the unraveling of natasha romanoff

clint's farm

Yelena's barely comprehending anything as they approach the Bartons' home. Kate's humming along with the song playing on the radio, which scratches every once in a while with the bad connection. They're in the middle of nowhere and Yelena's lucky that she trusts Kate because this feels like the beginning of a bad horror movie that Kate forced her to watch.

Of course, Kate wouldn't be able to kill her, she's Yelena Belova for fuck's sake, but the vibe is still there and it's gross.

Kate finally pulls the car to a stop, smiling when she sees Clint at the door and a girl next to him. His hands are on her shoulders as if he's holding her back, even though the girl looks to be a teenager and in complete control of herself.

"That's Clint's daughter, Lila," Kate points out as she turns the car off, "She was really close with Natasha, once you get in there and see the photos you'll see it."

Yelena's stomach twists (something she's not used to and definitely not okay with, by the way), suddenly wondering if this was a good idea. She's basically going to visit Natasha's ghost, and she doesn't think that among all of the shit she was taught in the Red Room that they ever prepared her for this .

(She's sure that this is the exact opposite of what they trained her for.)

"You ready?" Kate asks, and Yelena nods, smiling softly when Kate squeezes her hand.

"Alright, let's go, then. We've kept them waiting long enough."

They both get out of the car and Kate decides they'll get their bags later once they know where their stuff is going to end up, and Yelena's not about to argue. She doesn't want to carry her stuff again , it's so heavy and annoying.

She makes sure to grab her coffee, though, because she's only half-finished with it and nothing good is going to happen if she leaves it in the car. It's iced for a reason.

She sips from it as she follows Kate toward the house, chewing on the end of the straw as Kate hugs Lila tightly.

"Yelena, how've you been?" Clint greets, some cross between a neutral and friendly expression on his face.

Yelena doesn't really know what to say to him, a part of her still wants him to pay for Natasha, so she responds, "Breathing."

Clint nods, obviously unsure of how to read Yelena. She loves how she's able to pick up on body language, it makes her job so much more fun sometimes.

Obviously, he's a spy, too, but something seems to be stopping him from putting those tools to work.

She chews on her straw again, catching another kid in the doorway, a bright smile on his face as he looks at Kate and Yelena.

"Dad, who's that?" he asks, and Clint picks him up, showing him Yelena on her level.

"This is Yelena, she was Nat's sister," he says, and the kid smiles excitedly.

"Hi Lena!" he smiles excitedly, and Yelena can't help but wonder if this boy remembers Natasha at all until she realizes that he's around the age that she was when she was brought to the Red Room and her blood runs cold.

"This is Nate," Clint says, "he was named after Natasha."

"Dad thought I was a girl," Nate points out, snuggling into his father, "Auntie Nat used to say I was a traitor."

"Oh really?" Yelena asks, raising an eyebrow. Nate laughs, amused, and Yelena's about to say something else when Kate comes up next to her, resting her hand on the small of Yelena's back.

"C'mon, guys, inside," Clint interrupts, "otherwise Coop's gonna let bugs in."

He's referring to the third kid, the tallest and obvious oldest one of the three, and stood in the doorway of the house. Clint puts Nate down and Yelena's shocked when Nate reaches out for one of her hands.