The Black Widow (September 2002)

Natalya felt truly overwhelmed and unsure of everything. She felt lost, but she knew in her heart that she had once trusted James and so she would have to trust him again. Everything was hazy in her mind, but she knew one thing for certain...the SSB was going to be hunting for her. She would need to hide from them.

She looked back into James' eyes and then she slowly nodded. She didn't know where he was going to take her, or what exactly was going to happen to her, but she knew that James would take care of her.

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Steve had ended up taking Kate back to the Tower. Thankfully, Tony and Isabella were there by the time Steve got back. Isabella was shocked to see the condition Kate was in and they quickly took her down to the medical suite to put her in one of the high tech medical beds that Tony had built.

"What happened?" Isabella asked Steve urgently.

Steve was thankful Tony and Isabella were there but also, troubled that the kids were as well. “I need the kids, not to hear this,” Steve said as he gazed over to where the kids were. Serena and Theo had been watching the projector and they were looking at them. They had seen him bring in Kate. Tony only gestured to them and the kids turned of the screen, got up and went to their rooms. Tony turned back to Steve. “Alright,” He said knowing he was not going to like what he was about to hear.

Steve explained everything that happened. Explained about Natalya and her wanting to find James. How she tortured and beat Kate and, unfortunately, how James had her downstairs and was waiting for his go ahead to bring her up.

Tony goggled. “What the hell? Steve, this is not the ‘tower’ of misfit killers! My children live here!” Tony said angrily. “Your children would understand more than anyone Tony. Natalya was raped, beaten and brutalized since she was a child to be a perfect weapon for the SSB. Kate didn’t want me to hurt her and James wants us to help her. You accepted James and he has asked for your help,” Steve said.

Isabella knew that Kate needed medical attention quickly. She was rather surprised that Steve had allowed Bucky to bring Natalya to the Tower, but she also knew that there really wasn't any other place for them to go. However, she also knew that this was her home and the home of her children and she wanted to ensure that they were safe. This would need to be a more serious discussion, but her focus right now was on Kate.

She pulled Tony aside for a moment to talk to him. "Natalya is handcuffed and James will be with her. Let's just let him bring her up and secure her into a room for now. That way we can focus on helping Kate."

Tony looked and felt confused. “How does inviting a murdering secret agent into our home, ALLOW us to be able to focus on anything?” He asked but he saw Isabella’s face. THey didn’t have the time to sort it all out right then and so Tony reluctantly relented.

“Alright, fine. But for the record, this is a terrible idea!” He said. Steve invited them up.

Kate was in the bio bed and the bed injected her with pain medications and anti-swelling drugs. Steve was there and he brought her something cold to drink. Isabella was cleaning her wounds as Steve gave her some ice water from a straw.

Meanwhile Tony waited for James and Natalya to come up. He pointed toward the secured apartment that James had been in when he first arrived. James only nodded and brought Natalya there and removed the handcuffs.

“There’s a first aid kit in the closet, you need to set and immobilize that wrist,” James said. “I could do it for you,” He said.

Isabella was just as stressed as Tony was about allowing Natalya into their home, but she needed to be able to take care of Kate, and that meant not standing around debating it. "So the record shall reflect," Isabella said with an irritated sigh as she waited for Steve to invite them up. He continued to carry Kate in his arms and they got her into a bio bed, which immediately activated and began to scan her and evaluate her injuries.

Isabella walked over to Steve to talk to him softly. "Have you called Phil yet?"

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Natalya said nothing as she was brought up into the Tower. She was resigned to whatever fate was before her. If the Avengers or SHIELD didn't kill her, then the SSB would. James led her into a secured room. At first, Natalya thought there were windows in the room, but she quickly realized that they weren't real. They were impressive simulations though and the artificial light it produced felt like natural light. She noted the heavy locks that were on the outside of the door. The furniture was minimal, but there was a bathroom, as well as a small refrigerator and microwave.

Natalya's wrist ached, although she tried to ignore the pain she felt. As James removed the handcuffs she brought her wrist around to look at it. It was swollen and bruised. Natalya was naturally right handed, but, in order to be more efficient and ready for anything, she had been taught to be ambidextrous. However, if she set the wrist herself, then James would probably leave and for some reason she didn't want him to.

"You can do it," she finally said softly.

“No, not yet. I’m not certain what to tell them,” Steve said. KateMs eye looked bad but he had seen worse. But this was Kate. His Kate, his love.

“I’ll talk to Kate about it. “ he said. “I’m sorry, for putting you and your family through all this. I don’t know how to make this right,” Steve said.

———————

James set her wrist and Natalya didn’t even flinch. He bandaged it up and immobilized it. All through t neither of them spoke. Natalya sat on the couch and James sat across from her on the ottoman.

“You’ll want to take an anti-inflamatory, I’ll get you some water,” he said as he took out the bottle of Tylenol from the kit. He moved to the kitchen and filled a glass with water from the two then returned. He opened the pill bottle and handed her the pills and then the glass.

“So they will try to come for you. I know Hydra tried to take the kids...You haven’t met them...yet,” he said. “Will you give me your word you will not harm yourself or try to escape? Tony and Isabella are good and fair people Natalya. They know what’s been done to you. Everyone does,” he said softly.

Isabella looked at Steve. She could tell he was upset over what had happened to Kate. She couldn't blame him. She was upset over it. She glanced over at Kate and saw that she was asleep. She looked back at Steve. "We'll figure everything out together. Just focus on helping Kate heal."

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Natalya took the pills that James gave her. She swallowed them down and then instinctively opened her mouth to show James that she had swallowed them. Once she realized what she was doing she blushed ever so slightly from embarrassment and put the glass of water down. "Sorry...force of habit. Tatiana always wanted to be sure I had swallowed the pills she gave me. I can only guess that one time I didn't and she caught me." She sighed and rubbed her head. "All of my memories are jumbled together. Some seem whole, but others are just bits and pieces."

James felt himself get irritated when she mentioned Tatiana but it didn’t show on his face or how he acted. “Don’t ever mention that name again, Natalya. You don’t mention the SSB and I don’t mention Hyrda. They’ve destroyed us, taken away everything. We only have one life to live and we were forced to hurt and murder. That all changes today. I got some help...freedom from the things in my head. I am trying to fit in here, to be a friend to Steve. And to the Starks. I think it’s working. Its a slow process, but its working,” he said as he looked at her.

“No one here will make you do anything you don’t want to do. And this place is a fortress. You are safe here Natalya. So I will only say this once. The only way they’ll turn you out is if you fuck up. And then SHIELD or the SSB or Hydra will have both of us. Because until I remember, I’m not letting you go so easily,” James said.

Later that night Isabella was with Tony in their bedroom. Steve had moved Kate to his room and had told Isabella that he was going to call Phil in the morning to tell him what happened. James had brought some food to Natalya, but was now back in his room. Isabella had washed her face and put on her nightgown. She sat down on the edge of the bed and began to rub her night cream onto her arms and legs. She glanced over her shoulder at Tony.

"So, I suppose we need to make a decision about Natalya."

Tony put down his magazine. “Ya think? Since when did we become a halfway house for murdering psychopaths? We need to think about our family Isabella. We might not trust SHIELD but we certainly have to work with them. And like it or not, we need the cooperation of them, the CIA, the FBI and the police. The government. James was bad enough, a Soviet terrorist and assassin? This is serious trouble for us Isabella. You need to get that straight in your head. The people they work for tried to take our children. Theo could have died,” Steve said. He spoke louder than he had to because he was still very upset about all of this.

Isabella sighed as she listened to her husband. She knew in many ways he was right, but there was this nagging feeling in the back of her mind. She turned and looked at him. "The logical side of me says that you are right, but the mother side of me knows what was done to her and I know that it wasn't her fault. She never chose this life. It was chosen for her by sick, twisted people that manipulated and abused her. I know that she's done a lot of horrible things, but that was the SSB controlling her. She's not being controlled by them anymore. I want to give her a chance Tony."

Now Tony sighed as he thought about it all. "Isabella, we don't always get a do over or a chance. I know it sucks what happened to her and James but we have a responsibility to ourselves, our family and everything we do. I know what happened to them is horrible but a setback could mean someone dies. Would you offer Theo...or Serena as sacrifice to see if you're right? Because if you're wrong, someone could die. I just don't know babe....I just don't know," He said.

Isabella got up and began to pace a little. This was a decision that they both needed to agree on and be comfortable with. She wasn't going to force Tony to do something he didn't want to do. That would just lead to resentment. "So, what exactly do you suggest we do? Kill her? Turn her over to SHIELD and let them kill her? Because you know that's what they would do."

“No, you’re not going to guilt me Isabella. Not where my family is concerned! I’m not the people who trained her and I didn’t bring her here!” He said angrily and moved and put on his robe. Isabella would know what that meant. He was angry with her and he was going to go to his lab. I’m a husband and a father. I don’t have the luxury to hope for the best. I’ve done everything I can to keep you all safe. She’s a loaded weapon Isabella. Just you remember that!” Tony said.

Sometimes Isabella’s heart was in the right place but Tony thought she was making a grave mistake this time. Both her and Steve. He didn’t care much for James either and he certainly didn’t trust him. Theo and Serena were not allowed to be alone with him. Tony put on his slippers.

Isabella sighed and got up as well and put on her robe. She looked at her husband. “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty Tony. I’m asking you honestly what you want us to do. We can’t just turn her out onto the street because if something happened to someone then that would be on us. Do you want me to call SHIELD and have them come and pick her up?”

"Oh, that would go over well. James is Steve's friend and Steve would likely leave. And if she hurts or kills someone, it will be our fault. If SHIELD comes to try and take her she might just go over the edge. And we're not in the practice of just killing people Isabella. Tony furled his brow as he closed his eyes to think. They couldn't keep her prisoner either, their home was not a prison. "I need to think," Tony said and left Isabella there and stepped quickly out into the main living area and headed toward the lab. Serena was there nuking a glass of milk. Tony saw her and moved toward her. He calmed his features as he stepped into the kitchen.

"And what are you doing up? This IS a school night young lady," Tony said but in all honesty, he was pleased to see her and to talk to her. Anything to get his mind off the situation they were in right then.

Isabella sighed and watched Tony leave. She knew better than to follow him. She took off her robe and got into bed and turned off the light. She tried to sleep, but she knew it was going to be difficult. She felt completely torn about this situation. She knew this was her home and her children were here and it was a great risk allowing Natalya to stay here. However, she also believed Natalya wasn’t inherently evil. James had proved that, so why couldn’t Natalya?

Serena knew that something big was happening. She could sense a lot of tension in the Tower. She wondered if it had to do with the dark haired woman that they had brought in. She had seen Kate and wondered if that woman had done that to her.

She had wandered to the kitchen to get something to drink. She heard someone walk in and looked over to see her father there. “I just can’t sleep.” She was quiet a moment before speaking again. “Is everything alright?”

Tony sort of expected Serena to ask that, she was very intelligent and observant anyway. That and Theo had made himself scarce. That was telling as well. Could he sense something and didn’t want to talk about it? Likely so Tony thought. The boy could sense alot from just being near people. It seemed to grow stronger the older he got. Tony worried about him. Theo was having emotional issues because of the things he saw and felt from people.

Tony shrugged. “There’s always something happening kiddo, nothing for you to worry about. Is the milk for you or Theo?” He asked dryly. It would be just like Theo to send her out to get it for him so no one would think he was having trouble sleeping again. He didn’t ‘really’ answer her question though.

Serena took note that her father didn't really answer her question. That was very much like him when it involved something potentially dangerous. She knew better than to push him for an answer though. The microwave beeped and she pulled out the mug and glanced at her father when he asked her if it was for Theo or herself. "It's for Theo," she answered honestly. However, she was also having trouble sleeping.

Serena was about to leave when she stopped and turned and looked at him for a moment. "Dad, the Avengers were formed to help people. It seems to me that this woman needs help. I know that you and Mom will make the right call, but I think you need to follow your gut on this. Theo and I will be fine."

She then turned and walked away and took the milk to Theo's room.