𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𑁍 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

19

Cry ~ Cigarettes After Sex

𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍

Cameron opened the fridge as she arrived in the kitchen and looked around until she spotted a full bottle of vodka. She took it, opened it and immediately took a big sip from it. Thank God she could easily take alcohol.

As she stood there she took a few seconds to think about everything that had happened in such a short time. Not only she had disappointed and basically lost her own father, her biological family, but she had also done the same with this family.

She sighed and took one last sip from the bottle and put it back. As she closed the fridge she heard Natasha stand up and talk with Melina as she followed behind her. Cameron turned around and followed their voices, until she realised that they were getting closer to the kitchen.

"Where are you going?", Melina asked her.

"To do this myself", Natasha simply replied as she kept walking.

"Don't. You won't survive", Melina complained as she followed her.

"I wish I could believe that you cared. But you're not even the first mother that abandoned me", Natasha told her harshly as she walked in the kitchen. She looked at Cameron who gave her a small smile before handing her a glass of vodka she had prepared for her. Natasha sighed and smiled back before taking the glass and taking a shot of vodka.

"No, you weren't abandoned, none of you two. Natasha, you were selected by a program that assessed the genetic potential in infants. And you, Cameron, your mother was never simply an Hydra agent that was killed by them because she had disobeyed their orders. She was killed to protect you. I remember you telling me that you could barely remember her in those three years you spent with her because she never cared about you, but she did. You were everything for her and she gave her life for you. Once in the Red Room when you were only four they managed to remove your memories of her", Melina explained with a pained voice.

Natasha and Cameron clenched their jaws as they both slowly walked to her, both trying their best not to let their tears fall. She couldn't be saying the truth.

"I was taken?", Natasha asked her breathlessly, Cameron still not really being able to talk. She had believed her whole life that her mother never cared about her and now finding out that she had even sacrificed herself for her was simply too much.

"I believe a bargain was struck, your family paid off. But your mother, she never stopped looking for you. She was like you in that way. She was relentless", Melina explained.

"What happened to her?", Natasha asked her, barely being able to contain her tears anymore.

"Dreykov had her killed. Her existence threatened to uncover the Red Room. Normally, the actions of one curious civilian wouldn't warrant an execution, but, as I said, she was relentless", Melina explained slowly and Natasha's  hand unconsciously went to Cameron's.

"I thought about her every day of my life. Whether or not I admitted it to myself, I did", Natasha sadly said, letting her tears fall, nd Cameron squeezed her hand tighter.

A small silence followed before Cameron let out a shaky sigh and finally spoke up.

"You're lying. She never could have cared for me. She worked for the criminal organisation that tortured me and abused me for years", she told Melina trying to contain her tears.

"She never wanted to. Cameron, your mother was a Widow. She was taken in the Red Room just like you, like us. She got transferred to Hydra a few years before having you. She had escaped to America a few months before she met your father. All she has ever done since then was only for you", Melina told her truthfully and Cameron finally let out one single tear, her younger sister squeezing her hand, like she had done for her earlier.

"I've always found it best not to look into the past", Melina softly said.

A small silence filled the air and Natasha's gaze went to the bookshelf beside her. She softly let got of Cameron and took a book, a familiar one.
She looked at the book and when Cameron saw it she quickly wiped her tears away and furrowed her brows, her eyes locking with Natasha's.

"Then why did you save this?", Natasha asked her confused and Melina simply looked at the two sisters.

Cameron opened the book and held it while Natasha flipped the pages. The two looked with sad eyes at the photos taken of them as kids. Back when they hadn't dyed their hair afraid of the Red Room wanting them back. Back when they were happy. Natasha then stopped on a page with some photos of different festivities.

"I remember this day. We shot Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and summer vacation all in one day. Different backdrops", Natasha said looking at the photos as Melina moved closer to them to look at them, too.

"I knew all the presents under the tree were just empty boxes, but I didn't care. I wanted to open every one", Natasha said with a small sad smile.

"Yeah, and I tried to keep you and Yelena from arguing on which boxes to open", Cameron said with a soft and sad chuckle. Natasha flipped the page and Cameron spoke up again. "In that way, even if just for a second it would feel real."

"Let's stop all this", suddenly Melina said and took the book from their hands.

"Why are you doing this?", Cameron asked her confused.

"Why does a mouse born in a cage run on that little wheel? Do you know I was cycled through the Red Room four times before you two were even born? Those walls are all I know. I was never given a choice", Melina told them sadly.

"But you're not a mouse, Melina. You were just born in a cage, but that's not your fault", Natasha told her softly and Melina scoffed.

"Tell me, how did you two keep your heart?", Melina asked them truthfully.

"Pain only makes us stronger. Didn't you always tell us that?", Cameron asked her with a soft smile, tears threatening to come out again.

"What you taught us kept us alive", Natasha told her truthfully.

"I'm sorry, I already alerted the Red Room. They'll be here any minute", suddenly Melina said, guilt in her eyes. Natasha and Cameron looked at each other before looking back down, tears spilling down their cheeks.