One Day at a time

Chapter 15: In between

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Natasha's POV

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"Well lets go get him then," I said as I quickly walked away from all the prying eyes. I honestly don't know what to think of this supposedly new 'hero'. Everyone is still a bit shocked by the arrival of the robot, I wasn't, I couldn't be. I have to be ready for everything and anything. Its what I've been taught, and what I've been taught doesn't go away easily... no matter how hard I might want it to.

I put my feelings aside and quickly put my jumpsuit on to go to New York. As I walk to the quinjet I see that nobody is there yet, it only make sense, I am the fastest to get ready, even with Steve's super soldier serum he still will never beat the Black Widow. I buckled myself in the pilot seat and set everything up for flying. There was a bright blue sky ahead of me.

I could leave right now, just fly away without a care in the world. I wish I would let myself do it, leave all my worries behind, but I know in my heart I can't, Earth needs all the help it can get if we are going to defeat Thanos, and it's impossible to think that after him, it will be over. I need to fight, if I don't I would be lying to myself.

Anyway how else will all the red in my ledger finally be clean, and the darkness in my heart finally be bright. Everyone arrives into the quinjet, Steve sits in the co-pilot seat since he is the most qualified... Wanda and Vision sit beside each other, with Tony across from them. Not many words have been exchanged this pass week, Everyone has been training, trying to get stronger, mentally and physically if thats even possible. These endless battles really do affect you, that's the price to pay to save the world.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky as far as I could see , which was odd because of the impending doom, it was like the universe has a sense of humor.

"Pretty day," Steve acknowledged. Small talk was what it was, but I had to talk to him sometime, I can't just never talk to him again, no matter how hard it is to push him away. We can still be friends... I hope.

"Looks like it, no telling how long it will last though, nothing lasts forever," I say and smile at him, truthfully. He smiles back with that perfect gleaming smile, as bright as the sun.

"I'm sure it will be back, I hope we have some peace one day," Steve says, I knew what he was implying though.

I think back to some of the last things we said to each other before the Civil war started.

~~~

I walk down the church aisle, after searching for Steve for 2 days, and finding out he went to Peggy Carter's funeral... I had to come, I had to just be there even though I didn't know how to comfort him, I thought at least I could be there for him.

I walk up to him, and look into his eyes, so full of sorrow, those once playful eyes now completely dark.

"When I came out of the ice I thought everyone I knew was gone, when I found out she was alive, I was just lucky to have her," He said as he looked at me. Sunlight was seeping through the painted window frames. Chandeliers hung on every rung. So bright, yet so much pain.

"She had you back too," I say to him. He looks down to the floor, regret stinging his eyes. I knew I had to tell him this now.

"After.. everything happened with shield, during my little hiatus... I went back to Russia to find my parents," I shake my head, as I think back to the memory.

"I went back to my old home, finding its ashes still there buried in snow... two little gravestones next to a... chainlink fence,"

He looks at me, an understanding and caring gleam in his clear blue eyes.

"There was this rose bush next to my house, only one rose still living, in the dead of winter, I plucked it and set it in between the two gravestones,"

Those roses give me so many memories . Roses, just like the locket I had for just one day, the day it dropped from my hand, the day I was taken by the red room.

"We have what we have when we have it," I tell him.

~~~

"We have what we have when we have it," I tell him, and I know, I can feel, that he remembers that day as clearly as I do. Our arms rapped around each other, knowing it would be the last time we see each other as partners, not enemies.

He looks at me thankfully and nods. Maybe we can be like this, I know friendship won't last though, my heart will one day break my walls down.... I know that, In between all these battles and happiness, pain and laughter, In between all the moments that I've known him, I fell in love with him....

When I finally hold my head up high, I see dark, ominous clouds forming in the distance of the sky... and I know that it has begun...