Love Grown Cold

But I Just Found You...

A few months later, in a bar somewhere in Budapest

Natasha still couldn't believe it. A few months ago, her life had been perfect. She had found James and they had formulated a plan to break out of HYDRA's grasp. If only they had put it into play a day earlier, none of this would've happened.
*
The plan
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Natasha asked skeptically as they continued sewing.

James smiled and shrugged. "I think faking our deaths is about the only way we're ever going to be free."

"I just don't think it's going to work."

"It will." He kissed her forehead. Of course, that was the moment the four HYDRA agents chose to break in the door.

They reacted immediately, knowing that there was no good reason to break in a door. They shot them quickly, not really worrying to aim to disarm. Then they climbed out the window and headed down the street.

"Do you think they found out?" James asked as they headed into an alleyway to hide for a moment.

"I don't know." Natasha admitted, making sure that her gun was fully loaded.

"Nat," James said, his voice tinged with regret. "If we're even going to have a shot at surviving, we need to split up." Natasha immediately began to protest, but James put a finger to her lips. "It'll be fine. Just get out of the city and don't look back."

"You're not planning on coming are you?" Natasha asked, tears filling her eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. "Someone has to draw their fire. And I promise that no matter what happens, I'll find you."

"What if they...kill you?" Natasha choked out, keeping her face in his chest.

"They won't." He said confidently.

"But..." Natasha's protest was cut off by him pressing his lips against hers in a final goodbye.

"No matter what, I'm with you till the end of the line." And then he was gone. She heard shots as he ran out, giving her the chance to get away. And she took it, though it broke her heart as she ran the opposite direction. But she had never been one to give up and had soon tracked where they had taken James.

And what she found there was the key to her undoing.

Natasha had managed to sneak into the facility unnoticed and had made her way to the room where they were keeping James. Only to find him almost completely submerged in cryosleep.

"James!" She screamed, running over and putting her face close to the window of the container he was in.

"Natasha!" He cried, putting a hand up against the window as well. "Don't stay, they'll catch you!"

Natasha was sobbing by now, knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do.

"I love you!" He called out.

"I love you too!" She said in between sobs.

"No matter what, I will find you." He told her as he began to lose consciousness.

"I'll find you too." She told him. He smiled briefly before his eyes closed and he lost consciousness.

Natasha screamed. She didn't care who heard her or what happened to her. The last part of her childhood, the man she had loved since she was eight, was gone and she didn't think she could ever fix that.
*
Later, she vaguely remembered shooting her way out of the facility, but it was really foggy. And now here she was in a bar, waiting for the verdict on her life.