in the kitchen.

"Make yourself at home... let's have a drink" she sighed, knowing she was not going to be able to get through this conversation without some alcohol her system.

Natasha followed after her while Alexi and Yelena inspected the house, aghast at how... homely it looked.

Natasha also was amazed as she took in the countryside kitchen, complete with fresh herbs hanging from the windows and bread ready on the counter. Melina opened the pantry, flipping a switch carefully hidden into the grain of one of the shelf, making the entire structure click and shift, opening up to a small armory in which she placed her weapon inside.

"Hey, no funny business" Natasha warned, noticing the small arsenal Melina had stocked.

"I am putting away my weapon" Melina countered pointedly.

Natasha let out a breath and walked way, taking in the rest of the house.

Yelena found herself looking at the dinner table in the living room, remembering their dinning room in Ohio, where they would eat together, share stories they all knew were made up, but laughing all the same. She gripped the back of one of the chairs as if she could hold on tightly enough, perhaps that life would be real, and perhaps it would find it's way back to her now.

She pulled out the chair and sat, imagining what her life would look like if Ohio had not been a lie, a mission, but real. How different she would be if it had all been true.

Alexi had made his way to the bathroom, closing himself off from the tension in the rest of the house. He removed the American shirt Natasha and Yelena had given him and sat, rubbing his face and taking deep breaths to calm himself. He wondered if he was still the man he used to be as he starred down at his prize that he had found in Melina's house.

Melina hesitantly moved into the living room, finding Natasha still inspecting the building.

"Are there any booby traps around here?" Natasha asked bitterly, "Anything we need to know about?"

Melina let out a small laugh, moving lithely as she considered Natasha, "I did not raise my girls to fall in traps."

Natasha scoffed, moving to the kitchen sink to wash her hands, "You didn't raise us at all" she said, refusing to look at Melina.

Melina came to stand near the counter, looking at Natasha, almost marveling at her, "well, maybe so" she said, grabbing a nearby bottle of vodka, "but if you got soft, it wasn't on my watch."

Natasha looked at her, anger, confusion, and sadness storming within her as she look out the window that opened up to the lush countryside surrounding them.

Grunts and groans started to emanate from the bathroom, unmistakably Alexi. No one asked, mainly because no one wanted to know. Soon Melina, Yelena, and Natasha all found themselves sitting at the table, silently listening to Alexi struggle with... well whatever he was doing. Melina had brought out some food and set plates out for everyone as they waited for Alexi to join them.