Winter Widow One Shots

Sister Talk

"Did you ever look for your parents? Your real ones?" Yelena looked up at her, the beer bottle sitting in front of her. She picked it up, fingers near the top of the bottle, allowing it to swing back and forth and she moved it.

"Well, my mom abandoned me in the street like garbage. What about you?" Natalia shrugged and shook her head. Her mom had left her to die, Red Room may not have been great, but at least they saved her life. They prevented her death, gave him a warm place with food and allowed her to grow up. They gave her one good thing. Well, three. Yelena and James deserved to be counted.

The blonde shook her head and gave a soft smile. A rarity for her as she had grown. When they were young in Ohio she had been filled with smiles and laughter. Natalia had wanted to protect that. Protect her, and she had tried but she was too young, too weak, too small.

"They destroyed my birth certificate," Yelena, tilted her head the the left and smirked "so I reinvented it. My parents still live in Ohio. My sister moved out west."

"Is that right?" Natalia asked with a laugh.

Nodding Yelena continued she used her hands to add emphasis to her words. She pointed at Natalia "You're a science teacher. You're working part-time, though, especially after you had your son."

She waved the same hand that had been pointing at Natalia in the air as if the next part didn't matter much. "Your husband, he renovates houses."

Natalia shook her head, a laugh almost escaping before the reality hit. She dropped her eyes with a longing sigh. "That is not my story."

Yelena let out a laugh, not reading the pain that had crossed Natalia's face for just a split second. It was a nice story. One she wouldn't mind so much. But even without Red Room it wouldn't have been an option. "What is your story?"

"I never let myself be alone long enough to think about it."

Yelena took a long drink from her bottle and shook her head "No. That's not true. You've had plenty of alone time, expendable recently. Dont try to lie to me Natalia. I know you better than that. Did you ever wish for kids?"

"Yeah," Natalia pulled her bottom lip under teeth and wrapped both around the amber bottle in front of her. "I wanted that life. I wanted kids, and a husband.especially after Ohio. And for a while I thought maybe I could have it."

"Not with the Hulk right?" Yelena set her bottle down rolling her eyes. "I heard the rumors, you and him? I just can't see it. You seem to - secretive for him. And he's so green."

Natalia shook her head, red hair falling across her face. Brushing it back she sighed. "No. Bruce was- he was a distraction. And even if I could have kids, he can't."

"With the Soldat?"

Natalia's eyes shot up, Yelena smirked knowing she had been right. Knowing that Natalia had just given up a secret. How did she know about him? She hadn't told any one. James may have told Steve but he wouldn't have trusted that information with any one else.

"He's cute. I can't blame you." She smiled and caught Natalia's eyes. "Oh please. It was so obvious. I am surprised Dreykov didn't catch on earlier. The way you two looked at each other. You were so clearly in love. And then when they explained that the Winter Soldier had been taken away because he fell in love with a Widow? That all but confirmed it. We all knew. He was different after his first one on one training with you. Acted more like a big brother than a trainer, but he was also happier. He wasn't a stoic brick, but a person. It was kind of nice."

Yelena raised an eyebrow waiting for Natalia to confirm her words. Lifting the bottle to her lips she spoke again. "It was a shame, he was a great teacher. I learned a lot from him. Though I'm sure you learned more."

Natalia choked on her drink, nearly spitting it across the table. Yelena beamed with pride, slamming her bottle to the table and pointing at Natalia. The group sitting behind them turned to face the two, with eyebrows raised but Yelena paid them no mind.

"Ha! I knew it! So where is he now? Where is your Winter Soldier? Or is it Bucky now? What a turn of events! Captain America's childhood friend? I don't think any one saw that coming. Not even Dreykov, maybe even most of Hydra and the KGB! I mean 70 years! That is wild."

"James." Natalia whispered with a smile. "His name is James."

"That's better, Bucky is a child's name. So where is he? Why didn't you run off with him and captain America? Instead you go where? To Iceland?"

Natalia tapped her fingers on the table and bit down on her lip. James had gone to Wakanda with T'challa in hopes of figuring out his mind.

"He would help us take down the Red Room."

"He would. But he has a lot to work through."

Yelena raised an eyebrow and smirked. "But you've seen him recently? Yeah?"

Natalia couldn't hide the blush that crept up her cheeks. She had seen him, a few times. Helping him remember their past. But it wasn't easy to get there unnoticed, especially when one was an Avenger. It seemed a lot harder to stay under the radar now.

"Was it good?"

Natalia kicked her from under the table and Yelena laughed. "That's not an answer Nat."

"It is always good to see him, it's the best part of my month, and it's always too short. But he's still remembering. Still figuring out who he is, who Bucky Barnes was, who the Winter Soldier was and where he fits between the two. James isn't really either of them anymore. There is a lot going on in his mind. They messed him up good."

"They messed all of us up good." Yelena's playful smile dropped and she stared at the table, both hands wrapped around the beer bottle.

"Yeah. Yeah they did."

"Do you love him? Like real love, not the stuff they trained us to 'feel' or pretend. Do you actually love him?"

Natalia paused for a moment before giving her answer, she never told anyone. Not even James. She had hardly been able to admit it to herself. But she knew the truth.

He was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He'd been ripped away once and she had by some incredible twist of fate she had been given a second chance with him. And she was determined not to loose it.

When T'Challa had not offered the same sanctuary that he had given James, Natalia had been crushed. Knowing that they would be separated again broke her heart. She didn't want to leave him alone, but she'd known he needed it. He'd improved greatly during his time there. He trusted himself more. Trusted himself to be around her alone. Not that they had much time to be alone, her visits were always cut short for one reason or another. Each time leaving him was harder than the last. Her James was returning.

"I do." The words were little more than a whisper. "I have since the first time I pinned him. I just didn't know it then. You're the first person I've admired that to..."

Yelena reached over, taking the red head's hands in hers. She may not have been a sister by blood but she definitely knew how to act like one. Of course they had been given detailed training on how to do that.

"I want a dog. Maybe I can learn to love that."

The words caught her gaurd, she laughed and Yelena shrugged. "Take down Red Room, and then we will get you a dog."

"And I get to meet James."

"And you get to meet James."

"Good. I like this plan."

"You saw where he put the keys?" Natalia nodded to the garage across the road.