Culpability is defined as the degree to which a person can be held accountable morally or legally for their actions or inaction. Natasha thinks Steve needs to be held responsible, but Steve doesn't have a clue. This AU is a slow burn but it is definitely Romangers all the way. Hope you enjoy it. I still don't own Marvel.

1943

Six year old Natasha woke up gasping for breath. Something was wrong. Her dark room was thick with smoke and she could see a glow coming from under her closed bedroom door. "Momma, Papa," she cried between breaths, but there was no answer. She grabbed her favorite doll from her bed and moved towards the door. It felt hot, too hot. "Momma, Papa," she called out again as she crawled across the room to open her window. She was terrified. Why weren't they answering? Why couldn't she hear her baby sister's cries? Surely, they had woken up. She looked down to the street below. People were coming. They were wailing. Had the war reached her village?

Natasha saw the man from the posters running toward her home. He had his shield on his back, just like in the poster her papa had pointed out in the square. Did this mean the soldiers were coming? She relaxed the moment he saw her small figure in the window. He looked right at her and his face morphed into the same face her father made when he was busily working on a project. He was coming for her. America's captain was going to save her.

With what seemed to be no effort at all, the soldier scaled the wall to her second story window. "Grab my neck," he ordered in perfect Russian. Natalia did as she was told, holding her rag doll between them as he quickly maneuvered them to the ground. "You're safe now, little one."

"Momma, Papa, Ana," she screamed.

Another man was beside them on the ground. Natasha recognized the old man from the square as one who sat and talked to the other old men on Saturday afternoons. The captain looked at the man. "Her family are still inside. Can you sit with the girl?"

"Of course, Captain. Do what you must," the man told the captain. "I will stay with Natalia."

The captain was gone a moment later, and Natalia could only stare after him. It didn't occur to her to wonder how this man knew her name. She was only grateful for his companionship and desperate for Captain America to save her family.

"Come, child, there is no place for you here. I am Ivan. I will take you somewhere warm while the captain does his work."

Natalia shook her head vehemently. She didn't want to leave. She needed to be here when the captain rescued Momma, Papa, and the baby. Ivan, however, didn't take no for an answer. He scooped Natalia up into his arms, causing her to drop her doll on the ground, and took off.

Natalia was out of tears by the time Ivan arrived at his destination. They had been walking for such a long time, and she still did not know whether the captain had saved her family or not, but she was certain the man she was with was not a good man. He had made several comments about how she would be helping him pay off a debt. When she whimpered, he told her Madame B would not tolerate tantrums. Something wasn't right. Why had Captain America left her with this man? He was supposed to be a hero. That's what Papa told her.

Over the next several years, Natalia would be taught a different truth. She would learn that Captain America hadn't saved her at all. He sentenced her to a fate worse than death, and she vowed never to forgive him.

2011

"Can you believe we've finally found him?" Phil Coulson asked, the childlike wonder evident in his face. "This is the most exciting day of my life."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Coulson, you should get out more."

"Nat, that's Steve Rogers thawing out in there, and he has a heartbeat. On ice for over sixty years, and he's alive. Even if he weren't the greatest hero of all time, this would be the very definition of exciting," Phil replied.

Clint just shrugged his shoulders. "Coulson's got a point, Nat. This is a big deal."

Natasha glared at both men briefly before excusing herself to her quarters. She hadn't been there when they pulled Roger's from the ice, but she couldn't stay away once she realized he was alive. This wretched man had destroyed her life. If she hadn't gone straight, she would personally make sure he never woke up. But, killing Captain America would certainly add red to her ledger in most people's opinions. She just wanted to see him. Did he even remember the little girl he had handed over to a kidnapper? Did he even care? If she could just get a good gauge on him then she'd have her answer then she could decide what to do with the information.

Her phone buzzed. It was Fury. "Romanoff, I've got an assignment for you."

"Please, no," Natasha thought as she tried to find her voice to answer. "Do you need me to go back to Moscow?"

"Moscow? No, Moscow is covered. You're on Captain America duty."

"I'm not a babysitter. Let Coulson sit with the sleeping soldier," Natasha replied.

"Not a chance. The man is a total fan boy. Steve Rogers is waking up in a new century. I've got things in place to prevent him from realizing it right away, but I need my best spy in the room. You'll be able to monitor his emotions. Keep him in that room, Romanoff. Rogers doesn't find out when he is until I give the okay. You got it?"

Natasha sighed. "Yes, sir." Natasha tossed the phone on her bed in anger. She should have stayed in Moscow. She wanted to get a read on Rogers not be stuck with him. She briefly considered telling Fury the truth, but she figured it wouldn't matter. Knowing Fury, it was possible he already knew she was older than she'd claimed, but there was no one alive who knew the hell Captain America had put her through.

She pulled out a piece of paper from her desk and wrote the word culpability then she added two question marks. This was her mission and hers alone. She would get her answer then she would decide his fate. No one else needed to be involved.

Two days later, Natasha found Steve awake in his room. She had to admit that he was good. It didn't take long for him to see through the elaborate charade Fury had set up. It really hadn't been her intention to let him escape, but coming face to face with the man who destroyed her life set her off-balance. She hated being off-balance. She didn't enjoy the tongue-lashing she received from Fury much either.

"You failed, Romanoff, and you never fail," Fury shouted. "A rookie could have done a better job than you just did. Go back to Moscow. Just deal with the mafia ring, and I'll find someone else to deal with Rogers."

"I'm sorry, sir," Natasha replied softly. In her mind it wasn't Fury chastising her, it was Madame B.

"You must be the best, Natalia. Failure is not an option. The Americans will recreate their super serum, and you will face foes much stronger than your Captain America," Madame B had told her. "I will not tolerate weakness. Never forget what their super soldier did to you. He abandoned you. You were nothing to him. He had probably forgotten your name by the time they gave him a medal for rescuing you. He handed you over to us like you were nothing, and you were nothing. We made you everything you are, Natalia, and you are the perfect weapon. You will kill each and every super soldier they create. It is your destiny. It is you're right."

Yes, it is an angsty and awful start. This one has been floating around in my brain for months. I originally offered it to another writer who wisely opted out. How do we go from this moment to Romangers? Tune in and find out. This one won't be an easy fix. Remember it is an AU, so don't expect an easy friendship to develop between Steve and Nat right away, but I have a plan.