Melanie listens to the sound of waves splash against a shore, the whooshing becoming louder than softer. She was no longer trapped beneath the dark waters, she was on the shore, lying perfectly still, focusing on the sounds around her. Her fingers dig holes in the sand that surrounds her, and she can feel the cool water licking her toes.
Very slowly she opens her eyes, squinting against the brightness of the sun. Her clothes are wet, plastered against her pale skin. She sits up slowly, looking around her, trying to figure out where she was. There was only endless beach. It seemed to go on for miles. Behind her were large cliffs. They were so tall she could not see their tops. Where was she? Was she trapped?
Her feet were bare and she wore a pink dress. She had no wounds, no scratches. Had she been miraculously healed?
She stands, feeling the sand squeeze between her toes. The sun warms her bare shoulders and face, putting her soul at peace. She closes her eyes, soaking in the warmth.
"Melanie," a voice says from behind her.
She turns quickly surprised.
A figure of a person stands not far away. She can't tell who it is because she cannot see them.
"Who are you?" she asks, surprised at the softness of her voice.
The figure doesn't answer.
"Where am I?" she asks, afraid to move any closer.
"You are safe," it replies as it stretches out a hand towards her.
She slowly begins to walk toward it. The water laps at her feet as she walks. As she grows closer, she begins to see facial features. A woman stands in a long white dress. Her hair, a silky blonde, falls in locks in front of her shoulders. The woman smiles.
"My dear," she says softly, "you are always safe when you are here."
Melanie puts her hand in hers and everything becomes white.
There's a soft beeping in the back ground. Instead of sand beneath her fingers she feels cloth. There's something on her nose that is blowing cool air into it. She frowns, trying to lift her arm, but is puzzled when she cannot.
She opens her eyes and sees a stained tile ceiling. Suddenly the beeping and the sheets and the ceiling all make sense. The man at the end of her bed laughs.
"Coulson?" she whispers, blinking a few times as she stares at him.
He sits with one leg over the other, his hands clasped in his lap. He smiles.
"Melanie."
"Am I seeing a ghost?"
He chuckles softly. "No, it's really me."
"But you died," she whispers.
"For eight seconds, or so they say. But I'm back, and hopefully I won't be going away anytime soon."
She sighs, closing her eyes and smiling.
"It was Level 7 clearance. I couldn't tell you I was still alive."
"But now you can?"
He nods. "Well when I found out that one of my good friends had been captured by the god that killed me, I couldn't stay away any longer. However it wasn't long after that, Fury informed me that you had feelings for him."
Her smiles fades.
"You remember when I urged you to move on several years ago? I didn't mean go for the guy that stuck his magical stick in my gut. But I shouldn't have been surprised. You were always someone that found that beauty in the strangest of things."
"I suppose this means I'm in trouble now," she says softly.
He grins. "Not as much as you would think."
"Is he still here?"
"Fury?"
"No, Loki."
He frowns. "Thor took him back to Asgard a few days ago. You were lucky. Fury was absolutely livid. He wanted him dead, but, he felt bad for everything you went through and decided to send him away. Hopefully Thor can keep him locked up so he can't come back."
She looks down at her arm, bent in a thick cast.
"He saved my life you know. He was the one that stopped the attack in Los Angeles. Then he came back and saved me."
"Just barely though. You lost a lot of blood. You had to get several blood transfusions. We didn't think you were going to make it."
"So I guess I've been out for a while?"
"Almost a week."
"I didn't get to say goodbye," she whispered softly, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.
"I'm sorry Melanie. I really am."
She turns her head so that she can see out the window.
"You didn't see what I saw," she whispers, focusing on the branches of a tree outside. "I saw him, for what he truly was. When he was with me, he was raw. There was no facade. He was real, and he was broken. But his spirit, it was so... so powerful. You don't find many people in the universe that deep. But he was. That's what I fell in love with. Perhaps you will never see what's inside his shell, but I did, and I will never forget that."
The chair creaks as Coulson stands. He walks over to her side and takes her hand in his.
"I'm glad you're back with us, Agent Walker."
She smiles back at him.
Melanie steps out from the truck, looking up at the small white farmhouse. She walks with a slight limp and her arm is in a sling. Fury stands beside her, his hands clasped behind her back.
"We thought it seemed your style," he comments. "It's only about an hour from New York City so you'll be close to a base in case of emergency."
She smiles. "It's very nice. I love it."
"And I believe there is an apology in order. I promised you you wouldn't have to come back to the field, and everything you went through, I had no idea. But I am truly sorry."
"I think the house and the new truck show me how sorry you are. And I should apologize as well. I know your feelings on...sleeping with... the enemy."
"How about you just enjoy your new home and car, and focus on the future, ok?"
She smiles. "I really am sorry."
He scoffs and begins to walk back to the SHEILD SUV. "No you're not."
Laughing, she walks around to the back of her house. There's a long porch, a fairly good sized barn, and a large tree with a swing. A corn field lies behind the barn. She liked the peace, and the shade from the tree. It reminded her of her grandparents house, but that still belonged to Dale.
"I helped put in all the furniture," someone says, startling her.
She turns around to see Steve, a big smile on his face.
"I live in the city, so if you ever need me, I'll just be a car ride away."
She smiles. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll need your help sometime."
He waves, then climbs on his motorcycle and drives away, leaving a trail of gravel dust behind him.
She stands alone in her new backyard, the sound of birds chirping and the rustling of corn stalks fill the quiet air. It's peaceful, but it makes her sad. She was alone again. Sighing, she limps to her back porch, using the railing to help herself up the small steps.
And suddenly there's a burst of noise. A cylinder of colors shoots from the sky, causing a burst of air to her face. She uses her good arm to cover her eyes. When it becomes silent, she looks, and finds Thor, standing in her backyard, his red cape billowing in the wind.
"Are you Melanie Walker?" he asks, his voice loud and booming.
"Yes."
He looks down and walks to the edge of her steps. "I am Thor, brother of Loki."
"I know who you are," she says.
"I wanted to thank you. However you did it, I do not know, but you saved my brother, and not only him, but thousands of humans on this earth. I came here because my father and I, we are exceedingly grateful for all that you have done."
She grips the white column beside her. "Will they kill him?"
Thor shakes his head. "I would not allow it. You gave proof that my brother is still alive inside. You are very special to him, Melanie. I swore to him I would watch over you."
A single tear streaks down her cheek. "Will you tell him goodbye for me? And will you give him this?"
She bends over the duffle bag in front of the door and pulls out the dagger she had stolen from him in the cave. She walks slowly down the steps and puts the dagger in his hand.
"Are you sure you don't want to keep this?"
She shakes her head. "After everything that's happened, the idea of hurting anyone makes me sick. Besides, every time I look at it, it reminds me of him, and it makes me cry."
Thor takes the dagger and puts it in a pocket.
"Thank you Melanie Walker."
He takes a step back and calls up to Heimdall. As the rainbow tunnels shoots down around him, she can see a silhouette of Loki, his arm outstretched toward her, his green eyes shining with tears. She stretches out her arm as tears begin streaming down her cheeks. His form shakes, then disappears with the rainbow tunnel, as it ascends into the sky and is gone.
She stands on her porch for a long time, hoping that maybe he would come back, but he doesn't. The sky darkens and the sky turns into a sea of stars. She stares up at them, wondering if he could see her.
"Be good, Loki. I will always be right here if you need me," she speaks softly to the stars above her.
Then she makes her way into her new house, taking a deep breath, ready to start her new life.
To Be Continued