Forgotten Ghost | Natasha Romanoff

Alternative Ending: 1.7

Katya slowly opened her eyes. Almost afraid to do so. What would she see? She never wondered about any afterlife or what it would look like. Didn't know if she truly believed in it either. At least until now. Because she knew she had died, so this must be a continuation of something.  

She felt safe, warm, and like she was in a vacuum of silence. Her eyes had to get used to the bright light shining in her face. She also realized she wasn't lying on the ground anymore, but instead standing on her own two feet. Not moving, but standing calmly, her hands by her side. 

She could stand, that was a miracle in the first place. The fall must have broken every last bone in her body. But she felt fine and her head was clear, light. Not the kind of light she always read about, like she was careless and free. But more like she was clear minded.

She tried turning around, looking around, but she couldn't move. Maybe she wasn't there yet. 

A faint sound reached her ears. It sounded like a low hiss, like a door slid open or closed. Wait, did something move in front of her? She swore something moved beyond the light, a dark shadow standing in front of it.

Katya tried reaching her hand out, but she still couldn't move. She felt a strange need to get to the shadow, like it would bring her comfort.

The outlines of the shadow got sharper and sharper and Katya could make out a person. Short hair, cut off by the jaw, probably a woman. Why was someone here with her? 

She desperately looked for clues, begging her eyes to adjust to the light so she could make out the person's features. That took an awfully long time, the person not moving the entire time, like they stared at her, waited for something. But Katya didn't feel scared, she was curious.

Then something flickered on the person's face, their eyes catching some of the light. Katya's heart stopped. She'd recognize that color anywhere.

The fog cleared, the light softening until she could see every line, every dimple and every strand of hair very clearly. No doubt this was her, but was any of this real?

''Natasha?'' The last barrier between them fell away and Katya knew they could touch now. But her brain had a hard time understanding all of it. Maybe this was a vision she had in her head, where she had died and heaven blessed her with this. Because how else could Natasha stand in front of her with her shining green eyes, so happy to see Katya again?

Katya died, she was sure of that. 

''Hi,'' Natasha smiled, beamed really, a huge smile spreading on her face. Her chin-length hair was not blonde like the last time Katya had seen it, but bright red like it was supposed to be. That didn't feel right. What the hell was going on?

Katya didn't care though. She didn't care what was happening. She had her fiancée back.

Tears jumped into her eyes and Katya launched herself forward, almost stumbling when she missed the step down. She threw her arms around Natasha's neck and sobbed into her shirt. Her familiar smell traveling up her nose. This was Natasha alright, and she felt so real, so warm like she always was. 

''It worked?'' Katya choked out, hanging onto her fiancée like she was her lifeline, because that's exactly what she was. Five long years had passed, but here she was, in her arms.

Natasha held her tight, smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. Damn, she had missed Katya. ''It did. Took three years though, the words were deeply embedded in your system.''

Katya stiffened, all happiness making place for immense confusion. Why would Natasha say that? Words? Three years? She pulled back from the hug, her blue eyes snapping to the green ones. ''Wait, words? What are you talking about?''