See Chapter One for Disclaimer

Excerpts From Charlie's Log

24 November 2011

It hurts. Why does it hurt?

"So did you know this was a family party?"

"That would be a no."

"We're assholes. Kay totally could've come with us!" Clint crossed his arms, wrinkling his suit.

"She could've. That doesn't mean she had to. Calm down, Big Bird. She doesn't have to do everything with us."

"And for the past month, almost, she hasn't done anything with us!" Clint complained. "None of us have even really seen her at all! She even stopped coming to movie nights. Or have you not noticed?" Clint accused.

Tony winced. He hadn't noticed, not really. He'd been relieved when she'd stopped hanging about, then he got busy and honestly for the most part forgot about her. No one else had brought her up, so he'd assumed the same had happened to them.

"What, like I'm the only one who's forgotten about her!" Tony snapped. "Steve's the one who's supposed to keep an eye on her."

"And when did that become my job?" Steve huffed, loosening his tie.

"Don't call Kay a job. She's a person. She was supposed to be our person but we totally forgot about her and now she probably hates us." Clint huffed.

"Or she hasn't noticed, either?" Bruce asked hopefully.

"But probably not." Clint rasped.

"Where is Lady Pepper?" Thor changed the subject rapidly, feeling ashamed and just wanting to get through this so he could go back to the tower and squeeze Kay to death in apology.

"Somewhere. She'll probably want to see us right away."

"You make my job so easy."

Tony and the team turned to see the young woman they'd just been speaking of, decked out in a tight black dress that, while form-fitting, was modest in both length and neckline, and wearing matching black stilettos, face made up prettily and hair contained in a stylish updo. She sent the group a tight smile.

"Miss Potts is in the lounge, she requests your presence immediately. Ian will escort you." A young man appeared at Kay's side and bowed lightly. She sent them another tense smile and vanished.

Tony growled but followed the man, the avengers following his lead.

"So who's the new gal?" Tony asked his girlfriend carefully. "The one you had waiting for us?"

"She's one of our computer analysts; Stark Enterprises hired her maybe three months ago. She came in to pick up her check at the same time as I was in the middle of a breakdown. She's been a godsend, offering me advice and assisting with the planning of this event. I don't know what I would've done without her."

"Hm." Tony frowned. "Computer analyst, you say? What's her name?"

Pepper Potts shot her boyfriend a "look". "I'm not telling you that. You're NOT scaring off another one."

Tony sighed. "I just want to thank her, that's all."

But Pepper shook her head.

"Nice Try."

"You heard the buzz?" Clint sidled up to Steve, who stood hiding behind a rather large plant.

Steve rolled his eyes. "You mean the fact that everyone seems to be amazed by the intern, AKA Kay, but no one can remember her name?"

"That would be the buzz of which I speak." Clint confirmed. Steve sighed.

"Are we really assholes?" He asked worriedly.

Clint rubbed a hand over his face. "Depends on who you ask. Stark tends to put expiration dates on his acts of kindness; and with Kay, at least for Stark, she kind of overstayed her welcome. To be honest, we all kind of jumped into the whole Kay thing blind, accepting the responsibility for a kid we didn't know all that much about. We honestly just kind of stopped trying, hoping that she'd be fine left alone.

"We're lucky that she is. In only a few hours she's managed to charm an entire roomful of jaded business men and women." Steve added lightly.

"Yeah." Clint straightened up. "Looks like she's in the middle of charming another as we speak." Clint inclined his head to the opposite side of the room, where Kay spoke intensely with a tall thin man. Steve smiled. Then he frowned.

"How old is she?" He asked suddenly.

Clint shrugged. "16 or 17, I think. Why?"

Steve tilted his head, examining Kay from afar. "She just looks…" Steve paused. "Older than that. Has anyone actually asked her how old she is?"

Clint furrowed his brow. "I don't think so, actually. Weird." Clint watched Kay as well, then his eyes wandered, and he smirked. "Stark's making a beeline towards Kay. Should we intervene?"

Steve nodded. "Any conversation those two hold right now won't end well."

The two began to make their way through the crowd, then Clint paused.

"And…Bruce saves the day." Bruce had whisked Kay into a dance before Stark had gotten close, and for that, both Steve and Clint breathed a sigh of relief.

Clint frowned. "Great. Now I want to dance with Kay."

Steve smirked. "Wait your turn."

Clint glared. "You have to wait too."

Steve raised a brow. "Not if I ask nicely."

Bruce and Kay had been dancing in near silence when Steve tapped Bruce on the shoulder and asked to cut in. Kay rolled her eyes and Bruce grinned, stepping back easily.

Steve pulled Kay into his arms, and the two began to dance. Kay raised a brow with the ease in which Steve moved.

"I didn't know you could dance." She grinned. Steve smiled.

"Me neither." He admitted, causing Kay to laugh, loudly.

Steve's smile slid away as he observed Kay fully. "You look tired." He spoke suddenly, and Kay shrugged.

"I've been busy." She evaded.

"Helping with the benefit?" Steve asked slowly.

Kay hesitated. "Among other things."

Steve nodded, thinking. "How old are you? He blurted out. Kay laughed again.

"Really? I've been in the custody of the avengers for six months, and you're just know asking how old I am?" She teased.

Steve shrugged. "Better late than never?" He tried.

Kay shook her head, a smile on her face. "Guess."

Steve furrowed a brow. "I originally thought you were maybe 16 or 17."

"But now?" Kay teased.

Steve shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure."

There was silence for a moment, the two just dancing, before Kay spoke again.

"20."

Steve froze. Kay had to shove him lightly to get him to continue dancing. "You're really that old?"

Kay smiled tightly. "I have to get older. I don't have to grow up."

Steve, despite himself, chuckled. "I get that. So you're actually 20?"

Kay nodded.

"I was way off." He admitted.

Kay shrugged. "It's alright. But hey," The dance began to wind down, and Steve looked down at Kay, her eyes earnest. "At least you asked. I mean, when you find out, it'll make more sense, right?"

Steve frowned. "When I found out what?"

Kay bit her lip. "20 year olds like to wander, explore - right? So it'll make sense. It has nothing to do with you guys."

Steve's eyes narrowed. "What has nothing to do with us?"

"My turn!" Clint appeared at Steve's elbow, and Steve opened his mouth to say something more, but Kay turned a bright smile in Clint's direction and held out her hand.

"Of course it's your turn!" Kay turned to Steve one more time, reaching out as if to touch him. She paused halfway though, pulling her hand back and sending him a strained smile. "Thanks, Steve. For the dance…and for everything."

Steve responded to her smile, but slowly. What did that mean?

Clint whirled her around in circles, and she couldn't contain her giggles. He eventually slowed though, a little breathless himself, and sent her a half grin, that morphed into a concerned frown. "That remark you made to Steve, the thanks for everything? It kind of sounded like a goodbye."

Kay winced.

Clint noticed that Kay didn't deny his observation. His insides froze, but he kept his voice light. "Are you going somewhere?"

Kay sighed. "I really appreciate everything you guys have done for me," She started, but Clint shook his head.

"Now, that sounds like a goodbye too." He added, and Kay shrugged.

"You wouldn't be wrong."

Clint sighed. "You can't leave, Kay. You're a kid."

"I'm 20, Clint." Clint's eyes widened, then he was shaking his head.

"You can't be that old." He argued.

Kay shrugged. "I am. I'm 20 years old. I'm an adult, at that age where one should be allowed to spread their wings, and leave home."

Clint shrugged. "And you have to do that now?"

Kay sent Clint a look. "Do you just expect me to live off of Tony's money for the rest of my life?"

"Why not?" Clint retaliated. "He has enough of it. He won't miss it."

Kay shook her head, a smile spilling out despite herself. "I can't live like that, Clint. I won't be a charity case."

Clint frowned, but he understood. "School?" He guessed. "College?" Kay shook her head.

"I was never a good student. That's not changed."

"Well, I mean, NYU is a pretty great school," Clint started,

"And you all would be close by?" Kay finished. Clint shrugged, not denying it. "Clint. I want to help people. I want to make a difference. You, Steve? The other Avengers? They don't need me."

Clint shook his head. "We do-" he started, but Kay interrupted,

"And worse, you don't want me."

Clint glowered, and Kay rephrased her last sentence. "You know what I mean, Clint. I've overstayed my welcome. You may not think so, but the others do, and the tower was their home first. I'm a bit of a nuisance, a distraction the Avengers don't need, and I'm okay with that. There are people who need my help, something I have that I can offer them, things I can't offer you. Isn't it my obligation to make sure I'm making a difference?"

Clint had nothing to say to that. How do you argue with Logic?

The dance ended, and Kay sent Clint a soft smile. "I can't make a difference here. I appreciate everything you've done, and everything the other Avengers have done, but I've definitely overstayed my welcome." She patted Clint on the arm, and began to walk away, and Clint had a sudden, horrible realization that he wasn't ever going to see Kay again.

"You'll keep in touch though, right?" he choked out abruptly, a little too loudly.

Kay sent him a grimace, one he was certain was supposed to have been a smile.

"We'll see. I wouldn't want to bug you guys." Clint furrowed his brow, and Kay scoffed lightly.

"Wouldn't want you guys to get fleas, anyway." Kay sent Clint a soft wave, and then disappeared into the crowd.

Clint frowned, then groaned when he recognized her last sentence.

"What'd she say?" Steve appeared to Clint's right, Bruce to his left, and Clint shook his head.

"She heard us that night." Clint blurted out. Steve and Bruce stiffened, knowing exactly which night Clint was talking about.

"It isn't what she thinks, we have to go explain," Steve moved forward, but Clint grabbed his arm.

"It's too late Steve." Clint's jaw twitched. "She's gone."

Steve's eyes widened. "Gone where?"

At that, Clint could only shrug. They'd been so distant from her the past few months, It was anyone's guess where she was going. It could be anywhere.

Steve's shoulders drooped. "You think she'll come back?" He asked a little mournfully.

Clint winced, but it was Bruce that answered. "If she really did overhear that conversation, my guess is probably not."

Steve grimaced, but he nodded. "If I were her, I wouldn't either."

Clint frowned. "I just wonder what her plan is."

Bruce shrugged. "She probably doesn't have one. She's just a kid."

Clint and Steve shared a look at that, but said nothing.

Once Kay had successfully slipped through the crowds and reached the doors, she slipped off her heels, and holding them in one hand, made her way outside and down the sidewalk, the lights and noise of the party becoming faint behind her.

She let her hair loose from the bun it was in, her dark curls cascading down her back. She continued walking, covering block after block of New York without stopping.

When the noises of the party faded away, Kay was nowhere to be found, and a new young woman stood in her place, entering a seedy bar and sliding into a corner booth at the very back of the slightly dirty establishment.

The other side of the booth was occupied by a tall thin man with a pointed nose and a receding hair line. He smirked slightly when she arrived.

"Ah, finally decided to deign me with your presence?" The young woman who used to be Kay shrugged.

"I had to deal with a few things. I've already given you a few tidbits of gossip. Would you like to hear more?"

The man tilted his head. "You've intrigued me. I'm most interested in what evidence you have to garner my continued interest, but first, I think I'd like to know with whom I'm dealing with." The man answered smoothly.

The young woman who used to be Kay smirked. She held out a hand to the man. "My name is Eden. "

The man chuckled, moving to shake her outstretched hand. "Mycroft Holmes. Now tell me; what else do you know about my brother?"

CALL

Charlie picked up the phone without checking the caller ID, only three people had this number.

Or so she though.

"Ian, I totally love it. Contact the guy, tell him I'd like an interview. Use the usual Alias, please."

"This is not Ian."

Charlie froze; eyes wide and unseeing. She slowly closed the laptop that was sitting right in front of her, turning to look out her living room window confused.

"Are you there?" The voice came on again, definitely NOT Ian's but most certainly familiar.

It was a voice she hadn't heard in almost seven months.

"I didn't know you knew how to call." Charlie blustered.

While she couldn't see it, Charlie could practically see the eyeroll her comment would produce. "It's fairly simple, my dear. Even my oaf of a brother could figure it out."

"That's not very nice, Loki." Charlie admonished, standing and moving to her fridge.

Loki chuckled. "Of course it's not. Did you expect anything less?"

"I guess not." Charlie admitted. "We've just texted for so long, it's weird to hear your voice again. May I ask what jumpstarted this strange scenario?"

There was a pause, then a deep sigh. "Thor has returned to Asgard."

"Wow. Guess he finished all his business here on earth then." Charlie hedged, pulling out a juice box from her fridge.

"You think to trick the trickster?" Loki's voice went deeper than before, almost disappointed.

"I don't know what you mean." Charlie knew very well what he meant, but she wanted to hear him say it."

"Thor came to see me upon his return. He told me you had vanished into thin air, asked if there was any way for me to find you."

Charlie bit her lip.

"I told him there was none."

Charlie winced as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

"I would like to know just what happened that caused you to leave the Avengers presence without even informing me about it."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "It was time to move on. I told you before, I refused to be their dependant forever. I was a friggin' Ranger, I can take care of myself. It's time I proved that. So yes, I moved out, and didn't leave a forwarding address, but it's not like they really care."

Loki sighed, and Charlie shrugged.

"I mean, I know they care, in their own weird way. But I was cramping their style. They thought I was sixteen, but they never asked me if I should be in school, if I'd finished school, when my birthday was, or even how old I ACTUALLY was. They just assumed."

"IF they'd wanted you gone so badly, why not leave a forwarding address?" Loki probed. "Had they really felt the way they did, they wouldn't have used it, but it would have put them at ease."

"I," Charlie paused. "I guess that's a complicated answer. I'm sure they'd try to keep in touch, and maybe would even do a decent job of it; but there are battles they need to fight that they can't if I distract them. And there are people out there that I can help, people I can save, but not if I am constantly distracted and pulled into the Avengers problems. I'm helping them as best as I can; but from a distance."

Loki was silent. Charlie sighed, heavily.

"A clean break is better. Maybe when I have time, I'll hit them up later. Maybe not. But I have to move forward with my life. And so do they."

"I agree." Loki's voice was wry. "If the oaf asks again I will inform him your whereabouts are unknown to me. I would enjoy saying such a thing much more were it a lie, though."

Charlie huffed, smiling despite herself. "Was that a sly way of trying to ask where I am?"

"Yes."

Charlie let out a real laugh that time, shaking her head. "I'm still in New York, I bought an apartment complex on the other side of town. I'm working through a list of potential dirty Shield agents and trying to locate someone. I'm eventually planning to move to D.C, but that probably won't happen till after New Year's. How about you? Still in Prison?"

Loki chuckled. "But of course. Why would I want to be anywhere else?"

Charlie rolled her eyes. "I'm actually expecting a call about a property in D.C, and I have a lot of work to do. Will I talk to you later, or is this conversation a one-time thing?"

On his end of the phone. Loki smiled. It was a genuine smile, one that only Charlie could wring from him, one that no one saw. That did not mean that it didn't exist.

"We shall see." And before Loki's self-restraint failed him and he said something potentially heart-warming, he hung up.

Charlie snickered as the dial tone informed her of Loki's childish move, and opened her laptop once more.

She missed Clint, and Steve, Bruce and Thor, Tasha and even sometimes Tony. But she knew she was doing the right thing.

Three months later, standing in front of an apartment complex in D.C. that SHE owned, her coworkers and a new friend at her side, she was even more certain.

She missed The Avengers. But she was doing the right thing.

And, she promised herself with a soft smile directed towards her newest…..friend? She would see them again.

That…was a promise.

The third Installment in the Glitch series, DEDUCING THE SLEUTH, is available now.

Signing off,

~CLC~