I just hated to leave the story where it was. Here is a short but rather important chapter. I am always happy to hear from you. Your thoughts always motivate me. Please enjoy!

I watched the stars in the dark sky for a long time. The only sounds were the air rushing past the window and the muted rumble of the engine. Eventually, these constant noises lulled me to sleep.

I woke again to the sound of a man's voice. I peeled my face away from the window and sat up. I realized that the passenger seat of the car was now occupied. I had no notion of when we had been joined, but when I realized who had joined our party, I was happy. "Hi Steve. " I yawned. He smiled when he turned back to look at me. I couldn't help but smile back. I fell back asleep soon after that.

/

Loki's position in the back seat was less than comfortable. His knees were pressing into the back of the passenger seat and the vibration of the car was starting to hurt his stiff joints. This discomfort was compounded by the way Elizabeth had fallen asleep on him. Her aura betrayed her emotional exhaustion and Loki was loathe to move and wake her. Loki watched Elizabeth's stomach expand and retract with every breath she took. She had seemed so happy to see the captain had joined their little party, but now she looked nervous. Loki had never known someone to look anything but peaceful while resting. He had the urge to comfort her in some way, but the female assassin's careful watch deterred him.

/

I was woken for the last time by the firm hand of Natasha gently shaking my knee. I opened my eyes to discover that I had been resting my head on Loki's leg. When I righted myself, he only raised his eyebrows in response to my sheepish look. Natasha looked at me impatiently. " We are here." She said.

I looked out the window. We were parked next to a cute little yellow house with a small, but surprisingly well kept yard. Natasha shut off the engine and got out of the vehicle. I followed Steve and Natasha to the door, trailing a skeptical looking Loki in my wake.

I walked through the creaky screen door and the faint scent of old wood and dust tickled my nose. I stepped past the outdated washing machine and through another doorway to the kitchen. I felt like laughing and crying, but did neither. The house reminded me of my grandparent's. Fond memories rushed into my thoughts and, letting the sentiment get the best of me, I flung off my shoes and rushed to the furthest room.

To get to the back of the house, you had to pass through the kitchen, living room, and another small living room. After that, the furthest room was a tiny room hardly large enough for a bed and a chest of drawers. I remembered this room in my grandparent's had been my mother's room and it was the room I had always stayed in when visiting. In this little safehouse, I was pleased to find a bed waiting. I flopped face down on the covers and closed my eyes. The fabric smelled of dust and stale mothballs. A scent that pervaded many of my childhood memories.

I breathed deeply into the covers until I heard a quiet cough in the doorway. I pulled myself away from the quilt and sat up to address the intruder. I was not surprised to see that it was Steve standing awkwardly in the opening. He clasped his hands behind his back and spoke "Ms. Romanov wants to discuss a few things in the kitchen. " I nodded and followed Steve to the oval of wood dominating the kitchen. Loki stood in the corner by the refrigerator while the three of us picked spots at the table. As soon as we were settled, Natasha began. " This is a safehouse. The purpose of it is to keep its inhabitants safe. If that is to work, there has to be some rules. First, no one is to leave the house until I say so. Second, the curtains must remain closed at all times and no one is to be near the windows. Third, never answer the door for anyone. Lastly, there are no electronic devices, like cell phones, allowed in the house. I will be the only one allowed to have one in the vicinity. I will have it disabled when I am here." She stood. " I will be back within the week. There are boxes of hair dye in the linen cupboard. ". With that, she turned and left. No one moved until the headlights and sound of the engine disappeared into the distance.

I was the first to move. I let out a great yawn and stood up from the table. Nodding to Steve and Loki, I trudged to the back bedroom and stripped to my undergarments. I pulled back the quilt and slid between the cool sheets. I was asleep almost immediately.