She was rushing, she was yelling at people louder than she ever had before, if her jet could go faster it would have. Natasha was down, shot. She was 10 minutes out, Hill has never, in her line of work, felt so useless. She should have demanded back up being sent out with the spy, but Natasha insisted it wasn't necessary, that idiot.

"You better not die on me," Hill hissed into the comm, Natasha was still conscious but if she could tell from her voice, she knew that it wouldn't be for much longer. 10 minutes.

"Careful Hill, someone might think you care about little old me." She playfully let out, Maria could hear the hiss of pain coming from the spy as she shifted her position.

"Will you stay the fuck still Romanoff?" Hill demanded. Maria was already replaying the entire opt-in in her brain, there was never a single sign of this opt going south, where has she gone so wrong?

Nick was one comms as well, practically breathing down her neck about hurrying up. Natasha was his best agent, she couldn't let her die. Maria cared for the young agent, she's been in the agency for nearly five years, and she somehow managed to slide her way into the heart of the ice-cold commander. They've been friends for nearly a year, dating for the last five months, only Clint and Phil knew, but somehow Maria was sure Nick knew as well.

"Hey hill," Natasha said. "Private comms?" She asked. Maria raised her hands and tapped on her comm switching them both to a private channel, stopping Nick from yelling in her ear.

"Okay." She said, swallowing the fear away, trying to cover it up with her deputy director's exposure.

"You gotta feed Liho, but not too much, I don't want him getting fat."
"You spoil that cat," Maria said, shaking her head in fake annoyance. "But it doesn't matter cause you aren't gonna die." 9 Minutes.

"Maria." She could imagine the smaller woman shaking her head like she didn't believe her. "If."

"No." Maria didn't want to hear it.

"Maria, if I die. You can't blame yourself."

"No. You can't do that. I should have been there for you and I can't even get there in time. If you die. That's on me. But you aren't gonna die. Because I am going to get there." She was blaming herself, of course, she was, how could she not?

"You get in your head too much Masha,"

"I am deputy director Nat, I have to think all of this stuff through and so far I have been horrible at it. How's the wound?"

"Burning like a thousand suns," Natasha answered. "I just...I need to rest my eyes for a little bit."

"Don't you dare, I will not allow it," She hissed. "Goddammit go faster!" She yelled at the poor agent who was taking them to Natasha. 8 minutes.

"Don't be rude now Masha," Natasha's voice was getting tired. "Should've seen him....rookie move." She talked slowly about the man who shot her, she should have seen him. It was so unlike her not to see the man. 

"You are no rookie Nat," Maria pointed out. "You will not die on a rookie-level mission." Natasha actually laughed at Maria's words. She laughed. That was a good sign, right? She forced herself to believe that, even if it was the softest laugh she'd ever heard.

"You got to make it Nat. You promised to go out to dinner next week. Remember? I don't take you for someone who doesn't go through with their promises."

"You flake... Every time." Natasha's horsed answer. Her breaths were shallowing in Maria's ear. 7 minutes.

"Not this time Nat." She promised. Oh, she should have made it last week, but Hand was being an asshole, asking her to stay for drinks. Maria was just trying to be a good friend, and Natasha encouraged her. Damn it, if she skipped out on what could have been their last date night she'll never forgive herself.

"Believe... when I see it." 6 minutes. Natasha's eyes were getting heavy as the time slowly went by around her, she was at the top of this run-down building, the sun shining down on her in the most painful way. She took a deep breath, at least the air was good up here. She could feel the wind around her face, around the gunshot that was right above her heart. Her arm which was applying pressure was getting tired. She could let go for a second right? 5 minutes.

She could hear Maria's voice in her ear, even if she was yelling it was still one of Natasha's favorite things in the world. Natasha couldn't believe how sappy she was getting, how death was making her soft. The red room would be so disappointed. Fuck those guys. Fuck Ivan. Fuck Dreykov. Fuck Madam B. Fuck Alexei. Fuck Melina- no she actually liked Melina. Too bad she's dead.

"Yelena." She said out loud. She didn't know why her thoughts of the long-lost sister were coming back up, but she couldn't help but think of the blonde for a moment. How Natasha hoped she got out when she took out Dreykov, Natasha looked for months but came up empty-handed. Which either meant she was lost, or she was dead. Guess she'll find out soon. 

"Babe, I need you to breathe," Maria said over comm, we are 3 minutes out okay? "You are not allowed to die, do you hear me? That is a direct order." 

"A direct order?" Natasha laughed. "who am I to ..." A cough interrupted her joke. Damn, she hated the taste of blood. 

"Natasha I swear to god!" Maria practically begged at this point, she hated begging, it was one of the things she hated most. No. "Natasha status?" She tried slipping her commander's face back on because that was the only way she could keep herself together. 2 Minutes. "Agent Romanoff respond." 

The only that Maria could hear was the sound of her heart beating, she could barely process the noises around her. The many agents preparing for a ground strike. She couldn't even process the agents directing her to the hatch. "Nat please," she practically begged. She took a deep breath when she didn't respond. 1 Minute. 

Maria kept her comm in as she loaded her gun. Whoever dared shoot Agent Romanoff, Natasha was gonna pay for what they did. Maria was surprised that her hand wasn't shaking because she was so angry. Scared. 50 seconds. 

Maria's mind raced back through the last few months, the time she's gone back to her apartment to see the redhead who broke into her apartment sitting ready with take-out dinner. 40 seconds. She doesn't want small days like that to end! It can't end when there was still so many firsts between them. 

"Nat you better stay with me," Maria said walking to the end of the platform. She was just waiting on the platform to open as they landed on the roof where her girlfriend was bleeding out. 30 seconds. Natasha's breathing in her ear was shallow. Maria could barely hear it. "HURRY UP!" Maria screamed. She had enough of this, she pressed the ramp to open. The Wind immediately hit her face. 20 seconds be damned. She jumped out of the plane before it could land and started running, her agents behind her. 

Maria immediately spotted Natasha, leaning up against the staircase. Her eyes closed, and her left arm had fallen from where it had been holding her wound. Maria immediately slid down beside her, gently moving her to lie down. The medical team began applying pressure to the wound and going through the damage. 

"Agent Romanoff," She said, she was way too close to agents to reveal the name. The nickname, she'd much prefer to call the spy. Agents all around them were shooting down their agents, their opponents. Maria's vision became a total blur. All she could recall was her hand becoming soaked with the blood of the spy, and then she was in the Sheild issued hospital.  Barely remembering the flight over, instead choosing to watch the woman she loved on the table as medical agents tried saving her. 

"You look like shit," Maria could barely process the words of Victoria Hand. "Why don't you clean up?" 

"No." Maria shook her head. "I should be here, it was my opt." 

"Listen Hill, you didn't hear this from me, but Fury is on his way over here," Victoria said sliding into the chair beside her. "You know I am all here for you and Romanoff, you're cute." Maria looks over at her, her eyes are wide. "Oh please, it's obvious, and the fact that you are here makes it even more obvious. But I know that Romanoff and you happen to be Nick's favorites, so I am not sure how well he'd take his two favorites dating." 

"I don't really know how it happened," Maria admitted. "It just feels...natural." 

"You know when Isabelle started dating it became very apparent that things were just easier with her." Victoria said, "In our line of work it's hard to feel so content. So when Nick eventually figures it out, do not let it go, because it makes sense." 

"I can handle little old Nick Fury," She joked, allowing herself to smile. Maria looked over at the door and saw Nick standing there, and there she was still covered in blood. 

"Hill," He addressed with a nod. "Coulson went to go get an update." Maria was waiting for him to say something. "Are you okay," Victoria's head snapped up at that, where was that treatment when he found out about her and Isabelle? No, she and Isabelle got an hour-long talk about how if it affects their job he's leaving them out to die. To which she was only 69% sure he was joking. 

"I'm fine sir," She said. She was lying of course. How could she be fine? But whatever she could say to make sure he leaves her alone for one god damn minute. She needs to breathe. Victoria seemed to understand and stood pushing Nick out of the room as well. 

"You and I can talk about how you gave me and Hartly an hour-long talk and Hill got a pat on the back," Victoria's voice lowered as they walked further and further away from the room. Maria, if she had the energy, would have smirked but it was hard. 

"Maybe because Nat and I don't walk around flirting," She attempted to make a joke. 

"Okay wait, no that was one time and we didn't know you were in the room," Hand defended herself. With Natasha's life on the line in the other room, it was hard to have any energy. "She'll be fine Maria, if I know Agent Romanoff she is too god damn stubborn to die on this mission." 

"I really hope you're right, or else I don't know what I am going to do." Victoria put a gentle, comforting hand on her knee and just sat with Maria, it was the least she could do for the deputy director. 

As the night went on, Clint came by, sitting across Maria and Victoria, his leg bouncing up in down. Nick and Phil came by every once in and while quietly checking in. Clint watched Maria carefully. Despite what she thought, Barton really cared about Maria, how could he not? She was important to Natasha, which means she was important to him. 

"You know she would be so annoyed with all of us if she knew we were all waiting around worrying over her," Clint said lifting the silence. 

"She'd make fun of us," Maria said with a small sad smile. "Say we are wasting our time." 

"Do you guys remember, when she switched all of the clothes in Nick's closet for Jedi robes after Maria made her watch Star Wars," Victoria said, recalling the meeting where Nick walked in pissed. 

"Oh my god, that was a good day," Clint huffed. "God he stared me down and I didn't even do it!" 

"To be fair it did seem like something you would do," Maria said. 

"It's all your fault, I wouldn't have had to go through that if you didn't make her watch Star Wars," Clint said, teasing Maria as he recalled when Natasha became obsessed with that movie after the pairs movie night, this was before the two had admitted their feelings for one another, the start of the friendship. 

"How was I supposed to know that she'd latch on to it so well? Especially the prequels of all things." Maria was an original fan herself, but Natasha liked the prequels. Clint was a fan of neither. 

"You two are such nerds," Clint said with a smile. "When she gets out, I just know she'll be watching those stupid movies until she is released from bed rest." 

"Bold of you to assume Romanoff will stay on bed rest," Victoria said. Normally if it had been any other agent she would have left, but she liked to think that she and Romanoff were friends. She was obviously great friends with Maria, they had each other's backs. And Natasha was close to Isabelle, who was out on assignment still, so she was glad to be here for the spy when Isabelle couldn't. She hoped her presence was welcomed. 

"For Agent Romanoff," A doctor spoke up causing Maria to quickly walk over to her. 

"Is she okay?" Was the first thing to come out of Maria's mouth. It was hard to keep her composure when Natasha was at risk. 

"Agent Romanoff is going to be fine, she'll make a full recovery." The doctor said, "If it had been twenty more seconds without getting pressure on that wound she would have been dead."  10 minutes. 20 Seconds. Maria felt a breath of relief. "She's still recovering was anesthesia, I'd suggest one visitor at a time." 

"Go," Clint said before Maria had a chance to look at him. As much as Clint wanted to see his best friend he had a feeling Maria needed to see her with her own eyes to finally relax. Maria practically let the worry drain from her body when she laid eyes on the red her. her eyes were barely open, but that didn't stop the smile that formed on her face seeing Maria in her doorway. 

"Hey," She smiled. 

"Hey," Maria mimicked. "How are you feeling?" 

"Like I've been hit by a bus." 

"You look pretty good if it makes you feel better," Maria said. 

"I always look good," Natasha smiled. "Why are you doing that thing," Her voice was still low and rusty. 

"What thing?" 

"Your face looks relieved, eyes are sad." Natasha filled in. Maria could have easily dodged the question, knocked the urge to just being tired but she knew that wasn't how they wanted their relationship to work. 

"I thought I lost you Nat, and if I did lose you, it would have been my fault," 

"How-" 

"It was my opt. I was in charge, and I sent you in without backup. Damit Nat the doctors said it themselves, if I had just been twenty seconds longer I would have lost you." Maria looked up in frustration. Natasha was at a loss for words, she knew Maria and she knew that no matter what she said nothing will calm the storm in her heart. So instead she just reached out to the taller woman. Maria looked at her hand with a raised eyebrow. "You're hurt." 

"Come here," 

"When did you become so bossy," But despite her words, Natasha walked forward begrudgingly. Natasha pulled the woman onto the small hospital bed. Maria settled into her girlfriend's arm, making sure to keep away from her injury. 

"I am okay Masha," Natasha whispered. "I am not leaving you alone just yet," Maria huffed at that, just enjoying the warmth of her girlfriend. She could never imagine herself being this...soft with anyone else. She could only be like this with her. "Go to sleep." 

"I have work." Natasha didn't respond to that as Maria took herself closer to the redhead. "Just for ten minutes." 

"Ten minutes." She confirmed. Natasha was alive, Maria was here, 10 minutes wouldn't be enough but at that moment Maria couldn't have asked for more.