The rise of the White Widow

"I think you already know"

I curse under my breath. Shit. I had hoped to keep my past with Dreykov hidden from Natasha, but it seems my facade has been shattered.

I quickly compose myself, wiping away my tears and standing up. "Nat, what are you doing here?" I ask, trying to divert her attention away from my breakdown.

Natasha doesn't seem fooled by my attempt to change the subject. "I came to check on you," she says, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "What's going on?"

I hesitate for a moment, unsure of whether to confide in her. But as I look into her eyes, I see a glimmer of understanding, a hint that she might be able to relate to the pain I'm feeling.

"It's Hayden," I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "He lied to me. And I just...I can't handle it."

Natasha nods sympathetically. "I know what it's like to be lied to by someone you trust," she says, her voice soft. "But you can't let it control you. You're stronger than that, hun."

Natasha's persistent questioning leaves me feeling cornered, with no way to escape the truth, "Dreykov" she asks again, her tone insistent.

I falter, my mind racing as I try to come up with a plausible lie. "Oh, it's no one," I say, hoping to deflect her attention away from the topic.

But Natasha isn't fooled. "Aleksandra, this is serious," she replies, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"It's nothing, really," I lie again, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Alex, tell me right fucking now," Natasha says, her tone forceful and commanding. The intensity of her words shocks me, and I find myself momentarily speechless.

I look away, blinking away tears, before turning back to face her. "I think you already know," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Natasha's expression softens, and she steps closer to me, her hand reaching out to touch my arm. "I do," she says, her voice gentle. "And I'm sorry. I had no idea."

I swallow hard, my throat tight with emotion. "It's okay," I say, though the words feel hollow even to my own ears. "I just...I didn't want you to find out."

Natasha shakes her head, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "You don't have to hide anything from me, Alex," she says. "I'm here for you, no matter what."

I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders at her words, and I allow myself to lean into her embrace. For the first time in a long time, I feel truly understood, truly seen.

"Thank you, Nat," I say, my voice filled with gratitude. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Natasha pulls back, her eyes locking onto mine with a fierce intensity. "You'll never have to find out," she says, her voice steely. "I'll always be here for you, Alex. Always."

Natasha's question hangs in the air, heavy with the weight of my past. "How...how long were you being trained at the Red Room?" she asks hesitantly, as if afraid of what the answer might be.

"Since I was born," I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. The memories come flooding back, of the endless hours of training, the pain and the fear that had been my constant companions since childhood.

Natasha goes quiet, the weight of my words sinking in. I look up and see a tear slide down her face, and without thinking, I reach up and wipe it away with my thumb.

"Don't cry," I say softly, my heart aching at the sight of her pain. "I'm used to it by now."

Natasha shakes her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and anger. "No one should ever have to be used to that," she says, her voice fierce. "No one."

I feel a sense of comfort in her words, a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, there is a way out of the darkness that has consumed me for so long.

"I know," I say, my voice filled with emotion. "But sometimes...sometimes it feels like that's all there is."

Natasha takes my hand, her grip firm and steady. "It's not, Alex," she says, her voice unwavering. "There's more to life than pain and fear. You just have to believe it."

I nod, my heart heavy with the weight of her words.

"Thank you, Nat," I say, my voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you for believing in me."