The Russian

Chapter Twenty one: Stubborn

Let me tell you, traveling from New Jersey to DC trying to stay on the DL was very difficult. Amira tried telling Steve and Tash about my wound, but I told her no to till we find a safe place. After getting into the backyard, Steve knocked on the glass door. The blinds open and there stands a sweaty Sam.

"MR. SAMMY!!" Amira cheers. He opens the door looking slightly confused.

"Hey man..." He says to Worn out Steve.

"I'm sorry about this, we need a place to lay low." Steve asks.

"Everyone one we know trying to kill us." Tash says. He looks at each of us then moves his body back.

"Not everyone." Sam says and lets us in. He closes the door and blinds behind us. I put Amira down and lean against a chair. "The guest room is down there. You're welcome to the shower, its got all my ex girlfriends crap in there."

"Thanks." Steve says.

"Would you happen to have a first aid kit?" I ask.

"Yeah of course, who hurt?" He asks me. I lift up my shirt and a large blood wound that is caked in dirt is shown.

"Jesus Mika, why didn't you tell us?!" Steve says as he looks at it. Sam runs into the other room to get the kit.

"It would have slowed us down. Amira's weight was keeping pressure on it." I explain.

"Here." Sam hands Steve the kit. The four of us go into the guest room as Sam does some research. Tash and Amira take the bathroom first. I lay down on a towel and Steve lays out the supplies to fix me. He pours the peroxide on, and I hiss at the burning.

"This could have been bad. Why din't you tell me?" Steve says as he wipes away the dirt in the wound.

"You were carrying Natasha, and you are pretty battered too. I could do this myself. I would have slowed us down if I had said anything." I tell him. Steve threads the needle and looks at me.

"Ready?"

"Psh, this ain't nothing Rodgers." I joke. The needle goes in and out of my skin and flashes of my past come out.

I laid on my back, Mama was stitching me up from the lashes. With each stitch, the skin became tighter and it hurt a lot.

"Mama, it hurts." I whimper. She kisses my little forehead.

"I know my love, I am trying to work fast." She whispers. Tears flow from her face.

"Don't cry Mama, I didn't listen. Its my fault." I tell her. She tops and looks at me. She strokes me face and shakes her head.

"This is never your fault. They are horrible people. They are bad guys." She cries. "I am so sorry I can't protect you Mika. I can't protect my little six year old daughter." She starts to sob, so I hold her hand.

"We will leave one day. We can leave and go to America maybe. See the world!" I cheer.

"Maybe, but we got to get you cleaned up first." She sniffles and starts the next row.

"Mika, you okay?" Steve asks. I wipe the tears of the memory away and smile.

"Yeah, it just brought memories of my mom." I tell him. He gives me an understanding smile.

"Mika....I wanted to ask you something." He says unsure.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"Would you-"

"STEVE! LOOK I'M ALL CLEAN NOW!!" Amira cheers as she rushes out of the bathroom. She jumps on to Steve who chuckles.

"Yes you are. You smell better now too." Steve teases.

"You still stink. It's your turn." She says. Steve nods and switches with Natasha. Tash sits next to me, as Amira goes bugs Sam. She uses a towel to slowly dry her hair.

"Как вы это обращение ?" (How are you handling this?) I ask her.

"Я чувствую себя обманутым . Неуверенный о том, что доверять ." (I feel betrayed. Unsure on what to trust.) She admits.

"Вы можете мне доверять , Amira ... Стив и его друг Сэм." (You can trust me, Amira...Steve and his friend Sam.) I tell her as I grab her hand. "Ты моя семья, мы здесь друг для друга." (You are my family, we are here for each other)

"You are right." She says. She pulls me close and kisses the top of my head. "So who should we set Rodgers up with?" I start to chuckle, and Steve comes out of the bathroom. He was only wearing his white wife beater, and his muscles were showing. I should see Tash looking slightly.

Nope, she can't be with Steve. I see the way her and Bruce are. Nope no shipping Steve and Tash. (BTW I total ship them -Charlie.)

"You okay?" He asks Tash.

"Yeah." She says weakly as she dries her hair. Steve clearly doesn't believe her. He sits in front of us and looks at her.

"What's going on?" He asks her. Trying to get inside. 

"When I first joined SHEILD I thought I was going straight. I even got myself two girls." She said with a slight smile, but if faded quickly. "But I guess just traded in the KGP for HYDRA......I thought I knew whose lies I was telling but....I guess I can't tell the difference anymore."

"Its a chance you might be in the wrong business." Steve jokes. Tash smiles slightly then stares into Steve.

"I owe you." Tash says, he shakes his head no.

"It's okay." He says to her.

"If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, and you be honest with me. Would you trust me to do it?" Tash asks him.

"I would now." Steve tells her. "And I am always honest."

"Well you seem pretty chipper for someone who found out they died for nothing." Tash says with a smirk.

"Well," He says sitting up. "Guess I just like to know who I'm fighting for." 

"I made Breakfast, with some help from the little one." Sam says as he comes into the room "If you guys eat that sort of thing..."

"Is there glitter in it?" I ask him. Him and Tash look confused while Steve starts to laugh. "Because the last time Amira helped with breakfast, there was glitter in the food."

"Amira loves glitter." Steve tells them. 

"Is that why there was glitter on your shield during a mission?" Tash asked.

"And when you were on a run, you shirt had glitter on it?" Sam adds.

"Amira likes making glitter projects for when Steve gets home." I explain.

"Who the hell gave her glitter?" Natasha asked.

"Dear old Mrs. Milliton." I say. WE all chuckle and giggle for a bit.

But who knew that would be the last laughs in a while.