Disclaimer: I own nothing. This saddens me greatly.

Pairing: Loki/Darcy, Thor/Jane, others mentioned

Summary: She stares. He stares. It starts as a game. Neither was prepared for what would come of it. Sometimes, redemption comes in the form of words, softly spoken but always there.

AN: Any mistakes are mine and mine alone and I apologize if they offend anyone!

Redemption

ix.

She is on bed rest and always has an escort with her. It's usually Jane but at odd times Steve or Clint will sit next to her. Jane will talk about work and Thor. Steve will tell her stories and try to make her laugh. Clint will sit on the chair next to her bed and brood, hands fisted and eyes boring into her.

(None of them mention Loki. None of them breathe his name even when she begs and pleads and cries for answers).

On her third week of bed rest, she hears the door creak open and she looks up, ready to fling an insult and tell them to get the fuck out, when her voice gets caught in her throat. Jane is there, hands wrought together and a small smile on her face. "Hey, look who we found just wandering Manhattan." It's Jane's version of a joke. It's not a funny one, since it's only recently the people of New York have set aside their grief and are trying to rebuild their once vibrant home (it's same across the world, so much death, so much destruction, so much pain).

But Darcy laughs anyways. It's the first time she shows any type of emotion besides sadness. The man who steps into the room is tall, with fading bruises evident on his body. His eyes a bright blue and a small smile flits across his face and his eyes relax and they're full of love, adoration and utter relief. "Oh, Darcy."

"Daddy! I've got a boo-boo!"

"Mwah." He kisses her bandaged knee and smiles at her, "better?"

"I can't feel any pain!" She throws her small arms around his neck. "Love you daddy."

Her breath catches, oh what I would give to go back in time, Darcy thinks. She gives him a bright smile, despite her aching body and heart ("Would you do nothing as I put your father, the one man you hold so much love and devotion for, out of his misery?" No. No, she wouldn't. Darcy would do a lot for Loki, but that is not one of them) "hi daddy."

Her dad makes his way into the room and sits on the edge of her bed. She gets up with his help and lets her legs dangle from the edge. She swings them back and forth (just like when she was a kid) and she leans her head against her father's shoulder. He wraps an arm around her and holds her tightly. "I've missed you so much." He breathes.

"I love you." She says quietly.

Three months later

Her father decides to stay in New York with her. There's nothing left for him in Albuquerque. It's sad for her to think that there's nothing left for him (them) anywhere. She tells him everything (because she's always told him everything).

The city is slowly but surely being rebuilt. It's still too soon, but plans are in the making and it's going to take a long time and she's sure that some wounds will never heal, but all that matters is that they're trying. They're persevering and that's all she really wants.

Sometimes, especially when its cold, her body will hurt and she'll long for sun-filled days in Eden. But most days she keeps herself busy with work (Jane convinced Coulson and Fury to let her back, because let's be honest, Darcy knows too much). She'll talk with Jane and Steve and Clint. She'll even talk to Natasha and Tony when she sees them and she finds that she's slowly but surely getting back to the way she was before. She finds sarcasm comes along easily and her quips are being appreciated (mostly by Tony who actually gets her twisted sense of humor).

Most of the time though, she can't sleep, so she'll stay up and go through every conversation, every stare, every kiss shared with Loki and try to figure out where it all went wrong. (It was always wrong, she thinks to herself and she supposes that's why they fit so well, why they bound to each other so eagerly).

She doesn't see Thor often and when she does, he stares at her for long periods of time. Eyes imploring her to listen. He doesn't say anything to her. No one lets him within five feet of her without someone next to him. She wants to tell them that it's okay. Out of everyone, Darcy would love to talk with Thor. She wants to listen as he tells her stories of a little boy with black hair who loved his brother, adored his mother and idolized his father.

She overhears an argument that she's pretty sure she's not meant to hear.

"You're making a mistake." The voice is male and angry. She recognizes it instantly. Clint.

"How is this a mistake?" Thor's rumbling voice flows past the walls and door. "She deserves to know. She must know."

"He almost killed her. He did kill a shit ton of other people. She doesn't have to know anything regarding him." Clint snaps back.

Darcy frowns.

There is a soft female voice (Jane) that says, "Clint, you've seen her and you've seen him. I think it's time."

"This is bullshit."

"No." Thor disagrees. "This should have been done months ago."

They stop talking and Darcy backs away from the door. It opens and Clint is the first one out. He takes a glance at her, shakes his head and stalks away from her. She's confused (she's always so confused). Jane steps out next, a little shocked to see Darcy so close but she smiles and Darcy knows that it doesn't reach her eyes. Jane's eyes hold a bit of hesitancy but she puts her arm on Darcy's shoulder and kisses her temple. Then she leaves in the same direction Clint disappeared to, passing by Thor and squeezing his arm in support (love, adoration, complete faith in him, is that what love is?)

Thor looks at her and he looks so tired, so weary, so worn. "Follow me, Lady Darcy."

She says nothing but follows him.

She walks beside Thor as they walk through various tunnels and elevators and stairs and she's pretty sure that they're well beyond six feet underground when walk through one door and stop at the beginning of a long hallway. It's well lit and Darcy can see metallic walls, glinting brightly against the light.

There's something else in the hallway. A different atmosphere than the rest. She shivers and pulls her sweater closer to her body. She looks at Thor with questioning eyes and he takes a deep breath and motions her to follow him. She does and the further down the hall she walks the more she can feel her stomach turn to knots. The closer she gets to the end of the hallway, the more static is in the air, some type of energy (it's familiar, why is it so familiar?) wraps around her. Enveloping her.

"I must go in with you." Thor says, his voice deep. "You understand why I must go in with you, yes?"

"Thor?" She asks, her voice shaking. There is a feeling in her gut, there is a feeling that is being ignited in her soul, oh God, please, please, please, let it be true.

Thor opens the door and lets her walk in first. The first thing she sees are bare walls and nothing in the room but a lone man (God) on the floor. Her heart leaps in her throat. She knows him. She recognizes him. She loves him. God help her, she loves him.

She kneels in front of him and he looks so…horrible. He's pale and sweaty but his eyes are still aware, still bright green and still staring at her. She turns to look at Thor, her mouth closing and opening, words failing her.

"I don't understand." Is what tumbles out of her mouth.

"Of course you do not." Loki says, his voice is shaky but confident, "because you are just a mere mortal." And she laughs because she can hear something other than complete contempt in his words.

She cradles his face in her hands and leans her forehead against his. "You're here. You're alive." (There are so many questions running through her mind and there is a sense of betrayal that is rising in her, but she pushes them all away because here's here and he's alive).

"This is his punishment." Thor explains quietly, his voice full of anguish. "This room…it absorbs his powers. It makes him weak. It is…for a God…it is torture."

"It makes me human." Loki tells her bluntly.

She bites her lip and cocks her head to the side, "yeah, how do you like us now?" She pushes loose strands of his hair away from his face tenderly. "How long?" She asks.

"Until he is repentant." Thor tells her.

Darcy turns and stares at him, blue eyes locking with bright green and she leans closer until they're sharing the same air space (he breathes in, she breathes out. It's a cycle with them).

"You will redeem me." He says to her quietly. It isn't a question, it's never a question with him. It's always a quiet demand.

She nods, "okay."

She seals the deal (her fate, her future, her heart, her soul, her free will, whatever) with a kiss that burns her body from the inside out.

She breaks away from him and sits next to him as Thor continues to stand. Loki's chained to the wall (why is he always chained?) but his hands are by his side and Darcy reaches down to hold his hand, interlacing her fingers with his, so she doesn't know where she ends and he begins. He turns his face and stares at her.

(The world doesn't explode. Instead, as blue meets green and they continue to stare while Thor continues to talk. And they find that they are starting to heal. Together).

So, this is how I've always pictured it ending. Actually, it was this final scene that sort of inspired this story because it bit me in the ass one night at three in the morning. Thanks inspiration, you're a doozy! lol But...there. It's done. Wow. I guess it's a love story but not a typical love story because well, can Loki love? Yes, I think he can but I just think that he loves a little differently. What did you all think? Good or bad or "you should never write again!" Your reviews mean a lot to me!

Speaking of, I want to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to my reviewers who have reviewed and continued to give me so much support: dhauren, Chinagirl18, celia, scarletwitch0, EmCarstairs, Blinded-Kit, Miravisu and ShimmeringWater. Seriously, your guys' support means the world to me and I adore all of you. You have no idea what your kind words and support helped me through and know that I write with all of you in mind. This being said, a HUGE THANK-YOU to everyone who read, alerted, subscribed and much more to this story. To know that you all enjoyed it is so very fulfilling to me. If I forgot anyone, I apologize profusely!

Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Much love,

Bex.