The Bartons (C. Barton & L. Barton)

Chapter Twenty One

A couple of days later, Althea, Clint, Laura, Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel had to go to the funeral that was being held for Tony Stark. The man had sacrificed himself to save the world, and Althea would always be thankful for his sacrifice. He had sacrificed himself, knowing that he was leaving behind three people that meant more than the world to him.

The family of six had bought all new clothes for the funeral to make sure that they were dressed perfectly. Althea had to use a bit of makeup, considering she hadn't really been sleeping well since she had learned about the death of Loki. She would never get to see him again, and honestly, she blamed herself. If she was there, she could've saved him, but she wasn't, so she couldn't.

She had also felt pain from the death of Natasha Romanoff. Though she didn't know the woman well, she did miss her. Natasha had been the reason that Althea had even met the Bartons in the first place. If it wasn't for Natasha, Althea never would've found true happiness on Midgard.

Althea and Laura had taken the kids towards the car, while Clint spent a moment with Wanda. Wanda was almost like another one of Clint's children, and he cared about her. He knew she felt a lot of pain after everything they all had lost. Laura and Althea understood her pain, so they didn't get upset when Clint spent a bit of time with the girl before they left.

After the funeral ended, the family of six headed back home. Althea hated the sadness she was seeing throughout the funeral. She wished she could make everyone feel better, but it really wasn't something that she could do. That was outside of her magic, but she really wished it was something she could do.

Anyhow, by the time they had gotten home, Laura had offered to make simple sandwiches for dinner. Everyone was feeling drained from the ride, which made Althea feel more drained than before, but she hoped that she'd be able to get some good sleep. She really needed some sleep, but after learning of Loki's death, sleep really didn't come easy for her.

"You look exhausted." Clint commented, and the girl nodded.

"I am," She replied,"Would you mind if I went to bed after I ate?" She asked, causing Clint and Laura to shake their head.

"If you need some sleep, we're fine with you laying down early." Laura answered, and the girl smiled thankfully.

Althea went up to the room and changed into her pajamas once she had finished eating. She brushed her teeth and washed off all her makeup, before she slowly climbed into bed. She let the bed envelope her body, as she tucked herself into the warm blankets. It didn't take very long for the girl to fall asleep, but the sleep wasn't perfect.

×× Dream ××

Althea was back in the middle of the battle, but instead of fighting, she was searching through rubble for something. At first, she didn't know what she was looking for, until she heard a voice. She quickly realized who voice she was hearing; Loki. He was calling to her, which made her work faster and harder to find her brother.

When she finally found him, his body was beaten up and he wasn't looking too well. His body was slowly turning blue, and he was slowly looking like his Frost Giant form. Althea cried out his name, as she fell to his side.

"Oh, Loki." She cried, but he grasped her hand and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Do not cry, dear sister," He said,"It is not your fault. I knew one day my time would come. I do not blame you, so you should not blame yourself. You have finally found the life you were meant to live, and I am so proud of you. My sweet sister, you truly are a beautiful woman, and I am so grateful to have had you in my life."

"I don't want to lose you." She cried, and he squeezed her hand.

"You will never fully lose me, Althea. You will always have me in your memories, your heart, and your magic," He replied,"I love you."

××End of Dream××

Althea woke up for a moment, feeling tears cascade down her face. She had only been asleep for an hour, and she could hear the others still downstairs. The tears weren't from a bad dream though, not really. The tears were from sadness, but also happiness. Even if it wasn't in person, she had gotten her "goodbye" to Loki, and that was something she really needed. She could finally start accepting the loss of her brother, now that they had been able to say their final words to each other.

Althea was able to fall back asleep feeling a bit more calm and peaceful. She didn't feel the heaviness on her heart as much as she had before. She knew after the dream she had, she'd possibly be able to have a better sleep. She wouldn't need to feel the emotions she was feeling anymore, because her mind was slowly going to forgive and accept everything.

Accepting the death of her brother wasn't something she thought she'd ever do. He meant so much to her, and losing him hurt her more than words could ever express. She was just thankful for the dream she had. Truth be told, she almost felt like Loki had sent the dream to her, as if even after he passed, he knew that she needed the dream. She felt that even though he was gone, he was never truly going to be lost completely. She'd always have him, even if he wasn't there physically anymore...