Jennifer checked the IV bag that was attached to Clint's arm and adjusted the drip. The rest of the team had mead it back to the jet. Thankfully no one else was injured. Tony was flying so she could keep an eye on Clint. He was quiet, but Jennifer had other things to deal with.

"Next time do me a favor remember to duck," Jennifer said then turned to head back to her seat. She closed her eyes as the voice called to her. Clint grabbed her hand, turning her. Jennifer bent down near his face so she could hear his whisper.

"I'm sorry." He said, giving her a crooked smile. "I know what you had to do."

"It's what the team needed." She took a deep breath. "It's what I had to do." She whispered back to him before straightening and returning to her seat.

"Thor report on the Hulk," Natasha called out from where she and Bruce were sitting. He was shivering slightly. Becoming the Hulk was not something he liked to do. He and Natasha had found a way to turn him back to Bruce with the use of a lullaby. But he still didn't make a code green any easier on him.

"The gates of hell are filled with his victims," Thor called out with confidence earning a glare from Natasha. Jennifer wondered how many people she had sent to their own hell. She sat down with a sigh and slipped her hands up her sleeves, so she rubbed her wrists. Over the last year, she had taken to rubbing them instead of her head when she got one of her headaches. The scepter was making it more intense than normal. In the end, nothing could prevent them or cure them except for time. It did, however, make it less obvious to the others when she was having one. Clint and Natasha were always checking on her. In resent months, Steve had started doing it too.

"Hey, is it okay if Dr. Cho sets up in the lab," Tony called to Bruce. Dr. Cho was a scientist that focused on modern medicine. Including the bandages, Jennifer and the others used while out in the field. Jennifer liked her the few times they had met. Dr. Cho had been brought in for most of the team's medical needs. Jennifer did her best not to be jealous of her. Not that she would want to treat her friends. She just wanted the freedom to be the doctor she had always hoped she would be when she grew up.

"Tell her that he is stable," Jennifer called out before leaning her head back.

"It calls to me. You are losing. You know it. I know it. Even Clint can see it. It's only a matter of time before I get my freedom." The voice whispered to her.

"No, I'm not." Jennifer hissed drawing the eyes of Thor, who was standing close enough to hear her. He raised an eyebrow, but she shut her eyes. Trying to block out the Monster.

When they arrived, Jennifer quickly signed the paperwork before Dr. Cho took Clint away. Then seeing that she wasn't needed, she went to change out of her uniform. Tony and Bruce were working in one of the labs looking over the scepter. Jennifer ignored the noise coming from the other Avengers. She walked over to one of the large windows and leaned against the railing. She was staring out at the sunset while her mind was slowly collapsing in on the darkness.

"You lost control," She hated the words on her lips.

"No, you accepted your fate," the Monster said. Jennifer shook her head at the voice.

"Go away," she pleaded, closing her eyes.

"But Jennifer, I am you." The Monster said sending a chill down her spine.

"Are you alright small one," Thor asked as he walked up beside her leaning against the rail next to her.

"Hum…" she said being pulled from her thoughts "Yeah…yeah, I'm fine, just tired." She didn't look at him, but she felt him watching her. They weren't as close as some of the other Avengers having not spent a lot of time with each other. However, they did have a mutual respect.

"You pay a great price for the safety of others. It must be a dark place your mind has to go to for your powers." Jennifer closed her eyes fighting the Monster back. "Jennifer," the voice called to her.

"I just hope I can come back next time." She didn't look at him staring into the sunset. Eventually, he left her, but Jennifer was never truly alone, not anymore.

The night was in full swing. Tony was throwing a victory party. Thor was scheduled to return home tomorrow. Taking the scepter with him. Steve walked over to the bar getting something to drink. The party was packed as most parties thrown by Tony were. Steve spotted Natasha talking Bruce at the bar. By the looks of it, she was flirting with him. She leaned close to Bruce smiling at him. Then grabbed her drink and walked away, leaving Bruce alone.

"It's nice…" Steve said, not able to stop himself.

"What…what is…" Bruce stammered out, noticing Steve for the first time.

"You and Romanoff?" He explained, grabbing his drink and walking over to him.

"No, we haven't. That wasn't…" Steve cut him off.

"It's okay. Nobody's breaking any bylaws." Steve said, glancing up at the balcony spotting Jennifer. He hadn't seen her talk to anyone all night long. He turned back to Bruce. "It's just she's not the most open person in the world. But with you, she seems very relaxed." Bruce backed up slightly.

"No. Natasha, she's just…She likes to flirt." Steve smiled, shaking his head.

"I've seen her flirt up close. This ain't that." Steve glance back up at Jennifer. "Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on waiting too long, don't, you both dissever a win." Bruce followed his gaze.

"So, do you, Steve."

Jennifer was standing in one of her favorite spots. Her arms leaning against the railing as she stared out at the city. Steve had been giving her space, but Bruce's words pushed him to do something. She was dressed in a beautiful sweater dress and leggings that reached her tall boot heels. He spotted the neckless that Clint had the team give her for Christmas around her neck. It had a small musical note hanging from it. Steve had thought it a strange symbol for Jennifer because he had never heard her listen to music. Clint, however, insisted that she would love it. When Steve later asked Jennifer about it, she had given a simple explanation.

"My mother was a musician before she started working for S.H.I.E.L.D. with my father. She always wanted me to love music like she did." Her hand tracing over the necklace.

"Did you ever get to," Steve said, watching her stare at the corner of the room as she often did when thinking. It was a dark look, but he could never get her to talk about it.

"No, it's too hard." She said, shutting him down like she always did when she felt trapped.

Steve wondered if this conversation he was about to have would be any different than the others.

"What are you doing up here all alone." He leaned on the railing in almost the same spot Thor had when he talked to her. Jennifer, like she did with Thor, didn't look at him, just watched the city lights. The lights reflecting off her pale face.

"I'm not alone; there are lots of people around here." Jennifer gave a half smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her voice was quiet, almost an afterthought. There were a few people up on the balcony, but they were in pairs having deep conversations. None were anywhere near her. It was as if there were invisible walls blocking people from getting to close to her. That wall had always been there. Steve only recently discovered how hard it was to get past it.

"You can still be alone in a crowd. Trust me before the serum I was alone a lot." Jennifer closed her eyes for a moment.

"But I'm not alone." She whispered out, causing Steve smiled at the words. Jennifer, however, didn't smile, laugh, or even twitch. She looked out over the city her eye watered slightly. Steve lifted his hand to touch her arm but stopped clearing his throat.

"Hey, are you alright. Thor mentioned something about you being tired after the mission. You weren't injured, were you?" Steve watched as she moved her hand to rub under the large watch and sleeve. He had only seen glimpses of the scars that night they shared ice cream. After that, she had gone to extra lengths to hide them. Instead of relying on her watch or bracelets, she would always have on long sleeves. Clint and Natasha refused to talk about the scars. Steve had to push his anger down whenever he thought about what Hydra…S.H.I.E.L.D. did to her. They had done it in an attempt to replicate the serum. Instead of becoming a super soldier, she became a…Monster. Steve hated the word that crossed his mind. She wasn't a Monster. She had a past like the rest of them. But unlike him, she didn't have a museum exhibit sharing her past with the world.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for asking. I just have a lot on my mind lately." Over the last year, they found out that Strucker was the one that had experimented on her when she was a child. If anything, she should be the one most excited about the victory, but she seemed lost.

"Come down and join the party. You could get something to drink…" He said to Jennifer.

"You know I don't drink," she snapped, cutting him off. Her eyes flashed with anger but didn't change in color. Jennifer couldn't drink; it affected her ability to control her powers. So, she avoided alcohol, even cold medicine entirely according to Clint. He said that someone once spiked her drink while at a New Year's Eve party and Jennifer ended up needing to be sedated for a week for everyone's protection and her own.

"That's not the kind of drink I was talking about. Wanna talk about it," Steve asked, looking at her. What was bothering her?

"No, Steve, I just want to be left alone," she said her voice trembled slightly. Steve looked at his hands; he liked her. They had become close friends since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. two years ago. However, there was always something that she was holding back. A part of her that she did trust him with. Reaching over, he grabbed her shaking hand, but she pulled back quickly. Her movements were almost as if she had been struck. Steve waited for a few minutes looking out at the city with her. Jennifer was folding in he could see it. She was lost in her mind, and there was nothing he could do to pull her out of it. Shaking his head, he walked away. Jennifer wasn't going to talk. He didn't want to push her, and he knew she would come down when she was ready. He would wait for her as long as it took. Steve had hoped that the capturing of Strucker would change her, but she was still just a ghost.