Eternity

Chapter 7: System overide

**This is....yeah it's a mess. But I honestly cannot think how to link this up yet. So for now it'll do.**

"Shut up!" Maria exclaimed when Natasha dropped herself into the passenger side of the large SUV she was being picked up in. She laughed slightly in confusion as she pulled the door closed and looked up at her friend as she continued.

"Barnes put half the diamonds in the world on your finger!" She took Natasha's hand, holding it up to admire the gem in the light and let out a low whistle.

Natasha smirked as she finally got her hand back, admiring the ring herself slightly. "I'm glad you approve," she replied as the car pulled off and Marie smiled.

"Of course, he's a decent guy, not bad to look at and clearly knows how to pick jewellery." She shrugged. "Triple threat, really."

"In many ways." Natasha shrugged, "Have you also got a gift for me?"

"Backseat," Maria motioned with her head to the small black briefcase. "It should have everything you need, except a Vera Wang wedding dress or flower samples..."

As she continued to rhyme off wedding parafanalia, Natasha rolled her eyes and opened the case to examine her devices, inbuilt microphone into her earpiece, lipstick tracer, emergency GLOCK concealed on her person. She opened the lipstick, looking in the handheld matching mirror, also a hidden widow bite, as she applied it to her lips.

"I'll be a bridesmaid, right?" Maria asked, easily slipping through New York traffic.

"You'll have to fight Clint for head role," she teased. Pressing  the earpiece in her ear and hearing Maria's laugh both in person and via the equipment.

"Wouldn't be the first time he's been in a dress." She smirked, pulling up a few blocks down from the exquisite hotel that was her meeting point. "You got everything you need? I'll be in the alley way, team on standby if needed."

Natasha nodded. "Thanks, I'll let you know if I need you. Always good to have an escape route on a date." She rolled her eyes as she got out of the car, heels clicking on the dark sidewalk as she made her way along to the grand hotel.

***

"I'm surprised you agreed to meet me here," Alexi smiled on greeting as he entered the hotel bar, approaching where she was sat on a stool, stirring her drink with a small toothpick that was spearing a rounded green olive.

"I figured it might be worth my while," she replied as she stood, kissing both his cheeks in greeting as he did to her. She gave a quick glance that the almost invisible sheen of her lipstick has stuck to his cheek, making him traceable for the next 72 hours incase he was up to anything that would concern SHIELD.

"Straight to business," He have a chuckle, sitting at the stool beside her and ordering a martini, the same as she was drinking.

"You're a busy man, I suspect you don't want to stay up too late if you have early morning duties." She sipped from her glass before placing it back on the napkin.

"I have been granted a night off, for the first in a long time." He shrugged, taking his drink with a nod to the bartender. "My associates have my work covered for now."

"Confirmed. Ukrainian minister of defends being protected on 15th floor." Maria murmured to her, confirming his story. "Viewing the security cameras now, you're good. No one lurking around yet."