The Daughter Of Love & Mischief

18.

The tension in the room is palpable, Sam and Ali still locked in a gaze, Steve knows who he is thanks to the conversations with Ali. Loki has an idea, his back rigid as he waits for someone else to make the first move because if it's him he will lash out. Clint raises an eyebrow and looks between Sam and Ali.

"You two know one another?" he asks them.

"He's my husband" Ali points out, Loki looks between her and Sam.

"Him?" he asks her, she nods. "This man...." she nods again. "Very well" he states eerily calm before producing a dagger.

"No" Thor stops Loki with a hand on his shoulder. "Breath, brother...let us discuss this calmly"

"He is the man that married your niece, then fled the morning after" Loki tells Thor. "You remember what she was like, right?" he starts to play on Thor's sentimentality, knowing that he adored Freya as she grew up on Asgard. "How she used to laugh and sing and play...." Thor's eye twitches slightly and Loki knows he's got him. "You used to braid flowers into her hair as mother taught her to read...." Thor and Loki both turn to Sam who is wise enough to look scared.

"Enough!" Ali snaps, Thor and Loki look to her. "Both of you" she scolds and then looks to Sam; his eyes soft and pained as he looks back at her. "I think it's best we speak in private" she offers, Sam nods in agreement.

"No" Loki argues, Ali turns to him.

"You may be my father but this isn't any of your business" she argues.

"But...." Loki starts but Ali shoots him a look to shut up, he hands his head.

"You heard her" Steve turns to the others. "Let's...give them some space" he turns back to Ali who gives him a soft smile. "We'll just be out there, 'kay?" he asks her, Ali nods and touches his arm, Steve follows the others out of the room. Loki lingers slightly till Ali gives him a look, he then leaves closing the door behind him. Ali turns back to Sam who shuffles his feet slightly.

"I'm waiting" she tells Sam as she takes a seat.

"For what?" he asks her, she cocks her head and looks to him.

"An apology would be nice" she answers. "An explanation would be better...." she crosses one leg over her other and clasps her hands on her knees. "And better still....a divorce" Sam hangs his head and closes his eyes. Leaving Ali was never his choice. "I have the papers ready"

"You do?" he asks looking to her, she hums and nods.

"I've been carrying them around for 15 years now...." she shrugs. "Just in case" she raises her eyebrow at him, still waiting for that apology or a explanation. He sighs and nods understanding.

"I had no choice" he admits, she scoffs.

"Everyone has a choice, Sam" she comments. "That's the beauty of free will" he looks to her and sighs.

"I went to get breakfast" he starts pulling a chair close to her to sit with her, he leans on his knees, clasping his hands together, and she can see it, there sat on his finger, his wedding ring. Her eyes soften slightly. "My dad turned up...." he sighs. "Dragged me out of town....He wouldn't even let me call" she leans back and sighs.

"And the 15 years since?" she asks him. "The fact that you're a grown ass man now?"

"It's complicated" he answers.

"Yes, I'm sure" she comments dryly. Sam sighs and brushes his hands over his face and through his hair.

"Lynie..."

"Don't" she stops him. "It's Ali....or Freya I guess; no more stupid nicknames"

"Freya?" he asks her with a frown.

"It's my birth name....Marilyn Alice Maximoff is my adopted name"

"You called Loki father" he points out more to himself but she nods anyway.

"Yes, he is my biological father" she admits. "I was born on Asgard to Loki and Aphrodite"

"Greek?" he asks. "Like Zeus?" He asks her, she nods.

"He's my grandfather" she answers.

"You're not even human" he figures out, staring at her, he pulls back, leaning away from her. Of all the luck, of course his wife isn't human. Of course after everything he's been through. After everything he's done and seen. It's his wife that holds the biggest secret. She sighs and leans back a little.

"What are you even doing here?" She asks him.

"Clint, he married my sister, Laura" Sam answers. "I came to talk to Laura.....Dean's...." he pauses struggling with the words. "He..."

"I'm sorry" she offers sensing the mood, he looks to her and sees that she genuinely is sorry for him. She knows how much Dean means to him. He nods a little and looks down, twisting his wedding ring around his finger, it's just cheap plastic, it's all they could afford at the time, and it's faded and cracked but he's never taken it off.

"I'm sorry too" he admits looking back to her. "For how things...." he swallows his emotions and takes a deep breath. "I had every intention on returning to you that morning....I promise..." she looks away from him and sniffles getting upset. "I was so happy" he tells her. "Knowing you were waiting for me.....and when my dad..." he stops and sighs. "When he dragged me out of town....." she shakes her head at him.

"Do you know how it felt waking alone?" she asks him, interrupting him. "Then the...waiting, and waiting, and waiting for you to come back....." she looks to him, his eyes are damp with ready tears. "I loved you" she tells him. "I loved you so much....that I thought my heart was breaking, actually breaking, when I realised you had gone and were not coming back...." she looks away hating that she's getting upset by him. "I should get home" she comments standing, wanting to flee from this, from him.

"You don't live here?" Sam asks her, she shakes her head.

"No, I live in the city, I was just here for...." she stops and glances to him not sure how she feels about telling him about Steve, but she and Sam have nothing now, it doesn't matter. "I've been staying with Steve the last few nights" she admits, Sam watches her a moment.

"You and he are....?" he starts as he stands. "Together?" she nods.

"Yes" she answers, they share a look. He nods a little looking away from her first.

"I'm....glad" he offers weakly, cringing at how unbelievable it sounds. Because he hasn't stopped loving her. Not after all these years. There has been no one that came even close to her. But he knows he hurt her, he couldn't exactly expect her to stay single and alone because of something he did.