1988 arrived with a bang, but not a kiss. Jane had to settle for a hug from the brother of the man she wanted to be here with. Fireworks created a perfect backdrop for the moment it could have been. Instead it was for all the real couples hanging around, locked in passionate embraces. Their happiness was theirs and their alone, with no outside intent, but in her jaded state, Jane had to see them as obnoxiously mocking her.

The one good thing about it was Thor's eagerness to leave that matched her own. She bade him goodnight in the parking lot, with a handshake and a 'good to finally meet you' and a 'say hi to Sif for me.' He never mentioned Loki again, and Jane couldn't have appreciated it more. She had enough fuel for a week of sleepless nights.

Back home, Jane walked in to find Darcy on the couch. That she wasn't in bed was unsurprising; it was that she was here at all. Jane could've sworn Darcy had been talking about going somewhere with Vince and all those other crazy friends of hers to celebrate. Jane sniffed the air, unable to detect a hint of smoke or alcohol. It was safe to say that Darcy hadn't been anywhere today.

"Hi Jane! Home already?"

Jane checked the locks on the door and closed the curtains, shutting out the noise from the next door neighbor's New Year's Eve party. She eyed the coffee table and the coaster Darcy had her drink on and inspected the couch under her boots for dirt stains. What had her caring about all these miniscule things, she couldn't explain. She was aware of everything tonight, every little action she took for granted on better days. After ensuring that her snowshoes were perfectly in line next to the door, Jane pushed Darcy's feet aside to make some room.

"You know, there is a chair here," Darcy said, flinging a popcorn kernel at Jane's head.

"It has a spring that's broken or something… so what did you and Fandral talk about?" she asked, not really wanting to know, but wanting to be rid of that chewing more than anything.

"What?" Darcy asked.

Jane shook her head. "Earlier today, you were saying something about Fandral. That you were talking about something or other…?"

"Oh, you mean back when you walked out of the house with no explanation and didn't come back for eight hours?"

Jane started to answer, then did a double take. Had she really been gone for that long?

Brushing it aside, Jane nodded, egging Darcy on. The girl put aside her popcorn bowl (Jane could've kissed her for that alone).

"Basically… I'd been thinking a lot about what you said," she rolled her shoulders. "About where we're going with this whole 'dating rockstars' thing… I meant what I said before, about them not typically being the ones you want to bring home to mom, but I wanted to know just how far he was willing to take this, and it turns out he's no more decisive on the matter than I am, so at least we're on the same page."

She grabbed her drink and chugged it down. The sound of the straw was slightly less unpleasant than that of the popcorn.

"And did I tell you that he was introducing me to people as 'his girl' over Christmas?" Darcy smirked. "Because he was, and I know it was mostly to make sure they all knew not to try and come on to me, but I actually kind of liked it. Not in a 'oh he's so famous and a famous person likes me' kind of way either. More like a… I don't know, 'I just plain really like this guy and want this to last' kind of way. Like, am I making any sense at all?"

Jane shrugged, the non-committal gesture striking a particularly bad chord with Darcy if her answering scowl and turning away from Jane meant anything.

"I'm guessing you're still in the angst-y brooding stage of separation," she huffed.

Jane went up to bed shortly after, but the quiet and the darkness did little to relax her. Her sleep was troubled by the voice of Thor running circles around her, repeating words that meshed and mingled and yet somehow, never lost their meaning.

'Frankly Jane, I do.'

Well, that made one of them.

Before they separated for the night, Thor explained that he had to attend a family event with Sif to attend for New Year's Day, and packing for a trip to start on. That was why they'd have to wait until the next day to go back to the hotel, and why Jane hoped that Thor would forgive her for this.

She drove back the next morning, after forcing a decent sized breakfast down her throat and telling Darcy not to wait up for her. She ignored the heaviness of her eyes, this was too important. The nearest Starbucks provided her with all that she needed to get through a twenty minute traffic jam and race the rest of the way to the hotel. She counted to 981 on the top floor. A few times, she needed to stop and breathe. Her caffeine induced buzz was slipping away from her little by little.

'I knew I should have gotten the large,' she thought.

Nothing had changed about Loki's door when she got to it, except there was no Thor sleeping outside. Jane tried the handle first. She knew it wouldn't work, but she wanted to cover her bases. Worst-case scenario, she could go to the front desk and tell them she was a concerned friend coming to visit; see if they would hand over a key or even wait to hear the whole story before calling security.

"Loki?" She called out. Nothing stirred from within. "Loki?"

Jane knocked twice, hard.

"It's me, Jane. Can you hear me?" She tried to sound more concerned than desperate, but it wasn't working. "I told you I was going to come looking for you if you took too long, and as you can see, I keep my promises. Now I'm not leaving until you open this door and let me in, you hear me?"

She knocked a third time, though at this point, it was less like knocking and more like weak tapping. Her strength was leaving her fast. Her knees caved in, and she slid to the ground with her head on the wall. It was a far more comfortable position than she could have ever imagined. She even felt better than she had last night in bed, and she really was tired…

She was surrounded by soft, cushiony warmth, reveling in the feel silky sheets and one of the most comfortable pillows she'd ever had the pleasure of sleeping on. Turning this way and that, Jane unleashed a happy sigh cut short by memories of where she was. She gasped, twisting around in sheets that felt like snakes squeezing her torso. Getting free, Jane fell off the bed and slid on her behind to the wall. She was first happy to see that her clothes were still on, right down to the shoes on her feet. She was in a spacious hotel suite. A luxurious bathroom could be seen through a wide open door next to the kitchenette. Marble flooring led to an enormous Jacuzzi tub, the kind of couples wanting a romantic interlude. On one side was a mini-bar that looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, but other than that the room was immaculate. All the welcome cards were in place and the coffee machine was untouched. The TV in the far corner was turned on and muted on a new episode of Headbanger's Ball. There was a fake potted plant beside it, overturned for no discernible reason. Loki could have walked into it one day by mistake and never bothered to pick it up. A new guitar was propped up next to the bed, looking shiny and new, not a string out of place. There was something wrong with the image that Jane couldn't pinpoint.

Loki himself was on the balcony. The curtains were parted to reveal him in all his glory. His leather pants hung loose on his hips, and he wore nothing else. The sharp plains of his shoulders and back were hard to ignore, even within the flurry of yesterday and today's events. He had his back to her, looking out on the view of the city. There was a chaise with some ruffled blankets and a pillow, both thin and stained. They couldn't possibly be hotel-issued.

Jane's jaw fell. How he could have known was a mystery, but he turned right around and walked inside, looking no worse for the wear.

"Finally up?" he asked.

But Jane couldn't only think about that deck chair. "Have you been sleeping out there? In winter?"

"It's just precaution," he said. "I didn't know if you'd be awake before nighttime."

"But you were still standing out there. Dressed like that."

Loki crossed his arms. If it was meant to distract her, it wasn't working (well maybe a little).

"I don't mind the cold," he said, and he would say no more on the subject.

He entered the kitchen area. Pushing aside an empty cocktail glass, Loki grabbed a mostly empty bottle of whiskey from the top cabinet and drank what remained in one gulp. He grimaced as he checked the label.

"Warm..." he said to himself, smacking his lips. "Disgusting…"

Jane followed him for just a few steps, her hands going deep into her pockets.

"So… how are you doing?" she asked.

"Fine."

Jane bit her lip, her mind in such a tizzy that she was liable to blurt out the next stupid thing that came to her. In an effort to avoid that, Jane took her time going further, not that it helped. The lines of communication were falling deader than they'd been for the past month and a half.

"I uh… I heard about your friend, he one who had the overdose."

"Nikki?" Loki sounded like he was going to laugh, but Jane never heard it. "I suppose everyone has."

"Is he alright?"

Loki shook the bottle, but nothing more would come from it, and he threw it aside.

"He left the hospital as soon as he woke up, went home and started shooting up again. At least that's what I've heard."

Even if Jane wanted to, she wouldn't know how to respond to that. Shaking her head, she turned to what had been on her mind since she woke up.

"Why did you bring me in?"

"Because you were alone," he said, searching the rest of the cabinets for another drink. "I can't leave you sleeping in a deserted hallway."

"You left Thor."

"Thor is a boxer, and you're not," he then cursed under his breath as the final cabinet turned up empty, leaving him without a drop of booze. "Also, Thor has a skull made of titanium alloy, so nothing can harm him anyway."

Jane smiled, but didn't laugh. She sat at the foot the bed. It sagged at the corners and didn't feel nearly as comfortable without sleep to cloud her perceptions.

"Did you have a nice night with him?"

The question caught Jane off guard. She didn't know what he meant for a moment and apparently that was long enough for Loki to go from inquisitive to downright bitter in the way he looked at her.

"You mean me and Thor?" she inched a fraction to the left, out of his piercing gaze. "We got some hot chocolate and talked about you. He's really worried, you know."

She looked at him expectantly, and he kept still and silent, running his finger around the edge of the whiskey bottle, a never-ending circle.

"Why do you ask?" she got up and moved away from the bed, towards him. "Don't tell me you feel threatened by that."

"It wouldn't be the first time someone found his company preferable to mine."

"Loki, get real," Jane was really laughing now, much to his consternation. "The man is happily married, not to mention your brother. Do you really that he'd- that I'd- I can't even believe you'd think that. Now I know your self-esteem hasn't plunged that far."

He pursed his lips, looking away from Jane so she could only catch one side of his tight-lipped smile.

"I suppose you're right."

He returned to the threshold of the balcony, stopping short of walking outside. It enabled Jane to go after him without fear of the cold. She pressed herself against his back, her arms wrapping around his slim waist and holding steady. Her forwardness couldn't have been more of a shock to him than it was for her, but as the rational need to move off of him and pretend it never happened died an ignoble death, Jane thought that there was no better way she could have approached him. Everything about it, from the feel of his abs to the way he placed his hands over hers to hold her there, was just so very right.

Standing on her tip-toes, Jane's chin rested on his shoulder. His neck and hair smelled vaguely of hotel shampoo.

"So what now?" she asked softly. "Can we finally declare the exile over?"

Loki heaved a sigh. "I don't know."

Jane frowned, coming around to intertwine their fingers.

"You can't lock yourself up forever," she said. "Thor will be back tomorrow, and I have it on good authority that he'll bring the rest of the band and your parents if he has to."

Loki rolled his eyes, earning a glare from Jane. She received a cocky little smile in turn that didn't anger her one little bit. Any sign of his regular ass of a self was something to celebrate.

"I won't let you shut the world out," she said, looking deep into his eyes. "That's the truth of it."

Loki nodded, humming lightly. "I could expect nothing less of you."

Jane released his hand. It fell next upon his guitar, stroking the neck for him to see and watch intently.

"Play me something?"

His long legs carried him to her in two strides. His hand on her chin tilted her head up. She acquiesced willingly, though more than a little self-conscious about the heat of her skin. But really, she was beyond that with him at this point, wasn't she?

"I would love to," he said sensually in her ear, "but if I'm to rejoin the world, there's something I must do first."

The car pulled up in front of the jailhouse. It was an ugly building, not that one could expect attractiveness from the home of criminals. Built with brick, it was beige in color, the paint looking newly applied and no more appealing for it. What windows there were had multiple cracks and scratches. At least one had backwards dirty language and pictures partially wiped away. The grass at the front of the building was mowed neatly down, but the sides and back where a mess of weeds. Having grown up significantly more well off than most in the metal community, the sight of it left a bad taste in Loki's mouth, one dwarfed by the thought of actually entering the building.

Jane stopped at the sidewalk leading to the main entrance. A few guards were inside with their backs to them. The glare of the sun on the glass prevented Loki from making out any features. He leaned back, his body pushing the seat as far as it would go. It creaked ominously when he pushed further. He swallowed back a weight that was building in his throat. It didn't work the first time, and by the third, he gave up. He hadn't expected it to be this hard, not even in his worst nightmares. He'd been sure of himself on the way. He'd been ready to get right out the car, go in there and end this for good, with the worthy target there was to bear witness.

He would do it too just as soon as he got out of the car. That was all he had to do. Get out of the car and go in there. That was all he had to do.

"Loki?"

He was ashamed to have jumped. He unlocked the door, as if that would make it like it never happened.

"I'm fine," he told her.

He put a lot into that lie, but still Jane frowned. It could be that Loki had finally found someone other than Frigga who could see through his deception. Then again, he'd never exactly been dishonest with her before. It wasn't so nice, starting now.

It couldn't be helped. In the end, he needed another few minutes of mental preparation to get himself out of that car. Jane's hand in his didn't slip until he was out and she had to bend herself to the passenger seat to keep him.

"I'll be right here, okay?"

"You could go park," he said. "It might be some time before they let me see him."

"I don't mind," she said, and there was that smile again. Someday, Loki swore to himself, he'd kiss that smile right off her face and leave her breathless.

He squeezed her hand appreciatively, happy for now with that.

"I won't be long."

Letting go wasn't easy, but they managed it. Loki went up the steps, feeling not unlike a convict himself, on his way to the chopping block.

The guard opened the door for him, and he took just long enough to cast a final glance at Jane. She waved him on, words he couldn't hear slipping from her mouth. Her lips read 'go on.'

Loki took a breath and did just that, entered the well heated main office and stopping at the front desk. A plump woman in a standard dark blue police uniform sat at the receptionist's desk filling out reports. She barely looked up when Loki coughed, but she lit up at the sight of him.

"Oh my god," she breathed. Loki was sure he could literally see her heart pounding out of her chest. "You're-"

"Here to see someone, thank you."

Loki was buzzed in by a mustachioed cop who couldn't have made his disdain for him more overt if he tried. Loki had intentionally dressed in his 'rocker' best, keeping his still mostly clean pants from yesterday and adding his favorite Led Zeppelin shirt and his leather jacket. Sunglasses completed the look and had Jane staring hungrily at him wherever she could. It also had the effect of letting people like this poor lawman know that he was the one corrupting their children with his devil music.

"Ten minutes," the man gruffly stated. "Make it fast, pretty boy."

Loki flashed him a V sign, his palm inward. The policeman scoffed.

"Quit with that fake hippie peace crap. I know what you people are all about."

"Nothing gets by you, Officer," said Loki as the door slid shut.

The room was empty save for himself, a guard in the corner, and of course, the man himself. Shield by plate glass, he treated the cold metal slab of a chair provided to him like a recliner. His face was covered in wrinkles and pockmarks, his enormous toothy grin helping none. His teeth were straight and in need of brushing, his hair invisible, combed over wisps. He crossed hairy arms over a thin chest that might have been muscular once, before he turned sixty and grew a paunch.

Loki stood over his chair, observing him while he himself was observed. Father and son had their first real look at each other, with eyes that were identical.

"Well, look at you," Laufey said. His voice was deep, like tires spinning on gravel. "It's like having Farbauti alive again. Isn't that just awful?"

If that was a joke, nobody was laughing, including Laufey himself.

"I'm here," Loki said.

Laufey raised an eyebrow. "I can see that."

Loki's fingers curled together as he leaned in. "I want to know why."

"Why…" Laufey droned, spinning one hand around to spur him on.

"I shouldn't have to explain," said Loki tightly. "Why now? Why after all this time did you ask for me? For years you could have told someone, and you didn't."

"You sound like you wanted to know about me," Laufey grinned a second time. "That's so sweet of you."

"You misunderstand me," Loki clamped down on the stainless steel platform, feeling it bend. "I don't like being lied to, especially by my own family. At the same time, I suppose letting a child grow up with the knowledge that they are the spawn of a monster is not something easily done. So whatever I may feel for my adopted parents at the moment, what I want to know from you is: what do you want from me?"

He could reach out and claw at the glass, the way he felt right now. This had been a terrible idea. He couldn't handle it. He couldn't look at Laufey's face- one that bore no more resemblance to his than Odin's- and keep a leash on his primal emotions. He couldn't before when Laufey was quiet, and he couldn't now when the sick bastard was laughing at him.

"Do you think this is about money?" he asked. "That I want a piece? Then you should know, money doesn't get you much in here, except for something to line your bed with." A bit of chipped paint on the wall caught Laufey's attention, and for the rest of the time, he picked at it without a care in the world. "I suppose it's for the same reason you came here today: to see if it really was true." He leaned in to get a closer look, and Loki didn't move a muscle. "You look so much like your mother. It's such a shame. I always hated that woman."

"Is that right?" Loki asked calmly.

"Mmm…" said Laufey. "I can give you advice about women. Contrary to popular belief, you're better off having a hundred for one night than one for a hundred years. Once the novelty wears off, they become quite unbearable. That's way I'm very happy that you came along. The little bitch had planned on leaving me before she found out she was pregnant. She had no money and nowhere to go, and she was too stupid to let go of whatever childish beliefs she had that prevented her from aborting you, so she was stuck. It's good, because I would've hated having to go look for her. It's always easier to make a kill when the target is close to home, so thank you for that."

He bumped the glass, like a mockery of a friendly handshake. Loki didn't think much of it, he was checking the surrounding area. The single guard was unarmed, out of shape and half-asleep. His chair was pure metal, and moved easily from side to side. For the first time, Loki allowed a smile to grace his features, one that was entirely meant for Laufey. He tapped the glass in turn.

"That looks strong," he said.

In one swift movement, he was up, chair in hand. He slammed into the glass. A web of cracks sprung out from the center as Laufey cried out and fell off his chair.

"HEY!" shouted the guard.

But Loki was ready for him. An elbow to the stomach and a punch to the face was all it took to flatten him. A blaring siren preceded three more guards racing into the room. These three were armed with nightsticks, but still Loki was fearless. One did not grow up in the family he did without knowing how to take on at least five opponents at once. In seconds, the three of them joined their friend on the ground. Loki kicked the closest one aside to get to his chair, which he smashed twice more into the glass before it finally gave way. In one great leap, Loki was over Laufey. The man had fallen from his chair, his face white with shock.

"Alright father," he said with a grin. "Now it's my turn to talk."

Loki pounced on him, and Laufey's screams filled the room.

Sometimes, when faced with difficulties, Jane liked to sit in her car with the engine on. The sound and feel of the vibrations brought her back to those long cars rides her Dad had been fond of. They would sing songs, play the license plate game, or whatever caught their fancy. Jane long ago outgrew those games, but never those car rides. Maybe she could go on one with Loki when this was over. She couldn't imagine him coming out of this all sunshine and rainbows. Something to clear his head before he faced his family again, that was what he needed.

Jane opened her eyes, checking the clock one more time to see that two minutes had passed since she looked last. So far, he wasn't taking more time than he said he would. It was that unsettling rumble in her gut that told her something was up that had her on edge. That and the growing screams, the sirens going off and the guards all running in the direction Loki went.

Jane pressed her face on the glass, her stomach clenched tight.

"Oh no…" she said. "What is he doing?"

"Just what the hell do you think you were doing?!"

Jane slammed her hand on the glass. On the other side, Loki grinned, nothing but humor in his eyes.

"You shouldn't do that," he said. "They don't like it around here."

"Yeah, I guess you would know," Jane replied, eyeing the orange jumpsuit he'd been outfitted with.

They were in a public meeting room; the guards learned their lesson from last time. Jane could understand it, but she needed only a minute around L.A.'s scummiest to be ready for her own stay in solitary. On either side of Jane was a curvaceous woman with bad neon blue highlights talking to a barrel chested man with a Mohawk, and a skinny, nervous man shying away from the hairy inmate he was visiting, who looked fully capable of fulfilling his threat to snap the other man in half over his knee once he got out. Jane hid her face, focusing on Loki and his continued efforts to make her head exploded with his- for lack of a better word- criminal indifference.

"And I'm glad you were able to rip into Laufey like that. Really glad, but was it worth six months in here?"

"Actually, Heimdall and my lawyer were able to bring the sentence down to three."

Jane blew out some air. "Well, that should be no trouble at all for you."

The neon woman and the Mohawk guy's voices rose to uncomfortable levels. The pair got to their feet and screamed unconnected words and phrases at each other. Further compounded by the shouts of 'settle down' from the guards on duty, they were less coherent than toddlers learning to speak. Jane covered her one ear, a sentiment was not shared by Loki.

"Jane, may I introduce you to Scuzzball and his ex-wife?"

"I'd prefer you didn't."

"Oh, but he tells such interesting stories about life as a 'reformed' drug dealer."

Jane gave a half smile. "Reformed, huh?"

"That's how he tells it."

If he was trying to make her laugh, he definitely was not succeeding. That was the message Jane tried and failed to get across as her lips quirked up. She put her head down on the platform, and found it to be ice cold and unbearable for more than a few seconds.

"Hey, five more minutes!" a guard with a mustache shouted at them.

Jane side-eyed him, as did Loki, though he was decidedly more threatening about it.

"Anyway, how are you doing?" Jane asked.

Loki hummed. "Well, I'm in prison, so that's a bit of a downer."

"But are you alright?" Jane asked emphatically. "I've read about the things that happen in these places, where certain guys get… targeted. You know for…"

Jane waved her hands in complicated motions that had nothing to do with what she was referring to. The implications were clear in her words alone, and Loki beamed.

"I'm flattered that you find me attractive enough for that," he said.

"Loki, this is serious."

"I take it very seriously," he insisted, in the exact same tone of voice as when he was joking. "It just so happens that I was approached last week, and I had to politely inform the gentleman that I was not interested. He was persistent at first, but I made him understand in the end. Actually, I think that might him over there. Hello Tiny!"

Loki waved to a man at the far right end; a man so large that it was a wonder that seat didn't collapse under him. He was bald with a full beard, and his body was muscled to the point of ridiculousness. Splotchy bruises covered most of his face and upper body. He had an arm and a leg in casts and crutches was propped up next to him. He turned away from his matronly female visitor at the sound of his name. Taking one look at Loki, the imposing man's face fell, and a cry of fear left him that soon turned to blubbering sobs.

Loki chuckled. "He's really not a bad fellow once you get to know him."

Jane nodded, taking her time looking away from Tiny as he grabbed the crutches and hobbled on them as far from Loki as he could.

"Aside from that, I've been mainly entertained by the letters my friends and acquaintances send."

"They must be fun," said Jane with a nod. "What are they- congratulating you?"

"Several times over," Loki answered brightly. "Remind me to show them to you one day. My personal favorite is the one from Ozzy. I can't read most of it as I imagine he was high when he wrote it, but it was to the effect of him being very proud of me and offering to bite Laufey's ears off if he gives me more trouble."

"What about your family?"

He reacted better to the word family than Jane thought he would. Unlike most of the little 'slip-ups' she made around him, this one was completely intentional. She needed to know where he stood, after this whole mess of an experience. Laufey would be discharged from the hospital in two days. If she thought Loki was going to try and get out of his cell, track the bastard down and finish the job (and she didn't doubt at all that he could find a way), she would have to tell someone, for his own good.

"They've written and visited, as you have," he said. "Mother was here yesterday for the first time."

"And?"

"She's furious. She yelled at me for twenty minutes and then grounded me for the rest of my life. And no, my being of legal age apparently makes no difference."

Jane snorted. "See? Didn't I tell you she loved you?"

"You did," Loki said sincerely. "I think I'd do well to listen to you more often."

His hand came up on the glass, open palmed. Jane's clenched loosely, spreading out to copy its placement. The glass could not keep the heat of his skin from her. Jane felt the prickling of it running down her arm. Her toes curled together as they came apart, and it was still there.

"So," Loki said huskily, "think you can break me out?"

Jane saw through him at once. He wanted her to. Through heavily lidded eyes, she met his gaze.

"I don't know," she said, lower than she knew it could. "Maybe you should stay. After all, you've been very bad. You assaulted a mass murderer and twelve security guards."

"Eleven actually. The last one ran like a coward before I could get to him."

Jane stooped over, picking up her purse and rummaging through it before his curious eyes. From the depths of the bag came a deep red tube. Jane waved it front of his face.

"I got this from my friend, Betty," she said. "It's her favorite color because her fiancée loves it on her. She thought maybe I'd like it to."

Jane uncapped the top, bringing the lipstick to her mouth and tracing the lines of her lips. She took her time painting them. Something sparked in Loki's eyes, something deep and feral that made his whole body tense. Jane fought not to smile. She couldn't say what had gotten into her today, except that, as always, Loki was just the best bad influence there had ever been on her life.

Beads of sweat lined his brow when she was done, small but very telling. He was hunched over, trailing over her lips and then the whole of her face as she leaned back in.

"How's it look?" she asked.

Loki's breath fogged up the glass.

"Delicious," he said.

Jane closed the gap, her lips meeting the glass over his, leaving behind a perfect red imprint. The guard was saved from yelling the time as Jane stood and hoisted the bag over her shoulder. At the door, she turn, flipping her hair as she did.

"See you in three months," she said.

Time passed faster than anyone could have imagined. Jane visited often, as did Frigga and Sif and Hogun and Fandral. His father came at least once, but unlike the rest, Jane never did get the story of that meeting out of him (though afterwards, he did start referring to him as 'father' again, if sparsely). Thor was unable to come, thanks to a contractually obligated series of exhibition matches in Europe taking him out of the country until the day before Loki's release.

On the day of, Jane sat on the hood of her car in front of the jailhouse. Whistling along with the radio, Jane's heels on the hubcaps kept up with the tempo. It was a nice evening in April, warm with the welcome coming of spring. Squirrels ran by collecting nuts wherever they could be found, and birds sang a tinkling song that didn't go with the radio at all.

She faintly heard buzzing inside the building, slowing her to a stop. She slid off the car, taking steps to the sidewalk as the doors opened up and one person stepped out.

Loki looked better than he'd been in months. His face was fuller, his posture strong. He took hearty breaths of fresh air, like he hadn't felt it years. In the clothes he wore when he arrived, he was missing only the adoring fans and the spotlights. And the guitar, of course.

Jane broke into a run, meeting him at the bottom of the stairs. Her aim to jump into his arms ended with her in them. His movements were so quick that she hardly felt the loss of ground under her feet.

Their lips were crushed together; Jane was glad she'd worn the lipstick again. Their first kiss taught her several important things about Loki; the most important of them being that he was not a patient man. As soon as their lips met, his tongue sought entrance, and once her mouth opened his hands crept under her shirt. If there had been no one else around, he would have had her undressed before they reached the car.

Somehow, they got to Loki's apartment. Jane didn't know the way from the jailhouse. Maybe she hadn't driven at all.

Their next stop was his bed, where they stayed for hours. The lamp was on its lowest setting, Loki's pant and Jane's bra snuffing it out. Jane caught her breath in the crook of his neck, her tongue running over teeth marks she left behind. Their chests heaved, pushing against each other in a way that had Jane ready for seconds, even if her body wasn't yet. Loki's hands made it worse, crawling lazily over her hips and buttocks. Jane buried hers in his hair, slick with sweat. She raked through it, finding no knots amid sinful silkiness. Loki lowered his head- his hair falling through her fingers- bestowing light kisses over her. That it was so soft was a surprise. Nothing about Loki had been soft so far.

"Jane," he whispered. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Tell me," she said.

"I used to like the name Silvertongue."

Jane sighed, leaving an answering kiss on his Adam's apple with an added swirl of her tongue to get his blood pumping.

"Is that so?" she asked.

"Indeed," he growled. His hips bucked, reminding Jane in the most delightful way that he was still inside her. "It was only after Fandral made it my stage name that I lost my liking for it. I actually got it in High School, from an old girlfriend."

Loki flipped them. Jane sunk into the mattress, her upper body fully exposed to the chilly air and his ravenous gaze. He lowered himself, touching the tips of their noses together.

"Would you like to know why?" he asked.

He didn't wait for an answer. Like a snake, he slithered down the length of her body and between her legs, where he thoroughly proved his worthiness to bear the nickname for hours, until Jane could neither move nor scream again.

Loki didn't know about doubling up for their first official date, not from the time Jane for asked to now. She'd asked nicely, though- and in the middle of an orgasm, when of course he couldn't say 'no' to anything.

The boardwalk was crowded this time of day, and while it wasn't nice to have people constantly bumping your shoulder without apologizing, it had its perks. He could hold Jane around her waist, keeping her close at his side, and she wouldn't say a word against it. Loki exhausted himself glaring off all the men loitering around. Jane never noticed any of them, but they sure noticed her. One look from Loki and they backed off, knowing their place.

"Do you see it yet?" he asked. They were passing a sunglasses stand he was pretty sure he'd seen twice already.

"It's just up ahead," she said cheerfully. "It's the nicest little seaside bar. I'm surprised you've never been there before."

"There are a thousand bars in this city, Jane," he said. "Not even I visit them all."

"Well, you'll like this place. I picked it out especially for today."

"That's lovely," Loki said, growing increasingly bored with all this walking. "I'm sure Fandral and Darcy will appreciate it."

"Actually," Jane said, slowing down, "Fandral and Darcy aren't here."

Loki furrowed his brow. "Then who are…"

He didn't need to finish the question. One look at Jane and he knew. He knew as well as if he'd been looking straight ahead and seen Thor's head poking into view. Sif looked like a black bush in comparison, slowly revealed to them as the crowd thinned out. Together, they got more awestruck stares than Loki alone ever could. Two celebrities were always better than one.

At the first sign of their arrival, Thor put on that stupidly happy grin he could've trademarked if he wanted to.

"Hello, Sif," Loki greeted his friend with a nod, which she returned. That left him to face the inevitable. "Hello, Thor…"

"Hello, Brother," Thor said.

Loki sighed. He never stopped calling him that.

For once, Thor used his brain. He saw that Loki would correct him, and then he pre-empted him with a bone-crushing hug. For all that Loki had grown taller and stronger since their youth Thor would always surpass him in those departments. It was as infuriating to admit as it was painful to experience.

"I see that you've made it," Thor boomed, as was his way. "No worse for the wear ever after three months in that place. I trust you took over in no time."

"You wish to hear about the vicious chain gang I formed in prison to overtake it from the warden?" Loki asked dryly.

"Tell him when we get inside," Sif cut in, clapping a hand on Loki's shoulder once Thor released him. "I am in great need of a drink, and I think it's going to rain soon."

The sky rumbled in time with Thor's laughter, almost like it answered to him.

"If my wife wishes it, so it shall be!" He placed an arm around her, Loki receiving the coveted spot at his other side. Jane took Loki's hand to not be left behind and locked eyes with Thor. "Jane, forgive me for not thanking you earlier. I know getting him to come must have been a lot of work."

"It wasn't that hard," Jane said proudly. "He may look tough, but there are ways around it. At least for me there are."

Jane's hand brushed Loki's hip, close to his behind, and it may have been an accident, or maybe not.

"Ha! You really are as good for him as I thought you were," said Thor.

"I'm glad we have your approval," Loki said flatly.

Try as he might get free, Thor's grip was like iron. Escape was not an option. So Loki gave up, he squeezed Jane's hand and smiled when she did the same. This was what she wanted, then. A tearful family reunion; a night of reflection, of baring his soul and laying his heart on the table for the man he once called brother to see, in the hopes that someday, he could call him that again.

Loki couldn't say any of that would happen. Sitting at the table with a beer in one hand while Thor gave a quick play by play of his time in Europe, followed by a much longer, louder (as he drank more) apology for not being there for him, he was sure that it wouldn't.

But it made Jane happy.

It made Thor happy too, and there was something nostalgic about the way he yelled at the football game on TV and needed Loki to remove his beer bottle before he could throw it.

Maybe he had missed this a little.

Of course, where the Odinson brothers went, trouble would follow. Their wives and girlfriends all learned this lesson, and the ones who stayed bore witness that day to an obsessive Ivan Vanko fan recognizing the bitter rival of his hero at the bar. They saw the beer poured over Thor's head, felt sympathy pain when Thor's solid punch knocked him off his feet.

When the bar descended into anarchy, Sif was in the fray, taking out thugs one by one. They quacking realized that the sexy metal chick was not worried about breaking a nail and had no trouble knocking their teeth out. They fought her like a man, and in the end, that just gave Sif a higher body count.

Hiding behind the bar, empty tankards and bottles were Jane's means of defense, and for her lack of experience, she had to say, she did pretty well. Lifting her head to crash an empty Jack Daniels bottle over the head of a particularly 'forward' opponent, she caught sight of Loki, back to back with as the two of them demolished whoever and whatever got too close. Sometimes, Loki would grab a thug, hold him in headlock, and let Thor K.O. him. Other times, the roles were reversed.

There was something about the grueling scene that told Jane not to worry. Everything was going to be alright.

It was a nice thought, a happy ending. Jane thought a night in a jail cell was worth it, and she was sure Loki, Thor, and Sif thought so too.

Perhaps not Frigga, though.

"Loki, you are no longer grounded for the rest of your life," Frigga said as the guard opened the cell door to let them out. "You are now grounded for the rest of your life and your afterlife. You too, Thor."

"Yes, mother," they said together.

Or Professor Selvig.

"Jane, I cannot believe this," the man said, dabbing sweat off his brow with a soaked rag. "When you told me you had a friend, you never said it was a- a- him!"

Loki's sour expression could have only been matched by the level of outrage Erik exuded, either in his words or in the frantic way he waved his wallet around.

"Well, I was going to tell you," Jane said. "Things just got a little… complicated."

"This is more than a little complicated, Jane! Oh, it's a good thing your father isn't here to see this. If you think I'm bad right now, you don't know the half of it!"

Erik and Frigga scolded them all the way to the parking lot, where Erik's station wagon and Frigga's Rolls Royce awaited them. They started strangers with a common goal, and when they left, they were shaking hands, friends bound by love for some very difficult children.

Jane hugged Loki goodbye. A chaste kiss was all she'd give with so many eyes on them, but there was enough promise innate to it that both were satisfied, for now.

On the drive back home- their childhood home, as Frigga wanted to oversee the first week or so of her sons' punishment- Loki felt it, hot on his mouth, the feel of her.

"You know, you still haven't told us what you were doing with yourself in jail, Loki," said Sif from the front seat. She adjusted the rearview mirror to get a good look at him, and in turn give him a look at her charcoal covered eyes. "What you really did."

Loki took a moment to stretch. He felt a great need in his bones, to get up and run or to play his guitar until the world stopped turning. In the absence of that, he gave her a grin, the best one he had in a long time.

"Honestly? A lot of writing."

'Hey, hey, hey all you head bangers out there! You are listening to W-KRG, the best rock n roll station in this time zone. Today, we are officially announcing the start of the holiday season with some big news about Midgard Serpent's long awaited second album, slated to be released next month on December 15th. I don't know about you, but I know what I'm asking Santa for this Christmas.

'Turns out that the Serpents are doing more than just stuffing your stocking this year. Lead singer Fandral has just announced that they will be holding a concert on December 21st at Dodgers Stadium to promote the album. Tickets go on sale this Friday, so get your sleeping bags and lanterns ready because let's be honest, you'll have to start camping out now if you want a ticket.

'And now, here's an early Christmas gift to you listeners- the world premiere of the album's title track and lead single. So throw up some horns, put on something leather, and get ready to dance, because tonight, we are Playin' For Keeps!'

The stadium was a madhouse. A greater sea of sweat, gyration and pure, unfiltered joy than Jane had ever seen, and she had the best seat in the house.

A stagehand rushed by, offering Sif a new bass guitar for the next number. She gave Jane and Darcy high fives and walked back on stage, ready to rip into a bass solo that seemed to give at least half the audience some kind of religious experience. Hogun slammed in on the drums. Fandral screamed into the mic. Finally, the guitar rose above the rest. With one foot on the amp, Loki shredded through his part, undeterred by the cheers or Fandral traipsing about every which way.

Darcy screamed louder than anyone. Jane could say it for sure, not just because they were next to each other. It was a bad idea, getting so worked up in her condition, but that was Darcy for you. At least Jane had been able to get her off drinking and smoking for the next eight months. The next step was getting her some Enya cassettes and helping her tell Fandral, but that could wait.

This was their part now, their song.

Loki took center stage, guitar high over his head as the crowd chanted his name, in the way that she knew he loved. He closed his eyes, taking it all in, all the power it gave him.

The song started slow. Jane recited the chords in her mind. She knew them all by heart. The music picked up when Fandral came in, turning from a slow ballad to something big and magnificent. Fandral sang his heart out, but this time, Loki was in command. He stepped into the spotlight, it's almost otherworldly glow consuming him. His hands were fast, like the first time Jane saw him play, his face serene… and he really was like a god.

Three encores later, they walked off stage. Loki never stopped; he handed his guitar off to a roadie and took Jane the moment she was in reach. His kiss was hard and demanding, but so was hers. There were a thousand people swarming around, but Jane couldn't have cared if she tried. She wrapped her legs around his waist, the strobe light shining on them like the diamond on her finger. Lights went off one by one, leaving them in a world all their own.

To those who existed outside that world, nothing could be known about Loki Odinson and Jane Foster, except for what they had, and that it was for keeps.

THE END

A/N: And so, we bring one more tale to a close.

I'm really sad to see this one go. First Reptilian, now this. It's good, though. Now I'll have more time to dedicate to Lokiday (and the other stories I'm writing). New chapters will be coming soon, along with a few other things such as another chapter of The Sweeter Times (which will better explain the plot of that story) and a collection of drabbles that I've written on tumblr. If you follow me there, you'll also the summaries for new stories that I'll be posting throughout the year.

That's what you can expect. See you then!