A DAY'S WORTH

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to their respective owners.

-ADW-

AUGUST 20TH 2010

POTTER COTTAGE,

WALES.

Jenny narrowed her eyes, her entire being was fixed on the red fox that was mauling a dead squirrel. She pulled the string, feeling the familiar twitching of her muscles as they prepared to let the arrow fly into the fox's neck. Thanks to Harry's magic, the fox wouldn't hear anything even if she shouted at the top of her voice, something that was furthest from her mind. She prepared herself, centering her mind and_

"Easy now." Jack said and Jenny gritted her teeth but said nothing. She thought she heard Harry snort from where he was parched in the tree above them but when she glanced at him, he was sleeping with drool actually coming out from his open mouth. How he managed to stay up there without falling? She could only guess. Probably magic. There were things he used magic for that Jenny thought were undeserving but_"

"Will you concentrate, I'm not exactly having the time of my life here!" Jack snapped and she rolled her eyes before concentrating.

Jenny knew she was a prodigy with an arrow, but this was the furthest she had ever tried and her growling stomach wasn't helping matters. Sweat was running down her face and her clothes were already wet from trekking all the way from the house just to find something to hunt. Harry's wards kept out anything considered dangerous so there weren't much fun animals around the cottage.

Jack sighed and Jenny brought her attention back to the target. She took a deep breath and released the arrow knowing immediately that she would hit the little fox. Her arrow was denied as it had just flown a couple of meters when it hit someone who had most definitely not been there when Jenny released the arrow.

She was a girl with strawberry blonde hair wearing a short yellow dress with tight black pants. She didn't seem to be no older than seventeen but the look in her eyes was for someone much older than that. What caught Jenny's attention however wasn't the girl or her odd hairstyle and clothes, rather it was the giant dog that was passed out next to the injured girl. Even sleeping, the dog if it could be called that came up to the other girl's shoulder and she was very tall for a girl.

Jenny's attention was however brought back to the girl when she met her blue eyes. She looked from Jenny's bow that was still clutched guiltily in her hand and back to the arrow sticking in her side before taking a step back as if to brace herself. She suddenly flung her hands forward and lightning erupted towards where she was standing. Jenny felt Jack tackle her to the ground and covered her with his large body while making sure that no part of his touched hers.

A bluish shield appeared between them and the lightning slammed into it and fizzled out of existence. The other girl looked at the shield in confusion for a second before her eyes narrowed and she lifted her foot probably for another attack but before it reached the ground, Harry suddenly appeared behind her and tapped on her shoulder. Whatever he did made her slump and begin to fall but Harry caught her with his magic and slowly lowered to the ground.

"Bloody hell, what the hell is that?" Jack as he approached the unconscious dog. Jenny slowly followed him though her eyes were still on the other girl.

"Will she be ok?"

"She is just sleeping." Harry said as he waved his hand over the arrow and it disappeared only to appear back in Jenny's hand, completely clean. He then waved it again and the blood that had covered the yellow dress disappeared. When more didn't come, Jenny assumed he had healed the wound as well.

"So what do we do with her?"

"We take her home." Harry said and Jenny blinked at him in surprise. "No one was allowed to see Harry's cottage except her, Jack and Claire so there must be a reason why he would want to take her.

"Why, did you see something in her mind?" jack asked and Harry nodded.

"From the little I saw, she is royalty in some secret society but someone usurped power and was holding her hostage so she managed to escape thanks to her awesome pet."

"But why come here exactly?"

"No idea." Harry shrugged and Jenny smiled at Jack's snort of disbelief. "So you two use your port-keys and I will take these two with me."

Jack groaned just as Harry got a grip on the sleeping girl and dog and they disappeared. Before Jack could begin his whinnying, Jenny activated her port-key and reappeared on the front steps of the cottage.

…

"You think we should tell her?" Jenny asked in amusement as she watched the girl feign sleep. Harry had cast the waking spell on her and if there was anything Jenny had absolute faith in then it was Harry's magic.

"Nah, I am quite enjoying watching her sleep, she is very pretty."

"And seventeen." Harry said standing on Jenny's right a few steps from the bed where the girl was.

"Actually I was saying for Jenny's benefit."

"She is thirteen."

"So what, me I started experimenting when I was eight." Jack shrugged ignoring Jenny's glare. "I am sure she has kissed some lucky sods over there in her school."

Both of the male adults in her life turned to her with raised eyebrows and she raised her own in return, somehow managing to suppress her blush.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you given the princes 'The Talk'?"

"I thought that was you!"

"Nope, it was most definitely you."

"But you are the responsible one."

"I haven't been running a company for the last two years."

"Are you inhumans?" the question thankfully cut off the argument and everyone turned to look at the girl who was sitting on the bed while staring at them with a mixture of suspicion and hope."

"Yeah and we sacrifice virgin princesses to the Hypnos, the great god of sleep." Jack said, somehow managing to sound ominous.

The girl looked at him as if he was insane before her eyes narrowed.

"No we don't but would be interested in finding out." Harry told her calmly. "My name is Harry, the miniature angle is Jenny and the old man is Jack."

"If you're not inhumans, then how did you knock me out and stop my lightning." The girl not offering her name.

"I do have a certain abilities and when you attacked my friends I had to protect them."

"You attacked me." She retorted glaring at Jenny who gave her an apologetic smile.

"An honest mistake I assure you. You and your companion just happened to appear in the middle of a training session right into the path of an arrow."

"What do you want from me?" she asked after a moment and Harry smiled at her.

"Your name for starters and perhaps where you came from?"

The girl looked at them, her eyes conflicted as she thought of Harry's question. After a moment, she sighed and replied.

"My name is Crystal."

"And you come from?"

"Uhm… America."

Harry gave the girl 'The look' and she ducked her head while Jack laughed.

"Oh, I hate that bloody look. Makes me feel guilty even when I have done nothing wrong." Jenny could only nod in agreement, having been on the receiving end more than once and the second time or those that came after were just as effective as the first time.

"Look, crystal." Harry said as he took a tentative step forward. "You don't have tell us anything but we would really appreciate it if you didn't lie to us. For example we know that you are not from America or anywhere on earth as we have no such beings as your companion."

Jenny watched Harry as he continued speaking.

"We know you are fleeing from someone just from your appearance.' Harry told her. "And from how exhausted your friend looks, I imagine that you have either come from very far or he has transported a number of you to different locations."

From how Crystal's eyes widened, Jenny was sure Harry had been spot on.

"If these people have the same powers as you, then they will try to find you." Harry continued. "We could protect you as while you are in this home no one will ever find you. I will however not have someone I know nothing about in my home and no matter how compassionate I am, I will be forced to kick you out."

Harry waved his hand and a plate of food appeared on the bed next to the girl who jumped in surprise. She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted as her stomach let out a loud growl. Blushing, she ducked her head in embarrassment while Harry chuckled.

"We shall leave you to tame that little beast in there while you think about your choices."

Harry glanced at her and without speaking, Jenny knew exactly what he wanted her to do. He turned to the door and Jack followed. When she couldn't hear Jack's footsteps anymore, Jenny tentatively walked towards the princess and sat next to her on the bed.

"You should eat up you know." The girl looked at her before she glanced at the plate of food. "It would be counterproductive to heal you and then poison you."

Crystal tentatively picked the plate and took a bite from the meat. She let out a moan of satisfaction and Jenny giggled in understanding. Harry was one hell of a cook. After that, she started digging in with gusto, somehow managing to look like royalty even while she demolished the food which didn't seem to get finished. After a number of minutes and what would normally have been two full plates of food, she suddenly paused and looked at Jenny like she had forgotten that she had been there all the time.

"Oh, don't mind me, Harry left you a task after all."

"The food is not getting finished."

"Harry has probably charmed the plate it so that it summons more food so long as you still want to eat."

"That's impossible." Crystal said as she eyed the plate.

"Well…" Jenny drawled. "I knew it was impossible to shoot lightning from one's hands before I met you."

"My case is different."

"I could say the same about the plate.'

Crystal was silent a moment before she chuckled, and then erupted in laughter. Jenny just watched her incredulously.

"If I am not mistaken, you just compared me to a plate." Crystal said once she had calmed down. "Anyway, I am filled up I think…oh"

The plate had disappeared and is place was a glass of orange juice.

"I think he is trying to impress you." Jenny laughed and Crystal followed soon after. She took her juice and when she was almost finished, the glass slowly refilled itself. She gave Jenny a grin before she started gulping down the juice without taking it off her mouth. Jenny gaped as the glass kept refilling itself and wondered whether Harry was trying to drown the girl or she was simply trying to drown herself.

Crystal suddenly stopped drinking and took gasps of air, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Bloody hell!" Jenny exclaimed and as if in answer, the princess let out the hugest burp Jenny would ever hope to witness in the whole of her life time. And right there and then, she declared that she would be friends with the older girl no matter what. If only to learn how to burp like that.

-ADW-

"You think Jenny has killed her yet?" Jack asked around a mouthful of bread.

"Well, there're still two life forms up there but I wouldn't remove it out of the realm of possibility."

"So what shall we do about her?"

"You know it's hard to take you seriously when you are like that?" Harry asked Jack who paused in stuffing his mouth before he shrugged and continued. "Anyway, in the unlikely event that Jenny doesn't kill her for being an uptight princess or any other reason, I was thinking we keep her here until we can find the rest of her family."

"Then we fight?"

"We let them reunite and see what happens from there." Harry answered. "For all we know they were ruthless dictators and the people simply rebelled."

"She doesn't look like a dictator to me."

"Crystal was neither queen nor King." Harry replied. "That was her sister."

"Her sister was King?"

"Yes and her husband was queen."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Really, I wouldn't know."

"Hey you're mocking me aren't you?"

…..

"So… this Black Bolt." Jenny asked after Crystal had finished describing her family members. "Does he have a name or did his parents just decide to name him after some superhero?"

"What's a superhero?"

"Don't you guys have comic books?"

"No."

"That's… that's unforgivable!" Jenny exclaimed as he grabbed the princess by the arm and dragged her to her room.

The next two hours were spent introducing the Princess of Attilan to the beauty of superheroes, super-villains and comics in general. The girl had been awed to say the least. Jenny had told her of a real-life super hero, Tony Stark who moved around in a metal suit saving people and protecting powerless civilians. Her enthusiastic explanation was interrupted by a snore coming from the girl. Remembering what she had been told, Jenny figured that the girl must be very tired so she tucked her in with rather considerable strength and went down to join her fathers.

She found Harry and Jack in the living room watching whatever old men watched and after making herself a sandwich, she sank into the sofa next to Harry. She swiftly gobbled it down before she leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"What happened to the princess?" Harry asked and she chuckled.

"She is sleeping."

"She is alive then?"

"For the most part."

They chuckled together before Jack shushed them absent mindedly, completely engrossed in his movie. They were quiet as Harry ran a hand through her hair. Shaking her head to shake of the sleep that usually came whenever he did that, Jenny looked up at him.

"Are we going to help them?"

Harry was silent as he considered her words.

"You know why I haven't been a super-hero despite having powers…" Jenny nodded. Harry has told her quite often how something big was coming. Something he had no power to stop given that he had no idea what it was in the first place. He had opted to lay law, not directly involving himself in anything that could bring attention to himself or his abilities just in case whatever or whoever was coming was watching for him.

That didn't mean he didn't do anything to help the people. From what came from the company, they had constructed branches of hospitals in every borough of New York with the headquarters being in Hell's Kitchen and headed by Claire. This had moved her from being a simple nurse to the managing director of all the J-plus hospitals. The hospitals provided free services for the most part as it was funded by the company which was flourishing beyond expectations.

Jenny knew all this and it was for this reason that she also knew that Harry would do whatever was in his power to help her knew friend and her family.

"But that doesn't mean I won't help." Harry continued and Jenny beamed at him. "There is a simple locating charm that I can use to locate her sister and through her, her husband. Once I have gotten a group of their life signatures, I can use it to locate anyone from their little community as it would be easier since it is unique."

"What happens after they have all reunited?"

"Well that will be up to them."

"You won't help?" Jenny asked trying to mask her disappointment.

"I didn't say I wouldn't." Harry sighed pulling her closer. "If I know anything about monarchs, then it's their pride. There is high possibility that they will want to get back their kingdom by themselves and I will have to respect that."

"And if then I ask for your help?"

Harry smiled at her fondly.

"I think asking is a bit over optimistic but if they want my help, then I will do everything in my power to help them."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

-ADW-

Crystal woke up groggily as light streamed through the window. She sighed as she realized that she will be waking up from one of the most comfortable nights of her life. She took a deep breath inhaling the unfamiliar smell of the bed she was lying in wondering where the owner had slept. Her stomach grumbled and she got out of bed, still dressed in the clothes she had been wearing when she escaped from Attilan.

Just at the foot of bed was a pile of clothes. A pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt and a pair of leggings. She slipped into them and was surprised when she found that they fit perfectly. They even smelled new so she wondered when they had gotten them and how they knew her perfect size. Slipping on the sandals that unsurprisingly were a perfect fit as well, she walked towards the window where sounds were coming from.

There in the meadow was Jenny and the black haired man_ Harry and they were playing some game with Lockjaw. Jenny was clinging on Lockjaws back giggling madly as they followed after Harry who was sprinting towards the other end of the clearing where there was a yellow line suspended in the air on its own. Crystal gasped when she saw Harry leap on Lockjaws back just as he passed him and almost in the same movement, he lunged for the yellow strip ahead effectively winning the race.

Jenny also lunged and collided with Harry who managed to catch her and put her on his back. Lockjaw, not wishing to be left out also jumped and nearly crushed them but Harry, with his passenger happily clinging on leaped out of the way and started springing back the other end, Lockjaw following closely.

Unbidden, a smile came o Crystal's lips as she watched what was clearly a happy family moment. The fact Lockjaw easily fit in surprised her. While not particularly violent, Lockjaw hardly got along with anyone and simply just ignored other people. It was therefore surprising that he had easily gotten along with them and the look on his face clearly showed that he was having the time of his life.

Watching Harry effortlessly running with the girl on his back while managing to keep a head of the considerably large Lockjaw made Crystal realize how much she hadn't been paying attention. She had seen his lean body and young appearance and had honestly not given him much thought. Remembering the events of yesterday she felt embarrassed that she had disregarded probably the most dangerous of her hosts.

With even more embarrassment, Crystal found herself watching Harry in a new light. The way his muscles moved under the sweat soaked t-shirt and the way his face lit up with happiness that was reflected by the girl on his back made Crystal's stomach flutter as blood rushed to her face. Ducking back into the bedroom, the Attilan princes fought down her embarrassment as well as whatever she was feelings had stirred from her observations.

She walked downstairs looking curiously at her surroundings. She saw the odd layout of the house and wondered just how different the people on earth were from her own people. She had grown up knowing that except for appearance, the normal humans were nothing like them. There was nothing special about them. Clearly, her people had been very wrong as she had found three very special humans, each one in their own way.

By the time reached outside, the little game they had been playing was finished Lockjaw was just sleeping on the ground. She blinked when she realized the position of Harry and Jenny. Both had their hands behind their necks and Jenny was lying on top of Harry facing the sky in the position that was identical to his. What stumped her however was that Harry wasn't lying on the ground but rather was floating in mid-air.

Crystal had always wished to fly. Thanks to her ability to control elements, she herself a few meters from the ground using wind but even then it would be uncoordinated. Harry though looked like he wasn't applying any effort, like it was second nature to him.

"You can fly?" she blurted out and Jenny got up, planting her elbow in Harry's chest.

"Hey, Crystal." The girl greeted cheerfully. "We didn't want to disturb you so we took out Lockie for a walk."

By this point, Harry had floated back to the ground Jenny leaped from Harry and gave the surprised princess and hug. And then she started chattering about how awesome and cute Lockjaw was and what they had been doing all morning. She shuffled her back to the house that looked way smaller than it appeared from the inside. Soon she was seated on a table and eating ridiculous amounts of food. Crystal knew that if she lived here any longer, then she was definitely going to get fat.

When she was done, they went back to the living room where Harry had been waiting.

"So, what have you decided?" Harry asked when she had sat down in the unbelievably comfortable chairs.

"As much as I really want to stay here, I need to find my sister and the rest of my family." She replied honestly.

"Understandable." Harry replied. "I believe I can help you locate your sister, I will just need a strand of your hair."

Crystal blinked at him in confusion not seeing how he could possibly do that. However, she remembered what she had seen so far of his abilities and a glance at Jenny who nodded at her made her decide to give it a try. She looked back at him and shrugged, not knowing what to say.

Nodding, Harry stood up and walked towards her, a long strand of blonde with a black strip in his hands. Crystal wondered how he had gotten it as he hadn't been having it the entire time they had been talking. Harry wrapped the strand around his right hand before he cupped them together, folded the strand into his right and caught her shoulder with his left.

Crystal blinked when she suddenly got a very clear picture of her sister without her beautiful hair as she was standing in front of a car where another blonde woman was sitting. Before she could concentrate further on the picture, it faded and she found herself standing in back in Harry's living room.

"Wow." She gasped. "At least now I know she is alive."

"Of course she is alive." Harry replied dryly. "The spell wouldn't have worked if she wasn't."

"Oh."

"Oh cheer up." Jenny laughed. "You guys go and pick up her highness, I will look after Lockjaw."

Before she could tell the younger girl that they will need Lockjaw to get there, she was already out of the door. Harry chuckled and she looked at him in question.

"Don't mind Little Jenny, she can get a little enthusiastic, sometimes too much for her own good." The affection in his voice struck Crystal and she could only stare at him. From what Jenny had told her yesterday, they were not even related by blood but if she could envision what an ideal family looked like, then it would be this one. "If you can take my hand, I will take you to the spot where we saw your sister, hopefully she hasn't left."

They guy could teleport!

"Just how many abilities do you have?"

"Uhmm, a little bit of this and that but more this than that."

Jenny groaned loudly from outside, having heard Harry's answer and apparently this not being the first time he had used it. Chuckling along with him, she placed her hand in his and braced herself not knowing what to expect. She felt the ground shift slightly and when she blinked again, she was no longer in the living room. She was standing in what had clearly been a battle ground. Standing in the middle of it was her sister deeply kissing Black Bolt.

"What the hell!"

-ADW-

AN: Hi guys that was quite nice to write. We shall be seeing some action soon enough but you will have to endure some fluff for now. After the Inhumans arc, we shall probably be meeting The God of Thunder himself but it is not set in stone.

I told you we shall be traversing the entire Marvelverse that has appeared on screen so any ideas are welcome.