Chapter 1:
Isabel stared at the building before her with measured hesitation, but an encouraging hand on her shoulder quickly pulled her from her thoughts. Her attention turned to Clint who tossed her a friendly smile.
"You ready?" He asked angling his head toward the front door. The young woman's grip tightened slightly on her backpack strap and she gave a sharp nod, but the glint of fear in her eyes did not go unnoticed by her friend. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze before hoisting her duffel bag over his shoulder and leading the way into the compound. Just inside the doors Isabel froze and fought back the overwhelming urge to run and hide as her gaze drifted over the group gathered before them. Taking a deep, shaky breath she strode forward with a false air of confidence.
"It's nice to meet you; I'm Isabel." She said holding a hand out to the first person she came to.
"Steve Rogers; Clint's told us a lot about you. He said you have some military training?" The tall, handsome blonde greeted with a smile as he shook her hand. Pushing away the blush that threatened to paint its way across her cheeks she gave a small nod of conformation.
"Navy actually. My dad was a navy admiral and insisted my brother and I learn the basics for survival and self defense." Isabel affirmed, a slight hint of pride in her voice.
"Hey, makes our job easier." Another man said clapping an arm over Steve's shoulders.
"Isabel, this is Sam Wilson." Steve introduced the pair. Sam's grin grew wide and slightly playful as he looked down at her.
"Nice to have another pretty face around here. It gets pretty boring hanging around with these ugly mugs all the time." He joked giving Steve a light punch in the arm. Isabel couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped her, but more importantly, she felt herself relax a bit. When Clint had first told her that they had approved her joining the team she had been apprehensive and expected the compound to be much like her father's naval base. Witnessing Steve and Sam's casual banter she realized that they weren't just a team, they were a family and it made her smile.
"Isabel, it's good to see you again." Natasha greeted with a hug, "This is Wanda and Vision." She said pulling another woman forward. Isabel smiled at Wanda and offered a hand, all traces of hesitation now gone.
"Nice to meet you both." She said. Once she had been introduced to everyone Natasha took her bags from Clint and lead Isabel to her room.
"I thought there were more of you." Isabel commented as they made their way up the stairs. Glancing back down at her teammates who were gathered in the foyer, Natasha nodded.
"Thor and the Guardians are off world, Bruce is busy helping Helen Cho and Shuri in the lab, & Scott, T'challa, Okoye, Peter, and Bucky are on a mission, but everyone will be back tonight. we're throwing you a welcome party, so you'll get to meet them all." Seeing how her introductions thus far had gone, Isabel now found herself intrigued by the idea of meeting the rest of the Avengers and their allies. Once in her room, Natasha left her to get settled in and relax for a bit before the party, but Isabel was too wired to relax and opted for focusing her energy on writing a letter to her mother. Time slipped by without her realizing it and it seemed like only minutes had passed when she heard a knock at her door. Not waiting for her friend to invite her in, Natasha opened the door and made her way to the closet. Isabel smirked as she watched her friend rummage through her closet until she found what she was looking for.
"Get dressed, it's time for your party." Nat said tossing the red, corseted, knee length halter dress at her as she left the room. A few minutes later Isabel stepped out of her room and Natasha smiled at her friend before leading the way to the commons area. A stunned hush fell over the room as everyone took in their new teammates gorgeous appearance. She had paired her dress with black, buckle strap stilettos, finger-less black biker gloves, and her signature hemp choker. Together with her hair styled back into a fanned bun and her precisely applied makeup, she truly was a sight to behold. Grabbing her friends hand, Natasha began taking her around the room introducing her to the rest of the Avengers and their friends. Isabel was grateful when the chatter throughout the room resumed and the party once again held a casual air. Finding the first chance she could to escape from Natasha she made her way to the bar and ordered her favorite drink. As Maria Hill prepared her drink she glanced around the room making note of who she had met and who she had yet to be introduced to. Isabel had just taken the first sip of her drink when a cool breath drifted past her ear.
"And who might you be, my goddess?" A silky voice whispered as she turned, finding herself face to face with the God of Mischief. She maintained a placid expression as he grinned, his emerald eyes boring into her as he leaned casually against the bar.
"You must be the woman I overheard my brother discussing with Agent Barton. I must admit, you are not as I expected." He said still smiling.
"I could say the same about you." Isabel replied taking another sip of her drink.
"Really? What, might I ask, were you not expecting?" He inquired, brow quirked in moderate curiosity.
"Honestly," she began as she replaced her glass on the bar and met his gaze with a sly grin, "I was expecting the God of Mischief to be a bit more, shall we say, intimidating." Her quick witted retort made Loki's grin falter momentarily before a spark of admiration had him leaning toward her. Stopping just inches away, he let his gaze drift over her before peering into the icy blue pools of her eyes.
"You continue to surprise. Not many are brave enough to insult me." He grinned wider, a slender hand rising to brush a strand of white blonde hair from her face. The feel of his icy fingers feathering over her cheek snapped Isabel from her daze and hatred blazed inside her. In one swift motion she snatched his hand away and twisted his arm sharply up behind his back until he dropped to his knees in defeat. Lost in what she was doing, Isabel failed to notice the stool she had been sitting on topple to the ground and draw the attention of everyone around them.
"Let's get one thing clear here, I know who you are, I know what you've done to my friends and my world. Just remember, it's only out of respect for Clint's friendship with your brother that I don't kill you!" She growled in his ear, unaware of the confused and surprised audience she had garnered. As Loki struggled and tried to rise to his feet she kicked his legs out from under him causing him to flip onto his back. Before he could move to get up she placed her foot on his chest, her stiletto heel pressing slightly against his jugular as he stared up at her with genuine fear.
"And you don't ever touch me!" She finished, glaring down at him.
"Is everything alright here?" Steve asked putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Turning to him, she finally noticed everyone watching them and removed her heel from Loki's throat.
"I see you're making new friends brother." Thor jested as he helped his brother to his feet. Looking over at Loki, Isabel could still see the hint of fear in his eyes as he quickly made his way outside to the balcony.
"Steve, I'm so sorry. Clint and Natasha warned me that Loki would be here; I should have known I would run into him at some point." She apologized, mentally scolding herself as she looked down at her feet.
"They told you about what he did to Clint before, didn't they?" Steve asked sympathetically. Clint had told him about their long friendship and, he had to admit, he understood her hatred towards someone who had hurt her friends. When Isabel didn't reply he moved his hand to the middle of her back and began guiding her across the room.
"Why don't you stick with me for now? I'll make sure he doesn't bother you." He suggested as they walked. Glancing around, Isabel spotted Natasha talking with Bruce and decided it best to take Steve's offer rather than interrupt.
"Isabel, nice to see you again! I was startin' to think Nat was tryin' to hide you from me." Sam greeted with a smile as the pair reached the sofas.
"What makes you think I wasn't hiding from you myself?" She asked with a joking smile as she sat down beside him and Steve took a seat at her other side.
"Damn! New girl's got some sass, I like it." Sam replied with a laugh.
"Hi, I'm Pepper." The woman seated across from Isabel greeted as she leaned forward to shake her hand.
"Tanis...oh, umm, sorry. I meant, I'm Isabel Tanis." Isabel said as she took the offered hand.
"I'm guessing introducing yourself with your last name is a military reflex?" Tony asked as Pepper leaned back into his arm.
"Yes, my dad always said that if you give your first name you give away too much about yourself. Only giving your last name allows you to stay disconnected. I guess old habits die hard." She explained, sheepishly avoiding eye contact.
"Well, I'm just glad to have someone my age around here." The young man beside Pepper piped up with a warm smile. Looking up from her hands, Isabel's brow quirked slightly as she took in the boys appearance. Finally realizing that he was indeed a teenager she smiled back and gave a soft chuckle.
"Umm...how old do you think I am?" She asked.
"Maybe 17, tops." The boy replied. She seemed to catch everyone off guard with her light and airy laugh before she settled into another warm smile.
"I guess I should take that as a compliment, but you're a few years off. I'm actually 25." She revealed.
"Wow! Well, either way, you're gorgeous!"
"Peter, I think she's a little too old for you." Pepper said flashing Isabel an apologetic smile.
"Lighten up, the kid's just sayin' what we're all thinking." Sam chimed in. Intrigued, she casually glanced at the men seated around her and quickly realized that Sam wasn't joking. Even the man seated in the chair at the end of the sofas glanced at her every now and then, his silent brooding demeanor intriguing her even more. She was so entranced by the mysterious man that she hardly even noticed Steve and Sam leave to get everyone more drinks. Glancing across the coffee table to the other sofa she found Tony, Pepper, and Peter wrapped up in their own conversation and found her own attentions drifting back to the silent stranger.
"Hi, we were never properly introduced, I'm Isabel." She said with a friendly smile as she moved to the end of the sofa beside him.
"Don't you mean Tanis?" He asked with a slightly playful grin as he looked up as her through a mess of dark bangs.
"I think I can trust you enough to know my name." She replied with a smile.
"You shouldn't do that; I can't even trust myself." He said with a frown as he rose from his seat, "You seem nice; you should keep your distance." Isabel was left to think over his words in a confused daze as he walked out of the room.
"Don't mind Sarge, he doesn't really let people in." Sam said as he handed her a drink.
"Was it something I said?" She asked, eyes still glued to the doorway.
"It's complicated." Steve said taking a seat in the now vacant chair, "Bucky's been through a lot over the years; he has a hard time getting to know new people." For the time being Isabel decided to drop the subject and lost herself in the party once again. Finally, around midnight, the party died down and she made her way back to her room. Before she could even change into her pajamas sleep swept over her, submersing her in the dark and twisted world of her nightmares. She could feel eyes on her before she had even opened her own and her fingers instinctively curled around the gun under her pillow. As her eyes slowly slid open she was met by the sight of the slender figure standing in her doorway, but her attention was quickly drawn away from him as she realized the skirt of her dress was now bunched up around her hip. Drawing her gun from its hiding place she braced herself, ready to attack if necessary.
"I can assure you I had nothing to do with that." Loki spoke with a grin.
"What do you want?" She asked pointedly as she glared at him.
"Stark sent me; I am to escort you to the gym so they can begin your training." He replied. With a heavy sigh she slid the gun back under the pillow and stood making her way to the closet.
"Stay there." She ordered as she turned on the light and stepped inside closing the door behind her. It only took a few minutes for her to change into her workout gear and make her way back out of the closet where Loki stood waiting. Walking past him she made her way out into the hall and waited for him to lead the way. She hated having to rely on someone she so despised, but he did know the compound better than she did and she was sure it would be frowned upon for her to arrive late to training. When they arrived at the gym Loki gave a deep bow as he held the door open for her and as she stepped past him into the room she had to resist to urge to knee him in the face. Instead she chose to ignore him and get to her training. Looking around the room she noted that it was fairly empty with only a few of her teammates there, but she smiled as she caught sight of Steve, Sam, and Bucky from across the room. Making her way over to the three men she silently crept up behind Sam and lightly tapped him on the shoulder waiting for what she knew would be an instinctual response. She ducked his right hook easily and swung her leg, taking his legs out from under him. Her hand caught his just before he hit the floor and she gave a soft chuckle at his startled expression.
"Well, that was fun. So, when does the training start?" She teased as she helped Sam regain his footing.
"I'm gonna have to keep my guard up with you around." He joked, still looking a little taken aback.
"Good luck, you'll never see me coming." She replied giving him a light punch to the arm.
"Good to see you're so eager to start training; we'll start with cardio. There's a trail through the woods that circles around the lake, think you can keep up with us?" Steve asked as they walked to the door.
"Even I can't keep up with you two." Sam reminded Steve as they headed out the back doors to the field that lay between the compound and the small strip of forest. As they made their way to the trail, Isabel fell into a comfortable silence, her mind drifting between listening to her companions and wondering if Clint or Natasha had told anyone her secret.
"Hey, you alright?" Sam asked snapping her out of her daze with a nudge to her arm.
"Yeah...sorry about that." She replied shaking the distracting thoughts from her mind. She found herself unable to hide the smile that came to her lips as she stepped past the last of the trees and saw a beautiful lake laid out before her.
"Wow! Clint mentioned the lake, but this is absolutely amazing!" A tidal wave of joy washed over her as she looked out across the small dock, the crystal clear water, and the small island raising an enormous weeping willow out of the center of it all. Remembering that she was supposed to be training, she made a mental note to come back with her sketchbook and turned her attention back to the three men who were now staring at her. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, but before the blush could spread she quickly turned on her heel and took off down the path that circled the lake. Turning around a few yards away she laughed at the men's surprised faces as she continued to run backward.
"Come on slowpokes." She teased with a wide grin that only grew as Steve and Sam gave each other a challenging glace before taking off toward her. Isabel laughed as they flew past her and she turned slightly to watch their antics. As they rounded the bend at the edge of the water Isabel was struck by a sudden thought and stopped running to look back to where they had come through the trees.
"Are you okay?" She asked, touching Bucky's arm lightly to get his attention. She was admittedly a bit surprised when he didn't jump at her sudden appearance at his side. Glancing at her from the corner of his eye he decided it best to stay silent and hope that she would begin running with his friends. He scoffed as the word crossed his mind; how did he deserve friends after the things he had done? Isabel was glad that he hadn't seemed to notice her wince before dropping her hand from his arm.
"I figured out who you are, who you used to be. I know that's why you told me to keep my distance, but I would prefer it if we could be friends." She said softly, remembering to choose her next words very carefully, "I know you probably think you don't deserve friends, but that's not true. Steve and Sam are your friends, Clint and Natasha consider you a friend."
"Killers don't get to have friends." He said flatly.
"But people who have been hurt do. Just remember that all those things that happened, that was HYDRA, not you. Maybe when you understand that you'll let people in." She said flashing him a soft smile as she backed away before running after their friends. Bucky watched for a few minutes as she caught up to Steve who was waiting for Sam to catch his breath. Her laugh carried to him over the water as she playfully made fun of Sam, but he noted when it abruptly stopped as he walked back towards the compound. Isabel frowned as she watched Bucky duck back into the woods and took note to talk to Steve about it later. A few hours later they made their way back to the compound and as they went their separate ways to relax before returning to the gym Isabel decided it was time to talk to Steve. Placing a hand on his arm she drew his attention away from the stairs and waited until Sam was out of earshot.
"Steve, I wanted to ask you about Bucky. I know all the stuff the news said about him, but why does he still keep people out? When I try talking to him he just tells me to stay away. Is he always like that or is it just me?" She asked. Steve could feel her unease and placed a kind hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, I'm sure that if you keep talking to him he'll realize that you're trying to be his friend. He still has some trouble when it comes to interacting with people, so don't take it personally; he'll come around." He reassured her with a warm smile. With one last gentle squeeze of her shoulder he headed up the stairs leaving her to make her way to the kitchen. Isabel was quietly pleased to find the kitchen empty and set to work finding something to eat, but her search was short lived when the only food she found was left over pizza from her welcoming party. Grabbing a slice from the box she hopped up on the counter and pulled out her phone to start a shopping list. Back in the gym her training became more of a demonstration as Steve assessed her combat skills, but she didn't mind as it gave her time to think and she remembered that she needed to discuss a few things with Clint and Natasha. When training had ended she quickly found the pair and ushered them to a secluded area where she hoped no one would overhear them.
"I have to know exactly what all you've told everyone." She asked urgently after making sure there were no cameras.
"We only told them what you approved, they don't know anything else." Nat assured.
"Good," Isabel breathed a sigh of relief, "the last thing I want is more people worrying about me."
"You know you aren't going to be able to hide it from them forever." Clint added crossing his arms over his chest. Isabel knew he didn't approve of her keeping something from the team and she knew he was right, but she trusted him enough not to tell anyone.
"It's not forever, Clint; just till I die." She tried to joke, but as he turned and walked away she knew she shouldn't have made light of the situation; she knew how badly it was effecting her two closest friends.
"Isabel, you know it bothers him when you joke about that." Nat scolded with a frown before following him down the hall. Isabel stared after her friends as they left, feeling the emptiness close in around her.
"But it's true, it really isn't forever." She said somberly to the now empty hallway before heading to her room. Again her sleep was a turbulent string of nightmares that had her tossing and turning all through the night, making the emerald eyes that watched her from the shadows blaze with a mixture of curiosity and worry. Stepping to the bedside Loki brushed a cool hand over her forehead smoothing strands of sweat drenched hair from her face.
"What secrets are you hiding?" He whispered to himself, watching her intently.