Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.


Off

"Is it just me, or has Harper been a bit…off?" Avery threw the baseball to Steve, who caught it easily.

Steve frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Avery shrugged, catching the ball Steve threw back, and winding up to throw it again. "I dunno. It just seems like Harper's been a little, well…quiet."

"She's been pretty busy." Steve guessed. "Maybe she's just tired?"

"Maybe." Avery frowned. "But I just don't know. Maybe you should talk to her?" He tried.

Steve nodded slowly. "I haven't actually sat down and talked to her in about a week." He admitted. "Since The Manhattan Project event we helped with." He shrugged. "I'll talk to her tonight and see what's up." He promised.

Avery smiled, relieved. "Good." He threw the ball, a little harder than before. "I just want to make sure she's all right…that she's not mad at anyone."

Steve nodded. "I'll check it out…but she doesn't really get mad at people." Then his brow furrowed. "Usually." He hedged.

A thought hit him. Oh god.

Did Harper know something?

Or…Maybe she WAS mad….at HIM.


Mad

"Are you mad at me?"

Harper looked up from her homework, brow furrowed. "What?" She asked blankly.

Steve took the seat across from Harper at their kitchen table. "Are you mad at me?" He said again.

Harper narrowed her eyes, then closed her binder and clasped her hands together on top of the table.

Uh oh. Bad sign.

"What would I have to be mad at you about?" She asked, voice light.

Another bad sign. Steve winced.

"Uhhhh…I'm not exactly sure." He admitted. "But…you ARE mad at me?"

Harper sighed shoulders slumping.

A third bad sign….Steve was in trouble.

"Steve," Harper began wearily, and Steve's eyes widened.

Steve?! This was SERIOUS.

"I'm not mad at you." She admitted. "I'm…disappointed."

Steve cringed. "Why?"

Harper shook her head. "I thought we said no more secrets?"

Steve bit his lip.

It was much worse than he'd originally thought.

She KNEW.

"We did." He hedged. "And I was going to tell you, I PROMISE, but,"

"But what?" Harper frowned. "You were worried about how I was going to take it? That I would be upset?"

Steve shrugged. "This is a big deal." He tried to explain. "I didn't want to just blurt it out,"

"So you decided not to say anything at all?" Harper shook her head. "Steve….we promised each other, NO MORE SECRETS."

"I know." Steve nodded quickly. "We did."

Harper leaned forward. "Did you think me knowing would change things?" She asked.

Steve shrugged. "It IS kind of a big deal." He admitted.

"Steve." Harper shook her head. "Morris isn't a threat to you, I promise."

"I just," Steve frowned. "Wait…what?"

"Morris is my biological father and I do want to get to know him," Harper shrugged, "But that doesn't mean I'll abandon you for him. You were never a replacement for him, and I won't ditch you now that my "real" dad is here."

Steve frowned. "We're talking about Morris being you're biological dad?" He clarified.

Harper frowned. "What else would we be talking about?"

Steve shook his head slowly. "Nothing?" He tried. Harper's eyes narrowed, so he tried again, less as a question.

"Nothing!" He promised. He frowned. "How'd you find out about Morris?"

Harper smirked. "My doctor brought it up at my check-up a few days ago."

"Oh." Steve nodded slowly. "Does Morris know you know?"

"Oh yeah." Harper nodded matter of fact. "I broke into his house that same day to confront him."

"Broke in?" Steve shook his head. "Harper, that's bad-"

"Well, it's already done." Harper shrugged. "Chill out, dad."

Steve's heart warmed. She knew her real dad was around and wanting a relationship…but HE was still "dad".

Harper smirked when she realized why Steve was smiling so brightly.

"I want to get to know the guy." Harper said again. "But he's not you."

Steve flushed. Then he furrowed his brows. "So…we're good?"

"For now." Harper nodded. "Yeah, we're good."

Steve nodded. "Great!" They were silent for a moment, then he leaned forward. "So…Is it awkward between the two of you?"

"I dunno." Harper admitted. "I've kind of been avoiding him."

"Harp," Steve chastised, and Harper shrugged.

"I know, I know, not the best idea, but I needed time." She admitted. "I'll talk to him soon."

Steve pursed his lips, and Harper raised her hands.

"I promise!" She added. Then she snapped her fingers. "I know! We have that big group dinner tomorrow night? I'll invite him…so everyone can meet the guy."

Steve smiled. "That would be a good idea." He agreed.

"I know!" Harper jumped up. "I'm chock full of those things." She winked. She skipped to her room then paused.

"But we're on the same page now right?" She asked seriously. "Nothing else you want to get off your chest while I'm in a forgiving mood?"

Steve paused. Then he shook his head.

"Nothing I can think of." He said brightly.

"Great. Good." Harper beamed. "Let's keep it that way."

She skipped away, and Steve winced.

Crap.


The Dinner

"Hey guys."

"Harper!" The table smiled brightly at the last addition to the table, and her guest.

"You guys know Detective Morris," She turned to the suit-clad man behind her. "Also known as my biological father."

"Whoa!" Will joked, standing to shake Morris' hand. "I didn't know those still existed."

"Neither did I," Harper said dryly, taking a seat next to Steve and offering Morris the chair on her other side.

Morris opened his mouth to say something, but Harper waved a hand. "A joke." She smiled at him. "We're cool."

Morris nodded slowly. "Right, Ok." He smiled at the rest of the table. "It's weird to be sitting with all of you." He admitted. "I feel like I'm sitting with royalty."

"Nah, that's just Thor." Tony smirked. "Although Steve and I will be running for the presidency next election."

"We will NOT be," Steve argued. He leaned over Harper to smile at Morris. "We're slightly normal with more dysfunctional pasts than most people." He described, and Morris nodded.

"Accurate summary." He joked.

Harper beamed. "That was the thesis for my history paper." She alerted.

"The one you were practically crying about?" Avery asked.

Harper shrugged. "That's the one."

"Have you got a score back yet?" Scottie asked, passing Tasha the breadsticks. Tasha smiled in thanks and ripped one in half.

"What do you think she got?" Steve smirked. "If she'd gotten anything less than an A the whole world would've heard her cries of rage."

Harper made a face. "Bite me." She punched Steve lightly on the shoulder. "Hey Tony!" She looked over with a bright grin. "The Manhattan project is doing a Turkey Handout for Thanksgiving, and they wanted to know if you felt like donating or walking one of the routes for the night?"

Tony made a face. "Can I get away with donating and not helping with handouts?"

Harper shook her head brightly. "Everyone else has already agreed to take a route." She said, and Tony sighed.

"Fine." He grunted. "I'll do one too." He pointed a finger. "But only because you asked."

Harper grinned, victorious. The conversation at the table turned to other topics, and Harper listened, content to not say anything at the moment. Her grin slowly bled away as she overheard a conversation going on a few feet away.

"Excuse me." A bright female voice spoke up. "Are you the manager?"

"That I am. How may I assist you, miss?"

"This is Beckett." The woman spoke. "He's hungry, and I'd like to order him a meal, but I have somewhere I have to be. Is there any way I can pay for the meal in advance and he can order whatever he'd like?"

The manager paused, not saying anything for a moment. "Sure." He said, his voice slightly less welcoming. "We can do that."

"Wonderful!" The woman spoke brightly. "Beckett, enjoy your meal. Keep warm ok?"

"Thank you miss." A gruff voice answered the woman. "You didn't have to do this. I would've been fine outside."

"Nonsense." The woman brushed away the man's thanks. "It's the holidays. Everyone should be able to eat inside, especially in this weather."

"But this place…" The man tried. "It's fancy. It's too much."

"If anyone deserves to eat in a place like this." The woman spoke firmly. "It's someone who's fought overseas. Now…enjoy your meal."

Harper turned slightly to see the young woman lean over and hug the dark-skinned man who stood next to her, in worn ragged clothing and no shoes. A young woman paying for a homeless war veteran to eat inside? Common human decency wasn't entirely dead.

The young woman hurried away, and after a moment, the manager turned to the man…Beckett.

"I'm sorry sir." The man spoke, all welcome in his voice gone. "But you'll have to leave now."

Beckett frowned. "What?" He said blankly.

"We don't serve your kind here." The manager spoke bluntly.

"But…" the man looked flustered. "She paid for me…you just said it was fine."

"You're making our PAYING customers uncomfortable." The man spat coldly. "And you need to leave."

"Can't I…" the man fumbled for words, "Can't I get something to go?" He asked meekly. "I won't stay, I just…" The man's voice lowered to a mere whisper, as if ashamed. "I just want something to eat."

"If you don't leave now…" the manager threatened. "I will call the police."

Harper sat at enough of an angle to see Beckett's head drop, and he slowly moved toward the exit.

"Harper?"

Harper jumped, turning wildly to Steve, who looked at her in concern. "Are you alright?" He asked. Harper looked down at the hand touching her arm, and a sudden rage welled up in her throat, nearly choking her. "No." She said finally. "No, i'm not." Her eyes snapped up to meet Steve's and he leaned back in shock at something he saw in them. Harper pushed her chair back hard, whirling around to confront the manager.

She would not stand for this.


Steve didn't lean back in shock so much at what he saw IN Harper's eyes, it was more the COLOR of Harper's eyes.

They'd been normal, then she'd looked down, and her body had stiffened, and when her gaze had snapped back up…

Her eyes had gone violet.

The rest of the table stared in dismay at the chair Harper had shoved out from under her, nearly fifteen feet away and firmly embedded in the wall, plaster falling around it.

"Uh, oh." Tony whispered. Thor stood slowly and looked to where Harper had marched, eyes blazing.

He caught sight the violet color Steve had and immediately pulled out his phone.

The rest of the table stood as well, waiting.

They had no idea what, but SOMETHING had triggered Harper…and for the first time since she'd first been changed…

She'd gone violet.

Uh Oh….was an understatement.


Harper and the Manager

"Excuse me." Harper's voice was so deep and cold that the manager turned to face her immediately, face falling into a simper.

"Yes ma'am?" He even bowed slightly, in deference to the power radiating off of Harper. "How may I help you this evening?"

Harper's eyes narrowed. "I just so happened to have overhead your conversation just now with this gentlemen," She began, but the manager interrupted her.

"Not to worry miss, he's leaving, now."

"Oh?" Harper raised a brow, fists clenching and unclenching at her sides as she fought to keep her voice light. "So he's already eaten, then?"

The manager frowned. "No miss. I've just informed him that this establishment does not serve,"

"People like him?" Harper frowned, and the manager went silent, watching her uneasily.

"Hmm?" She asked, voice brittle. "Is that how you were intending to finish your sentence?"

The manager inclined his head rather than speak. Harper's eyes narrowed. She turned to Beckett, the man with the dark hair streaked gray, the dirty clothes, the bare feet, and the cornered expression on her face, and despite the rage with which her body still radiated, she shot the man a reassuring smile.

"Going Feral doesn't usually look like this." Scottie whispered, worried.

"Six months ago she had no control;" Tasha added. "She wasn't in her right mind until Steve brought her back to sanity."

"With the help of a few hits to the head." Clint added.

"This?" Scott shook his head. "This is Harper gone violet but with rigid control, able to limit the physical alteration that usually comes,"

"In other words her eyes have changed but her hairs still brown." Will nodded.

"And," Bruce added, eyes bright with fascination, "She has a leash on her power,"

"We can feel it but we're not overcome by her power." Tony nodded. "Which leads us to the conclusion that she's been trained on her abilities between that attack and now."

"Which is impossible." Steve added. "Because she doesn't even know about her abilities."

"I hate to break up this fascinating conversation," Morris broke in, eyes dark. "But what the hell is going on?"

"Good question." Jake patted Morris' arm. "I have a better one. How do we stop her?"

Thor's eyes narrowed. "Leave that to me." He promised, moving slowly one step at a time towards Harper and the two men.

"Beckett, right?" Harper asked lowly. The man nodded. "I overheard you fought overseas. Can I ask when?"

Beckett straightened. "It must've been ten years ago at least," he admitted. "Four years over in Afghanistan."

Harper's smile deepened. "Afghanistan huh?" She shook her head. "That's impressive. My dad knows a little about overseas tours himself."

Beckett frowned, but when Harper turned slightly and inclined her head, Beckett's eyes widened. "Captain." Beckett straightened even more. "It's an honor." Beckett saluted, and after a moment, Steve turned his gaze from Harper to salute Beckett in return.

"The honor is all mine, sir."

Harper turned back to the manager. "THIS is the man you refuse to serve?" She spat lowly. "Because of the way he's dressed?"

The manager's face was pale, but he refused to back down. "He is not suitable for this establishment."

Harper growled. "This man fought for your freedom, and the only reason you can stand here and be a prick is because of all he's sacrificed. You're lack of respect for him and what he's fought for is a disgrace." She moved so that she was standing toe to toe with the manager, and although she stood six inches below him, he was the one who stepped back, intimidated.

"And not only do you refuse to serve him in a restaurant that you merely work for, but you're belittling him and condemning him for his dress and refusing him food that has already been paid for," Harper hissed. "That not only makes you a giant bastard, but it also makes you a criminal."

The manager sputtered. Harper may have terrified him, but no one would call him a bastard with the entire restaurant watching.

"How dare you!" He crossed his arms. "That man, no mattered what he did however many years ago, is the only one at fault for where he is now, and I refuse to be reprimanded by a child for doing my job."

Harper's eyes narrowed into slits. "You have no idea what that man has been through." She spoke lowly. "Or how he got to be where he is. You have no right to judge him nor condemn him. You're only job is to feed him the meal that's been paid for."

The manager crossed his arms. "He didn't pay for it."

"It doesn't matter. This soldier is entitled to a warm meal and a table, and if you refuse to give him one, you are committing a crime."

"This man is entitled to exactly what he has." The manager leaned over, face red and voice raspy in anger. "Nothing."

Harper's eyes flashed brightly enough that Beckett took a few steps back and the manager turned a little wary. The restaurant watched in eager anticipation to see what would happen next. Thor stood but a few steps away, ready to intervene should it become necessary, but overall appalled at the managers gall and if Harper didn't punch the man in the face…Thor just might.

But instead of punching the man, Harper took a step back and pulled out her phone.

"What are you doing?" The manager asked warily.

Harper shot him a look, eyes still violet, but dimmer, controlled, shades of brown peeking through her irises.

"Calling the police."

"Why?" The manager asked.

"To report a theft." She looked up. "You can explain your actions to them."

The manager growled and ripped Harper's phone out of her hand, and with a growl of her own, Harper ripped it from HIS hand and flung it to the side. She grabbed the front of the managers shirt and lifted him into the air, snarling. Then two hands were on her shoulders and forcing her to turn around.

Beyond sanity now, Harper released the manager and whirled around to face her new threat, shoving him hard in the chest.

Steve and the rest of the table looked worriedly to where Harper's phone now sat, indented in the wall and surrounded by broken plaster and peeling paint.

Thor jumped forward to stop the manager from causing harm to Harper, but quickly changed direction as he saw Harper's control snap and her eyes brighten once more, only to find himself thrown backwards into a large table.

He shook his head and lunged forward, not intending to hurt Harper but determined to stop her from hurting anyone else, and Harper's hands flung forward and a bright blue light hit Thor right in the chest, throwing him backwards once more, this time through a wall.


Liam/Loki

The Avengers and team two hurried forward, but a tall thin teen burst in through the front doors and strode forward.

"Liam?" Steve asked dumbly.

Morris shuddered reflexively.

The creepy kid….Morris' eyes widened as he watched the teen stride towards Harper, hands covered in the same bright blue that Harper had just hurled at Thor. With each step he took something about him changed; his hair darkened, and straightened, and lengthened, he grew taller and (slightly) broader, his eyes went from a bright blue to a brighter green, and his clothing went from human to Asgardian.

By the time the creepy "kid" was gently placing his hands on each of Harper's cheeks, he looked completely different, and Steve's spoke again, voice incredulous.

"Loki?"

Thor climbed slowly out of the wall and moved to his team; shaking his head slowly.

"What's your crazy bro doing here?" Clint hissed.

"And how come he can get that close to Harper?" Steve added.

"Also; why do I get the feeling he's been here awhile?" Tony crossed his arms.

"Because he has." Thor interrupted the group. "I'll explain later. Suffice to say, he ran into Harper some months ago, she found out who he was, befriended him, and this?" Thor turned to Loki who's hands were still on Harper's cheeks and who was speaking lowly. As he spoke, Harper's eyes dimmed and slowly began to change color until they were once-more their original brown.

"This parts a surprise for me as well." Thor admitted, watching closely.

Harpers hands came up to rest on Loki's and she nodded a few times. Then suddenly, she paled, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she slumped. Loki deftly lifted her limp body into his arms, and shot Thor a look. Thor stepped forward, and the rest of the group followed.

"What's wrong with her?" Steve asked worriedly.

"Exhaustion." Loki spoke crisply. "She's not yet used to reigning in her abilities, and as such it still takes a lot out of her. That is why she lost control there at the end." Loki turned green eyes to Thor. "You are not wounded?"

"Not fatally." Thor answered, though he rubbed his chest slightly with a wince. "Care to tell us what just happened?"

Loki sighed heavily. "I suppose some form of explanation is necessary."

"You think?" Tony rolled his eyes.

Morris slowly raised a hand, and Loki turned to him.

"Are you who I think you are?" Morris asked. Loki smirked, and Morris nodded…then his eyes rolled into the back of HIS head, and Steve grunted when his limp body fell into him.

"Like Father like daughter." Scottie snickered.

There was a pause…as if no one was quite sure how to proceed, then Tasha sighed. "Let's get Harper and the Detective to the Tower, they can rest there while," Tasha shot Loki a dark look. "While we get some explanations.

Loki inclined his head. "After you." He agreed smoothly.

Tasha scoffed, but in the end, did lead the way.


This chapter was equal parts hard and liberating to write. I have found through writing about the aspects of those living on the streets that they're more than the cardboard they reside in; and that they are people too...not just nuisances, or garbage to be cleaned up. Beckett's story is unfortunately very true and Harper said everything I wish I could've when I'd been in a similar situation...minus the Avengers and magic and Violet.

MUCH PLOT THOUGH, am I right? Loki and Violet and Magic and Control and Morris meeting the avengers! And explanations and angst next chapter...yay!

~CLC~