In Their Hands ✧･ BARNES ✔

twenty four

   The blonde looked like a nervous wreck. She had curled herself into a small ball next to one of the trash cans in the alley. She was shaking and whimpering with her body covered in burns and cuts and bruises. Her hair was matted with water and maybe blood from the red tint that was visible from where they stood. Clint thought that maybe her hair dye was wearing off, but he realized that it was actually blood. Her hair was never that dark of a red.

   He took a moment to really take in what he was seeing. He looked at the way that she rocked back and forth beside the cans. It told him all that he needed to know. She had caused the fire. The way she whimpered into her arm helplessly broke his heart because he had never seen her so vulnerable. He knew she didn't do it on purpose. 

   "Mama," Zola whispers, ready to run into her arms. Clint's eyes filled with concern and he grasped Zola's arm before she could get away. She looked up at him in confusion. She wondered why he had stopped her after all of this time that they had spent searching for her.

   "We need to get Mama out of here first," Clint tells her in a whisper. He was getting better at controlling his tone. "We have to be careful with her. She's scared." He explains further to the younger girl. Zola's stare of confusion melted into one of understanding. If anyone knew what it was like to be afraid, it was Zola. She wanted to help her mom, but she understood that they had to leave the alley.

   Clint took a step closer toward Natasha and waved for Zola to come with him slowly. He kneelled beside her and gently put a hand out to touch her shoulder comfortingly. 

   "Hey, Nat, it's okay," he whispers, "we're going to get you out of here." He assures, beginning to lift her into his arms. Natasha didn't respond to him at all, and only continued to whimper into her burned, stinging arms. When the burns and the tears made contact, it stung so badly. However, she never showed it.

   He felt terrible for her. He hated seeing her in so much pain. He hated seeing her in so much agony mentally and physically. Zola was concerned for her mother. She didn't believe that her mom caused the fire, she believed that her mom had seen it and must have had a traumatizing flashback about it.

   She watched sadly as Clint lifted Zola's broken mother into his arms before he scanned the alley and began to exit. It was weird doing all of it without the ability to hear. She tried to stay beside Clint as he looked for a place for them to stay. He didn't know where he was going to take them, but he was going to figure it out. That was his job as a protector and a father.

   "Mommy, it's okay. It's going to be okay. Daddy and me will help you get better, don't stay scared." Zola tried her best to comfort her just as Natasha had always done. She tried to reach up and rub her mom's shoulder, but she was too short, and Clint was walking kind of fast. 

   Clint looked down at Zola and smiled softly. He also had to look down in order to read her lips. She was such a sweet girl. He wouldn't correct her English at the moment because it wasn't the most important thing to do right now. She was doing her best to comfort her mom. Whether her English was good or bad, she had great intentions. That was something that Clint loved about the little girl. Also, when she didn't say things right, it was kind of cute.

   Somehow, Clint had managed to sneak Zola and Natasha into a hotel building. He just needed some time to help Natasha relax, as well as help Zola get some rest. She was such a young girl and she was seeing so many vile things nonstop, he wanted her to relax for just a bit.

   He lied Natasha's body gently against the floor. He had her lay there while he searched for a towel or paper. Natasha's face was crumpled up in an expression that clearly showed how much pain she was in mentally and physically. She was still whimpering, hoping to keep her cries hidden just a bit. She didn't want to seem weak in front of her daughter, whom she wanted to raise to be strong and independent(which seemed quite impossible due to the way that she was so attached to Clint).