I gulped down the disgusting medicine. It was bubbly, sweet (the bad kind), and smelled like fruity urine. Apparently it was a newer medicine that was supposed to help babies develop in the womb.

It was time. I left the bathroom, making my way through the small crowd and to Peter. Our hands locked together.

The crowd was in the shape of a circle. In the center stood Thor and Loki, facing each other. Loki was had an alien device resembling a muzzle over his face, and his wrists were cuffed together. His eyes smiled at everyone around him.

I knew that anyone who watched Loki leave for Asgard after the Battle of New York was feeling deja vu. Maybe not quite as much relief, though, since Loki had the capabilities to escape the last time.

"I will return after Loki is dealt with and my father has been located," Thor announced. "Thank you all, and good luck." He grabbed Loki's arm with one hand and lifted his hammer with the other. "Heimdall..." And then they were gone.

The crowd dispersed.

-

Thor returned a few days later. All was well in Asgard, and he wanted to make it back in time to see him.

Peter and I were curious. We wanted to know what he was like.

We wanted to know if he was a different person than before he died.

Not that we would really know the difference. It's not like we had met him before.

Either way, he had arrived. The Avengers all gathered in a conference room, and then he came through the door.

No one said a word. Instead, they stared at him in disbelief. He was the one to speak first.

"I know you all may be shocked, but especially angry. You have the right to be. And I am truly sorry for what it all caused..."

Then everyone spoke at once.

-

The homecoming eventually grew calm and more like a homecoming instead of an argument over a person who was supposed to be dead. Who was dead.

Coulson and the Avengers began checking up on what each of them has missed. For a little while, the tension dropped and they were like they always had been: partners, agents, friends.

The conversations went like this:
- Coulson explained how he'd lost his forearm and asked Tony for a hi-tech prosthesis.
- Peter and I were introduced.
- Coulson's other missions with Hydra and Inhumans were mentioned briefly, but most of the information was classified and anonymous.
- Coulson already knew about what was going on with Bunlei and Loki. After all, he was the new Director. He just wasn't physically present during it all, which he regretted.
- Etc.

A lot was discussed. It was a friendly interrogation. Jokes were cracked, although they often resulted in awkward silences after they got a few laughs. And then everyone was to the point where they almost forgave Nick.

Almost.