Time Heals All Wounds

Chapter 5

Yelena was asleep in the front seat, and Irina was silently listening to music on her Ipod nano in the back. " Whatchu listening to?" Natasha asked, but Irina didn't hear her. " Irina?" Natasha asked, and Irina took her headphones out. " Yeah"? " I asked what you were listening to, but you didn't hear me". " Right now? I'm listening to Battle Scars by some Australian dude." Irina said, starting to put her headphones back in, but Natasha continued the conversation before she could. " I'm sorry." she said. " Doesn't cut it." Irina retorted immediately. " Irina, I'm sorry." Natasha repeated earnestly, but Irina threw her headphones to the ground. " It doesn't cut it. What Yelena told you wasn't even half of what I felt that day Natasha. You didn't hurt me, you broke me. You broke what couldn't be broken, congratulations." Irina stated bluntly. " What happened to you?" Natasha whispered, and Irina shook her head, " You should have been there." Irina said softly. " Talk to me Irina, what happened? Be cruel, make me feel guilty please." Natasha pleaded. " Not now. Please Natasha, not now. Soon." Irina begged her sister. " What are you gonna do after this, little dove?" Natasha asked, not pushing the poor girl anymore. " I don't know Natasha. There's not many places for a girl like me to go. Yelena can go anywhere, be anyone. I can't." Irina said truthfully. It was silent for a moment between the two sisters, but only a moment. " I accept your apology. I don't forgive you, but consider the process started." Irina said to her. Natasha nodded, but she was beaming on the inside. Then she remembered what she really had to tell her. " Irina, the person we're meeting with. It's alexei." she told her sister. " Like my father Alexei?" she asked in shock. Natasha nodded, and Irina fell back into her chair in shock. " Well, shit." she exclaimed.

" That's not a jet." Irina said, looking at the white monstrosity in front of her. " I needed a jet man, not that." Natasha said to the man in front of them. " You know what you didn't give me, time, or money. I'm not made of jets." he retorted, and Irina shrugged. " I thought you were supposed to be the best, you know a real pro." Yelena stated. " Oh i'm sorry tsarina was the free flat and lifetime supply of kissel not to your liking." the man retorted. " Oh I like him. Yeah, that free flat had an occupant." Irina said to him, and he shrugged unapologetically. " Don't let them wind you up." Natasha said, and he said something about his professionalism to which Irina snorted. " You did set me up with a generator that crapped out after 6 hours." Natasha said. " You too huh? Tag team." the man said. " Welcome to my life. Don't worry, you get used to it." Irina said to him. " He's sensitive. See why you keep him around." Yelena said, and Irina laughed. Irina just watched as the guy brought out a bag of stuff, and dared Yelena to eat something from 5 years ago. " How is it?" Natasha asked. " It's dry- it's really dry." Yelena responded, and Irina laughed again. She continued teasing her, as they both made their way into the plane.

" Why do I always have to sit in the back?" Irina asked, annoyed. " Because we're older, and can fly planes." Yelena replied. " I can fly a plane better than both of you, and you know it." Irina retorted, and Yelena pretended to ignore her. " So, what's he like?" Irina asked natasha. " Alexei? I don't know, I haven't seen him in 20 something years." she told her, focusing on the task at hand. " You're no help." Irina grumbled, getting her suit on. " Nice suit, where'd you get it?" Natasha asked. " This is what happens when the Red Room gives you extra special treatment. It's all pain and torture but her at least you get a nice suit out of it." Irina said bluntly, silencing the plane. " Well, this was nice for a minute." Yelena said, and Irina shrugged, sitting back down, and playing her music.

" Today's your lucky day Alexei. Move to the door on the south wall." Natasha said into comms. " Doesn't sound like you guys really like him anymore." Irina said to them. " He gave us all back to the red room without hesitation, you included. Keep that in mind." Yelena told her, and Irina nodded in understanding. " Go left, and don't make a scene." Natasha said into comms again. " He's gonna make a scene isn't he?" Irina said, and Yelena nodded, " He's probably where you get your dramatics from". She got hit in the head for that, but Irina still chuckled at her comment. " What now?" they heard over comms. " We're getting you out of here." Natasha replied. They looked down at where he stood. Stood- he wasn't moving. " He needs to move his ass before he's trampled." Irina said factually. " Go to the upper level." Natasha said to him. He started running, and only started climbing when Irina yelled into the comms to move his ass. He got tased climbing, and Irina couldn't help but snort. " You know that's your dad right?" Yelena said. " Don't remind me that he's my sperm donor. I haven't had a Dad ever in my life, and I don't plan on starting at the first one that comes my way." Irina retorted, shrugging in indifference. " He's never gonna make it." Yelena said. " Get me closer." Natasha responded, and the two sisters looked at her like she was stupid. " You guys got a better idea?" she asked. " Yeah, abort the plan." Irina said, but Natasha just rolled her eyes, and jumped out of the plane.