It's been ages, but I was inspired by a comment I got! Also teh BW trailer is out and I'm excited! Tell me what you think!

With a whiff of air, Steves fist passed millimeters away from Natasha's face. Dodging under it she sent her fist into his side, only to have her strike parried just before impact. She changed tactics rapidly, taking advantage of Steve's bent knee to launch herself up towards his head, wrapping her legs around his neck and shoulders and throwing her weight back towards the ground. Steve fell, his balance thrown, and landed on his back, Natasha rolling neatly away from him. Before she had retreated out of his reach he snagged her arm, arresting the roll and using her momentum to pull himself up. Quickly he wrapped an arm around her throat and secured her in a headlock. He squeezed, and Natasha struck out madly, clawing at his face and striking with whatever limbs Steve had not secured with his body weight. He kept himself well out of her reach, leveraging the pressure on her neck a little tighter, waiting for her to tap out.

She didn't.

Steve watched in the gym mirror as her face flushed beet red and her fingers scrabbled more and more weakly at his grip.

Steve frowned, "Nat, Tap-" But his words were cut off, for at that moment his eyes flicked up to another reflection in the mirror. Valerie, her own face flushed, looking murderous. In the split second it took Steve to register her presence, Valerie had landed a vicious punch to his temple. Steve's vision darkened momentarily with the blow, and when it cleared he was on his back, the girl sending bone cracking kicks into his side as she screamed obscenities at him. She knelt hard on his chest and began to punch him, but Natasha got there before her strikes landed, catching the girl around the waist and hauling her off him. Valerie struggled briefly, but ceased when she saw the look on Natasha's face. Valerie stilled, her chest still heaving with emotion. Natasha's grip on the girls arm was clamped down hard enough to bruise, and she shook the girl lightly.

"What the HELL are you doing?" Natasha hissed at her, enunciating every word.

Valerie looked confused, her eyes travelling over Natasha's red face and then to Steve, who was sitting up slowly.

"But I thought… but you were.."

Natasha shoved the girl aside, going to Steve and running her hands gently along his ribs.

"Are they broken?" She murmured to him.

I don't think so, just bruised." Steve grimaced, "Nice kick Valerie."

Valerie watched them with growing horror, "But he was killing you! Your- Your face was almost purple!"

Natasha stood and rolled her eyes at the girl, walking over to the white board on the wall where the names "Steve" and "Natasha" were written with tally marks under them. She marked a tally under Steve's name with a scowl, "I was working it out."

Valerie's green eyes darted between the two of them, taking in each of their expressions of exasperation and accusation. Her chin jutted high for a moment, but then her face crumpled, and she ran from the room.

Steve sighed heavily, an arm draped across his ribs, "She certainly knows how to make an entrance."

Natasha's face was troubled as she pulled an ice pack from her bag and shook it to activate the cold. Kneeling by his side she tenderly pressed it against his ribs. He winced, but gave her a small smile. Natasha ran her hands along his face, checking for injury.

"I'm fine," he said, capturing her hands in his, "Maybe you should go talk to her."

"Steve, what are we doing letting her stay with us? We don't know the first thing about kids, much less severely damaged kids with a murderous past! Isn't it time to face it? She doesn't belong here."

Steve regarded her for a moment, then shook his head, "Nat where could she possibly go? Give it time. If anyone can get through to her it's you."

"She doesn't trust anyone!"

"She trusts you. She was ready to murder me for hurting you."

Natasha leaned back on her hands and let her head fall back, staring at the ceiling. "I am perfectly capable of murdering you myself."

Steve snorted, "Not in that moment you weren't," he gestured to the board where Steve had taken on a two point lead. She looked where he was looking and scowled. "I'll make it up to you." She grinned wickedly at him despite herself, then sighed. "Fine. I don't know what good it will do but I'll try."

She stood up and rolled out her neck with a sigh, "I literally have no background for this." Steve stood gingerly and smiled at her, pulling her to him. "You're a natural." He kissed her deeply then turned her towards the door and gave her a little push.

"Ugh," she muttered to herself, then headed towards the girls room.

Valerie sat on her bed, absently stroking her bruised knuckles and scowling down at her comforter. Natasha's red face and weakening strikes played over and over again in her head. She gritted her teeth and screwed up her eyes against the visions but it didn't help. Unable to remain still she struck her pillow hard with her fist, and then again and again until feathers began to fly out of the fabric and fill the air around her. When her emotion was spent she stopped, panting and flushed.

"Feel better?" A wry vice came from behind her. Valerie flew to her feet and turned to find Natasha leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

The younger girl flushed, clenching her fists. "I don't want to talk to you." She stalked to the other side of the small bedroom. Natasha stepped slowly into the room, watching her warily, "Well I think we might need to. Valerie, what-"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Natasha sighed and entered the rest of the way, closing the door behind her. "Look, if there's one thing I've learned it's that keeping emotions bottled up makes you absolutely crazy in the long run. Come on Valerie, what happened back there?"

"Leave me alone!"

"I think we need-"

"Eat shit!"

"Valeria!"

The younger girl whipped around to face Natasha, fists clenched as if ready to fight, her eyes wild and accusing, tiny feathers from the pillow stuck in her hair.

"Valerie," Natasha corrected herself, her voice lower now.

The girls fists relaxed a little, but her expression was still a mixture of anger and fear, as if expecting a blow at any second. Natasha tried again, "I know that it can be difficult," she began in what she hoped was a soothing tone, but Valerie cut her off again.

"You don't know one god damn thing about me!"

Natasha's temper flared and she strode over to the girl, gripping her left shoulder and yanking her shirt down to reveal the girls widow tattoo. The blood red ink shone stark against Valerie's pale skin. Natasha growled down into the girls face, "I know enough!" Letting go of her, Natasha yanked her own shirt down to reveal a similar tattoo, "I know what your childhood has been like up until now, I know the drills they put you through, the punishments you suffered, and even the atrocities they forced you to commit. I may not know you, but I am the ONLY person who knows what you've been through."

Natasha looked at her own tattoo briefly, feeling the surge of anger she always felt when she saw it. She turned abruptly, "You don't want to talk, fine. I don't want to listen."

"I thought he was killing you!" Valerie blurted to Natasha's back. Natasha stopped and turned, her face blank. She looked silently at Valerie until she continued.

"I thought you were dying. I didn't stop to think I just saw… And I was… afraid." The younger girl went quiet for a moment. Quietly Natasha prompted her, "Afraid?"

Valerie nodded her head lowered and her voice barely above a whisper, "What would happen to me if you died?"

Natasha softened, a sigh escaping her lips as she settled herself into the chair in the corner. Valerie chanced a look at her, and Natasha met her gaze. The girl was so small, no more than 5' 3. Her long black hair fell to her elbows, green eyes looking at her reproachfully. Natasha massaged her forehead, this girl was so very vulnerable. It hurt to look at her sometimes.

"You're right," Valerie said, "You are the only one who knows what I've been through."

Seeming to make up her mind, Natasha looked up. Switching to Russian she spoke. "It was Hell. Growing up was absolute Hell."

Eyes wide, Valerie nodded. Silence stretched between them for a few long moments. Finally, Valerie responded , also in Russian, "Are you going to send me back?" Natasha dropped her hand from her head, startled into English, "What?"

Valerie continued in Russian, her words spilling out of her rapidly, "Please, I'm sorry, I only meant to protect you, I wasn't thinking straight!" Tears spilled down her cheeks and she dashed them away continuing, "I promise I'll do better, I won't hurt your friends again!"

Natasha had gotten up and crossed the room to the girl, cutting off her words by pressing her into her chest, Natasha's arms wrapped around her tightly. Natsha's eyes had filled with tears, and they spilled into Valerie's dark hair as she held her close. Natasha felt as though she was speaking to herself as a child as she spoke Russian fiercely into the girls hair, "You will NEVER go back there. Never. I would die before I saw you handed back to Ivan. Do you hear me?"

Valerie wrapped her arms around Natasha tightly, and Natasha knew the girl was trying with all her might not to sob with relief. "And if you die?" Her voice was small and strained.

"If I die then you must trust the people I trust. Steve would never allow you to come to harm, none of my team would. They are my family, and if you let them, they will be yours too." She pulled away to look at Valerie, and the younger girl was startled to see the tears on Natasha's face, "You must trust me when I say you are safe here. No one here would hurt either of us." Natasha picked absently at a few of the feathers in the girls hair and smoothed it flat.

Valerie nodded, swallowing hard. Natasha looked at her for a moment, then pulled away abruptly. "You will begin training with me every morning at 5."

"5 AM?!"

"Yes. You need discipline, and a way to get your aggression out."

Valerie stared at her aghast, "I've HAD training already!"

"Not Red Room training, Avenger training. You need to learn when to strike and when to listen and wait. You need to learn alternatives to killing, and how to trust a team. I'm going to teach you."

Valerie scowled, "At 5 AM?"

Natasha leveled a look at her, "This is how you will heal, how you will overcome what you've been through. I can help you, but only if you decide that you are going to let me. Now are you in or out?"

Valerie eyed her for a moment, then sighed, "In."

Natasha smiled, "Good. we will start first thing in the morning. Now come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"It's game night."

"What?"

"It's Tuesday night, we all get together and play games."

Seeing Valerie's blank look, Natasha smiled. "Don't worry, I'll teach you."