The Evil Within

Chapter 5

Steve rushes around the compound, trying to find his friend.  Remembering where she goes to find some peace, he rounds the corner near her room, and enters a side door to her private office.  Layla loves to constantly learn about new things, and one of the nicest things Tony has ever done for her was to give her a space in which she could do that.

He finds her, arms folded, staring into space.  

"Hey."  He says quietly, in order not to make her jump.

She looks over at him, a small sad smile on her face.

"Please tell me you didn't tell Tony where I was Steve.  I can't be doing with him again right now."

Steve shakes his head.  "You know he's not even saying that stuff to hurt you Lay, don't you?"

"Bullsh*t!"  Layla shouts.

"Woah!"  Steve says, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"Sorry Steve."  Layla says earnestly.  "I'm just so over all of this.  I honestly don't know what the point of me being here is anymore.  I may as well just leave!"

Steve sighs.  "Well, listen...."  He begins to move further into the room towards the desk Layla is sat behind.  Sitting down opposite her, he looks her in the eye before continuing.  "Do you remember when we used to go running together?"

"Unfortunately yes...."  Layla replies teasingly.  She thinks back to those early days where Steve would literally run rings around her.  More often than not she'd end up sitting under the same tree, breathing heavily, until he had run enough that he'd stop and come and see her.

"I can't run anymore Steve."  She'd tell him.  "You're going to have to help me up and then I'm going back!"

"Well, that's not what you used to say to me when we first met!"  He'd say in mock hurt.  "When I didn't think I could come back to this life and carry on....what would you say to me?"

"I know, I know."  Layla replied.  This was the same conversation they had most days under this same tree.  "I'd say that you had me, and that you could do this."

Steve would nod, take Layla's hand and help her up, and more often than not, they'd jog back to the compound at the same pace-together.

"So what do you think I'm going to say now?"  Steve asks, bringing Layla back to the present day.

Layla sighs before she replies.

"You're going to say that you're here for me and that I need to keep going.  That I can do this."

"Yes."  Steve nods.  "Now get up, go and see Tony, and sort this out."

Layla stands, and, walking the long way around the long desk, passes by her friend, giving his shoulder a squeeze in thanks as she does so.