Red Daughter

Fifteen

The next few days were spent lounging by the lake, exploring the woods and getting some much needed rest. None of them realized just how stressed and cooped up they had been until they finally relaxed. Not that it was easy for the three Widows to actually relax, but on the third day, they'd broken out the pool floats for Yelena and Natasha while Elodie and Wanda lay on the dock tanning.

Elodie lay stretched out on a blanket in her swim trunks and her usual long sleeve. The bottom of her shirt was pulled up, exposing her toned stomach while Wanda was laying next to her in a bikini.

"You're gonna get a weird tan line," Wanda told her as she rolled over on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows.

"It's not like anyone is gonna see it," Elodie replies as she cracks an eye open to look at Wanda.

Wanda moves towards her and places a hand on Elodie's stomach, "does that include me?" She asks as she traced the tone lines of the girls abs, causing Elodie to shiver slightly.

"You can see whatever you want," Elodie tells her. After the kiss in the woods they had both agreed to take things slow, but as each day passed, a desire had built up in Elodie and she wasn't sure how slow she'd be able to go.

Wanda's hand hesitated at the words, "can I.. see your scar? Here," she tapped softly on Elodie's abdomen where she thought it would be.

The girl took a breath but slowly nodded, "it's here," she said softly as she pulled her trunks down just enough to show Wanda. A faint scar about two inches long just below Elodie's bellybutton greeted her. She ran her fingers softly over it expecting it to feel different then the rest of her skin, but it didn't.

"I'm sorry they did this to you," Wanda whispered.

"They did it to all of us. Me, Natasha and Yelena. Who knows how many more," Elodie tells her bitterly.

"Do you have any others?" Elodie's arm twitched slightly, something that didn't escape Wanda's notice. "Can I?" She asks as she sits up. Elodie didn't reply, she just moved her arm closer to Wanda who pulled up the sleeve gently. "Oh baby," she said softly at the sight of all the scars. "Did you...?"

"No. I know what they look like, so it's easier to just keep them hidden rather then to explain what they are really from," Elodie tells her, shame starting to build in her stomach.

"Does Nat know?"

Elodie sighed softly, "Bruce told her when she woke up. We talked about it, briefly." Elodie pulls her arm away and pulls the sleeve back down, "I don't like talking about these."

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of," Wanda tells her gently.

"Get out of my head," Elodie tries to joke, but it falls flat.

Wanda shakes her head, "I'm not in your head. I've seen that look on Natasha's face before. The two of you are more alike than you know." Wanda puts a hand on Elodie's arm, "you both feel things deeply. You both take on more than you should. You both blame yourselves for things you couldn't control. You couldn't control what happened to you, and that's wasn't your fault. These scars don't make you weak, and they certainly aren't something to be ashamed of."

Elodie looks at Wanda for a long moment before asking, "have I told you today how much I appreciate you?"

Wanda smiles softly, "you don't have to."

"Well that's good because I'm horrible with words," Elodie grins. "But I'm better with actions. May I show you how much I appreciate you, Miss Maximoff?"

Wanda chuckles, "you're such a dork. But yes, you can."

The girls are already leaning towards each other before Wanda stops speaking, and just as it did the first time, and each time after, the moment their lips connected, Elodie felt nothing but happiness.

                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night they were eating supper and playing a monopoly. "$200! Pay up!" Yelena exclaimed happily.

Natasha groaned as she handed over the money and Yelena put it in her already tall stack. "How are you winning?"

"Because I am amazing," the blond said with a grin.

"Ok my turn," Elodie said she rolled. "Eight." She moved her piece and landed right on one of Yelena's property. Yelena laughed happily as Elodie handed over her money.

"Moving on! Wanda it's your turn. Wanda? Hey Wands!" Elodie waved her hand in front of Wanda's glazed over eyes.

Suddenly the girl yelled, "get down!" Just as bullets started to rain into the house. They all hit the floor and took cover as best as they could. Wanda put up a shield to help protect them and after a few seconds the bullets stopped. Natasha and Yelena waisted no time in pulling out their own guns from under the table.

"Is everyone alright?" Natasha asked them.

Fine," Wanda replied.

"Pissed off," Yelena answered, "I was winning."

"Elodie?" Natasha came and crouched in front of the girl and cupped her face gently, "Elodie, baby, are you hurt?"

Elodie slowly focused on Natasha and blinked a few times, "what?"

"Are you hurt?" When the girl shook her head Natasha pulled her into a tight hug. "Can you walk?" She asked when she pulled away. Elodie nods and Natasha turns to Wanda, "Wanda stay with her, get to the lake. There's a boat in the shed. Yelena and I will hold them off. If we aren't there in five minutes, leave. There's a car on the other side with supplies and a map. Go to the location and call the number on the back."

"Got it," Wanda said as she took Elodie's arm and hauled the girl to her feet.

"Wait," Elodie demands. "What about you? You have to come with us."

"I will be right behind you," Natasha tells her. Another hail of bullets hits the house and Wanda puts her shield up again. "Go!" Natasha yells at them.

"Be careful," Elodie tells them, looking between Natasha and Yelena.

The two Widows looked at her with somber expressions, "always."

So while Natasha and Yelena returned fire out the front windows, Wanda and Elodie escaped out the back. They ran across the open lawn as bullets flew around them. They had almost made it to the shed when a group of soldiers ambushed them. "Go!" Wanda yelled, "I got this." Her hands lit up and her eyes turned to flashing embers as she started throwing people around.

Elodie made it to the shed and jumped in the boat and started looking for the keys. A voice spoke out behind her, one she hadn't heard in months, "hello 943." She turned around and there was Red Room Doctor Orlov. She charged at him but just as she got to him he smirked and said, "os'minog." Elodie falls to the ground, her body shaking as Doctor Orlov watches her with a sick grin. After a few moments the shaking stops and she stands back up, a cold look on her face. "Welcome back Red Daughter."

"It's good to be back Doctor," she says in a heavy accent, a grin spreading across her lips as her eyes glow red.