Now that the destination was clear and they had no reason to question Alexei further, Katya feared he would keep rambling nonsense the whole trip to St. Petersburg. With possibly her also included in all that rambling. 

He certainly had an opinion about her. She could see it in the way he studied her. And she wasn't sure if it was because he blamed her for pulling Natasha into ''the Western agenda'', because Natasha was married to a woman, or because he blamed Katya for turning her soft. She would undoubtedly find out which one it was eventually. He sucked at keeping his thoughts to himself.

But her confidence and self-worth had already gotten a big blow with his comment earlier, and she couldn't guarantee she wouldn't attack him if he said something like that again. Or that Natasha would. He wasn't someone who saw his own mistakes quickly.

Luckily, he decided to get some rest and lay in the same spot Katya had about an hour ago, hand draped over his stomach. The vodka, or whatever he smelled like, must have tired him out, because it wasn't long before he snored loudly. It was a horrible sound, but better than the verbal diarrhea that came out before.

Natasha visibly relaxed, placing a hand on Katya's thigh. It caused her to jump, momentarily tensing up, which Natasha didn't miss.

Concerned, she asked, ''You okay?'' That question was asked a lot this week, but it had been necessary all those times. Mostly, it wasn't answered truthfully, so Katya wondered why Natasha bothered. She could see the answer in her eyes.

Katya relaxed her muscles and nodded, letting a thankful smile form on her lips. ''You didn't have to manhandle him like that, though,'' she chuckled. She could recall the scene immediately, the slap echoing in her ears. It was comforting to know someone was there to slap people for her if she was too shocked to do so herself.

Natasha shrugged, falling back against the wall. She turned the hand on Katya's thigh around because she knew the brunette wanted to place her own hand into it, which she indeed did. ''I wanted to. It was satisfying.''

''It looked satisfying,'' Katya chuckled, keeping her voice low despite the man being fast asleep. How he had managed to piss off and hurt every single person in this helicopter within five minutes was an achievement all on its own. All hurtful words he could have said, he said. And why? No clue.

Absentmindedly, Katya traced the lines in Natasha's palm, the repetitive motion calming her down and sending shivers down the redhead's back. With Alexei unconscious, the calmness returned, and the atmosphere was peaceful. The way he snored revealed that he wouldn't wake up in a while. 

Katya took a breath, shaking the topic of Alexei off. She stopped tracing Natasha's hand and instead wrapped her fingers around it. ''So, Melina? What should I expect?'' 

It could go both ways. She could be the warm person Natasha once described to her, but she could also be cold and hard like the spy she was trained to be. And Katya didn't know which one would be worse.

For Natasha, the latter would probably be worst. To see the woman who raised her for three years looking at her without any emotion in her eyes... that would break her heart. Katya wasn't looking forward to meeting her, since Alexei had already been a disappointment. Please let Melina be better. 

Natasha shrugged. ''No idea. I have no clue which parts of her were a performance and which were real. Besides, it's been years, she could be a completely different person by now.'' She acted unbothered but wasn't able to look at Katya the entire time, staring at her knees instead, ignoring the blue eyes on the side of her face.

''Hm,'' Katya answered absentmindedly, letting her head fall back against the wall and closing her eyes. Natasha didn't want to talk about this, so she wouldn't press her. Besides, she was tired after missing a good night's sleep. That was completely her own fault though.

''Are you gonna nap again?'' Natasha frowned, humor shining through in her voice. It had been a while since Katya heard that tone. 

She opened an eye, studying her face. ''Not if you wanna talk,'' she said sincerely. Because that would be selfish. To go to sleep if Natasha needed to get something off her chest. But she was relaxed and didn't look like her brain was in overdrive.

''I have nothing to say,'' she confirmed, smiling when Katya contently closed her eye again and relaxed further. Her eyes had still been a little sad after Alexei's comment, which broke Natasha's heart. ''You're not gonna scold me for jumping out of a helicopter?''

Katya opened her eyes and shook her head, adjusting the way her hand lay in Natasha's. ''I already outed my frustrations on Yelena. Besides, the fact that you're asking me this proves that you know what you did to me and my anxiety. So I will let you bathe in your own guilt instead,'' she said dramatically, which earned a chuckle and a shake of head from Natasha. 

''Yelena you got this, right?'' Katya softly called out, afraid to wake Alexei if she talked too loudly. Even though she barely heard her own voice over his snores. 

''Yeah!'' the blonde called to the back, having Saint Petersburg as her destination.

''Great.'' Katya let her head fall to the left, onto Natasha's shoulder, wiggling closer until she was comfortable. With a content smile, she closed her eyes. ''Wake me if he does. Or if the chopper runs out of gas and we plummet to certain death.''

She felt Natasha's body shake with a quiet laugh, her head resting on top of hers. The hum of the engine and the rotor blades above their heads filled the silence as Katya breathed in the familiar and comforting scent of Natasha. That always sent her into a state of peace and safety. And it wasn't any different here. 

''I love you,'' Katya heard in her ear. So soft that nobody else could possibly have heard it. And those words were exactly what she needed, after getting told she was worthless. Nothing ever really got under her skin but that. She'd never get over that and would always get punched in the gut when it came up. 

Teary-eyed, she whispered it back. ''I love you too.''

She drifted in and out of sleep for a while. And Natasha sat frozen in the same spot the whole time as to not wake her. What an angel. She didn't speak, Yelena didn't speak, and even Alexei's snoring had reduced. The land passed underneath them, nobody paying attention to a helicopter as it was on its way to Russia. Not even Russian airspace stopped them.

Natasha shook Katya awake a couple miles from their destination.

''The chopper's run out of gas and we're about to plummet to certain death,'' she muttered, which caused Katya to wake up with a laugh. Of course she remembered the exact words she had used hours prior. Her one free hand brushed some of Katya's baby hairs back that managed to escape Yelena's perfect braided ponytail when she lifted her head.

Katya smiled at her and then gazed at the man across from them. It was very tempting to leave him asleep until they would crash harshly. That would be a nice way to get some revenge. ''Should we wake him? I can handle him,'' she reassured when Natasha hesitated. Alexei had already touched her most vulnerable topic. Not much could get to her now. And she was prepared this time.

Natasha rolled her eyes at the idea of having him conscious and rambling again, but she wasn't so rude as to let him break his spine. With a huff, she let Katya's hand go, stood, and kicked his legs rudely. Alexei shot up like he was being attacked, his eyes shooting around in a panic until they narrowed on the redhead, who towered over him. 

''Sober up,'' she ordered, returning to the seat next to Yelena to help control this crash landing that would happen in like a couple minutes. The fuel meter wasn't that precise, so they didn't know exactly when it would die. The goal was to try and get as close to Melina's as possible before that happened.

''What is going on? Are we there already?'' Alexei complained, hoisting himself up so he half-sat half-lay down. ''And I am sober.''

Katya kept her eyes firmly on her feet, her elbows resting on her knees as she played with her hands. ''Not there yet, but this thing has run out of fuel. Like predicted.''

''Don't blame me for that, huh? I told you we wouldn't make it.''

Katya scoffed, unable to deal with him already. They should have just tossed him out of the helicopter like Yelena proposed. Because honestly, what use was he to them anymore? Sure, he knew Melina. And sure, she would talk to them easier if he was there, but he got on everyone's nerves.

''I suggest you buckle up,'' Yelena called backwards. But that was easier said than done. There were no straps Katya could pull over her shoulders or even across her stomach. All she could do was brace herself as the helicopter started to fall down. 

Yelena used the last bit of gas for a controlled landing, so they didn't actually free-fall. But the blow was still hard when it touched the ground with a lot of noise.

Katya let out a grunt and then swallowed her groan because she didn't want Alexei to have something else to taunt her with. Her back absorbed the blow, so it would probably hurt soon. 

A bit dizzy, they stepped out of the now-ruined vehicle. They had landed in an open field, like a heather. It was quite beautiful, with purple wildflowers everywhere and only a sandy track running through the middle. The sun also started to set, the soft light creating a dream-like atmosphere. 

But the smoking and creaking helicopter behind them popped that bubble. How many vehicles did they destroy this week? Was the count up to five already? Two cars, two motorcycles and a helicopter? Oops.

''Home. Awesome,'' Katya breathed, hands on her hips as she stared out over the plain. Her loathing for her home country bubbled up. God, did she wish never to return here again. But it always pulled on her, on them, like a freaking magnet. 'All roads lead to Rome'. Yeah, well, with them it was, 'All roads lead to bloody Russia'.

''You should've brought the Avengers' superjet,'' Alexei deadpanned behind them, studying the wreck. All three women had the same reaction. An annoyed expression, followed by the need to get away from him. So they did, continuing the rest of their journey to Melina on foot. 

''I swear, if I hear one more word from him, I will kick him in the face,'' Yelena muttered to Natasha and Katya, who hummed in agreement. He'd already gotten two slaps across the face, but they did nothing to shut him up.

''He's the worst,'' Natasha agreed, before she was rudely cut off by Alexei, who trailed behind them.

''Natasha. Natasha. Natasha,'' he hissed. ''Come here, I want to ask you something. Come, it's important.'' He called her over like a dog. Prison caused him to lose his manners. But arguing with him would only result in more fights, and Natasha desperately wanted to keep the peace.

She shared an annoyed look with the two women next to her, and subtly touched Katya's back as a signal that she should keep moving while she stopped and allowed Alexei to catch up with her. She could handle him for now, and had a need to keep Katya away from him. The way he looked at her made her uncomfortable.

''What?'' Katya heard her ask, keeping in stride with Yelena but fully focused on the conversation behind.

''Did he talk to you about me?'' he asked carefully, his voice the softest and most timid she had heard it yet. That was a new side. It was weird.

Katya could feel her wife frown. ''What?''

''Did he talk to you about me? You know, trading war stories?''

''Who? What are you talking about?''

''Captain America,'' he said impatiently. And Katya couldn't help but shake her head. ''My great adversary in this theater of geopolitical conflict. Not so much a nemesis. More like a contemporary, you know? Coequal. I always thought there was a great deal of mutual respect...''

The footsteps behind them stopped, so Katya's did too. Twisting around, she could see the anger and disbelief on Natasha's face return. ''Wait. You haven't seen either one of us in twenty years and you're gonna ask me about you?'' She gestured to Yelena, leaving Katya out of this because he never knew her personally.

Alexei took a couple steps back, his eyes trailing from Natasha to Yelena and back. ''What is with this tension? Did I do something wrong?'' he genuinely asked, but they both had turned their heads away from him. Katya felt beyond misplaced and like an intruder. This wasn't her conversation.

''Is that a serious question?'' Yelena sighed, rubbing her forehead, her backpack in her other hand. If only Alexei know how important that thing was.

Stunned, he stood in that field. No clue of what he did wrong. ''I only ever loved you girls. I did my best to make sure you would succeed to achieve your fullest potential, and everything worked out.'' 

God, he was horrible. Katya had to clench her jaw together to stop herself from interrupting. Loved them? He had some twisted idea of that.

''Everything worked out?'' Natasha scoffed in disbelief.

''Yes! For you, yes!'' He gestured wildly, but all Natasha did was shake her head in disbelief. ''We accomplished our mission in Ohio.'' 

He stepped up to Yelena, completely ignoring Katya who stood next to her. ''Yelena, you went on to become the greatest child assassin the world has ever known. No one can match your efficiency, your ruthlessness.''

''Jesus,'' Katya breathed. She had no clue how to act. Everything he was so proud of, everything he believed they should be proud of as well, was their worst pain. Everything they hated about themselves. However, she was sure Yelena wouldn't want any of her pity or comfort.

''And Natasha...'' He turned to her abruptly and she stepped back when he got in her personal space. Katya's first instinct was to stalk over, but she planted her feet firmly on the ground and waited for the horrible words that would come out of his mouth. ''Not just a spy, not just toppling regimes, destroying empires from within, but an Avenger.'' 

Wait, didn't he hate the Avengers a couple hours ago? What happened to 'the Western agenda'?

They had no clue what to say or do either, especially when he took one of their wrists and tugged them closer. ''You both have killed so many people. Your ledgers must be dripping, just gushing red. I couldn't be more proud of you.''

Katya's decision to stay out of it faltered when he brought them in for a hug. One 'daughter' under each arm. To stop herself from interfering, she simply looked away, clenched her teeth together and took a deep breath to calm herself down. God, he pissed her off so much. Did and said everything wrong. Did exactly what he shouldn't do with Natasha.

Her dripping ledger had taunted her her whole life. And here he was, saying she should be proud of it. What a twisted mind this guy had.

''And Katariina.'' Her head shot back to his, bracing herself. ''You proved your worth a thousand times over. Saint Peter's Square... Magnificent.''

Roughly, Natasha pushed herself out of his grip, scoffing angrily. For a second, Katya thought she'd yell at him or slap him again, but she apparently decided he wasn't worth the effort. She stalked off, past Katya, into the direction they were originally going. Katya didn't follow, since she knew she'd get yelled at if she did.

''Okay. You can... No. Let go of me now. You smell really bad.'' Yelena pushed him away a lot softer than Natasha had done, and Katya turned to follow, literally trailing in Natasha's sandy footsteps. The silence was so tense that it made her skin crawl. ''So, are we there yet?'' the blonde asked when they had all caught up with each other.  

All the while, Alexei strolled next to them with his hands in his pockets like he was as innocent as they come. ''You'll know when we're there.'' He started snorting, intimidating a sound that must belong to a pig, which confused the hell out of them. What kind of person was Melina?

Katya walked in silence, staring at the ground more than she should have, security-wise. It gave Natasha time to calm down, since Katya knew she wouldn't want to talk or be comforted right now. After so long together, she knew exactly when she needed to leave her alone. Her presence alone was comfort enough. Hopefully. That didn't stop her from glancing to her left every now and then, though.

As time passed, she could feel Natasha relax slightly. The anger radiating off her slowly faded away until all there was left was an annoyed mood. Maybe their surroundings helped as well. The wind softly blowing through the flowers, the orange sun. It was absolutely gorgeous.

They walked for what felt like hours with this tense silence. Until in the distance, a farm emerged. It wasn't much and it stood lonely between the hills, but when Alexei sped up and walked in front, it was clear that's where they were going. 

Katya felt so uneasy, but her feelings couldn't compare to what Natasha and Yelena must feel. Because it was their 'mom' they were about to face. The women who raised them for three years. Like it or not, she had a big impact on their youth.

Their small group bumped into a metal gate, which lined the farm, moving along it until they spotted a woman in the distance. Her appearance got clearer and clearer as they got closer. Brown hair, neatly in an updo, not unlike Yelena's. Slim but pale figure. Her face was cold, exactly like Katya feared. Only a spy could have this blank expression. 

''Honey, we're home,'' Alexei emotionally said once he stopped in front of her, the nostalgia dripping off his voice. He had a smile on his face that felt wrong.

But Melina didn't smile once when she realized who they were. Her ice-cold eyes simply skipped over all of them, the sight of her 'daughters' doing nothing to melt them. And when they landed on a - for her - unknown person, the rifle in her hands shot up, aiming straight for Katya's head.

''Woah.'' Katya stopped mid-step and slowly raised her hands, showing she meant no harm. She tensed up and took this threat seriously, because Melina would shoot her without hesitation. Natasha grew uneasy, taking a small step closer to Katya.

''Who are you?'' Melina's voice had a thick Russian accent. It appeared they all had it, except for the two Avengers who lived in America for the past ten years.

It surprised Katya once again that she didn't know who she was. Honestly, didn't people get the news or anything around here? She was an Avenger for god's sake. Why didn't these people know who she was? Given, she wasn't the most popular Avenger. She didn't have an iron suit, grew twice the size when angry, or had bright red hair, but she wasn't invisible.

''Katya.'' Slowly, and with her hands still raised, she pointed to the redhead on her right. ''I'm with Natasha.'' Natasha who had trouble looking at Melina but kinda had to. To make sure she didn't shoot her wife. 

Melina still wasn't convinced, so she looked at Alexei, who nodded reluctantly. Very cautiously, her rifle lowered, her sharp eyes staying on Katya the whole time she did so. Without saying anything, she walked out the enclosure, right past them, towards the small house a short distance away. 

''Come on, girls,'' Alexei spoke again, completely falling into his weird fatherly role again.

Only then did Katya dare to lower her hands, sharing a swift glance with Natasha before they followed Melina. All of this could be the best trap ever, but it was also their only lead. All they could do was stay on edge, not take any bullshit anymore, and get information on the Red Room.

~~~~~~~~

A/N: I'm not gonna be able to get a chapter for the other book out, so only this one today because I wrote in front for this :)