When Grace awoke she was lying on the floor, a perpetual humming sounding around her as if she was close to a machine. The floor was vibrating and jolted every so often, and the area was dimly lit by the glow of computer screens and flickering lights. She was in the hold of a plane, enclosed in some sort of cell like an animal. Kidnapped, again. She lifted her weakened body into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her legs partly in fear and also because of the chilled air which flowed through her prison-like surroundings. She shivered as she felt the cold hit her, as well as the realisation that she was in trouble. Big trouble. What had happened? How did she get here?

Her eyes traced over the room, resting on a disinterested guard that stood watch across from her, "Excuse me," she croaked, her eyes drooping from fatigue and her mind still hazy. The man didn't move. She cleared her throat and tried again, "Excuse me?" She said more distinctly. This time the guard looked at her, his bright blue eyes sending an unpleasant feeling to the pit of her stomach. They looked familiar. Suddenly she heard footsteps echoing through the cave and a pair of boots came into view. She suddenly remembered where she had seen those eyes. Looking up at the owner of the boots she saw a face she knew well. In fact, she had dreamed about him almost every night for weeks.

"Loki," she breathed, sliding away slightly from where he towered over her cell. Her ocean blue eyes were wide with unease, though she tried desperately to calm her quivering features. He had caused so much harm, she didn't know what he would do or what he wanted with her.

He scoffed slightly and said, "I don't think we were properly acquainted the last time we crossed paths," She had helped the Avengers fight him in New York and then SHIELD had told her that he had just disappeared. And now here he was again.

"I…I don't know who you are," She told him, trying to play the amnesia card. He wasn't convinced.

"Oh come now, Grace," He smirked, laughing darkly, "You remember me as well as I remember you. The blonde knight in shining armour. You really put a dent in my plans in New York," He told her and she bit her lip, "Not this time," He stated.

"What are you going to do?" She whispered, thinking of what he had tried to do last time. If he was going to try and take over the world again, the Avengers might need her. He could hurt them or worse.

"You'll find out soon enough," he replied a dark look in his eyes. Opening the door to the cell, he walked closer to her and gestured to one of his guards. One walked towards her and roughly grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet. She yelled in protest, thinking back to when she had been with the Circle. Were men so convinced that she was incapable of standing up by herself? She glared as the man walked back to his post, her body beginning to shiver once more as a rush of cold air hit her. She wrapped her arms around her body as Loki moved closer to her, putting his hand on her soft cheek. She flinched her head to the side to move away but he just grabbed her harder, squeezing her cheeks together painfully.

He scoffed, "You can't fight me Grace." He told her, "You may have powers that are unmatched in my world or yours, but it is your will that betrays you. You follow those people you call friends, blindly taking orders while they lead you on a path you haven't chosen," As he spoke, Grace felt an anger she couldn't remember feeling so strongly.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She shrugged his hands away from her, stepping back, "You don't know me at all, who are you to tell me who I am?" She folded her arms across her body.

"Somebody who's come to feel the same way," He replied and she unfolded her arms, taking a deep breath before he continued, "That's all you need to know about me," He said simply, maintaining an air of mystery about him. There was a sudden glint of sadness in his eyes which made Grace sympathise with him slightly. Maybe he was lonely.

She spoke softly in reply, "You don't have to be violent to get power. You're Thor's brother, I'm sure if you just spoke to him about how you feel…"

"Thor is not my brother by blood," He muttered, though more to himself than anything else, he seemed to want to quickly change the subject. He smirked once more, "But I've got you now. I need nobody else in the world but somebody to lead it with," He told her, and she might have mistaken him for romantic had she not been forced into a prison cell on a moving aircraft by him, "Somewhere in you there are feelings for me. From the moment I saw you I-"

"You just decided that you had feelings for someone you just met? You don't even know me!" She yelled. Their eyes had barely met in New York and now he was professing that they had feelings for each other, "You are shallow and manipulative. All you want is power, and you don't care who dies to get it." Her anger for him had returned. He was trying to manipulate her and it wouldn't work, "You threatened my home. For that, I will never forgive you." She spat at him.

His expression turned serious, clearly frustrated, "You are controlled by what you've been told is right."

"You think I'm stupid? That I'll blindly follow you just because you spin some crap about wanting me to rule at your side?"

"You're not stupid, Grace. In fact, I hear you're quite intelligent."

"Your source is reliable. So considering that we've established that I know stuff and you clearly don't, why don't you let me go on my way and…"

"Enough! I do not dish out my affection lightly, but you are wearing my patience thin. If you say another word on this then I'll…"

"You'll what?"

"You'll see things my way soon enough." It sounded like a threat, and she knew he had the sceptre. What if he controlled her like he did to Clint? She had to play him, do whatever it took to survive and get home.

Steve stared gloomily at the plate of food in front of him as he sat in the kitchen, the others doing what they could to find their friend. How could he even think of eating when Grace was missing. It was his fault, he knew it was. Loki could be controlling her at that very moment, getting her to do whatever he wanted, a thought that made him shudder.

"Come on Capsicle: you have got to eat," Tony said, nudging his comrade in the ribs as he joined him.

"Not hungry." Steve blankly responded as the other man sat next to him.

"Come on, you haven't eaten in days. If you don't get any nutrients you won't be able to fight Loki and get her back." Bruce said with a smile, like a strict parent telling their child to eat their greens.

Steve sighed knowing that they were right, picking up a fork and stabbing the mixed vegetable with a dangerous amount of vigour. The geniuses nodded their heads in approval as Steve took a few bites. The man ate but he still felt like a part of him was missing. He had been so out of it, the whole universe seemed to be out of whack. The guys of the team desperately tried to cheer him up and keep the super soldier positive but to no avail. The team needed to get her back, and fast.

"Wait, this jet left New York last night," Natasha stated, pointing to a vast map of the world's airspace, "It's due to land in Paris this evening," She looked around at the others.

"Could be Loki…" Clint mused.

"Private jet, conspicuous, expensive. Just his style," Tony added, "I'll contact Coulson and get the Quinjet flown around. Lift off in 10," He told them, and the whole team flew into action.

"Sir," The low voice of one of the guards woke Grace up from where she was sitting on the floor of her cell. She hadn't realised Loki had been in the hold with her, but as she opened her eyes she saw him staring. He turned to his guard and the two moved over to the computer screens, watching a plane being tracked over the Atlantic, "They're heading in our direction."

Loki slammed his fist down on the metal table, creating a loud bang that echoed through the hold and made Grace flinch. He quickly strode over to Grace's cell, "Did you contact them, tell them where we are going?" He spat at her, his eyes alight with rage.

"I don't even know. I'm stuck in here, how on earth could I contact them," She replied relatively calmly. No need to cause him to be angrier.

"I could blast them out of the sky in seconds, pick them off one by one if I wanted to." He replied and she held her breath. If he killed them she wouldn't want to live anymore. "But I haven't…" he continued and she looked up at him, "They're alive because of you."

"Why do you want to fight them?" She asked in almost a whisper.

He shook his head, "They were lucky last time. Now, I hold true power…and without you to help them they can do nothing but watch this Earth turn to ruins."

She creased her eyebrows together. How could somebody be that hateful, "What good will come of that?"

"This isn't about good and bad, Grace." He told her solemnly.

She shook her head, scoffing incredulously, "You're just saying that because you can't justify all you've done."

"If you keep disagreeing with me, Grace, then your friends might just make it back home in boxes." He replied and she shrank back. She couldn't imagine a life without her friends, they were her family really. They were all she knew, and Loki was threatening that.

In minutes, the team had loaded onto a high-speed Quinjet en-route to France. Walking around the jet that was piloted by Natasha and Clint, Tony opened a bag of salted nuts and plopped down in a metal chair next to Thor and opposite Steve.

"Don't look so worried Captain. Nut?" He said, an optimistic grin appearing on his face. Steve politely nodded, taking a nut from the silver bag. The salty taste that was left in his mouth made him feel sick, on top of the nerves which fluttered around his stomach.

"Grace will be found. Any soul on this aircraft would lay down their life for her. Loki may be the devil but if he wanted her dead, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of kidnapping her. We all know she'd be more valuable alive," said Thor, looking out at the vast blue sea that lay below them.

Steve shook his head, "It is my fault. I should never have left her alone." He thought aloud.

Thor looked at him reassuringly, "You are not to blame-" He began before Steve interrupted.

"I love her and I didn't protect her." Steve revealed, "If she is dead she will never know how I feel." He said, standing up and disappearing into the onboard toilet. Everyone looked at the super soldier in amazement. He had always been so calm and collected but losing Grace had made him the opposite.

Steve could only imagine what Loki had in store for Grace. She had so much power, so many things that could make her dangerous in the wrong hands. He placed his hands under the cool, running water and let his palm fill up and splash the skin of his face. Beads of water ran down his face and neck until he wiped them away, taking a deep breath to calm himself and clear his mind. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet, smiling as he saw the picture of him and Grace that he had tucked inside. Slowly, he pulled it out to see it more clearly and smiled happily as he remembered the day it had been taken.

-Flashback-

Captain Fury strolled into the large control room of the helicarrier and looked at his team of Avengers. He had been so unsure about all this, but now the moment had come he knew it was the right thing to do. That girl, the girl who he had fought so hard to protect, deserved to be with people she could relate to. People that could protect her, and be her family.

"So why exactly are we here? I had to cancel a flight to Russia..." started Natasha but she trailed off when Fury glared at her with his one good eye. She rolled her eyes, guessing that it was something important, and leant against a worktop.

"Today is a day of new beginnings. New York was a success and I do not doubt that it will be one of many" he said, looking to each Avenger. Thor, the demigod, Tony Stark, the billionaire, Clint Barton, a trained assassin that had been to hell and back at the hands of Loki, Natasha Romanov, the woman that could single-handedly hold the world on her shoulders, Bruce Banner, the genius with a secret, and Steve Rodgers, the Captain. They were a great team, but they needed something to hold them together. "You all are unique in your own way, and all of you have special-" he paused, "-abilities. Today the team of Avengers changes from a team of six to a team of seven." he announced. Looking around at each other the Avengers were unsure of this. They had a good thing going: they were all working well together, finally getting along: a new person could ruin everything, and what if she was just another copied agent?

"Maybe that's not the best idea, Sir, we don't need anyone else," Clint said, raising his eyebrows a little in concern.

"Maybe you do," they heard a voice behind them to see that a group of S.H.E.I.L.D agents had walked in, surrounding a beautiful blonde-haired girl. Her eyes flickered around the room nervously. She didn't know what to think. She had hazy memories of New York but she remembered seeing each of these faces clearly.

"This here is Grace." Fury continued, smiling fondly at the girl, "You might recognise her." She nervously smiled back, then looked to her new teammates.

The team immediately recognised her and Natasha leapt to hug her friend; her only female friend at that. Romanov had been requested by Fury to help train Grace when she was first taken in, and after the girl had been taken by the Circle, Natasha had been there for her. A part of her had hoped that the young girl would be able to have freedom and live outside of the world that had ruined her own, but maybe this was her chance to be with people that really cared about her. She deserved that, at least.

"Sorry," Natasha muttered, smiling at the girl as she pulled away from the embrace.

"For what?" Grace asked back, creasing her eyebrows together. She finally felt somewhere she belonged.

"For getting you dragged into this" she whispered, hugging the girl again then pulling away to let the rest of the team address her.

"Good to see you again, blondie," said Tony, smirking at the girl as she stretches out her hand for him to shake. He thought better of it and pulled the girl into a tight hug while she giggled softly into his shoulder. They had all wondered what had happened to her since New York, even though they knew she would have needed medical attention soon after. SHIELD had kept them in the dark for so long, they had started to think that nothing would become of the mystery girl who had had their backs against Loki. Each Avenger greeted her, some shaking her hand and some hugging her until one remained.

"Hello, Captain." She said, blushing as the man stood in front of her. He really was handsome, she thought. The most handsome man she had ever seen, but that was not what drew her to him.

"You don't need to call me that. Call me Steve." He said, reaching for her had and kissing it lightly as Tony rolled his eyes from the other side of the room.

Grace cleared her voice and said, "I never..er...thanked you...for saving my life." She said quietly in almost a whisper. She didn't know what it was about this man that made her lose her nerve, made her speechless, breathless.

He nodded at her politely, trying and failing to suppress the grin that was forming on his lips, "And you. Normally it is me saving others but...it is nice to know that someone is looking out for me too. Thank you, Grace." He smiled warmly.

Agent Coulson strode into the room, holding a camera. "Picture with the new recruit!" he said, smiling and winking at the girl.

-End of flashback-

Grace felt the plane jolt and begin to lower in the sky. She could feel every movement of the engine, mapping out its motors in her mind to pass the time. Tony had taught her so much, she was sure that a Quinjet could catch up to such a plane in a few hours. Maybe there was some hope. She had to work out what angle she would play with Loki. He obviously felt something for her, for whatever reason, so she could easily play him. She shook her head, recoiling at the cruelty of such a plan. Maybe she could get him to trust her, if she could only understand him, then perhaps she could talk him out of his plan. Besides, to pretend to love him would feel like a betrayal to somebody else in her life if she was with Loki, somebody she had grown to care for more than she could understand…Why could she not get Steve out of her mind?

"We'll be landing soon." The sound of Loki's voice broke her from her thoughts and she looked up at him, frowning. He locked his jaw, his sceptre rising until it was pointed towards her.

"No. Please." She held her hands up in a submissive stance, her eyes pleading with him, "You don't need to use that." She told him. He'd been so angry before, "I'm not going to fight you, I want to keep my friends safe."

He moved the staff back, "Wise choice."

The two watched each other shift with the movement of the plan before Grace finally broke the silence, "Can you at least tell me why you're keeping me here?"

"I need…" He almost stopped himself, but continued anyway with a small smirk, "I suppose I need you."

"Why?" She asked, but she didn't really expect an answer. He could never justify why he was doing, "Why are you doing all of this?"

"My whole life has been spent in the shadows. Unappreciated, unacknowledged. I only wish to be seen." He told her, showing her a more human side of him than any other she had seen.

"I can see you…" She told him and he looked up at her, "And I know that you don't have to do this, Loki. Please."

He shook his head, locking his jaw, "I don't have to listen to you."

"No, you don't. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't." She continued, speaking softly to him.

His eyes flickered back to her's for a second before he sighed, unlocking the door to the cell, "Come up with me, you've been in here long enough," He muttered, walking into the cell and holding out his hand to her.

She looked at it apprehensively before taking it, letting him pull her to her feet, "Thanks," She replied, following him up the steps to the opulent main cabin on the jet.

"You must be hungry," He said, handing her a bag of crisps.

"Uh, thanks. Yeah, I am," She took the bag from him. She'd only just realised she hadn't eaten since yesterday morning and was actually ravenous, feeling as if she could eat a horse rather than a packet of salt and vinegar crisps. But it was the thought that counted. The plane slowly made it's decent, but Grace had no idea what would happen next.