Chapter 1

11:59pm

My eyes hadn't moved from the digital clock all night. I could reasonably get up by now and get started with what I had to do. A minute probably wouldn't make that much of a difference. But as I lay there, trying to reason with myself, I just couldn't find the motivation to take any chances. His shift started exactly at midnight, and that's when I could be certain he was locked into his 8 hour shift and not about to walk in because he forgot something on his way out, only to spot me and ruin everything.

My heart was pounding in my chest. This was probably the worst possible idea for me. But doing nothing would be worse.

12am. Time to move.

I threw the sheets off my body and darted to the dresser at the end of the room, pulling open the drawers and taking out a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I wasn't going to waste time packing. Clothing could be replaced. Besides, I knew if I left my things behind, there was always the chance it would make him think for at least a few hours that perhaps I had simply gone out for groceries or other errands, and I needed all the time I could buy myself.

After I had my shoes on, I stepped into the nursery, not turning on any lights. I didn't want to attract the attention of the neighbors, and a crying infant would do exactly that. In the dark I grabbed the diaper bag, stuffing a few onesies and pajamas inside, as well as whatever diapers and wipes we still had, and lastly a bottle and can of formula I had purchased a few days ago and hidden for tonight. I'd bought it with cash so he would never know we'd had it in the first place and he would never notice it missing. Again, I knew I was clinging on to a small hope that he would think I had simply left to run errands and would wait before pursuing me, but if it worked it would make all the difference.

I had everything I needed for now, and I looked at the clock on the little pink nightstand. 12:15am. I had 7 hours and 45 minutes until his shift ended. That was all the time I had to put distance between this damned house and my daughter and me. I would not waste a minute. Carefully, I lifted Emma from her crib, trying so hard not to wake her, and moved to place her in her car seat/carrier.

The sudden, loud rumble of the garage door made my blood come to a complete stop in my veins.

There was no choice now. I couldn't get Emma back in her bed and get myself back into my pajamas and in bed before he'd make it out of his car and into the house. The only thing to do now was to run.

Knowing I couldn't get Emma in the carrier fast enough, I held her firmly with one arm and carried the carrier down with me. I would get us a few blocks away and pull into some corner where he wouldn't think to look, and then I would get her in her seat, I decided quickly. I silently moved into the shadows and made my way to the front door, turning the deadbolt as quietly as I could, followed by the lock on the knob. I heard the driver's side door open and slam shut from within the garage.

Turning the knob, I pulled the front door open and stepped around it, firmly holding Emma for dear life. The door that lead into the garage opened on the other end of the house, and I quickly, but quietly closed the front door, running out to my car parked in the driveway. The boxes he'd still not unpacked but had left in the garage, keeping me from being able to park in there, had finally come in handy.

I opened the driver's side, setting the carrier into the passenger's seat and tossing the diaper bag into the back, and I slid into the driver's seat, slamming the car door and scrambling to get the keys into the ignition. I turned off the headlights, the street lights being more than enough for me to see for a ways, and I started the car up, pulling out of the driveway and speeding down the street as fast as I could.

Looking up into the rear-view mirror, I saw the garage door to the house open and my husband's SUV peel out. "Shit!" I hissed, holding Emma tighter in my lap with one arm, my free hand gripping the wheel. I took a sharp turn around the corner and sped on, hoping enough twists and turns would lose him. Emma began to fuss and I attempted in vain to hush her, her screaming being the last thing my nerves needed, and it only reminded me how dangerous driving with her like this was. Part of me thought of pulling over and giving up. Maybe he would only take out his anger on me. But then maybe he wouldn't.

I stepped on the gas and took another sharp turn, Emma screaming even louder.

I was barely able to recognize the pair of headlights rushing at me from the left, and the rest was lost in a blur or tire screeches, the crushing of the door, and the shattering of glass.

The beeping of the EKG machine was the first thing I heard. I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but I was gradually becoming aware of the sounds and smells around me. The beeping told me immediately that I was in a hospital, and the scratchy feel of the bedding was unmistakable. I was still not awake enough to wonder why I was here. The only thing that I could think about was a pair of headlights. Why were headlights so important?

My eyes snapped open, and I moved to sit up, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Whoa! Don't do that!"

I blinked a few times before looking at the hand on my shoulder, then up to its owner. It wasn't a nurse, but a young woman staring down at me with dark brown eyes. She seemed familiar to me but I couldn't put a name to her face.

"Don't do that," she repeated nervously. "You shouldn't be moving around or you'll hurt yourself."

"Emma…" I muttered groggily, looking around the room. "Where's Emma?"

"She's probably sleeping in the nursery. I'll page the nurse." She reached over to the intercom and pressed the call button. A few moments later a voice came on. "Anna's awake."

"Someone will be there in a moment," was the reply and I settled back into the pillow, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Two days," she answered. "Do you remember anything?"

I did, but I wasn't about to discuss what I was doing until I knew who she was. Before I could even ask, a nurse stepped in, wheeling in a hospital bassinet with a sleeping baby inside. "Emma!" I gasped. "Oh thank God!" They wheeled her beside my bed and I reached a hand inside, running my finger over one of her tiny fists. Her fingers uncurled and wrapped around my finger, and I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face.

"You're very lucky," said the nurse. "You both are. That collision was pretty bad, and neither of you were restrained." I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I was too overcome with emotion just looking down at Emma sleeping so soundly without a scratch on her. The nurse waited patiently for me to compose myself, and I gradually became aware the young woman was still in the room with us.

"Who are you?" I asked her. "Why are you here?"

She responded with a small smile. "My name is Jane," she answered. "Jane Foster. I'm not surprised if you don't recognize me, it's been years. We went to high school together."

Somewhere in the back of my memories I remembered several different classrooms over the years and a young girl around my age taking notes, raising her hand, turning the pages in her text books…

"Right…" I muttered, now even more confused. We were never friends. Why was she here? How did she even know I was here to begin with?

"Normally, I would wait a few days for you to recover a little more," the nurse said, walking to the door and closing it before returning her gaze to me. "But given the circumstances, I don't think we have the time." She pulled up a chair and sat on the other side of the bed, opposite Emma, and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees an her hands folded in front of her.

"First of all, I want you to know your daughter is absolutely fine. No broken bones, barely and bruises or cuts, and from what we can tell from all the testing there was no brain damage, despite the level of impact you both endured."

"Thank God," I repeated, feeling tears sting my eyes again.

"But you, on the other hand, you've been in a coma for two days. And you have a broken leg and three fractured ribs." It was only when she said it that I became aware that I was even in pain at all. My mind had been so focused on Emma, I had hardly paid attention to my own physical state. "Normally, we run tests to make sure you brain is continuing to function normally and assess if there's been any damage, but as I already said, I don't think we have the time."

I opened my mouth to ask why, but a possible answer dawned on me, so instead I asked, "My husband? Where is-"

"He was taken to a different hospital and discharged the next day with barely any injuries." I sat stunned, not knowing how to respond. The nurse took my hand as if she understood. "While the car wreck left plenty of marks on your body, there were some injuries that… made it more than obvious to me why you were running in such a state with your daughter." I closed my eyes and more tears fell.

"So what happens now?" I asked. I heard her sigh and I opened my eyes.

"I'm afraid this is where you're going to get pissed. It doesn't look good for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell your husband's been beating you, Anna. And with my report, it's very likely the court will look in favor to you. But social services are being ruthless, I'm afraid. Technically, she's not even supposed to be in the room with you right now."

I blinked several times. "I… I don't understand…"

"Your husband got a lawyer and is now trying to get full custody of your daughter so he can take her away."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"It's like this, Mrs. Solecki. You were driving recklessly in your car without a seat belt and without properly restraining your baby. You got in an accident that almost killed you both. And unfortunately you already have a record of mental illness-"

"Not since I was 15!" I cried, feeling my cheeks burning with anger. "And that was depression! My doctor took me off the meds a year later and I haven't had any problems since!"

"I'm aware, Mrs. Solecki. But there's been no reports filed against your husband for any sort of domestic abuse… as far as this looks right now, to them it seems you snapped, tried to run away with your child, and then tried to kill your husband when he tried to stop you."

"That's not true!" I screamed, the EKG going crazy as my heart rate went through the roof.

"Anna, calm down! It's going to be okay," Jane said, stepping closer. My breathing was ragged, and I looked up at her.

"Why are you here?" The question came out sharper than I meant it to, but it barely seemed to bother her.

"I'm here to help," she answered.

"Mrs. Solecki," said the nurse, lowering her voice so she wouldn't be heard by anyone outside the room. "I've seen too many women like you get screwed over by social services just because someone didn't do their job right. Frankly, I'm not willing to sit by and watch it happen again." Looked to Jane and then back to her, wondering what exactly they had in mind.

"I know we were never really friends, Anna, but when I heard you were in the hospital and about the accident… I had to visit. And when the nurse recognized me, she asked if I would help you, and I will if you want my help that is…"

"How would you do that?" I asked. Given everything they had just told me, I couldn't imagine an scenario that would help me or Emma now that was anything shy of killing my husband or the two of us disappearing from the face of the planet entirely.

I began to feel nervous. Was she about to offer to help kill my husband?

"Anna, what if I told you that you and your daughter could escape somewhere your husband or social services would never find you?" asked the nurse. I didn't answer her, staring at her suspiciously, and Jane sat on the bed.

"You remember the attack on New York, a few days ago? And that team they call 'The Avengers' that stopped it?" I nodded before she had even finished the question. Asking that was almost like asking if I'd ever heard of what Booth did to Lincoln. How could anyone not know about it?

"One of them, Thor, happens to be someone I know… very well." The awkward way she ended that sentence combined with the smirk the nurse gave her told me more than enough about exactly how well she "knew" him. "Thor's not of this world. He's from some place else entirely…"

"Yes, I know," I cut in, feeling annoyed to have this explained to me like I was a child.

"He was supposed to leave earlier today to return to Asgard, but I got to him first and got him to agree to wait a few more hours…"

"And so you're planning to take me and Emma to Asgard, is that it?"

"I know it sounds crazy," said Jane. "But think about it, you'd be safe. Your daughter would be safe."

"And all we'd have to do is leave Earth behind?" I asked. The thought terrified me, but the desire to keep Emma safe was so strong I was willing to consider almost anything.

"It wouldn't have to be permanent," said the nurse. "You could stay away long enough for your husband to think you and Emma are long gone, and then return under a new identity and start over, away from harm and free to raise your daughter in a happier environment."

I looked down at my daughter, still sound asleep and probably unaware I was even there with her. "Don't you want this nightmare to be over?" asked the nurse.

I took in a deep breath, still trying to picture it in my head. "Is the trip safe? For Emma, I mean," I asked.

"You'll both get there safely, I promise," said Jane. "But if we're going to do this, we have to do it quickly. So I'll need an answer."

I watched Emma for what seemed like hours, thinking over the consequences and what saying yes would mean for us. Leaving behind the only world I'd known was still a scary thought, but staying and risking losing Emma to him…

"Okay. I'll do it."

The nurse nodded silently and stood up, making her way out of the room and returning minutes later with a wheel chair. Carefully, she helped me into it, and Emma was placed in my arms. "I'm going to give her a mild sedative," she said, pulling out a syringe. "Just to keep her from crying while we smuggle the two of you out." I nodded and watched as she injected Emma who didn't even flinch, and she checked her briefly with a stethoscope to make sure there was no adverse reaction. Emma slept on peacefully, and the nurse nodded. "Let's go."