Six years

Rachel POV

I blinked in surprise, shocked that Ezra would just walk off like that. We hadn't seen each other in years, and from the way she acted it was like she didn't know me. In fact, if I hadn't seen a small flicker in her grass green eyes, I would have thought she HAD forgotten me.

"You know her?" Loki asked in surprise. Tony was looking at me strangely, not quite sure of what had just happened. I could tell that part of him wanted to go after her, and yet another part wanted to hear what I had to say.
I nodded slowly, a frown forming on my face, "Yea, I know her. Ezra was my best friend during the time I was on Midgard for schooling."
Loki's grip on my hand tightened, realising who I was talking about, but Tony showed no signs of recognition.
"I had better," Tony waved his hand in the direction that she had walked off in.
"Yes, I think you had," I said grimly, taking a mouthful of my cocktail.
Tony walked off after his girlfriend, and Loki and I went to find a seat.

I was shaking slightly as I sank into a chair, my mind spinning. All I could think of were our school days, the hours we spent sitting in the Australian sun. Well, me in the sun and Ezra in the shade, for she burnt uncommonly easily.

"So what did you mean, teach you how to be human?" Her eyes held a small amount of fear. I'd known her for two weeks, and yet she was still afraid I was going to bite her.
'The impressive, and very conspicuous, display of magic the first time we met probably hadn't helped that', I thought in hindsight.
"If you had n.. hadn't," I tripped over the contraction, not used to speaking in such an informal manner, "noticed that first day, I can do things normal people can't."
She nodded slightly, "Yea, well same here. And I'm human as far as I know," she replied.
I smiled at her, "Yes," I replied softly, "You are indeed midgardian. However, I am not." I didn't realise I had slipped up and used an Asgardian term until she questioned me.
"Midgardian, what does that mean?"
"It means, well, that I'm an alien," I said, lacking a better term. "I come from somewhere, not of this planet."
"And that's why you could," she waved her pale hands around.
I laughed cheerfully, "Yes, That's why I have magic. Not all our people have it, but some do. Like the youngest prince." I smiled, thinking back to my dark haired friend in Asgard.
"Must be nice to have a power like that, something you can hide," she said bitterly.
"It's useful, yes. But it takes a lot of practise, and uses a fair amount of energy. How else do you think I stay so skinny?" I joked. That got a laugh out of her, a honest cheerful noise.
"Is there anything you can do to help me?" I could hear the hesitance in her voice.
I tipped my head on the side, mentally flicking through all the spells I knew. I came across one, a spell that Loki had helped me perfect actually.
"Yes," I told her confidently, "Hold still. I have no idea what this feels like when cast on someone else. Should not hurt."
I held my hand out and a golden red light spilled from my palm, and Ezra flinched as it cascaded over her.
"Is that hurting you?"
"No, it's nice actually. What are you doing?"
"Simple cloaking spell, casts a glamour over you. It'll hide anything that grows that isn't humanoid."
"No more fox ears or random tails?"
"They'll still grow. But to anyone that looks at you, no, no more fox ears or random tails."

"Rachel," I heard a voice say, "My princess, can you hear me?"
I pulled myself from my revelry with a start, and looked into the concerned green eyes of Loki.
"Yes," I replied softly, "I'm fine. I was just remembering. We used to be so close." I sighed.
"Why do you not still speak?" He enquired as I took a drink of the purple drink in my hand. "Did you argue?"
"No, nothing of the sort," I replied, "The day after graduation Odin had Heimdall drag me back to Asgard. By the time I came to Midgard again, I could not find her." I said darkly, anger towards Odin still present.
"Could you not ask Heimdall to find her for you?" Loki asked gently.
"I did," I sighed, "He searched all nine realms for Ezra. But it would seem her ability to shape shift cloaks her from even our great gate keeper." I took another sip of my drink.
"Rachel," Loki warned, "Drink that slower. I know how well your body copes with such toxins." I nodded, handing the half empty glass to my husband.
"Go talk to Thor," I smiled, "I think I will sit here a moment and think."

I had no idea what I could have done, especially to make my best friend ignore me in such a way. When we had last spoken, we had been planning what we would do after high school. And that's when I realised. I had left without so much as a good bye, and in all this time I had not contacted her. I uttered a thousand curses to my father in law, Odin. Cursing again, I stood and scanned the room for the familiar figure of my high school friend.

I saw a dark head, and then her lithe body, emerge from the stairwell, no doubt having just checked on Dr Banner. Taking a deep breath in and feeling my magic slowly flow through my veins, I start walking towards her. I wove around the other avengers, smiling and waving as I passed them. As I brushed behind Thor, Loki extended the hand holding my cocktail and I gently took it. A spark of electricity passed between us and I felt a calming wave pass through me. I smiled at my dark haired god, and continued towards Ezra.
"Hey, Ezra," I said uncertainly, just catching myself from grabbing her wrist.
"Yo," She spun on her heel, turning towards me sharply.
"Can we talk? Please?" I ask gently.
"About what? Rachel, isn't it?" She replied, and I'm surprised by the casual tone.
I felt a wave of despair wash over me, it hadn't been that long that I have been away from Midgard.
"Don't you remember me?" I tried not to sound too hurt.
"Should I?" she asked me.
"Yes, you should. We spent five years of High School as best friends," I was hurt and a little angry at her attitude towards me.
"Hmm, sorry, but during a mission of mine a while back I lost most of my memories," I looked closely at her, my hand gripped tightly around my glass.
"Please don't lie to me, Ezra. I married the God of Lies, I can tell when someone's lying," It was a skill I learnt growing up and spending so much time around Loki.
"Believe what you want," She replied snarkily.
"I can explain. Just hear me out?" I was nearly begging, something which I rarely do.
"Explain what? I don't know what you're talking about" She said calmly, "Now I really have to check on Bruce, if he Hulks out I'm one of the only people who can calm him down. Unless you want your husband to get beat to an inch of his life?" I flinched at the idea, I had seen what the Hulk was capable of. Healing internal organs takes up a lot of energy.
"If you must. I would rather not use magic to prevent someone being beaten. It usually only ends in me hurting someone," I sigh sadly, looking her straight in the eyes.
Ezra sighed, making a decision. "We can talk later, if you must. But I really have to see Bruce and then make sure that Clint's okay," she looked over my shoulder, scanning for Hawkeye.
"Okay," I conceded, "I'm sure you will be able to find me. I will be the one keeping Loki from killing Thor." I smiled wryly, knowing the way the brothers argued.
"Sure," Ezra agreed, turning to go back down the spiral staircase to the lab.

I sipped at the cocktail I held, unsure of what had just happened. It seemed like she didn't want anything to do with me. With her trust issues, I knew that my sudden and prolonged disappearance would not have made me her favourite person. I walked around casually, looking for either of the Asgardians. The God of Thunder and the God of Mischief were still talking amicably, and so I wander over to Natasha Romanoff whom I had met and worked with a few times previously. We talked quietly before I saw Ezra come back up the stairs, her green eyes scanning the crowd to find me. I excused myself and casually walked over to meet my old friend, and hopefully make amends for what had happened in our past.

"Can I explain?" I asked her again, my heart beating faster than normal.
"Let's go away from prying eyes first," She suggested to me.
I nodded in agreement, "lead the way," I told her. I was really hoping this wasn't some sort of trap.
She led me into a training room, closing the door and then locking it.
"We have two superspies who live in this house, don't want them spying on us, right?" she said as an explanation.
"JARVIS, cut all surveillance footage to this room, and make sure nobody comes in here." Ezra spoke casually to the AI, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. For her, I suppose it probably was.
"I commend you on your forethought," I complimented looking around me. I took a breath in and then spoke again.
"I suppose I should explain what happened after graduation?"
Ezra looked at me and then lent up against a piece of equipment.
"Yea, I think that would be best," She said, her voice slightly harsh.
I moved so that I was standing next to her, casually leaning against something.
"As you know, we were out pretty late that night. So, the next day I woke up near the middle of the day. I had just gotten dressed when I felt something strange in the air, something was interfering with my magic." I had explained when we were younger how I could sense changes in the air.
"I walked outside to see what was going on, and the feeling in the air changed again. I realised then what was going on," I smiled sadly at the memory.
"I had left my mobile inside by my bed," I took a breath. "I didn't even have a chance to turn and walk back to the house when Heimdall beamed me back to Asgard." I used the Star Trek term that we had adopted to describe the way the bridge worked. I glanced across at Ezra, seeing that she was at least still paying attention.
"Odin told me that there was some sort of, Asgardian emergency, which required my immediate presences back in that realm." I scoffed, distaste coating my every word.
"Why didn't you try and contact me after you returned?" Ezra challenged.
I closed my eyes sadly. "The All-Father thought it in my best interests to put me into intensive training to be a healer, and kept a very close eye on me. " She cocked an eyebrow at me in retaliation.
"By the time I was able to travel across the bifrost and speak to Heimdall, he was not able to see you on Earth." This time disbelief was clearly written on her face.
"Your ability to shape shift means you aren't always in your human form, and I guess I was unlucky enough to ask him to find you when you had transformed," I sighed. "I am so sorry. I wish it had not happened as it did."
I had told her the truth, it was up to Ezra now as to whether she believed me or not.
"Do you forgive me?" I asked.