Melody's eyes cracked open to a dark room. It was damp and cold. The walls were made of stone and the floor was concrete with dirt scattered everywhere. She was in a basement. She had been there for about four months. S.H.I.E.L.D. had detected an outbreak of human trafficking all along the west coast and northwest Mexico. A group of smugglers, who normally dealt illegal weapons to terrorists with a cause or smuggled rare animals to rich Hollywood socialites, were now making it big in the human trade business. And they were backed by a U.S. fortune 500 CEO. Melody was given the job to infiltrate and determine who the group was working for. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't know how big the cost would be.

For four months, Melody was in hell with about fifteen other young women. Every day, they were beaten, raped, and humiliated. She had no way of contacting her commanding officer, at least not until she was sold. The other woman came and went as fast as they were shipped to the warehouse. They were somewhere on the west Mexican coast. A manmade island right next to the border of California. Most of the girls came from Arabia, Russia, Southeast Asia, or Eastern Europe. Melody was chosen for her Greek background and her fluency in the languages of the other women. She didn't have time to learn all their names, or any names at all really. Most of the time, they were too traumatized to even speak.

Men came down into the warehouse to look at the girls. Like ranchers looking at prized livestock. To many, that's all the girls were. Property. They were well dressed; suits and ties, loafers, jewel encrusted watches and cufflinks. They liked Melody. Most of them wanted to pay up to millions of dollars just to have the exotic beauty. But the smugglers would tell all of them that she was being saved for someone special. Melody could only assume the "special someone" was their American supporter.

Though the girls were beaten, the men that bought them never saw the bruises. The smugglers knew where to hit them where no one could see. Melody had multiple scars on her body from brutal attacks and rapes. But she held herself together as best as she could. After two months of captivity, the head of the group claimed her as off-limits to the others. Their boss didn't want what was supposedly his to be touched until he could get down there. This gave her some freedom for a few months. The leader would let her walk outside the basement into the main living area. She used their computer to contact S.H.I.E.L.D. She sent them a message stating that she needed backup when she finally was able to leave.

After two more months, she had gained the trust of the leader. He let her have new clothes for her presentation to the man that bought her. Melody stood in the middle of the room, next to the leader, while the rest of the men stood in a circle around them, holding their guns to their chests. She wore a simple, off the shoulder, white dress that stopped at the mid-thigh, dark gray, transparent leggings that were torn at her knees, and black pumps. Her hands were tied together in front of her and her blonde curls framed around her face. The heavy doors of the warehouse opened, letting a black town car inside. A man with gray hair and an aging face stepped out of the driver's side. He quickly made his way around the car to the back passenger's side. He opened the door to let out a man.

He was very handsome. Dark, short hair, cropped on the sides and faded towards the back, fair skin that was free of imperfections, cleanly shaven jawline, broad shoulders, chest, and arms. He wore a light gray suit, blue striped dress shirt, navy blue tie, and brown loafers. A sly smirk was on his lips as he approached the pair in the middle of the room. His eyes were dark as he looked over Melody. He stopped and stood right in front of her, never taking his eyes away.

"Oh, my friend, you've really outdone yourself this time," the man said when he finally spoke. His voice made Melody inwardly cringe with disgust. But she stayed quiet. The man circled her like a vulture. His hands touched her body everywhere he could.

The leader watched him as he spoke. "Don't let her fool you, sir. She's a feisty one. Not like the other one you got."

"Had. But she learned her lesson." He got closer to her and whispered in her ear. "And so will you, my dear."

Melody snapped. She lashed out at the man in front of her. He tried to dodge her, but one of her fingernails scratched against his neck. The man became furious. His eyes turned into an angry pit of fire. Before she could react, Melody was laying on the ground. Her cheek stung and burned from the hard blow that she endured. Tears formed in her eyes, but she willed herself not to cry in front of him. He knelt down in front of her and lifted her chin up so he could look into her eyes.

"I suggest you don't do that again. I've done worse for a lot less. And I wouldn't want a pretty face like yours to go to waste like my last wife."

Melody gritted her teeth. "As to thialo, Skila," she cursed him in Greek.

The man smirked almost assumed by her attitude. He grabbed her by the hair, forcing her up to her feet. He turned back towards the leader.

"Well?"

The man took a wad of cash out of his jacket pocket. "I do love a challenge." He gave the money to the leader and drug Melody by her blonde curls toward the back room. She let the tears slip down her cheeks, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"Always a pleasure, Mr. Johnson."

Melody awoke in tears. Her face flushed and red from the constant crying. Besides herself, the bed was empty. She started to remember where she was. She remembered that she didn't go to bed alone. The room was dimly lit by the lamp on the other side of the room. The light from the bathroom was on, but the door was partly shut, letting a sliver of yellow light travel down the small staircase. She could hear the water running in the shower. Melody glanced at the clock on the bedside table, '4:15 am'.

'It was just another nightmare.'

She wiped her cheeks and got herself dressed. She pulled her panties on and put on the closest shirt she could find. She wore Wade's shirt from the night before. She paced around the room, chewing on her thumbnail. Melody felt trapped like she couldn't breathe. But she also didn't want to go back to her room with Dick. She groaned and turned back towards the window. Looking out into the open sky, Melody sat down on the white couch that sat beneath the glass panel. She sat there for what felt like hours, but it had to at least five minutes. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the shower turn off and the bathroom door open.

Wade emerged from the top of the stairs. A towel was wrapped tight and low around his hips. His dirty blond hair was unruly and damp. He was drying it with a smaller towel as he made his way down the steps. Wade looked up to see Melody on the couch. Her legs curled up to her chest and her chin rested on her knees. His eyes softened when he saw her. She looked so innocent, so young. But she also looked worried. Her face was red and puffy, and her eyes were watery. She had been crying.

Wade quickly made his way over to the couch. He was careful not to scare her. She was looking out over the skyline; she didn't even see him next to her. He knelt down, nervous, not exactly knowing what he should do. He gently touched her arm causing her to flinch, violently. Melody finally turned to face him. Her eyes were red and irritated. She forced a smile on her face and wiped away a few tears that fell. Wade caressed her cheek, rubbing the soft skin with his thumb.

"Hey, beautiful. What's wrong?" His voice was soft and caring. So comforting. It made Melody feel a warmth inside her chest, the same feeling she got when he smiled or kissed her. She felt him rub her cheek, the moisture accumulated against their skin. Melody panicked. She didn't even know that she started crying again. She remembered her rule of never crying in front of people. Melody quickly pulled away, cover her face with her hands and wiping tears away.

"What? Nothing. I'm fine," she explained hastily. "Just a nightmare. No big deal. Really."

The look that was on his face didn't look like he believed her. But he didn't want Melody to push him away. Wade placed his hand on her shoulder and rubbed his thumb over her skin. She reached up to meet his hand and turned to look at him. A small smile played on his lips and she mirrored it. His eyes were kind and caring; something that she needed right now. Melody kissed his lips softly.

"Let's get you back into bed. You could still use a few more hours, babe," Wade said as he tucked his arms under her knees and loop behind her arms. She leaned her head against his bare shoulder, curving her body to press against his chest. Wade carried her bridal style to the bed, gently laying her on the mattress and covering her with the thick white duvet. Melody wouldn't let go of him when he started to move away once again.

Wade chuckled. "Don't worry, baby. I'll be right back. I promise."

She regrettably released him. Snuggling herself underneath the blankets, she watched Wade as he walked to the other side of the bed. Her eyes started to drift closed but she tried her best to stay awake before he got into bed. Wade was searching for his pajama bottoms as he made his way around the bed. The towel fell from his hips when he bent down to pick up the item from underneath the bed. He slipped his pants on then turned back to face the bed.

Wade smiled at the sight that he saw. Melody was curled up under the thick blanket. Her golden curls cascaded on the pillows and fell around her face perfectly. Her nose wiggled as a curl fell over her eyes and tickled the tip. His heart swelled as he watched her reach over to touch where she thought he was in the bed. He quickly slipped under the sheets before she awoke.

Melody instantly snuggled up to his chest. She nuzzled against him, her nose brushing up against his neck. He pulled her closer by wrapping his arms around her. Their legs tangled themselves together under the sheets. Melody felt save in Wade's arms. Warm and comforted. Like she could stay there with him forever, or at least for the rest of the night. And she wasn't about to leave. And Wade wasn't about to let her go either. It broke his heart to see her so scared and crying like she had been. He wanted to do whatever he could to protect her, and if that meant sleeping with her all morning and into the next day, he would do it in a heartbeat.

Soon, the sweet embrace of sleep came creeping up on him. But he wanted to savor this moment for as long as he could. Wade buried his face in her soft, fair mane. Pressing his lips against her head; he gave her a long kiss before he too drifted off into a dreamlike state of rest.

The dawn broke in what only seemed like a few minutes of the couple falling asleep. Wade awoke first. His eyes adjusted to the blinding morning light that shined through the window. He didn't expect to see Melody still asleep at his side. But there she was. Soft curls framed her face and she was breathing smoothly. Sound asleep and wrapped around him. It made Wade smile. He had never seen her so calm. He didn't want to wake her up.

She stirred slightly, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. Wade kissed her forehead gently. Melody's eyes fluttered open; her lashes tickling against his sensitive skin. She yawned and smiled up at Wade. He returned her smile and held her even closer. She was practically laying on top of him. Their legs were still tangled together from the night before.

"Morning, gorgeous," Wade said as he buried his face into her golden curls.

Melody groaned, squeezing her eyes shut again and turning over on her side away from the man she was with. She mumbled something about him being too loud, too early in the morning. Wade chuckled but still snuggled up to her again. He gently kissed her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist. His hands snaked their way under the thin material of the t-shirt that she wore to sleep. His fingertips grazed the smooth skin of her stomach. Wade felt her tense, but he saw that she bit her lip, trying to suppress a fit of giggles.

Their morning bliss was interrupted by an abrupt knock at the door. Wade and Melody turned to glare blindly at the person on the other side of the wall. Then they heard a voice that made them both groan in annoyance. Dick called from the hallway, sounding eager for Wade to open the entrance to his bedroom. Wade rolled onto his back, his arm trapped under Melody. He covered his eyes with his free hand.

"He cannot be serious," Wade grumbled out loud.

Melody twinkled as she adjusted the silver band on her finger. Her appearance shimmered slightly and changed completely in a matter of seconds. Her loose golden curls fell into inky black waves and her sapphire eyes changed to a swampy green. Her facial structure changed and she looked like a completely different person. But that didn't faze Wade in the slightest.

"Just in case." She winked at him as she pushed him out of the bed. Wade started towards the door when he turned back to look at Melody, who was laying back down on the mattress.

"Can I at least get my shirt back?" he asked walking backward, facing her.

"Nope," she chirped as she snuggled against a pillow.

Wade shook his head but still smiled at her. He reached the door and cautiously opened it. Dick stood in the hallway. He surprisingly wasn't wearing a suit today. Instead, he wore a simple light gray t-shirt and jeans. Wade was wondering if he was going to say anything about Melody. He wasn't nervous or anything. He was good at lying; better at it with people he didn't like. And Dick defiantly made that list. But to Wade's relief, he didn't even speak about her.

"Good morning, Wade. Nice to see you've gotten comfortable."

Dick glanced over Wade, into the bedroom, to see a dark haired figure under the bedsheets. His eyes glowed with mischief as he looked back to the man in front of him. "Very comfortable, I see."

"What can I do for you, Dick?"

"I wanted to invite you for a little meeting downstairs. In my billiard room. Just the two of us. Man to man. I don't see how that would be a problem."

Wade glanced over his shoulder at Melody, then quickly answered. "Yeah, fine. I'll see you down there in ten minutes."

"Perfect," Dick smirked as he walked back down the hallway and down the stairs.

Wade closed the bedroom door as soon as he saw the man disappear into the first floor. He leaned his head against the door and groaned out loud. He heard Melody get out of the bed, head towards the closet, and then come back out. Wade glanced over his shoulder to see her carrying some cords, wired microphones, earpieces, and a receptor box. She switched back to her normal appearance and a smirk was on her face.

Wade matched her smirk. "Let me guess. You have a plan?"

"Oh, baby," Melody said with confidence in her voice. "Do I have a plan."