The Widow's Daughter - A MCU Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty One

NATASHA POV

***FLASHBACK***

I sat quietly against the cool wall. I mindlessly twisted my hair between my fingers. My mind was flooded with fear. Dreykov knew my secret. I leaned my head back, feeling the cool metal against the back of my hair. I dropped my hand to my lap and lightly traced tiny circles on my stomach.

I didn't fully understand why I felt the way that I did. I knew nothing about kids and had never really thought about it until the meeting last year. The meeting where they told us about our "graduation ceremony."

But the moment I realized what the nausea and disappeared period meant, something inside me changed. It was more than just me. The instant it clicked I felt this deep feeling in the pit of my stomach. At first it felt like more nausea. I realized that it was love. Love for this little life inside of me.

But it was also fear. Fear of my situation. Fear of Dreykov. Fear of failure. I was beyond relived that he wasn't sterilizing me next month of course, but I was heartbroken at his negotiation.

That he was going to take my baby.

As my finger rubbed across my stomach I thought about my options. And they were all terrible. Would I let my baby be born a slave to Dreykov? Would I let him remove them and any chances of children in the future to prevent their suffering?

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I wanted to disappear. I couldn't let this happen. I stood, pacing back and forth. I had to run. As I contemplated my escape I froze.

Yelena.

I closed my eyes and sat on the bed. We were all each other had. I couldn't just leave her. The more I thought about what I needed to do, the more upset I became. Nothing seemed to work. Enraged, I stood up and kicked the wall. I screamed, anger pouring out of me like a busted dam. Crying, I slid against the wall and pulled my knees in.

"I'm-I'm so sorry," I whispered. Wether the apology was to my sister, my baby, or myself didn't matter. I felt my world fall apart in front of my eyes.

"Natasha?" I heard a voice whisper. I saw Yelena peeking her head in the doorway, a worried expression on her face. I forced a smile and patted the floor beside me. She walked in and plopped down beside me and curled up at my side.

"Why are you crying?" She asked, a sweet tone of innocence in her voice.

"I've just got a lot going on," I mumbled, laying my head on hers. She was my best friend and the only family that I had left.

"Like what?" She asked, playing with a button on my sleeve. I sighed. Part of me wanted to keep this from her, but I couldn't. She was mature for a 12 year old, considering her unique circumstances.

"I'm- I'm pregnant," I said slowly. She lifted her head and looked at me with curiosity.

"Are you really?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. All I could do was nod. A toothy smile spread on her face.

"I'm gonna be an aunt?" She smiled, poking my stomach gently. My heart didn't know how to feel. Half of it was happy about her sweet reaction while the other was broken that she didn't understand.

"Yeah," I said. I didn't know what to say. She smiled again, laying her head on my lap.

"Hellooooo can you hear me? I'm Yelena, your coolest and favoritest person ever," she monologued. My heart swelled with love. I wanted so badly for everything to be different.

"Thank you for being so supportive Yelena," I said pulling her up into a hug. She snuggled in and nodded against me. I played with her hair as I, again, thought about my options. I sighed. I had the two most important people with me here on the floor in this little room.

Yet everything still felt broken.