AN: So, after a loooooooooooooong and exhausting week of school (three practicals and a midterm in four days), I decided to spend my weekend doing something fun. So here's an update! Thanks to all who've favorited/reviewed/followed. I really appreciate it. I haven't seen Thor: The Dark World yet :( but I'm sure it'll be awesome (so no spoilers!) Anyways, next chapter will be the last chapter for this story. As always, I hope you like!

Chapter Nine:

The SHIELD hyper-jet hurtled along at roughly 3,000 miles an hour. Waverly was still at the controls, her eyes flicking across the instrument panel. Loki was in the copilot seat beside her, staring out of the windshield at the inky expanse of space before them. Clint was passed out in the back of the jet somewhere. Waverly didn't blame him. Every once in a while, Waverly glanced at the jet's radar system to make sure Thanos wasn't following them. So far, so good. Slowly, the adrenalin coursing through Waverly's body was ebbing. She felt her heart rate return to normal and her breathing slow down. Soon, they would be home. Maybe another hour or so if they kept going at hyper speed. Waverly set the jet on autopilot for the time being and leaned back in her chair. She pulled Loki's cape tight around her shoulders and curled up in her seat, shutting her eyes just for a second.

As soon as she closed her eye, Waverly opened them again. She looked over to see that Loki was looking at her intently.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I thought I had lost you," Loki said. His voice was low and he spoke with careful calmness, but Waverly could detect a hint of panic there.

"It's okay," Waverly said. She realized her own voice was shaking and she felt her eyes stinging with tears. She took a breath to steady herself. "It's all right. We all made it out of there. We're all okay." Waverly reached across and grabbed Loki's hand. "We're together again."

Loki smiled ever so slightly. He lifted Waverly's hand and gently kissed it. "Promise me," he said, "that we will never be apart again."

Waverly smiled back at the god. "I promise." Waverly leaned forward to kiss Loki when a gagging sound interrupted them.

"Oh good lord. Shoulda left one of you back there."

Waverly turned to see Clint entering the cockpit. He made a face. "You two are disgusting. Gah!" Clint winked at his sister.

"Barton, you have impeccable timing." Loki grumbled.

Waverly laughed. "Whatever, Clint. Like you wouldn't be acting the same way if it was Natasha that needed rescuing."

The smile faded from Clint's face and he turned the slightest shade of pink. In a would be casual voice, he said, "Yeah, sure. If you say so."

Waverly rolled her eyes and punched her brother playfully in the shoulder. Clint nudged Waverly from the pilot's chair and took command of the jet. "I hate to rain on your lovey-dovey parade, but Loki's still a wanted criminal. Fury's not about to let you two run off and play house together."

Perching of the armrest of Loki's seat, Waverly felt her stomach twist in a knot. She knew things would never be easy for her and Loki, but somehow, she had always imagined that at the end of all this Other nonsense, she and Loki would be together… without the latter being in prison. Beside her, Loki tensed up as well and his usual scowl returned to his face. Before either of them could say anything, Clint continued.

"So, here's what I'm thinkin'." Clint twisted in his chair to look at his sister and the god of mischief. "Waverly, I'm not going to make you choose between me and Loki. It's obvious you two are good for each other. I won't stand in your way. But Fury isn't going to be happy about it. No matter how much Loki has helped us the past year, the director's not about to let him off the hook."

"What are you proposing, Clint?" Waverly asked.

"Just trust your big brother, all right? I've got this under control." Clint smiled almost as mischievously as Loki and gave his sister another wink. "Now, you get back there and rest. We'll be back on Earth in no time.'

Loki rolled his eyes. "Oh joy."

After a nap in the hyper-jet, Waverly felt much better. It helped that Loki had come back to join her. The second he wrapped her in his arms, Waverly was out. When she woke, Loki was gone. Probably back in the cockpit with Clint. Waverly went to the jet's small bathroom and cleaned and bandaged her various wounds. While standing over the sink, Waverly held a hand over the faucet. She wiggled her fingers. With a sound like cracking ice, the water falling from the spout froze into a single glistening column of ice. Waverly smiled as a comforting chill ran through her body. The effects of the anti-serum had finally worn off. Her powers were back; she was Ice Hawk again. Waverly finished washing up, brushed her hair, and found a spare pair of Clint's boots to wear. She was still dressed in her tattered pajamas, so Waverly kept Loki's cape wrapped tight around her. Waverly then found a bottle of water and an energy bar in one of Clint's packs. Munching on her... breakfast? (Waverly still had no clue what time it was or how long she had been in that cell) Waverly headed into the cockpit.

As she approached, she heard the low voices of Loki and her brother. The second she got close enough to eavesdrop, both the archer and the god stopped talking. Clint looked over his shoulder and smiled at Waverly. "Well, look who's up. Feel better?"

Waverly nodded. "What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Loki answered. He rose from the copilot's chair and pulled Waverly into a hug. "Sleep well, my dear?"

Waverly could tell Clint and Loki were keeping something from her, but it was such a relief to see them both in a good mood, she pushed the matter aside for the time being. She rose on her tiptoes and gave Loki a kiss. He had also cleaned up; it was as if the god had never been in battle with a crazy alien. Waverly noticed Clint had cleaned up as well. (So Loki had piloted the plane?! When did Clint have time to teach Loki how to fly?) Clint still had some bruises here and there, and Waverly could tell he had his ankle braced; a sprain maybe?

Looking out of the windshield, Waverly saw the blue-green expanse of Earth before them. They were almost home.

Following her gaze, Clint said, "We'll be entering the atmosphere in about twenty minutes. I'm bringing us in over the Pacific. Don't want to freak anyone out. Then it'll be a couple more hours before we're back in New York."

Waverly nodded. "So, I'm assuming Fury will be rolling out the welcome wagon when we get back?" She looked from Loki to Clint with an eyebrow raised.

Loki snorted with laughter.

"Uh, not exactly," Clint said. "We… we weren't authorized to go on this mission."

"Your brother stole this jet," Loki said with a wide smile.

Waverly sighed and shook her head. "And somehow, I'm not surprised." She leaned against Loki's chair and the god draped an arm around her waist. "So," she continued, "We get an earful from Fury. What else is new?"

Clint chuckled. "Good point. It's not like the three of us have never been on the receiving end of Fury's…"

"Fury?" Loki finished.

The three of them burst into laughter. It was a sign of how far all of them had come since that fateful day Loki tried to take over the world.

Soon, Clint was piloting the SHIELD hyper-jet across the Western half of America. They were cruising at a more reasonable speed of 500 miles an hour. While they flew, Clint, Loki, and Waverly exchanged stories of what had happened to each of them since Waverly's capture. Apparently, Waverly had been held captive for only three days of Earth time. With all their high speed travel, it hadn't felt like she had been gone that long. On the other hand, it seemed like she had spent an eternity alone in that cell, wondering what was happening with Loki and the Avengers. Clint and Loki explained how they stole the jet, flew to Waverly's rescue, and infiltrated Thanos' realm. Clint described how he had finally killed The Other and his battle with Thanos. But still, neither Clint nor Loki would tell Waverly what they had been whispering about while she was asleep. It irked her, but the two men (well, one man and one god), had just saved her life; she really couldn't be made at either of them.

In no time at all, they were approaching New York. The outer boroughs sprawled out below them. The sky line grew closer with every second. Clint slowed the jet and began their descent. Once Avenger's Tower was in sight, Clint deployed the landing gear. In a few minutes, the jet landed with a thud on the roof of the tower. Looking through the windshield, Waverly could see Fury and the rest of the team waiting for them. Fury looked, well furious. His arms were crossed tightly across his chest and he glared at the jet with his one eye as if it had just greatly insulted him. Waverly would have been nervous about facing an angry Fury but she was just so happy to be back home, she couldn't stop smiling. Around the director, the rest of the team was assembled. They looked much more happy to see the jet's return. Once Clint shut off the jet's engines, the hatch opened with a 'woosh.' Waverly hurried out, tripping a little over Loki's cape and her brother's too-big boots.

Fury opened his mouth and started to say something, but he stopped the moment Waverly threw her arms around his shoulders and gave him a hug. Fury stood blinking, utter shock replacing his look of rage.

"I'm so glad to be home!" Waverly said. She released Fury and then hugged Natasha, who looked equally as surprised and uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Clint and Loki had disembarked. Thor threw his massive arms around Loki, who vanished with a muffled yelp. "Brother! It is good you are not dead! You have returned victorious!"

Waverly went around and hugged the rest of the team, even Tony who greeted her with his usual, "Hey, Ice Princess."

Clint approached Natasha. The two assassins stood and regarded each other for a moment. Then, Natasha punched Clint on the shoulder. Clint winced and grabbed his arm. "What the hell was that for?"

"Next time, you take me with you. I'm your partner, not Loki." The smallest trace of a smile played about the Black Widow's lips.

Clint shook his head. "Yeah, missed you too, Tasha."

Loki finally extricated himself from Thor's grasp. The god of thunder then scooped Waverly up in a hug, lifting her a foot off the ground. "It is good to have you back safe and sound, Lady Barton."

"Thanks Thor," Waverly managed; it felt like Thor had cracked one of her ribs. "Now please, put me down."

Fury cleared his throat. "If we're all through with touchy-feely time, I'd like to see the three of you in my office. Now." Fury glared in turn at Clint, Loki, and Waverly before turning on his heel and marching back inside the tower.

Clint sighed and looked at Loki. "Well, we knew that was coming. Let's go."

"I can hardly contain my excitement," Loki drawled.

Fury was seated in his leather spin-y chair. Waverly couldn't imagine the director ever using the 'spin-y' function. His hands were folded on the top on his desk and his expression was calm. That scared Waverly more than if Fury had been sitting there shouting at them.

Waverly stood on the other side of the director's desk. Clint and Loki were on either side of her. They stood protectively over her, as if Fury were going to blame all of this on her since she was the one who had been captured.

When Fury spoke, his voice was calm and he addressed Waverly first. "Waverly, I'm glad you're all right. Head to the infirmary and get checked out. Then I'd like to see you back here. I want to know the details of your ordeal."

Waverly nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. That being said, you may go." Fury turned and glared at Clint and Loki. "As for you two…"

Waverly glanced nervously at her brother and Loki before slipping out of the director's office and heading to the infirmary.

Back in Fury's office, the SHIELD director was glaring daggers at one of his best agents and SHIELD's most wanted criminal. Fury stood from his chair and began pacing behind his desk. His hands were clasped behind his back, probably to prevent himself from strangling Clint and Loki. After a few minutes of tense silence, Fury stopped in his pacing and resumed glaring at the archer and the god.

"You two disobeyed a direct order!" Fury wasn't shouting (yet), but he was clearly angrier than he had ever been before. "Blatant insubordination! Both of you!" Fury threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Wait, what am I saying? Loki, you're not even one of my agents. You should be locked up in a cell down on the detention level!" Fury glared at Loki as if daring him to argue, then began pacing again.

"And Barton. I understand that Waverly is your sister, but this is what the third, fourth time you've disobeyed a direct order from me regarding her?" Fury clenched and unclenched his fists as if struggling to remain calm. "One of my best agents. An example for the rest of the organization. And you steal one of my jets! Against a direct order to stand down while a rescue mission was planned. Not to mention disabling the communication system and working with a wanted criminal! One who had previously brainwashed you into acting as his personal killing machine!"

Fury paced another few steps before dropping back down into his chair. His face was a mix of frustration and exhaustion. "I have half a mind just to lock the pair of you up right now, but explain yourselves. Both of you."

Clint and Loki exchanged a glance.

"Sir," Clint began, "I recognize that I disobeyed a direct order."

"And stole my jet!"

"And stole your jet," Clint added, "But, forgive me, if it had been Natasha or Rogers that had been kidnapped, would you have waited to send out a rescue team?" Before Fury could answer, no doubt by yelling, Clint pressed on. "You wouldn't have. Waverly is as much a member of this team as they are. She's just as valuable. And she's my sister. I knew Loki and I could save her. So yes, as one of your agents and as an Avenger, I blatantly disobeyed you. But as a brother, as the person who raised Waverly, I couldn't sit around and do nothing. I knew Loki couldn't either. We went to The Other's realm. We rescued Waverly, killed The Other, and identified his master; the one who's so intent on destroying all of us. I'd say our mission was successful on multiple levels. So, I ask you, Director Fury, to think about that before you make any rash decisions."

For a moment, Clint had thought he'd gone too far. Fury's one eye was a slit so thin, Clint wondering how the director could even see him. After a few minutes in which Clint heard nothing but the pounding of his heart in his ears, Fury relaxed ever so slightly.

"You make a fair argument, Barton," Fury's voice was careful. "Perhaps I did not make the right decision when deciding not to immediately pursue Waverly. Your mission was indeed a success; though you were very lucky. It could have gone horribly wrong. As for killing The Other, well done. I expect a full report on that as soon as we are done here. As well as one regarding this master of his."

The director kept his gaze on Clint for a second longer before turning to Loki. "Now," Fury said, "there is the pressing matter of you."

"Sir, if I may," Clint said quickly.

Fury's eye shot back to Clint, his eyebrow raised questioningly. "Yes, Barton?"

Clint looked from Loki to Fury. "I know Loki has a lot to answer for. But without him, I wouldn't have been able to save my sister. And without him, we wouldn't have been able to fend off the Frost Giants when they came to Earth. We wouldn't have been able to hold off The Other when he had the Tesseract. Loki's changed, sir. The whole team sees it. I'm not saying he should be forgiven for what he's done, but his actions since then should count for something. He's helped this team, your team. Saved our necks a couple times. He rescued Waverly, your agent when you wouldn't even send a team out for her."

Beside Clint, Loki was completely floored. Barton was sticking up for him? Barton was pleading his case? After all that Loki had done. After Loki had controlled Clint's mind. Loki tried to keep the surprise from his face, but it was impossible. Clint was defending him.

Fury and Clint stared at each other for a long time. Neither of them spoke. Loki didn't dare break the silence. He looked from the SHIELD director to the archer, watching their test of wills.

Finally, in a voice of restrained calm, Fury said, "What are you suggesting, Agent Barton?"

Clint's eyes didn't leave Fury's face as he answered. "Pursue Loki if you must. But in light of what he's done for our team, give him a head start."

Loki watched as another staring match began. Clint's face was set with determination and he didn't blink once as the director stared him down. Meanwhile, Fury's one eye had narrowed back into a dangerous slit. Loki hardly believed his ears when he finally heard the director speak.

"Very well. One day's head start Loki. You better start running."