Ch. 4

Bucky didn't know what to do, there was something about this girl that excited him, but also terrified him. She was so familiar to him but he didn't know how. Like a dream, instead of the nightmares he was used to.

He was tired and didn't feel like talking so he sat in the carrier room instead of in the pilot's cabin with Natasha.

He focused on her red hair and that dream he couldn't quite remember, so he shut his eyes and quickly drifted off.

Natasha got the jet up into the air and frowned while looking out of the clear expanse of endless blue and found herself upset. She usually loved flying but today it didn't feel as fulfilling.

She set the gps to the coordinates Fury gave her and when they were somewhere over the ocean she put the jet on the autopilot. She took the headset off, stretched and told Friday to alert her if anything happened.

She opened the door ready to give Barnes hell about ignoring her and acting strange, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him asleep in his seat, head resting against the seatbelt.

Her heart softened at the sight of this great, scary ex-assassin with a metal arm muttering in his sleep.

She grabbed a blanket and shook it out, and placed it over the sleeping man. She took a good look at his face, he was just as attractive as she remembered. All those years and he still looked the same. She was ready to leave when she heard a name she could never forget.

"Natalia"

She wasn't ever sure she heard it until she got closer.

"Natalia... Talia no. Natalia. Don't hurt her"

Her heart stopped.

He couldn't remember that over everything else they had shared. She had endured a lot but that is her most painful memory that she could never fully bury. But that was the point wasn't it?

Her shock turned to panic when he started to move and shout in his sleep.

"Don't. Not again! I won't forget, not again" he sounded in so much pain, she couldn't stand it.

She sat next to him, her hand on his shoulder,

"James, it's alright. It's just a dream. It's me" she said soothingly while rubbing her hand on his shoulder and back while he shook.

His head snapped up and his metal hand shot out and gripped her throat. He stood above her, looking down at her, pushing her head into the wall.

She gasped as he cut off her air. Her hands wrapped around his wrist, trying to push him away.

He had a look in his eyes that she couldn't read, they clouded like he couldn't see her.

"J-James" she gasped out

He shook his head but his hand stayed at her throat.

She found breathing harder, her kicks and hits were getting softer and she felt herself getting weaker.

"James, it's Natalia" she breathed.

She saw his eyes clear as he looked at her in shock. His eyes flittered from hers to his hand still wrapped around her throat. He immediately let go.

"Oh, Natalia. I've got you" he whispered into her hair as he caught her slumped over form.

She coughed and as soon as she caught her breath she sat up straight facing him, her hand on her aching neck.

"Do you remember?" She asked hoarsely.

He nodded his head, "the memories have been coming back for a while now. But I wasn't sure it was you until just now".

She sat back and looked at him, as if saying to continue.

"I've had many dreams and memories about a red headed ballerina named Natalia but I could never see her face. She always only dancing".

She nodded and stood up,

"Well, this plane can fly itself but I can do it better" She said confidently with a forced grin before she disappeared into the pilots cabin.

He fell back into his seat, his hand over his face. He felt so stupid. Why couldn't he tell her the truth? That he remembered more than must a ballerina named Natalia. He remember her resilient nature, how out of all the widows she was the only one who ever came close to beating him. How she was the only one who really understood him and how she would sneak into his room in the night and how Hydra had punished them. He should just tell her the truth, but he couldn't. What if she didn't feel the same?

Natasha closed the door behind her. She couldn't take it any longer. He didn't remember her. She felt a single tear slide down her face. She wiped it away with a look of disgust. She couldn't remember the last time she cried. She could never afford tears, things are sad and you move on, you don't cry, she never had the time.

She brushed her tears away and put the headset back on. She saw there was a message from Fury.

"Romanoff, I have a team of shield agents in a jet circling Russia just in case you need backup" Fury's voice crackled into her ears.

She didn't see it necessary but it wasn't her call.

She looked at the gps, three more hours to Russia.

She groaned and decided to take a nap.

"Ms. Romanoff, we are entering your homeland" Friday's voice interrupted her dreamless sleep.

"Thanks Friday" she responded sleepily, she rubbed her eyes and pushed the blanket off her, she didn't remember putting one on.

She already had her catsuit on so she headed to the weapons room and went right to her locker. She filled her artillery belt with two hand guns and put her widow bites on her wrists. She was searching for her favorite big gun that she used.

Where was it? It should be there. She only used it for special missions. She was looking in other lockers. She went right to Sam's he always commented on how pretty it was. She was going to kill him. But it wasn't there.

She heard a knock and saw James holding her gun. She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her hand.

"Sorry I borrowed it, when Steve and I took the jet." He said looking fondly at the gun with her name etched into it as if it held a nice memory.

"Oh sorry. Here you can have it back" he said trying to hand the gun back to her.

She took a step back,

He was wearing his suit now, his metal arm shining in the sunlight and it felt strange looking at his arm without the red star that kept her up at night. It was a change but a good one.

"Keep it" She said grabbing a third, smaller gun and strapping it to her thigh, "I'll use this one" she finished and left the weapons room.

He took one last look at the gun before strapping it to his back. He laughed at the thought of her cursing and rummaging through Wilson's things.

"We are landing in two minutes, Barnes. So strap in" Natalia called from the cabin.

He did as he was told and prepared for a shaky landing. He remembered that landing wasn't her best skill set, but he'd never tell her that.

After a bumpy landing, they exited the jet and immediately started toward the compound in the middle of nowhere.

Natasha looked at the scanner and saw a few guards in the main lobby but the majority of the fight would be in the middle of the compound where the most people were.

"We'll take out the guards in the lobby first and then we'll advance from there" she told him. He only nodded and followed her, keeping low to the ground, out of sight.

She kicked open the door and ran straight for the first guard, it was an easy fight, an accurately placed punch to the side of his head and he was out. She was kicking another guard while James shot another.

More guards kept flooding in, it seemed like the majority of the guards were in the middle of the building.

Once they had taken care of all the guards they started toward the middle of the compound, guns raised, eyes open waiting for an attack. But one never came.

All the rooms were empty, except one that was just like Natasha remembered. It was a long and wide room with 28 beds with handcuffs hanging from each of the bedposts. It was empty as well so she quickly moved on.

She remembered the floor plan and over the comms so told James to meet her at the back of the building.

She met him at the back and they found the door to the basement.

They ran down the stairs and her scan showed three people.

Two girls were fighting in the middle of a ring, bodies were laying around them. Natasha knee better than anyone what was going on.

" закончи это" (Finish it) a voice called.

They kept to the shadows, Natasha hated to just sit and watch but she knew there was nothing she could do, their mission was to take down the entire base and the leader.

The girl with dark hair was badly bleeding and bruised, she was limping on her left leg and the other girl with curly blonde hair was not much better, she was bleeding from her face and arms. They couldn't have been more than 13 years old, the graduation ceremony shouldn't be for a few more years, Natasha didn't understand what was going on.

The blonde girl placed an expert kick to the other girl's left, obviously injured leg, the snap was deafening. She let out a scream as she fell, trying desperately to get back up but the blonde kicked her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her.

The blonde girl wrapped her arm around her opponents neck,

"извините, я надеюсь, что следующая жизнь буде добре для нас" (I'm sorry, I hope the next life will be kinder to us) she said before giving one final pull. With a snap the dark haired girl fell and blonde fell next to her, sobbing.

The Widow and the Soldier watched as the girl sobbed over the unmoving body. They were about to move in when clapping was heard from the shadows.

"отлично, Екатерина" (excellent, Ekaterina)

Natasha's blood froze. She knew that voice, it haunted her, even to this day.

Madame B appeared out of the shadows, and like something out of her nightmares.

Natasha looked next to her. James looked like he seen a ghost too.

She stood over the girl, now silent, she knew better than to cry in front of Madame B. With her arms neatly behind her back, she shook her head,

"сейчас, сейчас не плачь. у нас гости " (Now, now don't cry. We have guests).

Natasha and James looked at each other. No she couldn't know.

"публично заявить, (come on) Natalia, Soldat",  she looked impatiently towards the shadows where they were hiding.

Natasha was the first to move and she heard James follow behind her where he whispered,

"We have to take her out. At whatever cost"

"I know but do not harm the girl" she whispered back. She heard him grumble but remained silent.

They stood in the light facing Madame B and the now standing girl, eyes rimmed red from crying.

Natasha tilted her head to the side confidently,
"You know why we are here don't you".

Madame B didn't look surprised,
"I know why but do you? What about you Soldier? Do you remember?" She said turning to address James.

Natasha turned to look at James, who was staring at the ground, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Soldier" Madame B continued, "what do you remember?"

"Everything" He said staring at Natasha.

She didn't know what to say. He told her he only remembered her name and her being a ballerina.

The older woman smiled, "You didn't know, little widow. Did you?"

"не мадам я не знал" (no Madame I did not know).
She answered.

She grinned, "are you ready to come back, Soldier?" her eyes never leaving his.

Bucky stood completely still, Natasha stared at him not knowing what's going through his head.

"Never again" he said taking a step forward.

"Shame" the older woman said, "you'll change your mind".

He looked at her confused, raising his gun up.

"Longing"

He looked panicked, unable to move.

"Rusted"

"Daybreak"

He lowered his gun and took a step forward her, away from Natasha.

"Furnace"

A shot sounded and Madame B fell to the ground with a hole in her forehead.

"Never again" Natasha said from behind him, strapping her gun back to her waist.

She moved in front of him, "James?"

He met her eyes and pulled her into a hug. She held him for a few minutes before she heard rustling.

The girl was starting to move around but she didn't run.

"We have to help her" Natasha said

"That is not the mission, Natalia"

"I know but what if she was me? Could you kill me?" She said earnestly.

"T-that's different. I-"

"We are helping her" she said before walking over to her.

The girl backed up when Natasha came toward her.

She held out her hands, in a surrender position,

"ты в безопасности, мы не причиним тебе вреда"
(You are safe. We won't hurt you) she said soothingly to girl.

She backed into the corner like a caged animal, her young face twisted into a snarl.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked the girl.

The girl shook her head, "no"

Natasha was surprised she spoke English but continued anyway,

"My name is Natalia Alianova. I was the last of 28. The Black Widow" the girl's eyes widened in recognition.

"Ah so you know me but I do not know you. What is your name?" She asked holding out her hand.

"Ekaterina" She said m, taking the outstretched hand.

"Hello Ekaterina. Would you like to come to New York with us?"

The young girl nodded.

Ahhhh! We finally got to the main point! Ekaterina has been introduced (I'm going to probably call her Kate or Rina I don't know yet) and I am so excited! Fun fact: my name was almost Ekaterina but they decided against. I've always loved the name it translates roughly to innocent, which is so cute!
Xo, Renee