Disclaimer: I don't own any characters belonging to Thor or The avengers

Kathalla: I hope your feeling better. Glad to see you back! Thanks for the review!

Poodle warriors: I thought the comment might lighten the mood :p

.Mouse: hahaha I have you trapped now! Glad you like.

Chapter 29

Loki had to wait for the two agents to end their call to Fury. He wasn't surprised they we're not pleased to see him. If the circumstances had been reversed he would not have been happy either.

When he last talked to Thor he knew that Tony had approached only him on his monthly visit to earth to see how earths protection was going with SHIELD. He had gotten no one else involved which was just as well. The hostility against him would have been damaging for Tony it would seem.

Loki sat patiently picking at some fruit with Cephera and Seraphina. He could hear Natasha's persuasive voice as she chose her words carefully. It was an hour before she hung up.

"Fury wants you to come in." the red head said stepping over to the table.

"To arrest him? Or to talk?" Seraphina was glaring. It seemed she didn't like Natasha much.

"To talk." Loki wasn't worried. SHEILD couldn't hold him in any cell they designed.

"We're coming too." Cephera gestured between herself and her sister. Loki turned to look at her. She had a set look of determination across her face. He was about to argue only to remember how stubborn she got when she wanted something. He could have set her to sleep but once she woke she would no doubt find them anyway. He looked to Seraphina who also seemed to be on the same thought process.

"No civilians allowed." Natasha said to her holding up a hand.

"We are no simple civilians." Seraphina spoke up. "There have been twice in our lives we have battled against forces you know nothing about. As long as I am here on earth I don't mind getting my hands dirty. Actually it will be a nice change from my usual duties."

"They are both capable and you should take all the help you can get." Loki added. Cephera let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Fine. But I get some alone time with you." Natasha nodded toward Cephera. Loki gave agent Romanov a quizzical look but said nothing. What could she possibly want with Cephera? He wasn't worried though. Agent Romanov wouldn't harm her, this he was sure of.

Entering the Helicarrier for the second time in his life Loki felt strange. The last time he had come onboard as 'prisoner'. Now he was being escorted inside shackle free with Cephera at his side and Seraphina slightly ahead of them. Cephera had slipped her hand into his when they had gotten there and he had not stopped her.

Agent Barton was walking behind them with Tony. They where brought to a secluded room where Fury waited.

"This is not how I expected my day to start out." Fury said eyeing Loki.

"Nor me." Loki agreed taking a seat.

"I find myself put in a very awkward situation. On one hand I should arrest you right now but I'm sure that would be futile after your last visit here. On the other hand we could use your and yours friends help." Fury looked over Seraphina and Cephera. "My concern is mainly how can we know that we can trust you."

"You can't be sure." Fury narrowed his one eye. "After everything there is nothing I can say right now to make you trust me. You will just have to go on blind faith. My business here lies only with Cephera. Once that business is complete I will be leaving back for Asgard once more." Fury pondered his words and looked at Cephera.

"You are aware that Agent Romanov wishes to see you alone." Cephera nodded. "I want you to go now. Natasha will show you where. We will worry about briefing you later on how you can help us." Loki felt her hand slip from his under the table as she stood. He watched his songbird leave with the red head and wondered again what she was taking her for.

"What's your relationship with Loki?" she asked not looking back at her.

"I don't know yet. It's complicated." she shrugged even though the red head wasn't watching.

"Your probably wondering where we are going." Natasha said and stopped opening a door. Cephera stepped inside and looked around. It was like a gym/training room. "I know your type. I spent a lot of my life exploiting your type."

"My type?"

"Innocent, vulnerable. Tries to make friends with everyone. Trusts easily. The kind of girl people take advantage of." Cephera scrunched up her nose. She wasn't that bad.

"So why does that bring us here?" she asked following her across the room.

"You want to help. You want to fight. But can you even fight?"

"I can use magic."

"Yes but if someone gets the jump on you. Do you honestly think you could fend them off?"

"No. Probably not." she sighed. She felt she knew where this was going.

"Could you kill if you needed too?"

"What? No!" she said but bit her tongue a moment. Could she kill? She thought back to the screaming in her dreams and the feelings of self doubt and regret came rushing back to her. Could she kill anyone? Who was screaming in her dreams? Was she the cause or simply a bystander? "I'm not sure." she said changing her answer. Natasha looked at her sideways.

"Have you ever killed before? Have you ever wanted to?"

"I don't remember. I don't remember the last two centuries of my life. That's why Loki's here. He's part of my past that I can't remember. He's been helping me try to recover those lost times."

"Two centuries? 200 years of your life are missing?" Natasha looked a little dumbfounded. Even though it had been explained to them by Tony he had kept it brief with very little detail. "That has to be hard." Cephera nodded.

"So I take it your going to show me how to fight?" the agent smiled.

"I don't know why but I like you and pity you. I would like to help you. Since I've made a new life for myself I sometimes take lost puppies like you and give them new purpose. Follow me."