78. Come Back to Me

🕸️

She pretends to be alright. no matter how much she played it off, Devon knew that deep down she wasn't alright. She had this same thing before, this empty feeling.

Alexei called earlier, they had made Natasha a stone back home. Devon sat on it for a bit, should she go back to the place she once called home? Devon lays on the couch, looking at the picture of them together, Natasha, Yelena and her when they were younger. She needed this, she has to go to Natasha. Time to go back.

Devon stuffs clothes into her backpack, Matt enters the loft as he hears her shuffling around the closet. He was a bit nervous, was she packing to leave?

"Hey..." Matt puts his hand on her back. Devon drops her clothes on the bed by his touch. She breathes deeply. "Are we okay?" She heard the broken voice of his.

"We are perfectly fine." She places her forehead on his. "I just need to leave."

"May I ask where?"

"Ohio. Alexei told me that Natashas grave is there. I just want..." She stops. She holds in her tears. "Ill be back in a couple of days."

"Ill go with you." Devon frowns. "What?" He chuckles as he knew she gave him a look.

"You want to come with me?"

"You think im just going to let you go by yourself? Im going with you." He pulls her close to him, kissing her cheek. "Plus, you always wanted to go to Ohio, how bad can it be?"

"This isn't for fun you know."

"I know." He holds her face, remembering her face. "I just don't want you to be alone."

🕸️

Devon packed the car. She sits in the drivers seat, waiting for Matt and Issac to come out. Matt sits with her in front and Issac plops in the back with Rush.

"I like this, my first family road trip." Issac leans his back on the door, going on his phone, listening to his playlist.

"My first time leaving New York." Matt smirks.

"Wait, literally?" Issac peaks his head up. "You never left New York? Never been out of the damn city, ever?" Matt nods. "Thats sad." Matt's smile drops.

"Okay." Devon grips the wheel. "Ohio." She breathes deeply. She starts to drive off. An 8 hour drive. She turns on her music, looking at the view. Matt held her hand throughout the ride as Issac slept the whole ride.

Devon's stomach turns as she drives into what she remembered. The trees, her old school, the playground Melina used to take them, her old gymnastics. Devon drives up to her old cul-de-sac. Issac wakes up and sees the small neighborhood.

"Wow. This looks so normal." Issac gets out the car.

"You're going to be okay?" Matt asks her as she still stayed in the car. Devon stares at the old home she used to live in.

"Yeah." She finally takes some time and got out. Her heart started to beat faster. She remembers when they used to get off the bus, the three girls used to run home, last one used to help mama with dinner. She remembers when papa taught Devon how to ride her bike. "It hasn't changed one bit." The three stood in front of the drive way.

"No wonder they didn't find you here." Issac says. Matt elbows him to stop.

"If you played the part to perfection." She kept staring. "Nobody suspected anything."

"Lottie?" They heard but Devon didn't turn. "Charlotte Daniels?" It clicked. She immediately turned to see a man on the yard. She walks up to him.

"Johnny Williams?" The man smiles as he sees his old crush back. He goes to hug her. "Johnny, wow." From her distant memory, he grew into his big ears as a kid, he is now a bit fit, looks like he could be a teacher.

"Lottie, wow." He sees her. She looked better. Better than he could remember. "Its been years. You look amazing." He sees her scar on her face. Devon immediately turns her face away from him.

"Its has yes."

"What brings you back?"

"Just visiting. Im showing my family where i grew up in." She shows him the two men behind her. Matt waves and Issac salutes. "Johnny, this is my husband, Matt Murdock and my son Issac." She introduces them to him. "Matt, Issac, this is Johnny, we, um..."

"I kissed her when we were kids." Johnny laughs. "Then she punched me and ran home." Matt just smiles.

"So you dated my mom?" Issac asks.

"Our moms used to joke and say we would but Lottie moved shortly after anything happened." Johnny turns to Devon, Lottie. "There was a bunch of police the night you guys left."

"Yeah, weird." She lied.

"Are you guys staying here?"

"Oh, no. We are staying at a place up in town." Johnny frowns.

"Weird, your dad has been around here. Thought maybe you were." Alexei's been here? He still comes? "But anyways, i gotta go, i have to get my kids. It was really nice to see you again Lottie. You look great."

"Yeah, you said that already." Matt said as he scrunched his nose. "Nice to meet you." Johnny leaves the three alone and Devon heads up. She looks for a spare, she found a rock, the key under it and she opens the door. Her eyes grew. Everything looked untouched. Everything looked like when she was little. Devon takes her time to look around. Matt holds her hips as she looks into the dining room table, their last meal as a family. "We okay?"

"Yeah...I just need some time."

"Take all the time you need." Issac stayed with Matt, walking him around and Devon went to her old bedroom where she shared with Yelena and Natasha. Nothing changed. The bunk beds, Natashas bed across from hers. Devon picks up the small ponys that belonged to yelena, Natashas old cassettes tapes and then she found her old doll she used to treat as her baby. She held onto that doll and curled up in her old bed. The squeaky bed was hard but so worn in. Devon looked at the wall, her small pictures of her then crushes, Freddie Prinze Jr., Heath Ledger, and her yearbook cutout of Johnny. She saw her little talley marks counting down the day until she got to go back home. She lays there, staring at Natashas bed. She reaches out. She can imagine Natasha coming to hold her hand, sitting by her side until she fell asleep, feeling safe.

Devon goes to the backyard. The playset was still there. Devon goes up to it, doing a back bridge.

"I won't fall first." Devon started to get teary eyed. She then goes on the playset, going on the monkey bars and hung upside down from them. She can hear mama yelling at her to come inside.

"Seems like you missed this place." Matt comes, standing in front of her as she hangs.

"I hate to admit it, but yes."

"I can see why you want to come here so badly." Devon kisses him. He sits on the swing below her. "Isn't your head pounding from being upside down?"

"I live with you, i think im used to it." They chuckled. "Its strange you know, being here. Everything is the same, time hasn't moved."

"Brings you back."

"Back to when i had a life." Not really but they made it seem like it. Devon flips off the bars and lands on her feet. She can hear mama 'youll break your arm!' "I think its time." Matt gets up from the swing and holds her hand as they head out.

"Didn't know you like nirvana mom." Issac said as he steps out the old bedroom.

"Theres still plenty more you don't know." They got in the car and Devon drove to the secret path where they had put Natashas headstone. She saw the cherry blossom tree. Shes there. The three of them got out. Devon just kept walking up to her big sisters stone. Devons lip quivered the closer she got.

Natasha Romanoff
Daughter • Sister • Avenger

Devon cleans and fixes the flowers and stuff animals that were left behind for her sister. Devon places her own, placing a photo of them, Yelena, Devon and Natasha at a bar after the events, sisters being sisters. Devon kneels down, placing her head on the stone. She hugs the cold stone tight, whistling their tune. For a second, Devon hoped to hear the tune back, but nothing. Devon just breaks. She sobs.

"Come back to me." She begged. "Please Natasha." She hiccups. "Vernis' ko mne, moya sestra." (Come back to me my sister) "Why? Why did you leave?" She bangs her forehead against the stone. "sestra..." (sister) Devon gets up, dusts off the dirt off her knees and stares at the stone again. Matt hugs her side, Issac held her hand as they looked down with her. "She would've liked you both." She sniffs.

"I bet she was cool."

"She really was." Devon smiles weakly. Just by being there, there was no fulfillment. She still felt empty. Hurt. Angry. "You know, when i last saw her, she told me not to do anything stupid like have a kid, then you appeared."Issac chuckled. Matt kisses her temple.

"She knew."

🕸️

Devon sat on her desk, filling up paperwork for Matt for his next case, making sure its in braille, in the correct order and such. She hears the door bell rang and Karen getting to the potential client. She hums as she worked.

"Devon, its for you." Karen goes up to her. Devon drops the papers.

"Who is it?" Karen shrugs.

"I don't know. All she asked if you were here and that she needs to talk to you." Devon stands up, pulling Karen close to her.

"She? Did she say a name?"

"No." Karen pulls to her the window to sneak a peek of the woman. "Anyone you know? Anyone the Red Widow pissed off?"

"Never seen her in my life." She sighs. "I might actually have a client."

"Matt and Foggy will be happy for you. Want me to call them in to come and help you?" Devon shakes her head.

"No, they are probably finishing up their court. I can do this. Ill call you in if i need anything." Karen nods and sits at her desk. Devon puts on a fake smile and walks up to the lady with a white highlight and sunglasses. She looks put together. "Hi, Im Devon Hobbs, how can I help you..."

"Valentina Allegra de Fontaine." Devon frowns.

"What can i help you with? You being sued?"

"Oh no sweetheart, im not here for that. Trust me." She chuckled. "Im here for you." She was now confused. "So drop the accent, Red Widow." Devons fake smile drops. Devon looks at Karen. "Is there a room we can speak, privately?" Devon nods, taking her to a conference room.

"How do you know who i am?" Devon's thick russian accent appears. Valentina smiles as she hears it.

"Your sister, Yelena." She takes a seat and rests her chin on her hands. "Cute little place you got here. What lawyer by day, serial killer vigilante by night?"

"What the hell? What do you want?" She leans on the chair as Devon had her hands into fist, her knuckles white.

"Your sister Yelena, she works for me. Thats why shes been MIA for a while, well, she did get blipped and all but before that she did some work for me. And when i told her who would be good for my team, she recommended her big sister, you."

"Im not a team player."

"Oh I know. She told me you might say that." She pulls out her tablet and an envelope on the table. "But i feel like you play well with others if you have a real reason." She looks at her, studies Devon. "Yikes! Did Frankenstein mess up here or?" She mentions her scar. Devon snarls at her. "Sorry, sorry over stepped. I want you to work for me."

"Why would i do that?"

"Because you Devon Hobbs, you get the job done." She smiles. "Youre given a mission and you finish it, no hesitation. So, i give two things." She points at the tablet and the envelope. "You work for me. Ill be kind and give you one of my gifts to you." She opens the tablet. "Maybe you would like a shot at the man responsible for your sweet sister Natashas death." Valentina slides the tablet over, Devon's chest tightens. Clint Barton. This would not be her first run in with him. "Pretty cute huh?" Devon zooms into his face. The fire pit in her stomach burns. The ache of her emptiness calls her. This is the way. Her mind tells her

kill him

"If you do want to do this job, pay and all, your sister Yelena will join in this mission. She is eager to put this man in the ground." She snatches the tablet from Devon, who was studying him. "If you do accept my offer to work for me, this is your other gift. Maybe you will like to know who killed your father."

"Wlison Fisk killed my father." Valentina tisks.

"Hes the one who ordered the kill, but in this envelope, its the one who actually killed him." Devon grabs the the envelope from her but Valentine takes it away from her. "Yes or no? Will you do what i ask? Work for me? Kill that cutie with Yelena?" Devon stares at the photo of Barton and that stupid envelope.

"Fine." Valentina smiles. Devon walks up to her, real close. "If you ever decide to out me, you will regret hiring me."

"No need to get feisty. Save that for the target." She gently gave the envelope to Devon. "Don't worry, nobody will know you're the Red Widow besides me, scouts honor." Valentina walks out, Devon follows behind. "Stay in touch, ill send you and Yelena everything. Welcome to the team." She winks, putting on her sunglasses and leaves. Matt and Foggy waked in.

"Hey hey! Guess who got a winner today!" Foggy smiles. "Anyways, who was that chick?"

"She was here for Devon." Karen pointed out.

"Devon?"

"Yeah, i took care of it. We just talked about some stuff, client and lawyer privacy." Foggy laughs. Devon goes to her desk and looks up Valentina, interesting, divorced with CIA Everett Ross, she is the director of the CIA, so working for her isn't as bad. Devon finally itches the spot she was dying to do, she opens up the closed information that Valentina had given her. Once she sees whats inside, photos of Kazi appear. Devons stomach bubbles up and she ran to the trashcan to throw up.

"Woah!" Karen stood up and Foggy backs way. Matt ran to her, holding her hair back.

"Hey you okay?" He rubs her back. Devon just nods. "Lets go home, yeah?"

"Fine." Devon gets her things as Matt held her up. They headed home and Devon immediately crashed on the couch.

"Want to tell me whats going on?" Matt gets her tea to drink to calm down. Just hearing her heart beat drove him to anxiety. "Just to be clear, this is not pregnancy related, right? Food poisoning?" Devon places her hand on his thigh.

"No, its none of that." She had to tell him. "I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" All his focus was on her.

"The lady that came by, she wanted me work for her, and I say said yes."

"Work for who?

"Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. She works for the CIA, good pay for us." She breaths out. "She found out who killed my father."

"It was Fisk. Fisk killed him." Matt shakes and frowns. Remembers, the whole reason why he had to convince Devon not to kill him.

"No..." She dragged her face back. "Yes, but who killed him."

"Who?" He was now confused.

"It was Kazi." Saying his name disgusted her. She let him play her. Matt immediately stands up, he knew where this is going. He also knew Kazi was up to no good. "I have to. While that, Yelena works for her and we have been hired."

"Hired?" He scuffs. "Hired for what?" Devon sighs.

"Yelena and I have been hired to kill Clint Barton." Her head dropped but Matts mouth dropped.

"The Avenger?"

"He killed Natasha."

"It sounds more like a personal kill than a hire." He gets on his knee and held her hands. "Devon...I have let this slide, ive come to terms with it, but you cannot live like this."

"Its not up to you to decide Matt. Im going through with this."

"How do you know that he killed her?"

"Dont." She gets up, letting go of him.

"He saved the world-"

"No!" She immediately yells at him, whipping herself at him. "My sister-" Devon chokes. "My sister save the world."

"You cannot simply kill him! You weren't there, you didn't know what happened!" They started to argue.

"My sister is dead because of him!" Her tears burned with hatred for Barton. "She is gone!" She chokes on her tears. "Im going to kill Barton and i will kill Kazi, i don't not care. You can stop me, but you will only get in my way, trust me, you don't want to be." Matt goes up to her.

"This is not you. Your mind is now filled with hatred, revenge, you need something to let that anger out, i get that. Once you do this, it will not bring her back." Devon pouts her lips.

"You're right, it wont, but it might bring me some peace if i kill them." Devon inhales. "This is who i am Matt, you said it before, you came to terms with it." Devon goes and packs her suit up. Matt blocks her from leaving. "Get out of my way."

"This isn't you. Think about Issac..." Devon eyes the empty dark room of her sons.

"Don't you dare." She snarls at him.

"Don't go."

"I have to do this." She heads to the door, just as she placed her hand on the knob, Matt blurts out something he will regret.

"If you..." Matt stops, but his lips start talking. "If you kill him, don't you ever come back. You can simply forget about coming here."

"I guess this is it then." She slams the door behind her, leaving for good. Matt throws a punch at the wall and tosses the flowers to the ground. Shes gone.