Opposites Always Attract

“Loki’s coming back into town so he can spend the holidays with Thor.”

Ember froze and stood gaping at Natasha, only snapping out of it when she realized Natasha was doing a roundhouse kick. Not having enough time to block it, Ember collapsed down to the floor, narrowly missing a heel to the jaw.

“Ember, pay attention!” Natasha scolded.

“Umm, excuse me, but you can’t just tell me that Loki is coming back and expect me to be able to focus on training.”

“Well I figured you’d want to know.”

“Yeah, I do. So when is he coming? He’s not going to come here right? How long is he staying?” Ember rattled off.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…I don’t know. Thor just mentioned it in passing.”

“Why hasn’t he warned me yet?”

Natasha shrugged instead of answering.

Ember took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, but it did nothing to calm her. She scanned the room looking for the tall blonde. “Yo, thunder from down under! Get over here.”

Thor held up a finger to Hawkeye, whom he was training with, to show that he would be back soon and made his way over to where Natasha and Ember were standing.

“What does that phrase mean? You call me it all the time, but I do not know it,” Thor asked once he had reached the pair.

“Uhh, just Google it.”

“Or you could ask Nick Fury,” Natasha suggested with a smirk.

“I think I’ll just look it up on the Google,” Thor said.

“Smart move,” Natasha replied.

“So, what did you need me for?” Thor asked as he turned his attention back to Ember.

“Is Loki coming to your place to spend the holidays with you?”

“Natasha told you?”

“Yep. When did you plan on telling me?” Ember sternly asked.

“Well, I was trying to think of how to bring it up considering he talked to me about how he hopes he runs into the blue-haired beauty he dated while he was here last year.”

Ember snorted. “Believe you me, that won’t happen. So in what part of your mind does it seem ok to let your adopted brother who tried to kill you stay at your house?”

“We’re trying to work things out,” Thor shrugged. “Maybe you two should work things out too. He does deserve to know about…”

Ember quickly cut him off. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Why not?”

“You know why,” Ember hissed. “He lied to me.”

“You lied to him also. You’ve continued to lie to him.”

“Thor, you have no say in my life. Stop trying to get involved.”

“I became involved in your life as soon as you gave birth to my nephew.”

“I’m not going to see or talk to him while he’s here and that’s final.” Ember crossed her arms over her chest to show her determination.”

“Damn it, Ember!” Thor roared, but then quickly became embarrassed once he realized everyone had turned to look at him. He lowered his voice. “Loki would love Tristan, but you’re not even giving him the chance to know his son and be a father.”

“Thor, it’s great that you can forgive your brother and forget what he did, but I can’t.”

Thor stared at Ember for a few seconds before nodding his head and walking back over to Hawkeye. Ember rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Natasha. Instead of saying anything, she just nodded to show that she was ready to begin training again. The pair had been practicing for a few minutes when Natasha stopped Ember.

“Ember, you need to take it easy. You just came back from maternity leave this week.”

“Sorry,” Ember said, breathing heavily. “This whole Loki thing is just bothering me.”

“You can’t run away from your problems forever.”

“I’m not running away from them,” Ember snapped. “How would you feel if you dated the guy who was trying to kill your friends and then had his baby?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry that I haven’t been very sympathetic,” Natasha softly said. “So, are you going to the S.H.I.E.L.D Christmas party tonight?”

“Of course,” Ember smiled, thankful for the subject change. “My mom agreed to come over and watch Tristan so I can go.”

The girls spent the rest of the afternoon practicing combat and talking, but making sure to avoid the subject of Loki. After work Ember quickly went home to get Tristan from the babysitter and fed him and got him ready for bed. Her mom arrived soon after and she hurried back to S.H.I.E.L.D for the Christmas party.

“Ember, you look gorgeous this evening. Save a spot for me on your dance card,” Steve Rogers said as Ember walked in.

“We don’t do dance cards anymore, Cap,” Ember chuckled. “But I will save a dance for you.”

“Great,” Steve flashed a smile before walking over to the punch bowl and somehow managing to get into an argument with Iron Man in that short span of time.

Ember rolled her eyes while looking at the two and made her way over to where some of the other S.H.I.E.L.D agents were talking. She stayed with them for a little while before making her way over to Natasha.

“I forgot to ask this morning while we were talking, any plans for Christmas?” Ember asked her redheaded friend.

Natasha shrugged. “Not really.”

“Well my mom is coming over in the morning to watch Tristan open his presents and then I’m fixing dinner that evening. You’re more than welcome to come over. My mom is making her sugar cream pie.”

“Thanks. I’ll probably swing by for dinner. You know I can’t say no to your mom’s pie.”

The two were laughing at Hawkeye’s attempt at dancing when Agent Edwards, Agent Coulson’s replacement, walked up to them.

“Good evening Agent Romanoff, Agent Hudson. Sorry to ruin your Christmas party but we had a mission suddenly come up. While Loki was traveling from Asgard to here, the frost giants captured him and he is now being held captive in Jotunheim. We believe it is a ploy for the frost giants to capture Thor, but we most go get Loki.”

“I thought mortals couldn’t get to Asgard and Jotunheim though,” Natasha questioned.

“Agent Hudson and Dr. Banner worked together to find a fuel that can be put into our aircraft that allows mortals to get into those worlds. I need both of you to suit up as soon as possible and get going. As always, time is of the essence.”

“Am I really needed for this mission?” Ember quickly asked.

“You’re the only one who knows how to work with the fuel and the aircraft. Bruce is celebrating the holidays with his family.”

“I just think this mission sounds dangerous…I mean I’ve only been back for less than a week and I have Tristan at home…” Ember trailed off.

Agent Edwards gave her a stern look. “Agent Hudson, when you came back we discussed this. Now, if you would like to be put on desk duty and become an Office Agent we can arrange that, but if you would like to stay a Mission Agent you will go tonight.”

“You’re right,” Ember sighed. “I’ll go.”

“Good,” Agent Edwards nodded. “The aircraft is ready when you all are.”

Ember and the Avengers that were present quickly changed out of their party clothes and made their way to the aircraft. Ember put the correct fuel in the chamber and slid into the pilot seat.

Within minutes they were off and headed towards the last place Ember wanted to go.

“What’s running through that pretty little head of yours?” Natasha asked as she moved from the back into the copilot seat.

“A lot,” Ember sighed. “Nat, am I a bad mother?”

“What?” Natasha exclaimed. “Why would you think that?”

“Because, I’m here on a mission when I should be home with my 3 month old son. Growing up all I wanted to be was a S.H.I.E.L.D agent like my dad. When he died though, I swore that as soon as I started having kids I would move over to desk agent so my kids didn’t have to grow up without a parent like I did. Except I became a parent sooner than expected and I didn’t want to give up being a mission agent quite yet.”

“That in no way makes you a bad mother. Tristan is so lucky to have someone as strong and smart as you raising him.”

Ember nodded but said nothing else.

“There’s something else on your mind, isn’t there?” Natasha asked and Ember nodded once again but didn’t say anything so Natasha continued. “You’re thinking about how you still love Loki, aren’t you?”

“How’d you know?” Ember gasped slightly.

“Sweetie, it’s obvious. You have so much hate for him and you think that means you don’t love him, but it doesn’t. The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. And sweetheart, if this aircraft ran on hate, you could fly to the moon and back.”

“I don’t want to love him anymore. I’ve tried to stop, but I can’t. I know he lied to me and he’s borderline evil, but those 4 months we were dating were the best of my life.”

“I’ll do all I can to make sure Loki doesn’t realize who you are,” Natasha promised.

“Thank you, Nat,” Ember said gratefully.

The plane landed on Jotunheim shortly after. As soon as Ember turned the plane off the entire team jumped out and began making a plan.

“We’ll all go and get Loki while Ember stays here by the aircraft to refuel and be prepared for a quick getaway,” Natasha suggested.

The entire team nodded to show their agreement and within seconds they were off towards the castle to find where Loki was being held.

Ember got the plane ready for takeoff again, but that did nothing to calm her down. She was a ball of nerves and couldn’t stop pacing. She was so busy playing through the scenarios of what could happen when they brought Loki back that she didn’t even notice a couple frost giant guards coming up behind her. By the time she noticed and tried to scream, it was too late. They had already frozen her mouth and were dragging her towards the castle.

As soon as the guards entered the palace, Ember could hear yelling.

“What do you mean they got him? The whole point of capturing Loki was so we could capture Thor. Now we have neither of them!” Ember looked up to see a large man wearing a crown pacing and shouting.

“Your majesty,” the two guards who had Ember spoke up. “We have someone else that you might like.”

The king looked up and a slow smile spread across his face.

“Ember Hudson,” he said as he walked towards her. “An agent for S.H.I.E.L.D and mother of Thor’s nephew. Perfect.”

“How do you know who I am?” Ember spat as she struggled against the guard’s hold on her.

“I know everything, my dear. Especially if it concerns Thor.”

“They’ll come back for me.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” The king laughed. “Throw her in the dungeon.”

While Ember was being thrown in the dungeon, the rest of the team was making their way back to the aircraft. As soon as they got there, they knew something was wrong.

“Where’s Ember?” Natasha hissed, trying to speak low enough for Loki to not hear.

Thor knelt down and touched the ground. “Frost giants. They were here and I’m guessing they captured her.”

“We have to go back for her. Her son can’t grow up without a mother,” Captain America spoke up.

“Thor, how about you, the Captain, Hawkeye, and Iron Man go to get her? I’ll stay here with Loki,” Natasha said.

“No,” Thor shook his head. “I don’t want to split up again in case you two get captured like Ember. We’ll go together.”

“What are we going to do about him and Ember?” Natasha asked motioning back to Loki.

“We’ll have to tell him. Who knows what he’ll do if we don’t tell him and he sees her in there,” Thor said.

Natasha nodded with a grim look on her face. She turned and firmly spoke. “Loki, there’s something you need to know. We don’t have time so just trust me and don’t ask questions. One of our agents has been captured. Her name is Ember Hudson, she has blue hair, and she’s a single mother. Her son was born in September.”

Confusion crossed Loki’s face before the realization hit him. “But... how? When?”

“Loki, I said no questions!” Natasha snapped. She looked back to see that everyone except Thor was giving her a confused look. “There’s time for explanations later. We need to go get her though.”

In the dungeon Ember was close to tears. She was scolding herself for going on this dangerous mission and now becoming a desk agent. Suddenly she heard shouts and the clanging of weapons upstairs. It sounded like a battle and she sighed in relief as soon as she realized they truly had come back for her. She soon heard the sound of Natasha yelling for her and she yelled back to let them know where she was. As soon as she saw them, excitement and relief spread across her features. That was short lived though and replaced with dread and awkwardness when she noticed that Loki was behind the Avengers and giving her a look that was a mixture of confusion, hurt, and anger.

Ember made it back to the aircraft and back to S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters without having to talk to or acknowledge Loki. That came to an end as soon as everyone stepped off the aircraft though.

“Agent Hudson, I believe we need to talk,” Loki roared.

Ember looked around and saw that all the Avengers were staring at her. As soon as they saw her looking they all looked away and tried to pretend like they weren’t hanging on every word being said between Ember and Loki.

“Not here,” Ember hissed.

“Then when?”

“How about never?” Ember said as she walked away.

“That is unacceptable, Ember! You owe me an explanation.”

“You want an explanation?” Ember asked with fire burning in her eyes as she walked back towards Loki. “Fine, here it is. We dated, we slept together, I got pregnant, and now I have a son. Oh yeah, I forgot about you lying to me and how much I hate you for that. There are days when I wake up and hate you so much that I want to fly to Asgard and punch you. Now that you know everything, let’s go back to how we were this past year…not acknowledging the other exists.”

With that Ember turned and walked away leaving Loki standing in the middle of S.H.I.E.L.D speechless.