Very early the next morning, Loki woke to Grace sobbing in the grey dawn light as she lay on her side, her back to him. He said nothing, but wrapped his arm around her waist, slipping his hand over hers as she clutched the sheet to her chest, waiting for her to tell him what she needed, if anything at all.
When she could catch her breath, she turned to face him, "Loki? Did I wake you up?"
"Yes, but I do not mind."
"Oh. Can you stay awake for just a few minutes?"
"Of course. What do you need?"
"First to pee, but then I've got a question." She stumbled from the bed and staggered to the bathroom, too tired to walk in a straight line. When she returned to the bed, she kept a little distance between him and herself, "I... This might sound kind of weird, but I'd like to ask a really big favour of you."
"And what might that be?"
"When I die, will you sit with me? Hold my hand? I don't want to die alone and I'm the last Stark..." She was nervous asking and Loki could read her hesitation clearly on her face in the dim light.
He sighed and pulled her close, "I will do everything in my power to be beside you, yes."
"Promise?"
"As best I can, given that I have no freedom of my own."
Grace cuddled against him, "Thank you." She was asleep seconds later. He quickly followed.
Later in the morning, a light tapping on the apartment door roused Loki and he tossed aside the blankets, tugging the day before's trousers on quickly and hurrying to the door, hoping the noise would not wake Grace.
He answered it and found Thor on the other side with a cart full of delicious smelling foods, "Good morning, Brother. Steve and Bruce made breakfast and thought you both would likely be hungry." He wheeled the cart into the kitchen and began to set the table, "Go, ready yourself for the day. When Grace awakens, we will feast...upon pancakes and many fruit toppings. And also the Midgardian delicacy of whipped cream."
Loki tried to think of something snarky to say but instead held his tongue and went to the shower, dressing after as quietly as he could so not to wake Grace. She stirred as he was about to leave the room and he instead went to sit beside her on the bed.
She propped herself up on her elbows and sniffed, "Did you make breakfast?"
"No, but Thor has delivered to us a veritable morning feast."
She tossed the blankets aside and sat up, "Hell, I'd better get in the shower, then." She stood and dug comfortable clothes out of the suitcase sitting open on the closet floor, "Oh, and thank you, by the way, for staying with me through the night. It helped. I know it didn't seem like it, but it did."
He smiled, "I feel as though it was the least I could do for a friend in need."
"It was the best damn thing you could do, don't downplay it. And you didn't have to promise me anything, either."
"And yet, in a move that would baffle most of Asgard and seem completely outside of my character, I did...perhaps there is more to me than has so long been assumed."
"Assumed by them or assumed by you?"
"Both."
Grace headed for the door, "Good. Now get your butt ready for breakfast- if that tastes half as good as it smells, I'm going to go for seconds and thirds. I'll give Thor a run for his money. You'd best be ready to beat me to the plates when I get out or all you'll have left will be syrup." Loki was happy to see a glint of mischief in her eyes as she spoke, hoping that it meant she was not going to spend the next night as sorrowful as she had the last.
The three spent the day together playing card games and watchng movies, relaxing and trying to laugh as much as possible. Grace initially refused to teach the brothers how to play Cards Against Humanity, but Thor's insistence won out and she braced herself for perhaps the most awkward card game ever played in Stark Tower- a title not easily given considering how many times she had walked in on Tony playing strip Apples to Apples. And their game truly was awkward, with many explained cultural references, but both Loki and Thor managed to come up with some truly awful card combinations that had all three of them laughing hysterically.
The clock reminded them they were ticking closer to the reading of the will, and at 6 in the evening, they made their way up to the penthouse, Grace tucked against Loki in the elevator as her grief took over once again. He placed his arms protectively around her and leaned his head against hers. Thor simply watched, fascinated by how protective his wreckless younger brother was of her, given how he had once spoken of Jane, reminding Thor often that he would lose her one way or another, the lives of Midgardians so brief, a loss always inevitable. And yet here he was, snuggled against Grace, how dear she was to him so clear. There would be an official conversation in front of Odin about what Loki learned from his trip, this Thor knew, but he also knew that when he and Loki were alone, he would be asking a few gently probing questions to see what he could glean from his younger brother about his feelings for Grace. More likely than not, Thor would gain nothing from his questions, Loki skillfully evading, but his curiosity was strong enough to endure the dodging and vague answers in the hopes of getting just a glimpse of Loki's heart laid bare.
When the elevator doors opened, Grace recognised the team of attorneys gathered in the penthouse and she took a deep breath, stepping forward to join the few others gathered. Pepper, the vice CEO of Stark Industries and his secretary, Bruce, Steve, James, Natasha, and Nick sat on the couches. The bar had been restocked and they were helping themselves as they waited.
Grace clutched Loki's hand as they found a place to sit, "I hope I don't faint or something- I feel like there's a lot of pressure here, being the kid sister- like it's expected that I do something amazing with whatever he left for me."
James smiled at her, "It's OK, Grace- none of us expect you to save the world with the Stark fortune. You just do what you need to and it'll be fine."
"Thanks. You're a sweetheart. Are we waiting for anyone else?"
One of the attorneys spoke, "No, we're not. We'll get started in just a few moments- if anyone wants to get another drink, do so now before we get into this- I don't want to have to take a lot of breaks while people get up."
Pepper brought the entire open bottle of wine over from the bar, "At least if I need a bathroom break, I'll be drunk enough not to care."
One of the attorneys shook his head, "I suppose that's one way to think about it."
She raised the bottle to him, "Well when you're the bereaved spouse getting ready to hear the will of your husband, you really don't give a shit."
The CEO twitched and his secretary raised her eyebrows, "Wait, husband?"
Pepper glared at her, "Yeah. Is that a problem?"
"No, no! I just didn't know."
"The memorial service was the first time I told anyone beside our friends. I like my private life to stay pretty private. You can make a note of that."
One of the attorney's cleared his throat, "Before we begin, Tony had a video clip he wanted us to play for you all- it covers the basics of what is in the will and gives a few messages to you." He turned on the television and pressed play on his computer.
Tony, still in that same battered sweater from his other videos, appeared on the screen, "Hey, guys. I know it's been a long week, so I hope to keep this short. First off, the company's not changing directions back to weapons now that I'm dead- there's legal stuff in the will that you can use to back that up if anybody tries to make it happen- and don't be taking notes about what other people inherit. Taking it to the press would be even shittier. So don't do that. Now for the rest of you. Natasha- there's a pretty penny set aside so you can disappear whenever you want to. It's secured, too, so anybody looking for you isn't going to be able to find it. These guys know how to get it to you. Rhodey, there's a fair chunk of change for you, too, and some stuff in the lab I think you'll like. Some last minute updates to your suit are down there and a few new toys that I never got the chance to give you. I trust you to figure out what to do with anything left of my old suits that are floating around, too. Bruce, you're going to never need to beg for a grant again. Trust me, you're going to have all the tools you need to research whatever you want. Anything in the labs that Rhodey doesn't think needs special consideration is yours. Play nice, boys. There are also some Hulk-proof inventions floating around that I want you to look at and take seriously. It could protect you if you go all ragey and meet your match.
"Steve...Steve, Steve, Steve. You're a great guy. Better than I am by a long shot. And you're going to live to be insanely old. So if Pepper ever wants to step down, I want you to step up to lead Stark Industries. It's not something you have to do, but I'd like you to be willing to do that for her if she needs a break or just wants to stop. And you get cash, too- and you can work with Rhodey to make sure that the stuff I have in the shop is disposed of responsibly and doesn't fall in the wrong hands. Nick...there's disappearing money for you, too. And a really awesome collection of sunglasses. You're going to love it. I want you to know that even with all the Avengers stuff and the clusterfuck that S.H.I.E.L.D. ended up being, I still thought you were a good guy...still do if I happen to be around in the ether somewhere.
"Thor, I don't know what all you really need in Asgard, but again, money's here for you so you can visit Jane whenever you want to and don't have to worry about how to pay for it. A prince in Asgard is still a pauper here if he doesn't have the cash to shower his lady with fun gifts when he wants to. Loki. You're the only man I know who wears cufflinks and man-jewellery. Pepper and Gracie have first dibs, but whatever they don't want to keep is yours. There's a little set aside so you can pamper my sister, too. She's a special gal and I want you to be able to treat her right when you're able to visit. Oh, and all of you are going to be welcome in the Tower anytime. New company policy. Nobody gets kicked out.
"Girls. I love you two. Everything else I actually own goes to you two to split up and distribute however you want to. Gracie, I want to make sure you get the record collection and that one Rolls from the 40s you love. You can keep it here if you don't have a place to put it in Detroit, but nobody else touch that. Pepper, the penthouse is yours. And I know you always liked that one red Lamborghini, so you get that one. The other cars- well, you can give them to the family or sell them and send the profits to charity, whatever you want. The same with the guitar collection. There are a list of charities that the suits have that are going to get pieces of the family fortune- some shelters, a few youth crisis intervention nonprofits and mentoring programs. Places that almost never get the big, flashy gifts but need the money desperately. Some are in New York. Some are in Detroit. Some are in places we've visited. The lawyers have information on how that's going to be distributed. And Gracie, honey, the shelter in Detroit that helps homeless transgender kids? I hope you don't mind, but I made the donation in Izzy's name, too. No last name, but I figured it was something that would mean a lot to you. Pepper, sweetie, this sucks. But I don't have any regrets about how short the time we had was- we did so much in what time we had and I trust you'll be able to, with the help of the family, figure out how to move forward. All of you will move forward together. And before I get sappy, I love you all, and hopefully we'll all see each other on the other side."
The video ended and the attorneys began to read through the actual text of the will. Grace felt numb through the reading, unable to concentrate on their words. When they read off the numbers, just exactly how much everyone would be inheriting, she did not notice. She did see Bruce's mouth fall open and Steve's eyebrows shoot towards his hairline, though, and knew the numbers she missed must have been astronomical. She expected nothing less, given what she had known of Tony's fortune. She figured she would meet with the attorneys and accountants later to figure out what she had to do, but things were far too raw to deal with now. She glanced over to Pepper, and noticed that she had finished the bottle of wine and was ready to make a break for the bathroom and, after, the bar to get another bottle of wine, her eyes darting between the hall and the bar. Grace tucked her knees up to her chest and snuggled up to Loki, trying to stay awake, but at the same time, not too worried if she fell asleep. The droning voice of the attorneys was not going to help her keep her eyes open.
She was only half awake when the attorneys packed up their briefcases and Loki gently shook her shoulders, "Miss Grace? Are you alright?"
"I guess. I should talk to Pepper real quick."
She went over to the couch Pepper was settled into and plopped down beside her, "So...we've got stuff to go through, but I really don't want to deal with it now."
"I'm too drunk to deal with it now."
"By now, I mean in the next few weeks."
"And you think I won't be too drunk to deal with it over the next few weeks?"
Grace chuckled, "You've got a point. I've been thinking of going for a long drive- all the way back to Detroit. I'd like to take the record albums with me, but other than that...let's just deal with this later, OK?"
Pepper nodded, "Sounds like a good idea to me. We'll let the accountants and attorneys figure the rest out. I know the press is going to have a field day guessing which charities are getting Stark money. I don't think he meant to have them all published."
"Nah, they're still having a field day with the photographs of Loki and I last night. Did you see the tabloids this morning? I got online for about two minutes today and the Stark Industries fanpage was covered in grainy photographs of us dancing. It's like nothing else happened yesterday of any interest."
"Well at least it wasn't all about my only somewhat coherent eulagy. It wasn't the best speech I've ever given."
"I'm surprised they haven't freaked out about the wife thing- nobody outside of the family knew you two were married. I expected large headlines and badly attempted close-ups of your rings."
"Complete with tearful commentary from frantic women who daydreamed they could bag Tony and a few interviews from ex-girlfriends and one night stands to say either how we were perfect together or how he deserved better."
"Exactly. The tabloids have failed my expectations and I'm not sure how to react to this."
Pepper smiled, "Ah, the life of a Stark. Are you going to take Loki with you on your drive?"
"I'll ask him. I really don't want to do this on my own. Are you going to be OK if I go, though?"
"Yeah. Natasha is going to stay here for a week or so before she disappears again and I think Steve and Bruce will be here for a while, too. They'll keep track of me. You just do what you need to, Grace."
"Thanks." She hugged Pepper and kissed her cheek, "Hang in there, sis. Call me if you need me to come back." She stood and walked back over to Loki and Thor, "Are you guys ready to go back to the apartment? I think I need to go soon." She shook hands with the attorneys briefly, hugged a few people, and then went quickly to the elevator.
When they reached the apartment, they ordered pizza and waited for it while playing a hand of Fluxx. When the food arrived, they spread out on the living room floor.
Grace stretched out on her stomach, "So I have this crazy plan. I know that you're going to have to get back to Asgard soon, but I'm not quite ready yet. So I'd like to take Loki for a drive back to Detroit if he's up for it. It's an 11 hour drive and I want to make a few stops on the way. If you can give us tonight and tomorrow morning to drive and tomorrow night to spend together, you could meet us the next morning to take Loki back. It would give us some alone time and you could have some time here with the guys."
Thor thought for a moment, "While I am inclined to accept your proposal, Father did say I was to watch his every move."
She selected her next slice of pizza, "Frankly speaking, you've already broken that one with the trip to Chicago. If you're up shit creek for not watching him all the time, what's another couple of days going to hurt?"
He laughed, "Grace, you are persuasive and persistent...and I will admit, I want you to have the time you need. Loki- do you want to take this trip?"
"Of course. I wish to see more of this realm and given my bargain, I do not know if I will have another opportunity."
"Good. Then I will make sure Father knows, if he is angry, that I told you both to go- this is not something you have done without my endorsement. Hopefully that will keep his temper in check."
Loki laid down on the floor on his back, "So, my dear Miss Grace, where do you wish to show me? What sorts of places will we see?"
"There's this town I've always wanted to visit about 3 hours from here in Pennsylvania that burned down thanks to a mine fire. The coal under it's still burning. I've always wanted to visit and if we get there at dawn, we'll be able to see the smoke rising pretty clearly from the ground. 6 hours more and there's this amusement park in Ohio I want to show you- we can even stop and play for a little while if you want to- and the little village just north of it where there's this really gorgeous lighthouse. Then we'll head back to Detroit- it's about another 2 hours. With the time we're going to take poking around, we'll be more than 12 hours on the road and ready to crash."
"Ah...should we be packing the car? If we are to reach the burning town by dawn, we will have to leave quite early."
"Probably. There's a lot of stuff we have to fit in it. All the stuff in the apartment I brought with me from Detroit and all the clothes and stuff I've picked up since. And part of Tony's record collection. Whole thing would take a truck, and we are so not hauling a trailer through the mountains with my car just for records. I like them, but not that much. Pizza first, then pack. And then we'll get an abysmal amount of sleep before loading up on coffee and hitting the road."
They played a few more hands of Fluxx before they finished the pizza and Grace began packing, sending Thor down to pack the luggage in the car. Her clothes and suitcases, along with Loki's, filled the trunk and part of the back seat. She went to the penthouse and sorted through the records, choosing two wooden crates of records to take with her. Looking around the bare apartment once they were packed, the next day's clothes and a small bag for their laundry the only things left in the bedroom that were not staying in New York, Grace realised just how strange it was to be leaving the Tower and not to have Tony there to see her off. Thor returned her keys and went back to his own rooms with a promise to clean her refrigerator after she had left. It was close to midnight and with only 3 hours before they were going to leave, Loki and Grace curled up together on her bed and fell asleep quickly, both of them exhausted, yet excited to be going on an adventure together the next day.