I was just washing my face when I felt the explosion. I was blown across my room, rubble flying everywhere, debris scattering around me. I looked up and noticed the gaping hole in the wall of my room. On instinct I leapt up and grabbed Nicholas' uniform on the model and put it in the cupboard, making sure it wouldn't fly out of the room along with my other possessions. His uniform and the necklace along with a photo album was all I saved of our past.

I was already in my leather suit, the back free for my wings and it clung to my body yet was strangely comfortable, glistening bronze like my wings. I opened the door, only to find two agents who I didn't recognise outside. They turned and blasted me but I shielded their blow with my wings and threw them open again as sharp feathers slammed into their chests, sending them flying against the wall. Loki's troops had arrived. More came and I dealt with them easily, only to be met by Coulson whose entrance was very welcome.

"One of the engines is down," he said breathlessly, "but Cap and Stark are on it. Banner's Hulked out and Thor's dealing with him and Widow's gone to deal with Barton."

"But what about Loki?" I ask. "What if he escapes?"

Five men charged up the corridor and I had to shield Coulson from their gun fire. I briefly opened my wings so he could shoot them with his impossibly accurate aim in the head.

"We've got to deal with these guys first," he said. He fired at them and I leapt upon them, punching them in the face and blasting them with one large explosion of alien power.

"You secure the main deck, I'll go take care of Loki," said Coulson to me once we'd finished them off.

"Perhaps you should leave him to me," I said.

Coulson shook his head. "I know where they keep the big guns, I'll be fine. Besides, there's a large group heading for the main deck and only you would be able to take them out before they reach it. Now go, Scott."

I nodded abruptly and agreed as we went our separate ways. Eventually I stumbled upon the group and it was easy to see that S.H.I.E.L.D and Fury were having issues with keeping them away. I blasted a large group of them, slaughtered a few others, and punched a few other guys in the face before I went to secure Fury's position.

"About time, Scott," he said. "Where's Agent Coulson?"

"Bringing the big guns to Loki," I replied. "How are Steve and Tony doing?"

"I don't know, but if Loki escapes, then we've not only lost our only source of information, but the Tesseract, and possibly the world."

The realisation of my recent mistake became apparent as he spoke the words. I shouldn't have left Coulson to Loki, the God was unpredictable. "I'll go deal with Loki," I said to Nick Fury as I rushed off to navigate my way around the ship. What I found when I arrived at the cell horrified me. There Coulson lay against the wall, blood dripping from the hole in his chest. Instinctively, I reached down to try and stop the bleeding, even though it was useless.

"Get Loki," he whispered weakly. "Don't let him…"

"I know, Phil," I said. "I'll make sure he pays for this."

"Beat the shit out of him for me, will ya Scott?" He said, making me smile.

"My pleasure." Then I rose and scanned the room. In the side was a hole blown into the wall. Coulson must have shot Loki through there…good on him. I stepped through it only to find no one there. That was odd. Then I felt a pain rip through my jaw as someone's fist collided with my mouth, sending me against the wall. Loki picked me up and threw me across the room before I could get back up. I blasted him, sending him away from me, but he was behind me in a moment, grabbing my wings and sending me to my knees with agonising pain as his fingers dug into my wings.

"See?" He says grimly. "You kneel to me."

I grabbed his leg and sent him to the ground before I slammed my body weight into him and punched him in the face. He rolled me over, then I rolled him over and the struggle was endless as we matched each other equally, both of us worthy opponents against the other.

Eventually Loki landed a quick punch to my stomach, causing me to swell with pain. Then he beat me again until I couldn't stand. Now I noticed the staff in his hand. I lay on the ground and he looked down upon me. Gradually he lifted his spear, pointing it directly at my heart. It glowed violently as he prepared to deliver my fate, so I closed my eyes expecting pain. But nothing. When I opened them, he had gone. Loki spared my life? Why had he done that? If it was anyone else he would have killed them, even Thor, but he had left me alive.

The encounter left me a little shaken and I stumbled into the main deck. Cap and Stark sat at the table, Romanoff, I was informed, was dealing with Barton and Thor and Hulk were somewhere we didn't know. I joined them, stumbling over to my chair where Cap, Stark and I then sat in silence, Coulson's death hanging heavily on our shoulders, the ruins of the ship a reminder of our mistake. The Avengers Initiative had failed.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket," said Fury, "Guess he never did get you to sign them." He threw the cards towards Steve where they scattered before him, crinkled with blood. Steve stared at them miserably. I remembered the day I had helped Phil find what he wanted. Because I had been there at the time, Nic had saved a collection of them in the hopes he could give them to our son in remembrance of his best friend who had disappeared in the ice. But that never happened. So I'd given them happily to Coulson as a birthday gift, and we'd been close ever since. I would tell him sometimes about Steve, about the war, and he'd seemed genuinely interested. I liked Coulson, and now he too was dead.

"We're dead in the air up here," said Fury as Steve reached for one of the cards. "Our communications. Location of the cube. Banner. Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye." He shook his head. "Maybe I had that coming." He strolled sullenly around the table as he confessed to us all, admitting S.H.I.E.L.D's secrets that we all longed to know. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though because I was playing for something even riskier." He paused, glancing at Stark who had his head turned away. "There was an idea," he began, "Stark knows this, called 'The Avengers Initiative.' The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people. See if they could become something more, see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea." Stark stopped twiddling his thumbs at that remark. I glanced up at Steve whose eyes met mine with only guilt. "In heroes."

Stark stood abruptly, paused and left the room without explanation.

"Well," said Fury, "it's an old fashioned notion."

I sighed loudly. "I should never have left Coulson to Loki," I said, rubbing my temples. "If I'd been there, maybe he wouldn't have escaped. Maybe Phil would still be…"

"It's no good thinking about the past now, Scott," said Fury. "What's done cannot be undone."

I stood up slowly, trying to find balance. "Once again I've failed someone I loved." Without glancing looks at either of them, I sped away, desperate for some air, well, my room. I needed to breathe, but I could barely do it here. In this floating fortress, where grief was as thick in the atmosphere as the blood on the floor.

There was an abrupt knock at my door and I opened it to find Steve there.

"You got a suit?" He said.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Then suit up. We've gotta take down Loki."

I smiled. "Same old Captain America, getting into trouble for the sake of others."

This made him grin. "A little ice doesn't change a person, ma'am."

"Ma'am? Do you remember nothing?"

"Can't have the death of chivalry now, can we?" He said as he walked off. I watched him, his height, his broad shoulders, his strong frame. He had a body as big as his heart. Well…almost. Poor Peggy missed her shot, he was one of a kind, and probably the last of a dying breed.

It was not long until I was flying beside Stark, our plan in action and aware that we had to save the world from Loki and a bunch of aliens he was planning on bringing through a portal. What we really had to focus on doing was closing down the portal and killing the aliens that made it through as well as securing the Tesseract to bring the battle to a conclusion. Sounds easy enough.

I held back as I let Stark do his thing, hanging around on a roof top. He attempted blasting the Tesseract, but that didn't work. He paused and then, for some strange reason, he touched down near Loki and shed his armour. What the hell was he doing! I then witnessed Stark as he was thrown out of his own building by Loki a few minutes later, his Iron Man armour following behind him. He collected himself just before he hit the ground, picking up and lifting off into the air again. Show off. He rose again to confront Loki and blasted him back inside the Stark tower, just as the Tesseract burst into life, taking me and the rest of New York completely by surprise.

A great bright light ripped through the sky and tour a giant hole above us, where aliens on hover chariots began to filter through like flies. I joined Iron Man on his pursuit, attacking the first aliens to enter Earth's atmosphere. Stark took out many with his missiles and me too with my accurate blasts, but they still continued to come, filing into New York and gliding through the roads and streets, threatening the safety of the citizens. Screams filled the air and blasts fired all across the city, bright explosions lighting the streets, glass shattering, cars crashing, debris flying, it was mayhem.

The 'K' from the Stark Tower tumbled down towards the city. I temporarily detached myself from the attack to change its course of direction so that it fell where there were no people. Then the aliens continued their chase, blasting me and jumping for me. One managed a leap and took me down into the streets where I crashed against the concrete. I deflected the next blow from its gun and landed a punch to its stomach before blasting it myself, but more came. I stood alone against countless others.

Suddenly Romanoff and Barton sped by in the jet, shooting down the aliens that threatened to pursue me on their strange hover chariots.

"About time," I said into the ear piece.

"Just get shooting," came Clint's gruff reply. "We've got our work cut out for us."

I leapt into the air, following their ship that readied itself to shoot Loki, who was battling Thor viscously on the roof. But as soon as they were within range, Loki pushed Thor away and blasted one of the jet's engines. I had to grab the ship to steady it, but I was not super strong. Nevertheless I tried to hold it steady, but it was proving difficult. The landing was rough and I skidded across the ground…no, I kind of flipped over it like someone skipping a flat stone across a lake, and it hurt like a bitch.

The door to the jet opened and Steve approached me swiftly, lifting me from the rubble.

"You alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine," I replied, brushing off the dust. "You just worry about yourself."

"You think you can take them out?" Steve asked me as we looked at the Stark Tower.

"I don't think, I know," I replied. "But can you handle it, Rogers? You might get your sweet little arse kicked?"

"You think my ass is sweet?"

The only answer I gave him was a smile before I leapt into action. I'd left the Avengers to do as they will, but whenever I saw aliens flying around, I allowed them to chase me in order to get them off of Stark's tail. I swung round tight corners, losing a few who couldn't quite turn in time, I sped into tunnels, through buildings, around cars, blasting them as I went along, taking them out only to collect more along the way.

But then I heard it. Something big was coming. I glanced up at the sky, and sure enough a big ass alien was making its way into the city. I looked like some kind of armoured aquatic dinosaur that swam through the sky. I might have thought it looked pretty awesome, if it wasn't about to destroy New York and the rest of Earth. More aliens leapt off of it like it was a ship and as it sailed along the sky line it caused absolute destruction, destroying buildings, crashing into things, threatening the lives of many. I had to do something.

That was when I noticed Loki was on one of the hover scooters. I glanced at the flying dinosaur, seeing Iron Man flying alongside it. I suppose Stark could handle himself. So I chased after Loki, and he knew I was on his tail. Eventually we collided and found ourselves in an abandoned ware house. I slammed him against column after column, landing hit after hit until he was lying on the floor in front of me.

"Why didn't you kill me?" I yelled at him. He didn't answer. He just stared at me. "Answer me!"

Instead of doing as I asked, he rose from the ground and stalked towards me. I backed away in the hopes that he would get the idea that I didn't want him near me, but he picked up speed and pined me roughly against the wall. Then he leaned in and whispered into my ear: "I've come too far to go back. If I don't complete my mission, they'll come for me." Then he took a step back and grabbed onto his hover chariot, flying off into the air again. Although this baffled me, I followed eagerly, only to be cut off by a huge alien, flying directly above me. Now was the time to fight, not to follow.

I tried to aid Stark in bringing down one of the big boys, but he just wouldn't break. Instead he turned towards us, cutting through some buildings as it turned and causing debris to crash into the streets.

"Well," said Stark, "we got his attention. What the hell was step two?"

"Run?" I suggested.

"Great idea."

We both darted away, aware of the beast following us. We darted and flew and sped and rushed, but we couldn't shake it.

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," said Thor over the ear piece. He wasn't wearing one, but Captain America was. He must have been standing close to him, because now we could hear their conversation, even if we had to strain a little to hear properly.

"Thor's right, we gotta deal with these guys," said Tony.

"How do we do this?" Asked Romanoff.

"As a Team," replied Steve.

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor stated gruffly.

"Yeah?" Said Barton. "Well get in line."

"Save it," commanded Steve, focusing on the task at hand. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark and Scott up top, they're gonna need us too…"

He dropped off. What was going on down there? Had they just been killed?

"Steve?" I said, wanting to make sure he was alive.

"Banner just turned up," he replied.

"Really?"

"Really. Stark, we got him."

"Banner?" Tony replied.

"Just like you said."

"Then tell him to suit up."

I rolled my eyes. That better not be our catch phrase, I could swear it belonged to Barney Stinson.

"I'm bringing the party to you," said Stark as we both rounded the corner of a building. The enormous bad boy followed behind us, roaring as it did so. In that moment, I just wished I was on the ground to see the look on their faces.

"I don't see how that's a party," said Romanoff, making me laugh.

We held it low, its metallic fins slicing up the roads as it plummeted towards the Avengers at ground breaking speed. I witnessed as the little man standing in the road suddenly became a huge green monster, landing its fist right in the face of the beast, causing it to tip right over him and crash towards the others.

"Hold on," said Stark as he shot one of his missiles into the beast so it exploded before it flattened everyone else. The aliens around us roared with surprise and hatred. But I had to admit, that was pretty awesome.

Hulk roared as Iron Man and I came to a touch down next to the other Avengers. The one moment when we finally stood untied against the greatest threat mankind had ever seen. But more came, more little ones plus the big daddies. Great.

"Guys?" said Romanoff.

"Call it Captain," said Stark.

"Alright listen up," commanded Rogers, "until we can close that portal, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything, call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter, anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

"Wanna give me a lift?" Barton asked Stark.

"Right," he replied with a nod, "better clench up, Legolas." He grabbed Hawkeye and blasted off into the sky. The excitement in my veins was humming so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it.

"Thor," said Cap, "you gotta try and bottle neck that portal. Slow him down. You got the lightning, light the bastards up."

Thor spun his hammer, causing the wind around us to pick up, and leapt off into the sky.

"Rose," he said, temporarily forgetting that I didn't want to be called by that name. "Get into the sky. Take out the big guys and make it easier for Stark."

"Got it," I replied and leapt into the air, heading straight for my new favourite aliens…apart from E.T. Just behind me I could hear Hulk leap into the air and I watched with smug satisfaction as he smashed the aliens clinging to the buildings into the walls. Thor clung onto the Empire State building and commanded his element. Storm clouds swarmed around us and lighting began to crash through the skies. I sped up towards a large alien, so fast that I went straight through it and the one behind too. They both toppled to the ground, but there were still more of them coming. Still, I revelled in my moment of victory. "Not too shabby for a granny," I said to myself.

Lighting buzzed past me towards the portal entrance, where aliens were disintegrated just as they entered. Explosions and lights lit up the grey sky as aliens were slain and fell to the earth. I darted down and took out a few coming for Hawkeye, before flying alongside Stark and taking out those on his tail, after that I joined Cap and kicked a few in the face, which felt good. I felt like I was actually starting to have some fun. I flew further down the street where another big one came charging though. I paused on the road, breathed deeply, gathered all my energy sources and let it out in one massive blast of energy that smashed all the glass in the buildings. The aliens burst into ash and scattered over the streets, all that remained were the skeletons of cars and black ash. I had the power to be a nuclear bomb if I wanted to.

"What the hell was that?" Said Stark down the ear piece.

"A little move I like to call Avada Kedavra," I replied.

"Harry Potter references, really?"

"You mentioned Legolas earlier," I retorted.

"Guys, not now," said Cap.

"Alright," Stark and I murmured at the same time.

The military came in and I reported immediately.

"Get everyone underground and out of sight," I yelled at them, "but get your men along the streets and send out some big ass missiles cos we got ourselves a big ass problem!" They nodded abruptly to me before I leapt off, speeding vertically up the face of a building and blasting aliens on my way up. I tipped over the edge and looked at the destruction that lay before me. Big aliens flew and destroyed as they went, smaller aliens filled the streets, gunfire sounded in the air like heavy rain in a tempest. This was war. I remembered it clearly in that moment. The moment when I had faked being a man to go to the front line. I had survived, but I never went back again. The horror of battle was no longer a blurred memory. I could hear Nicholas's voice as we ran across No Man's land. I could see the thick gas before us. I could smell the stench of death as bodies rotted over barbed wire fences and lay in pieces in the mud, now red with the blood of men. But I could feel Nicholas's hand in mine. I could feel him pull me to safety as we invaded the enemy trenches and won. I remember that moment of triumph when he had kissed me and told me he was going to make sure I got home safely. I could feel a single tear run down my cheek.

Suddenly I saw Widow…riding an alien. That amused me slightly. But then I saw Loki on her tail. In that moment, I wanted him dead. For taking Nicholas's face and treating it so badly, for being so scornful, for causing war when he had no idea what the consequences were. I would make him pay. I saw Hawkeye's arrow sail through the air, but Loki caught it with his hand. But being Barton's arrow, it exploded and propelled Loki through the air. Hulk joined him and threw him into the Stark Tower. Well, if anyone was going to beat the shit out of a god, it was bound to be the Hulk.

Thor caught my eye as he fought on a chariot and so I joined him in battle.

"Nice of you to join me, Scott," he said as he punched one in the face.

"My pleasure," I replied.

All of a sudden, a massive beasty burst through a building, causing it to pancake on itself. Iron Man joined and lazered the thing, but its armour was too thick. He went around the front and sped straight through it, setting off explosions as he did so and crashing to the ground as he emerged out the other side. He was losing power and being shot at by the enemy, so I saved him some effort and blasted a few aliens on his behalf. Rose to the rescue.

"Stark, you hear me?" I could hear Fury over the battle through my ear piece. I hoped Tony would reply, I was holding the aliens off as long as I could. "You have a missile headed straight for the city."

"What!" I yelled with surprise.

"How long?" Asked Stark as he rose to battle.

"Three minutes, max."

"I repeat: What!"

What he said next was blurred over the hit to the back of my head one of the aliens landed. It grabbed me by the wings and threw me into a building so hard that I shot out the other side, my body crying out with agony, the cracked rib Loki had so kindly given me previously, broke yet again, even with my super human healing abilities. I pulled a large shard of glass out from my back, aware that I was now loosing blood and consciousness. Everything was blurred and fuzzy, moving too quickly, separating before my eyes. I saw Iron Man fly off ahead, but I couldn't follow, not in this state. I had been broken. My spine, I knew, was beyond repair. I was moments away from death. A missile was heading for the city, and I couldn't stop it. The Avengers fought well but to no avail. Tears welled in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks as aliens sped past me, not sparing me a second glance. They knew I was going to die anyway, but no one would spare me the pain of a slow death.

"I can close it." Romanoff's voice drifted faintly towards me, but it was like a whisper in my mind. Still, I felt hope in those dream-like words. Perhaps we did not fail after all. Perhaps I would finally die a hero. "Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down."

"Do it!" Yelled Steve into the ear piece.

"No, wait," said Stark.

"Stark these things are still coming!" Said Cap desperately.

"I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute."

Come on, Stark… I urged him silently in my mind. Save the world… Avenge Couslon…

"And I know just where to put it," he said.

"Stark," replied Cap sullenly, "you know that's a one way trip."

"Save the rest for the turn, J," said Stark, ignoring Cap and speaking to J.A.R.V.I.S instead.

But my mind wandered. I remembered my wedding day. There was snow on the ground. Everywhere. It was so beautiful in the English country side, so wonderful that I didn't care about the cold. I remember walking up the aisle, the look on Nicholas's face as I approached. I remember our vows, the way he lifted my veil and how we sealed our promises with a kiss. It was the best memory I had, so I didn't mind it coming into my thoughts during my last moments. At least I would die with a smile on my face and tears of joy in my eyes. My Nicholas would be waiting for me on the other side.

"Rose! Rose!"

I heard my voice being yelled into the ear piece. It was Steve.

"Rose! Help Stark!"

I didn't have enough energy to reply.

"Rose! Where are you! Are you there!"

I swallowed. My mouth was dry. But I wanted to say good bye, to all of them. For giving me something to fight for in the end. The aliens around me suddenly collapsed, the big boys falling onto the buildings and dying. Stark had done it. He'd saved the world. Just as the nuclear bomb ignited and the force if it was preparing to enter the atmosphere, the portal closed. How, I do not know. Iron Man's body fell through it just in time, and I breathed peacefully.

A large sign fell from a building, falling over me, clouding me in darkness, as if God wanted to make my passing easier. No more blinding lights. No more gunfire. No more war. This was the end of it all. Now I could have peace.

There was silence for a long time. But then my ear piece came to life. I could hear the voices of the Avengers calling to me, searching for me.

"Rose!" I heard Steve call. "Are you alive?"

I gathered my strength. In my last moments, I would admit all that I could, just so that at least my friends knew me for who I really was and not who I pretended to be.

"S…Steve?" I said weakly.

"Rose!" He replied franticly. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

"D…d…did we…did we win?"

"We did, Rose, we did. Where are you?"

"T…Tasha…you there?"

"I'm here, Scott, I mean, Rose," she said. I could tell by their voices that they were running, quite fast too.

"I know you don't…don't get…attached to people…but I hope I…I can safely say…that you're my…friend."

"Always."

I smiled wearily. "Good…don't let Hewes have my locker, will ya?"

"I'll guard it with my life."

"Is Thor there?"

"I am here, Scott," he replied in his deep voice. "What is it you need?"

"I need…need you to promise…me some…thing."

"Whatever it is, I will do my best to keep it."

"Look after Jane for me…will ya? She's a good friend…but always…gets into trouble."

He chuckled slightly. "That is a promise I hope to fulfil."

"And…"

"Yes?"

"Punch…punch Loki in the face…for me…real hard…please."

Now his laugh was louder. "My pleasure."

"We've locked onto her energy signature," said Stark to the others. "She's just down this road to the right."

"We're coming, Rose," said Steve.

I could hear their footsteps approaching, but now blackness was forming in the sides of my eyes, making it harder for me to see. Death was sweeping in fast, preparing to claim me finally after being delayed a visit for so long. Hulk pushed away the billboard and the light blinded me. Then I felt my body being pulled into someone's lap, someone who cradled my head carefully and leant over me, blocking the sun. Steve.

"I know your face," I said. "Capsicle."

He chuckled slightly, tears pooling in his eyes. "We're gonna get you help, Rose, I promise."

"No…" I said, "my spine…it's too bad…cannot fix it."

"Please," he begged, the tears spilling down his cheeks, "I can't lose everyone. You're the only person I have left. Please don't leave me."

I reached my hand up weakly to my neck and pointed to my locket. "Take this…"

"No," he shook his head.

"Take it…"

"No."

"Take it…and always remember me, Steve…okay? And Nic…don't forget Nic."

"Never."

"The world will always need…Captain America."

"Please…"

I smiled sadly. "You're a good…man, Steve." Then I glanced around. "Hulk…" I said and he edged closer. "Hey…you're not so bad…for an ogre." He grunted. "Just thought…you should…know." I could see Tash was in tears, even Stark had glossy eyes. Pretty much all of them did. Even Loki had shed a tear for me, which surprised me most of all for I was the only one who seemed to notice the layer of water in his deep blue eyes. "You aren't…crying are you?" It was a general question, but in my heart I knew it was aimed at Loki, even if I did receive no reply from him.

Tasha laughed. "Don't ruin the moment, Scott."

"Just…trying to make the world…bright," I said. "There…isn't any pride…"

"…without the glory," finished Steve. It was what Nicholas used to say.

"Yeah…" I said "…something like that."

The light in front of me what getting brighter. I knew this was the end. I wouldn't have any famous last words, I didn't know what to say. But I heard Nicholas's voice. He was calling me, calling me home. I wanted to go. I had to go. Back to him, back to my Nicholas. "I'm coming Nicholas," I said. "I'm coming…home."

Tasha knelt beside me and clutched my hand. "You go home, Rose. Go back to Nicholas. He's waiting for you."

I looked into her blue eyes, smiled and allowed the last of my tears to fall. "Good bye…my friends…perhaps…we will meet again…Thor and Loki…are… exceptions." This made them all chuckle sadly.

"You fought well," said Steve, sobering a little. "You're a great soldier."

"Thanks," I replied and touched his face lightly. "Find Peggy…tell her…I said hi…"

"I will," he said, holding my hand to his face, "I promise."

"Good…" Suddenly there were fields all around me. My old home. I climbed the hummock that over looked our farm, and there, attending to the horses in the paddock, was Nicholas. He looked up at me and waved. I was home. "If this be a dream," I mutter, "I don't ever want to wake up."

"I don't doubt that you will," replied Steve, brushing the hair from my face.

"I'm at the farm, Steve," I told him, "Nicholas is waiting for me."

"Go to him, Rose. You've been away from home too long, its time you had a rest."

"I'll just…close my eyes…and rest…for a bit." And then there was silence, peace and darkness. My pain had ended. I was home.

Steve Rogers looked down on the body of his friend. He touched her still warm face as his tears rained down upon her, making the dried blood on her face run. His last friend…gone. Peggy was alive, but she wouldn't be for too long. Rose was the last person he had left who could finish his life with him. But now she lay dead in his arms. "Rose?" He said, shaking her, hoping she would by some slim chance wake up and smile again. "Rose?" But it was useless. He knew she was dead. She died saving Earth. She died a hero.

He looked up at Loki, glaring at him dangerously. "Have you shed enough blood?" He growled. "Have you killed enough people? Are you satisfied with the destruction you have caused?"

"Steve," said Romanoff, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "Let's get her back to S.H.I.E.L.D. She wouldn't want to see you this way."

Coulson and Rose were placed next to each other in a church, all cleaned up and dressed nicely for their burial. They were placed on alters, side by side, so the world could see the sacrifice they had made to keep Earth safe. Steve made sure their names were remembered, what they had done, how well they fought. He recalled his days in the war alongside Bucky, and Nicholas, and Peggy, and Rose. There he sat in front of his dead companions. He barely knew Coulson, but from what Stark had told him, Phil sounded like a good man.

He rose, looked upon the bodies and trudged slowly away, out of the church. But had he stayed a little longer, he would have noticed the sun light take a new direction and fall upon Rose. Her skin glowed, her hair shined, her wounds healed, her finger twitched. Around her the flowers began to grow and bloom brightly, the sun shone greatly and light filled the church. Steve turned and watched but could not see for the light was too bright and blinding. A miracle was taking place within its walls as new life was restored to an old form.

Eventually it died down, and with it the expectations of Steve Rogers. I timidly stepped into the church, climbed the steps to the alter and observed the features of his dead friends. Still they lay silent and unmoving, and in that moment Steve noticed how beautiful Rose was, and it was that beauty which had captivated the heart of his friend so many decades ago. He sighed deeply, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched her still face.

Then, her eyes opened.