Case 325 || Loki

T W E N T Y - E I G H T

"Darling , wait. Lil-" Loki's voice faded as Lily ran out of the room and down the hallway. She had no idea of where she was going only that she had to leave. As she raced down the hall, she thought of everything that had happened. The case file, the date with Grant, the threats, Jason and Goose and now this. Zoey. The person she had held so much trust in, that she relied on, had betrayed her in the worst way possible. 

Her thoughts were sending an excruciating pounding in her head that she only wished to stop. Lily's legs carried her through the tower and she eventually found herself on the roof. It was desolate, with only the descending orange sun offering light. 

She was stood in the centre of the roof and began to walk in a straight line. She stopped herself 3ft away from the ledge, no railings separating her from the 93 storey drop. Her whole body felt numb. So numb she thought she would never feel again. Right in that moment Lily forgot all about her crushing fear of heights. 

She remembered how her twin brother left her in the moment she needed him most. How her mother died right before her eyes. How her father never even bothered to check up on his children. Never even bothered to meet them. She imagined how much of a burden she was to her Grandfather - the man that practically raised her himself. She imagined how much of a painful reminder that his own daughter was dead it was to him. She supposed he was happier now that he could be with Meredith again. Her mind cast back to every moment with Grant, the memories making her shudder. And finally, to Zoey. The person she thought was her friend. The person who she had let herself trust.

Lily took another step closer to the ledge. The sun was setting once again on New York. The drop invited her, holding out it's hand to pull Lily over the edge. She wanted to take the hand and hold onto it so tightly that no one could pull her away from it. She took one more step, her mind blank, before a soft voice stopped her.

"Lily?" Nat spoke, her soft voice piercing through her mind. She walked up towards her with her hands raised. "What are you doing up here? The rest of the team and Loki are looking for you."

Lily somehow managed to form a sentence, "Nothing, I was just - I was." Her voice cracked, she looked longingly at the ledge and then back at Natasha.

"Come here." Nat opened her arms wide. Lily ran gratefully into them. She completely broke down into a ball of sobs and cries. Natasha wrapped her arms around Lily tightly and brought them both to the ground. She held Lily until her cries settled and there was only the odd sniffle.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Lily wailed.

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UNEDITED

"Hey, hey," Natasha reassured, "You have nothing to apologize for." As she spoke, Nat gently cupped her face in her hands and kissed Lily's forehead. Nat tentatively guided Lily down so her head was resting on Nat's lap. The assassin ran her fingers through the young girl's now messy hair and sang softly. Lily felt soothed at Natasha's voice, the Russian lyrics danced calmly into her ears.

They must have sat like that for what felt like hours. The pair watched the golden sunset that burst with bright colours transform into blinding stars with a grey moon. Lily rested her eyes and she realised this was the safest she had felt in a long time.

Natasha didn't pry on what Lily's plans were on the roof, nor would she tell the team what she had saw Lily attempt to do. She understood that Lily would talk when she was ready and that all she needed right in that moment was a safety net. And Nat would make sure that she would always be that net.

"I was raised in a place called the Red room. They trained us to kill, to fight each other. T-they sterilized us. It was a part of the initiation. It was necessary." Nat began to speak. Her voice remained steady and calm despite the memories that were flooding into her mind. "When I left, I always believed that I had no place in the world. I still find it hard to remind myself that I do. When I met the Avengers, they gave my life a meaning. A purpose. A life that meant more than killing. They gave me a voice, choices. They became my family. Lily, you may have lost your grandpa, and for that I am deeply sorry. But know, you are apart of our family. And we need you. Just look at what happens when you are gone! Thor and Loki end up almost killing each other!"

Lily let out a small laugh at Nat's last sentence. "There's my girl." Nat smiled sadly at Lily.

"You're my family too." Lily said quietly. She sat up and the pair wrapped their arms around each other comfortingly. They each had a silent understanding of one another. It was never to be spoken, but they both knew what it was.

They were soon joined by a panicked Loki. He let out a noticeable breath at the sight of Lily safe in Natasha's arms. He quietly sat beside Lily so that she was safely between the two warriors. He nodded to Nat in thanks for what he knew she had done for her. "My darling," the God pressed his almost trembling lips to her forehead. "It is taking every ounce of self restraint to not behead that sorry excuse for a mortal."

Steve eventually joined them on the roof after Jarvis had notified him of Lily's whereabouts. "Thought you would need this." In his arms, he carried one of his hoodies and Nat's jacket. "Here, put these on." Steve handed the clothes to the pair who accepted them gratefully, not realising how cold they actually were.

"Thank you Steve." Lily smiled at the super soldier, her eyes glossy once again. Steve took a seat next to Loki.

Bruce then waddled over clutching a pile of large, warm blankets in his arms. He shared them between the group and perched by Nat. Lily looked gratefully at Bruce but before she could say anything, Tony, Thor and Clint joined them on the roof. 

The three brought snacks with them; Clint carried the hot beverages, Tony with the popcorn and Thor of course sticking with his pop tarts which everyone knew he wouldn't share out. Although, instead of sitting down with everyone else, Thor walked in front of the group and knelt down beside Lily. To everyone's surprise, the Asgardian prince offered Lily the plate of pop tarts. Lily looked back and forth between the plate and Thor, unsure of whether to take one or not. 

"Here, you need them more than I do." Thor gently put the plate into her hand and took a seat next to the rest of the Avengers. Lily couldn't help but feel the support radiate from the group. She felt at peace. And in that moment, no one and nothing could hurt any one of them. No words were spoken between them. No questions or worried glances. Just comfort.

So the eight people sat in a line on the rooftop. The rooftop that would have been a memorial, was instead a safety net.