a/n: well, here we are, at the end of this monster of a journey I had no idea I was planning on setting out on. So this chapter is pretty heavy in dialogue, unlike the last two, simply because there are so many different character interactions.

(This story has been edited for errors and minor plot fixes).

let the water lead us home

I'll be gone by the night's end
Spin me 'round just to pin me down

I'll be home in a little while
Lover, I'll be home'

.:.

chapter three: lover, i'll be home

Her body thudded into the ground so hard she swore she must have cracked at least three ribs, but she pushed the pain to the back of her mind, wincing as she stood to survey where Heimdall dumped her. The green dress was dusty from the New Mexico desert and luckily she landed fairly close to her lab, but she still had quite a walk home.

With every part of her aching, she sucked in a deep breath and began to stumble the path back toward all things familiar. Her chest burned out of both physical pain and the emotional blow of what she's just done. Jane had never run away from anything before, she had always stood her ground and been stubborn, but now she felt like a coward.

She could see the look on Thor's face, as though he were still in front of her, shock lining all of his rugged features, his blue eyes sparkling with confusion in the light of the golden hall. She knew that she was unfair in what she'd done, but she mostly she felt anger toward him for springing that question on her. They hardly knew each other at all, so what had he expected their marriage to be - Jane simply following him blindly? She was not that kind of woman - she craved adventure and change and beauty, and Thor could not give her those things if he were crowned king.

There was also the fact that her heart was broken into a million pieces for leaving Asgard. She refused to allow herself to think of the real reason she found herself heart broken, but that didn't mean she forgot gentle fingers on her back or the cool touch of lips upon her own. She was taken with the sudden and irrational urge to cry.

Her eyes darted up quickly at a sudden burst of light, she blinks, slightly blinded, until she heard a familiar voice utter her name.

"Jane, what the hell are you doing out here? It's like asking to be raped." Darcy's sarcastic tone reached her ears and she smiled broadly.

After a few moments, Erik's head popped up behind Darcy's; he looked tired and perhaps a bit stern, but he just sort of nodded at her in a knowing way and reached out to pull her into the warm van. Jane sighed in relief as she settled into one of the seats.

She knew that tomorrow she'd have to tell them where she'd been and she'd have to face the repercussions of what she'd done, but for that moment, she exhaled deeply because she was home at last.

.:.

Frigga had been a mother for a very long time, and she liked to think that she was rather adept at handling her two boys until Thor's banishment set so many terrible things into motion. She knew she should not have spoiled her sons so thoroughly, as it seems to have done nothing but cause bitterness in one and pridefulness in the other. She realized also that Jane Foster was the first thing to ever cure both boys of the less wanted parts of their personalities.

She had listened as Thor originally told her about Jane - about how kind she was and how intelligent this mortal woman proved to be. Thor spoke of nothing but Jane, not once mentioning himself or his own experience beyond this woman, which struck Frigga as a significant change. Thor's entire mentality had shifted since his return and Frigga truly felt that Jane had sparked it.

Then Jane came to Asgard and her entire focus shifted to Loki with more intensity than Frigga believed was possible within a mortal. Jane watched Loki gently, her eyes tracing his outline with pure interest and such sadness that Heimdall was even moved by the Midgardian. Loki in return had become interested in her, Frigga had watched him closely since his return to Asgard, but she was also his mother and could tell when her son was happy. Jane gave him his first taste of happiness in quite some time.

Her feet were tracing the worn path down to the forest - a path she had not walked in many years. The sight of her youngest son's home did nothing but reassure her, as it was not destroyed or on fire, as anything was really possible where Loki was concerned. She saw him sitting in the garden, merely staring at the piano. His expression was blank, a trick he had learned as a young child.

"Your majesty, to what do I owe this visit?" The slender man's cold voice sounded foreign to her, as though the inner Frost Giant was speaking to her and not the curious little boy she remembered with such fondness.

"You are my son, Loki, do not treat me merely as a ruler and not a mother." She said sternly, her gaze on him sharp, but he only bristled slightly, looking up to her after a few moments, but his expression almost knocked her breathless.

Loki, the silver tongue, looked nothing more than completely lost.

"Oh, Loki," She said gently, stepping toward him, "It is okay to miss her, just as it is okay to love her." Her words fall smoothly and soothing, but he did not seem to take them as such and instead his face is contorted in anger and pain for what she has said.

Loki had spent days trying to forget about the mortal woman, because she was merely a tiny fragment of his endless existence, so why should he not just let her go? She had not been the most beautiful woman, nor the most intelligent that he had ever met, but there was something about her. He knew in his core that what made her different was her utter kindness towards him. She was the first person to really take the time to look at just Loki and not the agent of chaos many believed him to be. She made him feel like all he was and all he had been was not destined to stay a monster forever. He both hated Jane and himself for this.

"I do not love her, mother." He said, and the words seemed to burn as they slip off his tongue, the lie so ill concealed that even the daftest of Asgardians wouldn't believe it. Frigga shook her head, looking around Loki's garden at his beautiful flowers - his magic could produce beautiful and terrible things, something that she wasn't sure he'd noticed fully yet.

"And why is that?" She asked delicately, causing him to push away from the piano violently and pace around the garden, his face contorted with hurt. He wrung his hands, thinking about how he would answer her.

Loki thought back to all the moments he spent with Jane, especially how warm she felt compared to his icy body. The fact that she had not been afraid of him and she had not condemned him as so many of those around him had spoke volumes to him. Jane had not eradicated the chaos in his chest, but she had forced him to see that sometimes there were greater things in the universe than random happenstances.

"She is Thor's. That was decided some time ago." He finally ground out, the truth behind these words causing another hole to be punched in his chest.

"She left, there is no point left in caring for her." He spat out, but Frigga placed one small hand on his shoulder. She felt great sadness for her son, but also hope for him. Knowing that he was still capable of love washed relief over her. Perhaps he was not so far gone into the dark magic that he had forgotten what it meant to feel.

"Everything happens for a reason, my child." She said slowly, causing him to glance up at her. "Jane did not agree to marry Thor; therefore she is no more Thor's than is the ability to produce so much as a feather." She smiled, causing Loki to smirk at Thor's inability at sorcery. "Jane Foster is not a woman to be commanded, and your brother, I don't believe, understands this just yet."

Frigga sighed softly turning away from Loki for a moment to glance into the sunset, her exquisite face taking in the warmth of the sun.

"She left Asgard and Thor, but I do not believe she wanted to leave you." She spoke honestly, kissing Loki's forehead softly as though he was a small boy.

And though he wishes he didn't, the prince could not help but feel hope at her words.

.:.

Sif had spent much of her existence watching Thor; she had seen him at his very best and his very worst. She had known him in times of war and times of peace, and so Sif felt she was a reasonable authority on judging Thor's emotions. After Jane left Asgard, Thor had not withdrawn or become more agitated - he carried on with his life as he always did. He attended training in the morning with the Warriors Three, though none of them were brave enough to ask him how he was doing. Sif had the distinct advantage of being a woman and she knew how to go about these matters in a more delicate way.

It took three days to really let her curiosity get the better of her, but one morning as she watched him spar with Hogun she felt the desire to know the truth overwhelm her more sensitive thoughts. She cared deeply for Thor, more than she'd like to admit most days, but the idea of him being heartbroken only breaks her own heart, and that compelled her to step toward him after his morning training was completed.

"Good morning, Sif." He said, panting slightly, his long hair drawn away from his face as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"How are you, Thor?" She asked, thinking that it was probably best just to get the question over with. For a moment she felt certain he was going to yell at her, but then his expression softened and he gave her a small shrug and a slight smile.

"I am well, Sif. I admit, you are the first to ask me." Sif smiled a little at the fact that he hadn't tried to deflect her question. He did not look terribly heartbroken to her, but he didn't seem to be exactly himself either.

"Why do you think she left?" She plunged recklessly on, looking up at the taller man and he looked over at her, obviously caught off guard by this question, perhaps he did not believe anyone would be crazy enough to ask it.

Thor took a moment to just look at Sif and wonder when she came so incredibly wise as well as brave. He'd never met another woman like her, though he had once thought that Jane was quite similar to Sif - he now realized how utterly stupid that had been. Jane and Sif were different in the best way, because where Jane loved the stars and knowledge, Sif loved battle and adrenaline. Something stirred in the back of Thor's mind briefly, but he pushed himself past it.

"I cannot say, but perhaps there was someone else who claimed her heart before I could." He said gently, looking out across the bright sky, the beauty of Asgard never failed to impress him. He heard Sif sigh next to him, her own eyes resting on the horizon.

"Someone else? But who?" She asked, her own curiosity causing her to speak so candidly - she regretted it almost instantaneously, but Thor does not seem too much affected by this line of inquiry. Instead he looked pensive as though he'd given this much thought to no avail.

He ran one large hand through his golden locks of hair, his eyes closed, and for a moment Sif's composure slips as she watched the man that she had known for so long be completely comfortable next to her. She thought that it's always been foolish - how much she's cared for him, but sometimes you didn't get a choice in these things and some days she wasn't sure she would have wanted one to begin with anyway.

"I do not know; Jane's whereabouts were constantly a mystery to me." He said, her name only hurting a little.

His answer seemed lackluster and Sif was struck with a sudden thought. She turned to look him square in the face and found no trace of being love sick and instead only a slight irritation lines his brow. She smirked a little and asked another question.

"Are you sure that it wasn't simply your pride that was hurt by her return to Midgard?" His eyebrows shot up and his face would be comical if it wasn't such a serious question. After a moment of being shocked, he cocked his head to contemplate her quip more fully. It took him a few seconds to get all of his thoughts in order before looking up at Sif's concerned expression.

Her words had struck him, because he hadn't allowed himself to blame anyone but Jane for her leaving, but now he thought perhaps he had condemned her too quickly after all.

.:.

Life on Earth was as much as she remembered it to be - hectic and full of blissfully ordinary people. Still, Jane could not simply forget and carry on after only a week of being back in her lab with Erik and Darcy and all her familiar belongings. She felt as though life would never get back to normal around her. Every morning she woke up, she could see his face and every night she went to sleep she could hear his lullaby. Loki was around her everywhere she looked and she hated her overactive imagination for it.

She had only told Eric and Darcy the basics of why she had returned home, saying that she felt too rushed into marriage and she needed a clear head. Of course this wasn't a lie per se, but she couldn't bring herself to cause her heart more pain by discussing the real reason she wasn't making wedding plans instead of sketching the stars right now.

Her seat on the roof had not been moved since she'd last seen it and for this she was thankful. She pulled her favorite quilt around her and sat to stargaze, feeling slightly sad that the stars she was looking at were so familiar. She missed the chance to observe a completely different part of their extensive universe so fully. She heard familiar footsteps coming up behind her and she turned to see Erik, feeling a slight sense of comfort at having him around. He had become such a father figure to her that she couldn't imagine her life without him.

He sighed before sitting next to her, his lined face holding an expression laced with concern and sincerity. She sighed, too, because she knew that she was going to have to come clean - about Asgard, about Loki, about her stupid choices. She put her book down and looked over to him patiently awaiting the question she knew was coming.

"Jane, I've known you for a long time and I've never seen you this way before. It's like all the light in you has gone out." Erik said gently, his eyes heavy from lack of sleep and worry for the young woman sitting to the right of him.

Jane sighed once more softly and looked over at the dark stretch of sky that had become just familiar to her as the back of her hand.

"Erik, I messed everything up." She choked out, trying not to allow herself to cry. "I was supposed to end up with Thor, god, and then he just came along and like all the stories said, created chaos." Jane's voice shook with the last few words, but Erik was unsure whether it was anger causing her dismay or perhaps just genuine sadness.

"Who is 'he,' Jane?" Erik asked with the sinking feeling that he already knew the name before it slipped from her tongue.

"Loki." She whispered after a few minutes, drawing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself. Erik looked at her sadly; in the months that Thor had been gone, he had assumed that he had seen Jane heartbroken, now he realized how foolish that assumption had been. This was Jane at her worst; she suddenly reminded him of that little girl who hadn't understood why her parents were no longer there one day when she got home from school. Erik rubbed a hand over her back, his warmth soothing her somewhat.

"You really love him don't you?" Erik asked, not unkindly, but not in a happy manner either. Jane didn't trust her own voice and so she nodded, her eyes glossy with the tears that she had refused to cry since she had returned to New Mexico. It seemed that her heart would no longer listen to her and suddenly she was sobbing, knowing that she must look terribly pathetic, but not bringing herself to care.

"Jane we can't help these things, love isn't... well it isn't science. It doesn't always make sense." He spoke calmly, and it struck Jane that Erik always knew what to say to her. She allowed a small smile to lace her cheeks through her tears and raised her arms to hug the older man.

"It's going to turn out all right, in the end." Erik said reassuringly, patting her on the back, only half believing his own words.

.:.

Thor was unused to being summoned to his mother's chambers; he hadn't been in that part of their home in quite sometime- his mother was usually in his father's chambers or on the grounds. It felt odd to walk these halls as a grown man. Halls that had once echoed with the laughter of two young boys undoubtably up to no good. He could still remember the smell of the warm autumn air flowing in the open halls on his walks to see Frigga.

When the servant had come to tell him that his mother sought a council with him, he had been slightly taken aback. Generally his mother did not meddle in his life, considering he was a man now, usually she sent Odin to speak to her sons. Of course that term had been reduced to singular form over the past few months, but still he assumed it was the protocol from now on.

His boots clicked on the hard floor as he made his way into Frigga's den, where he found his beautiful mother sitting next to the window, overlooking all of Asgard with a smile on her kind features. Her delicate hands tapping gently at her sides as she awaited her eldest son to enter. Thor made towards her, his mouth opening to greet his mother, but she turned toward him, apprehension detailing her expression.

"Thor." She said quietly but firmly, something that gave him a warning this may not prove a pleasant conversation. The thunderer nodded, moving closer to the familiar aura of Frigga; she was always the best at comforting him. Thor knew what she sought to discuss and looked up at her with a confused brow.

"I do not know why Jane left, mother." He said earnestly, but Frigga just allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips. She did not enjoy causing others distress or grief, especially not her own son. However, Thor had a right to know the truth, and he had to know the truth if things were ever going to get back on track for how they were supposed to be.

"I do." She spoke honestly, and Thor, who had not been expecting this answer, turned his head quickly to look up at her. "Jane did not tell you where she spent the majority of her time, I presume?" She asked him softly, and he shook his head, still intently listening to what she has to offer to him. "She spent many nights in the observatory," She paused for the deep breath before the plunge, "With Loki."

Thor felt his entire brain skid to a halt, his heart freezing like he has just set foot into the chilly climate of Jotunheim. He couldn't understand how, let alone why, Jane would have spent so much of her time with Loki unless under some sort of spell. However, in the back of his mind he had to admit what Frigga was saying made sense. Jane and Loki were similar creatures, but why had that caused her to return to Midgard? His head began to ache from all the questions that still remained unanswered.

"I think that the reason she left might be explained by her falling in love with your brother." Frigga said less delicately, wishing she could soften this blow a little more, but knowing that it was for the best that she be blunt about it. Thor sat abruptly, his face full of surprise and possible anger.

"Are you sure that he did not force her to leave?" Thor asked suddenly, "That he had not placed her under some spell?"

Frigga knew to expect this and merely shook her head, glancing up to her beautiful son, wondering when he had become such a man.

"I cannot answer those questions," She said after a pregnant pause, "but I think you know who can." Thor was struck by this, because he wasn't sure if he had the courage in him to face Loki once more. Everything was so distorted and confused and sometimes Thor wished to just ignore it all. He sighed, standing slowly, gazing out at the fading light from the sun.

"Thor," His mother said quietly, causing him to turn and look at her with interest, "It would serve you well to remember that Loki's heart was not left whole when she left, either." She spoke softly and Thor furrowed his brow.

"I still do not understand why he spent time with her." The handsome man voiced several moments later, true curiosity lining his statement and Frigga gave him a sad smile, cupping his cheek in her small hand.

"Perhaps Loki simply wanted some happiness after spending so many years in the shadows, does this seem implausible to you?" She asked rhetorically, before she leaned on the top of her toes to kiss his warm forehead.

Thor would hear these words echoed in his mind for the next few days and they would do nothing to answer the swell of burning questions that still echo in his thoughts. He was certain of only one thing: he must go and see Jane.

.:.

Heimdall was not unaccustomed to seeing unusual patrons come and go in the observatory, but he was never usually surprised by it. He could see many things, but that did not mean everything and so the sight of Loki hunched over at a small table in the vast observatory sent the smallest wave of shock in him. He had not seen the fallen prince since Jane had returned to her own realm. Of course, Heimdall could see why Loki had not returned to this place since then - someone without his gifts could even see this.

The slender man was staring into the universe, his eyes light years away. The pen clutched in his hand had not made contact with the large book under his other palm, almost as if he'd forgotten about either object. Heimdall had never seen Loki look so vulnerable, and though he knew it was not his place, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I can see her; I watch her often." His rough voice echoed around the room, and though the other man did not turn toward him, Heimdall knew that he was curious. His grip on the pen tightened as he bowed his head somewhat.

Loki tried to find Heimdall's words comforting, but somehow all they manage to do is knock another hole where his heart used to be. He closed his eyes and could see Jane's face perfectly, and though it pained him, he looked to the gatekeeper and asked, "How is she?" in the smallest voice he'd ever allowed to escape him.

Heimdall could not repress the slight smile he felt upon hearing Loki's concern for the mortal woman. In all of his years spent as gatekeeper, he'd never known Loki to truly care about anyone other than himself. Now, as he gazed upon this broken and lost man, he sensed that perhaps it was not a coincidence that Jane had come to Asgard.

"A cloud of great sorrow lingers over her," He said honestly. Carefully he gaged the younger man's reaction before adding, "She misses you greatly, liesmith."

It was the first time Heimdall had allowed such sentimentality to exist between himself and the second son of Odin, but after all the millennia they had known each other, perhaps it was time for this to pass.

Loki's lungs contracted with an emotion he could not place a name to, however he stood uncomfortably, for the first time, he was not entirely sure of what he was supposed to do with himself. He left the golden room, feeling a little more peace settle over the war ragingly in his mind and heart - a song echoing on his lips that sounded quite similar to the tune Jane had sung with him in his garden all those nights ago.

.:.

In the end it took Thor three days to summon the courage to even walk toward the observatory, but when he had finally made his mind up, he found the journey to Heimdall did not take near as long as it used to feel. His horse skidded to a stop, and for the briefest of moments, the so-called god of thunder wanted nothing more than to run away and never come back. He envied mortals because they can live everyday blissfully unaware of such things as Frost Giants and magical realms. Sometimes he got tired of being himself - of course, if he could see others more clearly, he'd notice that everyone gets tired of themselves at some point.

"You wish to travel to Midgard." Heimdall stated, omnipotent as ever. "You will find her in the same place as your last visit." He said carefully, making his way to the bridge, his sword glinting in the light emitted from the Bifrost. Thor sucked in a deep breath before thanking the gatekeeper. He had only a moment to blink before he was enveloped in light and sucked into the the worm hole that will take him back to Earth.

He'd gotten a lot better at landing from all his trips to and from Midgard, but he'd never get used to just how hard the dirt felt under his boots. He had shed his armor and cape for a more appropriate Midgardian look, but still he felt slightly uncomfortable in the dark jeans and plain light blue shirt. His hands felt bare without Mjolnir, but he felt it would seem slightly pretentious to take his faithful hammer with him this time.

It was easy to find her, it wasn't like there was a vast area of land to cover, but still, going to her lab knocked him with a heavy sense of deja vu. He could see her through the windows, she was paler than he remembered, her expression full of sadness and Thor wondered how all of this had fallen into place so horribly.

The knock on the door caused her head to snap up and quickly drop the book she had been holding previously. She looked as though she had seen a ghost, and for all intents and purposes, she might as well have. She was sure that she was done with that entire world, that she had left it behind along with her shoes and heart in Odin's hall. It seems that she was terribly mistaken as far as that line of thinking was concerned.

Her hands were shaking as she pulled the door open to see Thor in his casual attire, his light eyes take all of her in and he was sure she had become much too thin. He took a tentative step in while her jaw was still dropped at the sight of him. He chuckled despite himself, because Thor had never been one for seriousness, his blue eyes are always dancing with some joke or another and that was probably why most people always preferred him to the serious sense of play that always seemed to linger around Loki.

"Thor, what - What are you doing here?" The question slipped out before she can even think about stopping it, but he just smiled lightly at her, because he didn't blame her for asking such a basic question.

"I wanted to come tell you that I've spoken with my mother and I know... about your interactions with my brother." She winced slightly because that was definitely not how she wanted him to find out; then again, she hadn't wanted him to find out at all. He didn't look angry though, perhaps a bit wary, but not angry.

"I won't say I'm sorry that I met him, but I am sorry I hurt you." She said after a few moments, her voice hitched as she thought of Asgard and all it had given, and taken, from her. She made her way to the table still holding her cup of coffee and took a seat. Thor followed her, his eyes full of understanding as he sat across from her.

"Why did you spend so much time with my brother?" Thor asked, because if he was being honest, he felt he deserved the right to know what made Loki so different, so much so that she had run from Asgard as though scorned.

Jane turned her face from his, because she really didn't want to cry again, but she can feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She glanced back to Thor.

"I... he was just music and stars and magic to me." She knew it was probably the worst explanation in the history of explanations, but she didn't really know how to explain it any further.

Thor sat back and allowed this thought to sink in, because for some reason what she has just said makes sense. Loki was always one for logic and science and Thor had never seen the true appeal; he saw now why his brother would have been drawn to a woman so intelligent and interesting as Jane. He watched as she ran a hand through her long hair and he could see the despair on her face. He wished that none of it had fallen on her.

"Why do you still call him your brother?" Jane asked softly after a long silence that seemed to be suffocating her. Her hands twisted in knots with each other as she looked at him cautiously.

Though not expected, Thor opened his mouth to answer her question easily.

"Because he was raised an Asgardian and there was one point when all he knew was the bonds of brotherhood." Thor allowed the smallest of sad smiles to dance across his features, "I will always love him as a brother, no matter how much he doubts me."

He spoke with finality that made her heart clench. Why had she ever thought going to Asgard was a good idea? She had merely managed to mess up everyone lives even more. A deep sigh was her only means of releasing her anguish.

Thor tried to understand what had caused Jane to change so much - why her laugh lines had disappeared and how her cheeks had grown so hollow. Her pale complexion and shift in personality reminded him of someone else - someone who had once been his closest friend and most trusted confidant. He stretched one of his huge hands across the table to grasp Jane's slender fingers.

"I came to see you to tell you that I am not upset by what happened between yourself and my brother. It was foolish to bring you to Asgard and to expect you to agree to marry me. I understand now how different our customs are compared to yours, and for that I am sorry." He said it all slowly, like he had sincerely thought long and hard about what to say to her, and really, he probably had.

She wanted to cry all over again.

"Do not give up hope, Jane Foster. My brother did not escape your time together untouched either." His words hit her and she looked up at him.

For the first time since she came home she felt like maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

.:.

It felt too odd to walk back across the wide, sloping laws in front of his childhood home. He could smell the wonderful scent of the trees and flowers and of Asgard. Loki had never really been one for doing anything for anyone else but himself, and in a way he wasn't really breaking that tradition as he makes his way to where he could see Sif training alone. He had known the female warrior for quite a long time, and though he'd done his share of mischievous things to her, she'd never outright dismissed him the way the Warriors Three had. Of course, he knew that she had not held her tongue out of kindness for him, but because she'd been in love with Thor since they were much younger.

Sif didn't hear him approach, but it was rare that anyone could. His boot clad feet move swiftly toward his target, still unsuspectingly swinging her weapon mid air. He caught one of her blows with his own conjured sword, smirking in that mischievous way that was always about him. She sighed, slightly irritated, before laying her weapon down and wiping her brow.

"What do you want, Liesmith?" She spat out, but her expression held curiosity instead of any real malice. He knew that she would want to know why he was seeking her out - it was in Sif's nature to be curious.

"I know that you love my brother. You always have." He said bluntly, his eyes alight with some mix of malice and laughter. She rolled her eyes because it had been a long time since Sif really feared Loki.

"And I know that Jane left because she loves you." She shot back, catching him slightly off guard. He shot her a quizzical look for several reasons, but mostly because she had not denied his accusations. Of course, it would be foolish of her to, considering everyone in Asgard, save Thor, could see where her heart belonged.

"I was not aware that you were a dear confidant of Jane Foster during her time on Asgard." He prompted, his eyes flashing with the red that had for so long lain dormant. Sif rolled her dark eyes again and gave him a patronizing look.

"Oh please, I know unrequited love when I see it." Her voice sounded far away, but then she snapped back to look at him.

Sif studied the man opposite her carefully and with a sudden realization she looked at him in shock and slight laughter.

"Unless... Unless it's not unrequited - and it isn't, is it?" She actually let loose a small laugh, "You love her - the mortal."

"Jane." He corrected before he could stop himself and then winced a little at his sentimentality. He was becoming irritatingly see through, and to someone who valued his secrecy and mystery, it was turning into a very frustrating matter, indeed. Sif's eyes, however, sparkled with some unforeseen emotion.

"You know, I still think you're a no good snake," She spoke after a slight awkward pause, "But that doesn't mean I think you deserve to be alone forever." With mirth shining in her eyes, hiding just the smallest sense of sincerity, she turned from him and began walking away.

Loki gritted his teeth and felt like transforming her into a toad or some other unpleasant creature; however, he instead stood, her words echoing in his mind, and for just a breath of a second he wondered if maybe she could be right after all.

.:.

As Loki rounded one of his long used short cuts around the landscape of the garden, his mind still full of half wishes to cut Sif's hair off again and half wondering what she had meant by saying he shouldn't be alone, he slammed right into a thick something. The mischief god swore loudly, and then louder again once he realized that he had slammed into something much worse than a door or wall.

Thor's broad chest had proved no match against the slender man now lying on the ground.

Loki took that moment to curse the universe for this unfortunate meeting with the one person he had successfully avoided since returning to Asgard. Though he was naïve to the fact that Thor had been the reason he wasn't in some holding cell on Midgard, Loki still knew that there was some reason that Thor had avoided him just as thoroughly. However, the younger brother was in no state to discuss things.

"Brother." Thor spoke in a tone more riddled with shock than any actual sibilance of greeting. It may have been silly, but Thor was struck by how much Loki had remained the same - the only difference was the scar that now peaked over the top of his dark shirt.

"Your highness." Loki spoke bitterly, pushing himself to his feet, intent on walking past the blond man looking remarkably like a puppy in front of him, but Thor reached out and grabbed Loki's sleeve in a sort of desperation.

Thor's blue eyes seemed even more pathetic than they had in years past, "Loki, do not do this." He urged, and Loki was suddenly hit with a slight measure of irritation - he feared a headache would soon be upon him.

"Do what, your highness? Address you by your proper title?" It was a snappish response, and admittedly, not one of his best, but the look on Thor's face told Loki that his words had done just what he had intended.

"You are my brother. I do not care if you are not of the same flesh as me - it makes no difference-" But Loki was incredibly tired of hearing this over and over again, he did not take well to pity nor did he wish to pretend like everyone else around him that being a Jotun was perfectly acceptable. He'd spent his life listening to Odin's tales of the evil frost giants; had heard too many mothers warn their children about those cruel beings from Jotunheim; witnessed Thor's own absolute contempt for the entire race that his alleged "brother" now had to claim as his heritage.

"Do not say things which you do not mean, sire," He bites back angrily, "I am no more your brother than I am Odin's son. Do not pretend that nothing has transpired between us. I am aware of what actions I have committed and what ramifications I have reaped."

Loki's silver tongue was almost visibly poisonous, but Thor stood defiant, his arms crossed over his chest, stubborn heart refusing to yield to his brother's harsh words.

"As am I, Liesmith, for if you have forgotten, it was I that pulled you from Midgard and brought you here to be safely healed." He spoke suddenly, his slight temper getting the better of him.

Loki froze and gazed at the brother in front of him, mind reeling with the knowledge of this. How could this have happened and him remained unawares?

Thor took in the look on his brother's face and allowed an confused look to overtake his own.

"Do you mean to say that you did not know?" Though Thor was not renowned for his ability to place trust in the right people, he knew that this time Loki was not trying to trick him, he had simply been ignorant.

"I could not allow you to die on that planet, because you are my brother. I am sorry that the All Father withheld such terrible information from you for so long, but believe me, brother, when I say it will never matter to me who spawned you as long as you remain on Asgard." Thor's words did not fall on deaf ears because for the second time in his entire existence, Loki felt that everything he had been so sure of was now flipped over and unfamiliar.

The so-called god of mischief, or lies, or even chaos depending on his mood during certain days, felt like a blind man stumbling in the darkness, trying to understand how everything had led to where he stood now. He sat quickly on the nearest bench, his head falling in his hands. He had never particularly found Thor to be a hard man to read, but now the sorcerer was at an utter loss to comprehend how Thor could so easily and so readily forgive him.

"We all make mistakes, and I would be the most hypocritical fool to condemn you for your actions considering not only the way I have treated you, but how I have allowed others to treat you also." Thor spoke, guilt still lacing his tone, but he watched as Loki looked up, surprise illuminating his angular features.

"If you can forgive me, I can most certainly forgive you." The elder of the brothers concluded, his tone honest and earnest. The younger brother looked to this person in front of him and wondered when his brother had grown up so much - it seemed that Thor had finally figured out what it was to be a man; for the first time Loki saw Thor as a king in the making and no longer a pestilent child.

With some hesitation Loki nodded, not trusting his voice.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Thor found the strength to address the next topic that needed to be resolved. He took a deep breath before plunging on.

"Mother informed me that Jane spent most of her time here with you - please tell me you did not turn her against me." He looked up to his brother's pained expression.

"Jane and I," The words seemed to burn in his throat, "Never spoke of you once. I no longer desire to thwart your happiness." It was an honest answer, and Thor nodded.

"And what of your happiness?"

The question seemed relatively harmless but Loki quirked one eyebrow and looked at his brother.

"I hardly see why that should be relevant."

Thor didn't like the cold in Loki's answer, it reminded him too much of a frost giant and not of the man that Loki could be if he so desired.

"Because you deserve to be happy just as much as I." Thor's tone was one of finality, "And if it is Jane that gives you such happiness, you should not deprive her or yourself of that. Jane is a woman who deserves the very best and if it is you her heart has chosen, I expect you to treat her with kindness."

Loki felt oddly as though this was a strange father-son discussion; not in all the time they'd been together had he heard his brother spout such wisdom.

"I will not disappoint you." Loki said finally, his heart at last beating out his mind in deciding on the next step. "However, perhaps it would serve in your best interest to take your own advice and not keep a lady waiting."

Thor watched as his brother gave him a wide smirk and pointed over his broad shoulder to where Sif stood speaking to Hogun, neither one noticing the reunion of the two princes of Asgard.

Thor grinned his dopey grin that made him easier to recognize to Loki, while the latter man struggled with the idea of returning to Jane and all that could go horribly wrong or fantastically right. Though he was not a being who generally allowed his heart to be so completely exposed, with one last glance to the older brother, he made an about face with determination in his eyes and hope in his heart.

.:.

Jane Foster sat, unsuspectingly sipping her tea, one hand clinging to the mug for warmth, the other holding the fleece blanket around her shoulders. It was another night spent under the stars, one among the literal thousands she'd experienced thus far in her life. The only thing that set this night apart from all the others was the bright flash of light that briefly lit up the horizon in a blinding manner.

Jane, however, knew what that flash of light signified, so she dropped her ill-fated mug and clambered to her feet.

Erik had gone to sleep hours before and Darcy was out with her new boyfriend, but Jane was not looking for company. She knew it was something she had to face alone. For the first time in days, hope swelled within her so abruptly that it almost suffocated her. She made her way to her van quickly, eyes locked on the road as she prayed the entire way to the source of the light. If she could have seen Heimdall's face, she would have been struck by seeing such a stoic man smiling so thoroughly.

Loki would always hate the landings that came with traveling via the Bifrost, but the pain was pushed to the back of his mind almost immediately as she stood, looking around the barren desert. He could tell he was in the same place he had landed last time, the air was dryer and the night was cooler, but New Mexico was a pretty hard place to forget.

He felt heavier, it had been quite sometime since he had worn his Asgardian best, the green cape trailing the ground and his helmet gleaming in the moonlight. He'd never felt more powerful than he did just in that moment, before he took his first steps back toward the familiar and tiny town.

Jane's hands shook on the wheel, not making for the most stellar driving, but it didn't take her long to spot someone in the distance, long horns emerging from the person's head. As she approached her target, she realized that it was a helmet. Her foot hit the brake in a frenzied panic that was slightly hysterical. As she leapt from the van she found her foot caught on the door and the sensation of the ground quickly approaching her, until a set of firm arms caught her.

If she hadn't been convinced it was all a dream, she probably would have fainted from the sight of Loki holding her in the dark desert night. She was taken aback by seeing him in his traditional armor; no picture in a children's book could have ever prepared her for what the actual sight of him in front of her would do to her poor mortal body.

"Loki." She breathed after a moment, her eyes widening. He couldn't help but give her a slight smirk, because she was so predictably Jane. "What... are you doing here?" She asked after her surprise had finally begun to wear off. "How did you even get here?"

He released her and stood straight back, inclining his helmet-clad head at her.

"I have come to offer you my deepest apologies for what occurred on Asgard. I used my knowledge of pathways off Asgard to come and speak with you."

Jane tried to process this information but she found herself unable to see his point.

"It was cruel of me to stand in the way of my brother and your happiness." He said slowly, and if Jane had been looking more closely, she would have recognized the gleam of mischief in his eyes. However, Jane did not see this glimmer and instead felt herself becoming more angry with each passing moment.

"I should not have allowed you to become so close to me."

Jane let her drop slightly for the briefest of a second before she straightened herself up, a dangerous flash in her eyes.

"Oh you are not going to pin everything that has happened on me, Loki Liesmith. I never wanted to meet you! I wanted to marry Thor-" She began hotly, until Loki's cool voice cut her off.

"Is that so? Then why refuse my brother's proposal?" He asked, his expression neutral, idly examining his own fingers. Jane wanted to slap him.

"Because I did meet you! I met you and you showed me magic and the universe and now I can't get you out of my head!" She yelled angrily, her voice raising an octave with every word. He raised an eyebrow at the small mortal woman.

"I fail to understand why this should stand in your way of joining Thor in holy matrimony." He spoke bluntly, until Jane did push him in anger.

"Don't you see! Because I fell in love with your stupid song! I fell in love with the way you look at the stars! Every moment I spent with you, I fell out of love with Thor and into love with you." She was laying everything out for him very nicely and as was his fashion, while Loki was revealing nothing in return.

"Then why not stop spending time with me?" He asked quickly looking down at her, watching as she wrung her hands in a mixture of nerves and irritation at the man standing in front of her.

"I just... couldn't." She said after a few moments of thinking, "You were fascinating. I'm a scientist and I-I wanted to understand you." She offered truthfully, her eyes dropping to the dusty ground, embarrassed that she has just admitted this.

"You developed a romantic interest in me for science?" He asked, his eyes alight with the thrill of this game until, he realized that her eyes were sparkling with tears. Jane had gone from anger to sadness and he wasn't sure how he missed that transition.

"No! God, I know you feel, Loki! You can't pretend not to care anymore! I knew you cared from the moment we kissed in that stupid garden! So why can't you just admit it?" She asked, her words becoming sobs from all the weeks she had kept all this held within her small frame.

Loki was entirely out of his depth, he'd never been one to be a shoulder to cry on, seeing as he was the usually the one causing the tears. He reached out a hand to stroke her cheek and did the only thing he could think of to stop her tears.

"For you, there'll be no more crying. For you, the sun will be shining. And I feel that when I'm with you, it's all right - I know it's right." His voice recalled the familiar song easily, he had always possessed an incredible memory.

"I should not have allowed anything to happen," Loki said in a soft voice after a moment, no malice or mischief left in his tone. "My brother loved you." He allowed his gaze to fall, but Jane reaches a hand out to push his chin up.

"Your brother loves you more than even the All Father. All he wants is for you to be happy." She said, voice thick with conviction because she'd heard those very things fall from Thor's own lips.

"I had forgotten what happiness was until you happened into my garden." He offered to her, his heart on his display for all the world to see.

Jane understood what it means that he's told her this and pushes herself across the distance between them.

Her lips met his, and it felt like this was where everything was always supposed to end up. He moved in sync with her, his cool fingers leaving her spine tingling from their places on her body. She leaned into deepen the kiss and he lifted her off her feet for the smallest moment.

When they pull apart is breathless and elated but she stares into his familiar green eyes and whispered one word:

"Hi."

Loki smiled and sensed that he, too, needed a new beginning, and so he leaned into her hair, taking in her scent. He felt that maybe, just maybe, everything could finally just be.

"Hi." He breathed just for her, and for the both of them it was enough to be going on with.