Just A Conversation (January 2012)

Isabella and Tony had a very good relationship with the Mayor of New York City. He and his wife were good friends of theirs and she knew that he would listen to her. She talked to him for some time as she explained everything that she knew, which wasn't a lot. He agreed to help her figure out what was going on. He didn't believe that Logan and Natalya would attack people for no reason either. Isabella just hoped that her husband would find them soon.

As she was hanging up, Malcolm walked in. He had had a meeting with his sister and was just getting back. She sighed and explained to him what had happened.

"Tony is out looking for Logan and Natalya now. There's something about this whole thing though that doesn't seem right to me."

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Natalya did remember what had happened earlier that morning, but she didn't say anything about it. In fact, she didn't say anything at all. She just remained as close to Logan as she could get and let him hold her. Unfortunately, her shoulder was still bleeding and needed attention.

Logan used more paper towels and replaced the soiled ones. He saw she was still bleeding, there was a nasty gash on her shoulder and balled up more paper towel and pressed it down on her wound.

“I won’t apologize for what I did, I can’t because it is what I want,” Logan said. Logan wasn’t even certain she was even listening but he just felt as if he needed to keep talking to her. Odd that he didn’t like the silence between them. “I’m not tryin ta fuck up what you have with Malcolm. I’m trying to unfuck the mistake I made when I decided that we shouldn’t be together. “I thought it was a bad idea and ignored my feelings for you,” Logan said. “I was...an idiot Natalya. And I am paying for my mistake every day,” He said.

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Tony took to the air again when he heard which direction the witnesses said they had gone.

Natalya did listen to what Logan had to say. She listened to every word. Logan was so much more than just her best friend. He was her partner and the only person in this world that she trusted with her life. Logan was straight and honest with her and she knew that he truly cared about her. She had wanted more for them, but Logan had pushed her away and she had thought that that was it. But now...now Logan was opening himself up to her in ways he never had before. She did love him. That she knew as strongly as she knew blood ran red. She slowly looked up at him and her eyes met his.

"Yes, you were."

Logan grunted. “Well...then I ‘guess’ we’re in agreement,” He said but he wasn’t happy about it. Admitting fault was not one of Logan’s strong suits and sometimes Natalya jumped on those opportunities just to screw with him. He asked her to hold the paper towel and he went and wet a few others and began to clean the wound on her arm.

“We’re not far from the tower but I’m concerned that whomever tried to abduct us might try to stop us from making it into the building. When she looked at him again he shook his head.

“No, I’m not leaving you behind so don’t even think that,” he said. Logan was completely healed and felt fine. “If I have to carry you on my shoulder I will...in fact, I think I’d like the guys to see that,” he said in jest. In truth he had dragged her ass out of sticky situations before. Logan was stronger, healed quickly and was difficult to keep down for long. Each time Natalya had been in mortal peril he had been there for her. Each and every time and those could not easily be counted anymore. Yet he never asked her for much if anything. He was asking her now though to consider him. He lightly brushed the wound with the wet towel and slowly he cleaned her wounds. The blood had stopped and together they stepped back toward the stairs. As they did though several men in black outfits and red laser sights looked up toward them. Without even thinking Logan shifted to face her and put his back to them. Bullets riddled his body though most richoted off of his metal bones and hit the wall and ceiling. She saw the pain in his face as he took the bullets then pushed her away from him as he leaped down into their midst. There wasn’t much room to move down their and it was like a sack of angry badgers in the stairwell. The fighting was vicious and in the end Logan lay on the floor beneath another group of dead bodies. He groaned as he felt the bullets leave his flesh and the wounds close up. “I’m really starting to hate these guys,” He growled.

Natalya was in bad shape, both mentally and physically. She was in no condition to fight, although Logan knew that she would if she had to. Although she had the Super Soldier Serum running through her veins, she still was mortal and could be greatly injured or killed. It took a lot more to kill Logan. Natalya honestly wasn't even sure if it was possible.

Natalya sighed when Logan told her that he wasn't going to leave without her. He knew her too well...perhaps better than she knew herself. Natalya moved with Logan towards the stairs and suddenly they found themselves face to face with men in black outfits and rifles. Natalya felt Logan quickly turn them around so his back was to them and he was protecting her. She felt rather helpless and could only stand there as Logan then turned around and jumped down to attack the men. She leaned against the wall and watched him. Within seconds it was over. She waited while his body ejected the bullets and the wounds healed. When Logan approached her to continue to help her. She took hold of his shirt with her good arm and pulled him down towards her. She kissed him, but this kiss was different than the others they had shared. This wasn't a kiss of pure desire and passion...though there was that as well. This was a kiss of love.

Logan kissed her back just as softly then looked into her eyes, He wanted to say that this all could have been avoided if she would have just admitted this back in the tower! But nooooo! No ‘she’ had to go sort ‘things’ out. He didn’t say any of that though and her kiss had nearly frazzled his wits anyway. In that look his brows turned down though and she touched her forehead to his understanding. All of that work and effort. Undone yet again. If he mourned anything he mourned that. He kissed her once more and then they headed out into the sunlight.

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Isabella had talked Malcolm into staying put in case they came back. They were all on their phones trying to find out more information. Kate had called Phil but SHIELD knew nothing. As Tony flew over he spotted them and sighed in relief. He flew down to them.

“So either the police have gone completely crazy or you two have,” Tony asked when he retracted his helmet.

“Not the Police, the SSB,” Logan said. “They tried to take us both,” he said. “Can you get her to the tower?” Logan asked. When Natalya shifted he looked back at her. “No, you don’t get an opinion!” He snapped and looked back at Tony. “I can,” he said. “I’ll follow,” Logan said. “Alright Logan...Natalya? You ready?” He asked.

Natalya didn’t know what she was going to do. Malcolm loved her and Natalya knew in her heart that he deserved better than her...than the life she lived and the dangers she brought. However, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with that right now. She needed rest.

Natalya leaned against Logan as they headed out of the building. Suddenly, Tony dropped down in front of them. Natalya let Logan speak. She didn’t feel like talking. She just wanted to be in a dark, quiet room for a while. Natalya wasn’t sure how she felt about Logan making his way back in his own though. However, she clearly wasn’t going to be given a choice in the matter. She simply nodded to Tony and let him take her back to the Tower.

The moment Malcolm saw her he rushed toward her. Tony opened the doorwall for her and Malcolm enveloped her in his arms. He was wearing an off white shirt and it was quickly soiled in her blood and grime. He kissed her cheek, her lips, her temple and her forehead.

“Oh god I was worried,” he said. Everyone else was there too and they moved up as well.

“We need to get her to the biobed,” Isabella said. “Come with me Natalya...Malcolm you remain here,” She said. She had seen Natalya’s eyes. They looked...haunted.

“Where’s Logan?” Steve asked. “On his way,” Tony said as Isabella helped Natalya toward the stairs. “The SSB had posed as the police and tried to abduct them. They seriously underestimated Logan. He was forced to kill several of them and I’ve just learned the others that were just wounded took cyanide,” Tony said grimly. “Jesus…” Malcolm said. “What...what were they going to do to them?” Malcolm asked. “Didn’t you read her file?” Steve asked. “No, no I didn’t,” Malcolm asked. “I didn’t think it was relevant,” He said. “Everything about Natalya is relevant Malcolm,” Kate said.

Natalya felt weak from the blood loss and desperately needed to lie down. She was just barely holding herself mentally together and Isabella would see that she was on the verge of breaking down. Natalya let Isabella and Tony help her to the biobed. Isabella gently laid her down and cut away the material from around her wounds. She stood back as the scanning started. She remained close to her friend though.

Kate sighed as she listened to Malcolm. This man clearly did not understand the woman he was involved with and the dangers that surrounded her.

“You should have read her file Malcolm. Natalya isn’t like any other woman you’ve ever been with. There are dangers constantly surrounding her and what she’s been through has effected her in so many ways.”

“Jarvis, light intensity zero,” Isabella said and the ambient light in the room shut off. Only the soft glow of the biobed lit the area around them which was not much. Isabella’s face and body were a gray haze and natalya would see nothing beyond her. The biobed hummed as it began to work.

“No one will see now Natalya,” Isabella said as she moved up and brushed back the womans, dark, matted hair. Besides Logan, she was the only person to see Natalya weep or cry. Tears in the dark were safe for her. “How long was it on you?” Isabella asked. She had selected that the biobed detect neurons and to compare them with her last scans. They spiked now unlike the low hills and shallow valleys of before. The spikes were indications of intense, aberrant thoughts and seeing them again made tears fall from Isabella’s eyes. She covered her face in her hands and tried to stifle her tears. The woman didn’t need that right now. Her heart broke for her and also for Logan. ‘God, I’m so sorry Logan’ she thought. All the work he had put into Natalya. This could possibly put her years back from where they had been.

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“All of you think that a dossier is what makes up a person...I’ll never understand that. She has been here with all of you for a while now. The rest I choose to learn for myself,” Malcolm said. Logan just looked at Malcolm blankly. ‘You have no idea of what you speak’ He thought. If the man chose to live in ignorance, who was he to change it. Steve just shook his head and looked at Kate. Malcolm did too and he had a worried look on his face.

Isabella would be able to see that Natalya was visibly trembling as she lay there on the biobed and it wasn't because she was cold. All of the horrors she had experienced while with the SSB had come bursting out from behind the wall Logan had helped her build in her mind. All of the effort he had taken to get her to a place where she felt whole and safe was gone in one fell swoop. It would take months or possibly years to get her back to where she had been before...if she could even get there.

"I...I'm not sure..." she told Isabella. "It felt like an eternity..." Her voice cracked and wavered and then she broke down and just began to cry. The only two people she had ever cried in front of were Logan and Isabella. They had both seen her at her most vulnerable and at her weakest. In that way they both knew her better than anyone else in the world.

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Kate crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at Malcolm. "We, more than anyone else in the world, know that Natalya is more than just what is in her file. But that file would have helped prepare you for an event like this. If the helmet was used on her then it's possible that all of Logan's hard work to get her to the point where was this morning is gone and it could take years to get her back to that place."

Malcolm gave Kate a level look. “You let me worry about Natalya alright? I can handle her,” Malcolm said confidently. He didn’t understand why they were being so ominous. He had seen Natalya’s nightmares. He knew what to do when those happened.

Steve flashed a concerned look at Kate but said nothing more about it. Logan shut his door, he needed to get cleaned up and changed his clothes. The ones he had were beyond ruined.

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The biobed began to stitch her wounds and injected her with pain medications and Isabella had ordered a strong sedative as well. For Natalya the bed injected a capsule that dissolved and released medication over time. This was about the only sedative that worked for her for any length of time.

Isabella came over to her and kissed her forehead. “Shhh, shh, Its going to be alright Natalya, your friends are here for you,” Isabella said softly. “You’re safe,” She said as she removed a thermal blanket from the drawer underneath the bed. She laid it across her and made certain that her feet were covered. It was already warm from the bed. It warmed the blankets automatically. She heard the soft sigh from Natalya when she felt the warmth of the blanket settle over her. Isabella reached out and took her hand in hers.

Kate just sighed and shook her head and stepped away to her and Steve's room. She wasn't going to try and argue with Malcolm anymore about it. He clearly didn't want to listen or fully understand what was going on. They were all just lucky that Logan was there. He would know what to do.

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Natalya didn't even wince from the injections. She had experienced far more pain than that of a needle. She felt the pain medication immediately start to work and the sedative as well. Her eye lids began to feel heavy and droop. She heard Isabella's voice, but it seemed distant and muffled. However, she was aware of her comforting presence. Even as the warm blanket was put over her, her body continued to tremble. Isabella would know that that trembling was not from being cold...it was from fear. She would likely, even with the sedation, continue to tremble for hours.

Malcolm had carried a sleeping Natalya to her room. He unclothed her, cleaned her up, dressed her in black panties, black yoga pants and a soft, cotton t-shirt that was actually his. He tucked her into bed, turned out the lights and climbed into bed with her. He kissed her cheek though he knew she’d never feel it then laid down next to her on his pillow.

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“I’ve told the guards to be on guard tonight. I asked Richard to pull an extra shift,” Tony said as he took a sip of bourbon from his glass. “This move by the SSB was a bold one. They really thought they could take her but I don’t think they considered Logan. He tore through them and though they had been prepared for that with their fake police, he wasn’t fooled,” He said. He sat on Isabella’s desk as she sat in the chair. She looked up at him and he knew she was saddened by what had happened. There was little they could do about it now though. What was done was done and now it was a matter of picking up the pieces.

“I didn’t see her come up, is she with Logan, or Malcolm?” He asked her.

Isabella was rather shaken up by everything that had happened. She didn’t argue when Tony handed her a glass of bourbon. She took a sip and let it warm her mouth and throat. Just knowing it was in her hand was enough to relax her somewhat. She listened to what Tony said as she swirled the ice around in the glass. What had happened today with the SSB was extremely bold on their part. She knew that Natalya had injured Tatiana but there was no confirmation that she was dead.

“She’s with Malcolm and very heavily sedated. I’m worried about her Tony. Things like this really screw with her mind and I’m afraid she’s not going to fully recover.”

“Say the word and I’ll pull Malcolm out. This is your show Isabella. I’ll follow your lead babe,” Tony said and leaned down and kissed her lips. It was a gentle, soft kiss. He pulled back just far enough to look into her eyes. “I love you,” He whispered then leaned back and took another sip of his drink.

Later that night the medication had worn off. Malcolm felt Natalya shift and he woke up. He lifted his head from his pillow and looked at her. He saw her shift again and instead of letting whatever was happening play out he lifted up his hand and brushed her cheek. He saw that she was trembling and he began to bring the blanket up. Accidentally he touched her neck.

Natalya's rest was not peaceful. Her dreams were plagued by visions of the horrific torture she had endured throughout her life. She saw herself being raped and beaten over and over again until she almost couldn't stand. She saw the countless numbers of people she had killed. She saw in great detail the first person she had ever been made to kill. She had been 12 and it had been a captured SHIELD agent. The agent had been gagged and bound and Tatiana had forced her to put the muzzle of the gun up against his head. Natalya remembered trembling as she pulled the trigger. Within a year that trembling had stopped.

Natalya felt a hand on her neck and instinctively she moved. She moved quicker than anyone Malcolm had ever seen move before. In a trance she threw him against the wall. She didn't seem to recognize him. Her eyes were almost glazed over. He moved to get up and she grabbed the lamp from the bedside table and smashed it against him. She then took the cord and wrapped it around his neck. Logan would have been able to hear the commotion, but so did Tony and Isabella and Steve and Kate. They all came running.