Love Lies

Chapter 38: Believe

Tasha hardly slept that night, and the short amount she did she dreamt of the horrors she was terrified of happening, especially now that her and Loki were...

What are we now? He stayed. He chose me.

Tasha turned onto her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. What could we be? Love. Hate. Tragedy. Words that could sum up their love affair... but now hope and joy swam through her mind. Maybe things will be different.

Maybe...

Tasha realized then her entire relationship with Loki had always survived off of maybes, and she couldn't live a life with maybes anymore. She wanted to live life to the fullest. She refused to live in fear anymore.

When Tasha arrived at the main hall, she was instantly surrounded by the orphan children who begged her to tell them a midgardian story. Tasha smiled instantly, happy to oblige.

"Once, many years ago, there was a boy. He was not a regular boy, no, he was the boy who didn't want to grow up. His name was Peter Pan. When he was a mere babe, a beautiful fairy named Tinker-Bell found Peter lost and all alone. She took him to a far away land known as Neverland. Tink raised the boy, and they had many adventures together, but Peter was curious. More boys came along, and soon they were called the lost boys. These boys and Pan fought pirates, savages, but no monster was as terrifying as Captain Hook. Captain Hook was a terrifying man, who wanted nothing more than to strike the boy Peter down. Peter and the lost boys were cunning and evaded every measly attempt, and in time, they found it as an enjoyable game.

Peter found himself wandering back home some nights. On one particular night, he came to the house of the Darlings. Three children resided there: Wendy, John and Michael. Wendy was first to be introduced to Peter. When he met the three siblings, he taught them how to fly. All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust." Tasha smiled as she saw the kids eyes wide in awe. "They soar with him to Never-Never Land, where Wendy becomes the mother of the lost children who live underground and in the hollow trunks of trees. Adventures with Indians and pirates follow. The pirate chief, Captain Hook, is followed by a crocodile that, having devoured the Captain's hand, seeks the remainder of his meal; but the ticking of a clock the crocodile has swallowed always warns the Captain. There is desperate war between the children and the pirates. Peter's friend, the fairy Tinker Bell -- visible only as a dancing light -- swallows the poison Hook has prepared for Peter. As her light dims, Peter thinks of the only way to save Tink's life. I do believe in Fairies, I do, I do! He chants this over and over as the lost boys and Wendy join in. And as the entire crew of the ship begin chanting, Tinker Bell's light grows bright again. Peter leads his forces onto the pirate ship, and the desperados walk the plank.... But as much as Wendy loved Peter and the boys, she knew she had to go home to her family and eventually grow up. She asked Peter to stay with them, but he was not ready to grow up. Wendy goes home with her brothers, promising always to return, for the spring cleaning, to Peter's house in the tree-top in Never-Never Land."

After breakfast that morning and the story that the children adored, Tasha decided she needed to train to get things off her mind. Whilst telling the children about Peter Pan, it was like she relieved hearing the story herself when Bucky had told it to her all those years ago. Gods, she missed him. Missed his beautiful smile, his laugh. She missed how safe she would feel in his arms.

A soft sigh left her lips as she twirled her daggers in her hands, throwing them towards the targets absentmindedly. Out of nowhere, a slow clapping began behind her.

"Well done, darling. That is, if your true target is stationary." Loki smirked at her.

"There isn't anyone to train with, smartass."