A/N: So sorry for the delay in this chapter! I had an awful case of writer's block. I know exactly what needs to happen, but putting it down in writing is so hard sometimes.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season! And have a very happy new year!

Chapter 22

"You're going to do what?" Deidra said in surprise one night several months later over dinner. Her wide eyes stared at Loki across the table.

"You heard what I said," he responded calmly.

"Yeah, I heard what you said," she responded, sitting back in her chair. "But why run for governor? I mean that's a huge leap from city counsel."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't think I can win?" he questioned.

"It's not that," she assured him. "I'm just surprised is all." She shot him a grin. "Are you planning on working your way up to President?" she teased.

"I think I'd make a brilliant President," he said with a cocky smirk.

"And what will be your campaign slogan?" she said teasingly. "Kneel?"

"It has a rather nice ring to it," he responded, playing along with her.

"Well whatever you decide to do, I've got you," she said with a smile.

"I really do appreciate that," he said sincerely.

Several days later, in the very early hours of the morning, Deidra and Loki were jarred awake. They shot sitting up in bed. What had woken them was the screaming of the smoke alarm.

"What is that noise?!" Loki said over the alarm. He had never heard anything like it.

"The fire alarm!" Deidra responded.

She switched on the bedside lamp and stood up. Suddenly cold fear ran up her veins. Smoke was pouring in from under the closed bedroom door.

"The apartment's on fire!" she screamed. Fire was one of her biggest fears.

She backed into the corner in a panic. All reason had left her and was replaced by terror. What were they going to do? The only way out was either through the front door or out the fire escape in the living room. Could they make it out?

She was in such a panic that she didn't notice Loki come around the bed and stand in front of her. He reached out and shook her out of her stupor.

"We have to leave!" he said urgently. "Now!"

Thick, black smoke was now seeping through the cracks between the bedroom door and the wall. It was becoming harder to breathe.

He took her hand and led her across the bedroom. He reached out to open the bedroom door, but as soon as he touched the doorknob, he cried out in pain and jerked his hand back.

"The door is too hot to open with bare hands," he said, looking around for something to use. He grabbed the bedspread and used it to turn the doorknob.

As soon as the door was open, fire and smoked rushed in to them.

By this time they could barely see anything around them. Both coughing violently, Loki led Deidra out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Fire was everywhere. The whole apartment was in flames.

Deidra couldn't tell which way was which in the inferno. She was shaking so badly that she could barely walk. Fear told her to stay put and not go any further.

Loki tugged at her hand, harder. "We have to leave!" he yelled. "Come on!"

A burst of fire roared up near them, cutting off the way out the front door. "We have to use the fire escape," Loki told her. "We have to run. Ok?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand.

He ran ahead, holding tightly to her hand.

The heat from the fire was unlike anything he had ever felt before. The smoke burned his eyes, causing them to water and half blind him. The sound of it all was so loud. It engulfed every one of his senses. Everything was fire.

He threw open the window to the fire escape and climbed out and ran down several steps before he realized he was no longer holding Deidra's hand.

He spun around, but she wasn't behind him. He looked up at his apartment windows, flames leaping out against the outside walls and rising into the sky.

He felt sick.

She was still inside. She didn't make it out.

Immediately he ran back up the steps to their apartment. The heat pushed him back. He shielded his face with his hand and took a few quick deep breaths before jumping through the flames back into the inferno.

He smelled his hair burning, but he didn't stop. He pushed through the flames until he couldn't stand anymore.

He dropped to his knees and coughed violently. He couldn't breathe.

Suddenly he noticed a pale hand lying on the floor sticking out from behind the couch. He crawled closer and saw that Deidra was lying there, her eyes shut.

"No, no, no," he said and gathered her up in his arms. Her head flopped to the side, but otherwise she didn't move. "Deidra?" he shook her, but she didn't respond.

Loki looked around, realizing how helpless he was. He didn't have the strength to carry them both back outside.

He realized he was going to die.

Suddenly someone ran through the flames towards them. "Loki!" the person yelled.

The smoke and the heat was making him light headed. He didnt recognize who it was. The person slid up to him and shook him.

"Loki!" the person yelled again. "Snap out of it!"

Loki blinked and realized he recognized the red and blue costume. It was Peter Parker, dressed as Spider-Man.

"Peter?" he said.

"We have to get you out of here!" Peter said, tugging at him to get up.

"No, take Deidra!" he insisted stubbornly.

Peter looked at Deidra, then back at Loki. "Ok," he said picking her up. "I'm coming back for you!" he said. "Don't you dare die."

Time was all blurring together and it seemed as if Peter had simply vanished into thin air. Loki was falling in and out of conciousness. He couldn't even get the strength to move himself.

The next thing he knew he was lying on a gourney outside and people were rushing by and everyone seemed to be yelling.

Someone placed an oxygen mask over his face. "Breathe," the person said. It sounded as if they were miles away. "You're ok. You'll be ok."

He looked over to his side and saw Deidra lying on another gourney, except the people surrounding her were much more frantic.

Someone was doing chest compressions while another pumped air from a bag into a tube down her throat.

The person doing compressions stopped for a moment to check her pulse, then immediately started compressions again.

Loki felt himself losing conciousness again.

The last thing he heard was the EMT yell, "We're losing her!"