.Queen: I know, it was really sad to write. :'( Well, here is Lizzie's story, hopefully its up to expectation.

heroherondaletotherescue: Thank you so much :D I am so glad you enjoyed it, I thought of that little scene for a while before I wrote it, and hoped it would do it justice. Whew, I was a teensy bit worried about his flashbacks, so its good to hear that it went well. :) thank you. Merry-belated-Christmas :)

Koryandrs: I'm glad you liked it... although I'm a little curious about this 'emotional blackmail to get reviews' that you're talking about? I'm not aware of it, so if you could let me know that would be great.

kittysayzmeow: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you :D I'm certainly wanting to make it so that he is a little resisting to the idea, but eventually realizes that he needs her. I have never liked those stories where he *immediately* falls for the heroine, as I don't think that's a Loki thing to do. Again, thank you. :)

Niki farren: Thank you for your review, Niki, I was very happy to get it. :)

Katherine Winchester: I'm glad you liked it, it was certainly one thing which I am worried about. I wanted to make it really believable. :D So that's a good thing. I hope you feel the same about this one. Let me know.

BleachLover11: Thank you :) I am happy to hear it.

Hannahuff: A thousand thanks to you :D I must thank my Beta for my lack of grammatical errors actually, as I tend to have at least a dozen in each chapter. 8) But yes, I think it does make it that much more enjoyable. Haha, thank you for reading it. :)

And now for the cream: the next chapter...

Lizzie sighed, closing her eyes as if to brace herself for what was to come next – unconsciously, Loki moved his chair slightly closer, sensing that she might need some form of comfort. "Sixteen years ago–" she stopped, shaking her head. "No... no, no, I need to start further back. My story doesn't begin with me, ironically enough." Licking her lips, she began again. "My grandfather is where I should start, as he is the whole reason this mess ever happened. He was a mutant – is a mutant – who was born in the late nineteen-twenties, and had the misfortune of winding up in a concentration camp during World War II... you do know what World War II was right?" she asked.

"I do." Loki replied. "In order to understand everything about the Avengers, I became well informed of Rogers' past, and therefore the events surrounding his... change."

"Alright, alright, so you know that. I don't have to explain it, that's good." she muttered. "So, my grandfather was a Jew, and because of that he wound up in Auschwitz. The warden, I suppose you can call him, was also a mutant, who wished to expound his knowledge on the mutants and sought to find more. His name was Sebastian Shaw – or rather, that's what he called himself after the war, his real name I've forgotten... Schmitt I think. He killed my great-grandmother, and during my grandfather's time at Auschwitz, he tested him among other things. Eventually when the war ended, Shaw came to America under the new pseudonym, and started a group called the Hellfire Club, which was a group of mutants who he planned on building a new army out of. My grandfather, for twenty-some-odd years, sought revenge, and traveled all over the world to find him."

"What does that have to do with you?" Loki inquired.

"I'm getting to it, god of impatience." Elizabeth said, her voice shutting him up. "Long story short, my grandfather killed Shaw... fulfilling his revenge. Unknown to him, Shaw had a son – Alex – who was very young at the time, and after hearing of his father's murder, sought revenge against my grandfather. Now, Alex could not destroy my grandfather outright, as it would be a foolish venture. My grandfather is a lot like you, calculating... he isn't easily caught or fooled. Alex knew this, and for years sought out a way to kill Erik Lehnsherr. Now, my grandfather – around this time – fell in love with a young mutant woman, who had been orphaned during the war. They had my mother a few years later, but my grandmother died in childbirth, leaving my grandfather heartbroken, and my mother rather abandoned by him. He knew he wouldn't be a good father, and so he sent my mother to live with his old friend, and current enemy: Charles Xavier."

"That's the man that Logan was sent by." Loki commented.

"Professor X has more reasons than one to have sent Logan, but we'll get there." she replied. "Anyway, my mother was raised by the Professor, as his daughter, to keep her safe from my grandfather's enemies – as he grew to have many. My mom didn't know who her father really was until years later, but somehow Alex found out first. Taking on another name, he entered Xavier's School for Mutants, in an effort to use my mom against Erik. However, instead of killing her, as he wanted originally, he became obsessed with her, and wanted her for his own; my mother never considered him in that manner, and always considered him a friend. Eventually my mom found out who her father was, and in a bout of anger, she left Xavier's School in search for Erik. He was in Ireland at the time, and when she found him, she became apart of his group, the Brotherhood of Mutants. She spent some time with him there, and lived happily never speaking to Professor X. It was in Ireland she met my father... but there was only one problem... he wasn't a mutant."

"You mean he was a normal human?" Loki confirmed.

"Yes." Elizabeth answered. "He had no powers or special gifts, but she fell head over heels and didn't particularly care. It drove a rift between my mother and grandfather, as he was determined his daughter would never marry a non-mutant, due to his hatred for the race. She married my father anyway, leaving my grandfather's group so that she could settle down with my father, and live a normal life. Now, Alex had followed her to Ireland, and when he found out, he also was furious with her choice. He thought that she had betrayed him, and vowed that he would kill my dad. She threatened in kind, but ran off with my father and changed her name so she wouldn't be found. Sometime in there, she found out that Alex was really Alex Shaw, the son of her father's nemesis, and that was actually the reason she cut off all relations with him. That is where I come in – or rather, Bella and I come in. We were born in the middle of all this, and drove the nail into the coffin on my grandfather's stance on her marriage. For four years I only knew Grandpa Charles, my family living in Pennsylvania at the time, so as to be close to him. We lived in complete peace and safety, my father being the most loving, caring man in the world; and my mother sweet, and kind."

Loki watched her take in a shuddering breath, her entire body tensing.

"You have asked me about my nightmares..." she whispered. "About what they contain... it was Christmas Eve. Bella and I had already hung our stockings, our presents already set out beneath the tree – we were four, completely, blissfully unaware of what would happen. My mother was expecting another child, our little family was going to grow, everything was happy. We were sent up to bed, excitedly awaiting for the next day when I first met Alex. My sister and I were awoken by the sounds of yells coming from downstairs, and being the naive little girl I was, I went to find out what was going on." Her mind's eye flashed to her memory, the scene playing out in her mind as it had so many times before.

She continued. "What I found, however, I never should have seen. Alex's cronies held my father down as my mother screamed at Alex, begging him to spare my father's life. However, Alex was always a sadistic bastard, and he had one of his minions use their power to kill my father." She scoffed at the memory, although Loki could tell it was out of grief rather than amusement. "I wish now that I had known to stay silent, but I did not. When my father fell to the ground dead, I screamed, which brought Alex's attention to me. He wanted to know my ability, which at the time made no sense, but eventually I found out that he was finishing his father's work and creating an army of mutants. Erik showed up, due to Alex's plan, and they fought." she swallowed. "My mother was caught in the crosshairs... and she... Alex killed..." She couldn't fight the tears which came, and looked away from Loki trying to not let him see her cry.

As it was, Loki didn't know how to handle her crying, and for the second time he found himself lifting his hand to try to comfort her. He went to rest it on her shoulder when she once more turned to him, and he dropped it, letting it rest on the arm of the chair. "He killed your mother." he finished for her.

She nodded, swallowing thickly. "I don't know how, but Erik managed to get us out of the fire which then engulfed the house. They never even found my mother's body to bury, she never got a chance to get out alive." she said, her voice cracking as she wiped away her tears. "My sister and I were sent to live with Professor X, as my own grandfather still viewed himself as a bad influence. Four years later, I met Alex again..."

The doorbell kept ringing, and eight year old Lizzie was getting a little tired of the annoying chime. "LIZZIE ANSWER THE DOOR!" her twin yelled from the adjoining room. Lizzie sighed, leaving the library to see her sister face to face.

"We're not supposed to answer the door, Bella! That's what Grandpa Charles said. 'Lizzie, Bella, while I am gone, you are – under no circumstances – to answer the door. If you do—"

"Yes, yes, I know what he said." Bella snapped back as the doorbell rang again. "GO AWAY!" she shouted.

Lizzie snorted. "Yeah, that's likely." she scoffed. "Do you think that Uncle Hank knows that someone is ringing at the door?"

Bella just shrugged, and with a huff, Lizzie left the room to go to Hank McCoy's lab. "Uncle Hank." she called out from the other side of the door, and opening it, she saw his blue,furry body hunched over a desk. "Uncle Hank, the doorbell keeps ringing."

"Leave it be, Lizzie." Hank replied. "Eventually they'll go away."

"Was Grandpa Charles expecting anyone?" Lizzie inquired.

"No, he wasn't. If he was, I would be answering the door." Hank said, turning around. "Come here, Lizzie, I want to show you something." Lizzie went toward him, and he lifted her to look in his microscope. "See that?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Lizzie asked.

Hank opened his mouth to explain when there was a sudden crash from the direction of the door. Quickly putting Lizzie back on the ground, Hank shed his labcoat and headed for the door, listening for a moment before they both heard a scream – Bella's scream. Lizzie went to run forward, but Hank stopped her. "No, Lizzie, let me take care of it." he told her.

"But Bella's in danger, Uncle Hank!" she shrieked.

"I know, but you can't do anything. Just do what I say, Lizzie. Go hide in the closet." Hank commanded. "Please, this once, do what I ask you."

Lizzie, with tears in her eyes, nodded, heading for the closet. "Will you come and get me?"

"I promise." Hank replied, his golden eyes pleading with her. "Go Lizzie."

Doing as he ordered, she entered the closet, shutting the door behind her. In the darkness, her sense of hearing was increased, the sensitivity to the slightest sound making her heart leap out of her chest. She heard Bella scream again, followed by another crash, a loud growl from Hank echoing through the building until it reached her ears. She heard shouts, and a crash coming from the door of the lab.

"Where is she?" she heard, the voice sending chills down her spine. "Where is she?"

"Like I'd tell you." Hank's voice filtered through the door of the closet. "I know why you want her. I know what you did to her mother, your revenge having yet be satiated. Lizzie is not a toy to be used at your whim, Shaw." She had never heard Hank sound so threatening, but in that moment she was also terrified of him.

A scuffle could be heard on the other side of the door, the sound of breaking glass and Hank's groan making her heart beat even faster. "WHERE IS SHE?!"

"Charles took her with him." Hank lied, his voice sounding weak. "She's in Maine with him and the rest of the group."

She heard a chuckle come from Alex's throat. "Thank you, McCoy. I suppose that Xavier and I will be having a chat soon, and he can thank you." she heard before Hank gave a blood-curdling cry of pain. Without thinking, she wrenched the door open.

"Stop!" she screamed, her eyes drawn to Hank's matted hair, dried blood along with fresh coating it. The lab was a wreck, with tables broken, glass crunching beneath her sneakers, and six men in black filling the room. Alex's ice-blue eyes turned to her, a sinister smirk on his face. "I'm right here."

Trying to swallow her fear, Lizzie moved toward Alex, her eyes constantly flickering between him and Hank. "Lizzie... no..." Hank whispered, tears filling his eyes.

"Well, well, I suppose she's suddenly developed the ability to teleport, since you said she was in Maine." Alex taunted the Beast, turning to Elizabeth. "You've grown." he said. "Its been a while."

"Let him go." Lizzie whispered. "Please?"

He knelt to her height, his hand resting on her head, his eyes filled with the mirth that he felt. "Alright." he said, nodding to one of his minions. The man moved toward Hank, and Hank tried to move back – suddenly he gave another cry of pain, and went limp.

"NO!" Elizabeth screamed before another minion grabbed her arm and she was whisked away...

Loki's heart filled with anger toward Alex Shaw, the vileness of the man causing him to want to tear him limb from limb. He had only heard a fraction of her story, that he knew, but for Alex to have forced her to watch three deaths of those whom she loved was painful to watch her reiterate. She continued to sob, her voice cracking as her tears came more freely. This time, however, Loki brought his hand up to her hand, trying to comfort her in his own way.

"That was when it really began. I was taken to a mansion – Alex's father's mansion – where I would spend the next several years of my life in a cell." she said, wiping at her tears with her sleeve. "I told you Alex wanted to build an army of mutants, but what he decided to try to do was to create an army by giving mutants a serum which would endow them with powers which were not originally theirs. My original power was viewed as useless to him-"

"Your original power?" Loki prompted, his curiosity unable to keep itself at bay.

She nodded, swallowing before she spoke. "I can control time." she answered. "Alex thought it was worthless because it is not defensive. At first he tried to make a serum which would simply destroy the power, but it always failed and the power stayed and became more resilient to their serums so he gave up on that venture."

"You control time?" Loki said a little too excitedly. Perhaps that would explain why time had been flowing so oddly over the last few days, she was controlling it. Lizzie gave a half-smile, motioning to the clock on the wall.

"Watch carefully." she said, staring at the clock. He followed her gaze, watching – to his surprise – as the clock stopped ticking, and moved backwards. His eyes widened, and he looked over at Elizabeth with awe. She just smiled. "As I was saying, Alex's initial serums to give me a new power actually strengthened my original one. When I was young I could only make time stop. Through their serums I could slow it, make it go back, make it fast – either in general, or for specifically people. It actually did become very helpful to him, but it wasn't what he wanted."

"Why is that?" Loki asked.

"He wanted something that could harm others, give them pain, or allow others to give pain." she told him. "For five years I was brought from my cell to a laboratory, strapped to a table, and injected with serums which were always painful when administered. They burned and I never was able to numb myself from the pain." At this point, she lifted her sleeve to show him her scar. "One particularly painful treatment I underwent, I struggled too much, causing a needle that was in my arm to be ripped out. It took one of their mutants to keep me from dying, as the bloodloss was rather immense."

Loki moved his hand to her scar, tracing the raised pinkish mark with tenderness;she watched him for a moment, reveling in comforting touch of his fingers. His skin was cool, his eyes seemingly glued to that which he had wanted to know about since he saw it.

"Probably not as fabulous as you originally thought. The desperate clawings of a ten-year-old girl trying to get away from pain isn't as spectacular when you think about it." she said with a chuckle, although it was hallow and lacked the amusement.

His eyes snapped to hers, and she stopped talking from the fire which burned within them. "You don't find amusement in it, why do you want me to?" he asked her, his teeth gritted with anger – though it wasn't toward her.

She shook her head, unable to answer him. Instead, tears once more sprang up. "Sorry, I suppose I've tried to cope with the pain and I found that laughing is better than crying." she said, wiping at the tears. "Its easier to think of it with sarcasm, pretending I don't care, rather than allowing myself to go back there."

Loki brushed her hair out of her eyes, his hand resting on the side of her face. She looked at him, her eyes seeming to beg for him to keep any derisive comments to himself. He had no words for her, not knowing how to comfort her. He looked away, fidgeting, feeling entirely uncomfortable.

Lizzie shook her head, a slight smile on her face. "Don't worry, I don't expect you to comfort me." she whispered. He turned his gaze to hers.

"I... I don't know how to..."

"I know, Loki." she replied. "Do you want to hear the rest, or are you done now that your questions have been answered about my nightmares and scar?"

"No." Loki said quickly, then paused. "I want to hear it all, Elizabeth."

She nodded, her eyes training on his ring on his finger which rested on her scar, and she started tracing it with her other hand. "As I was saying, when my power finally came to me via the serum, Alex decided that it was time to induct me into his army. I wouldn't do it, I wouldn't join him. I told him that I'd rather die... but then he brought Bella in. He threatened to kill her like he had done with my father, with Hank. I hadn't seen Bella in five years, as her power was strong enough that he didn't view her as needing a new one, and the first time I see her, he threatens her death." she said. "That's why I said that I didn't blame you for your choice, as I did the same. He threatened Bella, and I complied, allowing him to use the power as he wished. Always he held Bella over my head, as she was dispensable to him, and forced me to do his dirty work. And I did... for ten years."
"Wait..." Loki stopped her. "How is that possible? You're only twenty-one – ten years would have made you twenty-two. Are you older than you say?"

A rueful smile crossed her features as she shook her head. "I told you I could go back in time, and so I did. After everything, I went back to change my past. Every little thing you do affects what happens in the future. Had I never been at Xavier's school, Alex never would have found out that I was still alive after the fire. He thought I had died, and that was what would have kept me safe, and has since I went back and changed things. I'm living in a different timeline, so to speak, at the same time. Bella controls space, together we could destroy the universe with a thought." she said. "But for ten years, in the other timeline, I did Alex's bidding. I was known as Anesthesia due to my paralysis' abilities, and my rather placid demeanor. I was the coldest member of the guard, as we were called, and Alex's right hand. I was a killer, and had been taught how to manipulate my new power to reach into a person's mind and stop their hearts. After a time, I lost my conscience, although all I cared for was keeping Bella alive, everyone else was worthless."

Loki was speechless. Never did he think she had been anything like the picture she painted. "How?" he asked without even thinking. "You are so... warm. Nothing like what you're saying."

She snorted. "I was very different then." she said. "I knew that Alex would use anything he could against me, and so I closed myself off from everyone except Bella for years. When I was twenty, I made a horrible mistake, and yet I made the most brilliant mistake of my life. It was what set me free, so to speak. I let someone in, a young guard who had gone through the same pain as I had, who understood my coldness and looked past it. His name was Timothy, his ability was empathy originally, due to the serum he could copy others powers and use them against anyone. It actually became a bit too much for him, as he had the same problem as I and couldn't control them. We were two peas in a pod, frankly... and one night on a mission to try to catch a mutant who had turned on us, we wound up comforting each other, which turned into something else."

Loki contained himself from growling in jealousy from her speaking of some other man – and yet, somewhat appreciative, as she said that he had freed her from her state in some manner. Yet, he still felt the gnawing jealousy bite through him – wait... jealousy?

"Loki?" her voice interrupted his musings. He nodded. "Did you hear any of that?"

"Yes, I did. You went on a mission and wound up in his bed." Loki snapped.

Lizzie raised an eyebrow at his tone, but said nothing about it. That was twice, in her mind, even though he knew nothing about Timothy he was treating him in the same manner that he had Fandral. "Well you seemed to miss the part where I said that I found out that I was pregnant." she said with a smile. He hid his surprise well, not expecting that little piece of information. "I said that Tim had changed it all for me, and that's what I meant. He gave me something which I needed, a little life growing in me which caused me to question my following Alex."

"Where is the child now?" Loki asked.

She closed her eyes, sighing. "Dead." she answered. "Saoirse, as I had started calling her, was stillborn, probably due to everything that had happened to me and Tim – maybe even due to my paralyzing power. After her death, and subsequently Tim's – as Alex found out about our affair – my coldness melted, so to speak. The final turning point had to do with Logan, actually."

"So you do know each other from before!" Loki exclaimed. "I knew you did! You looked at each other with such familiarity, there was no doubt, but he wouldn't confirm or deny it."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, we knew each other. It was about a year after Saoirse died that I met up with him again, as I knew him at Xavier's School originally. He was hiding a group of children from Alex..."

Lizzie stood outside the old dilapidated house, her eyes scanning everything she could see. From what she had heard, Wolverine was their target, and his crime was that he had kept a group of children that Alex had picked out from being brought to headquarters. However, she found the whole thing to be revolting, and half-wished she had been sent somewhere else. Alex was punishing her, and had been ever since he found out about Tim... she only thanked Fate that he had never found out about Saoirse.

"Elizabeth?" she heard Bella call her name. "We're ready to go in, are you?"
Lizzie sighed, nodding. "Lets get this over with." she snapped, unbuttoning her trenchcoat. "I am eager to get back to Berlin."

Bella moved closer. "I know this is hard for you, but please try to keep your emotions out of it this time. Alex is already suspicious of your sudden capacity to care about anyone but me." she warned, pushing a reddish-blonde lock out of her face.

A glare was what she earned in return, Elizabeth marching toward the house with the flair of her coat swirling behind her dramatically. She followed. Lizzie walked through the door, ignoring the way her chest constricted at the thought of what was about to occur. Entering the room which she assumed was the dining room, she looked around. It was empty, save a rug, dust covering every surface to give the impression that no one had been there for years.

"We searched the house," One of the minions informed her from behind. "No one is here. He must have known about it and moved them somewhere else."

Lizzie nodded, looking around the room. Something was off, she could sense it, and taking a careful survey she knew exactly what it was: the rug in the middle of the floor had recently been moved, and the dust had not been covered as the rest had. "You're probably right." she said, failing to mention her observation. "Search the woods to see if you can find Wolverine-"

The sound of shouts caught their attention and she sent the others to find out what it was. "Aren't you coming?" Bella inquired.

"No." she answered simply, giving her a look which had her scampering off to help their companions. Instantly, Lizzie slowed time to a snail's pace, and reaching for the rug, she threw it back, prying at the floorboards until one gave and came up in her hands. Underneath, three pairs of eyes peered up at her, the fear obvious in each of them. "Shh..." she motioned, looking toward the door.

"Who are you?" the eldest child asked, a young boy of apparently ten.

"A friend. You need to stay quiet, I will try to come for you later." she said, placing the board back where it was and throwing the rug back on it.

"Lizzie?" Bella's voice could be heard in the hall. "Why did you slow time?"

"I thought you may need it." Lizzie answered simply. "Did you guys stop whatever was going on?"

Bella nodded, giving her twin an odd glance. "It was Wolverine, we've subdued him and are going to take him back to Berlin."

"Fabulous." Lizzie replied simply, moving past her sister. "Then our work is done here." When she reached the outside, Wolverine knelt in the front yard, his eyes sparking in hatred and anger - then he saw her. Recognition filled his gaze, along with a sorrow.

"Elizabeth Donovan." he masked his surprise in his wrath. "Look who you're working for. You are aware he killed your mother?"

Lizzie walked up to him, smirking. "Nice to see you too, Wolverine." she replied, moving over to her vehicle and getting in. Why did he have to be there?

"We took Logan back to Berlin, locked him up in one of the cells." Lizzie said. "Tried to get information out of him, that I already knew. However, when Alex wasn't looking I plotted to get him out of his cell and back to the children. I succeeded, but in the process I got Bella killed. I learned that day what happens when you kill a twin of a mutant – the other inherits their powers. It was quite the debacle, but eventually we made our way back to Xavier's School; it was decided then that I should go back, and save myself and everyone else from what happened. So I did. I went back to the day that it was decided where Bella and I would stay, and I informed Professor X of what had happened. They changed their decision, and we stayed with seanmhathair. Logan was chosen to be our protector, and whenever Alex was found to be in the area, he moved us somewhere else. To assist, however, Professor X, in an effort to help us, locked away all of our memories of our past."

Loki's brow furrowed. "Then how do you remember, if everything was locked away?" he inquired.

Lizzie gave him a small smile. "A year ago, when you invaded New York." she started, watching as his eyes darkened. "In the invasion, I was buried under concrete with a concussion. During my time unconscious, the mechanism which Professor X had put in place in my mind melted away... I remembered everything during my time in a coma. When I woke, I remembered it all. Every last agonizing detail." she finished, sighing. "Well, you answered my questions, I answered yours... I suppose your curiosity is satisfied now, and-"

"And I will tell you one thing, Elizabeth." Loki interrupted, wondering why the next words were going to come out of his mouth. "I am sorry."

Her head tilted in confusion. "Why are you sorry?"

"I was wrong, Elizabeth; I never knew your past." he said. "And I am apologizing for my behavior because of it."

"Loki, I-"

"Just accept the apology and move on, Elizabeth." Loki said. "Not everything I say must be examined."

She gave him a slight smile. "Thank you." she said quietly. "For listening. No one but my family really knows of my past. Its nice to have someone else know what makes me the way I am. Someone that I don't really have to keep secrets from because everything has already been revealed. Only Logan knows of my past, here – just... don't tell anyone." She begged.

Loki leaned over, his fingers brushing away the remnants of her tears from her cheeks. "I promise you, Elizabeth Donovan of Midgard, that your past is safe with me."

Elizabeth smiled once more, taking his face in her hands, and kissing his cheek, her lips lingering on his cheek for a second more than she should have. "Thank you, Loki." she whispered, moving away from him and looking at the clock. Loki sat stock still beside her, completely stunned by her action, and his inaction about it. She had dared to kiss him, and yet he found himself elated by that fact. He had never felt so connected to a being before, except Frigga of course, but in that moment, he decided that no harm would ever befall her again.

"Elizabeth, I-" he began, but upon looking at her, he stopped. She had fallen asleep in the armchair. He watched her for a moment, noticing the tenseness with which she slept... it was as if she was prepared at a moment to have to fight something. No doubt from her past. Gently, he picked her up – careful not to wake her – and took her to her own bedroom. She seemed to relax in his arms, the stress which her body had before simply melting away as he held her close. By the time he actually laid her down in her own bed, she looked peaceful - innocent, even. The dim light from her lamp beside the bed shone on the scar, and Loki couldn't help but look at it once more.

Now that he knew her past, he couldn't help but plan the very slow, very painful death of Alex Shaw. The man had done something which Loki could not see as ever being acceptable in anyone's books: he had taken the innocence out of Elizabeth Donovan by exposing her to things she never should have seen. Death being the main, with torture being second. For a man, someone with the maturity to understand why things were being done to him, it was one thing. But a child? A little girl who had done nothing but live? Alex Shaw deserved a fate worse than death, and Loki hoped that he would be the one to give it to him.

Elizabeth mumbled in her sleep, and Loki's mind traveled in a different direction. She had spoken of one nightmare, but surely there was more... did she experience her past as she slept every night like he did? Did she go through the never-ending tortures during her slumber, waking to find a new day, but knowing that when she slept once more she would be forced to endure it again? Her breathing quickened, and Loki quickly saw the signs of an oncoming nightmare - "Sleep, Elizabeth, you are safe tonight." he whispered. His words seemed to calm her, and once more she seemed to relax.

Eventually, Loki returned to his own room, and tried to get some sleep. For a few hours, however, sleep evaded him as he couldn't help but wish that he had been a little more responsive to her kiss – but consequentially brushed that off due to the fact that he believed that he was too tired to think rationally, and fell asleep.

Well? What do you guys think? I'm looking forward to hearing what you all think of Lizzie and her past :)