LRS-Episode II: Black Widow and Hawkeye

Chapter 8

KATE'S P.O.V.

Kate had stayed at Yelena's apartment the next day, watching over little Lena while Sonya was being shown around the better parts of New York. The girl had refused to let Kate leave when the two widows came back, especially since the latter was going to stay at the apartment for the night until getting a hotel room. So, on impulse, Kate agreed. Plus, she didn't want to leave the kid too close to Sonya without knowing more about her.

The young archer had slept in Lena's room while the little girl slept in her aunt's room and Sonya had taken the living room couch. At least the kid had a twin bed so Kate could fit into it fairly easily. Well, if she curled in a bit more than usual. It wasn't hard to get used to, though, since she and Yelena had picked out the most cushy mattresses they could find for both bedrooms when they first moved in.

It was still early in the morning when Kate woke up to the alarm on her phone, around the same time she usually got up to practice archery in her own apartment. She was half asleep and in need of caffeine (but not espresso this time). She just needed to remember what type of coffee Yelena had.

Kate resisted the urge to snooze the alarm and pull the blankets back up to her chin, all too familiar with the urge. She pulled her hoodie over her undershirt, flattening her bed-head hair as she stood up and stretched. Her head and eyes still felt droopy so she kept one hand on the wall, making her way along little Lena's room toward the closed door. That is, until she heard Sonya's voice and realized the unexpected widow was wide awake.

"Stop. I said stop!" the woman snapped, getting Kate to flinch slightly. She still wasn't fully awake, but it was JUST clear enough in the quiet apartment. Kate stopped at the door with her ear almost touching, dead silent while trying her best to stay focused. Knowing how lethal Yelena could be if she actually wanted to, she didn't want to barge in on Sonya who she didn't know or fully trust.

"But it's mine!"

Kate frowned at the sound of little Lena's voice. What was going on?

"Don't touch it!"

"It's just a toy, what's so important about it?" Sonya asked harshly, followed by the little girl jumping and crying.

Suddenly the struggle stopped, those small soft footsteps moving away from where Sonya's voice came from. "Go away..." she pleaded.

At that, Kate, still half asleep, opened the bedroom door cautiously. She was concerned about what she was hearing, especially from the child.

When she walked into the living room, Sonya was sitting on the couch while the little girl stayed away with her pink pony in her arms. Lena was staring back angrily and scared at the same time. Immediately Kate's head was back on its swivel.

"Hey, sweetie." Kate yawned, approaching the kid while keeping Sonya in her peripheral vision. "Everything okay?"

"No." Lena said quickly, her cheeks flushed. "She's mean."

Still a bit disoriented and with a headache, Kate squinted briefly and rubbed her brow. "Why?" she asked Lena.

"She had a nightmare or something." Sonya answered, her tone sounding more confused. Was she honestly expecting a different outcome from... well, from whatever happened? Clearly Sonya had never been around little kids—at least not properly—in her life. "Scared her to death. I tried to get her back to bed but..." The short-haired woman shrugged.

Bull. Her story didn't match with what Kate heard from the other side of the door. At all. Sure, the Red Room crap wasn't Sonya's fault. But still, she couldn't mistreat little Lena... Natasha's daughter, Yelena's niece...