Bucky is the one that comes to their aid. After finding the letter in their mailbox, Steve had disappeared to call his friend. He doesn't tell Natasha until he returns. By then, he and Bucky have a plan.

She'll have to apply for asylum and with her medical reports in hand, it's clear that she's escaping an abusive situation. Unfortunately, they're also trying to avoid having to send her back to Russia after receiving the command to return. While she has a year to apply for asylum in the United States, Russia isn't being so lenient.

"You can't leave America," he tells her, which isn't that big of a problem. "We can file for your visa from here, but there's no guarantee that the US will block a subpoena from Russia."

He has to explain the word subpoena, but when he hands her the letter that Russia had sent, her face pales.

"This is not a subpoena," she tells him, shoving the letter back into his hands. "If I go back, I will be imprisoned without a trial."

"I won't let you go back," Steve promises. 

She looks like she doubts him which, if Steve is honest, sends a pain through his chest. Rather than get upset for her doubt in him, though, he pulls her to him and tries to kiss her worries away. It works for the moment but is not a long term solution.

* * * * *

They move from New York to Colorado so that Steve can train with the rest of his team in the days leading up to the Olympics, but Natasha's focus is solely on staying in the United States. 

It's sheer luck that Steve knows a few people in the White House that know some people in the visa office, so she manages to get an appointment within just a week of filing for asylum. This, however, means that she spends a week in New York alone after Steve leaves.

She's never minded being alone before, but with the warning from the Russian government hovering in her mind, she suddenly hates it more than anything. She doesn't sleep well at night and jumps at every sound. Finally, the day of her appointment comes and she can't wait to get through it. She'll be going straight to the airport after and then she won't have to be alone anymore.

When she arrives at the address she'd be given, she has difficulty finding the right office. She's still not used to how Americans call the ground floor the first floor and gets so confused in the elevator that she ends up taking the stairs.

She arrives at her appointment five minutes late.

As soon as she steps through the door, both the receptionist and another woman look up at her.

"Natasha Romanova?" the woman asks. She nods. The woman smiles and holds out her hand as she introduces herself. "Sharon Carter. I'm a friend of Steve's."

"Nice to meet you." Natasha shakes her hand and follows her back to her office. The door shuts firmly behind her.

"I understand you're here seeking asylum," Sharon says. Again, Natasha nods. "Would you mind specifying your reasons why?"

Natasha's pretty sure she and Steve had been clear about why she needed immediate asylum, but she still gives Sharon the information. She even offers up an extra copy of her medical report, showing clear signs of abusive steroid use.

"That won't be necessary," Sharon assures her. "You have a peculiar case," she says as Natasha tucks away her file. "WADA—I'm sure you're familiar with them—have been seeing complaints about doping in Russian athletes for quite some time now. Your case is actually of interest to them."

"What does that mean?"

Natasha doesn't want anyone more to hear about her case, but she doubts she could really go against the American government. Especially when she's trying to get approved for a visa.

"They want you to testify," Sharon says simply. "In exchange for your story and any proof you provide, you'll be granted an immediate green card."

Natasha blinks. "Sorry?"

"WADA has been receiving reports for years," Sharon tells her kindly. "You could be a key player for them and if you play your cards right, this could work in your favour."

"I don't want to tell my story," Natasha says harshly. "That shouldn't be a requirement."

"Steve says you got a letter from the Russian government." Natasha stills in her seat even though Sharon had been perfectly polite. "Is that why you don't want to speak to anyone?"

Again, Sharon is perfectly polite but Natasha's getting uncomfortable. Something tells her that Sharon is not just an office worker who approves or denies visas. The concealed weapon on her hip had been Natasha's first warning sign, but no office worker would have been able to pick up on her thoughts like that.

"Who are you?" Natasha narrows her eyes at Sharon. "Where am I really?"

"You're clever." Sharon smiles. "CIA," she says, pulling her badge from her jacket. "Like I said, you have a peculiar case and it's drawn a lot of attention. I can help."

With no other option, Natasha has to believe her.

"I will tell my story and provide evidence," Natasha agrees carefully, "but I will not share my identity."

Sharon agrees without hesitation and goes as far as to say she wasn't going to share Natasha's name even with WADA. 

"I'll be your main and only point of contact," she promises, handing Natasha a pristine white card with her contact information on it. "If anything happens or anyone else tries to contact you, you call me first."

Natasha takes the card and after a few more minutes with Agent Carter, she leaves the building with a private escort. When she's dropped off at the airport without having to tell her driver, she wonders how much Agent Carter knew about her before their meeting and if Steve had known what was coming.

It doesn't matter, she decides, because she's stepping onto a plane to join him in Colorado and in a few weeks, she'll have a green card.