Widow and the Devil

So, I don't own The Avengers or Daredevil...Damn.

Summary: She had spent years to become what she would become, but she became something she had never trained for; a mother. The Red Room, had they known, would have taken the child and trained if it had been born a girl, but she had a son. A son who would find himself in his father's arms just days after his birth. Natalia hoped Matthew would understand why she did what she had to do.

November 2000

She had seen his eyes only a few times.

They were brown but lifeless. They were hard to read, but something told Natalia Romanoff that he could read her. He knew things that no blind man should know, and that intrigued her.

It was a snowy day in Hell's Kitchen, but Natalia was outside taking in the distorted beauty of it. It was different from her home, the snow. She had seen it fall, but never around her. She had never seen the snowfall around buildings and streets. The Red Room kept her from going out when it snowed. She was hardly let out unless it was for training, in both the snow and on warm days. Someone always died at the end of it, regardless of the weather. More often then not, their blood had soaked her hands.

Now was different. She wasn't in the Red Room, and she wouldn't be for another year. Her first assignment had finally come, and she didn't want to fail the honor that had been bestowed upon her.

In two years time, her graduation ceremony would take place. She had her trust in the Red Room, after all, they had raised her and made her the young woman she was today, but she wasn't ready to graduate. She wasn't ready to commit, but she would once she was. Or, at least that is what she told herself.

She watched as the snow rained down. She didn't stop until she had run into someone. The unexpected movement had nearly made her lunge at the young man in front of her until she saw his eyes. They were looking at her, but at the same time, they were not.

"I'm so sorry!" She said, her American accent foreign on her lips. She quickly helped the young man up, his eyes never responding to hers, which kept themselves planted firmly on his face. He was around her age, his brown hair was short, and yet somehow still managed to fall just above his unseeing eyes. He was handsome, Natalia thought before shoving it deep within her mind. She was not to get close to anyone but her target, whom she had yet to meet. Yet to gain his trust and eliminate once they were established with one another. The young man now holding on to her arm was not apart of her assignment, and a part of Natalia was glad for it, though she would never admit it.

"Are you alright?" She asked as the young man found his footing.

He gave her a friendly smile, though she could see the hint of mischief on his lips.

"I'm alright, thank you for helping me up," he told Natalia. "I'm sorry if I was in your way."

"I should be the one apologizing," Natalia said as she awkwardly laughed. She held out her hand once the young man let go of her arm. "I'm Natalie Rushman." Her cover name, at least while she was in Hell's Kitchen.

"Matthew Murdock," the young man introduced, though he didn't shake her hand. His head cocked itself to the side as he said, "I'm sorry, are you holding out your hand for me to shake it?"

"I am," Natalia said, momentarily confused before she saw the items Matthew had dropped on the ground. A heavy book covered in what appeared to be braille, and a white cane. She could see a pair of broken, dark sunglasses nearby. Her eyes widened as she realized the young man in front of her was blind.

Matthew chuckled, causing Natalia to look at him.

"Yes, I'm blind," the young man said as he stuck his hand out and after a few moments of it hovering towards Natalia's outstretched hand, he shook it.

"Oh," Natalia said after the handshaking stopped. "Then I am really sorry about bumping into you."

"It's fine, Natalie. It happens to me more often than I like."

"I wasn't looking where I was going, so I should be the one saying I'm sorry," Natalia said, "and I'm sorry."

Matthew smiled, "apology accepted."

She watched as Matthew seemingly struggled to look for his dropped items. He found them rather quickly for a blind man, especially considering the distance between where they had been, and where his glasses had been. It was strange, but she didn't ask the New Yorker about it. There seemed to be more to him, and Natalia wanted to find out what.

Of course, while she completed her assignment for the Red Room.

March 2001

Two red lines, the last thing she never thought she would ever see.

Natalia was in the bathroom of her "absent uncle's" apartment. The pink pregnancy test was lying on the dingy, cigarette-stained sink, along with the other two tests she had gotten from the little convenience store nearby.

A knock on the door pulled Natalia's eyes away from the tests. Frowning, she quickly discarded the sticks into the little wastebasket next to the toilet.

"Just a second!" Natalia yelled out as she turned on the faucet. The water hit her face, but she didn't care as she quickly washed her hands. She turned the water off after she was done and left the bathroom.

Forcing a smile on her face as Natalie Rushman took over, Natalia opened the door to find Matt Murdock standing there.

"Hey," Natalia said, grinning as she stepped aside to let the young man in. "So, the nuns let you out of solitary I see."

Matt snorted as he smirked, "something like that, Nat."

Natalia forced out a laugh, though she did find the blind teenager's words humorous.

She examined the New Yorker's face before she let her lips crash against his.

She let herself forget why she was in America. She let herself believe that she was Natalie Rushman, a girl who was forced to stay with her uncle after her mother's overdose. She let herself forget about what would be coming in the next couple of months, and about what she was to do before going back to the Red Room.

For once, it was easy to let everything go, but it would be impossible to let go of this moment.

August 2001

She looked down at her son's brown eyes. His father's eyes, though her sons were full of life. The first he saw was her, but not that he would remember.

It was dark by the time Natalia reached her son's father's apartment. It was near the orphanage Matt had stayed in since his own father died, Natalia hoped the same would not be so for their son.

It had been months since she last saw Matt, she didn't want him to know about her pregnancy. She didn't want him to believe that she would stay. For him, and for the newborn in her arms.

She looked up at the apartment Matt had managed to get. She knew he was going to leave it once he left for college, she wondered if that would still be the case after she leaves.

Looking down at the baby in her arms, she wouldn't say his name. She made sure that her braille typed letter was safely tucked into her son's blanket. She hoped that they both would one day understand why she left.

Looking down at the infant, Natalia kissed his forehead before entering the rundown apartment building. She walked up the stairs until she reached the fifth floor. She walked to the third door on her right and knocked on the door without any hesitation.

"Just a second!" Natalia heard on the other side.

Looking at the baby in her arms, Natalia gave him a shaky smile before gently placing him on the ground. She didn't look back as the door opened, and by the time Matt noticed the baby on the ground, Natalia was already halfway down the steps.

She ran out of the building and composed herself before she could be noticed. She wouldn't let herself cry, though she wanted to. She wanted to stay, but she couldn't. The Red Room wouldn't like that.

Natalia didn't look back as she walked away. Her face expressed no emotion as she got further away from a life she could have had.

Matt knew that Natalie, or whoever she was, had been at the door. He should have gone after her, especially since they hadn't seen each other in months.

Carrying the infant who couldn't be over a few days old, Matt knew why the mysterious girl kept her distance.

The baby was awake, judging by his steady but rapid heartbeats. He was going to cry, and Matt instinctively started to awkwardly bounce the baby in his arms.

As he gently bounced the baby in his arms, a letter fell out of the infant's blanket. Frowning, Matt bent down and quickly picked it up. He silently walked over to his bed, gently placed the baby in the middle of it, and opened up the envelope and unfolded the letter. His hands gingerly ran over the braille.

Matt,

I'm sorry. It seems like I say that a lot. I shouldn't be telling you this over a letter, but it's not safe for me to say it in person or over the phone. Hopefully, none of my mentors know braille if they do somehow find you and our son. He was born earlier this week, on the tenth. I won't tell you where because it wasn't the safest place to be, but he was born here in Hell's Kitchen. I couldn't risk going to a hospital, my mentors would have found out if I did. His name is Peter, by the way. Peter Jonathan Murdock. I originally was going to name him Ivan, after the man who raised me until he gave me to the Red Room. It would to oblivious, though. Peter, on the other hand, is close enough that it still honors him. I remember you telling me about your father and I figured that by naming our son after him would honor him as well.

My name's not Natalie Rushman. You probably already know that though. You always seem to be able to read between the lines, don't you? I won't tell you my real name, it's not safe. I should have never continued on seeing you after I ran into you all those months ago. I could have put you in danger had my mentors found out, especially since you distracted me from my assignment. I won't give you the details. I doubt I will ever see you again.

I care very deeply about you,

Nat

So, what do you think? Should I continue?

I know there might be some mistakes, so I apologize.

Please, review, like, and/or follow. That would great.

Until next time...