Derrick was once again laying it on thicker than Nat with a piece of peanut butter toast, and I almost felt bad for Bucky. Bucky was taking Derrick's attempts at flirting in stride, but I couldn't help but cringe as I sat on a kitchen stool and watched the latest installment of The Adventures of the Lovestruck Former Angel unfold. He really needs to slow the fuck down.

Hmmm, was Loki's only reply as his fingers combed through my hair, also watching the tableau with an air of amusement.

Seriously. He's making Bucky nervous. He keeps looking to Steve for help. Look at him.

Hmmm, Loki replied again, his fingers not slowing as he continued to play with my hair.

Will you stop enjoying this? I thought you and Bucky were friends now. I would think you would be just as uncomfortable with this as I am.

He gripped a lock between his thumb and forefinger and gave a light tug. Perhaps I sympathize with Derrick. After all, I too had to contend with someone whom I knew to be mine when I met her, who took her time allowing herself to realize it.

I huffed out loud.

And, Pet? You hid yourself behind Barnes and Rogers often when I was courting you.

I did not! I didn't even consider them friends at the time. Hell, we were just coming off a period of a few weeks when I was trying my best to kill them at least once a day, so both men had understandably been cautious around me.

You and I are remembering things very differently. I remember very clearly the expression of relief on your face when either one or both of them would enter the room. The first night I delivered you to your home, I was convinced you were going to dive into Barnes' apartment when he opened his door.

I was not relieved that he interrupted us. I was relieved because he had my apartment key and I needed a shower.

Do keep repeating that to yourself if it makes you feel better, Pet.

I came close to growling. Loki had a point however. When he was courting me, as he put it, he had also come on strong and wasn't at all subtle about his intentions. And yes, he did make me extremely nervous. And alright, I might have greeted Bucky, Steve, or whoever a bit too eagerly when they walked into the room and interrupted Loki's latest attempt to get under my skin or clothes. I might have also used his brother as a shield on a few occasions.

But...Admit it. You relate to Derrick but you're also enjoying watching Bucky squirm.

He didn't dignify that with an answer but he gave my hair a harder tug.

Sam was also enjoying the show. I'm sure he saw it as karmic payback for the times Bucky flirted with his sister.

For my angel lessons today, not only had Bucky decided to accompany us, but Steve and Sam decided to tag along as well. It wasn't curiosity so much as suspicion. Sam felt an obligation to meet Derrick and assess him as a threat, since he was Captain America now and saw the well-being of the nation as his job. Derrick was a powerful presence who had decided to make himself at home in his territory.

Steve, I had almost argued with. He was in better shape than he had been when I found him months ago, but he still needed a cane every so often and he couldn't exert himself for very long without having to sit down for a rest. The serum was the only reason he wasn't completely disabled, but he was also nowhere near the level he was at before he'd been taken. I knew Derrick wouldn't hurt him, but I also knew Derrick tended to get visitors and there was no telling what those visitors would do. Especially if, God forbid, Lucy showed up again. Then again, if Lucy did show up, I didn't think any of the humans would be able to do much to defend themselves.

And it felt really, really weird not to count myself among the humans.

Yesterday had gone well. Derrick had explained some things that helped clarify a lot of what I had been experiencing, and he had showed me a few tricks on how to cope with it.

"It's hard, I know," Derrick had said. "Our natural inclination is to want to herd all our humans into a padded room and keep them safe, but doing that would smother them and inhibit their growth. Although your situation is unique in that you actually live among and interact with your humans."

"You keep saying 'her' humans," Loki had pointed out.

"That's because they are," Derrick had replied. "Tracy's latched onto them, and has instinctively claimed them. And you."

Loki had still been confused, but he had also grown smug at Derrick's mention that I had "claimed" him.

"The trick, I think," Derrick stated. "Is to look at your humans like a wolf pack. You're like a wolf alpha whose instinct is to protect and watch over them, but before you give in to the need to henpeck them to death, you should pause, breathe, and remember that even in wolf packs, the alpha will delegate tasks. The alpha also trusts the rest of the pack to look after themselves. Not doing so would harm the pack, disintegrate trust, foster resentment. All of those things could be liabilities in situations such as combat and other missions."

"I hardly ever go on missions," I had pointed out.

"'Hardly ever' is not never, sweetie. Also, think about this: Do you like it when someone goes all caveman on you because they feel you should be protected from something?"

I had felt a pinprick of resentment from Loki, because he knew Derrick had been referring to him. Well, Derrick hadn't even tried to hide it. He had even given a slight nod in Loki's general direction when he got to "someone". Derrick had a good point though. I didn't like it when Loki got all overprotective and blew a gasket over something I did, or decided that I needed to be tucked into bed with blankets I didn't want for a nap because I had experienced one of my freakouts. Loki was getting better about it, but he could still piss me off when he gave in to those tendencies.

So, I needed to remember not to do it to anyone else. Especially since the Avengers, with at least one exception, were adults and could damn well take care of themselves. They'd been doing just fine before I came along.

Since I was going to get self-conscious with so many people present, Steve, Bucky, and Sam weren't staying for long. Sam and Steve just wanted to meet Derrick in person. I was convinced Bucky just had a masochistic streak that I hadn't been aware of, because he had known that if he came back Derrick was going to flirt with him again. I didn't know what I was going to do with that man, or that former angel.

"How long have you been roaming?" Steve was asking Derrick.

"You mean, how long's it been since I lost my wings," Derrick corrected. "It's been a few centuries. I'd say three or four, since I was stupid and arrogant enough to charge the Beyonder with swords drawn and he tore through my paltry shields like they were tissue paper." He looked up at the ceiling as he thought. "Actually, it might have been longer than that. Time was pretty wonky for me for a bit while I was healing. It took a very long time for the physical wounds to heal, and even longer before I was able to use these wards to create some sort of bastardized magical and psychic defense so I could actually walk about without pieces of my psyche peeling off like dead skin after a bad sunburn."

Sam and I had picked up some cookies off a plate that Derrick set out with tea, but upon hearing that graphic description we both reluctantly put the treats back. The others hadn't even bothered with the refreshments.

"That's why you never leave this building," Steve clarified.

Derrick nodded. "In here, I'm protected and I can manipulate the magic of the Sanctuary, but outside, I'm vulnerable and the longer I'm away, the more I start to weaken. The wards I wear do their jobs, but there are cracks in my artificial magic armor and they can't guard me from everything."

"That must get lonely," Bucky murmured, grabbing a cookie.

Derrick grinned at him. "I do get out, Dimples, especially when I have a motivation to do so. And you're welcome to keep me company anytime."

Bucky stuffed the cookie in his mouth to hide his expression. Loki tugged on my hair before I could roll my eyes.

Right. I needed to remember that Bucky could take care of himself. It didn't mean that I couldn't find Casanova's attempts at winning over "Dimples" cringeworthy.

We sat around talking for a little longer. Well, not so much talking as "interrogating". Much of that interrogating being done by Steve at that. Sam interjected here and there with some questions of his own. Bucky pretty much stuck to steadily turning as red as a tomato and watching Derrick's tattoos move around. Loki contented himself with alternating between rubbing the back of my neck and finger-combing my hair while listening.

I was starting to get irritated by the pointed questioning and the increasingly stifling levels of testosterone, but Derrick was handling all of the probing in stride. He was open and honest, which Steve and Sam appreciated and I could feel their animosity towards Derrick shrinking. Maybe now I would be able to come here without an entourage.

The door leading from the shop slammed as someone entered the Sanctuary. Neither Derrick nor I reacted because we both knew who it was, but the others stiffened. Loki stood down and had to stifle a growl when Michael came into view, sans wings this time, but the other men's stances didn't change as they stared at her.

I couldn't blame them. Michael was pretty damn breathtaking, at least until you found out how terrifying she was. Her hair was as wild and tumbled as it had been yesterday, and I noticed that there were streaks of gold among the ebony curls. This time she was wearing a sleeveless and backless halter paired with trousers made of some sort of flowing, shimmering material that would have made any Paris fashion designer drooling. Were all angels this fucking gorgeous? I was feeling like the ugly duckling of the group, and I'd only met two of them so far.

Her gold eyes found Derrick. "Hektaniel has been spotted on this Earth."

He surged out of his chair immediately. There was that name again. Judging from Derrick's reaction, this was bad.

"Who is Hektaniel? And who are you?" Sam asked.

"Sorry...everyone, this is Michael," Derrick introduced her for the second time in the course of a couple of days. "You may have heard of her."

"Hektaniel is the general over those of our kind who have allied themselves with the Beyonder," Michael explained. She turned towards the workspace corner of the Sanctuary, and Derrick got up and followed her.

The others rose as well. I was about to join everyone but Sam nudged my arm. "You didn't tell us Michael was a black woman," he accused under his breath.

"She's not a woman," I corrected him. "She's fluid just like the rest of them."

"She's still black."

I sighed. We made our way over, and I noticed Michael had her gaze fixed on Steve, watching him like a hawk as he leaned on his cane while walking. I couldn't feel any emotion come off her, but it was obvious that even with her emotions repressed she still experienced that surge of protectiveness. Her posture didn't change, but I had the impression that she was ready to rush to Steve's side at any moment.

Derrick was much the same way, but I could actually feel him struggling to resist the urge to hover over Steve. I could relate.

Steve made it and noticed Michael looking at him. "Is everything alright?"

Michael nodded. "Of course. It is just not every day that I can stand in the presence of a mortal who has managed to get the attention of the Hierarchy with their courage and character. Many of us have taken note of you, Steve Rogers, and it is an honor to make your acquaintance."

Steve was pretty damn stunned by her words, and the fact that it was an angel saying this to him. He was overwhelmingly touched.

I was not going to cry in front of Michael, damn it.

She and Derrick were looking at a large glowing ball that was set into a carved wooden stand. Michael waved her hand, and the glow faded to reveal a projection of Earth. She pointed at a spot. "Here. Uriel stated that he saw Hektaniel roaming the streets of the city dressed in mortal clothing. She appeared to be scouting."

Derrick sucked in a harsh breath. "That's Washington, D.C. That's very close, although anywhere in this universe would be way too close for comfort."

Loki put the pieces together. "If Hektaniel is the general over the rogue angels, and she has come here, then that means..."

Derrick nodded. "It means the Beyonder is on his way."