Dark Fire

Chapter 9: Target

"Target spotted" Nat said in my ear piece. She was near the window as the rest of us hid. I hid behind the couch with Steve beside me. I breathed heavily as we all waited for the target to enter.
"Target is approaching" Nat informed us as the door opened. We all jumped up with excitement.
"SURPRISE!" We all yelled. Charlotte stood there in shock. Today was her 5th birthday.
"Mommy! Daddy!" She said running toward me and Steve.
"Hey Pumpkin!" Steve said scooping our daughter into his arms.
"Happy birthday sweetie" I said smiling. For the past 3 years everything was going great. Steve agreed to keep anything about Asgard hidden from Charlotte. All she knows is that it is real. She doesn't know that she's Asgardian royalty. Thor was no longer Uncle Thor. Every time he visited I would say he was my best friend. Charlotte loved hanging out with Thor. She still loves poptarts. I kept the books that Thor gave me to read to Charlotte. I felt bad for hiding things like Asgard and Thor away from her. But it was for her own safety. We had captured Loki and I told them to put him on a Helicarrier far away from Charlotte. They did exactly that. They put Loki in a cell on the Helicarrier. I still felt guilt for hiding something so important from her. But both Steve and Thor agreed that it was smart.
I saw Tony sitting down with a drink in hand. I walked over a took the drink from him because of last years accident. Last year on Charlotte's 4th birthday Tony decided to get drunk. "Not again this year" I growled pouring the drink into the sink.
"That was expensive" Tony pouted.
"Grow up" I said walking over to Thor. He was trying to remain hidden from the party.
"Alena" Thor said as we walked around the corner.
"News about Loki?" I asked.
"He hardly speaks. Like Son of Coul said that he is a hard nut to crack" Thor said.
"If he escapes it could put Charlotte in danger" I whispered.
"He can't escape. Even if he did, he wouldn't set a hand on Charlotte. Not over my dead body" Thor said as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"The scepter?" I asked.
"Far out of reach" Thor answered.
"Good" I said as Charlotte ran over with excitement.
"Hi Thor!" Charlotte said.
"Hello Lady Charlotte" Thor said kneeling down to her height.
"Thank you for coming" Charlotte said as I placed a hand on her head.
"I got you something" he said smiling.
"Really?!" She asked giving him a grin. Her two front teeth were missing. Thor slid a box over to her that was wrapped in Asgardian wrapping paper. She tore off the paper and opened the box. Inside the box were things from Asgard. A jewelry box, two Asgardian books, and a small dagger that once belonged to me when I was little. I looked up at Thor and raised an eyebrow at him. Charlotte picked up the dagger and admired the blueish green jewel that was on the handle.
"Wow" she whispered as she laid the dagger back into the box. She pulled out the jewelry box. It was the one my mother gave me when I was little. She opened the box and the music softly played. She smiled and placed it back inside.
"I'll read the books to you tonight" I said smiling.
"Okay! Thank you Thor!" She said hugging him before running off to talk to her Uncle Bucky.
"I miss when she called me Uncle" Thor said.
"You know it's for her safety. If she knew the truth I don't know what would happen. I fear for the day when she finds out that I was from Asgard" I said.
"She won't find out. But when this is all over... You must tell her" He said.
"It will never be over. Nothing is ever over. I miss when we all had no worries. When she'd call you Uncle Thor. Soon she'll call you that again. I can feel it. Soon but not yet" I said before walking away from my brother.

After the party, we had went back home. Charlotte was asleep in her father's arms. He looked up at me and smiled. "Makes you think doesn't it?" He asked, "about having more kids."
"One day" I said with a sad smile as I rubbed my thumb gently against her cheek.
"I wish she was 2 again" he said.
"Soon you won't be able to hold her like that" I said.
"Don't remind me. Soon she'll be calling me a old man" he said.
"Just don't blink" I said as Charlotte buried her small face into her father's chest.
"I'll try not to" he said with a sigh. I gave Steve a small kiss on the cheek before walking back to our bedroom.