04. Melina

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"ARE YOU SURE GOING to St. Petersburg is a smart idea, Yelena?" Rosalie asked as Yelena started up the stolen car.

"We are not going into St. Petersburg," She corrected. "Just outside of it."

Rosalie sighed and rolled her eyes. "That makes me feel so much better."

Yelena mimicked the action and smacked Rosalie's shoulder playfully, like a scolding mother. She looked in the rear view mirror. "Ready Irina?" The Widow in the back nodded and gave a small thumbs up before Yelena started the engine and drove away. Since they were the last the leave, they were given the honours. "Go ahead."

Irina pulled out a small remote from her bag and clicked it softly. The large explosion shook the car as the safe house was blown to bits. "That should keep Wyatt off our trail for a while," Rosalie sighed with relief as she watched the roaring flame grow bigger, the bricks of the building falling in on themselves. "Will the others be okay?" She thought out loud.

"Yes," Yelena nodded. "And don't worry, we will see them again soon," Rosalie could tell that statement was more aimed at Irina than her, but it did bring her slight comfort that the other Widows would be okay.

As the drive continued, another thought popped into Rosalie's head. "Hey...who are we going to see anyway?"

"My mother," Yelena answered simply, her eyes never straying from the road ahead.

Rosalie tilted her head. "Your mother?" She could've sworn the Yelena's birth mother was dead. "But I thought-"

"Not my real mother, silly," Yelena chuckled half heartedly, looking at Rosalie from the corner of her eye. "Melina."

It took a few seconds for the name to click with Rosalie. "Melina Vostokoff?!" She gasped.

"That's the one," Yelena nodded.

"W-We thought she was dead!" Rosalie's hand flew to her forehead in shock.

From the back, Irina laughed loudly. "It would take an army to kill that woman!" Yelena chuckled as well.

"The CIA think they know everything," Yelena chortled. "Yet they thought Melina was dead. Did they think Dreykov had died when Natasha killed him, as well?" She questioned Rosalie.

"So much for the Central Intelligence Agency," Rosalie scoffed as she shook her head. "If they knew he was alive, they didn't want to believe it. It was easier to think that he was dead. Clearly, he wasn't and clearly the Agency needs to sort out some issues."

"And what is with that Wyatt Foster?" Irina questioned. Rosalie craned her neck to look at her. "Why was he trying to kill you?"

"You said he hired you to find us, did you not?" Yelena added.

Rosalie's hand slid down her face as she groaned. "Your guess is as good as mine. Me and Wyatt always butted heads even before he got promoted to be my boss," She lazily rested her head against the cool window, staring tiredly at the trees as they passed. "I knew he didn't like me but I didn't think he'd go so far as to try to kill me. All I know is that the longer we stay off his radar, the better, because once he finds us, he won't let us go again." The weight that that statement held hung in the car as a warning to the women. The message was clear — kill him before he killed them.










They lost gas just a few miles from where they needed to be, so they had to walk. The sun was beginning to rise as they trekked through thickets and bushes. Rosalie readjusted the straps on her satchel as they stopped at the pique of a hill. Over the horizon, they could see it — a small house and an empty pig farm. "This is where Melina Vostokoff has been hiding for twenty-two years?" Rosalie whistled lowly.

Yelena nodded with a small smile. "Humble, isn't it?" She patted Rosalie's back. "Let's not keep her waiting,"

Rosalie agreed. Yelena led the way as Rosalie and Irina walked side by side. "How long have you know Yelena?" Rosalie whispered though she knew Yelena could still probably hear her.

Irina shrugged. "I guess my whole life? We were both six when Dreykov took us and were both some of the first to be put under his control and lose our free will," Rosalie's face and stomach dropped. "I remember when she met you."

Rosalie's head snapped up. "Really?" She hated our hopeful she sounded.

"With what free will we did have, that's all Yelena would talk about — you," Irina explained. "She wished she could tell you what was going on and how she really felt but...Dreykov would never have let that happen."

"I know," Rosalie said sadly. "But...she finally got to tell me and I couldn't be more proud," She ended her words slightly louder and could see Yelena's head crane in their direction. Rosalie chuckled quietly.

Irina smiled softly. "I'm glad," And they left it at that.

The three approached a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire that encircled the small property. They only wait a minute or so when a woman rounded the corner, followed by one rather large pig. "Alexei!" Yelena called happily as the woman who Rosalie assumed was Melina opened the gate. She pushed past the woman and fell to her knees to hug the pig. "How's my favourite piggy?" She cooed in Russian. Rosalie couldn't help her smile.

Irina stepped past her, giving Melina a small hug as she too went to pet the pig, leaving Rosalie standing awkwardly on her own. "You must be Rosie," Melina smiled kindly.

"Rosalie," She corrected softly. Stepping forward, she outstretched her hand and Melina shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." She bowed slightly.

Melina chortled. "There's no need for that!" She pulled Rosalie in and patted her back. "I am not so important."

"Oh, but you are!" Rosalie couldn't keep her giddiness contained as she fangirl-ed over the woman. "You're work was revolutionary!"

"Stop it, Rosie, or you'll give her a big head," Yelena called.

Rosalie's eyes trailed down to the pig that she and Irina were fawning over. "Is that...your pig?" She asked Melina.

The older woman chuckled. "Yes. My Alexei. Go on, pet him. He won't bite,"

For a second, Rosalie couldn't tell if Melina was serious, but seeing how her eyes lit up when she talked about the pig, she knew she was completely serious. Moving from Melina's side, Rosalie squatted down in between Yelena and Irina, slowly running a hand down the large pig's back. The white and black hairs were short and ruff, like the feeling of new hairs growing back after a shave. Alexei snorted happily, his butt wiggling and tail swinging as if he was a dog. "He's...kind of cute," Rosalie tilted her head to get a better look at his face.

"Right?!" Yelena laughed happily. "I love him,"

"I can tell," Rosalie chuckled softly, giving the pig one final pat before standing. "I hate to do it, but we do have a reason for being here."

Yelena groaned and rolled her eyes, standing as well. "I know, I know," She turned to Melina. "We should go inside."

"Yes," Melina nodded. "This way. Follow me."

She led the three to her humble home — a small house, enough for the one woman to live in. "Is dad home?" Yelena asked, casually removing her jacket and tossing it on a chair.

"Yes, but he is sleeping, so try not to wake him," Melina hushed as they walked towards the back of the house where a dining room table sat.

"Dad?" Rosalie looked quizzically at Yelena.

"Not biological," Yelena corrected.

"Then who..." Rosalie trailed off as her eyes landed on the couch that wasn't too far away. A large and burly man slept in what had to be the most uncomfortable position ever, dawned in red leather and a giant star on his chest. "Red Guardian? You're serious?" She turned to Yelena in shock — this was like Wyatt's wet dream.

"I'm surprised you know who he is," Melina chuckled.

"The CIA has been looking for you and him for years after your escape in Ohio!" Rosalie stumbled back, grabbing a chair for support. She felt like fainting from pure shock. "This is all so much..." She mumbled.

"Sit," Yelena was quick to help her down. She turned to Melina. "Could you get her some water?" Rosalie could hear shuffling and not long after Melina was in front of her and handing her a glass of cold water. She finished it in about three gulps.

Gasping, she placed the glass on the table a little too hard, jerking Alexei awake from his couch nap. "God, I'm sorry!" She looked at Melina nervously.

The woman shrugged it off. "It was about time he woke up," She crossed her arms and looked at the startled man. "Up, Alexei, up. We have guests."

"G-Guests?" The man coughed, turning to see Yelena, Rosalie, and Irina. "Oh, guests!" He nearly fell over as he rushed to meet them. He quickly scooped Yelena and Irina in a big bear hug before turning to Rosalie. His face fell slightly. "Who is this?"

Rosalie stood quickly, in awe. "Rosalie Mai, sir. I'm a friend of Yelena's," She shook his hand very quickly.

"Oh! Is this Rosie?" His smile returned as he looked at Yelena, who nodded sheepishly. The air from Rosalie's lungs was quickly expelled as Alexei wrapped her in the very same hug Yelena and Irina got. "It is so nice to meet you!" His loud voice caused ringing in her ears and as he placed her down, she nearly fell right over. Gripping the chair behind her, Rosalie was quick to sit down. "So what is it that you girls are here for, huh?" Alexei grabbed a seat at the end of the table.

Yelena and Rosalie shared a look. "The CIA is hunting us."

AUTHORS NOTE
HOW ON EARTH IS THIS ALREADY AT 1.18k?! GUYS WTF THANK YOU. It literally means so much to me you have no idea. It's really been giving me the motivation to write so keep it coming!

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