Starks Goddess {3}

Twenty-Four

Izzy stretched out her body, yawning as she did. She hadn't gone to sleep, she didn't want to, she was scared that if she did, she wouldn't wake up again. After Tony had left her, hours earlier, she hadn't gone after him, but had stayed with Caleb. She didn't know what would happen, but she would take every second she could with him. She had help from a midwife, to feed, bathe and change Caleb. Helen and Bruce both said he was able to leave the med bay now, but she was too scared to take him back to their room, wanting him here just in case anything happened to him.

'Brought you food..'.. She heard her dad behind her... 'Iz, you need to eat too, take care of yourself for him..'

'I will, I just..'.. She sighed... 'I don't want to take my eyes off him..'.. A small smile came to her... 'Hes so perfect..'.. She held onto the side of the small crib, watching him sleep off his milk coma.

'He is..'.. Steve came to her side... 'How are you doing?..'

'Honestly, completely and utterly overwhelmed..'.. She didn't look at him... 'Tell me the truth dad..'.. She took a deep breath... 'Do you believe I would ever cheat on hero with Loki? That I would ever break me and him over this?..'

Steve had heard what was said between the two earlier before Tony had stormed out... 'No. I don't believe you would. As you said, you choose him, and you've always shown how much you love him. Iz you erased yourself, and almost died, more than once for him. I can't say I understand this thing between you and Loki, but I know you Iz, I know you're loyal..'

'I love them both, and I can't help it..'.. She shook her head... 'What I have with hero, I don't want with anyone else. Me and Loki may be destined or whatever, but I still choose hero, and I always will, why can't he see that?..'.. She stepped away from Caleb, and over to the bed, where the tray of food sat... 'This isn't easy for me either, or for them, I know that. Hero having to come to terms with all of this, his wife in love with another. Then there's Loki, I know he loves me too, having to be on the sidelines, alone, watching the woman he loves be with someone else. It's a damn shit show for all of us, I just wish we could be a team, and deal with this together..'

Steve watched as she picked at the sandwich he had brought her... 'This isn't easy, for any of you..'

'For any of us dad..'.. She turned to him and swallowed her bite... 'The rest of you are stuck in this too, and I don't want anyone picking sides. We're a team, a family, and us falling apart, it's what they..'.. She pointed up... 'Want. And hero, walking away, he's doing just what they want him to do. Regardless of if he hates me now or not, I will be here, and stay here. This is his home, and Caleb is his son..'.. Izzy dropped her shoulders... 'I will take it all, whatever he throws at me, even if he doesn't want to be with me anymore, because I will always love him. Even if he chooses to be with someone else. His happiness, is more important than me..'

Steve hated seeing her break like this, to hear her say such things. It was just proof for him, that she was sacrificing herself for Tony... 'Iz, you should be happy too..'