Chapter 11 ~ Never Let Me Go
Never Let Me Go – Florence + The Machine
Lithia leaned in the doorframe, a piping hot mug of dark tea warming her hands as she gazed into Evangaline's room. Seated upon too tiny chairs were Loki, Tony and even Bruce had been wrangled into tea time with Lithia's daughter. She had dressed for the occasion and insisted (using her puppy dog eyes to get her way) that the three grown men dress as well. Evangaline had outfitted Loki in a bright pink boa and a cheap princess tiara, Tony had received a floppy red hat, vibrant purple purse and has been forced into loud make-up and Bruce was decked out in a long purple wig and had his nails painted a light shade of blue. Evangaline had dressed herself in a small green boa, a king crown and had swiped a pair of Kathy's heels.
As Lithia continued to watch, Greta walked down the hall with her own mug in hand — having wondered where everyone had disappeared too — and stopped right next to Lithia.
"Hey, what's with the dreamy eyes…" Her words halted as she turned her gaze on the scene in the bedroom. Keeping an inhumanly strong grip on her mug, Greta bent over in a gut-busting laugh, tears rolling down her eyes.
Everyone seated at the table looked up and hard glares crossed their faces at the laughter. Greta continued laughing. "Oh my god! This is PRICELESS!" she said in gasps. "Lith, your spawn is a kid after my own heart. Even my bet with Loki wasn't as good as this! HA!"
"Auntie Greta!" Evangaline said, slipping out of her stolen shoes to march up to her. "Its not very nice to laugh at other people if they aren't laughing too. You need a time out."
Greta slowly stopped laughing and looked over at Lithia. Lithia tilted her head to the side in a silent message of 'You dug yourself here, I'm not stopping her now'. "Seriously?" Evangaline crossed her little arms and huffed slightly, her glare increasing. She was not budging.
Greta sighed. "Normally, I don't take orders from ankle biters. But…" She looked down at the steadfast little girl, and couldn't help but smile. "I've never won with your mamma, and I sure as heck ain't gonna get one up on you. I'll do the time."
She stood up and proceeded to walk to the corner. However, since she was already 'in trouble,' she might as well get in one last quip. "Gotta say, I love how you put 'his majesty'—" she made sure to emphasize her sarcasm "—in a tiara. Great minds think alike, I see." She smirked, her eyes locking with Loki's scowling face.
Evangaline grabbed a small timer. "I'll set it for 5 minutes and, when it dings, you can come have some tea with us." She said, setting the time on top of a pale yellow tutu and a vivid princess spiral hat. With that, she skipped back into her shoes and resumed tea time.
Lithia slightly shook her head before casting a look at Bruce. Catching his eye, she mouthed 'You're in charge' before leaving the doorframe to walk through the halls. Her fingers trailed along the wall, feeling every bump in the textured wall. Along all the walls were small pictures of other girls… Girls Kathy had taken in… girls very much like Lithia… girls who had been through hell and back again. Lithia's own picture hung on the wall alongside the others. Entering the small but pristine kitchen, her dark hazel eyes landed on Kathy. The older woman was sitting at the kitchen counter, a similar mug of tea before her.
"I want to take Evangaline with me when we go home." Lithia said softly, setting her mug onto the counter across from Kathy. "But…"
Kathy looked up and saw Lithia's bowed head. "But she'd be safer here I think." She finished.
"Why?" Kathy asked.
"Because I'm going to go after the guys that did everything to me." Lithia said firmly. "I'm gonna take them all down."
Kathy gazed at the younger woman but remained silent. Lithia raised her head, her eyes dark and her face slightly disgusted. "You had all those girls… those children in your own home… why didn't you do anything to help them?" she asked softly. "Why didn't you help me?!"
"What would you have liked me to do Lithia?" Kathy snapped. "I did everything I could for you!"
"You just kept me within reach of them!"
"Lithia, if I could have, I would have done more but you don't know what they have over me."
"What? What do they have?"
"They have my daughter!" Kathy yelled, her voice carrying through the house.
Lithia blinked. "What?" she asked softly.
Kathy hesitated. "Almost 20 years ago… I got pregnant and gave the child up for adoption. I didn't even find out the gender or anything about the child. But, somehow, they found me and threatened that, if I didn't help them, they would kill the child. Even though I had never met or even seen the child, their threat still rocked my core. I honestly had no choice." She explained.
Lithia looked her over with new eyes. "You were the first of my charges that ever made me consider going to the authorities. They must have found out… that's why they took you back so early after Evangaline was born." Kathy explained further. "I am so sorry Lithia."
Lithia inhaled. "You keep Evangaline safe for me and I swear, I'll find your daughter Kathy." She said. "But, when I do, I need you to testify against them. You know all their stories."
Kathy nodded. "I've kept Evangaline safe for all these years… I think I can handle until they are put away." She said with a smile.
"Good." Lithia smiled back. "Well, I better go see how tea time is going." She said, chuckling a bit as she sent the mug into the sink.
Kathy shook her head. "You and your gifts still amaze me Lithia." She said, standing up and carrying her empty mug and placing it next to Lithia's.
Lithia smiled before picking up a tray of small sandwiches and cookies before wandering back down the halls to Evangaline's room. "Reinforcements!" she called, sending the tray onto the table and pulling up a chair for herself. "So, what's the topic that we are discussing over tea?" she asked, taking up a small, plastic tea cup and daintily sipping the pretend tea.
"Just getting a proper education on the fine arts of tea etiquettes," Greta replied, adjusting her clip on suspenders. "Sadly, it would appear only two of us four party guests have any idea how to act properly at such a high social call."
"Now Lithia," Loki suddenly started speaking, "Because you are seated, the proper manner is to raise the teacup only, placing it back into the saucer in between sips. When not in use, the tea cup should be placed back in the tea saucer and held in one's lap. The tea cup should never be held or waved in the air. Fingers should be curled inwards, no finger should extend away from the handle of the cup. The entire thing about sticking your pinky out is entirely improper and should be disregard entirely."
Lithia raised her eyebrows before slowly extending her pinky and pretended to sip the tea. "Try to stop me." She muttered, she set the tea cup on the table.
"Just because you do not wish to be proper, does not mean that I will not be." Loki said softy, primly flipping his boa over his shoulder and drinking his fake tea.
"Just… No comment," Greta replied, trying so hard not to let a variety of "comments" toward the smug ex-villain. Normally, she'd let him have it, but she decided to behave on behalf of this being a first visit with Lithia's daughter. Though she did make it a point to direct a You-are-so-freaking-lucky-right-now look at Loki.
XXXX
The company spent the rest of their time in New Orleans with Evangaline. The little girl had firmly latched herself to Loki. Often, she could be found perched on his shoulders or trailing after him. The former vengeful god was putty in the little girl's hands. He would play ridiculous games with her and they always ate lunch together on Evangaline's little plastic tea table. Once, Evangaline blurted out, "Daddy, Mommy says you can do magic. Is that true?"
Loki smiled. "Indeed it is my little princess." He replied, Evangaline's eyes growing wider than dishes.
"Will you show me?" she whispered reverently.
Loki considered this before nodding. She clapped happily. Flicking a hand, Loki levitated her well-loved toys and proceeded to make them dance. Evangaline giggled the entire time. "What's going on in here?" Lithia's voice asked, entering Evangaline's room.
"Mommy, Daddy can do magic!" Evangaline said, leaping up and grabbing Lithia's hand. "See?"
Lithia laughed slightly. "I told you he could sweetie." She replied, crouching down to watch the show from Evangaline's eye level.
"I'm not the only one who can do magic." Loki said, looking pointedly at Lithia.
Evangaline looked at her mother with wide eyes. "You can do magic too Mommy?" she asked softly.
Lithia smiled. "In a way." Lithia replied, scooping Evangaline into her lap. "I can't do magic like Daddy but I can do this" she snapped her fingers, pulling Evangaline's favorite black plush cat from the dancing toys and set it in Evangaline's eyes. "Now, close your eyes sweetie." Lithia said and Evangaline's eyes snapped shut.
Lithia placed her hands over Evangaline's ears and whispered, "We're leaving tomorrow."
Loki's smile fell. Lithia gave him a weak smile before turning her attention back to the patient girl in her lap. "Alright, now then." Lithia clapped her hands and rubbed them together. Nodding at the cat toy, it sprang to life.
"You can look now Evanglaine." Lithia said and the girl's eyes flew open just as the cat meowed at the child.
"You made Lola come to life!" Evangaline cried, leaping up and jumping around happily, the plush cat following her in that excited dance.
Lithia laughed lightly as the girl and cat raced out of the room to go show everyone her new living cat. She stood and felt Loki's cool hand encase her own. She leaned back into his shoulder. "Will she really be safe here Loki?" she asked softly.
Loki pulled her against him in a gentle hug. "She won't be safe anywhere forever." He replied into her hair.
"That's the part that worries me." She inhaled his scent slowly.
The next day dawned all too soon. Kathy saw Lithia and the others off but they hadn't left yet since Evangaline has all but refused to leave her room. "I want to come with you!" she yelled behind the closed door.
"I told you sweetie, you can't. It isn't safe." Lithia replied, leaning on the closed door. "Mommy has to go back to her home so she can take care of the bad guys that kept you and Mommy separated for so long and doing that isn't safe for you."
There was a pause. "You have to go stop the bad guys?" Evangaline's soft voice asked.
"I've got to stop the bad guys so we can be together." Lithia replied, shifting so she was kneeling in front of the door.
"Like a superhero? Like Hulk?" Evangaline asked.
"Yes sweetie. I have to go be a superhero." Lithia replied.
The door flew open and Evangaline tackled her mother in a crushing hug. "I don't want you to go!" she sobbed, burying her head in Lithia's shoulder.
"Oh, sweetie." Lithia wrapped her arms around her daughter in an equally powerful hug. It was killing her inside to have to leave her daughter behind, but there was no other way. She was the only one who could send those monsters back into the hell they spawned from. Then… Then she, and hundreds of thousands of girls… they could all finally be free.
Lithia gently squeezed her daughter once and drew back, keeping her hands on each of Evangeline's shoulders. "I don't want leave you either. But, knowing you're here with Kathy, safe and waiting for me… I have all the more reason to finish this, and I promise you that I will come back to you." She smiled, tears forming in her eyes, but she held them back. She gently reached up and stroked Evangeline's face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I love you, baby girl," she whispered. "So much. Keep Kathy safe until I return. Can you do that for me?"
Evangaline mutely nodded and hugged her again. "How will I know when you're coming back Mommy?" she asked, her voice muffled because she buried her face against Lithia's shoulder again.
Lithia smiled and replied, "When I leave, Lola will go back to being a stuffed animal. But, when I'm close, she'll act like a real kitten."
Evangaline and Lithia hugged for many more moments before finally parting. The other fair wells were far less dramatic and heart wrenching. As Lithia drove away, Evangaline glanced down at the black plush cat at her feet. Its tail slowly flicked back and forth but, the farther the van drove away, the slower the tail flicked until it was motionless.