It had been three months since Ella had landed straight into Steve's life. He enjoyed the time he spent with her. He couldn't help but watch her as she looked at everything with wonder whenever they went out. He thought that he was the one who didn't belong in this age, but then he watched Ella and it made him feel slightly more normal in comparison to her. She would be intrigued by the simplest of things. From local cuisine to a toaster, everything was magical to her.

Steve spent as much time as possible with her. He enjoyed taking her out for meals and taking her to the pictures. It had taken a while for her to get her head around the idea of the cinema, but then Steve had explained it was basically recorded plays and she seemed to understand. She had fawned over popcorn and Steve swore that she had gotten some kind of sugar rush from soda. She just seemed happy.

But Steve had never expected to see her in the one place he had been working for the past few years. He was wandering through the main entrance, clad in his normal attire in comparison to his uniform. His leather jacket squeaked slightly as his arms swung by his side and he carried the keys to his bike around his fingers. But then he frowned when he saw her stood in front of the reception desk, talking to the woman behind it in a hushed voice.

Quirking his brow, Steve moved over towards her, his hand resting on the small of her back as she turned her head over her shoulder to look to him. She managed a small smile, her hand to her chest.

"You almost startled me," she said.

"Almost, huh?" he asked. "What are you doing here, Ella?"

"Director Fury didn't tell you?" Ella wondered from him.

"Tell me what?"

"Well, that's the thing," she informed Steve. "I don't exactly know what is going on. All I know is that he asked if I could come in this afternoon for a meeting. I had to use that thing you showed me to get here…what is it…Gloo Maps?"

"Google Maps?"

"That's it," Ella said. "Took me longer than I had thought to walk from my apartment."

"Director Fury says that you can go up. If you take the elevator to the twenty second floor, Miss…" the woman trailed off, unsure of whether or not Ella even had a last name.

"Ella Odinsdottir, Princess of Asgard and Goddess of Love and Fertility," Ella said.

Steve couldn't help but let his lips quirk as the receptionist looked confused and concerned. Steve almost burst into laughter as he took hold of Ella by the arms, steering her away from the reception as he looked to the woman behind the desk, seeing the confusion still etched on her face as he walked away.

"I'll take her up to him," Steve said with a nod of his head, moving towards the elevator with Ella by his side.

"What?" Ella wondered. "Why did she look confused?"

"Well, I don't think she has ever met an actual goddess, Ella," Steve said with a slim smirk as he pressed for the elevator. "Besides, most people here have a first name and a last name…so…you know, like Steve Rogers."

"I don't have a last name," Ella said. "Well, I suppose it is Odinsdottir. Is that weird?"

"It's unusual," Steve admitted as they stepped into the elevator and Steve pressed the button to watch the doors close. "Maybe you could think of a last name?"

"Maybe," Ella said with a shrug.

They rode the elevator up in silence. Steve led her towards Fury's office, knocking on the door once and then going inside. Ella followed him as he held the door open for her, acting as the ever-perfect gentleman. Fury looked over to him and sighed, nodding his head and moving to his feet.

"I didn't know you would be joining us, Rogers," Steve admitted.

"I had no intention of joining you, but then I saw Ella in the foyer," Steve said. "She said you had a meeting with her."

"I do," Fury said with a nod of his head. "And actually, it might be good if you are here for this too."

Fury offered his arm out, urging for them to take a seat. Ella perched down in a chair as Steve sat next door to her. Fury pulled his chair closer to his desk, his hands resting on top of the desk as he looked to Ella.

"You have been on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar for a while," Fury admitted to Ella. "We heard that you had come to Earth and spent a while in the city with Rogers. We've been keeping tabs on you, especially after what your brother did in London."

"Thor did what was needed," Ella said. "And I am not here for trouble. I do not want to see trouble. I want things to be peaceful. I am here because…well…because I wanted to come here. I needed a change from Asgard."

"So you are here in a purely tourist capacity?"

"If you like," Ella said with a nonchalant shrug. "So is that all you wanted? To make sure trouble hadn't followed me here?"

"Well, after what your adopted brother did on Earth, you can't blame us."

Steve chewed down on the inside of his cheek as he heard her speak. It took a moment before Ella looked away from Fury and moved to her feet. She wandered around the office, her arms folded over her chest and crumpling the floral dress she wore as she moved to look out the window, peering over the sights of D.C.

"You do not need to worry about Loki," Ella said in a whisper. "He is dead."

"He is?" Fury wondered.

"He died saving me and Thor," Ella said. "So, he isn't going to cause you a problem."

"Good to hear," Fury said, having no sympathy as Steve shot him a look, urging him not to continue talking about Loki. "Well, how long do you expect to stay here?"

"I do not know," Ella said with a shrug, turning to look to him. "Why? Am I not welcome?"

"On the contrary," Fury said. "You are more than welcome. In fact, stay as long as you like because I have a job offer for you."

Ella did look intrigued then, taking her seat once more as Steve almost wondered if Fury had lost his mind.

"A job?" Ella wondered.

"You are a Goddess, are you not?" Fury said. "I never saw you fight, but I saw your brother. If you can fight as well as he can, then I think that you would be a very valuable asset to S.H.I.E.L.D. You see, we could do with someone like you working for us…someone who can help when people needs help."

"I have been training," Ella said in a whisper. "Thor has trained me how to fight and I suspect I might be better than most of the humans here, except for Steve, obviously."

"And that is why we could do with you working for us," Fury agreed with her. "You'll be doing good while here. You'll be helping people who need help."

"Me?" Ella asked. "You really want me?"

"Why are you so shocked?"

"Because I have spent most of my life reading books and studying in preparation to find a husband who would love me and take care of me for the rest of my life," Ella answered truthfully. "I didn't spend my time on the training ground fighting or going into battles."

"And what would you prefer to do now?" Fury wondered.

"Now?" Ella wondered. "Now…maybe helping people would be nice."

"Are you sure about this?" Steve asked, turning to look to her. "It's sometimes dangerous, Ella."

"I know," Ella agreed with a nod of her head. "But if I am going to spend time on Earth then I may as well make myself useful."

…

Steve had taken Ella for dinner that evening, sitting opposite her as she chewed down on a breadstick. She had a glass of white wine in front of her while Steve had a beer in his hands. He had ordered a pizza for them to share, but his mind was confused. He had watched Ella intently, noticing the way she would often push a hand through her hair, tugging it behind her shoulders. He would see the way she bit down on her bottom lip and he couldn't help but find it endearing. Everything about her was endearing.

"What is it?" Ella wondered from Steve. "I know that something is wrong."

"Nothing," Steve said with a shake of his head. "Just that…I'm being silly."

"What?" Ella wondered from him and he sighed, sipping on his beer before he nodded his head and realised that he should talk to her.

"I'm worried about you," Steve admitted in a soft voice, shrugging his shoulders. "If you join us then you'll be putting yourself in some dangerous situations. I don't want to see you in danger, Ella. You might not be able to cope."

Ella almost looked aggrieved. "Why?" she wondered from him, her voice harsh. "Because only men are allowed to do this kind of thing?"

"No," Steve said with haste. "It's just that…I…I don't want to see you hurt. We might fight differently on Earth to how you do on Asgard." Steve realised he was clutching at straws, but he didn't know how to express himself. He was quiet for a moment as he saw Ella frown, annoyance coursing through her. "I don't know. It just might be too different for you."

"You know," Ella said, "I had my brothers tell me the exact same thing. They told me that I shouldn't fight…always tried to put me in a corner…and I get it. They were trying to protect me, but I don't need protection, Steve. I'm not some weak Princess anymore. I grew up. I had to grow up."

Steve nodded at hearing her, struggling to think of what to say as he saw her move to her feet and put her wine glass down.

"Where are you going?" he asked from her.

"I just need a minute for air," Ella said.

Steve watched her go before he moved to his feet too, not wanting her to go outside and be upset. Steve looked to a waiter, holding a finger up and indicating that they would just be a moment. He stepped onto the street to see her stood against a wall filled with flowerbeds, her hands tugging through her hair as she looked to him.

"Ella, I didn't mean any of that," Steve said with haste. "I know that you're not weak. I know you are anything but weak. You could take on five of my men and not break a sweat."

"Then why were you acting like that?" Ella wondered from him. "Acting as though you didn't want me or think I was good enough to help."

"It definitely isn't the latter," Steve promised her, stepping closer to her. "I know that you are good enough, Ella. It's just that…do you know how your brothers didn't want you near a fight because they wanted to protect you?"

"Yes."

"Well, I feel the same, okay?" Steve asked with a shrug, knowing that he couldn't act nonchalant anymore. He couldn't do it. "I've…the past few months…I've grown to really like you, Ella. You're smart, funny…endearing…I just don't want to see you in danger."

Ella let out a soft sigh and nodded. "And do you think I like seeing you in danger?" she wondered from him. "I don't exactly find it easy, Steve, when you say you are off on another mission. I mean, I worry, but I would never stop you from going because I know that you want to help. It is who you are…but I don't know who I am."

She pointed to herself as she shrugged at him.

"All of my life I have known who I was or what I should do," Ella said to him. "I was always told to act like a Princess…be prim and proper…do what is expected of me, but I hated it. Maybe this is my chance to find out who I am and to help people while doing it?"

Steve seemed to understand what she was saying then as he nodded at her. He took hold of his hips in his hands, holding them tightly as he took in a sharp breath.

"I get that," he said to her.

"Then we're not going to argue about this?" she asked from him.

"Was that an argument?" Steve wondered.

"No, but it would have turned into one if you kept on pushing me like you were doing in there," Ella teased him and Steve chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Besides, you forget that I grew up with two stubborn older brothers. I know how to handle myself in an argument."

Steve nodded. "Duly noted," he promised her. "I only said those things in there because I didn't know if this was the right path for you. I wanted to protect you."

"I understand," Ella said as Steve held his arm out and she took hold of it, allowing him to lead her back into the restaurant. "But have you ever thought that you might need someone to look after you?"

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think!