"I have an idea of something that might make you feel better." Loki spoke up after a couple of seconds of silence. I turned around a little more to look up at him, my eyes ribbed red and my eyelashes damp. "It's somewhere I tend to go when... when life gets a little too much. Come on, let me show you." He held his hand and I didn't even think before I put my hand in his, which I regretted a couple of seconds later when I felt the ground disappear from underneath me and I tumbled through the air. A moment again, my feet hit a solid floor and I clutched Loki's hand tightly to try and remain balanced. He chuckled softly and once the darkness disappeared from my eyes, I untangled my fingers from his.

"A library?" I blinked the darkness away, looking around. It was very different to the one in Stark Tower, this one was very modern. The walls were made completely of white shelves that were filled to capacity with books. Through the middle of the room, there were more bookshelves that only reached just above my waist and were weird curving shapes.

"Stark tends to have a thing for modern touches." Loki's said from next to me, causing me to jump slightly, I had completely forgotten about him being there. I nodded and began to walk over to one of the low bookshelves, crouching down to read the spines of the books.

"It looks like there are chairs to read in upstairs." Loki said and I looked over at him to see him nodding to the next level above all of the books where a couple of very comfy chairs were slightly visible. "You can come up there if you want when you find a book." I nodded and he gave me a smile before disappearing in a flash of green. I looked back down at the books and traced my fingers along their different fabric spines. I completely forgot about actually picking a book to read, I got too lost in the feel of the books. It wasn't often at HYDRA that I got given a book, and when I had been introduced to a whole library of them at Asguard, I instantly fell in love. I took any opportunity now to soak in the feel of books.

I eventually found a black leather book with the red cursive letters 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' written down the spine. I walked up to the next level of the library to see Loki already sitting in one of the chairs, his nose already in a book. As I approached, he looked up and gave me a smile, which I returned softly and sat down in a chair opposite him.

LOKI POV

I couldn't help but keep looking up from my book to check on Emily. She had recovered too quickly from her panic attack, I had a feeling she was stamping down her feelings, which made sense with everything she had gone through. I just wanted her to open up and trust us, but I knew that was going to take time.

"Loki?" Her voice interrupted my thoughts and I startled slightly, quickly looking away so she didn't think I was just staring at her the whole time. I hummed to acknowledge I heard her. "What's this word? B-U-R-N-I-S-H-E-D?"

"Burnished." I looked up from my book, giving her a small smile at her confused expression, her eyebrows pinched. "It means to polish something, normally metal, by rubbing it." She nodded and looked back down at her book, eyes darting over the words. I smiled softly as I watched her before I turned my eyes back down to my own book.

After about twenty minutes of reading in silence, I sensed Emily beginning to become impatient and I looked up from my book to see her setting her book down to the side. She still had that worried look on her face and she was biting her lip nervously.

"You're still thinking about it." I set down my book. "Aren't you."

"I can't help it." She sighed, fiddling with her bracelets. "I... I just don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. I don't want to become a weapon."

"That won't happen." I shook my head. "We won't let them take you."

"HYDRA is strong though." She looked up at me with sad eyes. "They outnumber you by a lot."

"We won't let them take you." I repeated firmly. "I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She shook her head.

"I'll try my best to keep it." I replied firmly

-{+}-

EMILY POV

I was very distracted at dinner that night, I couldn't stop the thoughts filling my head. I kept fiddling with my bracelets, spinning them around repeatedly, steadily getting faster. I had lost my appetite as soon as the food was set on the table, I managed to eat about half of what Pepper gave me, not wanting to seem rude. But I just ended up pushing the rest of my food around on my plate.

"You're thinking about it again." Loki said quietly so no one else could overhear, causing me to jump slightly and look up at him.

"I can't help it." I sighed, twirling my fork around on my plate. "It's all that is on my mind at the moment."

"I told you to forget it." He said softly, but firmly. "We're doing everything we can at the moment, it's going to be fine."

"Did you really think I could forget that?" I raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Forget what?" Asked Bruce and I swivelled my head over to him so quickly that I was surprised I didn't pull something. I looked at him wide eyed for a couple of seconds before looking down at my food.

"It's nothing." I mumbled, picking up a piece of pasta with my fork.

"Doesn't seem like nothing." Tony spoke up from where he was sitting. "If it was, you wouldn't need to whisper."

"Tony just leave it." Pepper spoke up. Tony looked over at her and sighed heavily nodding.

"I think I would like to know." Clint interrupted, setting down his fork and leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms as he looked at me. "Go on Emily, tell us."

"She doesn't have to talk if she doesn't want to." Nat glared at at Clint.

"It's best we don't keep secrets from each other." Clint shook his head before his glare turned to me. "Especially if could endanger someone." I shrunk slightly under his gaze and Loki straightened, glaring straight at Clint.

"Come on Barton." Tony shook his head. "Just leave it." Clint clenched his jaw and glared at me, but didn't say anything else. He picked up his fork and began to rather aggressively stab his pasta, shoving it in his mouth while glaring at me.

Eventually, I caved in.

"I overheard you guys this morning." I said softly, and they all immediately fell silent. All of their eyes turned to me and I shrunk inwards again.

"How much did you hear?" Tony asked in a low voice, which actually sounded quite threatening. I bit my lip before looking up at him.

"Enough." I replied in a quiet voice, looking away from him.

"Emily." Steve spoke up. "We don't think you are a danger. In fact, we know you are not the danger."

"Because Safak is." I said softly before I could even think about what I was saying. Everyone immediately froze and Tony's hand clenched around his fork. It was so quite I could have sworn that I could hear my heartbeat.

"Where did you hear that name?" Tony demanded and my heart missed a beat at the dark tone.

"Just stop Tony." Pepper gave him a firm glare. "You're scaring her." I clenched my hands tightly, trying to hold back my shaking as I nervously bit my lip, looking down at my bracelets.

"Seriously Stark." Interrupted Steve, standing up as Tony stood up. "Cool it. It's fine. She's fine. We're all fine."

"Why am I the only one worried about this?" Tony demanded, waving his hands around, walking away from the table and over to the kitchen to grab himself a drink from a bottle that looked a lot like scotch or whisky. "Those were protected, private files!" Pepper sighed and gently patted my arm, signaling that I should let go, which I did and she got up to take the bottle off Tony.

"Can you stop yelling Tony?" Asked Nat, her eyes darting to me as I closed my eyes, trying to stop my heartbeat from becoming too quick. I could feel myself begin to become lightheaded as I lost control of my breathing.

"Fine." He said, letting Pepper guide him back to the table "But I expect answers." He pointed at me and Pepper rubbed my back as I flinched away from him. I saw a faint green light and turned my head slightly just in time to see Loki form a green orb in his palm and float it over to me. As it popped in front of my face, my vision was clouded in green and very slowly, I felt my heart rate begin to slow and breathing return to normal. As Pepper felt me relax, she slowly let go of me and I turned to Loki.

"Are you okay?" He gave me a comforting smile and I nodded, giving him a brief smile before I sat back down in my chair. Pepper sat back down next to me, holding my hand in a comforting way, rubbing the top of my hand. I stiffened under the touch, but after a couple of seconds, it slowly became soothing.

"Talk." Tony demanded, his voice less dark now. I could see the regret in his eyes, but there was also sparks of fear and anger in his eyes, though I wasn't sure if it was directed at me.

"I heard you all talking this morning." I said, not looking at anyone. "And I knew that you would have a database here."

"How did you manage to access it?" Tony asked. "Those were protected."

"I asked JARVIS if he had any files on me." I said softly, looking down at my bracelets as I fiddled with them, Pepper's hand now resting on my knee. "He brought all of them up."

"JARVIS." Tony sighed, pinching his eyebrows. "Those files are protected for a reason." The AI didn't reply and Tony looked back over at me.

"Don't try to access those files again." He told me, his gaze and words firm. "Okay?" I nodded and Pepper rubbed my knee comfortingly again before Tony walked out of the room.