[i]A few days ago...[/i]

"Thank you for agreeing to see me," she said to Jack after he opened the door to let her into his apartment. Lily was well aware of the fact that he didn't approve of her vigilante nonsense, but he was one of her closest friends...and a paramedic as well.

"You know I can't let you run around town with a wound on your arm," he finally replied with an expression on his face similar to that of a mother playfully scolding her child. Lily made herself comfortable on one end of the couch as Jack went into the bedroom to fetch his personal first aid kit. "But I don't need to know it happened, or from who!" he added from the dimly lit hallway. Lily couldn't help but laugh at his comment. She took off her shirt to inspect her bandaged arm, figuring that he would have it all stitched up for her rather quickly, not that she was looking forward to it.

"So let's see what we have here." He pulled up a chair and put on a pair of gloves. Jack was only about a foot from her, his muscles very visible under the tight t-shirt he wore. Once again, Lily cursed whichever god made him gay.

"So...are you and Mike officially done?"

"Mhmm," he sighed as he reached into his bag to fetch some of the tools he needed. "Him and Lucas have more in common than I thought."

Lily regretted asking the question, so she decided to offer some comfort. "Oh, don't worry about him, you'll find another man to love and--"

"To fuck?" he interrupted her with a smile, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Just like you will too," he finally added with a more serious tone.

"Yeah, we'll see," Lily said before cringing in pain. As she concentrated on Jack working on her wound, Lily wondered how many nights Black Widow would go without getting blood on her hands...or taking a life, for that matter.