Only Human

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I only own Rose Selvig and any other characters I make up in my head.

Chapter One: Taco Bell and Crazy-ass Experiments

"Guys – I'm so hungry. We should have at least stopped at a Taco Bell or something before conducting this stupid experiment." Rose complained for, at least, the thousandth time, making herself comfortable in the passenger seat of their large van. Once again, her astrophysicist and long-time best friend, Jane, rolled her big doe-brown eyes before focusing on her equipment which was beeping anonymously.

"Oh my Gosh," Darcy, Jane's much younger intern, said with a gleaming smile and hunger sparkling in her jade-colored green eyes as she lounged in the driver's seat. "A bean burrito sounds hella fantastic right now."

"We'll make a run for Taco Bell after we're finished here." Dr. Erik Selvig responded irritably as he and Jane played with their research equipment in the back of the van.

"C'mon, dad. Jane. We've been out here for hours. Can't we just call it a day and come back tomorrow?" asked Rose with weariness showing in her innocently-blue eyes. "Look, even Darcy is exhausted!" she branded a finger towards the dark-haired college girl. Darcy nodded along in agreement.

"I'm glad someone around here understands how I feel. Can't believe I'm even wasting my time here when I'm only six credits behind from graduating college." Darcy whined with a huff.

"Just a little bit longer." Jane mumbled absentmindedly while trying to focus on her research that she has been studying for months.

"So, what's this "anomaly" of yours supposed to look like?" Rose asked her best friend softly while gazing up at the beautiful darkened sky through the windshield. Shimmering stars were strewn all over the mysterious atmosphere. Rose found it to be incredibly breathtaking.

"Well – it's a little different each time." Jane said passionately while turning around to face Rose who was still sitting in the passenger seat. "Once, it looked like, I don't know, melted stars, pooling in a corner of the sky. But last week – it was a rolling rainbow ribbon."

"I've always said you should be a poet." Dr. Selvig lightly teased Jane. She only smiled shyly in return before continuing to look down at her work.

"Honestly, Jane. Give yourself some credit. Your dad would've been proud to see who you've become." Rose told her gently, encouragingly. Jane glanced at her as a hint of a sad smile graced her lips. She gently gripped Rose's hand briefly, showing gratitude towards her best friend.

"Thank you, Rose." Jane acknowledged her.

Rose cocked her head curiously. "For what?"

"The benefit of the doubt." Was Jane's simple response. Rose grinned and only happily shook her head as she settled back in the passenger seat, facing forwards and watching the entrancing sky before her.

Determined, Jane popped her head through the roof of the van, looking up towards the cryptic sky. Picking up a large gadget, she placed her magnetometer – its monitor calibrating with the constellations above. It appeared to be cobbled together from spare parts of other devices. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Selvig stood up from the roof next to Jane, both of them appearing to be anticipated for what was going to happen next. Dr. Selvig shot Jane a look of hesitance.

"Wait for it." Jane whispered, trying not to sound disappointed. An expression of hope shined on her face, waiting for something brilliant to happen.

"Can I turn on the radio?" Darcy asked annoyed from the driver's seat.

Rose let out a sigh as she told her, "Patience, Darcy."

Darcy shot her an accusing look. "Not even five minutes ago, you were just complaining!"

"I was hungry." Rose defended herself defiantly. "And I still am!"

"Guys, knock it off." They both heard Jane's desperate voice from above the roof. "And no, Darcy, you cannot turn on the radio." Darcy huffed in response.

After a few moments when nothing was happening, Dr. Selvig turned to look at Jane with uncertainty showing clearly on his aging face. "Jane – I think they're right. We should just get going. You can't keep doing this."

Jane panicked for a moment before diving back into the van and rustling through her hand-made gear and special equipment. "The last seventeen occurrences have been predictable to the second." She quickly flipped through pages of her worn-out notebook. Dr. Selvig looked at the younger woman with somewhat annoyance.

"Jane, you're an astrophysicist." He reminded her.

"Not a storm chaser." Rose added from the front.

"You be quiet, kid." Dr. Selvig pointed a warning finger at his daughter before looking at her with confusion, "And aren't you supposed to be over here aiding us in our – I mean, Jane's experiment?"

"She's the scientist. I'm just her amusing comic relief sidekick." Rose defended herself.

"You never did suffice well in your Biology studies in college." Her father said with amusement laced in his matured voice.

"I'm telling you – there's a connection between these atmospheric disturbances and my research." Jane spoke, slightly panicking. "Erik, I wouldn't have asked you to fly out here if I wasn't absolutely sure."

Rose and Darcy, who were both in their own little world, noticed something awfully strange.

"Darcy, am I seeing what I think I am seeing?" Rose asked, placing a hesitant hand on the intern's shoulder, grasping it as her eyes widened in disbelief.

Instead of responding to her question, Darcy called out, "Jane? I think you want to see this." Jane, herself, narrowed her eyes in confusion before gasping softly in shock when she noticed the change in her monitors.

Dr. Selvig appeared extremely shocked, as well, as they both stumbled up through the roof, staring up at the estranged sky through the dry desert. A strange characteristic and hauntingly beautiful aura was painted upon the horizon. Everyone was truly dumbfounded.

"Holy. Shatner." Jane breathed in shock.

"I thought you said it was a "subtle" aura!" Dr. Selvig exclaimed.

"GO!" Was Jane's only hurried response. Darcy wasted no time in starting the car and speeding towards the strange event that was happening. Rose let out a startled yelp when Darcy was roughly driving the vehicle.

"Geez, kid. Could you drive with less insanity?" Rose asked while clutching her seat in fear as Darcy sped through the dry sand.

"Move over." Jane demanded Rose as they switched spots. A video-camera clutched in her shaky hand, Jane rolled down the window and grinned like a maniac as she excitedly filmed the commotion that was happening within the sky. "Isn't this great?" Jane asked with adrenaline excitement.

"No." Rose answered rather bluntly. "This is freaking crazy, insanity… Dad, I need more synonyms for the situation right now!"

"Absurdity." Dr. Selvig added for her.

Rose waved her hand to prove her point. "There you go!" Nervously, Rose gripped her father's arm as Darcy continued to drive towards the spiraling wormhole that was forming from the sky.

"You're seeing it too, right?" Jane asked with uncertainty lacing her voice. "I'm not crazy?"

"Well – I only said that this situation was crazy, but that's debatable too. Now put your seatbelt on, Janey, silly goose." Rose said as she reached over and buckled up Jane for safety.

"Get closer." Jane ordered Darcy impatiently.

"Right. Good one." Darcy responded somewhat sarcastically before realizing something. "Oh God, you're serious."

"You want those college credits or not?" Jane asked her and Darcy immediately floored it towards the strange, violent spiral.

Rose was growing extremely worried over the fact that they were getting closer to the forbidding tornado. Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning strikes down through the center of the funnel cloud before them with terrifying intensity. The van rocked from the huge blast. Rose had enough of this by now. She quickly leaned over and tried to turn the wheel from Darcy to maneuver away from the tornado. Both Darcy and Jane frowned at Rose's actions.

"Screw those credits. You can intern at Burger King." Rose told Darcy as she tried to turn the wheel as Darcy fought her to gain control. Jane looked appalled towards her best friend.

"What are you doing?!" Jane cried out.

"Saving our lives!" Rose snapped.

"You know what – screw this! I am not dying for six college credits!" Darcy exclaimed, finally letting go of the wheel as Rose had full control over it.

"Rose! No! Don't!" Jane shouted as she gripped the wheel in one hand, trying to turn in the direction of the tornado while Rose tried to move the other way.

"Jane – best friend or not, I will punch the living astrophysicist out of you if you don't let go of this wheel this instant! I am not risking my life for something this stupid! Okay, I have a fantastic career as an investigative mythological historical journalist and I do not wish to have to end my life early just to help you on your crazy-ass experi—"

Rose was interrupted from her heated rant as unexpectedly, the van slams into the figure of a man. Everyone screamed in shock as Darcy finally slammed on the brakes – the van coming to a screeching halt.

A paralyzed moment settled in between everyone – breathing hardly and looks of shock and disbelief that this was actually happening.

"Holy. Shit!" Rose emphasized each word.

All at once, everyone bolted out of the van and into the desert. Grabbing flashlights, they focused them to find an unconscious man lying apparently lifelessly on the dirt.

"I think that was legally your fault." Darcy blamed Jane. Rose fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Get the first aid kit!" Jane ordered Darcy, in return, running over to the strange man and kneeling down next to him, alarmed. "Do me a favor and don't be dead. Please." Jane begged the unknown man.

When Rose approached Jane and the strange man, she looked down at him and widened her eyes. "Holy shit, he's hot!" When Dr. Selvig shot Rose a look, she continued, "I mean, just look at his face. He's like a God." She didn't even realize the irony within her words.

Jane only rolled her eyes at Rose before asking in confusion, "Where did he come from?"