Steve tugged the clean shirt over his head, grateful for the chance to finally shower and change. They'd debriefed with Fury, which had taken longer than any of them would have liked. Then they'd had to go to medical to make sure they were physically okay, which had just been an annoying waste of time. Steve didn't have any injuries that wouldn't heal within a day or so on their own. Once medical had cleared them, they were finally released to their own devices, and Steve's first move had been to find a shower.

Do I eat or sleep next?

His stomach rumbled, making the decision for him. Steve could generally go longer without sleep than food, and after that fight he was starving. He left the small room he'd commandeered for the moment and headed towards the Helicarrier's dining area. He hadn't made it far before Natasha fell in beside him. "Hey."

Steve gave her a quick once over. She was in clean clothes, her hair still damp from her own shower. She had to be exhausted but she didn't show it, carrying herself with a relaxed ease. Peggy would have liked Natasha.

"Hey," he said. "Heading to get something to eat?"

"Yep," Natasha said. "I've got to get it to go though. And so do you. Fury wants to talk to us."

Steve sighed. "Of course he does." They'd already gone over everything relevant to the invasion, and it had been long enough that SHIELD's relief efforts were probably well under way. There was only one likely topic left that they needed to cover: that woman from the other world. Clint had said her name was Felicity.

"I'm guessing he wants to talk about Felicity?" Steve asked, just to confirm.

Natasha nodded. "Mmhm. She says she doesn't know anything, but Fury wants to make sure she isn't a security risk."

And Steve had seen her on the plane, so Fury probably wanted to know about that. Good thing I didn't try to sleep yet after all.

They made it to the cafeteria, and Steve grabbed two sandwiches, a bag of chips, a package of cookies, and a bottle of water. It wasn't as much food as he would have liked, but it was the easiest to carry off. He'd have to go back later for more. Natasha got a sandwich and a soda, leaving off the sides. She led the way out of the cafeteria, and Steve followed her to a meeting room. It wasn't the meeting area on the bridge of the Helicarrier; apparently Fury had decided he wanted a more private setting for this conversation. Clint and Dr. Selvig - both of whom Steve had expected to see - were already in the room, seated at the table. Thor - whom Steve hadn't expected - was there as well. There was a coffee station in the corner of the room, and all three of them had helped themselves already.

Steve nodded at them, set his food down and made his way to the coffee station. It was more habit than anything else. Caffeine really didn't have an impact on him anymore, the same way alcohol didn't, so it wasn't like the coffee would help wake him up any. But drinking coffee with his team was a well ingrained habit, and even if this wasn't the team he was used to, Steve couldn't bring himself to break the pattern now. So, he filled the paper cup before sitting down.

He didn't have time for more than a bite of his first sandwich before the door opened again, letting Fury in the room. "We all know why we're here, and we're all tired," Fury said as he took a seat, setting a tablet on the table in front of him. "Let's go ahead and get started so we can hopefully get some rest sometime in the near future." He pointed at Thor. "You first. How could the Tesseract bring someone from another reality?"

Thor leaned forward, his hands clasped around the paper coffee cup. The cup looked ridiculously tiny in Thor's hands. "Your scientists noticed that the Tesseract produces immense amounts of energy. Their mistake was in assuming that was all it did. You see, the Tesseract is an Infinity Stone."

"What's an Infinity Stone?" Dr. Selvig asked. He'd pushed his coffee to the side in favor of a notebook and pen to take notes.

"Infinity Stones were formed when the universe began," Thor said. "They are among the most powerful artifacts in all the universe, and very difficult to control. There are six stones: the Power Stone, the Time Stone, the Soul Stone, the Mind Stone, the Reality Stone, and of course the Tesseract, which is the Space Stone."

"Where are the other stones?" Fury asked.

Thor shook his head. "I do not know. Over the millennia, the stones have been hidden or lost. My father was the one who hid the Tesseract centuries ago. I had no idea he'd hidden it on Midgard. I doubt you will find any others here though. Keeping two Infinity Stones in the same place would be far too dangerous."

"A pity this one was ever found, seeing what's come of it," Dr. Selvig said.

Steve didn't say anything, but he couldn't help but wonder how the war might have gone if Schmidt had never gotten his hands on the Tesseract in the first place. Certainly, without the Tesseract he'd never have been able to develop the weapons that he and his Hydra agents had used. If they hadn't had those, would Steve have ever ended up on that plane or buried in ice? It seemed unlikely. Without the Tesseract, he might have made it through the war and been able to go home. He might have actually had that dance with Peggy, and then -

Steve cut that thought off. It wasn't how things had gone, and it didn't do any good to dwell on it, especially not now, when he was supposed to be focusing on this meeting.

"Since the Tesseract is actually the Space Stone," Natasha said, "that's what lets it create those portals?"

"Its function is a bit more complicated than that," Dr. Selvig said. He straightened in his chair, and Steve recognized the look on his face. He was about to go into lecture mode.

"Keep it simple, Dr. Selvig," Fury said before he could get going.

Dr. Selvig sighed, deflating a little. "Essentially, yes, the Tesseract can create portals to other places. That's why it can put out such massive amounts of energy; the levels required in order to create portals between points that are billions of lightyears from each other is immense."

"And obviously it's also powerful enough to reach into another reality and pull someone back," Clint said. He took a long swallow of coffee and set the cup aside. "Let's go ahead and get to what we really need to talk about. Felicity."

Fury inclined his head. "Thor, Dr. Selvig, are you sure there is no way to return her home?"

Thor shrugged. "I am not familiar enough with the Tesseract's abilities to say. Loki says it is not possible, but I would not trust his word alone."

Dr. Selvig shook his head. "For once, Loki is telling the truth. It's..." He paused, frustration coloring his face. "I'm sorry. Loki's scepter, it opened my mind to many things when I was under its influence, but now that I'm free of it, things are sort of jumbled. But I am sure that there is no way for her to go back."

"A pity," Fury said. Steve studied him for a moment, but he couldn't tell if Fury genuinely felt bad for Felicity's situation, or if he was only disappointed that an easy fix wasn't available.

Steve felt for her. He understood what it was like to be torn from the world he knew and shoved into another, to suddenly find himself completely stripped of allies and forced to rely on strangers he could only hope were as good as they claimed to be.

He trusted the other Avengers now; they'd all proved themselves in this fight. He trusted Fury, to an extent. He was still wary of trusting SHIELD. After all, SHIELD had been using the Tesseract to create the same sort of weapons that Hydra had used in the war, and they'd lied about it; Steve understood the rationale behind it, but it didn't sit well with him. And while Fury had tried to stop that nuke, someone in the higher echelons had decided that sending it after New York was an acceptable course of action to try and stop the invasion.

"What happened with summoning her?" Natasha asked. She'd finished her sandwich and folded up the plastic wrap neatly. "How did she end up on the roof of Stark Tower when she was summoned by Loki well before then?"

Dr. Selvig shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think Loki does either. Pulling someone from another reality is complicated business, and it would seem that she showed up temporarily multiple times."

"On the plane when Cap and Skull were fighting," Clint said counting off on his fingers, "that one time when Howard Stark was experimenting with the Tesseract, at the base where Loki showed up, for a couple seconds when Loki actually summoned her, and then on the roof of Stark Tower."

Fury's attention focused in on Steve. "Speaking of the plane; you never mentioned a woman showing up in your last transmission."

Steve had to keep himself from fidgeting. The idea that his last conversation with Peggy had been recorded, that who knew how many people had listened to it, made him deeply uncomfortable. Too much of that transmission had been personal.

"I didn't have a lot of time to talk, and it didn't seem like the most important thing to mention," Steve said. "Felicity showed up near the end of my fight with Schmidt. He'd just picked up the Tesseract, and then she just sort of appeared in a flash of blue light." It had been enough of a shock that Steve and Schmidt had actually paused in their fight. Even with all the strange things he'd seen up to that point, a woman suddenly shimmering into and then out of existence ranked up there.

"What happened then?" Fury asked.

Steve shrugged. "Not much. She was only there a few seconds. Just long enough to see us and then she disappeared again."

He didn't mention the way she'd been in obvious pain, the fear and confusion that had radiated from her face.

Fury tapped on the screen of the tablet in front of him. "We know she also appeared once when Howard Start was first experimenting with the Tesseract. We got a recording of that one." He slid the tablet down the table so the rest of them could see the screen.

Steve leaned forward, and his stomach clenched when he saw Howard, looking just as he had when Steve had known him. It still came as a shock, remembering that Howard was dead now.

On the screen there was a flash of blue light that knocked Howard off his feet. When the light faded, Howard was sprawled on the floor and Felicity was on her knees several feet away from him.

"Help me," she said. "I don't – I don't know what's happening!" She jerked back with a pained cry, and Howard pushed up off the ground. Before he could reach her, Felicity shimmered blue and shattered, just as she had on the plane.

"We also have a recording of her appearance in the base when Loki arrived," Fury said as a new video started playing on the screen.

The video changed, showing a large room that was set up as some kind of lab. A blue portal hovered in the center of the room, and Loki came through. As agents pointed their weapons at him, blue light shimmered to his right, and Felicity showed up again. This time she was curled up on the ground, and she didn't make any attempt to get up. Steve could see her mouth move, but whatever she was saying was too quiet for the camera to have picked up on it. She shimmered and disappeared again.

The videos ended, and Steve sat back in his chair. "Poor girl," Dr. Selvig said. "I wish we'd never been able to do this to her."

"It's not your fault, Dr. Selvig," Steve said quickly. It was a bad situation for Felicity, yes, but it wasn't something Dr. Selvig could have helped. Not after Loki had used the scepter to take control of him.

"The Captain is right," Thor said. His voice was grim and hard, and when Steve looked his way, he was surprised to see how serious Thor looked. "The fault for her plight lies with Loki."

"Regardless of whose fault it is," Fury said, "the fact remains that she is here now, and there's a very real possibility that she knows things about us that could make her a security risk."

"She told Loki she didn't know anything," Steve pointed out.

Natasha shook her head. "She said that, but I don't believe her. She knows enough that Dr. Selvig didn't have to explain where she was; Felicity figured that out on her own when she saw Tony in the suit."

"I don't think she was lying about not being a fan though," Clint said.

"Doesn't mean she can't know things," Natasha said. "Maybe more than she realizes."

"And what if she does?" Steve asked. He met Fury's stare. "What are you planning to do with her?"

Fury leaned back, resting his elbows on the armrest of his chair and lacing his fingers together in front of him. "I'm not planning to keep her prisoner, Captain, if that's what you're worried about. Right now, my plan for Ms. Greene is to help her set up a life; SHIELD will create an identity and history for her, and help her get started here. If she knows things that could put us at risk, we'll monitor her to be sure she doesn't accidentally let that information slip. If she doesn't know anything, then we'll leave her alone."

Alone, huh.

It was probably the best that Fury could do for her, and certainly it was no small thing. Steve didn't know how Felicity could manage to start a life in this world without help from someone. But ultimately, she was still going to be left alone in a strange world, and Steve knew how hard that was.

Maybe I can help.

"When are you going to talk with her?" Natasha asked.

"Tomorrow," Fury said. "I think we could all use a rest before we dive into that." He turned his attention to Thor. "After all this, I believe it would be best to send the Tesseract back to Asgard with you. Your people may be better equipped to protect it from those that would misuse it."

Steve stared at Fury in surprise. Sending the Tesseract away from SHIELD wasn't a move that he would have guessed that Fury would make. His opinion of Fury rose in that moment; SHIELD had one leader at least that was willing to learn from mistakes.

"Very well," Thor said. "However, I would like to stay until Felicity is settled. As her plight is the fault of one of my family, I feel it is my duty to make sure she will be well."

"Can we contain Loki that long?" Clint asked. "Not trying to rush you off, but ours strongest cage isn't exactly available anymore."

"I do not believe that Loki will try to escape," Thor said. "Not when he no longer has an army to back him. But I will personally guard him while we are here."

Steve didn't share Thor's confidence. He didn't think Loki would try to take over Earth again any time soon, but that didn't mean Loki wouldn't run to try and avoid Asgardian justice.

"We could see if Bruce would be willing to guard him too," Clint added. He smirked as he said it, but there was an edge to his voice that suggested it wasn't really a joke at all. "Bet Loki wouldn't want to make him angry again."

Steve wasn't sure how thrilled Bruce would be to guard Loki like that, but it would probably work. "Can't hurt to ask him," Natasha said. She glanced Steve's way. "You should be the one to ask."

"Me?" Steve asked blankly. "Why me?"

"He's more likely to tell you yes," she said. "He likes you."

"I'm not sure," Steve started, but Natasha cut him off.

"He listened to you when he was the Hulk," she said. She raised one shoulder in a shrug. "Means he likes you, so you get to ask."

Steve sighed. "Fine, I'll ask. Where is Bruce anyway?"

"Should be with Tony at the lab," Clint said. "They were making sure that the Tesseract was contained properly before they left."

"I'm going then," Steve said. That seemed to bring an end to the meeting. They dispersed from the room, Steve making his way back to the lab where they'd spent much of their time that morning. As predicted, Tony and Bruce were both there, along with other SHIELD personnel.

"That should do it," Bruce was saying, stepping back from a metal container, a tablet in his hand. Bruce had taken time to clean up, but he clearly hadn't rested yet. There were bags under his eyes, and he was looking a little on the pale side. Did he decide containing the Tesseract took priority, or does he not want to sleep?

"Good," Tony said. He'd gotten himself out of the damaged suit by now. He stretched, and spotted Steve by the doorway. "Cap. What're you doing here?"

"I actually came by to ask Bruce a favor," Steve said. "But I'm starting to think I should let you sleep first. Have you rested at all yet?"

Bruce grimaced. "Not yet. I'll be fine. The Tesseract needed to be handled."

"Well, it's been handled," Tony said. "Cap's right, you need to sleep."

"We all need sleep," Bruce said. "There's still too much going on." He turned towards Steve. "What was the favor?"

"Nothing you can help with right now," Steve said. He'd seen enough exhausted men to recognize when someone was hitting their limit, and Bruce was teetering on the edge. "Get some rest first. Just make sure you find me before you leave."

For a second it looked like Bruce might protest, but then he sighed and set the tablet down on the table. "Fine, you two win." He waved a hand at them. "But if I have to go to bed, I expect the two of you to get some rest soon as well."

"I think we've all earned a nap," Tony agreed. Bruce shuffled out, Steve moving to the side so he could get through the doorway. Tony crossed his arms and leaned back against the table. "So, you heard anything about what Fury plans to do with the Tesseract now?"

"He's sending it with Thor to Asgard," Steve told him.

Tony's brows went up. "Seriously?"

Steve nodded, walking closer. "Just came from a meeting. That's what he said."

"Surprisingly mature of him," Tony said. "When's Point Break going?"

"That depends on Felicity," Steve said. "Thor wants to make sure she's going to be okay, considering..."

"Considering it's his brother's fault she's here," Tony filled in. "Makes sense I guess." He stared off in the distance for a moment. "Still weirds me out. The idea of just being a story to some other world."

Steve laughed a little. "Not much stranger than having your life on display in a museum."

"Guess not," Tony said. He glanced back towards the box. "Would love to know how the Tesseract made bringing her here work." He straightened up from the table. "Speaking of the Tesseract, where's it going until Thor leaves?"

Steve frowned. "Fury didn't say." It wasn't a good idea to leave it unattended, or to leave it with Thor while he was also guarding Loki. Making a decision, Steve picked up the box. It was small enough to be easily carried in one arm without being too bulky. "I'll keep hold of it for now."

"Sounds good to me," Tony said. He yawned suddenly, covering his mouth with one hand. "I think this is my cue to leave." He paused a moment and then added, "If you need anything, Cap, just give me a call."

The offer came as a surprise; he and Tony certainly hadn't started off on the right foot that morning. Steve could admit that was partially his own fault. He'd read the SHIELD files on Tony and had come to a snap judgement about his character, a judgement that Tony had proved completely wrong throughout this day. "Thanks, Tony," he said. He meant it, and for more than just this offer.

Tony waved a hand and walked away. Steve made his own way back to the room he'd claimed earlier. He wasn't sure how long it would be before they left the Helicarrier, and he planned to make good use of the time he had. Once back in the room, he stashed the box with the Tesseract under the bunk, and then flopped down on the mattress. He closed his eyes, let his muscles relax. His last thought before he drifted off was to hope that maybe this time he wouldn't dream.