Was thinking about what Jane might have been feeling when Thor didn't come back, and ended up with this.

Jane sighed heavily. It had been about six months since Thor left and there was still no sign of him. Admittedly, he hadn't really given a time frame for his return, but how long did it take to fight your brother? Maybe the Einstein-Rosen Bridge he used to travel cause some sort of time distortion. Maybe he had to take care of some sort of political problems caused by his brother. Or maybe he didn't make it…

She cut off her thoughts there. There was no way Thor could lose – right? He was, like, seven feet tall and controlled lightning and could fly and oh Jane you sound like a crazy person, she thought, despite knowing it was all true.

The more she thought about Thor and their week-long relationship – was it really only a week? It felt like so much longer – the worse she felt. She wiped away the tears that were slowly welling up in her eyes and she took a deep, shaky breath.

It was times like these that she either delved herself into her work or talked to Erik or Darcy.

She picked up her phone and dialed Darcy once she had gotten a better hold of herself.

"Hey Jane. What's up?"

"Hey Darcy. I was just wondering if you wanted to do something? Tonight?" Jane asked hesitantly.

Darcy agreed. "Sure. I was just going to sit around anyways and I haven't seen you in, like, weeks. We could do for some catching up."

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Hot chocolate on the roof?" Jane suggested.

"Sounds great. Meet you there?"

"Sure. I'll bring some blankets."

"Please do," Darcy groaned. "It's freaking cold. I was walking back from class yesterday and nearly froze my ass off."

"Well we wouldn't want you to lose your ass."

"I'm rather attached to it."

Jane laughed. "Okay, well, I'll see you soon then?"

"It's about an hour drive from my apartment, so I'll be about 45 minutes."

"That's my girl. I'll see you soon."

"Yup."

Darcy hung up the phone and Jane was left to her own thoughts again. She ran her fingers through her hair and got up from the seat she had been occupying. She had a while before Darcy got there, so she grabbed one of her notebooks and did some work. It was effective in getting her mind away from Thor, but it just wasn't working out how she would have liked. After about nearly forty minutes of going through the same equation over and over, trying to figure out how to make sense, she tossed the notebook aside and let out a groan of frustration. It was a problem she had been trying to solve for weeks now, but it was hopeless. The next ten minutes were spent organizing her trailer a bit.

She was startled by a knock on the door and bumped her head on the low ceiling above her bed. She cursed under her breath as she made her way to open the door. Upon doing so, she laughed at the sight of Darcy, who must have had at least four layers on.

"Shut up it's cold. We're staying inside," Darcy said with a frown, and there was no arguing with her.

"Point taken. I'll grab the keys to our 'lab.'" Jane put on her jacket and grabbed the keys from the table before leaving her trailer.

"I can't believe you're still living in that thing, Jane," Darcy commented as Jane locked up behind her.

"I told you, it's a temporary living situation."

"How long is temporary?"

"Not sure yet," Jane admitted.

"Thought so."

Jane just rolled her eyes and led the way to the makeshift lab just outside. The building was technically owned by the Santa Fe Institute, but most all the equipment inside belonged to Jane and Selvig. It had been abandoned for a few years before SFI acquired it. Before that though, it had been a car dealership, which made the kitchen inside a bit of a curiosity. Jane thought it might have been an employee break room, but it was in front where she assumed the show-room had been, so there was really no explanation.

Darcy rushed inside the second the door was unlocked and Jane followed after.

"So what's wrong?" Darcy asked.

"What?"

"Something's wrong."

"What makes you say that?" Jane asked as she turned away from Darcy to make the hot chocolate.

"Over the phone you sounded kinda mopey."

"Oh. I guess a little bit, yeah," Jane admitted, thoughts again turning to Thor.

"What is it this time? Work? Funding?" Darcy guessed. "Is this about Thor again?"

Jane didn't say anything, but Darcy could see from behind that she had nodded her head.

Darcy wasn't the best when it came to comfort, but she gave it a shot. "Look, the guy made a promise to you- right?"

"Mhm."

"Then he'll come back."

Jane put the mugs in the microwave and turned around to face Darcy as she leaned back against the counter. "I just keep thinking about what might have happened to him… What if that thing with his brother-"

Darcy interrupted her before she could finish. "It was five against one, Jane. You really think one crazy guy could have taken out Thor and all his friends? There's got to be a more reasonable explanation as to why nobody came back," she assured her as she finally took of a couple of her layers of clothing.

Jane sighed. "I guess…"

"Now listen, I'm not saying that you need to forget him or anything, but you can't obsess over it, you know?"

The microwave beeped and Jane took the drinks from it and brought them to the table where Darcy already sat.

"Jane?"

Jane put one mug in front of Darcy and sat herself down in the chair next to her. "No, yes, I know you're right. And I'm usually not so 'mopey' about it all, but I've had a couple issues with my research and it's got me all worked up and Erik has been so busy with whatever secret project he's working on with SHIELD and my new supervisor is an ass."

"Sounds lame." Darcy took a sip, and immediately regretted it when she burned her tongue. "Ow."

"Sorry… I didn't know how long to put it in for. And you're right – it is lame. You should reapply for the internship next semester, Darcy. I was sad to lose you."

"Jane, I told you, I needed some experience related to my actual major… For graduate school applications."

"Well, I miss having you around all the time."

"Ah, but I thought I drove you crazy," Darcy teased.

Jane laughed, if only slightly. "Yeah, well, it was good sometimes. And you had the best music."

"You know, they never returned my iPod."

"What?"

"My iPod. SHIELD never gave it back."

"Are you sure you didn't just misplace it?"

"I wouldn't just misplace my iPod, Jane."

"Remember that time you lost your glasses for a week? And thought Erik's old assistant had stolen them when she came to visit?"

"Yeah…"

"And then they were under your bed?"

"This proves nothing."

"This proves that you misplace things. Maybe SHIELD never took it in the first place."

Darcy rolled her eyes and sighed. "Believe what you want. I know the truth."

"Oh shut up."

"Whatever."

It was quiet for a minute or two before Jane spoke up. "The main problem is the amount of power it would take to keep a bridge active and stable long enough to do anything with it."

"What?"

"That's the problem I'm dealing with right now."

"With your work?"

Jane nodded and put her hair behind her ears. "See, before the whole, you know, incident," she began, referring to Thor's visit, "Einstein-Rosen bridges and wormholes and things like that were purely theoretical. Just a mathematically plausible concept with no evidence of existing in the first place."

Although Darcy understood a lot more about this stuff than she had when she first began her internship nearly a year ago, most of what Jane said flew over her head. It helped Jane to discuss it though, so Darcy learned to just nod and listen and comment when she actually knew what was going on.

"When we got proof of their existence, well, that was- that was a dream come true for me. My primary research had been in that sort of stuff, and to have confirmation… It was a like a miracle. SFI was beginning to think my work was a dead end and wanted to focus on their other ventures. The theoretical astrophysics department – which was just me and Erik, I guess – wasn't doing too well. We were an inch away from being cut off."

Darcy could clearly recall Jane yelling about the whole situation about a week before they started getting all the weird readings in the desert. "I remember."

Jane nodded her head and continued. "Then all the atmospheric disturbances and the- the bridge and all the readings we got and we just, we finally had proof!"

Darcy smiled and shook her head at Jane's enthusiasm and went back to her hot chocolate, finding that it was at a more desirable temperature now.

"Then when SHIELD came along and took it all from me, I figured I was done for."

"Oh I definitely remember that. You really gave them a hard time for that one…"

Jane laughed. "I'm still ticked, but I guess they at least returned everything later."

Darcy opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Jane.

"Nobody cares about your iPod."

"Well, I care," Darcy muttered with a scowl.

Ignoring Darcy's distress over her beloved iPod, Jane continued. "But it made no sense, really. When they returned all my equipment, didn't it just make their original raid a total waste of time? I'd like to talk to the guy in charge of everything there. Give him a piece of my mind. And, you know, they still won't let me publish all my research? I mean, the pay is great and they convinced the Institute to let me continue using the building, as it would have gone to waste otherwise, so I guess I can't complain too much… But I feel like this is something that needs to be out there! Keeping it all locked up just… it isn't right."

"Meh, I'm sure you'll get there. I mean, everything ends up in the open eventually, right?"

Jane considered this. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"Hey, maybe you'll be in the center of some sort of huge conspiracy theory about the government hiding interstellar travel and stuff. That'd be exciting."

Laughing, Jane pictured herself as a photo and dot in the middle of a convoluted conspiracy web in someone's basement. "It would be flattering, really."

Darcy finished her drink and pushed it to the side, using the now free space to rest her elbows on. She used her hands to support her chin and turned to face Jane directly, waiting for her to finish her ramble.

"I mean, I've made a lot of progress here, with help from Erik and a new intern from SHIELD."

"You replaced me?" Darcy gasped dramatically.

"Oh shut up, I did not. He's not near as entertaining as you."

"Good," Darcy said smugly.

"Anyways, the roadblock here is the amount of energy it would take to even create a wormhole of any sort is… immense. Not to mention the fact that we also need to keep it in existence and stable long enough to do anything with it, which would require even more energy. Erik said he's working on something big though. Not that he was supposed to tell me. Also, I'm told they might bring in a consultant."

"Any idea who?" Darcy asked, despite not really caring.

"No, but apparently he's a big name in the energy business right now. I'm crossing my fingers for Tony Stark, but I'm not sure he's on retainer for SHIELD.

"If it is him," said Darcy excitedly, "you have to tell me. I want Iron Man's autograph."

Jane laughed but agreed. "Fine. If the great Tony Stark graces New Mexico with his presence, you will be the first person I call."

"I better be."

Another lull fell over their conversation and Darcy took a loud breath to break the silence.

"I'm sorry if I bored you with all that work stuff. It's just been on my mind a lot lately. Well, that and Thor, of course."

"Of course."

"If he was here, I bet he would have some answers…"

"Or not. Do you really think he knows the technical details of that bridge of his?"

"Okay, you have a point there. But still. It'd be nice to know where he is or what he's doing."

"Jane…"

"I know, I know. I need to focus on other things right now. If he comes back, he comes back. If he doesn't, well…" Jane didn't finish the thought.

"You are a bucket of sunshine."

"Shut up."

"I thought you said you missed me."

"You got me there," Jane admitted. She realized she'd let her drink go cold and frowned at it before pushing it aside. "So, now that I've complained, what have you got going on?"

"Oh, just school. Graduate school applications. Internship applications – not here, I need something that will help me in the long run."

"I know, I know. But you should visit more often anyways," Jane insisted with a frown. "Anything happening in the love life?"

Darcy sighed and rolled her eyes in what was a very melodramatic gesture. "No. It's dead."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Is your new intern cute?"

"I- I don't know… I guess? I'm not really sure I'm allowed to say?"

"I guess I'll have to judge him myself then when I visit next week as I decided I'm doing just now."

Jane laughed and shook her head

"What? I'm serious."

"I know, I know, I just, I missed you these past couple of months."

"Yeah, I've missed you too. You're one of my best friends. Which is weird because you were my boss for two semesters…"

"It would have been weird, if you actually acted like an employee. Did you do anything to help?"

"I contributed my time and taser to your cause while providing entertainment all the while."

"Fair point."

It grew quiet again until Darcy spoke up. "Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"It's going to work out."

"Alright."

"I'm serious. It's going to be fine. Just keep working on your wormhole stuff and don't give up and, I don't know, don't do drugs or whatever."

"Thanks for the advice then, Darcy."

"I give the best advice."

"Not really."

"This is true." Darcy looked at her phone and saw that it was much later than she had thought. "Oh, Jane, I'm sorry, I've got to get out of here. I have class at eight in the morning and I still have to drive all the way back to Santa Fe."

"I understand. It's fine. You were actually really helpful…"

"Of course I was," Darcy said as she hopped out of her chair and replaced the two or so layers of clothing she had shed while she was inside.

"Jane took the mugs to the sink to wash out later, then put her own coat on. "Don't forget to come by next week."

"I said I would, if only for your potentially cute intern."

"Whatever gets you here, I guess."

They left the building and Jane locked up behind them. "I'm moving some place tropical," Darcy said as soon as she stepped back into the cold night air.

"That so?"

"Yes. As soon as I can. Isn't this New Mexico? It's supposed to be hot or something!"

"It's the middle of the night in the middle of the desert, Darcy. It's cold."

"Oh, so now you're a meteorologist?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

Darcy gave Jane a very forced and very fake laugh before heading back to her car to leave.

"Thanks again," Jane called after her.

"No problem," Darcy called back. "Call me any time, okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You do that. I'm leaving now. No more goodbyes. I hate goodbye limbo." Before Jane had the chance to reply, Darcy was in her car and ready to drive off.

When the car was far enough away to be out of her view, Jane returned to her trailer with a smile and for the first night in months, Jane had good night's sleep.

Yes, I kind of fudged a lot of the science. Yes, the Santa Fe Institute is real. No, they don't have a theoretical astrophysics department. No, I don't really have any idea who this intern guy is. No, it wasn't mean to be a terribly exciting fic- just some interactions between friends. Yes, I did feel silly ending it with the phrase 'good night's sleep,' because I think it's a cheesy phrase. Yes, I cut out a lot of dialogue because it was going too long. No, I don't regret it. No, I don't think it's my best. Yes, I published it anyways.

Moving on.

Good? Bad? Mediocre? Please let me know what you think in a review! Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.