As soon as Clint woke up, he headed down from Rachel's room. Upon descending the stairs, he realized that he was the last one to get up.

"Hey," Natasha said from the couch.

"Bout time," Tony said, "Rae was making us wait to eat breakfast."

"Tony," Rachel said from the kitchen, "You just got up. Besides, we're still not done cooking."

Once Rachel and Thor had finished cooking, everyone minus Raina and Loki gathered into the dining room. Though they hadn't heard anything, the Avengers had gotten the distinct impression that Rachel wasn't happy with the fact that Loki and Rain weren't joining the group. When they had all gathered and the food had been distributed, Tony asked, "So what's on the agenda for today?"

"I don't know," Rachel said, "Just hang out here, and don't go where people can see you, so the backyard is in limits, but not the front, because we neighbors." The group nodded, but everyone could tell that Tony was unhappy. "Would you like a computer to play with?" Rachel asked earnestly.

"You'd go and buy me a computer?" Rachel laughed, "No I have two."

"Why?"

"One for work and the other one is to hold music."

"How much music do you have?"

"A lot. I like varying my music on a semi-regular basis."

"What kind of music?" Natasha asked.

"Just about anything except country. Like, I have Irish folk music, popular American music from any decade past the thirties, rock, again from any decade, jazz, acoustic and I'm on a Showtunes kick right now, so my Broadway music collection is expanding rapidly." She laughed at the look on Natasha, Tony and Bruce's faces, "I can't think without noise, so music is a big help for me to get work done."

"Obviously," Tony said, "But I can relate."

When they finished eating, Tony immediately went for Rachel's work laptop while Bruce and Clint helped Rae clean up the mess. As the day wore on, the Avengers were becoming impatient with sitting around. Natasha was pacing every fifteen minutes, which was annoying Bruce, who kept telling Natasha, that it was driving him crazy. Tony kept complaining about how Rachel's laptop didn't have enough memory for what he was wanting do. Steve kept rolling his eyes at everything Tony was saying and telling him that he should just be grateful that Rachel was letting him borrow her laptop. Thor and Clint had already broken a bowl that had been sitting on the table by the stairs. In short, the Avengers were getting cabin fever.

"Tony," Rachel said after the twelfth time of Tony saying that her laptop was insufficient, "Make one if you don't like mine."

"Oh I'd love to," Tony said sarcastically, "But I'd have to leave to get everything, which you said was impossible."

"You want to shave and dye your hair blonde?" Rachel said rhetorically, "Then shut up about it."

"Will you please stop pacing?" Bruce asked tiredly.

"What if I don't want to?" Natasha challenged.

"Okay!" Rachel yelled above all of the noise, "You people are all acting like children. Seriously this is the fourth day you've been stuck in the house and you're already at each other's throats?"

The Avengers put their heads down, embarrassed. "I know that this is an adjustment," Rachel continued softer, "And it's not going to be easy, but to make this work, you have to put effort into it too." She sighed, "Natasha, why don't you go upstairs to your room, you could read, watch TV, or pace until your heart's content. Tony, make a list of whatever you need for a new laptop so I can go get it. And why don't you go into the entertainment room so you and Steve don't try to kill each other? Thor, you should join him so that you and Clint don't break anything." The Avengers complied with what Rachel said for him to do and when Tony finished his list, Rachel headed out saying that Bruce was in charge and to use Thor to keep everyone in line.

+~*~+

Inside Raina's room, both Loki and Raina had been chatting and looking through Raina's vast collection of comics and mythology books.

"So, which mythology story is your favorite Rain?" Loki asked finally.

"That's a tough one, there are so many. There's the one with you and the goat and Skadi." Raina started as she put a finger to her chin in deep thought.

"Wait, wha-" Loki was immediately taken back by her first response, his cheeks turning a slight red.

"Then there's the one about the birth of Sleipnir, and lastly the one where you and Thor crossed dressed to get back Mjolnir. What's that look for?" Raina asked him as she turned to look at Loki after answering his question. "They weren't that bad, quite hilarious actually...Mommy." Raina busted out laughing.

"That is not funny, you take that back!" Loki demanded.

"Never!" Raina shouted as she stood from the bed, backing away slowly.

"You will take it back, I demand it!" Loki followed in suit, rising from his spot on the bed; Raina's grin grew even bigger, she loved to mess with people.

"I say thee nay!" Loki lunged at Raina, who ducked downward and dodged him. Raina made a jump over her bed as Loki tried to grab her again.

"Stay still, you are such a child!"

"Am not! I'm 21 thank you very much, you old man!" Raina shot back. Loki rolled his eyes.

"I'm immortal, technically it doesn't count. Plus, Thor's love interest is fairly young and mortal, so it's fair grounds." Raina had slid herself underneath her bed; Loki had gotten onto his stomach and was now trying to grab at her and pull her out.

"I didn't say it was going to affect my judgment of you, besides," Raina slid herself close to Loki, her mouth at his ear; "I like older men." Raina licked Loki's cheek and quickly moved away from him.

"That is so childish!" Loki wiped the saliva off of his cheek, "I'm guessing you need an older man to make up for all of your childishness?"

"Something like that." Raina giggled as she once again sat on top of the bed. "So, truce?"

"For now." Loki stated as he got up from his spot on the floor and went to sit on the bed next to Raina.

"But seriously, I saw the way your face looked when Odin showed up in Jotunheim, to save your asses, riding Sleipnir. You care for him whether you wish to admit it or not." Raina's face softened, as did Loki's eyes after she spoke. "Truthfully, I'm not trying to pick at you. Sometimes we can't choose who we love, but, now that we are on the topic, tell me if Sigyn exists in your reality." Loki's face took on a more serious look, a slightly darker look as well.

"That woman thinks she is the most beautiful in all the nine realms. She is a ghastly harpy. We were supposed to be wed centuries ago, but I can't stand being in her company for more than a few seconds." Loki spat out angrily.

"Ha! Well, I assure you that if she were to ever come around when I am in Asgard...I don't think I'll be able to act very pleasant if I hear her try to take you from me!" Raina stated proudly.

"Oh I will be sure to enjoy that moment when it comes!" Loki started to laugh, Raina joining him seconds later.

"I'm actually surprised by how you described her. In mythology she's depicted to be a kinder person, seeing as how she's the one who holds the bowl over your eyes to keep the poison from dripping into them in one of your punishments. Of course, then again I don't think I could truly imagine you doing half the stuff that the mythology Loki is written to have done."

"Well think again my dear, I have done some most odd things, that is, mostly because Odin and the other gods forced me to." Loki replied with disdain.

Raina placed her hand on his arm gently, "Don't worry, I'll give them all a piece of my mind when I see them." She told him playfully and meaningfully; Loki smiled in return.

The two lapsed into a silence for several moments and eventually found themselves laying down on the bed together in embrace, Loki's head lay on Raina's chest and Raina rubbing her fingers through the length of Loki's hair. This went on for mere seconds before Raina found herself quietly singing a lullaby that she had written some time ago:

Hush my child don't utter a word
Momma's gonna' give you the entire world
and if the world doesn't bow to your whim
Momma's gonna' give you a castle to rule
and if those servants don't listen
Momma's gonna' give you a village to command
and if that village brings out the torches
Momma's gonna' give you a battle to win
and if that battle goes sour
Momma's gonna' cradle you to sleep
So hush my child you shall be king
but for now merely rest your eyes

"You will make a wonderful mother someday." Loki spoke up softly seconds after Raina had finished; Raina blushed.

"I'll have to do some growing up myself first before that." She chuckled. "I came up with that song not all that long ago." Raina went on after a few more moments of silence.

"It's a wondrous song. I daresay you had a certain someone in mind while you were writing it." Loki jokingly stated. Raina snorted.

"It's not that good, I've come up with other, better stuff, but yeah, I'm much better with my written words than I am my spoken ones and perhaps I was thinking of a certain someone because that certain someone deserves a different type of attention...he deserved it a long time ago." Raina's voice was barely a whisper now.

"But he has it now and that is all that matters to him now." Loki concluded for her.

+~*~+

When she got back, Rachel was surprised to find everyone gathered in the living room again. She put her new coffee maker in the kitchen and walked across to the living room. "Well at least no one's dead," She paused as she handed everything to Tony, "Or did you kill Loki and Rain and bury them in the backyard?" They all looked at her like she was insane, "No one's dead," Clint finally answered.

"Good, have you all eaten?"

"Not yet," Natasha said.

"Okay," Rachel said, "I'm not cooking, what do you guys like for pizza?"

Rachel ended up ordering seven pizzas but worried the entire time that someone was going to be left wanting more food. She ended up giving an entire pizza to Rain and Loki, who took it upstairs, Rachel sighing heavily as they left.

Though they were starting to feel better about being in such tight quarters, the Avengers turned back to the habits that had been annoying each other and when Natasha started pacing, Bruce slipped out of the room. Rachel was still trying to get them to separate from one another and playing referee for the rest of the day.

It was in the evening hours when Steve stepped outside; he knew that the backyard was still in-limits, so he didn't tell anyone that he was leaving the house. He was surprised when he found Bruce already out there, sitting on the steps.

"Oh," Steve started, "I didn't know anyone would be out here."

"Too crowded for you too?" Steve laughed, "Just a little."

"Well, I've got enough room out here, if you want to join me." Steve nodded and sat next to Bruce on the stairs. They sat in silence for a while, both of them deep in thought. Bruce was thinking about how relaxed he had felt since he had come to this world, he knew that it was because of the Other Guy being gone and even more distressing, that it wouldn't last. Bruce sighed, which caused Steve to ask, "What?"

"I like it here."

Steve looked over at Bruce, "Then why do you look so upset?"

Bruce looked over at the Captain and smiled, "Because I know it won't last, the happiness, the peace, the calmness. It's just difficult knowing that things 'll change, and probably not for the better," Bruce laughed, "But you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Steve chuckled, "Yeah, I do." Steve frowned, thinking about just how much times had changed.

"You ever feel lost with all the changes?" Bruce asked.

"Just about every day," Steve sighed, "I think I have one thing figured out and then there are three more things that have changed."

Bruce laughed, "Actually, I think most people feel like that, but probably not as extreme."

"At least I have that in common with people." Steve said with a hint of resentment.

"So, you do have something on your mind." Bruce said. Steve nodded, still looking ahead.

"Is it Rachel?"

Steve looked over at Bruce in shock, "Yeah," Steve paused, somewhat hesitant to go on, "I know times have changed at all, but-"

"Is it just because of being raised in the nineteen thirties or because she's half black?" Bruce asked bluntly. Steve's eyes widened at Bruce's bluntness, but Steve didn't try to deny anything.

"It just wasn't allowed for certain people to be together," Steve said, putting his head down.

"Well," Bruce said, "Count your blessings; you don't have to worry about that. You can do whatever the hell you want, as long as you don't go to the southern states."

"Why not?" Bruce laughed, "Well, they're still…holding on to old "values" down there; Rachel told me the day we went shopping together about how they treated her, and it wasn't good." Steve looked over at Bruce, "What happened?"

"They told her that she was an abomination, that she's going to go to hell and she got beaten up." Bruce said matter-of-factly.

Steve shook his head, "If you can count on one thing not to change, it's people. There can be so many good people in the world, but there's also so many bad."

Bruce nodded, agreeing with him, "And then there are the ones that think they are the only right ones in the world."

Steve laughed, "Aren't those the ones that usually end up in the bad people category?"

"Yeah, they usually do." Bruce said, "But you don't have a problem with Rae being half black?"

Steve shook his head, "I never did care about someone's skin, a person is a person."

Bruce smiled, "And she's a great person."

"What are you two doing out here?" Natasha asked, coming out of the back door and ignoring the sigh that came from Bruce.

"We needed some air," Steve answered for both of them.

"Ah, well we were getting ready to draw to see who gets a real bed tonight, so we need you in here."

"Okay," Steve said, standing quickly and offering a hand to Bruce, who accepted.