Baby Widow Romanova

Chapter 3

Natasha looked down at the sleeping child in her arms. The kid's right cheek was pressed against her chest, her nose nuzzling against the crook of her neck as her little hands had formed fists around her t-shirt.

She traced the little girl's features with her fingers, taking her time to memorize how peaceful the child looked while sleeping. She had seen fear in those green eyes and she had hated it.

The Red Room had taken everything from her, ever since she was little. She was only sixteen when the Graduation Ceremony happened and, at that moment, the idea of bringing a baby into that cruel world horrified her. However, it was not until a few years later, when she finally got rid, or at least tried to, of all the pain and trauma they had put her through, that she realized the important decision the Red Room had taken one more from her.

She had wished for a kid. A little girl she would protect and give the childhood that had been stolen from her. She had put all those feelings aside to focus on her career as an agent of SHIELD or an Avenger, but they were always there. They even came back after Yelena's question and she had used all her training to cover how she truly felt. Her heart shattered at the realization that since she was a fugitive, there was no way she would be able to be a mom.

It was hard to express how she had felt after her sister's call. There was excitement, happiness and nervousness to the news that she had a daughter. But there was also pain, fear and blame that she had not known her kid was in that horrible place.

The nine year old had been hurt the same ways she had been and she hated every bit of it. She hated that she did not know about that little girl, that she had not been able to protect her as she swore to do if she ever had a kid. It was painful to know that she had failed to keep her daughter safe from the horrors of the Red Room.

Vera whimpered in her sleep, a choke sob escaping her throat as she tightened the embrace. She felt completely helpless at the sight of her child in distress.

"Shh, it's okay. You're safe" Natasha whispered softly into her daughter's ear. "Mama's got you" it slipped out of her mouth before she could even think about it, but the kid seemed to calm down at the sound of her voice.

"How is she so calm?" Yelena asked while observing them. "She doesn't know you" her sister pointed out.

"She might not know her, but that kid knows she's safe" Melina commented from the door, getting both sisters to look at her. "Kids know their mothers. And Vera unconsciously knows she's with her mama" the woman explained.

Natasha could not avoid smiling. It warmed her heart to know that her daughter felt safe with her, since she had been terrified of how that child would react to her.

"Why didn't you tell me about her?" she finally confronted the older woman, observing how Melina looked away for a few seconds.

"I didn't know where she was" the woman answered. "She was only a few hours old when they put her in my arms and commanded me to raise her until it was time" Melina paused for a little bit. "I didn't want to become attached, but it was hard not to. It reminded me of you two back in Ohio. She had your fire in her and your sister's innocence. She was such a curious little girl" the woman that once had been her adoptive mother told them with so much sadness in her voice. "I would train her here and from time to time, she was taken to one of the facilities to test her. If he was satisfied, Vera would return here. If not, she would stay there until she achieved what was expected of her" Melina explained as she felt like she would cry at any moment. "Dreykov didn't agree with how I was raising her. He believed I was making his best weapon too soft. But she wasn't soft. She was loved. And she was really ahead on the training" the older widow looked down as she caressed the child's cheek, being relieved that her daughter had been taught what it was like to be loved, even if it had been just for a short part of her life. "That day... Dreykov came here, he had never come before. So I knew what that meant. She clung to me and I couldn't do anything when they ripped her away from me. I just watched how her tiny body fell limp against one of the agents" Melina shook her head, for the first time revealing the tears on her eyes. "She was only five"

Natasha's heart ached at the thought of her little girl being taken away in such a dramatic way, so young. She could tell the guilt in Melina's voice from not stopping that from happening, but, even if she was still having a hard time forgiving her for letting them be taken back into the Red Room, she was thankful that the woman had tried to keep her child safe.

She stared at her sister with concern. Yelena had been staring down the whole time while playing nervously with the zippers of her new vest. She knew that her sister did not like to show her emotions, but it looked like the blonde was hardly holding her tears.

"Why did no one tell me we were having a family reunion?" Alexei questioned them while walking inside the room. "Family reunited again- Wait, who's the child?" he asked, pointing to them.

"She's Natasha's daughter" Melina answered and they all could see the excitement in his eyes.

"Your kid?" he pointed to her, so she nodded. "We have a grandchild?!" Alexei exclaimed with a huge smile on his face while sitting on the couch next to her to hug them both.

She pushed him away when she felt Vera tensing in her arms. The last thing she wanted at the moment was for that child to be triggered.

"She's a young widow. Yelena rescued her this morning" she warned him, to which he moved away a little.

"Okay, okay, gentle, see" he caressed the kid's face. "I'm a grandfather" he whispered to himself. "I have a grandchild to spoil" Alexei said as Yelena pouted.

"Uh-uh. I'm the aunt, that's my thing" her sister argued.

She sighed, not bothering to say anything to stop the argument. Instead she pressed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. At least Vera would have a loving family.

Hi!!

I had to add Alexei to the mix. I knew since the beginning he would be really excited about having a grandchild. I think he wants to make it up to Natasha and Yelena for what he did, even if they haven't forgiven him yet.

Thanks so much for reading,

Ayrin