James walked into his home late. He had been filling in for Steve while he was away on his honeymoon. They had only gone a few towns over and Steve had told James if he needed him he would be there. But James was determined to let the man enjoy his honeymoon in peace. He deserved it. He had spent almost a week with little to no sleep looking for James. Least James could do for him was give him a couple days off to enjoy his new life with his bride. Filling in meant pretty much nothing. Nothing happened in Bandera. A few drunks stumbled around after dinner and James got them home. Miss Nancy claimed the neighbor stole her cat, again. The cat was found on her own bed until a pile of tangled yarn. If only they could have said that it was the first time that was where the cat had been found. Or the first time Miss. Nancy had accused some one of stealing her annoying cat.
Tonight had been slightly different with old Mr. Sampson blaming Clint for stealing one of his horses. It had take two hours to convince the aging man that the horse was in fact the same one he had sold to the Barton family six months back. But really it was nothing new or exciting. Just plain old Bandera. Adjusting back to life here hadn't been as bad as he had expected. He kept his distance from others a bit more, especially those who had been present at the bank. Adam hadn't dare spoken to him since his return. For that James was glad. They both knew if Adam came close he would be lucky if all he walked away with was a black eye. Keeping his distance from the man was for the best. But Gwendolen seemed to have a renewed determination to get James to fall in love with her. James had no desire for that. After the last week he was convinced he would be better off dying alone then trying to put himself out there again.
But the girl just wouldn't leave him alone. Trailing him home each night, or showing up with food at his door or at the Sheriff's office. She was driving him nuts. He was grateful for the food, but she stuck around watching him eat. It was to the point he was refusing to eat any of the food claiming he was too busy, making up excuses as to why he couldn't sit down and eat at that moment. All he really wanted was for her to leave him alone but she didn't seem to understand that no matter what he said to her. Tonight he had left out the back door and taken the back roads to get home just to avoid her. He was so tired of constantly being followed by her. Tired of her questioning him about the last week, or what his plans for the future were.
His house was dark from the outside, unwelcoming and cold looking, but that was to be expected. With no one home it would have been more concerning to find a candle or the fire place lit. He knew it would be cold inside and he'd have to light the fireplace in his room quickly if he didn't want to freeze tonight. One of the downsides of returning home late at night. At least earlier in the evening he could have started the fire to keep the warm in the home all evening and leading into the night. Now he would have to hope it warmed up enough that his toes didn't freeze for the first portion of the night.
He pushed the door closed before he pulled off the leather gloves he had worn the past few days to keep his new addition hidden. He tossed them onto the table he kept next to the door for his hat and coat. The town's people had asked him enough questions about the last week he didn't want to add more fuel to the fire, and he knew Howard wanted to keep it hidden for as long as possible. He'd have to ask him next time he went if he had any better ideas on covering it up. For now the gloves and jacket weren't awful, but come spring and summer they would be tough to wear all day. If he had thought summer was hard this year, next years would be much worse if they didn't figure something out by then.
Fumbling around until he found his lantern he set it on the dinning table and lit it. He turned to drop his coat and hat on top of the gloves. That was when he saw her huddled on his small sitting chair in the corner. Her dark coat was pulled over her small frame. Bright hair poking out over the edges. She looked as if she had fallen asleep there but she was stirring now and beginning to stretch. The movement to do so looked like it was causing her quite a bit of pain. Each movement she made was slow and deliberate.
Her left eye was swollen shut, a trail of crusted blood ran from her malformed nose down to her cracked lips. Her hair was tangled, bruises of various sizes and colors covered her cheeks and arms, If James was a betting man he would say there would be matching bruises across her chest, stomach, and legs. Tears streamed down her face but she didn't wipe them away. Her right wrist was swollen to twice it's normal size. Every muscle in James body was furious, he was ready to kill some one. Seeing her like this, it was wrong. Some one had done this to her and they needed to pay.
"Natalia?" He whispered quietly as if he couldn't believe it. It had to be a trick of his mind, but why would he imagine her like this? Injured, in pain, weak? No. This was real. He dropped the coat to the floor beside him and moved quickly to close the distance between them. The Widow nodded unable to say anything as more tears streamed down her face, falling off her chin to the floor. He wasted no time pulling her off the chair and into his arms. He tightened them around her, afraid to let her go. He had let her go once and she had returned to him bruised and broken. He wasn't about to let that happen ever again. "What happened? Who did this to you?"
He feared he already knew the answer as she struggled to get the words out. She hadn't told him much of them, but they were the only ones who could do something this terrible to someone and not feel bad about it. "I didn't know where else to go... I couldn't go to Howard's, and I didn't want to go back to my place. I didn't want to be alone. I was scared Alexei would follow me and I couldn't do it a second time. I just couldn't. I'm sorry. I'm so sor-"
"Hey, hey don't apologize. There's nothing to apologize for." He placed his hands on the sides of her face, careful to avoid any bruises. He gently pushed her matted hair away from her eyes and shook his head, begging her to believe him. He wasn't angry she was here. He wasn't mad she had broken into his home, all he wanted was to protect her and make them pay for ever laying their hands on her. He was grateful she had trusted him enough to know he would keep her safe. "Tell me what happened."
Natalia's body shuddered with sobs as she spoke. "I didn't have the money. I tried to explain that, but Alexei, he didn't care. He said Dreykov didn't want excuses just results. He threw me to the ground and I blacked out. I don't know what happened after that... I can't do it anymore. It's not possible James. I lost..."
Everything she had been holding back came out in that moment. Her knees gave out and she crumpled to the ground, cradling her arm. James had not been expected the extra weight and fell to the floor with her. Quickly he pulled her onto his lap tightening his grip around her. With her good hand she gripped his shirt collar and buried her head into his chest. Her sobs shook her entire body and James found himself struggling to contain his anger.
"Let me help you. Please." He whispered gently as he stroked her hair, trying to calm her and give her some sense of safety and peace. The woman he held now was so different than the one he had met in the bank. That day, only about a week ago, now felt like months ago. They had both been through so much since then, and had seen sides of each other no one else had. Natalia had dropped walls, every mask she had once used was gone when she was around him. This was the real Natalia. The child that had grown up against her will. Between sobs she shook her head.
"They will kill you James. I can't loose you to them. You're all I have left." She buried her face in his chest, her uninjured hand gripped at the fabric of his shirt. James closed his eyes muttering a silent prayer. He wouldn't let her go this time, no matter how hard she fought or pushed for him to. She was his to protect and he had failed once. He wouldn't do it again.
"If I don't they will kill you. Natalia, I'm not asking anymore." He brushed away the scarlet hair and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "It's my turn to help you. I won't loose you again, especially not to men like them. They have no right to take you."
He stood taking her good hand and pulling her up slowly. He led her to his small bedroom and helped her onto the bed. She curled up cradling her right arm and started at the blank wall to the side of the bed. He pulled a blanket up around her and gave her cheek a soft kiss. She didn't move or react to the kiss. She just lay there staring at the wall.
"I'm going to get some water and rags to clean you up. Don't move please."
He knew he likely wouldn't have to worry about her moving but it just seemed right. He left the young woman alone in the bed to rummaged through his cabinets for rags and a bowl of water. He grabbed an old shirt to rip up and use for bandages as well as a wooden spoon. On his way back to the bedroom he spotted Natalia's small saddle bag next to the chair and grabbed it searching through its contents until her found the clear bottle. He slipped it into his pocket. He would set out a shirt for her to change into when she felt better. Her current one was ripped and covered in blood and dirt. He knew how it felt to be stuck in blood crusted clothing and he wanted to help ease her situation in every way he could. Even if the shirt would drown her.
Upon his return to the room he left everything on the nightstand and lit the fire. Natalia lay in the same fetal position staring at the wall. He waited for the flames to start eating at the wood steadily before he stood to care for Natalia. The warmth slowly began to start seeping into the room, warming the cool air around the two.
He sat beside her and gently took her bad arm. She winced with the movement and her teeth dug into her chapped lips. He couldn't say for certain but it seemed Alexei had fractured the bone. The bone didn't feel out of place or flexible thank goodness. He wasn't too concerned with setting it perfectly because of that, but he knew it needed something sturdy to keep it from bending and to prevent it from beginning to heal improperly until he could get her the right help. He grabbed the spoon and the bandages and wrapped the utensil tightly against her skin. Natalia closed her eyes letting tears flow down her cheeks as he worked. Doctor Strange could help her in the morning, he just needed to give her enough to get through the night. For now she needed sleep. She needed to recover from the day and try to forget what had happened. In the morning they would decide what to do for her arm, and how to break her free from her abusers.
Silently he began to peel the matted hair from the dried blood and wash the red from her face. As he washed it away he could several small lacerations across her face along with varying shades of purples, blues, and greens. He dropped the dirty rags in a bowl when he finished he took the bottle of vodka from his pocket and placed it on the nightstand. Her words stood out in his mind from that first night. 'It numbs the pain.' Hopefully it could do just that for her. He placed a kiss on her cheek and stood to leave the room so she could sleep. He would stay in the sitting room just outside the door, but first he wanted to double check that the windows were locked and that she would be safe in the room alone.
"Stay please." She whispered her eyes still closed. He didn't hesitate to obey her request. He laid beside her and she rolled over to bury her face in his chest. Her small frame fit perfectly in his arms. Take the broken bones, blood, and bruises out of it and this would have been his dream come true. "Please don't leave me."
James obeyed, and sat back on the bed, wrapping his arms around her and kissed her forehead. He knew how it would look if anyone saw them but the curtains were drawn and his only intentions now were to be there to protect her and give her a sense of comfort. If she wanted him to stay he would stay and that was the end of it. "I won't. I promise."
As she began to drift off to sleep in his arms he let the words he had longed to say fall of his lips. "I love you Natalia."
They came out as a whisper with his lips pressed against her skin, but he meant them. It didn't matter they had only known each other for a few days. He loved her. Maybe Steve had a point. He knew he would marry Peggy by the end of day one. Loving some one after a week couldn't be that crazy could it?