Chapter 26: All We Needed was a purpose

*Pym Tech*

Darcy knew the plan was going to change as soon as she saw the look in Darren's eyes. He was heading upstairs with Hank before Darcy could cross the room. She made her way to the bathroom, teleporting herself just inside the room, standing invisible next to Hope.

From what Darcy could tell in the few moments she missed trying to get upstairs, the tides had changed and Hope and Hank were being held hostage while Scott remained small inside of a glass chamber. It was at Darren's tyrannical speech that Hope made an attempt to break free and shots were fired. Darcy used her powers to help fight, and free Scott but Darcy began to feel lightheaded. Her heart cramped and she looked down to her side. Feeling herself become visible, Cross looking at her.

"Well...well...well Miss Lewis or should I call you Miss Stark? You see this is an interesting development, I thought you were around for a little cooperate espionage, but it seems they kept you on the Avengers for a reason."

He laughed as he left with the Yellowjacket suit in a suitcase.

Darcy knew they had to get out of the building, but the hole in her side was making it hard to concentrate.

She grabbed the hands of hope and Hank who had gotten a wound of his own and took them down to the ambulance. She promptly passed out on the lawn of Pym tech...

*Hospital*

Darcy was confused. She had no clue as to what had landed her in the hospital, until she saw Tony sitting next to her bed.

"I swear kid, you like giving me heart attacks."

"Sorry Tony."

"Am I gonna have to get you a backpack leash to keep you out of trouble?"

"It was complicated."

"Yea, working with the people who broke into Stark industries property. Only you could leave a group of superheroes and find yourself mixed up with legends."

Darcy laughed, her side sore but healed.

"How long have I been in here?"

"A few hours. Long enough for me to bribe a few nurses and a doctor to look the other way while you healed."

"Glad I did. Did we get cross?"

The door to the room opened and Hope walked in with Scott.

"We did. It's safe."

"Good. Does this mean you two are going to stop beating around the bush and get busy."

"I'm all for getting to the point, but Darcy not everyone is open about their sex lives like this family."

Tony said as the two people question blushed.

"I think it's best if I get her home. She's needs some rest, and there is a line of Avengers waiting to check her out themselves individually to make sure she's okay."

Darcy felt Tony pick her up.

"I can walk you jerk."

"Yea, sure but can't you stay out of trouble. No. It's best I take you home."

Darcy turned to the two people she had bonded with during her experiment away from home.

"Hey Scott, seeing as I'm leaving, that apartment I stay in, is vacant and is on auto-pay until whenever, it's in a great neighborhood, and a two bedroom, and surprisingly it comes with a working car. I'm sure you could find someone who could find use for it."

Scott did not give away too much, but she could tell he appreciated it. This would give him some place safe to take his daughter and give him some footing to stand on in court.

"I will."

"Oh and Hope you all are welcome at anytime. Please tell your dad, I'll be back to visit. Plus you and I have a girls night involving hella vodka planned."

"I'm holding you to that."

"Good."

*Stark Manor*

On the landing Darcy had developed

a headache. So the subsequent yelling at her arrival hadn't helped.

"You can't leave the manor for any period of time without getting into trouble can you?"

Clint said from halfway across the room.

"Thought I was going to have to fly down and kick some ass to get you out of that situation."

Said Natasha as she sat next to Darcy on the couch.

"You would have come to help me? Last time I checked I could have jumped off a cliff and you would have just tossed a burning cigg after me just to make sure I caught on fire."

"Without question I would have came. Let me put it this way, what's a family without some sibling rivalry. The past is the past and we all need to learn to leave it there."

They all nodded in agreement and Steve walked in front if her. Darcy got nervous.

"Hey just because I can endure a punch from Captain America, does not mean I want one."

She half joked, half looked for safety. He only laughed at her, his boyish smile giving way to a hug.

"Thank you Darcy."

"For what?"

Steve stepped back and linked hands with Bucky. Darcy's face lit up with excitement.

"Darcy's you may be excited for them now, but wait until you realize they have no boundaries and you have images burned into your brain, that you wish you could forget."

Said Clint.

"Well would you if you've been in a closet since 1945?"

Darcy said jokingly.

"But really I'm happy for you guys."

Darcy winced as her pain meds began to wear off and not have as much effect on blocking the pain. She was mostly healed but her muscles and tissues still burned. She hissed under her breath but of course everyone noticed. Steve and Tony helped her over to the couch.

"I'm okay guys. I just need to keep moving..."

"Okay I call bullshit..."

"Language."

"Okay then I call malarkey" Tony said with a eye roll.

"I'm fine. It's just the muscle is recovering so it burns slightly still."

"Well you are on bed rest until Bruce clears you."

It was Darcy's turn to roll her eyes. She felt Bucky toss a blanket over her and she smiled at him and yawned.

"See I knew you needed rest."

"Oh shut up Tony."

The room laughed as Darcy felt herself drifting off...

*The Next Morning*

Darcy woke up in her bed, realizing that someone had carried her up to her room after she had fallen asleep on the couch. She tested her range of motion and found she wasn't sore anymore, but she was stiff. It was still quite early seeing as she had gone to sleep very early on in the day yesterday, which meant right now she was left with her thoughts. Darcy couldn't help but think about Jane, Thor and even though she didn't want to Loki.

She thought about everything they had been through, and while she didn't cry, she was sad. She knew she needed to take her mind off of that particular topic so she got up from the bed and made her way to what she and Tony dubbed the "Secret Room".

She didn't need Tony to open the room seeing as they had initially opened it together.

The room lit up on her arrival as it always did with candles and dim lamps. Darcy always had mixed feelings about the room seeing as on one hand she felt closer than she ever had to her mother when she was in the room, but she couldn't help but also feel cheated. She knew she had missed out on a great deal of love and knowing an amazing woman. It was a weird kick in the gut finding a few pictures of Maria and Tony in the room and knowing she could never take pictures with her. Darcy walked around the room, digging around in drawers not really find much but old stationary and supplies. Darcy lifted an old notepad from a drawer and was surprised to find a picture. It was of Maria smiling down at a newborn infant in an hospital bed. Darcy assumed it was a another picture of Tony until she flipped it over and read the writing on the back.

"Maria and Darcy Isabella Stark" along with Darcy's date of birth on the back. Darcy cried only it was tears of joy. She took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. She sat the picture down on the desk and started walking around the room again. She and Tony had been into the side room where all of the book and the pendants had been, but there was another door they hadn't been behind. Darcy opened the door and found another wall of books, a chair but on the opposite wall a huge family tree painting on the wall. Darcy was excited she had never known that much about her family and now here they were all laid out for her to see and maybe learn more about. She touched it its paint bright blue and even giving off a glow. She found her mothers name connected to Howard Stark and from them came Tony and from Maria's name only came Darcy's at first Darcy was disappointed at the fact her true fathers name was not on the tree, but then again it was for a good reason she was sure. Darcy then noticed what her name was on the tree and she began to hyperventilate realizing the tree was spelled to change the names as needed. She was listed as "Darcy Isabella Laufeyson néé Stark" and connected to Loki Laufeyson. Darcy quickly realized that somehow, someway she was already married to Loki!

*Asgard*

Loki was placed in his old cell, but there was a new torture involved. Clearly that had been where they held Darcy and all he could smell was her. She was all over the sheets and though faint her magical signature was unmistakably there. He even found a abandoned remaining poptart package that she clearly had been saving. To be in-prisoned again under such rubbish charges when he had been the one so unjustly wronged was the true hardest pill to swallow. Odin was a pain in his side of monumental proportions. He had been waiting and watching for the chance for Loki to mess up again and let that snake into his life so that he wouldn't have a choice. If he could only prove that Sigyn had been dishonest and done something to his person then the charges against him would have to be dropped but how could he from a jail cell.

"I see father has once again failed you my brother."

So deep into his mind, he hadn't paid any mind to Thor walking to his cell. A first in a long time as it was an indication of trust which he had for no one except Darcy.

"Well it is not the first time, I'm sure it will not be the last."

"Loki I firstly came to let you know I did not know father had in-prisoned you yet again until a few moments ago. Also I came to ask you your side of the reported events. Sigyn is upstairs crying to mother, her mother, Jane and anyone who will listen of how you went mad at learning you were to be a father and attempted to take the child out of her."

"That woman is a snake of the lowest form. I questioned her, because Thor I have only touched her once since we've married and to be honest I have no memory of doing so. I have reason to believe she drugged me and conceived under magical means."

It was Thor's turn to look surprised.

"Those means are outlawed."

"Exactly. If I can prove it our marriage will be void..."