SHIELD sends us a jet to fly back to the helicarrier in. I hold on tight to my sword, studying it as we fly. The hilt is strange-looking. There's a skull carved at the top and tentacles wrapping around it. It could be radioactive for all I know, but it seems wrong to let go of something that has saved my life. I would be dead without it, and I'm not giving it up quite that easily.

Everyone is being silent, especially Loki, which really irks me. It's rather uncharacteristic of him to not have some irritating comment or genius backup plan. He looks like he's been beaten, which he has, and I'm glad, but it's not like him at all. I could do with a laugh from him or something like that to lighten the mood.

"Are you ok, Abby?" Steve finally asks me.

"Yeah, of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason, it just looks like you're about to rip your fingernails off with your teeth." I take my hands away from my mouth. Odd, I'm not a known nail-biter. "Abby, it's going to be alright," Steve assures me. "I'll make sure Fury lets you go."

Well, that wasn't what I had been thinking about, but now that he's brought it up, I might as well worry about it. Fury would be totally justified in sending me to some prison in who-knows-where. I broke the law, after all. Needless to say, I don't want to go. What was I thinking, boarding this jet? I've thrown myself into a death trap.

When the jet lands on the helicarrier deck, it's all I can do to keep lunch in my stomach. I'm a mess right now, a jumbled heap composed of one half anxiety and another half headaches. Here she is, the queen in all her glory, about to hurl into the ocean.

Loki is immediately handcuffed, gagged, and escorted to a cell. He didn't even put up a fight. It's truly unnerving. It seems like the real him is dead. It's like he's not even there.

Straight to the control room is where we go. I feel rather out of place in the midst of Avengers. After all, what did they do? They saved the world. What about me? I ran to the rescue of the man that was trying to destroy it.

I have no right to be here. This feeling—this knowledge, rather—is especially prominent when Fury walks in, an agent following him, with nothing but praises for his Avengers. I've never seen him in such a good mood.

I'm starting to wonder if he even realizes I'm here. That is, until he says, "Now, there's the matter of Abby Brandon."

I glance over at Natasha who is staring daggers at me. It's like she hopes I get the death sentence and is more than willing to be the executioner.

Stark, surprisingly, is the first to speak up. "Really? That's your next concern? I, personally, am not going to wait around while you decide what to do about her. There's shawarma to be eaten." I mean, the argument is about food, but I guess it's appreciated.

Steve (the only person I thought might say something in my defense) adds to it. "Let her go, Fury," he rather boldly demands. "She fought as bravely as the rest of us and rescued a group of civilians. I say she's earned her freedom."

Fury stares blankly at Steve. "And what would you say if I decided to keep her in custody?"

"I would say your being ridiculous! What harm is she really? Just let her go home!" There, someone said it.

Fury speaks again. I catch a hint of amusement in his voice. "Let who go home? In fact, who is Abby Brandon? Agent Hill, do we have record of an Abby Brandon?"

"None, sir," the agent who followed Fury in announces.

I'm having trouble believing what I'm hearing. "You're serious," I can't help but blurt out.

"I'm serious."

"I can go?"

"You can go."

I'm free. Free from any fear of SHIELD. Free to go home. And yet, not free from my debt. I can't leave with a good conscience without getting Loki's 'ok.' I hate that, but it's a funny way my mind works.

Fury dismisses us, but not before taking my sword away and having a good look at it, a look of worry spreading over his face.

On the way out of the control room, Steve makes sure I'm invited to have some shawarma. "Yeah, sure Princess Leia can join us," Stark declares. "If she pays for her own." Rather selfish considering he broke down my door and is a billionaire. Oh well, I expected nothing more.

"Y'know, I think I'll have something back at home."

"You're leaving today?" Steve inquires, sounding a little disappointed.

"I hope so," I admit. "But if Loki says I can't, I can't. That's just the way things are." A realization sweeps over me. "And I'm probably not even going to be able to get in to see him."

"Sure, you will," Steve assures me. "I can make it happen."

"Evidently, you can make anything happen. I doubt Fury would've let me go if you hadn't stepped in."

Steve smiles, but shakes his head. "It was the right thing to do. I think Director Fury knows that."

"Well, thank you all the same."

"Hey, are we still on for coffee?" Steve inquires.

Oh, I hadn't thought about that. "Sure, but I'm not sure how it's going to work with my being in Texas and all."

"I'll pick you up in a jet."

I cross my arms. "Impressive."

"I thought so," Steve admits with a smirk.

"Don't get a big head. I don't know if I'm even going home yet."

"Well," Steve hands me an access card for the cell Loki's in. "You had better go find out."

Ironically, Loki's cell is one I'm familiar with. You guessed it, this is the cell I sat in for a week. "Wow," I announce, walking in. "I forgot how great this place wasn't."

"Abby, come in," Loki invites. "I was in need of a reminder of how irritating your company is."

"Aw, I'm glad we're friends, too."

Loki rolls his eyes. That's more like him. "Well, spit it out. What do you need this time?"

"Why do you just assume that I came to ask something? Maybe I came to say goodbye. I am leaving after all."

"And by that you mean that you came to ask if you can leave." Why am I so transparent?

"Well, yes," I admit. "But don't think for a second that I'll never want to talk to you for any reason other than requests. We're friends after all. I may not act like it, but I care."

"I know you're trying to persuade me to let you return home. There's no need. You are free to go at any time you choose. Not forgetting your debt, of course."

I feel bad. Terrible, actually. Am I really so cold that I can't even convince him that we're friends?

But he's let me go. Can I really complain? "Thank you."

"Don't. I'm only doing it because I can't exactly drag you along to Asgard, can I?"

"You're going to Asgard?" I question.

Loki sighs. "For a trial, in which I will be convicted, and…"

He's starting to worry me. "And what? They wouldn't execute you, would they?" Loki doesn't say a word. "Loki, answer me!"

"You shouldn't concern yourself with it."

So, they would. "Like it or not, I am going to concern myself with it! There's got to be something you or I could do."

"I'm not going to talk about it," Loki insists. "Go home. I've a feeling you've been away from your family too long."

I can't argue. I can only do something I never thought I would do. I hug Loki. Granted it's awkward, but it's like he hasn't had a hug in a long time. "Take care of yourself," I mutter.

A while later, I'm on a SHIELD-provided jet, heading to Texas. It lands at an airport in my home city. Next thing I know, I'm walking home, taking in familiar sights. I feel like laughing and crying and dancing and shouting all at the same time.

Then I'm in front of my house. I open the door, which I knew would be unlocked. I breathe in the scent of my house, exactly as I recall it.

"Mom?"

NOT THE END. However, End Book 1. Book 2 will be published here. Don't worry about having to go on my profile. It should be up soon. 'Til next time, TARDIS-elf