I pace around the glistening glass coffee table, most likely wearing a path into the expensive looking carpet. Clint is currently attending to Rogers' wounds from flying rubble and previous scraps he's been in – most likely bar fights – and required that I remain here while Steve is doped on morphine. Not like morphine does much to him anyway; it's the same effect as alcohol.

"You wished to speak with me Lillian?" That loud yet hushed deep voice I would recognize from anywhere. Not at all shocked by his sudden presence – okay a little shocked, but I didn't show it – I face his over-towering frame and gesture to the squeaky leather couches, inquiring of him "Yes please. Uh... sit?"

Obliging happily, Thor slightly shrinks in size yet still has shoulders as broad as Fabio on steroids as he takes a seat on the three-seated couch, me taking a seat beside him.

Swallowing as much saliva as I can yet still not enough to quench my parched throat, I ask him what has been gnawing away at me for a few years now.

"Was Loki always that way?"

He seems startled by the abrupt question, having to blink at me a few times before finally composing himself and staring at the floor in front of him in deep thought, his elbows propped up on his knees and his hands clasped together.

"I... to be honest Lady Nightshade.... I do not know. I thought him to be my amusing yet quarrelsome younger brother for many a year. He knew his way around everything and everyone with his mischievous trickery, but always stuck with Sif, the Warriors Three and I. He was but acting like any troublesome young Asguardian—"

"You call a couple of centuries young?" I mumble to myself, too incoherent for Thor to pick up on.

"— so I did not suspect that he desired the throne so much. I thought he accepted my claim towards the throne the entire time. Then the Frost Giant incident occurred.... I did not know so much envy could exist in my younger brother. I always believed that there was still some of my younger brother in there, no matter how many times he betrayed me. After New York though.... I do not know if the monster who he is now took over my younger brother, or if the monster was my younger brother all along. Do not fret though Lillian, you are nothing like him. You do not share the same nefarious spark in your eyes. You have the spark of a strong individual, a spark you must have inherited from your mother."

For a few moments, I simply stare at him, my entire face devoid of emotions. He almost appears worried at my blank look, trying to decipher what I am feeling. So instead of allowing him to decipher it, I show it.

I lean forward and hug him as strongly as a bear, and at first, he tenses, surprised by the sudden contact and show of emotions. After allowing the thought to process though, his giant arms wrap around my small frame in comparison, practically screaming at me the real definition of a bear hug.

Allowing my head to rest just below his chin, I muffle into his chest "Thor.... Is it alright if I call you uncle?"

His chest moves up and down in time with his throaty chuckles. "You may call me whatever you wish Lillian. I understand you see as you would put it 'Patchy the Pirate' as you father, but you do not only have to have one father, and blood does not define family. Love does."

And queue the waterworks.

I don't cry. No, not really. I get angry, but I don't cry. There have been but a few times where I've cried in my life, Ally passing being one of them. Yet these tears aren't sorrowful ones, but happy ones. Thor just offered me another addition to my broken family. He just offered to step up to the mantle and take the role as my father. Sure, Nicky was my first true father, and he always will be. Like Thor said though, I do not need to have only one father.

His hand gently caresses my hair as I snuggle into his chest, enjoying the feeling of his Asguardian armor against my cheek. Does he ever take the bloody thing off?

"Lillian," Thor's voice echoes in my ears.

I pull away a little, only to rest my head on his shoulder as I reply "Yeah?" wiping the tears of joy rimming at eyes and dampening my cheeks.

He pauses. "Why are you afraid of buttons?"

I bite my lip at the amusing question, attempting to repress the bursts of giggles bouncing around in my mouth. "You weren't there the first time they caught me. SHIELD. It was when they were transporting me from the interrogation chamber to my cell."

F  L  A  S  H    B  A  C  K

The hallways are an endless Labyrinth. If I have any hope of getting out of here, then I'm going to have to blast a hole through the roof, or roofs. Depending on what floor I'm on.

"Left right left right left right left right," I imitate a soldier in a deep, patronising voice, receiving agitated glares from the Fantastic Freak Show and Asshole Avengers, yet Stark and Johnny allow small smirks to crack at their lips, as well as Ben, but he also gives a skyward eye roll.

A giant metallic door opens, revealing a room with a big cylinder glass cell. "Isn't this the cell that you kept that god in? Loki was it?" I inquire, a smug look dominating my features. Oh the things they don't know about me.

Barton nods and I laugh "Didn't he escape?"

This time, I'm offered an awkward silence from the band of super nerds, chuckling as they roughly shove me in the general direction of the cell. As I near, I notice that Sam is sitting down cross legged on the floor, also wearing the special hand cuffs that restrain our abilities.

"Fancy seeing you here Lilly," he says, grinning at me just as smugly.

I smirk in return. "Oh you know me, quite the traveller. I heard that this particular tourist attraction is the cell that they kept that crazy ass god Loki in. Apparently it's nice about this time of year." Conceal don't feel, don't let them know....

His grins even wider, nodding his head in acknowledgment. "Didn't he escape?"

I click my tongue as I nod. "Yeah, must have been friends with Houdini."

Rogers gives an irksome grunt as he unceremoniously pushes me in, door shutting behind me almost instantaneously.

I glimpse at him in a feigned hurt. "Rude. I would have gone if you asked nicely." He rolls his eyes and scowls in response, moving out of the way as Fury approaches the control panel dramatically. I swear the lot of them were actors in a different lifetime.

"You're about to be given the serious talk," Sam warns, an innocent look on his face when he whispers the words loudly enough for the Avengers to audibly pick up on.

I feign terror, my hands trembling like a blender when it's on and my voice raspy and pitchy. "I'm so scared! Buttons, my worst fear," however, my voice drops at the end and drips with sarcasm, my tone completely blank and devoid of emotion. Sam chuckles and stiffly rises, placidly sitting on the little bench in the back of the cell.

One Eyed Wonder informs "You try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass and its 30 000 feet down in a steel trap," he once again, dramatically presses a button inducing the ground beneath the cell to disappear, exposing open blue sky and a bundle of clouds. "Then that will be the end of the line," he unemotionally finishes, but I know the game we're playing. However I notice the Captain flinch at Fury's theatrical ending. That's the second time that that line has affected him. It must mean something.

"You got me Patchy. Congratulations! Quite the impressive cage but not built I think, for me," I arrogantly retaliate.

"Built for something a lot stronger than you," Patchy replies, pissed about his new nickname.

"Oh I know, but last time something or someone was in here, they weren't as strong as that something yet that someone escaped. Funny world we live in." My eyes flicker to Dr Banner for a split second take note of the fumbling fingers and shifting feet. God he looks like a nice guy, I wish I didn't have to be such a brat but work is work and they are my enemies. I must remind him of someone if he's acting in such a way. I have a pretty good idea who as well.

"We won't be making that mistake again," confirms Patchy.

I nod and warn "You better hope not," before turning around and sitting down next to Sam, suggesting "Thumb war?"

F  L  A  S  H   B  A  C  K   O  V  E  R

Another deep and throaty chuckle bounces off the walls of the room on Thor's behalf. "Quite amusing Lillian. Even though you have lost a lot of how Man of Iron puts it 'sass', you still hold that element of humour which can brighten anyone's day. The Patriotic one shall enjoy that during his visit."

My smile wavers. "If he'll even be happy to see me. I'm here so we can discuss our current 'relationship'. How would you classify my relationship with Steve, Thor?"

His face contorts to one of amusement. "I do not know. Both of you have obvious feelings for one another but refuse to tell the other of those feelings, no matter how evident they may be. If I am truly your father now, should I not give what the Human of Torches suggests 'the father-boyfriend-I-will-kick-your-ass talk' to Rogers?"

I actually giggle at his confused expression as he quotes Johnny, staring off into space as I reply "You really, really don't have to."

He eases a little. "Good, because I have no idea what that it." For a split second, we just stare at each other, and then both fall into small hysterics at even the idea of Thor approaching Steve and attempting to start that conversation. I'm going to have to teach him the ways of a Midguardian, because Stark will indubitably teach him all the wrong ways of being a Midguardian. He'll probably start with a strip club.

"I did," Thor starts "find your apparent fear of buttons most peculiar. I am glad that it was only a joke."

I nod. "Could you imagine if it was? And the media found out? I could totally imagine a new super hero named 'Button man' rising from nowhere, clothed in assortments of buttons to take me down with a button mobile. He would probably have a range of cringe worthy puns on each button as well, like 'World Peas' with three peas in a pod or 'Math has serious problems'. You know what movie did creep me out as a kid though? Coraline. I'm not gonna lie, that movie was hella creepy. I had nightmares for a week."

Thor's brows furrow. "Coraline?"

I wave my hand at him nonchalantly, explaining "We'll watch it together later. Once all of this is over. Hopefully I won't get nightmares this time."

"Lillian?"

Thor and I snap our attentions towards an exhausted and drained Clint Barton standing at the edge of the hallway, who nods his head and permits "You can see him now."

Missing Thor's fatherly embrace already, I stand from the couch and glimpse down at him, only to see his warm and assuring goofy grin plastered on his face. "I will be right here if need be."

Attempting to quench my throat once more but to no avail, I nod and slowly walk towards the hallway, stopping short when Clint places a hand on my shoulder. Staring at him strangely, his serious expression morphs to one of reassurance when out of nowhere he hands me a glass of water, explaining "I felt the same way when approaching Natasha about this topic. We came out girlfriend and boyfriend, so good luck!" And practically skips away in a giddy mood.

A silent chuckle finds its way out of my mouth as I progress down the hallway, finishing the glass of water in a few gulps yet still feeling slightly parched. Then, I arrive at his door. For a few moments, I blankly stare at the door handle, contemplating on whether turning it or not.

It's a stupid little door handle Lillian, you've faced more provoking and troublesome foes than this. Looks like that annoying voice in the back of my head is back....

Placing the empty glass down on the hallway bench besides a bouquet of withering flowers, something catches my eye that for some strange reason encourages me to push on.

Each flower within the bouquet, are black roses.

Some are more withered than others, some decently fresh. Evidently, it's a collection of black roses they have acquired from my killing spree over the past nine months. Why though, are they set outside Steve's door?

That's what pushes me on.

Turning the knob with my sweaty palms, I crack the door open a bit and peak inside, my eyes fixating on Steven Grant Rogers who is resided in the large king mattress bed in the centre of the room up against the wall. Shuffling in, I silently close the door behind me, glimpsing at what he appears to be doing. An old, bloodied bandage is in his hands, his fingers delicately toying with the stained fabric. It looks to be at least a good ten or so months old.

"This," he starts, slightly catching me off guard, with his eyes focused intently on the bandage "is the bandage you wrapped around my torso from when you shot me. Do you remember that?"

I don't know whether to laugh or sheepishly rub the back of my neck. "To be fair, you shot an arrow in my thigh first."

A single chuckle jolts his chest up briefly. "That was the first day we got along. In the cell, we were almost comfortable around one another. And that talk we had, the deep one. You mentioned vague backstories of your scars, are any of them true?"

Slowly treading over to his bed, each step feeling as if an eternity has passed before the heel of my foot has touched the ground, I stiffly seta myself on the very edge of his bed, not too far yet not too close to him. "The 4cm white blade scar on my hip was actually from a mission I took with Ally and a few others. Tasha and Legolas have probably mentioned Budapest occasionally, but they don't remember much. Not all the right information anyway. The bullet scar on the back of my left arm was from my cousin though; I would preferably not like to talk about him. As for the very faint burn scar above my bra line, that was from a warlock. They think they're so amazing and immune to everything. Turns out nightshade venom can really work wonders."

He still hasn't looked at me yet, but pauses before asking "And your dad resorting to drugs when you mother passed in birth, then dying when you were two... obviously a lie. Another one."

I experience a small stab of guilt twist my gut. "You have to think about what kind of a situation I was in Steve. I was stuck in a cell with my enemy – one of the many – and we were getting onto touchy subjects. What was I supposed to do? Go 'Hiya Captain Kill Joy! Did I forget to mention I'm the daughter of that ludicrous God who almost enslaved the planet a couple years back? Whoops, my bad. Be sure to add that onto the list of things to despise me for'. See? Not exactly a conversation starter, or a brilliant conversation topic."

He sighs. "That's true. But I told you about Bucky and... Lilly, my Bucky is like your Ally. He means a lot to me. I tried searching for him for so long.... But he just vanished. So when you did the same, I couldn't take it."

Another stab of guilt convulses in my gut. "I don't know where he is now, but I should tell you something about him.... About James Buchanan Barnes."

His whole body freezes over. Ha, get it? That was a pun. "What about him?"

I inhale and exhale once, easing my nerves only in the slightest. "The brain washing system. It used to be close to perfection. HYDRA would only need to refresh Bucky's or whoever else was going through its brains every once in a while. There was also, no possible way of recollecting said memories if you were to run into someone you used to know or recognise. They had brainwashed people killing their own families and loved ones, without even flinching or thinking twice about it. Eventually, my ears picked up on this information through.... Resources.

"I for a while was quite selfish. It was just Ally, Nicky and I. I didn't care about what happened to everyone else, but I couldn't help but feel toying with the human mind was... wrong. Unnatural. So, I decided to play Good Samaritan and investigate.

"Creating a fake alias that's believable enough for HYDRA is a tricky task. Ally and I needed a little help from Nicky, but not too much. HYDRA can recognise SHIELD work from a mile away. Once it was valid enough, I managed to enrol for one of the scientist positions in HYDRA so no, when I started working for Simon wasn't technically my first time working for HYDRA, but it was my true first time working for them.

"Because of my qualifications I flew through the ranks. I was in disguise of course; otherwise they would have recognised me when I re-joined a year back with Simon. I was one Dr. Dolorous Timp. Ally had fun choosing that name.

"One day, I had enough access for them to show me and a few other scientists and doctors the brain washing program. There were four candidates when I was there, Bucky being one of them. They presented to us their total control over their wills, how they wanted the entire planet to be like them, for order. They were most proud of James Buchanan Barnes though.

"He didn't even flinch when he shot bullet after bullet through a photo of your head. They would show footage of you and he would scowl. They somehow got a photo of you and him together, happily smiling and what would he do? Rip it to shreds and burn them. He was nothing but an agro sheep to them. If that wasn't enough, I then had to witness the actual process.

"His agonising screams are what tore me apart. His pleads to make it stop, for the pain to just go away, for his life to end then and there. I... I couldn't take it.

"Of course the whole program was completely and securely under wrap. I wouldn't even set foot in there without a gun being pointed at me and taken for questioning on why I would be in that part of the building. Sure, I had access to know what it is but not enough access to visit it whenever I desired. I also just couldn't go in there guns blazing, I would never make it out alive. You have to know when you're outnumbered. So, I waited til' nightfall.

"I was staying back late, finishing up a DNA transmutation investigation when I managed to sneak into one of the computer programming rooms. I couldn't get into the actual rooms where they did the deed, but the computer knowledge is more important anyway.

"Whoever built HYDRA's firewall is a pure genius. Stark has an IQ of 208, whereas I have one of 200. I believed they had William James Sidis working with them at one stage, for his IQ ranged from 250-300. Which is why I wouldn't get into the system, no matter how hard I tried. Even with Ally's help. So instead, I left a little gift. A virus.

"I never returned after that night, faking Dolorous Timp's death by her jumping off the top of a 90 story tower. That bug though, wiggled its way through their systems all by itself, bit by bit. Soon enough, the brain washing was more frequent. Bucky would hesitate when shooting your photo. He would curiously watch your video footage, using your fighting skills to improve his own. He wouldn't even rip up the photo of the two of you. No, his eyes would apparently flicker with emotion, almost recognition. So they started showing him to you all together, hoping time and more brain washing would induce him to forget, but you helped him remember all over again in Washington, didn't you?

"I met him a couple times, once before the virus and once afterwards. If he's away from HYDRA now, he may remember our encounters but I highly doubt it."

For what feels like an eternity, he blankly stares at the bandage in his hands, his finger still, his arms still, his chest still, even his eyes are unblinking. Then, he once again catches me off guard.

Tossing the bandage onto the table, he pulls me closer to him, inducing me to lie down as he hugs me as firmly as Thor with my head resting under his chin, exactly like Thor. Yet Thor's hug had a more fatherly feel to it, Steve's had a little something extra. Something all too familiar.

I take this moment to snuggle into his chest, his hand drawing the doona (duvet) over my body and pulling me even closer as we fidget under the blankets. His breathing almost lullabies me to sleep, but when he speaks, it is probably the warmest voice I have ever heard, all the ice finally thawed from his tone. "Thank you Lilly."

I rub my nose against his collar bone. "It's fine, really."

I can feel his own nose comfortably resting on my head along with his chin, his lips pressing a faint kiss onto my hair before his nose inhaling my passionfruit and roses scent. "You smell nice, and did you dye your hair?"

That. Was. Adorable.

I swallow my queasiness. "No no... It's just when I act more so like my father, my hair goes darker and my eyes start turning green, remember?"

I can feel his mouth make an 'O' shape against my head. "That's right, completely forgot. But your hair—"

He sneezes.

And I just couldn't help myself.

I just had to.

"God bless America."

Silence.

A very loud laugh erupts through his mouth, his chest jumping up and down with each chortle of laughter. "Twice, twice you have used that line on me."

I slightly shrug. "I couldn't help myself."

Another light kiss against my head. "Of course you couldn't, you're trouble."

I smirk against his bare neck. "Trouble is my middle name." Another small silence envelops the room, before I light-heartedly say "You know.... I'm still forced to remain in this tower. I also still count this as kidnapping."

I can hear the evident humour in his voice. "And I thought I explained that this wasn't kidnapping, but in fact a very long sleep-over. Anyway, you need to be a kid to be kidnapped."

 I huff. "Fine, abducted."

He clicks his tongue. "Still think it's a long sleep-over."

I attempt to restrain the ditzy smile quirking the corners of my lips up. "Yeah okay, whatever floats your boat."

He slightly shifts under the sheets. "Why... why did you leave m—us Lilly?"

That reciprocated quickly. Biting my lip in anxiety, I shakily answer "I... I needed time. By myself. Also the fact that I guess.... With not only the darkness in me as a threat but HYDRA, I didn't want any of you guys getting hurt because of me—"

"We're super heroes, it's an occupational hazard. Not to mention that you hurt us more being away than you did being with us. Like I said, it was like losing Bucky all over again except...  maybe even worse."

Another knife to add to the ones stabbing me with guilt at the current time. "What about you, huh? You hurt your team being away from them, and you weren't even away from them looking for me, just drowning yourself in the next bottle of booze you could find."

His chest soothingly moves up and down, each breath more and more ragged. "You will never know the things I went through during those six months. No one will, and it's best to keep it that way."

I glance up at him, only to find him staring down at me. "We all have our secrets; just don't let them destroy you, because while some secrets are like a knife, others are like a nuclear bomb. Each one has a different impact, how strong the impact is depends on how long you keep it and how dangerous the secret can be. Don't make the mistake of keeping anything big from the people you care about, for they will always be the first ones to trigger that bomb, no matter how hard you try."

His lip tugs upward into a welcoming smile. "Never pitched you as a poetry type."

My eyes flicker down to his lips. "There's still a lot you don't know about me Captain."

And that's when it happens.

We lean in, and no matter how much I tell myself to stop, that's it's not going to end well, I can't seem to stop myself from leaning forward. At first, our noses brush, the sensation sending tingles to shoot throughout my whole body, igniting it in a pleasurable fire, then, our lips—

"STEVE! LILLIAN!"

And it's over in a flash. Blinking, I pull away, grumbling "Someone's going to die today," the same time Steve scowls "I'm about to hit someone all the way back to World War II."

And who is that someone you may ask? One Clint Francis Barton.

"Looks like a bird needs depluming," I snarl, but his frantic expression slightly eases my features.

"What!?" Steve snaps, something rather out of character for him, but if Clint was startled, he didn't show it.

"HYDRA has made another alliance," he begins, swallowing hard "and he's currently renovating the top floor."

Me: *runs away from pitch forks and torches* HELLLLLPPPPPP!!!!! I'M BEING ATTACKED BY ANGRY FANGIRLS!

*hides behind Bruce Banner* Dude, you're officially my human-hulk shield

Bruce Banner: *blinks* Um... okay?

Pfft, 32 chapters in is too early for a kiss. My character Becca didn't kiss her love until chapter 44 in my other book 'Locked Love' but dw, they should kiss a tad sooner than that.

Who'd ya think is renovating the top floor? You're probably pissed at him cuz if he wasn't there then Clint would never had to have run in and they could have kissed.... *sighs* such a shame

What about Thor's and Lillian's moment before? Thor hasn't been in here much so I'm glad to have fit him in as another fatherly figure. OH and I'm so ashamed in all of you for not picking up on any of the foreshadows in chapter 7 when she's walking into the cell. So ashamed! Jks I love you guys to the next universe and back, and don't blame you for forgetting things like that.

Thanks for reading and that's all for now, bye! :) xxx