1: The New Red Room Assassin

Chapter 22

Ana's POV

I woke up to feel someone holding my hand, when my eyes opened I saw Natalia curled up on the chair next to me, her head resting on my bed and her hand in mine. No one else was around and I found myself smiling, she is safe.

I didn't move, or pull away. If Natalia needed to sleep, I was going to let her. And considering she was curled up in this medical room rather then her own, dressed in the same clothes as yesterday, my guess is she hasn't had a proper nights sleep.

Clearly I had been exhausted, the mission was in the afternoon a day ago. By the time I'd gotten back, woke up, and the doctors had done all the tests it was the next morning. Then Natalia came to speak to me, and I eventually went got tired and went to sleep in the early afternoon. Now it was the morning. Early morning. I could tell the lights creeping through the hospital blinds.

She jumped up when Dr Cho came into the room, taking my bloods and doing my glucose tests. I had been on IV drips since the medical jet. Constant fluid and glucose being pumped into me. She smiled softly at me, when she saw that I was also awake, and she knew I wasn't a fan of hosptial wards, she knew I wasn't the biggest fan of needles and things being injected into me.

"Morning kid" she said, her tone was gentle, but forced. Strained. I looked carefully at their face, something was off, but it was too dark in the room. I shuffled in the bed to press the side light button and the room was flooded with light. Not crazy white lights, but enough to notice when I turned back around to analyse Natalia's face that she had been crying.

I felt sick. Confused. Angry. The black widow crying? Surely the black widow would never cry? Yes I was weak, but Natalia she was the best of us? But then I was angry at whoever made her cry. I wanted to kill them. I had never felt this kind of rage before. It was different to my normal anger. It was like protective? But why would I feel protective of Natalia, I am supposed to kill her. I looked up at her to find that she was staring me, watching my mind work. When our eyes met she gave a small smirk, but I just shook my head.

"What's wrong?" She asked gently, shuffling her chair closer. I don't know why what happened next happened. But I reached out and touched her face, she looked taken aback, her eyes were hide and confused,

"You've been crying Natalia?" I said sadly, "are you okay?" I asked worried.

Nat's POV

She touched me? She touched my face because she saw I was sad? That was humanity. That was someone who cared. They were wrong, this moment alone proves that she is making amazing steps forward. I smiled at her, and took the hand on my face in mine and pulled it down, holding it tightly.

"I'm fine Ana, worried about you, but I'm fine" I said, but she just stared at me. She didn't believe me.

"You lied? And you must not be fine if someone can tell you're lying?" She said quietly, "did I get you in trouble?"

"No you didn't get me in trouble kid. I'm sorry I lied, that wasn't fair, I promised I wouldn't lie to you. Steve, Tony and Bruce just pissed me off which has made me upset, but we've been through worse. I just need some space from them all" I said, looking down at my hand in hers, not wanting her to read that there was something more going on. Not wanting her to read that the argument was about her.

"Even space from Steve?" She said confused, at this my face jumped up and matched the confusion on her face.

"Yes Steve is included in that 'I need space from you list', why does that surprise you?" I asked her, my eyebrows furrowed

"Come on Nat, I see how you guys look at each other. I mean I thought you both were a thing till Wanda told me otherwise. I mean if not a thing at least friends with benefits" She said smirking and a slight laugh left her lips, I rolled my eyes at her.