Once they were well out of range of the medical ward Natasha suddenly asked –All right, what happened?-

-Well, remember the thing that we thought wasn’t going to happen? – Tony asked in return –Well, it did.-

-What?!- Both Natasha and Clint snapped as they stopped walking.

-But I thought you said that wasn´t going to happen, that she was out of danger.- Clint spat

-It seemed that way. – Bruce confessed –The process only took longer than we anticipated.-

-I don´t understand, how did you stabilized the transformation without the vita ray? I thought you said the chances of her surviving without them were slim at best.-Natasha questioned him

-My old man wasn´t the only genius in the family, you know? I made my own portable version of the ray. – Tony answered proudly

-And it worked? – Natasha asked visibly worried.

-Of course it did. I did it myself! – Tony spat angrily at her question.

-I don´t have time to nurse your wounded feelings Stark! Bruce, did it really worked?-Natasha just ignored Tony scowl as she asked Bruce.

-It seems so.-Bruce volunteered.

-Seems so? Forgive me if that doesn´t make me feel over confident about this whole business. I´m sure you read the reports about the experiments, shouldn´t we be worried about any possible side effects? Why isn´t she in a containment unit? – Clint asked agitated.

Natasha had probably been thinking the same thing, because she remain quietly waiting for an answer with her arms crossed.

Bruce sighed as he took of his glasses while thinking the best answer to calm their fears. –We have run all the tests we could think of.-

-And even invented some new ones.-Tony interrupted.

-Yes, we did.-Bruce added – And we found no indications of side effects, as far as I can tell she´s both physically and mentally stable, is that reassuring enough?-

-It would seem so.-Clint responded with irony.

-Ha ha, very funny.-Tony scowled back.

-Forget all that, why didn´t you called us? SHIELD could´ve had something to help you manage this situation. – She wasn’t done with her questions yet.

-You were on a mission. – Tony blurted out.

-Really? And since when has that stopped you from calling us? – Natasha was starting to lose her patience.

-We didn´t wanted SHIELD to find out.-Steve suddenly said out loud.

-Why?-Clint asked surprised.

-They already want them bad enough, can you imagine what would happen if Fury found out Leah has the abilities of a super soldier now? The least he would do is add her to the index.-Steve explained.

-It´s just a list.-Clint stated.

-Of people with abilities.-Bruce added-It´s a target list and you know it, either you work with SHIELD or you are against them, there´s no in between.-

-That´s not how it works, there are people with very dangerous abilities on that list, SHIELD just wants to be prepared-Natasha volunteered.

-So you think Leah belongs in that list?-Tony asked her.

-No, of course not. She just wants to live her life, she doesn´t want to be a part of all of this. –Natasha answered while she asked Bruce- She really has Steve´s super abilities?-

-I don´t know.-Bruce answered dryly.

-You mean you haven´t tested her yet? Why are we even arguing about this?-Clint asked annoyed

-Of course not, she´s a five and a half month pregnant woman recuperating from two near death experiences on the same week, forgive me if testing her abilities isn´t on my priority list.-Bruce answered visibly irritated.

Everyone looked back at him slightly worried at the tone of his voice.

-And don´t look at me like that, it would take much more than this to bring out the Hulk.-Bruce buffed at them.

-All right.-Tony spoke up first.- Let´s just say that we´ve all had a rough week, I´m sure we can fill you in the details later.-

-Ok.-Both Clint and Natasha reluctantly agreed.

-Is her baby all right? – Natasha asked.

-Yes, she is. As a matter of fact I think she´s better than all right, I don´t know if it´s because her alien DNA but she went through the transformation fairly easily.-Bruce answered.

-Now it makes sense why you didn´t wanted SHIELD to find out.-Clint said as he ran his hand through his hair.

-Loki’s child and a super soldier, every evil organization in the world would love to get their hands on her.-Natasha added in a stern tone, as if things weren´t complicated enough.

-And every other agency also.-Tony added.

-Exactly.-Steve interrupted before they started fighting again.-And that´s why we can´t let anyone find out, not even SHIELD, the moment someone finds out Leah will have a target painted on her back, we can´t let that happen.-

-She already has a target painted on her back.-Clint pointed out.

– I know.-Steve sighed- Just, let´s not make this worst than it already is.-

-I guess we can do that, but no more secrets, agreed?-Natasha asked to no one in specific.

-I´m afraid that´s not our only problem.-Tony suddenly spat.-Loki wants her back.-

-What? Did he tried to take her? I can´t believe you didn´t called us! Don´t tell me you couldn´t find a way of tracking his intrusions to the Tower.-Natasha yelled at him in frustration.

-No, and no.-Tony simply stated.

-Then, how … – Steve started to ask when Tony interrupted him

-He wrote her a letter.-Tony answered while biting his lower lip, this wasn´t going to be fun to explain.-All right, it´s kind of my fault, she was totally miserable so I suggested her to write him a letter that way she could get all of her feelings out, how was I supposed to know he would write her back.-

-And you kept this from the rest of us.-Steve asked as he place his palm on his forehead.

-Thor knew.-Tony said pointing at Thor who had remained quiet all the time.

-Yes, I did.-Thor confessed – We really weren´t trying to keep this from you, we just didn´t found the time to tell you before.-

-When did you find out he wrote her back?-Steve asked them trying to remain as calm as possible.

-When her transformation triggered we found the letters.-Thor answered back.

-Letters?-Natasha asked with a frown.

-He must have written her the night before, she was writing him back when …-Thor began to explain.

-When we interrupted her.-Bruce said as he remembered.

-Yes.-Thor agreed. – I delivered her last letter for her.-

-You mean you saw Loki?- Clint asked surprised.

-Yes, we talked. – Thor sighed. – He really tried to do the honorable thing and let her go regardless of his feelings but she …-

-I have to guess she refused, and in a very determined fashion if I can add.-Bruce said with a half-smile.

-Yes, she did.-Tony said with a smirk. –You should´ve read her answer, what a feisty girl!- a tinge of proud could be heard on his voice as he said it.

Everyone could very much imagine Leah´s answer and tried very hard not to smile at the thought.

-So, Loki told you he wants her back?-Natasha asked.

-No, he hadn’t decided yet when we talked, though he has been considering every possibility, even throwing himself at Odin´s mercy.-Thor informed them.

-If he loves her so much, why hasn´t him? – Steve asked intrigued.

-The All Father Isn´t very forgiving and Loki knows it. He´s afraid that doing such a thing would only kept them apart forever.-Thor confessed.

-Not even because she´s pregnant?-Bruce asked trying to make sense of Thor´s comment.

-That would not matter to him.-Thor stated.

-And I thought I had daddy issues.-Tony said as he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

-He has to be a King first.-Thor tied to explain.

-Forget about it! Then how do you know he wants her back?-Steve interrupted

-Leah told us, he wrote her again. I don´t know his exact words but based on what she said he decided he wants to be with her though he doesn’t have a clue about how to do that and keep them safe at the same time.-Tony explained

-Any ideas Thor?-Clint asked

-We spoke of another possibility, but he dismissed it too.-Thor dryly stated as he nodded his head in a negative way.

-What possibility?-Steve asked intrigued

-Of joining us.-Thor simply spat

-What? Are you crazy? Why on Earth would we do that?-Tony asked in disbelief

-That´s what he thought you would say.-Thor grimly answered.

-Has he considered joining SHIELD instead? – Steve asked

-He doesn´t trust SHIELD. – Thor admitted.

-I can´t say I blame him.-Bruce agreed.-They keep to many secrets.-

-Because they need to.-Natasha spat angrily.

-Maybe.-Steve agreed doubtfully.

-If he dares come our way the only thing waiting for him will be a cell.-Clint angrily stated.

The other´s nodded affirmatively or manifested their approval out loud.

-So you wouldn´t give him an opportunity to right his wrongs?-Thor sadly asked.

-I know he is your brother, but do you really think he deserves an opportunity? After all he’s done, after all the destruction and death, you really think so?-Steve asked more intrigued than upset.

-Yes, I do.-Thor asseverate.- I refuse to believe people are either good or bad, that they are just born or made that way and that they can´t do anything to change it. If that were true, what is the point of our struggle? Why not just separate the bad from the good and just get rid of them all once and for all. If there´s no room for second or third chances then we are all hypocrites, most of us were given a second chance to do what is right, why should we deny Loki that?-

Everyone just went quiet, Thor had stoke a nerve, they all had done things they weren´t proud of even if they wouldn´t admit it.

The first one to speak again was Steve –If he comes our way we´ll hear him Thor, beyond that I can´t make you any promises.-

-What! But Steve… both Tony and Clint protested.

-I only said we would listen, the rest is up to him. If he really wants a chance he´ll have to earn it. – Steve reassured them.

-Thank you.-Thor said gratefully as he made a small bow.

-And what if the love birds decide to run away? – Tony suddenly asked.

-If she decides that´s what she wants. – Steve said somberly.

-Are we really just going to let her go with him?-Tony asked incredulously.

-What do you want us to do? To lock her up? – Steve asked in return.

-No, but … we can´t just leave her alone. – Tony stated worryingly

-I thought that was the plan.-Clint interrupted- That´s why we were training her-

-Yes, but … – Tony´s mind just went blank.

-You became very tight with her over this past months Tony, either way It will be hard for you to let her go, we can just make sure she has all the help she needs before she does.-Natasha sympathetically comforted him.

-I know.-Tony acknowledge. –But that doesn´t mean I like it.-

-None of us do Tony, none of us do.-Bruce said as everyone nodded their heads in agreement.