Another Fine Day

That night, he did not know how late it was Evan thought about what Natalya has said. She was there next to him sleeping soundly though in an instant she could wake. He knew she had nightmares but she never wanted to talk about them. He could only assume they involved her ordeals as an agent, the killing and hurting people. Natalya was on her side facing him and he watched her as she slept. In this state of rest she looked...like any other woman. Though beautiful even with her hair all in disarray from sleeping. In an instant though she could leap out of bed and kill someone...several people with just her bare hands and feet as if she hadn’t been sleeping at all.

Did he really have the right to deny the world of her abilities? He wasn’t sure that he did. He has connections but SHIELD wanted that stone just as badly as the SSB did and he thought he knew why. Corvus was not just another super being. He had gotten a good look at him and he knew he wasn’t human. They needed to know what SHIELD knew and somehow he needed to get Natalya an audience with one of the Avengers. He didn’t know how but he knew he owed her that much. Because he loved her. He laid his head back down and went back to sleep.

The next morning he reached over to touch Natalya but quickly noticed she was not there in bed. He got out of bed, checked his watch and knew it was time for him to get up and get dressed for work.

That morning Natalya awoke before Evan. She lay there for a time looking at him and watching him sleep. She still couldn't believe how lucky she was that this man had decided to trust her. She had given him no reason to trust her, but he had. He had risked his life for her and then had given her the home and life she had never had. She had always been taught to push down feelings and not to give in to them, but she would never trade the feeling of true, pure love. It filled her heart and made her feel whole. Her life had been incomplete until she met Evan and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

After a while she got up and washed her face and brushed her teeth and got dressed. She walked into the kitchen and decided she wanted to do something nice for him. He always cooked for her and she wanted to make him some breakfast. She had never cooked before in her life, but she had watched him plenty of times so how hard could it be?

As Evan got dressed he would suddenly smell something burning. In the kitchen Natalya was trying to fan away the smoke from the oven as she removed the rather charred bacon. The fried eggs were also getting rather toasty on the stovetop. The rest of the kitchen was a disaster area as Natalya had taken out all kinds of ingredients and cookware and tools. She had attempted pancake batter from a recipe card and the end result was a countertop of flour and extremely lumpy batter.

It was when Evan was in the shower that he smelled it. He rinsed out his hair grabbed a white towel and ran upstairs to the kitchen area where he was met with the smell of burned bacon and a very agitated Natalya who was half covered in flour. “Oh my!” He said in surprise and smiled as he moved up to her.

“Need some help?” He asked as he put his arm around her then leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Aw, was this for me?” He asked quite pleased that she tried. He chuckled. “Oh why don’t you let me help you,” He began and dumped what was in he pan out into the sink. He put the pan back onto the burner and turned it on half way. He picked up two eggs and handed her one of them and smiled at her.

“Like this,” He said and he showed her how to crack the egg on the edge of the pan and settle its contents inside the pan. He watched her repeat what he did and she did it, if not as eloquent as he. “Very nice,” Evan told her and they set about making breakfast together.

Natalya had really tried her best. The mere fact that she had even attempted to make breakfast when she had never cooked before in her life really said something about how she felt about Evan. She was upset that she hadn't been successful and instead had just created a huge mess. She looked over as he walked into the kitchen, clearly just from the shower. She was rather relieved that he wasn't upset about the mess she had caused. Instead, he walked over and helped her.

"I think next time I'm going to just leave the cooking up to you."

They ate together at the table as they did most mornings though Evan ate with just a towel around his waist. And he sat next to her instead of across from her. He dressed in his usual dark gray pinstripe suit with a black tie, belt and shoes. He told Natalya that the pharmacy still hadn’t gotten their shipment but they said it should be in a day or two. Setting up another pharmacy would likely take longer than that. It was difficult to leave her as she kept pulling him back toward the bedroom in that way she did when she intended to make him late. Today however he had several things he had to do today. One of which was somewhat dangerous. He intended to take their prototype and he had promised if it became to difficult that he’d come back for her.

What that meant was that he’d use his powers and arrive in a shadow and take her with him back to the office where the prototypes were kept. They both knew where the stone was. At the center of the garage turntable there was a removable access panel to gain access to the motors in case it needed repair. Under the panel it was pitch black in there and the stone existed in a pocket of shadow inside that darkness. Either of them could just reach in and take it, it was a static thing that Evan could not explain how he made it. Existing in there, inside the shadow made it impossible to detect. The shadow made from negative energy was like a dampening field and it absorbed all of the stone’s power. Evan had a trick as well. He could pull it out of any shadow that he wanted and more than once he produced the stone from under his coat as if pulling out a flask or pack of cigarettes. Natalya would have to actually pull up the panel to retrieve it. That didn’t change the fact that people knew they knew where it was but without their cooperation to get it it would stay where it was. Forever if Evan had anything to say about it. He kissed Natalya goodbye and left her to her day.

After Evan left, Natalya cleaned up the kitchen and made the bed.She changed into some workout clothes and worked out for a while before taking a quick shower and then deciding to go out. She felt somewhat nervous being off her medication and she hoped that the shipment would come in soon. She decided to head towards the library as she wanted to get a few books to read. She also knew what authors Evan liked and she intended on picking up a couple of things for him to choose from. Naalya had been taught quite a bit while in training with the SSB and she enjoyed learning. She liked finding books in the non-fiction section that she could learn something new from. As she walked she looked up at the sky and saw a few darker clouds a little ways off, but for now the sun was shining.

The Kelwinn’s Ice Cream shop was just a couple blocks from the library. Evan had really enjoyed that fudge she brought home and it had not lasted very long besides. Evan had one of those metabolisms that allowed him to eat almost anything he wanted though he rarely ate sweets. He liked wines and some harder alcohol though and imbibed often in the year that they lived together. Natalya’s system made it extremely difficult to get drunk and often, in the past, she had ‘played’ drunk on missions to make men think they’d be able to have their way with her. Things often changed when she got them alone but that was all just part of the job.

Lewis was in his early 20s. He had short, curly blonde hair and hazel eyes and was a recovering drug addict. He had just recently come back from a fairly intensive program and he was now a couple months clean and he went to AA meetings every day. In the past he had did alot of bad things. He stole from his parents and grandparents, and even fought his father when James threw him out of the house. But all that had changed when he got clean and Martin had offered him his job back at the store. Everything seemed to be looking up for Lewis until the men that he owed money too found out where he worked.

Jake Carson and Reggie Harrison were a couple of bad seeds. Jake was a low level dealer and had several tattoos, a mohawk dyed red and wore a black, leather jacket with a spiked collar with matching boots. He looked more like a punk rocker from england than anything else. He had been one of Lewis’s dealers but the man that Jake worked for was Reggie Harrison. Reggie was a black man with no hair and dark eyes. He wore an expensive orange leather jacket and white slacks with Nike Tennis shoes. He wore leather driving gloves and had always seemed to have a scowl upon his face. Martin lay on his side and blood dripped from his forehead as if he had been struck hard by something...or pistol whipped. James, Lewis’s father had a knife wound in his side and sat down behind the counter against the wall trying to keep his life’s blood from seeping out onto the floor. His face was pale, he had lost alot of blood already. Lewis was pressed backward on the glass counter as Jake held a gun up to his face. Gina was in the middle of the store crying as she attempted to fend off Reggie who fondled her breasts as they made Lewis watch. The sign on the door said that the store was closed but Natalya’s senses had allowed her to hear Gina crying. “I’ll get you the money!” Lewis said in a desperate voice.”Don’t hurt her!” He squeaked as jake pressed the barrel of the pistol harder into his cheek. Reggie ripped the front of Gina’s shirt and his left hand moved up to her neck as his right went to rip part of her bra far enough to expose her left breast. He touched her breast and violently pinched her nipple which made her cry out though his hand moved quickly to muffle her scream of terror. “Oh I think Imma have her fine ass right here,” He said then shifted and violently shoved her face down on one of the small square tables. He kicked a plastic chair aside and began to pull her black, yoga pants down. Gina continued to cry and her hands shot back to fight with him to keep her pants up.

Natalya had been planning on going back and getting some ice cream after leaving the library. However, as she neared the shop something in the back of her mind told her that something was wrong. Her instincts were usually correct and she suddenly became worried and her senses went on high alert. She slowed down as she neared the shop and peered around the corner to look in the front glass window. What she saw shocked her. Martin, the shop owner was on the floor and appeared to have been hit in the head by the butt of a gun. Another man she didn't recognize was also on the floor, bleeding from a stab wound to his side. A man with a mowhawk had another man pinned down to the glass counter while a black man was starting to sexually assault Gina.

Natalya could hear Evan's voice in the back of her head telling her to just walk away, but she couldn't walk away from this. She knew this family and they were good, decent people who were just trying to make a living. They had never hurt anyone and didn't deserve to have her just walk away. She felt angry and a slight surge of excitement went up her spine at the thought of hurting those two men.

She walked into the shop and let the door close behind her. She casually locked it and then turned and faced the two men. "I suggest you both stop what you are doing right now."

The bell at the top of the door jam rang as Natalya entered. Reggie looked over at her and his disgusting grin turned into an angry scowl. He had managed to get her pants and underpants down to her thighs which exposed the pale flesh of her bottom but he had not yet exposed himself. Jake shifted his pistol immediately toward her. Lewis was crying and Jake elbowed him hard in the stomach. Lewis doubled over with a groan and fell onto the floor next to Martin who groaned but didn’t seem to have his wits about him.

“Who the FUCK are you bitch?!” Jake said haughtily and seem irritated that they had been disturbed. Reggie drew his pistol from under his jacket and hadn’t pointed it at her yet. “Well looks like we havin a party! Hahahaha!” he said as he laughed. “Now there’s sum fine white meat right there!” He said and grabbed a fist full of Gina’s butt. Gina shifted to look toward the door and her face was all red and swollen from crying. She tried to talk but it all came out in an odd squeak that was barely legible. There was a terror filled desperation in her eyes. As if her eyes were begging Natalya to help her.

In her mind’s eye Natalya saw the next few moments. The years of training and experience made this situation no different than drying her hair or brushing her teeth. Her movements would be instinctive and as her mind went through the possibilities, in moments she knew what she would do and what they would do and which possability yielded the greatest chance of survival...for her anyway. Not the two men.

Natalya didn't seem the least bit intimidated by the two men, but there was a slight smile on her face. These two men didn't have any idea what was about to happen to them. They didn't view her as a threat to them. It was almost always like that with the people she faced. They didn't think anything of her until she attacked and then their attitudes changed...quickly. Natalya said nothing in response. She simply popped her neck and cracked her knuckles and then she moved...

...In less than two minutes it was over and the two men lay dead on the floor. Natalya had moved fast...so fast that the men hadn't really had a second to comprehend what was happening. All of Natalya's training had kicked in and the two men hadn't stood a chance against her...though they had tried. A few kicks and punches had unsteadied them and had allowed Gina to slip away and then she grabbed the black man's gun. One bullet in each of their chests had done it. There was no sense in wasting bullets when she knew exactly where to shot to kill them. She wasn't even going to give them a chance to get away. She didn't have anything to tie them up with and what they had done to this family had made her angry.

She dropped the gun to the floor and had not a drop of blood on her. She stepped back and looked over at Martin and Gina who looked stunned at what they had just witnessed. She had come in to their shop nearly every day for the past year and they would never have expected her to be able to move and fight the way she did. She looked over at them and gave Gina a little nod after ensuring she was physically ok. She then turned and walked out of the shop knowing she needed to leave before the police arrived. She knew that Martin would make up a story about using the gun himself to defend himself and Gina. He wouldn't mention her at all to the police. She sighed a little as she walked down the street because she knew that she would never be able to go back there, but at least she knew that they were alright.

In minutes there was the fire department, paramedics, police and crime scene investigators. Martin had given his statements and told the others to keep their mouths shut. The store was taped off for investigators and people began to crowd around to get a glimpse of what had happened. The shop was well known in New York and a Channel 12 news truck pulled up. A couple of the investigators were very skeptical about what Martin had said happened and later on that evening, when they located where the bullet shells and powder patterns were located, they knew what Martin said was not exactly what happened.

When Natalya returned home the story was all over the news channels, not just Channel 12 either. It was a main story for the day and Martin had been named as the hero of this horrible incident. Nick Fury stood over the shoulder of Phil Coulton’s shoulder as he directed the woman in front of the bank of monitors in front of her as she began looking at all of the available video there was on the incident. They were looking at cameras that were across the street, there was a Men’s clothing store and a Coffee shop that had cameras that were positioned at angles to catch people walking in. One camera out of the four had a wide enough angle to barely clip the entrance to the shop. They saw the two men enter and then several people walking by the shop. At the time index they were looking for though, only one person stopped and went in but they had not been able to get her face or shoulders. The gunflash was seen in the camera a few moments later and then she walked out again and moved down the street. It took several more hours of searching through other cameras but in one shot Natalya’s face and head was clearly seen.

Evan came home a few minutes earlier than he had before. He had bought Halibut and bok choy for their supper tonight and a nice, white wine to go with it. His other parcel he left in the garage, stored in their pop up cabinet where Natalya had an array of weapons, ammunition, protective clothing and other devices she had used in the past. “Honey...I’m home!” He announced playfully as he climbed the stairs up to the kitchen and living area.

Natalya's adrenaline was still pumping by the time she got home. She knew she needed to burn some of it off. Still thinking that there wasn't anyway anyone would be able to know it was actually her who had killed those two guys she changed into some workout clothes and did a warm up run on the treadmill before using some of the weighted exercise machines. She ended her workout at the shooting range and unloaded a few clips at the practice targets. Her aim was impeccable and she beautifully grouped together shots.

Finally feeling worn out, she headed back upstairs and showered before changing into her leggings and sweatshirt. She put her hair up into a messy bun and was just walking out of their bedroom when Evan came home.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she kissed him. "You're home early."

Evan smiled and kissed her back and set down the bag of groceries. “Well I could not get you out of my head today. And what man wouldn't ‘want’ to come home early to ‘this’ He gestured at her in a general way. He took hold of her and hefted her up onto the counter next to the grocery bag. He put himself between her legs and tilted his head up and kissed her quite thoroughly as his hands snaked under her sweatshirt and felt up her firm breasts. “Mmmm...god I love you,” He whispered and she felt him already ready for her but knew he’d hold himself back. She could sense that by now, he likely sensed she was hungry and so her needs would come first as they always had in their relationship.

Normally he would never have guessed someone like Natalya would be satisfied unless she was doing something that kept her mind and body sharp. However they both knew that this was never going to be a permanent thing. Not what existed between them but rather this just ‘living’ like this without violence or worry that the next day might be their last. “Set the table for us darling?” he said lovingly as he brought up a pan and began setting up the ingredients for cooking. As she hopped down off of the counter, his hand flashed out and he goosed her right butt cheek with his hand as she took a step away from him. Evan was in a very frisky mood which meant tonight was going to be another hot and sweaty night where he made mad, passionate love to her.

They decided on the rooftop again. The sky was a hazy gray and humid but there was just enough breeze to make it quite comfortable up there. Instinctively as she sat down she felt for the pistol that was in a holster under the table on her side. She always felt for it each time they sat down here. She had weapons stashed all over the building and Evan had never found any of them. When he did he complained to her about it but nothing more than that. The fish and bok choy had a soy-wasabi sauce on them which gave them a very nice, salty and spicy flavor. The white wine was actually a champaign, fairly sweet, just enough to offset the salt and the spice and as usual Evan spent more time looking at her than eating. He reached across the table to take her hand and as she took his she felt something square press into her hand as he gently turned it palm up. He had used a small shadow in his palm to make it suddenly appear. It was a small, black box she knew would be the kind that held a ring. It was then that it all came clear in her head. Coming home early, A meal designed to make the Champaign seem usual, the way he had been looking at her. He had set her up for this and she never saw it coming.

Natalya loved the way Evan made her feel. It didn't just make her feel sexy...but he made her feel genuinely beautiful and loved. She wasn't just a sex toy for him. She was a person...a woman who had a mind of her own and whose opinion mattered to him. He was her life...her home...her one true love. Just as he would do anything for her...she would do anything for him. No one else could ever make her feel the way he did.

She set the table up on the roof and then went back down to take her plate and champagne glass. As they sat down at the table with the white lights around them she made sure that the pistol she had hidden under the table was still there. Even though she always checked for it, after what had happened today she really wanted to ensure it was there. It was like a safety blanket for her. The dinner, as always, was quite delicious and the champagne was a surprising, but fitting choice. As they ate she felt Evan's eyes upon her and as she looked up at him she found herself looking into his eyes. She felt his hand reach out to take her own, but suddenly she felt a small, square box being pressed into her palm. When she felt the velvet exterior she almost stopped breathing. She knew what it was...it was a ring box. She felt Evan's eyes still upon her as she looked down at it and tears came to her eyes. She was almost afraid to open it for fear that this was all just a dream. But she could feel the weight in her hand and knew that this wasn't a dream...this was really happening. She hesitated only for a moment before opening the box.

Evan noticed that the sparkle in Natalya’s moistening eyes sudden drew back just like her smile. Time seemed to lengthen and spread out is if being pulled and elongated like taffy. The box opened to reveal a platinum ring with three large Princess cut diamonds on top. A larger one in the center and 2 smaller ones on the sides. Diamonds were also all along the band as well and they all picked up the white light of the string lights around them. However at the same time Natalya felt...something. Her instincts began to pump adrenaline into her body and something small streaked across her vision. She felt the rush of air as if something moved with a great velocity whiz by her face. Evan’s hand jerk slightly and his head tilted as something hit him in the neck. Time suddenly zoomed back to normal and Evan slapped at his neck as if a mosquito had bit him there. “Ow...I…” he began and then hsi vision began to go all blurry on him. Natalya heard the faint scrape of stone and the rustle of clothing as someone moved in between the taller flower and vegetable plants in the garden. Something bit into her neck to she felt as she began to move but as Evan’s eyes began to glaze she knew what it was. A tranquilizing dart had been shot at them at close range though whatever it was it would not affect her the same as it would a normal human being. Evan began to slide out of his chair as someone drew up from the plants.

Natalia Alianovna Romanova otherwise known as the Black Widow step toward Natalya brandishing the dart pistol. As Natalya drew the pistol from the table she immediately felt that the weight was off. The clip had been removed! “Oh...Im sorry, did I ruin the mood?” She began in an almost mocking tone. “Natalya Sokolova...Nick Fury would like to speak to you,” She said as Evan landed onto his side when the chair tipped over.

The ring made Natalya gasp. It was...incredible. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen and she knew instantly that it must have cost a small fortune. However, as her eyes examined the ring a feeling deep in her gut, like earlier that day, began to grow. She felt her adrenaline began to pump as she began to mentally prepare herself for a fight. However, before she could say something to Evan out of the corner of her eye she saw something streak by. Evan's head jerked back and she saw a small dart sticking out of his neck. As he fell unconscious she looked over to see a woman she recognized as Black Widow step out from the dark holding the dark pistol. Instinctively, her hand moved to grab the pistol hidden under the table, but she quickly realized that the clip had been removed. She hated having anyone be a few steps ahead of her and she scowled at Natasha. "Yes, you did ruin the mood," she said as she downed the rest of her champagne. She knew that if Nick Fury wanted to talk to her it could only mean that he had found out that she had been the one to kill those two men earlier today. She was clearly not happy, but knew there was no way around this. "Fine. Where is he?"