The tests had gone nowhere as predicted, and I was growing frustrated. By now, everyone knew what was going on, for the most part, at least. I kept certain information to myself. I decided that I was going to take matters into my own hands. I managed to get a message to Loki; I figured if science couldn't find anything, maybe magic could. That's why I'm standing on the roof of the Avengers Tower.

"Alex, I do believe that your suspicions were right. Magic is most definitely behind this, and you have already started to grasp how to control your magic. I can teach you so much more if you return to Asgard with me," Loki offered.

"I don't know, Loki," I said hesitantly, thinking about Bucky and how it was going to suck, leaving him for an unspecified length of time.

"It's about Barnes, isn't it," Loki asked, picking up what I wasn't saying.

"It is; I love him, Loki, and I don't think I could handle being apart," I whispered.

"Let me go get him," Loki whispered.

Before I could say anything, Loki had vanished and reappeared with Bucky. My guts were in my throat as I watched them approach me. I wanted nothing more than to just lay my head down for a while.

"Loki brought me up to speed, so you really believe this is magic causing this and that learning control from Loki will help you?" Bucky asked.

"Yes, I really do believe that." I smiled slightly, thinking about the thought.

"Then I'll leave with you," Bucky replied, giving me a soft smile.

"Well, then, lovebirds, we should leave before the rest of the Avengers decide to wake up. Alex doesn't want everyone else to know until she can control it," Loki said. Bucky looked at him and then me and nodded.

Loki called for the Bifrost, and I hung onto Bucky. I was terrified, but what could I really say that would make them understand? When we landed in Asgard, Thor was waiting for us, and I felt like everything would be okay.

"Lady Alex, I'll arrange your cover story while you're here doing this so that your dad doesn't try to tear apart the nine realms looking for you," Thor said, greeting me with a hug.

"Thank you, Thor," I replied, smiling.

"You're welcome, Lady Alex," Thor said as he led us to the horses. Bucky looked a little unsure, and Loki laughed, bemused.

"You've never done this before, have you, Buck?" Alex asked before breathing deeply to keep her connection with the magic that was letting her see.

"No, I haven't," Bucky sheepishly admitted.

"It's easy and fun to climb on behind me," I encouraged Bucky as I climbed on the horse.

Bucky quickly climbed on behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I held the reins of the horse, and I felt so alive. I hadn't felt like this since before the battle, the pain, and the depression. The smooth gliding of the horse's body underneath me felt like a dream, but it was not a dream at the same time. When we arrived, someone had shown Bucky and me to our room. My nerves were everywhere, and I knew that this was for the best.

"Alex, how do you feel?" Bucky asked as We settled in.

"Nervous, but I know that I want it to be safe for everyone else to be around me. Bucky, tomorrow, please go with Thor and get Steve. Deliver the letter to my dad explaining where I am," I said.

"Why do I need to convince Steve to come?" Bucky asked.

"Because Buck, we may need his help. I may need both of you," I finally allowed myself to admit that.

"You're right, Alex. You're going to need the support, and I know you think of Steve as your best friend as much as I do," Bucky said, now seeing sense in what I was asking him to do.

"Thank you, Bucky," I whispered.

Everything was so daunting and confusing. I didn't like that I had little to no control over what was happening. I just wanted to be normal again and be able to use my eyes to see. When I woke the next morning, Loki was there to greet me. Thor and Bucky had gone to deliver the letter and get Steve.

"Are you ready to learn more about your powers?" Loki asked as I sat up, gathering my bearings.

"Yes, but I'm not going to lie. I feel nervous about all of this because it's hard to accept that I'm not normal," my voice cracked slightly.

"Alex, we'll work to make this as easy as breathing for you. I don't want you to think that you're a monster or not normal. I would guess that even if your eyesight hadn't been taken from you, you would still have your powers. They are part of you, and that can't be taken away or changed," Loki said.

"I think you're right; I just don't think I would have gotten them so soon, though," I said, thinking out loud.

"I believe you're right, but let's get started so you can start feeling better about yourself," Loki said with an encouraging smile.

"Thank you, Loki," I replied with a smile, taking a few deep breaths, and connected to my powers so I could see and move around.

"You're welcome, Lady Alex. I shall wait outside while you dress," Loki said and made his way from the room.

Quickly, I grabbed some clothes that had been brought in for me. They were all stunningly beautiful, and I felt like a runway model should be wearing them, not me. I stared at the clothing for only a moment before putting it on and getting on with my day. I ran a brush through my long, tangled hair, looked in the mirror, and saw my own sightless eyes. I almost cried at how bad they looked. I didn't ever want to see my own badly damaged eyes again; it broke my heart and reminded me of every thought that I was so completely happy with the way things were. Once I was changed, I went out of the hall where Loki stood waiting to escort me to where we would be working on my knowledge of magic and expanding it. I wondered what Steve was going to say when Bucky told him everything.

"Are you ready to begin?" Loki asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied.

"Let's begin. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Focus on how your magic feels, what it looks like, and how it flows," Loki instructed calmly.

I nodded and took a few deep breaths before sitting down and clearing my mind. The further into my own mind I went, the more in touch I felt with my magic. It felt like pure unbridled anxiety mixed with the best adrenaline high you could ever get—like riding a rollercoaster. Soon, I opened my eyes and saw this pale turquoise mist surrounding my hand and my body. I was so enthralled with it that I didn't hear or notice Steve, Bucky, and Thor come into the room.

"Very good, Alex; now try to use your magic to do something," Loki encouraged.

I decided that I wanted to start with something rather amusing, so I put my mind to conjure up a pair of underwear that said 'slippery when wet' on the ass. I visualized how the underwear looked and imagined how they felt and what material they were made from. I watched in amazement as the underwear materialized exactly as I had pictured them. Thor and Loki shared a rather confused look, whereas Steve and Bucky shook their heads. I smirked to myself, realizing just how cool it was that I could do that.

"Very good, but why those?" Loki asked.

"Because I have to have a sense of humor; if not, I don't think I could make it through this," I laughed. That's when I locked eyes with Steve. I knew that I was going to have some explaining to do. Steve would need to understand why I couldn't tell everyone else.

"Alex, is everything Buck told me true?" Steve asked as the three of us were left alone.

"Yes, it is. I couldn't tell the others because they wouldn't approve of me getting training from Loki, but Loki is the only one who knows what kind of power I'm dealing with," I said sadly.

"I understand, Alex, but why can't you tell your dad? He's going crazy not knowing what's really going on. He knows you're not as okay as you've been putting on, especially after the tests turned up nothing," Steve said.

"Because Steve, while I don't know what I'm capable of, I don't trust myself not to hurt my dad. I don't want to hurt anyone on the team, so this needs to be kept under wraps until I have control of this power," I replied.

"I understand," Steve said.

"Thank you, Steve," I replied, pulling him in for a hug.

"You're welcome."

I finished training with Loki for the day and went back to Bucky and my room to lie down. Mentally, I was exhausted from learning how to tap into and use this power. Bucky lay beside me and pulled me close to him. I felt like I would be okay while I lay next to him.

"Alex, how are you feeling after today?" Bucky asked.

"I'm Tired and not quite sure how this is all going to play out. I've only got a few more Asgardian days before the excuse in my letter has me due back, and I'm not sure I can learn how to use and control it by then," I worried.

"Alex, you already made good progress today; I know that you can learn this power by then," Bucky assured me.

"Thank you, Bucky; I don't know what I would do without you," I told him softly. Bucky didn't say a word. Instead, he kissed me with all the passion from the words he couldn't say.