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ɢᴜᴇꜱꜱ ᴡʜᴏ'ꜱ ʙᴀᴄᴋ

I was sat on the sofa, letting my dinner go down, next to Clint.

"How's Laura?" I asked him next to me. "And the kids?" He turned to me and smiled.

"Laura wants to see you, Nate said his first word while you were." He cleared his throat.
"Gone."

"And what was it?" I asked, a big smile on my face. He smiled too, before taking a long pause.

"Nat."

I burst out laughing, and covered my mouth, looking across the room at Nat, laughing against my hand.

"And the next one?" I said, through my laughter.

"Mummy." He replied, and that set me off again.

Clint was laughing just as hard with me, before he pushed my shoulder, but still smiling. I gave him the most apologetic glance I could, my mouth clamped shut, shoulders moving up and down, and the smile creeping in on my face before I could stop it.

"What are you two laughing about?" Thor spoke suspiciously, the team all looking at me, and I turned back to look at him, shaking my head, noticing Clint rub a hand against his forehead, smirking.

"Thor." I addressed him, holding up my empty glass. "Make yourself useful and get me another drink." I smiled, shook the glass a little, and he walked over.

"If you will." He said as he took it from me, I nodded my head a little- a silent thank you, and he walked over to the bar.

I bought my knees up on the couch, so I was cross legged.

No one was sitting in my favourite chair, I noticed. The team were anywhere- but there.

"Hey Nat." I called her attention.  "A certain Nathaniel has took a liking to you I hear." And she laughed a little, taking a sip of her drink.

"Hey." She said, to me and Clint, pointing a finger. "Not my fault." And I chuckled.

I caught Bucky's gaze out of the corner of my eye, and looked in his direction. He smiled at me.

I smiled back, and just then Thor returned with my drink. Vodka, again. He sketched a bow, presenting the drink before me.

"My lady." He said, smirking.

"Why, thank you." I replied, and he stood up, walking back to his spot on one of the armchairs by the pool table.

"I should head back." Clint said from next to me. It was about 10:30pm. Laura and the kids lived with him a couple miles away from New York City in the countryside.

He was spending more time around the tower because of what had happened but Laura knew his job, and allowed him time when he needed it- the team all respected her for that.

I waved Clint off.

"Say hi to everyone for me. And tell Laura that I would love to see her soon too." I smiled, and Clint nodded, before saying his good-nights to the rest of the group.

****

When he was gone, Loki came from the bar and sat down next to me. Quiet.

"Hey um. I'm never said, I'm so sorry." I told him, and he waved a hand, dismissing it. So I just moved on.

"You uh- you said you had research. Wha- what- what did you find." I was stuttering, I was nervous. Some part of me didn't want to hear what he had to say but another part of me wouldn't rest until I knew.

If these things were going to be a part of me- even temporarily-now, I had to know them inside and out.

"It's a long story on how I found out- but to give you the summary." He started. "You were taking power from the ring before you'd even seen it, and even when you weren't wearing it. I'm still not entirely sure how but, now that the doctors dead it's obviously looking for a new owner. So it transferred some of its energy and power into the only other person it was connected to- through the branding. So uh- you have most of the ring's power. You might as well have the ring."