Project Baby Spider * Peter Romanoff

-13

8 February 2002
[part two]

****

     Natalia followed the man, holding Pyotr close to her chest; her son still hadn't stopped crying. The man took his bow from his back and an arrow out of quiver, preparing to shoot if needed. Luckily, the blast scared all the Red Room workers off — if it didn't harm or end them — so no one got in their way, and his arrows were not needed.

"I'm Clint Barton by the way. I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D," the man said, looking around the corner before walking again. Natalia, following closely behind, responded, "I'm Natalia. This is Pyotr." She looked down at her son for a second, and Clint looked back to examine the child in her arms. "How old is he?" he asked, turning back around. "He was born in August — the tenth to be exact. So, he's about five months." Clint only nodded his head in response.

To Natalia, it felt like they had been on the run for an hour, but in reality only ten minutes had passed. She was about to ask Clint if he knew where he was going, but he turned to her and said, "Your freedom is right ahead," with a smile. Natalia smiled too, noticing the double doors at the end of the dark hallway. The doors' windows let in the smallest amount of light in the dark hallway — basically making it the light at the end of the tunnel.

As the three approached the doors, Natalia could only wonder and worry. Where would they go? Will he help her? Why does she feel like she can trust him? Why is she trusting him? Natalia was not a truster, but here she is, seconds away from leaving the only life she knows with a man she just met. Natalia can't help it, but she just knows she can trust him; she can't explain this sensation. So, against her better judgment, Natalia walked out of the only building she ever knew, holding her son tight in her arms.

Clint, who had held the door open for her, came up behind her and said, "Follow me to the quinjet." Natalia stopped walking and held a firm stance and expression. "Before I go any further with you, I need answers," she stated, getting the older man's attention. He turned around and gestured for her to continue.

"Who are you and can I trust you?" Natalia asked, still holding her stance. Clint put his hand in his breast pocket — Natalia's stance stiffened — and pulled out a badge. "I am Clint Barton with S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers. S.H.I.E.L.D came here to the Red Room in hopes of stopping this facility, and we did. All the other girls are being taken cared of, and the workers, if not dead, are being questioned. I want to take you with me to the Avengers because I know who you are. You are the Black Widow," Clint explained, putting much emphasis on the. Natalia nodded her head in complete understanding; people want her and her skills . . . that's all they ever want. And why would S.H.I.E.L.D be any different? "What do you plan to do with Pyotr and I," she asked, glancing down at her child and back up at Clint. Clint walked back to where Natalia was standing and put a hand on her shoulder, looking down at Pyotr. "I want you two to come live with me and the Avengers in Avengers Tower." Natalia's firm expression changed to one of confusion. "You don't want me to make me another one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hostages that they only use when needed?" she asked. Clint shook his head, "Hell no. We aren't like that on the other side of the world. I want you to join the Avengers, and Pyotr will always have someone to take care of him or play with." Natalia looked down at her son, sure her mind was set. If she went with Clint, she wouldn't be running and Pyotr wouldn't only have her to depend on.

She nodded her head and let out a sigh. "Let's go." Clint nodded and he walked, leading her to his quinjet.

****

"And we are here." Clint said, pressing a few more buttons on the control panel of the quinjet. He turned to face Natalia, who was in the co-pilot's seat, and asked, "You good, Nat?" She opened her eyes at the nickname he had given her in the few hours they'd known each other. She nodded her head. "Yeah, just thinking. I have a question." Clint nodded for her to ask. "Call me Natasha from now on? This is a new chapter of my life, and it doesn't feel right to go by Natalia anymore. That name is the Red Room." "Of course," Clint told her. "Natasha." "Oh, and call him Peter. It's the english translation of his name. I don't want anyone to bully him for a hard to pronounce name in America." "Natasha and Peter. Wonderful," he said and smiled at her. She smiled again and climbed out of the co-pilot seat, careful not to hurt Peter.

Clint followed after her and when they got to the side door of the quinjet, she waited before him. Awaiting their immediate arrival was (almost) every Avenger: Iron Man, Captain America, Falcon, Bruce Banner, War Machine, and . . . the Winter Soldier was there.

Natasha locked eyes with him, and he was happy to do the same. Clint was probably introducing her, but she wasn't listening. She couldn't. All her attention was focused on one man: the man who changed her life.

Clint must have really wanted her attention because he shoved her shoulder, which resulted in her giving him a glare. "Woah calm down there," Clint said, "I'm just trying to introduce you to your new family."

Family. That wasn't a word Natasha had every thought to use before. It was always just Red Room.

Natasha shook away all her thoughts and looked at the rest of the people in front of her. "Who is she?" Tony Stark asked. "She is Natasha Romanoff," she said, glaring at the older man. Tony took a step back, clearly intimidated by the woman. Next to speak was Steve Rogers, who just so happened to be standing by the Winter Solider, "Who are you holding?" he asked, trying not to sound as blunt as Tony was. Natasha moved some of the blanket she had on found on the quinjet to swaddle Peter in from his face and moved him to be in view of everyone. "This is my son Peter," she said, avoiding one man's eyes, but looking around at everyone else's to see their reactions.

They were all clearly shocked — except him. "You have a kid? You look too young," Tony said, being blunt again. Natasha rolled her eyes, "I'm 18, but I'm not too young. Even if I was older it's not as though I was given much of a choice," she said, still refusing to look at the man who caused her nine long months of suffering, longing, loneliness, and weakness.

The Winter Soldier had been watching his feet, and when Natasha let news slip that she didn't want what happened to her to have originally happened, he turned to walk off the platform.

That day was one of the days HYDRA turned on Winter, but Bucky was still conscious. HYDRA sent him to the Red Room and on the way he was debriefed on his assignment. He dreaded it from the beginning, and when it happened, he felt guilty, even shameful. He never wanted to do it, but Winter was working. Bucky had hoped that he failed his mission that day. Steve had saved him before they would've possibly needed him for round two.

And here she was, holding their son. Peter was living proof that the Winter Soldier did not fail his mission; he never did.

****

EDITED/REWRITTEN
bucky is the dad!

-Nat