The Black Widow

September 1st 1939

Yes, I did just jump ahead 6 years but just assume they were all like the last couple of chapters.

"Well, what do you propose we do now?"

Nikolai shrugs, "I don't know."

"No" She snaps, "No you will not blow this off as a matter that has no effect on you. It does. our country is at war."

"And she will be a great help when it comes to winning that war." He has no idea what the big deal is.

"But St. Petersburg is right next to the border."

"Even if they do attack she will probably fight the entire German army with her bare hands" He jokes.

She glares at him, "This is not a joking matter."

He sighs, "All right if you are so worried about her then move her but I doubt she will be able to do any good work of she is so far a way from all the action."

She glances down, "That's another thing they aren't sure if they want to use her."

"What!" he is outraged, "This is what she was built for she could win us the war."

"Calm down."

"Why? you asked me to care well now I am caring!" He hadn't realized he stood up. He lets out a loud breath and sits back down. "Why aren't they going to use her?"

"You are right she could win us the war but it is also our job to manage her after the war is over."

"So?"

"Well, for one our allies are going to want to know about our super spy and then they will want to use her for their own purposes," She sighs and continues, "and I doubt they would approve of our methods or her age."

He has to admit that does kind of make sense. But still, if she were to help. Shouldn't we be more worried about winning than about what happens after?

"Fine" he grumbles.

"We'll still use her for the occasional mission, enough to help but not enough that she will be noticed."

"Where are you moving her?"

"Novosibirsk."

Daddy wasn't here when I woke up and he isn't here now. This is so unlike him. He is always there. I am really worried. I have never really been alone before. I am either with him or at some ballet event or rehearsal. I know I am 9 and only two months away from being 10 but it still kind of scares me. I fix myself breakfast and eat in silence. I can't remember a time when I was alone. I am not quite sure what to do now. It is already 11. I slept in late again. For the last year, I can't remember a time when I woke up before nine. Daddy says its all the rehearsals but somehow I know that isn't true. 

I sigh. I don't have rehearsal until three o'clock today. I sit in our living room and wait. It is only about five minutes before I get bored. I decide to get a book from downstairs. I skip downstairs only to find that the store is closed and street deserted. How odd. Usually, by this time, there are tons of people bustling about. I frown and walk back upstairs. I try to think of what could possibly be so wrong. I can't think of anything and decide to wait until daddy gets home. I suppose if I am only going to wait it wouldn't hurt anything if I took a nap. I am still very tired. I curl up on the chair and wrap a blanket around myself. I am just about to fall asleep when I hear the door slam.

I am startled awake. I scramble to get up and greet Ivan. "Daddy! Where were you? What's going on?"

He looks nervous and flustered. He hugs me. "Natasha... we are at war."

 How could we possibly be at war? "War? but... why?"

He shakes his head and sinks into our couch, "Germany invaded Poland. And right now it looks like a lot of countries are going to get involved."

"Why would they do that? Are we going to get involved?"

He shakes his head, "Yes... no... I don't know. There is an alliance... more of a pact."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that a lot of the countries who don't like Germany don't like us either. We could be targeted."

"So what does this mean for us?"

"We are too close the border, we are going to be evacuated."

That makes no sense, "They are going to evacuate everyone in St. Petersburg but.-"

He shakes his head, "No just us. We are going to Novosibirsk."

I want to ask why but I don't get a chance. He rushes me to my room to pack. He leaves for a moment I assume to go pack his own things. There is a suitcase on my bed. I go to my dresser and pack some clothes. I wonder what the weather will be like. It's summer so I guess it will be pretty warm there. I should also plan to stay there for a while though. Wars can last a long time.
After about five minutes daddy comes in to help me. I insist on packing my ballet things so I can still practice. Then I fill the rest of my space with pictures and books.

"How long will it take us to get there?"

"About two days" He shrugs "but we are going to make a stop in Afanasyevo" 

I nod and he grabs my suitcase and sets it by the door. Then he gets a paper bag and fills it with some nonperishable food items. He sets that by the door as well. Any food we aren't taking he puts in a bag too. I ask him why and he says to give to the book keeper downstairs.
Then I have to say goodbye to the apartment I have lived in for so long. I wonder if I will ever come back here. I sigh. It seems so unlikely.

We walk downstairs and get into the car. We even have a driver and everything. He nods to us but doesn't say anything. Daddy tells him to start driving.
I ask daddy again why we are the only ones being evacuated but he just shakes his head. It makes no sense. We aren't all that important. I know he was a soldier in World War 1 but so were loads of other people. 

Eventually, I start to get bored sitting in the car the whole time. I start to read a book but I am having trouble focusing. Novosibirsk is so far away, I don't see why we couldn't have gone to a closer city. Sometimes a little after noon daddy takes out some food and we eat. 

After we eat I stare out of the window. The grass is still very green and I like how it blows in the wind. Soon it will be fall and then winter. The grass will whiter die and be buried under a mountain of snow. Maybe going to Novosibirsk will be just like going away for a holiday. I have never gotten to do that before. I smile just at the thought of it. 

I watch out the window as day fades into night and as the stars come out one by one. I know we will stop in that little town but I get tired and decide to sleep a little in the car. I lay down and daddy starts to stroke my hair. It's nice. I fall asleep quickly.

I am shaken awake. Not on purpose daddy is carrying me into a house. I can't see anything else but I do hear some animals.

I look up at him and he smiles, "Go back to sleep Natasha." 

He sets me down in a soft bed. The sheets smell like flowers. It's nice. I fall asleep quickly.
I don't even wake up when he carries me back to the car in the morning. It is late morning when I do wake up we have already been on the road for a while.

"Good morning Natasha."

I smile, "Good morning daddy."

He ruffles my hair, "We will be there by the end of today."

So before World War Two Russia had an economic pact with Germany so they weren't going to get involved in the war. In 1941 Germany invaded Russia and that's when they really got involved on the allies side.