Moving On
Sylvie waited for her drink at the bar, turning only when she was addressed by someone next to her.
“Sylvie?” A beautiful woman asked with a friendly smile.
The woman in question had short brunette hair and wore a tasteful cocktail dress. She was holding a glass of wine and standing beside a handsome man who seemed to have some kind of rigs on his legs.
“Maria Hill,” the woman said warmly as she extended her hand.
“Sylvie, as you seem to know already.”
“And this here is Rhodey,” she indicated the man beside her who rolled his eyes and extended his hand formally.
“Colonel James Rhodes,” the man said as he shook Sylvie’s hand.
He appraised her briefly before shifting his weight to level her with a curious stare.
“So, the word is you popped my friend Tony in the face at the last party, that true?”
“If that means to punch someone, then yes, it is,” Sylvie returned his gaze boldly.
“I knew it!” Maria grinned and held her hand out to Rhodes with a demanding gesture, “Pay up man,” she looked at Sylvie and smirked, “Natasha told me you were a badass.”
Rhodey begrudgingly took out his wallet and handed Maria a twenty dollar bill.
“For the record I think asking Natasha first was cheating, Hill.”
“Don’t be a sore loser, Rhodey, it’s a party—buck up!”
Sylvie smirked with a casual amusement as the two bantered.
“Well it’s a relief to see Natasha isn’t the only female Avenger,” Sylvie said playfully as she sipped at her martini.
“Oh no, I’m not an Avenger—I work for S.H.I.E.L.D, we can’t all be super celebs,” Maria said with a self-deprecating grin, “some of us have to keep things running while the team isn’t out fighting aliens and monsters.”
Rhodey laughed and held out his fist to bump with Maria’s in solidarity.
“I see, so that explains why we didn’t meet sooner,” Sylvie said in understanding.
“That—and I was busy not existing for five years,” she shrugged casually.
Sylvie looked taken aback, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”
Maria waved dismissively, “don’t be, from what I hear you’re partially to thank for why I’m back here.”
Sylvie smiled softly at her, a tinge of embarrassment flushing her cheeks.
Rhodey inhaled noisily breaking the pregnant silence.
“I’ll admit when I heard Loki had come back I was ready to authorize a strike team—but I was glad to hear he arrived with a chaperone.”
“Same,” Maria said honestly, “wouldn’t want him to get in a fight with his brother and decide to stage a hostile takeover again.”
“I’m hardly qualified to keep Loki out of trouble… he is certainly a bit impulsive, but I suppose that’s part of what keeps him interesting,” Sylvie said with a playful smirk.
She smiled fondly as she watched him grin and conjure a ball of green light in his hand. Show off. Sylvie quickly looked back at her drink and took a sip to distract herself.
“Not to worry,” she assured them softly, “he really is a different person now… when we met I couldn’t stand him.”
“What changed?” Maria asked with a curious smile.
“He did. I suppose you’d really have to ask him, but I think… facing his own place in the universe may have given him perspective… And of course falling hopelessly in love with me may have had something to do with it,” she said with a faux haughty arrogance.
Rhodey laughed warmly and held a hand over his chest with amusement as Maria grinned and nodded.
“I like this one, if anyone can keep that guy in line my money’s on you,” Maria rested a hand on Sylvie’s shoulder with approval.
Sylvie smirked, “It seems you know how to pick your bets Agent Hill…”
“I know I wouldn’t take that bet against you,” Rhodey said with a half smile, “and I’m sure as hell not letting Hill take me for any more cash tonight.”
At the other end of the bar Steve, Sam and Bucky had camped out, drinking beers and joking with each other.
Sam glanced over to where Sylvie was smirking and laughing at something Maria said to her.
“So that’s the woman responsible for housebreaking the mass murderer?”
“Uhh, not sure that’s how I’d put it,” Steve said flatly, “but yeah Sylvie seems to have been a positive influence on Loki. She’s tough and smart—and she seems to have a good heart. Reminds me a little of Peg…”
Steve trailed off wistfully and took a large pull of his beer.
Bucky put a hand on his friend’s shoulder supportively and gave him a brief smile.
“Well, she’s sure a looker like Peggy, guess you and Loki have a similar type, pal.”
Steve gave his friend a lopsided grin and shook his head in amusement.
“I’ll say, no wonder he came to Jesus, she could make me change zip codes,” Sam said suggestively as he glanced at Sylvie from down the bar.
“What does that even mean?” Bucky narrowed his eyes as he tilted his head at Sam.
“It’s an expression,” Sam shrugged.
“It’s definitely not,” Bucky argued.
Steve laughed as his friends bickered and gave Sam a look of mock reproach.
“Better be careful Sam, Loki hears you talkin’ about his girl like that it could get ugly.”
“Oh yeah?” Bucky raised a brow curiously as he took a sip of his beer.
Steve nodded, “Picked Tony up by the neck just for talkin’ rough about her.”
“Maybe I should tell him, might be funny,” Bucky teased with a grin.
“Oh hear we go, now the geriatrics are gangin’ up on me, I see how it is—”
Bucky jutted out his chin and shifted his weight with his hands on his hips.
“You know they call us ‘The Greatest Generation’ for a reason, pal.”
Sam scoffed loudly and shook his head, “‘Greatest Generation’ my ass—”
“Alright, alright enough,” Steve waved a placating hand between them, “settle down, it’s a party.”
Steve could hardly believe his two best friends had been gone up until yesterday. The last five years felt like some horrible nightmare and hearing the two of them squabble brought everything back for him.
Sam and Bucky continued to banter about this and that while Steve retreated somewhat mentally. What he didn’t realize was that Sylvie had glanced over and noticed this.
Steve had been the first Avenger Sylvie had met, and she appreciated the way he sought answers and understanding before acting rashly. He was everything the TVA was not—compassionate, understanding, and willing to forgive.
It had not escaped Sylvie’s notice that something was troubling him. A growing restlessness and discomfort which she had initially chalked up to stress over their arrival.
She excused herself from the conversation and made her way over to where Steve stood with his friends.
“Captain Rogers—Steve, might I have a word?”
Steve’s eyes came back to the present and he looked at her seeming taken aback.
“I beg your pardon?”
“She wants to talk to you man, don’t keep a lady waiting,” Sam was grinning with barely restrained exuberance.
Steve gave his friend a disapproving glare before nodding briefly at Sylvie and following her over to a quieter part of the garden.
“I’m glad you and Loki could make it, you two deserve a little fanfare for your help,” Steve said kindly as they stopped by the edge overlooking Central Park.
“We didn’t come here for the fanfare,” she said distantly.
“Right, sure. But you deserve it all the same,” he smiled warmly.
Sylvie looked out over the twinkling lights in the distance and allowed her smiling party face to slip away.
“Something’s wrong… you’re not happy.”
Steve wasn’t sure how to respond. They’d just done the impossible, saved half of all life—including two of his very favorite people. What could be wrong?
“I—I’m not sure what you mean.”
Sylvie looked at him with a skeptical wariness.
“I have… magic,” she said softly.
“Like Loki?”
“Yes. And no. We can do a few of the same things, but the way we use our abilities is just—different.”
Steve wasn’t sure why she’d brought this up. He thought maybe she had been reading his mind without his knowledge and he felt uneasy.
“And how do you use them?”
“I can see people’s memories, enter their minds—but I have to make physical contact. Before you ask, I haven’t used it on anyone since Loki and I arrived on Earth. I’m just a bit more sensitive to people, and I can tell that you’re hurting, Steve.”
He stared at her for a moment with a tight set to his jaw. The concept of anything that neared mind control sent up a red flag for him, but Sylvie seemed genuinely concerned.
“What do you want me to say, Sylvie?”
“You don’t have to say anything, I just want to help.”
“How?”
“If you’ll let me…”
Steve pulled back slightly.
“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that, Sylvie.”
Sylvie nodded with a tight smile.
“I understand. But if you did, I could tap into just the pain—I don’t want to invade your privacy—I just want to know how to help you.”
“Why…?”
“Because you took a chance on us. I know it wasn’t easy, but I also know if you hadn’t things would have gone very differently. So please, just let me see if I can help you.”
Steve stared at her a little warily, then nodded slowly. Sylvie reached a tentative hand out and rested it softly on his neck. She focused her energy on the emotional turmoil and closed her eyes.
A laugh… red lips… the flash of intensity in beautiful brown eyes… “a week next Saturday… at The Stork Club… eight o’clock on the dot… don’t you dare be late…”
Sylvie opened her eyes and removed her hand gently.
“You never made that date…” Sylvie murmured sadly.
When Steve opened his eyes they were filled with remorse.
“You saw her…?”
“Just a glimpse. I understand, Steve… this isn’t where you belong—and I think I can help.”
The captain glanced back at the bar where his friends were arguing and laughing.
“I don’t know if I can leave… not now.”
Sylvie smiled sympathetically.
“Loki and I will be back in one year, stay—help them recover. Enjoy the time, but know that you will see her again.”
Steve’s breath caught and his jaw tightened.
“Don’t give me hope if you aren’t serious. I don’t know if I could handle losing her again—I mean, what if you change your mind in a year?”
Sylvie huffed a soft laugh, “It won’t be a year for me… that’s not how time travel works, remember?”
“Right,” Steve nodded with a faint laugh.
“But even if it were, I’d still come back.”
“Sylvie, you hardly even know me.”
“I know loss. I lost my family. My home. My reality. I even lost Loki once—twice actually… and if I could spare someone else that pain, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
Steve was at a loss for words as he stared at her dumbfounded. The conviction in her voice told him she was sincere and his heart was pounding at the idea.
“It’s okay Captain, you’ve fought enough wars… you can finally go home—I hear you’ve got a date waiting for you, I’d hate for you to be late.”
On the opposite side of the garden Natasha sat on a bench swing facing the park as she sipped her vodka martini. Bruce rested his elbow against the railing with his body at a quarter turn so he could speak to Natasha but still enjoy the view.
They chatted idly about how alive the city felt since reversing the blip until Tony eventually sauntered over. He leaned casually against the frame of the bench swing to insert himself in their conversation.
“I’m surprised Nat, you let your new BFF get away from you and now she’s trapped with grandpa over there.”
Natasha glanced over her shoulder and smiled to see Sylvie talking with Steve. They looked to be connecting over something and Natasha was glad for it.
“If you’re so jealous Tony you could go swoop in and save her yourself.”
“Pffft, and ruin the old man’s chances? I’m sure he’s doing plenty of that on his own and I don’t have the energy to do it for him.”
“Speaking of energy,” Bruce turned fully to face Tony, “—we had a power shortage earlier this afternoon, I still haven’t located the source of the short but I’m working on it.”
“What? I thought FRIDAY was glitching when she sent me that notification during the press conference… I’ll have to run some diagnostics.”
Natasha snorted a laugh and took a sip of her drink, Tony looking at her sharply in confusion.
“Don’t worry about it guys, the world just doubled its energy use—probably just caused a citywide problem.”
“Could be,” Bruce nodded with a shrug.
Tony was still staring at Natasha, eyes calculating as he appraised her impassive face. After a moment or two he broke from the strange trance as he considered her.
“Anyway, where’s Barton? I told him he could bring the brat pack.”
Natasha’s face fell slightly and she stared into her martini glass looking crestfallen.
“Clint needs more time… Loki did a lot of damage to him.”
“Really? But he helped get his family back, I would’ve thought surely—” Bruce sounded dumbfounded.
“He said he didn’t think we ‘needed’ Loki’s help, that we would have found a way without him. Clint will come around—he just needs to be with his family right now.”
Tony sighed and shrugged a shoulder, “Barton’s got his reasons. Can’t say I blame him after all the nightmares, but he’ll be back.”
Natasha nodded and gave him a tight smile.
“Anyway, I promised Pep we’d have Morgan in bed by eleven—better shake a leg if we’re gonna make it back to the house by then.”
“Thanks for everything Tony,” Bruce patted his friends shoulder with a smile, “this is a great party, and nobody will forget your part in getting us safely through time—least of all me.”
Tony smirked at his friend, “Geez Bruce, if I’d known you were gonna start flirtin’ after a couple beers I’d have arranged to stay longer.”
Bruce rolled his eyes and pushed him playfully.
“‘Night Tony, Bruce is right, you did good. Now get that little one to bed before you get into any more trouble.”
“That’s the plan—send my best to Team America over at the bar, if I go back over there I’ll definitely get roped into another drink.”
“Will do,” Natasha smiled and Tony nodded before heading off to meet Pepper and Morgan.
As he neared the doors back inside he saw Loki standing beside his brother. He was quietly pretending to listen while the God of Thunder gestured emphatically and told one of his battle stories.
Tony made a whistling sound with his thumb and forefinger and successfully caught Loki’s attention. Tipping his head to the side Tony indicated Loki should come over.
The God of Mischief made a quiet excuse and slipped away, walking casually over to meet Tony.
“Stark? Is everything well…?”
Tony waved a hand dismissively and reached into his jacket pocket and presenting a key card.
“Here, your room at The Plaza. I don’t know how you shorted my power, but process of deduction tells me it has something to do with you two. Enjoy your stay, consider it a parting gift.”
Loki tilted his head curiously but accepted the hotel key nonetheless.
“Thank you, Stark. I know your reservations about trusting me were overwhelming, so I am grateful for all your hospitality.”
“Well, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fully trust you, but you held up your end and took responsibility. And I know better than most how tough that is for guys like us.”
“‘Like us’?”
For a moment Loki thought he must have misheard the man, but Tony gave him an amused half grin.
“Smart, flashy, a little self obsessed. I know who I am, just don’t let it go to your head.”
Loki smirked, stunned by the warm little feeling in his chest at Tony’s seeming acceptance. He never would have thought in a million years that the man would put them in the same category, nor would he have ever thought he might want to be. But for some reason, he felt touched to by the recognition.
“No promises,” Loki held out his hand, “but I’ll chose to take it as a compliment.”
Tony shook his hand firmly, returning the smirk with a somewhat unreadable expression.
“I’m getting the little one home before she turns into a Gremlin. Thanks for not making me regret taking the chance on you.”
“My pleasure, Tony.”
Tony shivered in an overly dramatic response at the familiarity and Loki chuckled softly. He thought vaguely that had things been different, the two of them might have even been friends.
“Farewell, Tony Stark.”
“Peace out, Professor Snape.”