Breaking Free | Natasha x OC

Chapter Sixteen

"The worst pain is being homesick for arms that don't want to hold you."
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Natasha

Everything happened slowly then. Natasha barely needed to aim as the bullet flew. She didn't even look at the Doctor fell down. She knew she wouldn't get up.

Her gun left her hand as Natara's foot collided with it and Nat narrowly avoided a punch. The brunette spun, elbows and feet aimed at her body.
"Natara-" She struggled as she only defended. Those green eyes faltered but overall, the other Avenger kept going.

The blonde suddenly wasn't so lucky, just missing the arm sent her way when Natara's foot collided with her chest, sending her backwards hard.
She barely had time to block the next attack when her girlfriend's elbow struck her face.
"Tara-" She panted, raising her hands in defense and to protect her face.
But the Avenger wasn't listening. Kicking out and sending Nat to the floor, the spy felt a blade at her throat.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

The words and their anger and insecurity hit Nat ten times harder than the physical blows had.
"Tara, it's me." She felt her voice break with emotion.

The brunette above her blinked, so many emotions on her face. "I don't remember anything. Where am I? What's happening?"

The blade was pressing alarmingly hard into her skin and Nat's instincts took control.
"The Doctor, behind you. We were on a mission and the weapon messed with your mind. Do you have no idea who I am?" She couldn't help the crack in her last word once more.

It truly hit her, right then and there. Nat had just lost everything.

____

Natara sat across from her, more distance between them then there had been in months, physically and in every other sense.

"Two years of my life? And I've done... all of that?"

"You have." Even now, when all she wanted to do was cry, Nat couldn't help the teasing smile on her face at her girlfriend's expression. Then again she supposed girfriend wasn't really the rught word anymore. Not now.

"I'm an Avenger? Out of choice?"

"You are."

"Gods, that's embarrassing," Natara groaned.

"It's not so bad. We manage." Natasha looked her over. More than anything else, Natara just looked confused. She couldn't imagine what it was like, to have lost two years of your memories, to have no idea what was happening and who you were.

"In the most respectful way possible, I don't know you. How do I know you aren't lying to me about all of this? You could be the one who did something to my head."

Natasha took a breath at the words. Her fingers kept pinching her skin, hoping to wake herself up from this nightmare. "I'm not, Tara-"

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

God. This was killing her.

"It's just what I call you." She took another deep breath. "I have an idea. Someone who might be able to help. Normally I'd go to Tony Stark, or even Bruc-" She cut herself off at the name, seeing Natara frown a little.