A few days later, Jim was standing in front of Nick Fury. Sure, he needed a cane, for now at least, but without Steve, Natasha, and Clint, he probably would still be in his wheelchair. Claire and Toby were even better off.

“So, now we talk about what we need to do,” Fury said. “You all saved the day—but there’s always a tomorrow.” Fury looked out the window at the grounds of the California SHIELD base. “And I need a conduit for information with the trolls. They’ll stay secret for now, but that probably won’t last forever. Especially since, according to both Angor and Vendel, Morgana may still be active. And I need ambassadors to coordinate with the trolls.”

“I—” Jim gulped. “Director Fury, I can help, but I’m the Trollhunter. That means I have to work for their interests as well, not just be a…”

“Mouthpiece?” Fury chuckled. “I know that—You’re a lot like Steve Rodgers in that regard. But no, I need you to help us talk, so that we can avoid any future fights.”

Part of Jim had gone into reset mode at the “you’re a lot like Captain America.” He shook his head. “Um, yeah, I can help.”

“And I’m willing to sweeten the pot.”

“A quinjet?” Toby asked.

“Heh, you’re already getting Stark’s apology-suits for not making you invulnerable.” Fury shook his head. “Be satisfied. No, I actually found a former SHIELD agent in your community. He was a translator who worked with us during some issues in Austria. He can work as a go-between and provide support if you need it.”

A SHIELD agent here… Then the door opened, and Jim blinked.

“Senor Uhl?” Claire said, her eyes wide.

“I am happy to note that your numerous absences were, in fact, for a good reason,” Uhl said. “I have excused them.”

Then he did something that had Jim wondering if he was still in a coma. Uhl cracked a faint smile. “And I am proud that students under my care have done so very much to save so many, no matter their outward form. You are a credit to the school, Arcadia, and your families.”

“You’ll also have direct ways to communicate with SHIELD in the case of an emergency.” Fury nodded at the items on his desk. “SHIELD issue phones, IDs… Everything you need.”

“I don’t think there will be… the trolls…” Jim shook his head. After the joy of being safe again, they’d had to count the butcher’s bill of the Battle of Trollmarket. For a slow reproducing and long-lived race like the trolls, it had been a near disaster. Claire had been the one who had prevented the loss of nearly an entire generation of troll whelps. “They’re going to be a while getting back on their feet.”

“And Angor is handling things for now,” Toby said. He’d tried to get him named “Deputy Angor,” but one glance from the troll had caused Toby to reconsider.

“We also have a cover story in place for your injuries—a smuggling ring involving Chitauri weapons that you discovered and were attacked by before they were taken into custody.” Fury said. “But for now… I believe you have a dance to prepare for.”

Yeah. Yeah, we do, Jim thought.

The auditorium was a wonderland of color. Claire looked around at the students dancing, the balloons… And if it was only cheap party stuff, an ordinary school in an ordinary town, right now it was more glorious than flying ships or troll homelands or Asgardian Gods. She was wearing her best dress, because they didn’t have to worry about suddenly being attacked out of the blue. They could just… Be themselves.

Because she was here, with Jim and Toby, alive. With Jim and Enrique, back home in his crib, safe, even if Claire sometimes got up in the middle of the night to just watch him, and sometimes, when she wasn’t at home so she could check on him, she would have panic attacks. Sometimes nightmares of spindly goblins sneaking back into the house, into Enrique’s crib would bring her out of a deep sleep, and send her stumbling, heart pounding, to Enrique’s room.

The SHIELD psychologist they were all seeing had told her that was normal, that they would work through it together.

“I can’t believe she found us,” Mary whined to her newest beau. “It’s like Nurse has eyes in the back of her head!” Behind her, Natasha caught Claire’s glance but showed no sign she was anything other than a student.

As Claire expected. Right now, she was on the job.

“So.” Jim’s voice. Claire turned around, and there he was, in his best clothes, his cane leaning against a chair. “Can I have this dance?”

“I would love it,” Claire said softly. They put their arms around each other and started dancing as Eres tú was played over the auditorium. Claire leaned her head into Jim’s shoulder as they danced. She didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, but for tonight?

This was all she wanted.

End