A/N- Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas for this chapter! It was a very difficult decision because they were all good, but I had to choose HeroPilot's idea! Thank you so much!
What do you mean? I thought he was rotting in Asgardian prison?" Ingrid exclaimed. "We need to neutralize this threat immediately!"
"No! It's not what you think, his intentions aren't hostile " Wanda grabbed Ingrid's hand quickly.
"Loki? Not hostile? Please, I may have never met him face to face but I've read enough of the incident reports Steve has in his room to know that he has ulterior motives." Ingrid scoffed.
"Ingrid, I swear on my life that Loki isn't a threat. I should know, I brought him here." Thor said to Ingrid.
"Why would you do that?" Ingrid looked very displeased.
"It's because of me." Wanda said, "I've been using my powers more and more in training and missions. He can sense my power and insists on investigating what exactly caused them.
"Well if you have everything under control, why do you need me?" Ingrid asked.
"This is Loki we're talking about. If the public knew that he was here and not being watched 24/7 by as many people as there could be, there would be a riot."
"I guess that's fair, but what about after he is done his little investigation? Is he going to move into the tower?" Ingrid asked sarcastically.
"Yes. That's exactly what is going to happen." Thor replied, oblivious to Ingrid's sarcasm.
S
Later that night, Ingrid left to go back to her and Barry's apartment. She immediately flopped down on the couch and sniffled into a pillow. Barry came and sat down beside her. "I know meeting the family didn't go perfectly, but you don't have to cry about it." Barry drew her into his arms.
Ingrid looked up at Barry, teary eyed. "For a smart person, you aren't that smart. I'm not upset about how it went, I'm upset about why they came. Don't you understand what this means, Barry? I'm going to have to leave Central City, without you."
Barry held back tears as well. "You don't have to leave, Ingrid. They can't force you to do this."
"I wish it were that easy, but they need all hands on deck." A tear ran down Ingrid's cheek. "It's the same reason why you can't come with me, this city needs you like my team needs me."
S
Ingrid and Barry fell asleep on the couch that night, wrapped up in each others arms. Barry awoke when he heard a knock on his door at about 9:00 the next morning. "The door's open." He said hoarsely. Steve opened the door silently and made his way over to the couch to Where Ingrid and Barry were. "She's still asleep." He croaked, playing with her hair.
"The car we are taking to the jet is waiting, you should wake her up now if you want to say goodbye." Steve said softly, eyes fixated on the sleeping girl.
"No, I-I think it would be best if you just took her. We both don't like goodbyes and." Ingrid stirred as he moved to allow Steve to pick her up.
"I'll take care of her for you." Steve gave Barry a polite nod and turned away.
"I think we both know her well enough to know that she can take care of herself." Barry smiled faintly.
S
Steve carried the sleeping Ingrid to the car where the rest of the Avengers were waiting. He passed her to Pietro who laid her down on the empty seats beside him.. "Does anyone else feel bad about this?" Clint asked the group
"I should," Tony said. "But I just don't. I haven't seen her in so long, I needed her to come home." The group looked at Tony in surprise. Rarely did they hear him speak without sarcasm.
"She's going to be mad when she wakes up." Bruce said quietly from the driver's seat. He had a knack for being able to read emotions.
"Yeah, if I knew someone who could make pancakes like that, I'd never want to leave." Pietro added.
After a few minutes of awkward silence later, Ingrid began to wake up. "Barry?" She asked, eyes still closed. "Do you want to take the day off work so we can hang out before my father comes to kidnap me?"
Everyone looked around with guilty looks on their faces. "I'm so sorry Ingrid…" Natasha spoke up. She reached over and held onto her hand.
Ingrid opened her eyes and groaned, "You couldn't have given me one more day to say goodbye?"
Wanda gave Ingrid a sad smile. "Don't worry, after this situation is under control I promise that you can return."
"I know, I just feel so bad about leaving Barry. He's going through a bit of a rough time right now and he needs to be around the people who love him." Ingrid sat up and sighed, her eyes holding a few tears.
"You love him?" Steve asked, looking her in the eye for the first time since their reunion. All heads turned to look at him.
"Yeah. I do." Ingrid said softly. Pietro gave her a comforting smile and held her hand. He was the big brother she never had.
Steve looked down at his feet and ran his hands through his hair. He then looked out the window. "We're here."
S
The Avengers boarded the jet. Agent Coulson was waiting for them in the control room. "Uncle Phil!" Ingrid yelled as she ran up to hug him. Ingrid met him while she was in SHIELD training, not knowing he was the agent Coulson who had faked his death. She found out when her father brought her to a memorial service for him, Ingrid confronted him the next day and he made her promise to keep his secret. He was like a second father to her.
"Ingrid!" He said returning the hug.
The Avengers stood behind them, mouths wide and in shock. "You haven't told them you aren't dead, have you?" Ingrid whispered into his ear in a disappointed tone.
"No, probably should have." He whispered back.
"Coulson?" Tony asked, his face contorted into an expression that could only be described as a mixture of happiness, rage, and confusion.
"You aren't dead." Mused Clint, "He's not dead." He spun around as he waved his arms at imaginary people. "He faked his own fucking death." Clint laughed.
Natasha didn't speak, she just walked up and gave him a hug.
"Who is this guy?" Pietro whispered to Wanda.
"You knew?" Bruce asked Ingrid.
"Yeah, I've know since the memorial service you brought me to. I saw him around SHIELD while I was still in training. He made me promise not to tell." Ingrid felt bad about not telling anyone Phil was alive, but she knew that the reason must have been important.
"Coulson…" Steve gave Phil a bear hug.
"It's good to see you all." Phil said as he smoothed the wrinkles out of his dress shirt. "Now your probably all wondering why I am here."
"I actually have a few question for you, but I guess we can start with that one." Tony still had the indescribable look on his face.
Phil sighed. "Look, Loki may be here for a good reason but that doesn't make him any less of a threat. I'm not going to get in anybody's way but I'm going to need a weekly report on what he's been up to. Natasha, can I put you in charge of that?"
"Of course, Phil." Ingrid could tell that the red head was trying to hold in happy tears. She never realized how much the Avengers looked up to Coulson until then.
S
You're sure you can't stay for at least a little bit? We have more than enough space." Ingrid said as everyone stepped out of car that transported them back to the tower.
"I'm afraid that I have business elsewhere, a fresh batch of recruits need training." Phil gave Ingrid a fatherly hug. "You'll have to come and visit headquarters, they'd love to meet an avenger level agent such as yourself."
"Since when are you an agent?" Tony asked.
"Umm, yeah. I helped out on a mission last year." Ingrid blushed, she hadn't been very good at keeping her father up to date on her life recently.
"You never cease to amaze me, Ms. Stark." Pietro flashed by and gave her a flirtatious wink.
Ingrid rolled her eyes and brought her luggage up to her room. Her door opened with a creak. It looked exactly the same since the day she left, except her bed. It had been made with military precision. Steve. Ingrid thought with a chuckle. She never made her bed and whenever he came into her room to hangout he did it for her. After awhile she just expected him to do it.
"Feel weird to be back?" Ingrid jumped at the voice. She turned around and saw Steve. He was leaned up against the door frame.
"Yeah. I feel a little homesick though."
Steve frowned. "But you are home."
"My home is in Central City." Ingrid pulled off her jacket. She was still wearing Barry's S.T.A.R. Labs t-shirt.
"Oh." Steve said, a little crushed. "Anyways, I'm here to bring you down to meet Loki." He offered her his hand, she pretended not to notice it.
A/N- This chapter is crap. I'm sorry. I've been really busy with school lately and I just have a lot going on that leaves me with very little time to write stuff. On a happier note, I love you all and don't forget to review! It means so much to see encouraging words from you all!
Thanks! -Maddy
