The Scientist (Loki x OC)

Pt. 26: Presents from Peter

Luna held the same position she had been in for the last hour: hunched over, glasses off, and staring through the eyepiece of her microscope. She looked away every now and then to take meticulous notes about her observations of Sammy, but she stayed put. An impasse had been met, and she wasn't one to quickly back down.

She leaned back and rubbed her eye with the back of her wrist.

"Why aren't you dead already?" She moaned out. The life cycle of C. elegans lasted around four days, and it had been over two weeks since he hatched.

Sammy was on his third Petri dish of nutrient bacteria, and he kept making little trails of ice. So long as he had food, nothing could stop him. Luna was tempted to poke him and see how fast he healed, but he was much too small. She would need a larger specimen for such an experiment. An event for a future time.

With a final glare at the dish, Luna picked it up and took it into the fridge. Unlike the other worms she had grown, Sammy tolerated the cold. He shouldn't have been able to live in conditions below 60°F, but he was able to do so and keep up all normal behavior.

Luna let Sammy sit for 30 minutes in the cold, contrasting the hour he had previously spent at room temperature. He adjusted well and quickly to each temperature change. For an extraordinary organism, he acted as per usual.

The little scientist rubbed the top of her head with her forearm. She was at a loss. Could her endeavors lead to a dead end? No, it was too early to assume. There was no end in sight, but she had endless possibilities. For the time being, however, a mental and physical break was called for.

Luna turned the microscope off and put Sammy's dish in its designated place on the counter. Snapping the rubber gloves off, she tossed them in the trash bin and hung up her lab coat. Rubbing her hands and stretching her arms out, she made the long trek to the greenhouse.

The entire compound was a tad colder than usual, but the greenhouse was always warm. It was large, holding a wide variety of plants used for the kitchen and Tony's personal garden. A view of the river and surrounding forest could be seen from any of its windows. If Luna weren't a biologist specialized in genetic science, she would have gone for a job here instead.

She spared a few passing 'hello's to the employees working there on her way to Tony's private section. To avoid any outside tampering of her plant, he opened up a small space in his collection for her. She needed but one pot, a watering can, and the occasional spot of fertilizer. He had more than enough of everything to spare.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Luna crouched down and stared intently at the soil, still undisturbed by signs of life. She poured a bit of water and watched it seep into the warm dirt, hopefully giving life to the minuscule prize buried beneath. Again, it was too early to tell. Such things require time and patience of the caregiver. For the sake of the little seeds, she had both to give.

With a gentle finger, she stroked the rim of the pot. She hoped it would work and the flowers would bloom before Loki was forced to leave her. It was disheartening to dwell on. She would be happy to keep watch over the roses if he never got the opportunity to lay eyes on them, but the initial purpose for their existence would be taken away. They would serve henceforth as a grim reminder of the space she had made for him in her little corner of the universe.

The cold and the promise of snowfall soon further dampened her spirits. The plants should be fostering serenity and happiness in her heart, but a touch of sorrow took its place. Satisfied with the care of her roses, Luna moved about the room, touching the leaves of ferns and tomato plants and the petals of peonies and chrysanthemums. Tony had an entire row dedicated for Pepper to come and tend them at her leisure. Luna wondered if he grew them for their wedding, whenever and wherever it would happen. Tabloids tossed out hundreds of 'confirmed' theories, but no one had a clue.