𝘖𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘴 & 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 || 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘭

29. Lost in the park - Yelena + Kate

Age: 5

"Мама!" I called, running towards her.

"Yes sweetheart?" she asked.

"Auntie Yelena is taking me to the park!" I yelled excitedly.

"Aw," mama picked me up in her arms. "Have fun детка!"

"Yes mommy," I replied, kissing her forehead.

I wrapped a strand of her ginger hair around my finger.

"It's like mine!" I exclaimed.

To my five year old brain, this was quite extraordinary.

"Yes baba, now let go of mama's hair," she replied.

I let go instantly, and mom put me down. We went to the front door where Yelena and Kate were waiting.

"Take care of her," mama told them in a strangely serious voice.

"Scary mama," I mumbled.

Kate chuckled and bent down to hug me.

"Yes, mama will be scary if we lose you," she told me.

"How could you lose me?" I asked loudly.

"She's got a point Natasha," Yelena spoke to my mom. "She's too loud to lose."

Mom laughed, but I saw her give Auntie Yelena a death stare. Kate took my hand and we walked down the driveway onto the street.

"Look how fast I can run!" I called, suddenly eager to burn off some of my pent up energy.

I ran down the path as fast as my little legs could carry until I heard Kate call me to wait. I turned around, letting the wind blow through my auburn hair.

"Wow, so fast!" Auntie Kate cried as they both reached me.

We walked the rest of the way to the park, me gripping onto Yelena's hand. We passed a few teenage boys with their black hoods up. There was smoke coming from where their mouths were and the smell was revolting.

"Ewww what's that smell?" I asked.

I failed to notice the glance Kate and Yelena shared.

"It's bad stuff," Kate simply replied.

I held onto Kate's hand as we walked the rest of the way to the park. When we got there, I immediately ran off towards the swings. Kate and Yelena sat on a bench on the other end of the park whilst I played on all the equipment. Eventually, when I was bored of the slide, swings and rocking horses, I went over to the climbing cube. It was 4 walls which all had ropes, climbing rocks and bars on each side. I walked around it a couple of times, debating which side to climb on. When I decided a side, I carefully placed my small foot on the stone. My hands clasped around the ones higher up and I lifted myself off the ground. Although it was only a foot off the ground, I felt like I was flying.

"Auntie Yelena, Auntie Kate, look!" I called, craning my neck to look at them.

Kate waved at me, smiling from the other end of the park. Yelena yelled, "Be careful детка!"

I nodded and turned my head back to the way my body was facing - which was the wall. I carefully climbed higher and higher, until I looked down and whimpered.

"I'm too high!" I whimpered to myself.

I managed to get down to the ground safely, before I saw something bright in the bushes. Running over, I disappeared into them. It was an inflatable football! (Soccer ball) I picked it up and went further into the bushes. When I found a comfortable space, I sat down against the stem of a bush. My little legs were tired now - so was I. I felt my eyes droop. I let them slowly blink until I fell fast asleep, oblivious to the chaos I'd caused.

Natasha

"You did what?" I snapped, fear engulfing me.

My sister and Kate stood in front of me, both looking extremely guilty.

"We-" Kate started, but I cut her off.

"It was a rhetorical question," I coldly said.

She hung her head, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Where did you last see her?" I asked Yelena, trying to calm myself.

"On the climbing frame," she replied, her hazel green eyes filled with worry. "We turned our heads for a minute, then she was gone."

"No trace of her?" I questioned, hoping desperately Y/n had left something behind.

Perhaps her shoe had fallen off? Or her bag? No, she didn't take a bag with her, and her shoes were velcroed tightly when she left as I had noticed.

"I'll ask Tony if he can try track her down," I told them. "Kate and Yelena, search the area around the park in case she tried to walk home and got lost. I'll go to the park."

"What about..." Kate stopped. "Steve?"

I bit my lip. He really should know his daughter had gone missing. However, knowing my sister and my daughter, it probably wasn't very bad.

"If we don't find her, I'll tell him. For now, nobody else knows," I replied.

Kate nodded, and Yelena quickly left, dragging Kate behind her. I ran to Tony's lab.

"Stark!" I called, pushing the door open.

Bruce and Tony were looking at a prototype weapon.

"Widow's angry," Tony remarked. "What's wrong?"

"It's Y/n, Yelena lost her at the park," I told him quickly.

"Could Tony track him down?" Bruce suggested.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," I replied, looking back at Tony desperately.

He nodded instantly and went over to his computer.

"I'm going to the park, see if she's there," I told him.

"Wait, Nat!" Bruce called me back. "Keep your phone on."

I nodded and ran out, running towards the garage. I saw Yelena's car had gone. Good. She's looking for Y/n. I got into mine and left the garage, before heading straight for the park.

Y/n

I remember being shaken awake. My eyes opened slowly to see my mom crouched in front of me.

"Mama?" I mumbled.

"Oh детка," she picked me up and held me tightly. "Never do that again, okay?"

I was confused. I only fell asleep for a minute, right?" 

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Never wander off alone again," mom's voice was stern.

"I'm sorry mama," I apologised. "I didn't mean to. I saw a bouncy ball."

As she carried me back to the car, she rubbed my back.

"It's alright детка. I was just... so scared," she told me as she placed me in the passenger seat and did my seatbelt.

"Scared of what mama?" I asked sleepily.

"Losing you my little baby," she replied softly, before walking around to the driver's side.

"You can't lose me mama," I replied.

I heard a gentle chuckle.

"Get some sleep, I'll take you to bed when we get home," mom told me, kissing my forehead.