Bruce put a sympathetic hand on my shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. "He'll come around."

I looked up from my bowl of cereal and glowered. "Oh yeah, how do you know that?"

He blinked and shifted uncomfortably, and I instantly had the guilty kicking-a-puppy feeling. I apologized.

He shrugged, "It's fine. I understand." He gave me a quick hug, which, although nice, wasn't quite the same as Steve's long drawn out snuggles.

Bruce and I were in Tony's kitchen, sitting on the stools of the breakfast bar. He'd found me in here eating breakfast alone, instead of eating with everyone else, and decided to join me. I hadn't been much fun recently. Every waking moment I either spent furiously digging into every resource to try and find Loki and Anna, or thinking about Steve, (and wondering if he was thinking about me.)

I was finding it harder and harder to get to sleep now I had a bed to myself, and I would often toss and turn until two or three in the morning before dozing off into a light sleep, only to wake up a couple of hours later and haul ass out of bed. I was still no closer to finding Loki or Anna, and seeing as no-one had tried to blow me up recently, I'd been contemplating finding Steve's room. However, he hadn't told me which room he'd taken up after leaving mine, and JARVIS refused to tell me its whereabouts without alerting Steve to my curiosity.

I hung my head again, feeling supremely sorry for myself. Bruce gave a long sigh. "You want me to help you with your research?"

I shook my head. Although I knew for a fact that Bruce was incapable of being killed by explosion or any other means, I had made an informal decision to push every one else away when I pushed Steve out. The research was my own. This feud with Loki was now personal. It wasn't a SHIELD case, it was now only mine.

Thanking Bruce for his company, I stood up, cleared away my bowl, and left for the Library, where I was considering setting up shack for the foreseeable future.











"Miss Reynolds?"

I rubbed a hand over my face and yawned, "Yes, JARVIS?"

"You have a visitor."

"Tell them to fuck off; I'm not at home to guests."

"Really?"

I don't remember ever moving as quickly as I did at that moment, whirling around to face Steve, who was standing there with his hand's thrust deep into the front pockets of his khaki pants. Other than slightly darker circles under his eyes, he (annoyingly) looked pretty much no worse for wear. I, on the other hand, had become a train wreck.

"Steve!"

He took a few steps towards me, "I hate it when you swear." he murmured softly, closing the gap between us and giving me about a foot of space.

"Yeah, well I hate it when you completely walk out on me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Um, I seem to remember you being the one who said we needed to spend some time apart."

"Some being the optimal word." I snapped, leaning against the desk, feeling my eyes itch from lack of sleep. I was way too tired to argue with him.

"I thought you wanted me to be 'safe'?" He did the annoying air quotation marks that he knew bugged the hell out of me. Attractive Super Soldier or not, I was going to slam a fist into his nose if he didn't leave soon.

"Steve, I am way too tired, so unless you have a point then get out." I could hear my words slurring ever so slightly as they came out. His expression softened.

"When was the last time you slept?" he asked, stepping closer. I shrugged, and he sighed, chivalry taking over. Before I knew what he was doing, I was wrapped up in warm, strong arms, and being lifted, bridal style, into the air.









I didn't remember falling asleep, but when I opened my eyes next, I felt more refreshed than I had done in two weeks. I was lying on my bed, even though the last thing I remembered was snapping at Steve in the library.

I rolled over, and my hand crushed something that rustled. I sat up to inspect it. Two pieces of paper. The first was a note, in Steve's old-fashioned handwriting.

You were fast asleep. I really hope you can find them Claire; I miss you so much. I miss being near you, and watching you cook, and falling asleep watching movies with you, and listening to your voice when you hear the news and get exited. I miss the way your eyes light up when something catches your interest. I miss your laugh. I miss you, Claire.

All my love,
Steve. x

That was more than enough to take a girl's breath away. I clung on to the note, reading it and re-reading it until it was imprinted in my mind. Then I remembered the second piece of paper.

It was a drawing. Something that Steve had always kept private from me. Something he'd always been too shy to show me.

It was me. It was the picture I'd caught a glimpse of before. Obviously drawn during one of Fury's meetings, because my legs were outstretched on the desk in front of me, ankles crossed. My head was bent down over something, and there was a look of distraction on my face. In the background of the picture, there was another figure, someone that Steve had clearly spent far less time sketching. Judging by the beard, it was Tony.

I could have cried, or laughed, or screamed. This was something that happened to those girls in chick-flicks, right before they opened the bedroom door and tall-dark-and-handsome was stood there with a hundred red roses confessing undying love. This wasn't something that happened to an Avenger.

As I moved to put the drawing away in the top drawer of my bedside cabinet I noticed writing on the other side. It was Steve's.

Claire, Fury's meeting, day eight.

I grinned and tucked it away, getting up with a totally different attitude to the one I'd had twenty four hours ago.











I was walking through one of Stark Tower's many corridors when I noticed something odd. JARVIS kept the temperature regulated to normal room temperature at all times under Tony's instruction, but right now I was shivering through my shirt. Something was up.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Reynolds?"

"What's up with the heating?"

"The temperature of the building is at it's normal state, Miss Reynolds. The floor you are currently on is having some difficulties maintaining optimum temperature, however. Would you like me to contact Mr Stark?"

I shook my head, "No thanks."

Just as I said that, the over head lights began to flicker, and I instinctively raised Denearmul. I'd taken to bringing the sword with me almost wherever I went, as a precautionary measure. If Loki was trying to kill me, I was going to be prepared.

"No need for that, Shadow." I instantly recognized Loki's voice from behind me, and I whirled around to face him. He cocked his head, a smirk curling at his lips.

"Where's my sister?"

Loki shrugged, uninterested, "Not here." He gestured around, smiling pleasantly, "I see Mr Stark wasted no time in redecorating after our little..." He paused, looking me up and down, "Firework."

I swallowed and gripped Denearmul a little more tightly. He had planted that bomb for me.

"And I have reason to believe that your relationship with Captain Rogers may be a little strained because of our display." His eyes glinted, and I felt anger bubble inside of me.

"What do you want?"

"Me? It is no longer a case of what I want, Claire. It is a case of what Anna wants."

"Oh, so you two shacked up, nice and cozy then?"

He ignored the comment. "We have been tracking a spear. Nicknamed the Spear of Destiny by many throughout the ages, it would put that sword of yours to shame." His eyes flashed as he glanced at Denearmul's curved blade.

"So where is this spear?" I asked, trying to keep him talking. Maybe if I could keep him occupied JARVIS would notice who it was and alert Tony.

Loki gave me a snake-like smile. "At the bottom of the ocean."

"I don't suppose you know where?"

"Oh, my dear Shadow, I know exactly where."

I motioned for him to continue, and he cocked his head, "To the north. Buried in a Submarine by one of your Midgardian 'heros' about fifty years ago."

I was about to ask him more when the alarm began blaring overhead, making us both wince. JARVIS' automated voice rang out through the Stark Tower.

"Intruder on floor seven, Mr Stark."

I rolled my eyes, looked back at the sport Loki had been, seconds before. The spot of air was empty, and I cursed myself. I should have jumped him when I'd had the chance.

"JARVIS?" I called over the alarm, "Shut it off; he's gone."

"The alarm faded as the door at one end of the corridor opened, and Steve, Tony, Thor and Clint burst through, spilling out into the corridor, all wearing the same look of confusion.

"JARVIS, that's Claire." Tony snapped, rolling his eyes.

"Loki was here." I told him, walking over to the four of them. Tony and Thor's eyes widened, and Clint gave a low whistle. Steve just watched me carefully.

"I know what he wants, and I'm pretty sure I know where he's headed." I said, looking to each of them in turn, my gaze lingering on Steve's face for a few seconds longer.

"Where?"

I suppressed a grin, "Canada."

---

"Pender Island." I said finally. After almost twelve hours of research with Bruce and Tony, I was pretty sure I'd found the spot Loki headed.

Bruce looked up from his notes, and Tony wandered over, holding a coffee mug in one hand. "You sure?"

"The boat, the submarine that Loki and Anna were looking for? It was the Faithful. A submarine holding a hundred American and Canadian soldiers during the very start of the Vietnam War. Loki said it was about fifty years ago which gets us to the 1960's. Exactly 50 years ago was 1963." I looked up at Tony, who was nodding along. "Faithful crashed in 1964."

"Any crew survive?"

"One. The captain. He got out as soon as he found out about the damage, leaving his crew to die. And get this," I jabbed a finger at the screen, grinning, "Look what he said caused the damage that sank the ship."

"The cargo." Tony's features stretched into a grin that matched mine. "So that's what we're looking for?"

"I'm almost a hundred percent sure." I said.

"If you are, then we should probably take this to Fury." Bruce said softly from behind us.