Fighting for You 🔞

Fifty-One

*TW - mention of child loss/miscarriage*

Steve opened his eyes, groaning at the bright sky above him he turned his head, seeing the others beginning to stir and sit up. Pushing himself to sit, he looked around, seeing Lexi standing over them all with her arms folded, bloody dripping from her. He could see in her face she was angry.

'I love you all, but you're all fucking idiots! What made you think that you could go up against them? They could've persuaded you to do anything, kill each other, hell even go on a rampage. The fuck is wrong with you!..'.. She scolded them, as the got to their feet. Steve held a hand out to Bucky, helping him up. The two shared a look, knowing she was going to be even more angry at them.

'What happened?..'.. Tony asked, rubbing his face, as he looked around. He saw Connors body laying a short distance away, as well as many others.

'You all acted like fuckwits, that's what happened..'.. Lexi huffed out a breath, trying to calm down... 'Connor is dead, minions are dead, Hannah is dead, and if you ever pull a stunt like this again, without talking to me first, you're all dead! Got it?!..'... She raised her voice to them.

'Lex..'.. She spun to Rogers, seeing him step forward with his hands up to her... 'I know you're angry with us, but we're all ok, right? It's ov-..'.. She slapped him around the face, forcing herself not to switch off her emotions.

'You're damn right I'm angry! You put yourselves at risk! You have no idea what you walked into, what would've happened! This world needs you, and yet you were throwing your lives away for an insignificant life? My life means nothing, do you understand?..'... She glared at them all.

'If you lot died today, who would be the heroes this world needs, huh? Your lives mean more than mine, or theirs..'.. She points to the three sitting... 'Don't you ever take a step into my world again. Or I will make you all forget everything, including me, am I clear?..'

They all nodded, Nat was trying not to cry. Looking around, she saw the cabin and she understood now why Lexi was angry, but upset that she ever believed she wasn't worth saving.

'Good, get your shit together and back to the tower, now!..'.. She rounded on the three sitting, as the Avengers departed... 'And you..'.. She stroms over, hands on her hips... 'What the fuck were you thinking, getting them involved? They're humans! Any one of them could've been under persuasion! You put them at risk! I ought to beat the shit out of all three of you for this!..'

'Alexandria..'... Nicholas began to speak.

'I am not finished..'.. She cut him off... 'I love you all, I do, but I don't ever want to have them in harms way again from our world again, got it?..'

Nicholas sighed, and got to his feet, wincing at the he was in. He needed to feed, they all did... 'It will not happen again, you have my word..'

Lexi took a huge breath as everything that had happened in the past week hit her, and the fact Ryan as well as Hannah were gone. She was thankful Connor was dead, but it was too close. She dropped to the ground, and cried, screaming it all out. The pain, the anguish, guilt, relief, it was all too much.

She felt arms come around her, and heard Nicholas speak words of comfort. She was so close to being completely alone, and trapped for eternity with Connor. She knew exactly what he wanted to do to her. Those men on that mission, would be nothing compared to what Connor would've done.

'Its alright love, its over. You're free now..'.. She felt him press a kiss to the side of her head as he held her. She remained there a while with them, until she had calmed down. Pulling away, she gripped the bottom of her top, bringing it to her face to wipe it clean.

'What do you wish to do my dear?..'... Eli held a hand out to her, to help her up. She took it, letting out a shaky breath.

'I want to go home for a while..'.. She looked over at the cabin, then the bodies... 'Can you take care of this lot for me?..'.. She gestures around... 'And burn the cabin. He's tarnished it now..'

Reyah walked over to the little flower bed, at the side of the cabin, and used her hands, to dig up the rose bush. Once she was done, she went inside to find a pot to put it in. She knew how much the roses meant to her. Walking back outside, she handed it to Lexi with a comforting smile... 'I'll take care of the little one. I'll move him to the garden of your safe house..'

Lexi swallowed back the lump in her throat and nodded, hugging to pot to her... 'Thank you Reyah. I'll see you all back at the tower..'

The three of them watched her flitting away, knowing what this cabin meant to her. She had lost a child 6 years ago, and this cabin is where she came, every year to visit the son she had lost. She was only 4 months pregnant at the time, but she had help from her friend Natasha, to help her grieve.

Reyah wanted to make sure that when they burned the place down, he was moved somewhere new, where she felt Lexi could be with him. They would also take Hannahs ashes, and put the two children together.

------------------------------------------------------------

The team were silent on the jet back, with no one really saying a word. Nat was lost in thought, over what had happened. She remembered them going into the forest, spreading out, and the next, waking up to Lexi covered in blood standing over them.

She sniffled, knowing what that place meant to Lexi. When she had woken and seen the cabin behind her friend, her heart broke. The others didn't know,  but she remembered the pure pain, anguish Lexi had suffered that day she lost her little one. It had taken some time, but she managed to help Lexi through it all.

She knew that was the moment Lexi changed everything, fighting to protect as many as she could. She had thrown herself into their work, the missions never allowing herself any time. She had become hardened, closing herself off from relationships, until Barnes and Rogers. Nat smiled, she had began to see the old Lexi again, until all of this.

She didn't know how affected Lexi would be, until she returned to the tower, or if she even would. Sighing to herself, Nat looked around at the others, seeing the four men all quiet, and lost in their own thoughts. She only hoped, that Lexi would come home.

😘