Edward here.

After ten minutes, we finally managed to get Carmen to stop yelling at Ivy.

Carmen was shaking – from shock and rage, I think. Mostly rage. "You lied to us."

"I didn't have a choice. Who could I tell? I can't go back to that universe for a while because it could tear all the universes apart!"

"And you couldn't have sent a letter?"

"Interdimensional mail really isn't that reliable."

"Um… hate to break up this little reunion, but we have to go," said Peter Quill.

"Where they go, I go. They have all the information I do," said Ivy. "We need to go, Star Lord. I have a feeling your friends are getting up to some trouble where you left them."

I followed them out of the alley.

"Did you know about all this?" asked Carmen.

"That she was alive? Yes. She did tell me. I think she wanted someone who could confirm it was her when she came back."

"And that she's... pregnant?"

"The baby was new to me too." I'd heard about what happened to her, I'd known it was a possibility. I'd even thought about it when I saw her before she left. Still, it hadn't really occurred to me that she might be until I'd seen her again.

"Who else knew about Ivy?"

"No one. Her abilities, just a few people. Her parents kicked her out when they found out."

"Oh. Is that when she went missing?"

"No. It was about two months after. I found her later, curled up next to the garbage cans in front of the house."

"But I thought she was dead. They said they found the body somewhere."

"They lied. She became a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Then she had an accident in the kitchen with a knife and almost died. Luckily for her, the Doctor saved her life. But she didn't come back because it was better for everyone."

"Do you think it was better for everyone?"

Ahead of us, I noticed Ivy tugging up her gloves, ensuring no skin was exposed. "Yes. She transfers energy which can transport people between universes by touching things. Or people."

Carmen shuddered. "And I used to teach her knitting. I remember asking her why she didn't take the gloves off now – I thought she was just a germophobe or something. Who else knows about her… abilities?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, the Guardians, her family, Miranda, Jack, Sharon, Ariel…"

"Am I the only person on this planet who didn't know?"

"It was a need to know basis, and everyone needed to know before you did. I can assure you, Ivy didn't mean anything by it."

Ivy kept glancing back at us over her shoulder.

"We left our other friends around here," said Quill. "They're going to get you off the planet."

"Thank you," said Ivy.

She turned around and gave us both a small smile. "It's going to be okay, Carmen. I'm sorry, Edward."

"It's not your fault. You weren't there."

"But it's my fault any of this stuff happens."

"In which case, I'm glad it does. Otherwise, I'd still be watching you during lunch and not saying anything."

One corner of her mouth quirked upward slightly. "You could do better than me. Besides, I'm not planning on dating until I'm ready to get married… which is never, really, since there's no way I could spend the rest of my life with someone while I have this ability. Too dangerous."

"Going to talk about your relationship problems all day or are you going to follow me?" asked Peter Quill.

Ivy jumped slightly. "Oh, sorry."

"Go with the tree," said Quill, motioning to Groot. "We're waiting to pay a visit to the Collector."

"Just a minute," said Ivy.

She walked over to two children in the shadows. Two boys, both with pink skin. One had a large gap in his mouth – a missing tooth.

"Miss Ivy?" said the one with the missing tooth. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes," she said. "And I don't plan to be back for a while. If ever. Tell everyone that. You can take whatever you want out of the house. There's nothing much of value, but I'm sure you can all put it to good use. Make sure you tell everyone that. Don't just raid the place yourselves, got it?"

"Yes, Miss Ivy," they said in unison and scurried away.

"Miss Ivy?" I repeated.

"That's what they call me. I'm not sure when that started, but I liked the name."

Ivy here.

We were about to head off and be safe. What could go wrong?

Never, never, never tempt fate. It always turns out badly for you.

Carina showed up.

And, guess what? I was asked to come along. Because today hadn't already been irritating enough.

I was almost certain what the Collector wanted from me. He wanted me to be part of his "collection". If he thought that was happening, he was sadly, sadly mistaken. Even supposing Quill and Gamora didn't object, I'm friends with a time traveling alien who takes badly to his friends being "collected".

The Collector addressed me directly when we came into his huge building.

"You're the Miss Ivy I hear about?"

"Who tells you?" I asked.

"No one. I hear things. And you really stand out on this planet."

"I know." I kept my distance from him. "What do you want?"

"I want to know who you are, why you are here, and if the Asgardians sent you."

Oh, right, the Aether.

"What makes you think I have any connections to Asgard?"

"They told me about you."

Why in the world did they have to tell him? "I am here because I need to be elsewhere in the galaxy for a while. I didn't even know where this place was until we were brought here." I didn't like the way he was looking at me – especially the way he was looking at my extended stomach. In my current state, I was way more vulnerable than I would have been otherwise. The odds didn't bode well if he decided to try something.