Ties Between Time and Space

✦24✦ - Another Asgardian Visit

Chapter Twenty-Four
Another Asgardian Visit

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Emma lay wrapped in the Doctor's arms. She went to bed alone but woke up in his embrace a few hours later. She slowly turned over and reached her arm out to softly trace a finger over the crease in her Doctor's brow. He sighed unconsciously and his grip somewhat loosened as the rest of him relaxed even more in his deep sleep.

Emma thought about the last few days, the recent adventure they'd been on. It had its good moments, but somehow it was sadder than most of their experiences.

She carefully rolled herself away and out of the Doctor's reach. Emma sat on the edge of the bed and slipped on her black star sneakers before loosely tying her messy hair up and grabbing her cell phone off of the bedside table.

She dialed the first number she thought of because, for some reason, she thought she really needed to talk to this person.

"Maria Hill speaking."

"Hi, Maria. It's me, Emma."

"Emma, everything alright? Where are you?" Maria asked, a voice full of concern. "Your dads said something about traveling in time and space. Did the Guardians of the Galaxy kidnap you?"

Emma laughed at that, a hand over her mouth to not wake her Doctor up. She turned the doorknob and quickly slipped out of the room and toward the library, somewhere quiet and private.

"No, nothing like that," she reassured Maria. "But I'd be happy to give you the run down if you've got time."

"For you, kid?" the SHIELD agent asked. "I've got all the time in the world. Let me hear it."

Saying Maria acted like a mother figure to Emma would be saying too much, more like a big sister instead. When Emma took the training tests and helped with the Avengers, she and Maria bonded. The two got on really well. But because of how young Emma was back then when she first started out in the superhero world, Maria couldn't help but take her under her wing and baby her as much as possible. Even though Coulson continuously reminded her that the Nephelim could very well hold her own against half of the universe, Maria refused to hear it.

It took surprisingly very little time to catch Agent Hill up to date from the time Emma mysteriously disappeared in London to the adventure of the past and the future of Madame de Pompadour.

The great thing about Maria was that she was one of the most open-minded human beings out there. She didn't judge. She was protective but never stood in someone's way. She was a good listener and she was an even better person to ask advice from.

Except for this time she happened to be freely giving advice out before Emma even managed to tell her what she needed the advice on. Somehow Maria just knew and Emma was grateful for it.

"Sounds like you need a break, kid. From everything," Maria added.

Emma hummed her agreement as her fingers slid over the books on the shelf nearest to her, but then she tripped out of nowhere and suddenly the palm of her hand was being pressed against the wall.

"Emma, what happened?" Maria asked, a worried tone to her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah... yeah, I'm fine," Emma quickly answered. "I just tripped."

She looked behind her to see what she tripped on and watched as a small metal pipe descended back into the floor. The TARDIS tripped me?! Emma couldn't believe her eyes.

But then that feeling was back, a warm and tingling sensation in the palm of her hand. The hand that hit the wall. She lifted it and took a look as she tilted her head to keep her phone wedged between her shoulder and ear.