"Oh, I am coming with you as well," Tony said cheerily causing Natasha to jerk in surprise.
"What?" Natasha asked in surprise.
"I am coming with you. I don't know what kind of shit you got yourself into that you need to skip town. Seeing those reporters, I am glad I am coming with you. Can't let you get yourself killed, can I?" Tony asked cheekily.
"Tony, I am not skipping town for a few months. I am going to live in another city for a long time. You can't just come with me like this," Natasha felt a headache forming.
"Why can't I?"
Natasha was speechless. She didn't know how to respond to such a question.
"What about whatever the hell you were doing?" Natasha asked trying to be delicate about her conversation topic.
"Oh, New York has become hot recently. Those coppers have been very active of late. Most of my buddies have gone to the ground. I was planning to do that as well. When you told me you were skipping town, I decided to join you. Let me roll in some other place for a year or two. I can come back later," Tony said in a nonchalant manner, but Natasha could see that he was a little scared.
"What the hell have you gotten into Tony?" Natasha asked anxiously.
"I haven't done anything much. I am just doing our old business," Tony said defensively.
"Are you crazy? Have you forgotten what happened to Jeff?" Natasha asked as if someone had poured hot oil on her.
"I haven't" Tony replied with pain evident in his voice.
"And still you went back to do that stuff," Natasha shook her head. "What the fuck Tony? Just when I thought you became clean, you tell me you are still doing our old shit. Is that why you changed the subject when I called?"
"Don't be so sanctimonious bitch," Tony growled. "We aren't all white trash like you to get out clean. I am a nigger. I don't have the white skin so that I can be hired to do some job."
Natasha didn't reply. She knew how tough it was for someone like Tony to turn over. Even she had it tough. She could only imagine how difficult it was for Tony. No wonder he went back to do his old stuff.
"I am sorry," Natasha let out a groan. "I thought you worked out something."
"I tried," Tony growled in a low voice. "I tried damn hard for nearly a year. After what happened to Jeff, I didn't want to go back and do that stuff. But, for a nigger like me, there are only two ways to get out of that environment."
"Either I play ball and become like Stricklhand and Richards. Or I become someone popular like LK. There ain't another way. I can play ball, but not at that level. Well, you know how horribly I sing," Tony chuckled a bit self-deprecatingly.
"Ugh," Natasha groaned as she recalled Tony's singing skills.
"Yeah, I can't become hot with a voice like that. I am self-aware at least to that level. So, I had no choice but to go back to what we did. Even then, I kept stuff to a minimum. With no Jeff to smooth things over with the gang and you living your clean life, I just kept to old contacts and did small stuff."
"You could have come to me. I could have found you a job or something. I could have taken care of you till you could stand steadily," Natasha said a little aggrievedly.
"Hey, you are my little sister. You think I am going to mooch off you?" Tony snorted.
"I would rather you mooch off on me than learn from someone that you are bleeding out in a ditch," Natasha said harshly.
"Fine, fine," Tony grumbled. "Chill out, Nat! Anyways, I ain't bold like I used to be. Don't you see me running at the little sign of trouble?"
"Good, at least you learned something," Natasha huffed.
"Ha ha ha… be careful. Your princess side is showing…."
"Talk like that, I will knock your teeth out…"
"No way, a meek kitten like you can't even scratch me…"
"Wanna try, you punk?"
"Bring it on, bitch!!!"
*****
"Wait, you were the one that Peter Ropier almost killed due to speeding while high on drugs?"
"Yeah…"
"So, Mama and Papa Ropier want you gone from the city so no one drags their son's name through the mud. That's why those reporters were after you and you have that fat paycheck."
"Ummm… yeah,"
"And you want to travel from New York to Los Angeles. From the east coast of the country to all the way to fucking west coast…"
"And I decided that I want to be an actress…" Natasha chirped causing Tony to look at her blankly.
Tony breaked suddenly and pulled the car to the side of the road. He turned to look at Natasha with an expression of bewilderment. Natasha had just finished telling him what happened to her in the past two weeks while omitting the memory from her counterpart bit. And Tony wasn't taking it well.
"Are you fucking kidding me? You almost died and I learn about that just now?" Tony growled causing Natasha to flinch a bit.
"Calm down Tony," Natasha tried to soothe him.
"Fuck you, Nat! You are a bitch!"
"Hey, it wasn't my fault. Who asked that bastard to run over a red light and crash into me?"
"Gods Nat! I almost lost you and I didn't even know. Jeff is not even gone for two years and I almost lost you. And you didn't think it is important to tell me," Tony accused her.
Natasha did indeed feel a bit guilty that she hadn't told Tony immediately after waking up. But, there wasn't anything she could do about it now. And she wasn't going to let him guilt trip her.
"Let me guess, you wouldn't have even told me if you didn't need my help to skip town. Am I right?"
Natasha could only squirm uncomfortably when Tony asked that question. He was right and they both knew it.
"And you call me prideful?" Tony said arching his eyebrows.
"Fuck off. You weren't the one who got into an accident. Why are you making me feel all guilty," Natasha grumbled holding her head.
"Hmmph…." Tony snorted. "And whose wonderful idea was it to drive from the east coast to fucking west coast?"
"Oh, I came up with that. I always wanted to do one of those road trips those guys used to brag about," Natasha said a little pridefully puffing up her chest.
"I should have known you would be the one to come up with such a dumb idea," Tony grumbled irritably.
"What do you mean? Those kids going to college all do this. Why are you calling my idea dumb?"
"I am calling your idea dumb because we have stuff in our backseat. All we need is for a police car to stop us and we would be spending the next ten years in prison," Tony said angrily.
"What? You put that damned stuff in the backseat? Are you crazy?" Natasha yelped as if she was a cat and someone stepped on her tail.
"How am I to know that your definition of skipping town is to drive from New York to Los Angeles?"
"Tony! You idiot! Why the hell did you put those back there?"
"Where else am I going to put them? Didn't you hear? I was skipping town along with you."
"No, no, no. You better throw them away right now. I don't want to end up in jail."
"Those are all my savings. If I throw them out, I will be penniless," Tony retorted.
"Tony, we can use the check given to me. We both can live comfortably for a year with that. We don't need to risk our future like this."
"I am not mooching off you."
"You are just going to send me to jail."
"Chill out! I will sell them off in the next city. I know some buyers out here. I used to run this route with Jeff," Tony grumbled.
"You better. I don't want any of those stuff near me. Damn it!"
"Don't talk as if you are some pure white rose. You used to sell those stuff too."
"That is in the past. I am clean now."
"Yeah, yeah… You have been harping about it for a year now."
"You are just jealous of me."
"Trust me… I am not…"
"You are…"
"Am not…"
"You are…"
"Fuck you!"
"Fuck you!"
*****
"Is that the last of it?"
"Yes, I promise you, there is nothing more," Tony grumbled.
"You didn't secret some stuff to get high on, did you?" Natasha asked suspiciously.
"No. Damn it Nat. I haven't touched that stuff for over a year now," Tony said glaring at her.
"Hmmph, as if I am going to believe you…"
"Whatever, let's get going. Los Angeles is a long way off."
"Yeah, we have already wasted a lot of time in this city," Natasha sniffed.
"Don't start your princess syndrome," Tony groaned. "By the way, we are going through Vegas right?"
"Should we?"
"Come on, Nat! What kind of road trip are you going on if you don't go through Vegas? Strippers, alcohol, casinos…"
"I don't want to spend all my money gambling," Natasha cut Tony off ruthlessly.
"Um… how about a part of it?"
"Dream on, bastard. I almost lost my life to earn this. I am not wasting it. I have a wonderful life to look forward to."
"Come on, Nat. Live a little…"
"He he he… You have become bold with no Jeff to box your ears. Do you want me to do it?"
"Forget it, we don't need to spend your money. What I have is enough. We are going through Vegas. That's final."
"Alright, alright. You can have your fun…"
"Hell yeah! Vegas, here I come!!!"
"I hope you don't lose your underwear there…"
Tony shot her a stinkeye. Natasha merely showed him the finger in return.
*****
A/N: Check out my other stories and let me know your thoughts...
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