13057/Following Up

Following Up
Date of Scene:	18 April 2021
Location:	Natasha's Penthouse, New York City
Synopsis:	Skye gets a few more answers, but not verification of her too-right theories.
Cast of Characters:	Black Widow (Romanoff), Quake

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Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha was dealing with one of the more complicated weeks of her life. Considering her history? That was saying something. When she found out that Skye had come to visit the safehouse, she knew they were going to have to talk. The question was what to tell her.

Skye would have received a message, not encrypted. Just a message asking her to meet up to talk. The meeting was setup for Natasha's penthouse around noon the day after Skye had learned some secrets.

Quake has posed:
And there it was.

In about the time taken to process her visit, and figure what she was going to say to Skye, it had taken about the time that Skye figured. The only thing was.. Skye wasn't certain if she was ready. Still, at the pre-arranged time, she rang herself up in the elevator to the penthouse and waited.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
It took just a moment then the elevator began to rise. It ended at the penthouse, the doors opening and letting Skye exit the little box.

The place was airy and bright, furniture modern. Art on the walls. It looked like something out of a catalog. And it was about that homey. Nothing personal. Nothing that jumped out saying who might live there. Sterile.

Natasha came out a moment later from the kitchen. Casual dress of jeans and a button up shirt. A Glock tucked into the back of the jeans. "Skye. Good to see you. Figure we needed to talk?"

Quake has posed:
It was strange how familiar Nat's place was. The sterile feel. Until Clint moved into her rooms in the Trisk, nothing was Skye's except her laptop. You could have shown rooms as a demo. Sure, Nat had more 'stuff', but nothing was hers.

Skye noticed that.

Walking into the room, Skye nodded. "I figured you'd want to talk with me. So.. here I am." She took a place onto the couch. "Where do you want to begin?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"This is what I know. You came to the safehous and talked to Alexander." Not Agent Aaron. She used his first name. "Which means you probably figured out what is going on there. The place having been setup to be more habitable. Us sharing the space."

She moves to sit in a nearby chair, drawing out the gun and setting it on the table nearby. Not threatening, just more comfortable. "Yes, we're involved. Which led to the phone call you undoubtably noticed to Fury when we rean into a complication. Which I am not at liberty to discuss."

Quake has posed:
"Amongst other things, yes." Skye was happy to play this game, until Nat's last sentence. "Bullshit. Try again."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Not this time, Skye. You've had to keep your secrets sometimes. This one I need to keep until I find some things out."

Then Natasha grins a bit, amusement in her eyes. "You should be happy. You learned I'm having a relationship with a Level One agent. You know about a phone call that only three people should know: Fury, Alexander and me."

Quake has posed:
"I don't sleep regular person's hours." Skye begins. "Too many things came pointing at the house in the boonies. You're taking time off. Nothing was on the books, yet there was a fresh download of movies, but no other types of networks? All that I needed was out in the open. Just followed the dotted lines." She shrugs. "Most wouldn't have clued in."

She frowned. "I want to help you, dammit. Whatever it is, you shot at Alex. And probably didn't mean to. Fine you don't feel safe including me, but.." What? That she didn't have a clue for. "I worry."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
It was a conclusion one night get to seeing the bruising and the spatter on a wall but it could have been other things too. Which meant she was fishing a little bit. It was a good attempt but Nat wasn't biting. Yet. After all, she didn't shoot at Alex. She shot him. If Skye wasn't fishing, she'd have gotten that detail.

"I appreciate it. But there isn't really anything you can do at the moment. I have some feelers out. Looking for information. When I know something, Fury will be the first to know." Another smile. "Thus you'll be the second. So nosey."

She turned serious again. "There really is nothing to be done to help at this point. I'm sorry."

Quake has posed:
And all of a sudden, everything *clicked*.

"You shot him, didn't you." Skye lowered her voice. "If he were anybody else, he'd be dead." Bottom line.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"That's quite the leap from my confession he and I are in a relationship," Natasha says with a laugh. Even though Skye is right. She's not going to verify that. Bad enough she has no idea what she can and can't trust in her head right now.

"I don't usually shoot people I'm sleeping with." Which is true. Her exes were all free of bulletwounds from her. Well, except one. And she wasn't in a relationship with him at the time. And he had deserved it. So there was that.

"Skye," she says, voice gentle. "I appreciate your concern and trust me, if I felt it was okay to talk about it with you, I would. It isn't that I don't trust you. It's that I need to figure some things out first. That's why the time off."

Quake has posed:
Skye just *stares* at Natasha. "Please. I'm good.. besides, Alex already confirmed that you and he were sleeping together. You shot him, point blank. If he wasn't a god, he'd be dead." Again, it wasn't a question. There was a reason Fury was looking at Skye for his job in the future.

But she nods.

"I know. When I was figuring out my own past, I wasn't very open to many people. In fact, we weren't very close then. I feel strange with the past catching up to me now, so I get it. Just.. don't be stupid. If we can help, ask."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha was about to give a smart remark, just play it all off but instead she answered that last. "I won't be stupid. If things go sideways, I'll reach out to you and tell you what I can. For now, it's a thing I have to do. I know you understand that. I had to respect it for you, just do the same for me."

Again she is avoiding any affirming statements of what had happened but at least she's being accepting of offers of help from a friend.

Quake has posed:
Skye speaks quietly, having had her piece. "Anything I can do back home for you?"

Anything should she avoid looking up, though she doesn't ask.. after all, what she isn't forbidden to do is fair game.. right?

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Just steer clear of anything about me or Agent Aaron for a week. If I need longer, I'll tell you. And I appreciate it," Natasha says with a genuine, albeit slight, smile.

"He may need some leave time approved randomly this week. I don't want things dinging his record negatively. While I figure Fury will have my back on that, just make sure it gets keyed in properly. Family emergency or the like."

Quake has posed:
Skye gets up. "Sure, I'll make sure with Darcy if I need to. Besides I probably should see her, it's been too long. Anything else." Other than that, she heads towards the elevator.