Summary:Yelena kidnaps Natasha's girlfriend, the infamous vigilante Quake, so that Natasha and Daisy can help her investigate the illegal auction of Terrigen Crystals - but more importantly she kidnapped her sister's girlfriend to spend some quality time on a vacation together. Despite the fact that Daisy and Natasha no longer talk, but that's a minor detail.
Alternatively: Yelena, Yelena's Sister, Yelena's Sister's Sort-of-Ex-Girlfriend and Yelena's 'Not-A-Big-Crush-No-Way' walk into a bar in New York.
Notes:Okay so this mini-fic is a mix of both comedy and actually some quite angsty stuff between Nat and Daisy, so be warned!
Takes place after S3 of Agents of SHIELD and after Black Widow and Civil War. However, in a variation of the timeline, the beginning of Hawkeye also happens at the same time.
For context if you haven't watched S3 of Agents of SHIELD, an inhuman leader called Hive has the power to brainwash other inhumans and releases a sort of dopamine-like chemical into their brains to make them feel connected and happy. Daisy gets infected at the end of the season and betrays SHIELD. Hive plots to make the world full of inhumans by capturing a Kree. At the end he is killed by the inhuman Lincoln flying them in a Quinjet into space where they explode, because of Lincoln's death and her betrayal of SHIELD Daisy leaves at the end of the season and becomes a vigilante, fighting against Watchdogs who hate crime inhumans.
In my timeline Natasha joins SHIELD for S3, and Lincoln is a close friend of Daisy's rather than a love interest.
Chapter 1Chapter Text"What the hell were you thinking!?" Natasha demanded, shoving her way through the front door to the safehouse.
"What, no hello?" Yelena pouted, moving aside so Natasha could continue her angry pacing in the kitchen. Natasha thrust her phone toward her sister, pointing to the photo Yelena had texted her last night – an address with an attached photo of a passed-out Daisy propped up on the bed, one wrist handcuffed to the frame. Daisy's eyes were dark with black eyeshadow, but Natasha could still feel her panic when she first thought they were black eyes.
"Again, what the hell!?" she growled.
"I'm the little sister," Yelena shrugged, "I have to be dramatic sometimes to get your attention."
"You kidnapped my girlfriend!?" Natasha exasperated.
"I thought you said you weren't talking," Yelena smirked.
Natasha just stopped and stared at her, mouth agape before she closed it with a scowl, "It's complicated."
"Sure, it is," Yelena said, turning around casually to pour herself a glass of orange juice, "She's cute, though. You did good."
Natasha shook her head, although she couldn't help the little smile from quirking on her lip at her sister's familiar nonchalance.
A clinking movement sounded above them.
"How likely do you think she is to bring this building down on top of us?" Yelena wondered, sounded a little worried as she peered up at the ceiling.
"Very likely," Nat scowled, grabbing the out-of-date looking coffee from the side, "I'm making coffee. You can try and soften the damage, don't blame me when she kicks your ass."
Yelena laughed, "Ha! My ass, unlikely…"
For all her confidence, she did falter as she trudged up the steps to the main bedroom.
***
Daisy's first instinct was to raise her hand to her head, fighting back a groan at the piercing headache searing through her skull.
She didn't, however, for two reasons. One, she could tell immediately that she wasn't in her van and that there was another person in the room, and two, there was definitly a pair of handcuffs around her wrist.
She calmed her breathing, hoping to fake sleep and gather her bearings. It was a sizable room, a bedroom if she read the vibrations correctly, and a woman was sat in the chair facing the bed. She was calm, despite the rather aggressive situation. The room smelt old, unlived in, as though this was a hideout or a safehouse.
She cast her mind back to last night, she had gone to a bar, after losing a trail of the serial killer and breaking her arm in her attempt to quake away from the scene. Determined to drown out the demons in her head, she remembered the charismatic blonde valley girl in the bar and the shots she enthusiastically placed in her hand, paid for by her rich daddy's card…fuck. She had been so easily compromised.
She tested the handcuffs. They were standard cuffs, but not the fake kind you'd buy in a fancy dress store or the kind you might find a bedroom drawer. So, this chick was serious. She flexed her wrist, she could quake her way out easily, but her broken arm wouldn't like it. She breathed deeply, considering popping her thumb instead.
"I would not do that if I were you," a voice sang to her left. It was female, Russian.
"Why? Because I'll escape," Daisy hissed, finally opening her eyes.
The Russian woman shrugged, "Because you have broken arm and my sister will throw hissy fit."
Daisy was right, it was a bedroom, and she was restrained to the headboard of a standard iron bed. The wooden floor looked old, and the walls were bare, so this house was a safe house – most likely. The blonde woman sat casually in the chair, dressed in the same disarming bohemian as last night – dark wash jeans and a long colourful coat.
Her arms were resting confidentially on her legs, elbow next to a gun holstered on her thigh. A mercenary of some kind? Russian. Not likely Watchdog.
"Sister?" she said, trying to rack her brains for any enemy she knew who was both Russian and had a known sibling, who also wanted to capture her.
"She never said you were slow," the woman scoffed, leaning back in her chair.
"Play nice Yelena."
The gears in Daisy's brain momentarily stopped turning as her head snapped up to the door. Natasha stood in the doorway, her red hair was longer, pulled back into a twisted braid. She was carrying a steaming mug of something. She was wearing Daisy's band hoodie, it had always been a few sizes too big on her, but on Nat it had always looked endearing…
Nat was in the Playground's common area kitchen, humming to herself as she made them both coffee. It was always so peaceful at this time in the morning. Daisy couldn't help but smile, despite the fact that it was still 4:30 in the morning. How could Nat look so calm and awake at 4:30am?
"Mornin," she mumbled, pressing herself against Nat's back, fisting her hands into the pockets at the front of her hoodie, "You're wearing my favourite hoodie."
"It's comfy," Nat replied, "I think I'll keep it."
"Humph," Daisy protested, half-heartedly, "I'll turn one of your designer shirts into a crop top."
Nat turned around, pressing Daisy easily back into the table behind them. Her hands snuck under Daisy's shirt, splaying comfortably around her hips as she contemplated.
"It'll suit you," she said with a smile, rucking up Daisy's shirt just a little and pecking Daisy lightly on the lips. Daisy tried to chase for more, but a disgruntled sound from the doorway startled them both.
"Keep your PDA out of the kitchen," May grumbled, slamming her mug down on the counter, "I don't want to have to sanitise my eyes every morning."
Daisy fought to hide her blush as Nat slowly extracted herself to finish brewing the coffee, the Avenger not rushed in the least at being caught. She and Nat tried to keep their relationship at least a little under the radar, despite the fact that everyone knew they were together the second Nat had come back to the base with her a few months ago. Still, the kitchen was usually empty so early in the morning and the Russian never slept longer than 4 hours at a time.
"I'll be ready for training at 5," Daisy said with a yawn instead of dignifying the comment.
"Good," May said as she turned around with her coffee, "Price is touring the base today, Coulson wants you to be the greeting party."
Daisy groaned. May smiled, as she headed for the door, "My thoughts exactly."
Nat smiled, pressing the mug into her hands, and checking her watch, "We've still got some time."
Daisy smiled, allowing herself to be tugged her back to their room.
"You look…good," Daisy swallowed, bringing her mind back to the present in which she was handcuffed to the bed and Nat was…doing much better than she was, it seemed. 'You look good', hadn't even been on the top ten list of things she wanted to tell Nat if they saw each other again, but it seemed appropriate.
"You look like shit," Nat replied setting down the mug, before turning to the other woman, "The keys, Yelena."
"What if I told you I lost them?" Yelena teased, Nat replying with a string of Russian words within which Daisy only understood the dirtiest ones for…reasons.
Yelena tossed her the keys nonchalantly, leaning forward to study Daisy as Nat approached with the keys to unlock the cuffs. Daisy looked away, unwilling to watch as Nat walked closer, determined to ignore the soft feeling of her hands against her wrist, or the tickle of her hair or the familiar perfume that Daisy only knew was expensive because she'd tried to find it as a gift for Christmas..
"Thanks," she muttered when her wrist was released, sitting up straighter in the bed. Her back muscles ached, her side a myriad of bruises from where a super juiced Watchdog thug had thrown her into a wall, and her broken arm throbbed.
She hadn't had time to put it in a cast yet, but she knew it would need setting.
"We should take a look at that arm," Nat said, seeing the way Daisy cradled it to her chest, and reading her body language to see she was in enough pain for it to affect her movements. She tried not to think about the bruise adorning Daisy's cheek, or how her heavy eye make-up looked smudged with tears.
"It's fine," Daisy muttered, but Nat was digging through the chest of drawers, coming up quickly with a first aid kit. Daisy eyes returned to the blonde woman – Yelena, who was openly watching them with curiosity.
She had said sister, but besides the confidence of a trained assassin, and the thick Russian accent, Daisy would not have seen a strong resemblance.
"You never said you had a sister," Daisy said to Nat, trying and failing to keep the petulance out of her voice at the fact. They had dated for a year, and Nat had never mentioned a sister in all that time. Daisy had told her everything about her parents, and what was left of them.
"No, I didn't," Nat replied, her voice level and even, implying to Daisy that it wasn't an intentional omission on her part, which was rather confusing. She motioned for Daisy to take off her leather jacket, Daisy bit her cheek, wanting to protest but knowing that she wouldn't get out of this either way.
She shrugged the jacket off, studying Nat as she kept her face impassive, despite the fact that she knew that her tank top did nothing to hide how her arms were adorned with deep purple bruising from the backs of her hands to the tops of her shoulders.
"We spent time together in Ohio when we were little," Yelena chimed in, fiddling with a fidget spinner she had hidden in her big coat.
Daisy frowned, hissing as Nat rubbed a cotton bud over her arms, hitting a few shallow cuts. Nat had spent time in Ohio when she was little? Of course, Daisy knew about the Red Room, and she had never pried for answers, understanding that she didn't have to know every tiny detail of her trauma there. But somehow knowing that as a child Nat had spent a significant potion of time in Ohio, in America, was jarring.
"And you were sisters? In Ohio?" Daisy questioned, ignoring Nat's gentle ministrations, as she skilfully wrapped a bandage around her wrists. It was only a temporary measure, and she had a feeling Nat would soon force her into a plaster cast.
"It was an undercover mission," Nat finally said, voice even as she moved to work on her forehead, placing a little butterfly bandage over the cut on her brow. Her breath blew softly over her temple and Daisy clenched her jaw, looking at the dust motes as they spilled through the window instead of her face, "Deep undercover. It was…effective to use children. A nuclear family raises a lot less questions, especially in America. I was 11 when it ended, Yelena was 6. It only lasted three years."
Daisy knew Nat well enough to hear the missing 'and I wish it were longer'. She could fill in the blanks. An undercover mission in America, playing an All-American family would have been a big reprieve for a little Natasha, used to violence at every corner and it was unlikely she had met with that kind of ruthlessness in Ohio. Daisy's hurt ached for her, her own memories of the Brody's rising into her mind, a time in her life she so rarely thought about now.
She understood why Nat would not have told her about this. It wasn't as though she had told Nat about any of her foster siblings, save a mention of Matt sometimes.
She nodded, "I see."
Nat pursed her lips, but Yelena let out a disbelieving scoff, "No, you don't."
Daisy raised her eyes to her, "I lived with 13 different families before I ran away from the system," she said calmly, not allowing Nat's little sister to get the rise she wanted out of her, "I know my childhood is not the same, but I know what it is like to be a part of a family and have it ripped away."
Yelena said nothing, going back to staring at her fidget spinner as it span at a deadly speed in her hands, transferring it between her fingers fluidly.
Nat reached her shoulders and Daisy sucked in a breath. Nat's fingers gently tracing over the bullet scar in her right shoulder. She heard Nat's breath suck in sharply and saw the way her eyebrows furrowed together in regret.
Nat had finally found Daisy, skulking in the lab, protecting Hive's experiment with the Kree. Nat's heart pounded in her chest. She knew how dangerous Daisy was. She knew how easy it had been for her to bury the Playground under rubble.
That creature was messing with her head, but this was still Daisy. It had to be.
"Daisy," she breathed out, imploring her girlfriend with her eyes, despite the gun she had pointed at her, "This isn't you. Please-"
"I know this is hard for you to hear, but this is me," Daisy interrupted, stalking forward a few steps, anger and determination on her face, "I'm not lost anymore. You can stop trying to save me."
"I'm not trying to save you, Daisy," Nat said firmly, "I'm trying to bring you home."
"Is it my home?" Daisy argued, "Did I even have a choice to be with SHIELD? I was a hacker, not a soldier. I don't need your help or your pity now. I'm not the lost girl you can rescue to make yourself feel better."
"I'm here because you're sick, ribka," Nat implored her.
"Don't call me that," Daisy sneered, eyes flashing dangerously. Nat took a step forward, seeing the way Daisy took a firm step back. Nat's heart plummeted, terrified that the creature had twisted their relationship, taken advantage of a brainwashed Daisy. She would be so vulnerable…
"The Parasite, it's messing with your head. This isn't you."
"How do you know it isn't?" Daisy argued, "How do I know you're not messing with my head right now! Hive says it, you were trained to manipulate people, how do I know you're not doing that to me right now?"
"Because I love you!" Nat cried, "I would never do that to you, you know I wouldn't! You know it."
"Then why are you pointing a gun at me!" Daisy growled. Nat faltered, biting her tongue before raising her hand, the gun pointed upward before dropping it on the floor. She nudged it away with her feet.
If Daisy was in her right mind she would know Nat always carried two.
"You should leave," Daisy said, her voice cold, "Unless you're going to join me. You should leave."
"I'm not going to leave you," Nat said, "I know part of you wants to come back to me. That's how I found you."
"What are you talking about?" Daisy snapped.
"Three hours ago, we received security footage of you outside this garage. It sent a red flag up our system, the same system you helped create."
"So, what... you think that I meant for this to happen? For you to come after me?"
"It wasn't an accident. Something inside you is resisting."
"I slipped up because I wasn't thinking like a spy anymore, because I don't need to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent anymore. I have a new purpose."
"You've always been more than just a SHIELD agent to me, Daisy."
"Am I?" Daisy sneered, "Or am I a superhero to you too? Just another Avenger to manipulate and do your dirty work? I am happy now, isn't that what you wanted for me? You know what it's like to feel lost, why can't you just be happy for me?"
Natasha swallowed down her hurt, "What you're feeling...it's not real. He's going to kill you, Daisy. He doesn't care."
"I belong with him, with them. This is just the way the way the world was meant to be."
"Not my world," Nat said calmly, in her peripheral she could see Mack had caught up with her, and she stopped stalling, "I love you." She said, before gripping the disk from her sleeve and throwing it at The Kree on the exam table. It disintegrated under the weapon. Daisy looked on in shock.
She knew as soon as Daisy whirled around to her, snarl on her lip, that it was going to hurt. Daisy threw out her arm, blasting her backward. She tried to twist in mid-air, tried to regain her senses as her legs were swept out from under her, but the force of the quake was crushing. It crushed against her ribcage, stealing her air and so forceful that she was pinned, tossed like a ragdoll. All she could do was relax her muscles and brace herself.
She hit the concrete with a crack, her body crumpling as soon as she made impact, head smacking against the ground soon after. The pain immediately ricocheted up her spine, her hip bearing the brunt of the fall. She bit her lip to hold in the scream. Her hip bone was shattered, she knew it within seconds and a concussion likely raged through her skull. There was no way she could walk, no way she could even crawl away as Daisy advanced on her rage.
Mack blindsided Daisy, knocking her to the ground with a solid punch. She rounded on him, letting loose her fury as she knocked him to the ground, straddling his chest as she pounded his face, over and over again. She had murder in her eyes and Mack was yelling. Nat reached for her hidden holster, grabbing her pistol with shaking arms. She breathed deeply, pushing down the agony to aim straight and fighting against her blurred vision.
She wouldn't let Daisy kill Mack.
She pulled the trigger. Daisy flew back off of Mack, clutching her shoulder. Nat was losing consciousness, but she could see the containment pod landing, her vision blacking out as soon as May had her arms around her shoulders and lifted her off the ground.
Nat swallowed as she looked at the bullet scar on Daisy. Nat was grateful it had healed well. After…everything, she hadn't had a chance to see if her shot had landed well or if it had caused any damage. She knew from May and Coulson that Daisy hadn't left her side throughout the time she was in a coma, that she had barely eaten or slept. Daisy had stayed until she was awake, and then she was gone the next day.
Daisy looked away, reaching for the bottle of vodka sticking out of the first aid bag. She knocked back a few swigs, enough that Yelena whistled in awe.
"Don't you think that's enough," Nat chided, opting not to pull the bottle from Daisy's hands, despite itching to do so.
"What do you care?" Daisy mumbled harshly, "You should hate me."
"A lot, Daisy," Nat said, "I care about you a lot."
Yelena observed silently, the little crinkle on her brow and downward turn of her lips betraying her concern for the pair. Yelena had thought it would be at least amusing to see her sister fumble to explain her relationship with Quake, she'd teased her relentlessly for it in St Petersburg, but this went deeper than she realised.
Nat caught Daisy eyeing her hip subtly, and Daisy could sense that there was a metal joint in her hip. She swallowed, pain and regret tormenting her at the knowledge.
"Helen Cho did an excellent job," Nat muttered, "Good as new."
Daisy shook her head, "I hurt you."
Nat wasn't going to dignify that with a response. It was true, they both knew that. Yelena sensed the tension building in the room and couldn't stand it much longer.
"I parked your van out front," Yelena said, "Don't worry I am good driver. Only few scratches."
Daisy had to bite back her scoff at the sudden change of tone, but gladly took the distraction, "Wow, are you even old enough to have a license?"
She laughed, "Old enough to seduce you at a bar."
"Seduce?" Nat questioned, bristling defensively.
"You did not seduce-" Daisy protested.
"Did too!" Yelena argued, "You were totally checking me out."
"I was using you for the drinks," Daisy defended, "Which, thank you, by the way."
She smiled, eyes twinkling, "It's okay I know I'm hot."
"That is not-"
"Why are we here?" Nat interrupted, turning to Yelena, "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see you, but why."
"There is an auction," Yelena explained, "In New York City. Lots of rich bastards like to bid on things they shouldn't, like Chitarui blasters and Stark Tech or even Terrigen Crystals."
Daisy snapped to attention.
"I thought it would be a good idea to bring along someone who can touch one without turning to dust. Plus," Yelena shrugged again, her signature smile on her lips, "I thought it would be fun to have a family reunion and I've never been to New York."
Chapter 2Chapter Text"Let's just get this over with," Daisy sighed, wrenching open the driver's door to her van. It was fairly smart on the outside, polished brown and a bit of upgrade from her previous beat up blue one.
Nat's expression pinched tighter at Daisy's obviously resigned demeanour, a part of her saddened by Daisy's reluctance to spend time with her. She knew logically that Daisy was distancing herself (and Natasha heavily suspected was also willing to hurt herself) in penance for everything that happened, but her heart only saw her (girlfriend? ex-girlfriend? they'd never broken up) pushing her away.
In short, it hurt. A lot.
Yelena wiped a finger over the exterior, nodding at the shine, "It is a nice ride."
Nat jerked her thumb to force Yelena into the back, who rolled her eyes, as Nat climbed into the front.
The interior of the van was another confirmation to Nat that Daisy wasn't looking after herself well. Although there had obviously been an attempt to hide it, there were still empty take-out bags, plastic from Band-Aids, what looked suspiciously like multiple empty pill bottles. Bone healing pills, in all likelihood.
The brief glance she could get of the back through the white lace curtain showed a tired air mattress, the SHIELD logo peeling off the corner. The humming of the file servers that took up most of the space kicking to life when Daisy started the ignition, alongside a wall of neatly stacked files.
The silver bee necklace that she'd gotten Daisy for Christmas swung from the rear-view mirror as she pulled away from the curb. She'd deliberated over it but decided Daisy probably wouldn't want a little fish on a necklace. Nat eyed it cautiously, Daisy saw her gaze fall on it but turned her eyes back to the road. Natasha wondered if Daisy knew she had hidden a tracker in there and was playing ignorant or if she really had no idea.
Natasha did feel bad about the deception, but not for keeping tabs on her.
Natasha tried to reign in her annoyance, feign interest as Senator Ross lectured the Avengers like children. She could sense Steve's irritation next to her as he paid Ross his undivided attention. This wasn't good, this was far from good, especially after the PR disaster that was Lagos.
"The world owes the Avengers an un-payable debt," Ross continued on, "You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives… but while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some…" Natasha almost rolled her eyes – 'some' indeed, "who would prefer the word "vigilantes".
She stiffened, he was looking at her. She knew who those words were targeted for. She cocked her head, determined to make him squirm, "And what word would you use, Mr Secretary?"
He noticed her slight mockery of him, she could tell by the flash of irritation in his eyes, but his façade barely shifted.
" How about "dangerous"?" he said, "What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?"
He'd prepared a little PowerPoint, how cute. Steve straightened in his seat as scenes of destruction rolled behind the Secretary.
"New York," he listed, Rhodey catching eyes with her, regret written on his face. "Washington DC. Sokovia. Lagos."
Wanda stiffened, Natasha seeing her demeanour sadden as the footage rolled, but it was soon replaced again by:
"Quake."
It was her turn to bristle as Ross' eyes bored straight into her own. She grit her teeth, jaw clenching as scenes of the bridge collapse and the headlines 'Quake takes down bank' tore across the screen. Vigilante. She'd seen the news reports, of course she'd seen them. She felt the eyes of the room rest hotly upon her.
Steve – always the diplomat, stepped in for both their discomfort, "Okay, that's enough."
Ross relented. "For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution."
Nat eyed the thick document he placed in front of Wanda with disdain.
"The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries . . . it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."
Nat shook her head, too slow. 117 agreeing on one mission would be too slow.
"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that," Steve protested.
Ross finished his pacing to come to stand between her and Steve, she tried not to let that bother her as much as it did.
"Tell me Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?"
Steve met his eyes steadily, not cowering like Ross wanted.
Ross placed a hand on her shoulder, and she stiffened, "And Miss Romanoff over here, do you know where our beloved Quake is?"
She refused to even acknowledge that.
"If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes . . . you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."
"So, there are contingencies," Rhodey said.
"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords," Ross stated, "Talk it over."
"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Nat couldn't help but say, subtly shrugging his hand from her shoulder.
"Then you retire."
Cute. She bit back her smile.
Natasha glanced to Daisy as she drove them further away from the city. Daisy was refusing to acknowledge both her staring and Yelena's pestering for them to play American Pie.
She wondered what side Daisy would have chosen, and whether she'd agree with hers…
"There's no decision-making process here," Tony stated, looking around the room as they debated what to do, "We need to be put in check! Let's just say, for example, oh I don't know, your girlfriend?" He gestured to Nat, "She's an Avenger gone rogue. We should be going after her. Why aren't we?"
"Every single government agency is on her case," Steve argued, "She's been evading SHIELD for months. What difference does it make for us to get involved? All that besides, she isn't harming civilians, she's still fighting for good."
"Not harming civilians?" Tony scoffed, "There are always casualties in destruction. Do you not watch the news? Guy found bleeding out in his hospital bed, and Daisy just happens to be jumping out of that exact hospital window? She's tarnishing our name as we speak."
He shook his head, eyes flashing dangerously, "And let's not forget what she did to Nat."
Nat swallowed, taking a deep breath to centre herself. It was a sore topic between them all – Nat flying in on a SHIELD quinjet with a busted hip, needing Stark's extensive rehab facilities before she could even walk on her own again. It didn't take her as long as it would the average person, but it was still a huge shock for her and the team.
"Daisy's hurting," Steve defended, "She just needs time. And we know that wasn't her fault, she wasn't in her right mind just like-"
"Your Hydra best bud?" Tony snapped.
Sam put a hand to Steve's shoulder to calm him down, circling back to Daisy as he said, "The more fire power we send to take Daisy down, the more damage we'll cause. She's not a large enough scale threat yet to risk that."
"You're not even trying to find her though, are you?" Tony accused.
"She doesn't want to be found," Natasha replied calmly, tracing patterns on the desk in front of her.
"I know you know exactly where she is," Tony asserted.
Nat held his gaze, not given him any reaction. Of course, she knew where Daisy was. She was in a van, parked by a convenience store in LA.
"Daisy is SHIELD's problem," Rhodey insisted, "We got problems of our own."
"So, who do we class as an Avenger and who don't we?" Sam frowned, "Was there some kind of subscription I didn't sign up for? Do you guys get a free gym pass?"
"This is the problem," Steve argued, "We give power over to the UN and it's not just our rights that we sign over – it's all enhanced people's rights. Including the inhumans. Including ordinary citizens who don't want to be soldiers."
" If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later," Tony urged, "To all enhanced. That's the fact. That won't be pretty, so it's best to bite the bullet now."
"Maybe Tony's right," Nat muttered, against her better instincts.
Tony whipped around, surprised.
"If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off…"
Daisy was going to hate her for allowing it, but if she could soften the blow first, it might not be so bad. They'd have inside help.
"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam rebutted.
"I'm just - I'm reading the terrain. We have made some very public mistakes – together and alone. We need to win trust back," she explained, "Hate crimes have been growing as well as the numbers of enhanced. If people believe we are under control, we might actually get to take some control back."
"Focus up," Tony said, ruining the moment as per usual, "I'm sorry, did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?
"Oh, I want to take it back now."
Daisy clenched the steering wheel, Nat eyeing her warily as her broken arm must be agitated.
"Maybe we should take turns," she offered. Daisy gave her the side eye, it'd had only been an hour or so.
"I'm fine," she bit back.
Yelena pulled a face behind Daisy before turning to ransacking Daisy's cabinets.
"Stop that," Nat chastened.
"I'm looking for snacks," she pouted.
"There's a pack of chips under the seat," Daisy nodded to Natasha, who fished it out and threw the packet to Yelena.
"Yes! Hot Cheetos!" Yelena celebrated, "My favourite," before tearing open the packet. She studied the two of them as she munched on more Cheetos.
"So Quake," Yelena said, around a mouthful, "Who did you side with in the Avenger's family divorce? Mum or Dad?"
Natasha bristled. Daisy clenched her jaw.
"Wasn't my fight," she muttered, "I'm not an Avenger."
Yelena scoffed, "Not an Avenger my ass. You're just as much of a poser as she is," jerking her head to Natasha who scowled. Yelena mimed holding up her hand and made 'quaking' noises, "It's cheating, but your superpower is cool."
"I can flatten you without them," Daisy growled, Yelena only snorting in response.
Daisy took a deep breath, focusing on the road ahead instead.
"I am surprised they never got you involved," Nat mused after a while, "It was messy."
Daisy let out her breath, remembering the way Steve had knocked politely on the door to her van. His eyes full of concern for her as he saw the state of it.
"Steve tried to recruit me," Daisy admitted, "He tracked me down somehow, even bought me a meal and everything. Said I needed to eat healthier."
"You told him no," Nat said.
There was a silence as Daisy gathered thoughts, remembering her instant anger at hearing of the accords until Steve told her who agreed and who didn't.
"You sided with Tony," Daisy said softly, "I won't be able to live with myself if I hurt you again."
Nat nodded solemnly, she really wanted to reach out to Daisy and hold her hand, even place a steadying hand on her thigh, but she kept her hands tightly fisted in her lap. Mostly because she was scared of the rejection she'd feel when Daisy shrugged her off.
She wanted to tell her that she was already hurting her, but she didn't. Because she understood what Daisy was trying to do, as stupid as it was.
They lapsed into silence, Yelena pestering them until Daisy finally allowed her to turn the janky old radio on. Yelena quietly hummed along to the songs as she grew more restless, until Daisy swerved a little and she perked up.
"It's still another three hours to the meet-up point," Yelena pointed out, "You seem tired. We should take turns – it's only fair."
Daisy sighed, pulling over to the side of the road and giving up to pile into the back of the van. Her arm was killing her and being stubborn would only get them into an accident. Plus her head was still pounding from whatever cocktail of drugs Nat's terrifying younger sister had spiked her with.
"Don't worry your baby is in safe hands," Yelena smirked.
A few moments later.
"OH MY GOD SLOW DOWN!" Natasha yelled, grabbing onto the steering wheel as Yelena flew down the highway.
"Yelena!" she barked when her infuriating little sister just put her foot on the gas harder.
"What?" Yelena said, smirking as Nat panicked more.
"Yelena, we are trying not to get caught, slow the fuck down."
"You're such a mom," Yelena muttered, but eased off the acceleration.
Daisy breathed a sigh of relief as they slowed to the legal limit.
"Wake me when we get there," Daisy muttered, settling down onto the thin mattress as the sun grew to much for her eyes. The vibrations from the engine were calming as she finally allowed her exhaustion to carry her away.
**
"What happened between you two?" Yelena asked quietly, turning to glance at the sleeping superhero in the back. Natasha had demanded she take the wheel as soon as Daisy fell asleep and Yelena didn't have the heart to complain when she saw the familiar protective look in Nat's eyes.
"Mind control," Natasha sighed, turning off down a side road. Rick had agreed to drop off a small plane for them, with a few favours cashed in of course.
"You've got to be kidding me," Yelena growled, "I thought we were done with that shit."
"Not Red Room," Nat clarified, "Alien."
"Alien?" Yelena repeated in disbelief, "You're pulling my leg."
"I'm serious," Nat muttered, "After Sokovia, I went back to SHIELD a bit, it was good….for a while," She smiled softly, "But it turns out Hydra were kind of right, there is this creature out there with wiggly legs called Hive that they worship. Well the Hydra idiots brought it to earth, and it turns out it can mind control people like Daisy. She was infected. She…I gather it was like being doped up. She didn't want to come back, because it felt good, even when she was hurting me."
"Shit," Yelena cursed softly.
"She ran away before I could even tell her I forgive her."
"You do?" Yelena asked, "Forgive her, I mean?"
Nat sighed, adjusting her grip on the steering wheel, "Of course I do, it wasn't her fault. But I'm angry that this is how she's coping, she's going to kill herself."
"She did kind of have a death wish," Yelena admitted, "For a superspy she was too easy to compromise. She was sad."
"I don't know how to make it better," Nat admitted, running a hand through her hair. Yelena rested a hand on her shoulder.
"You'll figure it out."
Natasha pulled up to the plane, assessing the area quickly before shutting off the lights and turning off the engine,
"I hope so."
Daisy woke up as soon as the engine turned off, Yelena turning to her with a smile – Natasha was always envious of her easily she switched to playful, "Wake up sleepy head, we've got a flight to catch."
**
Daisy did her best to research the auction on the 5hr flight to New York, able to gather that the auction was at a party ran by Eleanor Bishop, and that she had a daughter who had a terrible track record for criminal damage with her college. Daisy rolled her eyes – rich kids.
The rest of the journey was finished in quiet, even Yelena growing tired as they drove to the safe house in New York. Nat scoped it out first, but Daisy didn't sense anything amiss from the vibrations anyway. It was a classic grungy apartment in Brooklyn, exposed brick and chilly hardwood floors with only a few shifty looking neighbours.
It was, however, rather small.
"Oh look," Yelena drawled sarcastically, dumping her bag on the floor, "There's only one bed."
"I'll take the couch," both Natasha and Daisy said immediately.
"No, no," Yelena shook her head with a fake pout, as she flopped down onto the couch, "I could not do that to you, big sis. Your bones, they are so old."
Nat nudged her hip with the toe of her boot, "Lena, move."
"No," Yelena said simply, closing her eyes, "See I am already sleepy. It is rude to move me now."
"I can take the floor," Daisy sighed, ready to pull the blankets off the be.
"No don't be silly," Nat argued, "Your arm is hurt. You are not sleeping on the floor. I can."
"No, I'm not letting you-"
"For God's sake," Yelena muttered, eyes still closed, "Both of you take the goddam bed."
Nat pulled a face at her, but Yelena flipped her the middle finger, sensing the expression. Nat turned to Daisy, eyes searching for permission, but Daisy just slumped to the bed in defeat. Yelena was right, they weren't going to win in that argument.
Nat nodded, moving over to the bathroom first.
She slipped into bed not long after, Daisy already tucked in and facing away from her, determined to be as far away as she possibly could. Nat didn't say anything as she raised the sheets and slid in next to her, Daisy's heart rate rising and thudding in her chest as the bed dipped and she thought of the warmth of Nat's skin and how close she was. She wanted to reach out so bad.
She was so lonely.
She could still feel the ache grow in her chest, the space between them a canyon of three feet. She just wanted to be held again, but it was all her fault. She deserved this distance, Nat was safer this way.
She had to keep her safe.
Series this work belongs to:← Previous Work Part 4 of If Skye Had Met Black Widow