As always I own nothing... Except Nina and Lena, they're mine. Seriously, back off. ;) Also, I'm so so sorry that this took so long to update. I got back from Europe recently and have been working my butt off! Expect more updates over the summer! Enjoy guys! xo

Yawning, I picked up a piece of cheese from the plate on my lap and chucked it at Nina.
"SERIOUSLY LENA!" She lifted her head from her microscope and shot me a death glare. "I'm just trying to save you here." Rolling my eyes I kicked my feet off of my dad's desk and began to wander around the "stark cave".

"Well there isn't anything for me to do." Sighing, I sat down at one of the many high tech computers and began tapping away. Lurking through my father's documents happened to be one of my favorite past times. "Jarvis, where does my father keep all research done on me?"

"Pulling it up now, Lena," the files began popping up in the air in front of my face. Leaning back, I kicked up my feet once again and began shuffling through the 3D papers. After the seventh file I stumbled on something.

"Nina, I think I found something in dad's research." Nina looked up from her own research, glasses askew, and her dark hair falling from its messy bun. "Wait its grandpa's research. It's so vague, I'll have to go in the archives and read up on this. Look." Nina stopped where I was before lifting her hands and stretching the paper to a larger size.

"Formula for test subject 39827, the date is definitely during WWII; do you think this could be about Steve?" She glanced down at me; a perplexed look crossed her face.

"It definitely could be—OH SHIT. NINA, our flight leaves in an hour and a half!" Nina rolled her eyes as I flew up from my chair, knocking it swiftly over on its side just as Pepper walked in the room.

"You ok, Len?" A glint in her eye made it look like she was silently laughing at me. Clearly my holey sweat pants, rainbow socks and my San Diego Chargers jersey were not up to par.

"I haven't packed or changed and our flight leaves within the next two hours." Groaning at my horrible time management I threw a hand threw my hair in frustration.

"Well it's a good thing I took the liberty to pack a bag and pick up a change of clothes for you." Sighing in relief I picked up the chair and flopped back down. "Are you two prepared for the grand re-opening of Stark tower?" Glancing at Nina, she rolled her eyes. We were just happy that Pepper and dad were permanently changing their address.

"Seeing as how you and irondouche are moving there, that does entitle Nina and I living here, by ourselves… With no super vision right?" Pepper rolled her eyes and she tapped her foot impatiently.

"That would be correct. You two are grown adults, we have faith in you." It was my turn to roll my eyes as I quickly grabbed my laptop, throwing the bag over my shoulder.

"See that, Lena, they have faith in us." She winked before grabbing her own laptop and piles of research.

"Well, we can't do much worse than dad. Honestly, that man knows how to wreck a house." Nina laughed conspiratorially. When I got home, she had shown me thousands of photos and videos from the past year… Including our father being shithammered and blowing our family home in to smithereens. Snorting to myself I made my way out of the lab and towards Pep's car.


Smiling brightly, I grabbed Nina's hand as countless lights flashed before our eyes. She and I were dressed in gorgeous cocktail dresses and stilettos. Squeezing my hand tightly, she began to tug me further down the walk way and in to the brand new "green" Stark Tower.

"You look lovely darling." Smiling genuinely I pecked Rhodey's cheek before squeezing him tightly. "God, you look two look so grown up." Putting his arms around us, we began to weave our way through the crowd. We stopped a few times, schmoozing the rich benefactors and high ups; the usual.

"Do we have to stay all night?" We had finally met up with Pepper who was immersed in a conversation. "Rhodey, do you think we have to stay all night? I mean, come on now, there is a hole in the wall pizza joint calling my name!" Rhodey rolled his eyes as Nina nodded her head in complete agreement before taking another sip of her rum mixed drink.

"I couldn't agree more. Honestly, we're hungry, tired and my feet hurt." She pointed to her stiletto clad feet before throwing her hand on her hip for emphases.

"… You two want me to get you out of here."

"You are smarter than dad gives you credit for." I quipped.

"Yes, far too smart for the Air Force." Nina giggled out.

"We have a few slices of 'za in it for you if you can sweet talk our way out." We both shot him huge grins before turning them in to puppy dog faces.

"Sweet talking your way out of what?" Pepper had chosen the opportune moment to acknowledge our existence and eavesdrop on our conversation. She glanced between the three of us before leaving her sights on me.

"Sweet talking our way out of..."

"Going back to Los Angeles so soon." Nina quickly picked up where I left off, not missing a beat.

"Bullshit." Was all Pepper said before eying the three of us again? "Try again ladies."

"Well, Rhodey, I think it's your turn." I muttered, downing the last bit of champagne from the goblet in my hand.

"Well, Pep, I think the girls are hungry." Rhodey began, shoving his hands in his pocket before shooting her a heart stopping smile.

"They're always hungry."

"Um, we take offense to that." I shot at her.

"We can't help that we're bottomless pits that are always in need of nutrients! We need to feed, Lena is feeling faint! I'm feeling as if I might drop on the spot." Nina began to fan herself with her hand as I leaned against Pepper in a tired way.

"And their feet hurt."
"And our feet hurt!" Pepper rolled her eyes at my outburst. My hand outstretched for effect.

"And Nina has been watching Lena like a hawk since they got here. Clearly Lena has been doing worse today than usual…" Rhodey avoided my eyes as I looked between the three of them. Setting my now empty glass on a passing tray, I brought my hands together to stop them from trembling.

"Has it been that noticeable?"Nina nodded slightly, Rhodey shrugged smiling at me sympathetically. I turned my gazed to Pepper who was trying her best to act as if nothing was wrong. Her mask was slipping though, worry was showing through as she stepped towards me.

"You're just a bit shakey today, and you seem exhausted… It's nothing major though. I promise." She closed the gap between us, wrapping her arms tightly around my shoulders. "It'll be ok." She said more to comfort herself than me. "But, that doesn't mean you two are leaving. I want you two here another hour and then you all can go get pizza; if you bring me back a slice!" She pulled back winking at us before making her way back in to the crowd.

"You hear that Rhodey? Start the timer!" Rhodey clicked his watch, starting the timer, and wandered off to go talk to some high ups.

"Now what?" Nina asked, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"We drink!" Laughing I grabbed her and made our way towards our father's personal bar.

"Whoa, we're drinking dad's stash?" She glanced around before diving behind the bar. Following suit we both began rummaging through dozens of bottles of premium liquor. "Do we want to keep it classy or do we want to keep it super classy?" She held up a bottle a bottle of Stoli in one hand a bottle of Chivas Regal, 21 years old.

"I'm feeling SUPER CLASSY tonight." We both stood up to grab glasses and ice. Cracking the bottle open we heard a thunderous boom. Instincts kicked in as I ducked and grabbed for Nina. "Are you ok?" Grabbing her hand, I lifted her off of the granite floor before giving her a once over.

"I'm fine, I'm…" Her eyes became the size of saucers as she glanced beyond me. "Oh holy fuck." Whipping around, I took in the sight before me. A man, in green and black leather was standing in the middle of the room. Glass shards were strewn around him, a small smirk played on his lips. "… Jackson?" Nina mumbled to herself before walking around the bar towards the strange man.

"Nina, this isn't a good idea." Mumbling I crept behind her, making sure I could still throw myself in front of her if need be.
He rose to his feet; you could tell he was agile and quick. He began scanning the now silent crowd, clearly looking for someone.
"Is Nina Stark here? I just need a quick word." OH FUCK. Grabbing her hand in mine, I stepped in front of her, trying to block his view with my meager 5'1" frame. "Nina, we need to talk." She squeezed my hand tightly, clearly perplexed at the entire ordeal.

My eyes began searching out Pepper. Rhodey had all but blocked her with his body. We caught eyes, I could tell he wanted us to get back and hide, which honestly wasn't my style.

Plucking up my courage, I began weaving my way to the front of the crowd.

"Um, excuse me for interrupting your search, but can I ask why in the fuck you came crashing through my roof? Where are your manners? That's what doors are for." His head whipped to where I was standing, he sized me up quickly before taking a few short steps toward me.

"Ahhh, you must be Lena," Straightening my back, I nodded.

"Now, I'm looking for your sister, could you help me?" The air around him seemed sinister, yet almost reluctant to doing something irrational.

"Um, can I ask who you are?" Taking a step towards him, I planted my hands on my hips in a attempt to show him I had a backbone and I meant business. I could feel my right hand shaking uncontrollably.

"I am Loki, God of Mischief," Snorting, I rolled my eyes.

"You're the one that my friends kicked all the way back to Asgard. I thought you were in prison," folding my arms across my chest trying to mask my now severely trembling hand. I heard her before I saw her, Nina had made her way to my side.

"Can I help you with something?" His small smirk grew to a devilish grin before a laugh ripped from his chest.

"Perfect." Nina quickly grabbed my arm and screamed as we both saw him lunge towards us.


Sighing, I rested my head on the table. Nina was leaning back in the chair next to mine as we both assessed the situation before us.

"So what you're saying is, that you're coming to conquer the world, or at least try to, again, because you're in love with Nina? … Am I missing anything?" Raising my head off of the table I speared Loki, god of being an idiot with a death glare.

"It's much more complicated than that." Loki defended himself; he was now pacing the length of the room.

"Where are we?" Nina had found her voice after nearly an hour of sitting here listening to the asshole try and explain himself and his idiotic plan.

"We're in time." He said nonchalantly before continuing his pacing of the room.

"Did you hear that Nina? We're in time, lovely." Nina cracked a small smile before falling back in to her convoluted thoughts. A small bead of perspiration was beginning to form on my brow. "So wait, in this entire thing you never explained how you two knew each other." My statement lingered in the air a few moments before Loki graced me with an answer.

"We met nearly a year ago. I had disguised myself as a mortal and we met and kept in contact." My eyes flashed between Nina and Loki, both avoiding each other's gaze.

"Oh my god, OH MY FUCKING GOD, NINA, YOU SLEPT WITH HIM!" Nina glanced at me and gave me a swift nod before putting her face in her hands. "YOU SLEPT WITH A GOD!" Leaping to my feet, I glared at Loki and began pacing the room, much like he had. "What about Bruce?" My feet stopped in front of where she was sitting, glaring at her.

"Bruce and I weren't together when we started talking. I didn't know he was a god till tonight." Glaring at the two of them, I sat back down, thinking my legs would give out. We all sat in an awkward silence, none of us wanting to break it.

My mind flew through what he had told us in the last few hours, trying to figure out his plan. Why would he tell us he's going to once again try and conquer earth? My mind began throbbing at all of the possibilities.

"I think it's time I got you girls home." Loki sprung up quickly from his seated position.

"You're taking us back?" Nina questioned, not fully believing that he was letting us go with no strings attached.

"Yes, I only wanted to set my eyes on you. To make sure you're doing ok, that you were feeling well and all." Loki made it seem as though she should be feeling ill. Nina and I exchanged a glance before she answered slowly.

"I'm feeling fine…"

"Lovely," A sly grin grew on his face, as if he knew more than he was letting on.

"Why did you tell us all of this just to let us go?" There had to be more than he was letting on.

"I want a challenge."


" 'Cause I'm back in black, yes I'm back in blackkkkkk" My hand reached for my phone, already knowing who was on the other line.

"Lena make the music stop, I'm tired." Nina mumbled from beside me. Throwing myself up in bed, I looked around. Nina was sound asleep next to me, in my bed, in my apartment, in Los Angeles. Looking down, I was still wearing the red cocktail dress from the party.

"Nina, I think it's time for you to wake the fuck up." I shoved her shoulder lightly, before leaping off of the bed and answering my phone. "DAD. HOW ARE WE IN LA?" I could hear a conversation in the background, angry voices were yelling; Pepper's among them.

"You're in LA?" His voice was dripping with concern and relief.

"Daddy, we're in my apartment, I don't know what happened." I began making my way down the loft stairs and in to the open living room/kitchen area.

"Are you and Nina ok?" Sighing, I opened my purse and grabbed my pack of smokes. Nina quickly grabbed them from my hand and made her way out on to the balcony.

"We're fine, just confused, we have so much to talk about."

"We're already on our way. Lena, it's been three days since the party." Following Nina out on the balcony, I snagged a smoke from the pack and lit it. Trembling I sat down on one the lounge chairs.

"Three days? We've been gone three days?" My body began shaking from head to toe, my hand began jerking uncontrollably. Nina quickly ran inside and grabbed my medication before running back out and giving it to me.

Snagging the medicine from her hand I took it dry. Nina quickly grabbed the phone from my hand, quickly talking to my dad in subdued tones. Trying to calm myself down, I leaned back in my chair, gulping large breathes.

This was bad, this was really fucking bad. My life was turning in to the foreign soap operas that everybody makes fun of. Loki was a horrible person, god, fuck it, being. This entire situation was not going to be good.

Nina appeared in front of me suddenly, crouching on her haunches. She snagged my still trembling hands from my lap and began massaging them. I could tell she was trying to comfort me.

"It'll be ok, Lena. Dad is on his way. She stopped massaging my hands and threw her arms around me. Squeezing her back, I tucked my head in to her long hair.

"I think I'm supposed to be the one comforting you, Nina."


Humming to myself, I began to count the bricks in my living room wall. Nina was making tea in my kitchen for the guests that were now seated sporadically around my living room/kitchen. My father was attempting to help Nina in the kitchen, which really meant he was going to sit there and patronize her in a loving way.

Rolling my eyes I sunk deeper in to my warn leather sofa, hiding from all the mayhem that was around me. I spotted Natasha next to birddouche on the rafter near the window. Clearly they were discussing about setting up a perimeter around my apartment. Clearly they had missed the memo that we had been here unprotected for nearly five hours. Steve was quietly murmuring to Bruce, their eyes flickering quickly between Nina and myself. Fury was on the balcony talking in a booming voice, clearly trying to clean this clusterfuck up.

Sinking even lower, I snagged one of my mismatched pillows, propping it behind my head. Closing my eyes, I began trying to block out all external noise in a weak attempt to sort through what had happened the last few days (or well hours). Loki had slept with my sister, on more than one occasion. I was now going to be interrogated by several intimidating figures. Sighing, I knew I couldn't tell them the truth, well the whole truth that is. Ice cold droplets suddenly bitch slapped my face.

"Wake up, Lena-poo." My father drawled, clearly being an annoying little shit. Sitting up I stuck him with glare.

"I loathe you."

"I think you meant to say, 'I love you'. Clearly those two are easily mixed up." He tapped his chin, feigning thought, before cracking a grin and plopping down beside me. Quickly I lay my head on my dad's shoulder, just taking comfort in the fact that he was next to me.

"Wanna explain what happened?" He pulled up the sleeves of his black shirt, before leaning back in to my sofa.

"And so it begins." Nina mumbled, plopping down in the chair across from us. She sipped her tea as the rest of the group began to wander towards us, sitting down.

"Anything you can remember is great ladies." Fury began to rub his temples. You could tell the entire situation was a complete thorn in his side. Something he wished to sweep under the rug.

"Well, let me begin." My eyes met Nina's, cutting her off before she even began. A silent agreement went between us; let me do all the talking. "Loki poofed in to the apartment, went on and on about how he had to talk to Nina. Clearly being the complete fool I am, I stepped up and talked to him." Most of the group cursed my stupidity. They were obviously not impressed by my balls of steel.

"Then he told me he knew who I was… Nina appeared out of nowhere and then he did a snatch and go. The next thing we knew we were sitting in an awkward room with a table and chairs, which were super uncomfortable by the way." Bruce had moved over and sat in the chair next to Nina, before grabbing her hand.

"And then we sat there, listening to him rambled on and on about how he loved Nina, wanted to take over the world, and then he went back to how much he loved Nina. He kept mentioning he had friends who were going to help him… Which I don't think means much seeing as how the last time he had friends who wanted to help, you guys were there and shut his ass down. Also, is he not in prison somewhere in Asgard? Clearly your fucking security sucks." Thor was up and pacing the length of my apartment.

"Did he say who he was working with?" Laughing coldly, I turned my attention to Nick.

"He's insane and clearly a few fries short of a happy meal, but he's not stupid. He clearly wanted to make his presence, goal and love known; nothing else, no details, only cryptic speeches, horrible love confessions and few cackles when I verbally berated him on more than one occasion."

The conversation went on and on, each of the group asking their own questions. Nina and I gracefully (clearly our years of ballet and gymnastics had payed off) toed around the subject of Loki's love. Answering the questions, but not fully answering the questions.

"I guess that's all. We'll get back to you in a few days. Until then, you don't leave alone. You are always with an agent, your father, or one of us. Are we clear?" Nina nodded obediently at Fury's orders, but I just scoffed.

"I'm not twelve, I don't need a baby sitter, nor am I part of this convoluted boy band. I'll be fine. Nina is clearly the target here. Don't waste your time or effort on me." With that being said, I shrugged the blanket from my shoulders, stood from the couch and made my way towards the stairs and up to my bedroom, ignoring Fury's "orders". "If you all could leave, that would be grand. I'm exhausted, hungry, shaking like a leaf and pms'ing. FUCK OFF." With my two cents being thrown out there, I threw myself on my bed and huddled under my comforter, willing the world away.

Minutes passed as I hide, maturely might I add. Snuggling my head against my down pillow I listened as one by one people filed out of my apartment… And then I heard the dreaded footsteps on the stairs. Sitting up, I bit back the reprimand that was on my tongue. Steve was holding a tray of food and tea, concentration was written all over his face.

"I thought you might need this." He set it on my bed side table before crouching down next to the bed, looking at me. Smiling lightly he pushed back a stray piece of hair off of my cheek. "I thought, we could spend the day watching the movies you told me about. Trek Wars?" Smiling, I nodded.

"Star Wars," Correcting, I scooted over on the bed and patted the space next to me. "Come young padawan, you have much to learn, you do." Smiling he sprawled out next to me, making himself at home. Padding over to my extensive movie collection I grabbed Episode One and popped it in. "Prepare yourself for the greatest films of all time." Steve rolled his eyes and waited patiently for the film to start.

Half way through my phone buzzed, leaning over the now enthralled Steve I grabbed my phone. Quickly typing my password, I saw who it was from. My breath caught in my throat as I read the words from someone I never thought I'd speak to again.

Luke Wellington: Lena, I know what we said last time we spoke, but we need to talk. I miss you.