Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, Thor or anything contained therein. Sure wish I did though...

Taking Hold

Chapter One

"Now she's your prisoner?" Thor demanded, bursting into his Father's makeshift throne room. Odin All-Father looked down wearily at his son. He hadn't wanted to imprison the Lady Jane, but things had happened.

"I hadn't intended for that happen, but it is for the safety of your Midgardian woman and for the safety of Asgard," Odin said, standing beside a window and watching as people began clearing away debris.

"Father, what do you mean?" Thor asked gently, knowing that it was the only way to get the full story.

"I had hoped only to keep her in her chambers, with guards posted by her door. If Malekith attacked again, I would know where your Midgardian was at," Odin said. Thor fisted his hands at his Father's refusal to say Jane. But he remained silent. "However, when we approached her, things didn't go as we had planned."

"Was she hurt, Father?" Thor asked. Odin scoffed at him and Thor balked at the noise.

"Your Midgardian woman was not hurt, Thor. Rather, it was my men who were hurt by her."

"It must have been the Aether inside of her. Jane is a gentle soul, she would never strike at something that did not wish her harm," Thor said defensively.

"This was not the Aether, Thor," Odin said firmly, striking the ground with his staff. Abashed, Thor fell silent. "The Midgardian woman, whom you so defensively stand beside, attacked the palace guards outright. When the Aether defended itself, your Midgardian nary lifted a finger and grew weak thereafter. The palace guards had barely reached for her when your Midgardian – " But Thor cut him off abruptly.

"She has a name, Father," he growled, attempting not to yell at the All-Father. "It is Jane Foster."

"Do not talk back to me, Thor," Odin boomed, striking the floor again. "I am your father and your king. You would do well to remember that." Exhaling irritably, Thor held his tongue. "As I was saying," Odin continued. "When the palace guards reached for Jane," he said, spitting the name out, "she struck them down. A surprising feat for a Midgardian, I must admit. But I will not favor her just because she has stolen your fancy. She is to be treated as any other in my court. And if an Asgardian were to strike the guards, I would have them in prison just as quick."

"Let me speak with her Father," Thor pleaded, taking a few strides toward the throne where Odin had seated himself.

"Speak with her all you wish, and your brother while you're there, but she shan't be leaving," Odin said wearily. Thor saw the unbidden grief in his Father's eyes and quickly strode away. The All-Father was still grieving the loss of Asgard's Queen and he needed time. Perhaps it was that he found Jane responsible for Mother's death. It was a childish thought, Thor realized, but not one that he would place past his Father.

A few moments later, Thor strode into the prison block. The look on his face brooked no arguments and the guards stepped aside willingly. Thor paused briefly to try and locate Jane, but to no avail. He should have known that the magical walls would prevent such a thing.

"I wish to speak with the Lady Jane. Where is she?" he asked, turning to the nearest guard. Without a word, he was led down the hallway, past more and more cells. When most of them began to show up empty, Thor grew worried. Why would they place her in the back of the prison? Did Father truly see her as such a threat?

Finally, the guard stopped but gave no indication as to which cell was Jane's. Thor looked around him, perplexed when he noticed that the nearest were empty.

"If you are trying my patience, you will pay for it," Thor growled, striding up to the guard.

"She's just a few more down on your left, my Lord," the guard replied, the picture of calm, though inside, he must have been shaking.

"She is a Midgardian woman, why are you so afraid of her?" he asked. But the guard only shook his head. "A pox on you," he muttered under his breath, storming down the hall. He knew when he had found her cell; a chill he hadn't expected settled over him. But then he saw her sitting there, her knees drawn up to her chest and tears streaking over her face. Amidst her distress, Jane still looked lovely in the radiant blue silk she had been given. In some fit of rage, she had torn off her gauntlets and thrown them against the wall.

"Jane?" Thor called softly, kneeling beside the magical wall that separated them. She glanced up sharply, scrubbing at her face to hide the tears. If he had been able to, he would have stopped her from harming herself so.

"Thor," she breathed, then began to trip over her words in her rush to explain what had happened. "I-I was scared, I didn't know what they were during, an-and Malekith had just attacked, and your mother, I'm so sorry, I," she said, barely pausing to breathe. Words failed her when she saw Thor dip his head to hide his pain. Tears struck her again and she buried her face in her knees.

"Jane," he called, the smallest hint of royalty in his voice. "Jane, look at me," he said with more force while still being gentle. Sniffling, she brought her head up to look at him. "I wish I could wipe away your tears. But you need not feel so guilty, I do not blame you."

"Y-you don't?" she asked, voice breaking through her tears.

"No, but I wish to know what happened. Why do they have you here instead of in your chambers?" Thor asked, looking around with a frown on his face.

"I don't know what came over me, Thor," she whispered, looking away from him in shame. The tone of her voice caught him and he looked at her, quietly sitting there as he waited for her to continue. "They came to help me and I knew that, but I was scared. So I lashed out, unthinkingly. I don't remember everything but I remember being startled when one of them tapped me on the shoulder and then I was being guided down here. That's all I know."

"I believe you, Jane," he said after a moment's quiet, placing his hand on the magical wall. Golden runes appeared around his hand, fading the further away they were. "I swear to you, I will find a way to right the wrong my Father has done to you."

"He hates me," she muttered, turning away from him. Oh, how she vexed him. But perhaps it was this accursed cell separating them that vexed him so.

"My Father has done no such thing," Thor said, but his muscles were still tensed from her statement. Odin may not hate her, but it seemed as if he held Jane accountable.

"Thor, you can't tell me that he doesn't hate me," Jane argued. "The first time he saw me, he wanted me taken back the Himedale, or whatever it is," she said, frowning when she couldn't remember. Thor couldn't help but chuckle as he corrected her.

"His name is Heimdall," he said. She glowered at him, wiping at her face as she leaned back against the wall. "Jane, I needs must go now. I have to speak with my Father and get this righted," he said reluctantly. He didn't want to leave her, especially when he remembered that the Aether in her veins was draining her life force. But he needed to fix this.

"Hey," he said, the Midgardian word feeling strange on his tongue. But it was enough to get her to look at him once more. "I shall return for you, I promise," he said, looking her in the eye.

"Just like you said last time?" she said, the smallest hint of a sneer in her voice. Thor straightened abruptly, surprised by her tone.

"Jane, you cannot mean to hold that against me," he said, trying his best to be gentle. Even still, her words had angered him.

"You left me waiting for two years, Thor!" she cried, lunging against the magical wall. "But you had no problem coming back and helping S.H.I.E.L.D.! They were more important than me, weren't they?"

"No, Jane, never. But as a prince –" he started, but was cut off but her angry words.

"Oh, yes. As a prince," she snapped, using her fingers to air quote. "Was it too much to ask that you say hello before vanishing back into your cloud of thunder?" she yelled, frustrated tears in her eyes once more. By now, she was on her feet, pacing the small cell. Thor was still seated on the ground, watching her walk by. "I missed you, I turned all of my work into recreating the Einstein-Rosen Bridge. You could have at least let me know whether it worked from my end!" she shouted, striking the far wall. But the Aether lashed out at her movement, expanding rapidly across the cell before vanishing just as quick.

"No!" Thor cried out, lurching to his feet and slamming his fists against the wall. He watched helplessly as Jane crumpled, unconscious, on the ground. "Jane? Jane, wake up!" he called, banging on the magical wall in order to rouse her. Runes rippled across the division, but she did not stir. It took all of Thor's restraint to calm down enough to focus on her. "Thank the stars," he breathed when he heard her heartbeat, one hand still on the wall. She was only in a slumber, nothing more. With a reluctant sigh and a lingering look, he strode out of the prison block, roughly brushing past the guards on his way out.

As he made his way back across Asgard, he thought of how to approach his Father on the now delicate situation involving Jane. If Malekith had not struck Mother, he thought angrily, she would have been able to help him. Unfortunately, he was alone in dealing with Father, not even aided by Loki's silver tongue.

"Friend, you look troubled," a voice said from beside him. He turned to see Sif, still dressed in battle armor, leaning on the balcony railing beside him.

"Jane is not well and Father has wrongfully imprisoned her," he replied, glaring down at the golden streets of Asgard.

"I am sure the All-Father had his reasons," Sif said, trying to placate her friend. But it only served to enrage him.

"To protect her should Malekith attack again?" he snarled, rounding upon her and throwing his Father's excuse at her. "All he has done is remove her from my sight and protection. If Malekith chooses to attack again, she will not be safe in the back of the prison where the guards do not look upon her. They have managed to break through those rune walls already; where do you think our biggest problem came from today?" Sif had no words; she wanted to console him but she didn't need to enrage him further.

"Then go talk with the All-Father, Thor," she said, watching him intently. He exhaled heavily, rolling his eyes at her suggestion.

"I have no choice," he grumbled. "But I pleaded my case earlier when Fandral told me she had been imprisoned. I do not think that he will listen to me a second time. All I would be doing is risking his anger." He looked at Sif with pleading eyes, welcoming any help she could give him. He could lead armies into battle and return victorious, but place him before the All-Father, or even Jane, and he knew not what to do.

"How much rides on her wellbeing?" Sif asked after a moment's quiet. She refused to meet his eyes, instead focusing quite intently on a market stall below. Thor chose his words carefully, refusing to acknowledge just how smitten he was.

"Not just my heart," he said slowly, "but the good of Asgard and the Nine Realms. I need to keep her away from Malekith, but I also need to find a way to remove the Aether from within her. And I can do neither while she is locked away." Sif nodded steadily, though her hands seemed to shake.

"Then go and talk with your Father one more time," she urged, touching him lightly on the arm. "Let me know how it goes." Before Thor could stop her, Sif walked away, an air of purpose about her. With a groan, he strode back toward the throne room.

Odin was sitting in the throne, looking over a scroll of parchment. Thor had barely stepped through the door when Odin spoke, his deep voice booming across the empty hall.

"I presume you have just returned from the prisons?" he asked, not bothering to look up.

"I have, Father," Thor replied, moving to stand at the foot of the throne. He was silent, waiting for Odin to speak. He hated to be impatient, but a Midgardian life was fleeting, and he did not know how much time Jane had. He waited a few more minutes, but when Odin remained silent, he could wait no more.

"Father, Jane is in need of help," he said. "When I was visiting her, she became upset and the Aether reacted when there was no cause to." Odin seemed interested in that last piece of information for he set aside the parchment and looked at Thor. "She grew weak and I fear for her."

"Then I shall send healers to the prison, though they may do no good," Odin said. Thor resisted the urge to growl.

"She needs to be released, Father. You have wrongfully imprisoned her and she is no more safe there than she would be in Midgard," Thor said.

"She remains where she is. I would not be able to keep an eye on the Aether if she were to return to Midgard," Odin replied before sighing. "Thor, I know you wish to have her by her side but she has wronged me."

"I told you it was not her, Father. And she does not remember striking the guards," he said, voice surprisingly steady. "Have you not seen fit to question her yourself?" It could very well be considered an insult to his King, and he knew that he was treading a fine line.

"Thor," Odin threatened, ignoring the insult of his son, "if you continue to bring this before me, I shall have no issues with stripping you of your power. This Midgardian woman has clearly distracted you and makes me wonder if you are still worthy of Mjolnir."

"Jane Foster does not distract me, Father. I am simply trying to look out for Asgard," Thor said in a low voice, before storming out of the hall. His Father's threat held merit and he did not want to be separated from Jane any more than need be.

He walked blindly through Asgard, so deep in his rage that he did not see what was before him. It was only when Volstagg bumped his shoulder and chuckled that Thor realized he had entered the training hall of the Warriors Three. He glanced up, seeing Fandral and Sif talking by the window. She nodded when their eyes met. Hogun was still on Vanaheim, it seemed.

"I hear we have us a lady to rescue," Volstagg said, chuckling. Of course, Sif would rally the Warriors to his side.

"I have asked of no such thing," Thor denied with a chuckle, hands in the air.

"But your Lady is in need of assistance," Fandral said, striding towards them. "Sif has told us all about her plight."

"A plight that my Father has seen fit to place upon her," Thor argued. "As you well know, Fandral. There is naught we can do." But Sif could feel the anger rolling off of him, even as he reached for a sword on the wall. He palmed the grip in his hand a few times, slicing through the air to test the weight of it.

"Been some time since you've battled with a sword," Sif commented, still standing by the window. Thor nodded, placing the sword back upon the rack. He was angry and wanted to fight but he would not take it out on Sif or the Warriors Three.

"Thor, either your righteous nature or your love for this girl is compelling you to fix what your Father has done," Fandral said with a serious note. "And we are willing to help. Just tell us what you wish to do."

"See, he even has the look of a plan forming in his eye," Sif noted with a light laugh. It was true, a plan was forming in his mind but it was one that would surely cause Odin to cast him out. But he would not risk the standing of his friends.

"I would not ask it of you," he said, but at the same time, wondered how he would pull it off without their help.

"A king needs a woman he loves as much as she loves him. How else will they support each other through the perils of ruling a kingdom?" Sif asked, watching as his eyes hardened. He truly did not want to lose Jane, she realized. He would never be able to find another like her. "And if the Lady Jane is that woman, then we will help you rescue her."

"Ay!" Fandral and Volstagg agreed, the latter thumping his hand on the table.

"It could very well mean treason, whether it works or not," Thor warned, glancing at each of his friends in turn. The looks they gave him said that it did not matter. He smiled. "I could ask for no better friends than you."

Well, here we go again. Trying to make another fanfic, only about Thor this time. So basically, I'm changing one small thing in this story. Jane is going to be more visibly affected the Aether than she was in Thor: The Dark World. So, please R&R and let me know what you think.

~LE