Leah woke up in the middle of the night; still drowsy she recognized Loki asleep next to her. She snuggled with him for a moment wondering what time it was. She could see it was still pitch black behind the curtains.

Carefully she slipped down; she knew that Clint would probably was taking care of Eerika nevertheless she felt restless. She looked at her clothes with a frown in her face, they were ruined. If she tried to pull one of the covers she risked waking up Loki. She sat on the edge of the bed thinking. “Maybe …” Carefully she stood up and walked towards the bathroom if she had some luck it would have at least a linen cabinet where she could find a blanket or at least a towel. She smirked happily when she found extra bed sheets.

She wrapped herself in the bed sheet as best as she could and silently directed herself to her bedroom with the hope to find the door unlocked. She tried to turn the doorknob and found it was still locked, she wriggled it forcefully for a couple of minutes before giving up. It was no use; Loki´s spell was still in place.

She sighed defeated. “So be it.” She thought to herself shrugging her shoulders while she walked to the nursery.

Clint was there as she had expected. He was just finishing lulling Eerika back to sleep on her cradle when she walked in.

He looked at her puzzled for a couple of seconds before motioning her to keep silence and follow him outside. Leah lingered for a moment contemplating her sleeping child before following him to the hallway.

“Do I even want to know?” Clint asked in half a voice; although the irony could be heard in his voice either way.

Leah looked down at the bedsheet wrapping her before answering with an uncomfortable scowl. “Umh … it would be easy if you tell me what you already know …”

Clint leaned back into the hallway wall and looked pensively at the ceiling before answering. “Well, we all heard the alarm and Steve told us what it was about. Then Bruce wasn´t all that fore coming about what happened next whereas Tony …” He looked back at her with an amused grin at her worried expression.

“He sold me out …” Leah ended his sentence pouting while staring at the floor.

“What I don´t understand is … what were you thinking? We trained you better than that.” Clint asked her baffled.

Leah sighed upset. “I don´t even know now. What can I say? I overreacted.”

“You think?” Clint asked her with irony.

“It´s Loki´s fault! He shouldn´t had locked me in.” She growled in a halftone.

“Well, I can´t argue with you about that. It wasn´t his best idea. But then, what you did next… it was just …” Clint volunteered annoyed by the recent events.

“Stupid … I know.” Leah acknowledged defeated.

“Girl … stupid doesn´t even begin to cover it. I really can´t believe you did that. Climbing off the window… Do you have any idea of how many security measures Loki put into this house? You are lucky you didn´t get yourself killed.” He nagged her sternly.

Leah just scowled guiltily as he continued scolding her; there was no point arguing. He was right. “Clint … I know.” She growled between her teeth.

“You know? Well it doesn´t seem that way. You wanted us to stop treating you as if you were going to break. Well, this is what you get when you pull a stupid ass stunt like that …” Clint continued nagging her.

“I know Clint. And I deserve it. What can I say? I´m sorry. I just don´t know what came over me.” Leah volunteered contrite.

“Next time stop and think about what you´re doing.” Clint kept on scolding her.

“Like you ever do that …” Natasha´s voice startled both of them.

“I do …” Clint started defending himself when Natasha gave him a disapproving look. “Well, most of the time …” Natasha frowned. “Ok! Ok! Kind off … but I´ve never pulled a stunt like hers.” Natasha raised her eyebrows. Clint frowned trying to remember. “Not that I remember …”

Natasha smiled at his puzzled look. “Give her a break Clint.”

“Maybe he shouldn´t …” Tony´s voice made the three of them turn.

“What?! Doesn´t anyone sleep around here?” Leah complained distraught wishing she had stayed in the bed with Loki.

“Well, let´s analyze this. You and Otello disappeared on us. Even if Bruce reassured us you two would work it out, you can´t simply expect us to just go to sleep as if nothing had happened.” Tony told her sternly before adding. “not that I don´t appreciate your attempt of running to my aid, but …” Suddenly he stopped staring at her before asking with curiosity. “Why are you wrapped in a bed sheet?”

Leah face palmed distraught. After a second she answered staring irritated at Tony. “My room is still locked.”

Tony laughed amused. “He forgot to remove the spell, huh? Although that doesn´t explain …”

“Tony!” Both Natasha and Clint interrupted him while Leah gave him the dirtiest look she could exasperated by his insistence. “Yes, he didn´t removed the spell, all right? I just wanted to check on Eerika.”

Tony smirked, putting her in a tight spot was really amusing. “Love, what on earth were you thinking?”

Leah relaxed and smirked back at his new question. “I seriously don´t know Tony. I guess I just wasn´t thinking.”

“You got that part right!” Clint asseverated sternly.

“Come on Clint. Give her some slack. She already said she was sorry.” Natasha intervened.

“Not sorry enough.” Clint growled between his teeth.

“Ok guys. Let´s calm down.” Tony interrupted them. “how about we go somewhere else to discuss this?” He turned to look at Clint. “You got the baby monitor, right?”

“Yes.” Clint agreed with a nod.

“Let´s go to the living room. I´m sure we can still find Thor and Steve awake. They were getting acquainted with Tolkien when I left.”

“Really? Which movie?” Clint asked interested.

Tony frowned baffled by his question. “I don´t know … the second one I think. There was some kind of marathon on. Does that even matter?” He stared questioningly at him.

“No, I was just curious.” Clint acknowledged.

Tony slightly nodded his head disapprovingly before volunteering. “Ok, let´s go people. Before we awoke Eerika with all this nonsense.” Tony motioned all of them to move.

After walking for a couple of minutes he turned to Leah. “I would offer to lend you a t-shirt but I´m afraid your overzealous husband might get the wrong idea.”

Leah looked at him frowning. “He´s not my husband.”

“He could´ve fooled me.” Tony answered wryly before changing the subject. “He really locked you in, didn’t he? I still can´t believe he did that.”

“I guess I exhausted his patience.” Leah offered dryly.

“Well, you have an act for doing that.” Tony replied seriously before getting ahead with Clint.”

“I can borrow you some clothes if you like …” Natasha volunteered kindly.

“Thanks Natasha. I just want to get this over with.” Leah thanked her while thinking “Why did I ever get out of the room?”

“If you change your mind …” She offered with a smirk.

“You´ll be the first to know.” Leah smirked back.

“Hey, guys!” Clint chirpily greeted Thor and Steve. “If you don´t mind us interrupting; look who decided to show up.”

Leah sighed before walking in.

“Leah! Are you all right?” Thor was the first to approach her.

Leah blushed lightly looking at his concerned expression. “Yes Thor. I am fine; thank you. And … I´m afraid I owe all of you an apology again.” She bowed her head shyly.

“Why are you wearing a bed sheet?” Steve asked intrigued.

“Umh” Leah stuttered.

“Loki forgot to unlock their room.” Tony intervened. “I would offer her some clothes but I´d rather not get my head chewed off again.”

“Men.” Natasha muttered rolling her eyes.

“Aren´t you cold?” Steve asked worryingly noticing she was barefooted too.

Leah felt uncomfortable cursing herself for not accepting Natasha´s offer earlier. She tried to adjust the bed sheet in an effort to avoid showing more skin than she already did. “Not really.”

“Where´s Loki?” Thor asked suddenly.

“Asleep.” Leah answered quickly.

“I was until I noticed you were gone.” Loki´s voice surprised all of them. “What´s going on?”

Leah turned around startled as a child caught up doing some mischief. “I … I wanted to check on Eerika when I found Clint …”

Clint intervened quickly. “Um, yes. We kind of got into an argument about … well you know better than us what happened.”

“And then Natasha and I interrupted them and suggested to move the party away from the nursery to avoid waking up Eerika.” Tony added.

“All right.” Loki acknowledged with a frown. “So … what are we doing now?”

“Maybe you can unlock your room and let Leah change into some clothes before we continue this.” Steve suggested kindly.

“I can´t do that. At least not until the window she broke is fixed. And it can´t be done by magic. As far as I´m concerned that room isn´t safe until then.” He informed them firmly. “But, there´s no need to her to go in.” Loki snapped his fingers and Leah was fully-clothed in a blink of an eye.

Leah sighed relived as she whispered her thanks to Loki.

“Now that that is taken care off. How about we get back to my question. What are we doing?” Loki asked interested.

“I was apologizing.” Leah acknowledged raising her voice. “I know you all think that what I did was impulsive, reckless and just plainly stupid and … you are all right. I didn´t thought it through. And I´m deeply sorry for that.”

“Why did you do it?” Tony asked quickly.

“In truth? I´m not sure. Maybe it was just a mix of everything. I was angry at Loki for locking me in. Worried about both of you getting into an argument over my account. Also I was worried you wouldn´t keep your mouth shut … which you didn´t.” Leah ended her explanation while staring at Tony.

“And I´m glad he didn´t.” Loki intervened giving Leah a disapproving look.

Leah sighed defeated. “You’re probably right. We did needed to talk.” She ended with a small pout that didn’t went unnoticed.

“Which we did.” Loki volunteered noticing everyone´s concerned looks. “For a very lengthy time. We are fine.” He asseverated adamantly. Next he changed his tone for a more reassuring one. “I can promise you she´ll think it twice next time. And I do realize you were all both worried and angry at her for what she did. But I really think there´s no need to discuss this matter any further.” Leah looked at Loki completely baffled, she had not expected him to intervene like that.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked sternly.

“I am.” Loki agreed to Leah´s relief.

“So, how did your mission went?” Tony asked out of the sudden.

“I think we can all talk about that in the morning.” Loki asseverated. “It went fine; but as you can imagine I´m tired.”

“We all are very glad to see you back Loki.” Steve volunteered with candor.

“Thank you.” Loki thanked them with sincerity.

“I think Loki is right, It has been a very long day. Maybe we should all get some rest.” Natasha suggested. “We can all get caught up in the morning.”

They all agreed with her.

As they were leaving Loki suddenly stooped Tony. “I will need your help … to mend the window Leah broke.” It wasn´t a complete lie; but he needed to talk to him alone.

“Loki?” Leah inquired timidly once they were back in their provisional quarters.

“Yes?” Loki replied calmly.

“I … thank you.” Leah volunteered gratefully.

“What for?” Loki asked intrigued.

“For what you said … about not being necessary to … you know … keep talking about what happened.” Leah acknowledged shyly.

“I gave them my word; do you realize that?” He told her sternly answering her unspoken question. “About you thinking it twice before doing something like this ever again. I trust you won´t let me down.” He ended warmly as he pulled her closer for an embrace.

“I …” Leah looked into his eyes surprised by his statement. “You … trust me?”

Loki smiled kindly at her. “You need someone to do it.”

Leah was speechless; at the brim of tears. She remained motionless staring deeply into his face, moved by his words.

Loki kept smiling as he tilted her chin up. “Don´t look so surprised. I´m just returning the favor.” Then he kissed her softly.

 

“So, Loki. What do you want?” Tony asked once they were alone in Loki´s room.

“Is that obvious?” Loki asked intrigued.

“I know you. You are clever enough to do this by yourself. So, just tell me. What´s wrong?” Tony asked seriously.

“You can´t tell anyone about this.” Loki warned him sternly. “Not even Leah. Not until you help me figure this out.”

Tony frowned concern. “What happened?”

“The undercover mission? I lied. Leah knows that much; but she doesn´t know Doom was part of my black opps team along with Fury…” Loki proceeded to explain everything to Tony.

“Let me get this straight … the problem is that you don´t know if you can trust Doom to keep his word, right?” Tony suggested pensively while Loki nodded in agreement. “I think I know someone who can help us with that.”

“I thought you would.” Loki added with a smirk.