Hello Again friends!

It's officially the Fourth of July here in the States, and I was struck with the wierd idea for this fic. Several characters make appearances, and once again, this story holds an "Avengers" feel to it.

Hope you all enjoy, I own nothing but the computer in my lap (and technically my MOM bought it for me :D)!

"When you look at him, all you see are the terrible things he has done. When I look at him….all I can see are the reasons why he did them….."

He had tried to use the power of the Cube against them.

He had tried, again, to kill his brother.

He had failed.

Thor had effectively beaten him down, and practically forced him into the Bifrost to face their father's judgment.

His punishment-much like his brother's before him- was exile from the realm.

Only his was permanent.

Loki Odinson was forever banished from Asgaard…..

And he was currently sitting in Tony Stark's kitchen, staring across the two rooms separating them.

Staring at her.

Jane glanced through the sliding-glass doors of the balcony and caught his gaze briefly.

She could not comprehend why he was there. She did not understand why Thor had allowed him to come.

Loki had been a "guest" of SHIELD's ever since his banishment began nearly two months ago. Thor had remained on Earth to ensure his brother did not act out against the mortals once again. And it had been Thor that had demanded Nick Fury allow him to take Loki from the facility to spend time in a 'normal human environment'.

Jane shook her head and shot a disbelieving look at the blond warrior who stood laughing with Tony Stark a few feet away.

How on Earth could Thor be so calm about this? How could Tony? Were they not, only a few months before, fighting for their lives against what appeared to be a power-hungry, madness-driven Loki who wanted nothing more than to destroy his brother and watch the Avengers fall lifeless around him?

Her jaw had threatened to hit the floor at the sight of Thor walking into the Stark home with his brother in tow.

But Tony Stark himself had acted like nothing was amiss, and even offered Loki a drink with a calm and collected smile.

Jane noted that said drink had remained untouched on the counter the fallen prince was sitting at.

She saw his back stiffen when he caught her glancing inside at him again.

His green eyes flashed visibly, even from such a distance, and Jane wondered what he was thinking.

"Hard to believe, huh? I mean, what was Thor thinking, inviting him here? It's making things….wierd…" Darcy's voice had her breaking eye contact with Loki and jumping slightly in her skin.

"My brother is not an evil man. Despite its corruption, I know his heart is a good one."

"Thor has his reasons. And I trust them. I just don't know how much we can trust Loki."

Jane felt the cool glass being shoved into her hand and Darcy gave her a reassuring wink.

"Well, we've got the Avengers here just in case things go bad. Have a drink, loosen up; Tony says we'll be shooting off the fireworks soon."

She smiled then. The Fourth of July was always one of her favorite holidays. Good food, good friends and lots and lots of fireworks.

She had a feeling Thor would enjoy watching the sky light up with 'colorful lightning'.

Steve Rogers nodded politely as he suddenly passed her by to enter the home. She watched curiously as he strode into the kitchen to fetch another drink. Her head cocked when she saw him speak to Loki, and she felt silly for thinking for a moment that she could strain enough to hear him.

Loki said something back, but she could tell by his lip movement that it was brief. Captain America frowned slightly, spoke again, and turned to head back toward the balcony without waiting for a response.

It was only when he opened the doors to come back outside that Jane realized Thor had witnessed the exchange as well.

"Captain, I trust my brother is being polite?"

Rogers smiled, but Jane could see the hints of frustration in it.

"Yeah, he's fine. I tried to convince him to come outside, but he refused. Said the sticky heat of our climate was not to his liking. I think he's just coming up with excuses."

Jane grinned when Thor laughed. She determined to tell him someday just how much she loved that laugh.

"He's being difficult, I know, but…he is at least showing tolerance. It's a start. Thank you for trying, my friend. Now tell me more of this "Independence Day" we are celebrating tonight…."

Thor's natural curiosity was always adorable, and the pleasantly surprised look on Captain America's face was equally so. The Asgaardian had definitely picked the right person to tell him about American history.

Their voices faded as they mingled into the small party, but Jane did not miss the smile Thor flashed her way before being pulled into a history lecture by the super-powered war hero.

Alone on one side of the balcony, she did not have to look up to know that those green eyes were on her yet again.

Jane bit her lip and downed her drink.

She wondered if she was going to regret this….

"At first I didn't understand. But now I know what it is that drove my brother to near madness. All he ever wanted was my respect, and all he ever needed was our father's love. Neither of us saw it until it was too late. I let my brother drown in his loneliness. Perhaps I deserve his hatred…."

The glass doors clicked behind her and she saw his head snap to the side to watch her approach the kitchen.

Her flip-flops squeaked slightly on the tile floor and she felt a small twinge of embarrassment add to the discomfort of her nervousness.

He regarded her in silence, even as she came to stand beside the stool he was rigidly perched upon.

Jane opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Tried again.

What exactly did she come in here to say to him anyway?

"Can I help you, Jane Foster?"

The cool smoothness of his voice licked at her skin and drew goosebumps up on her arms. He stared into her eyes with a strange combination of curiosity and boredom, and although his mouth was drawn into a thin, tight line, she could see something of an amused smile in the green orbs that flickered at her.

She drew a breath.

Understanding is what he needed. Thor had faith in his brother's rehabilitation. So would she.

"We'll be starting the fireworks soon. I'm sure Thor wouldn't want you to miss them."

As soon as the name escaped her mouth she saw his eyes narrow and dart to his drink. His fingers flexed around the glass and she thought for a moment he might actually take a sip.

"I only agreed to accompany my "brother" to this celebration to escape the boredom of that wretched underground compound I've been living in. As for your fireworks….I witnessed them on our host's television earlier. A pathetic display; I could conjure up something far more magnificent with ease. You mortals are so easily amused."

Jane's suspicions were confirmed when the glass met is lips as he finished speaking, and for the first time that night, Loki allowed himself the luxury of ingesting something other than air.

A sharp pain hit her own bottom lip and Jane realized she was biting it as she watched him drink.

He was not raising his voice, not even speaking with any tone suggestive of rudeness, but she could still pick up on the annoyance in his words. She wondered if she should just leave him alone.

"We have always been valued as mighty and skilled warriors. I am no exception. But Loki was always different. His physical strength was less pronounced, and it was his skills with magic that came to set him apart amongst our family and friends. I know now that he never truly shared my Asgaardian blood; nevertheless….we all could have acknowledged his unique strengths more. We could have told him we were proud….."

She had moved to turn away from him as he reached to pour himself another drink.

Thor's words echoed in her head and commanded her to stop.

"Maybe…you could show us something?"

He stopped pouring and looked at her, a spark in his eyes revealing to her his hidden surprise. His lips attempted to twitch upwards, but halted before the movement was completed.

He downed another drink, swallowing thickly.

A strand of dark hair fell into his face when he raised his head to nod to the balcony.

"Run along now, Jane Foster. Your friends will begin to wonder if I am threatening you. And I believe I have had enough of Mjolnir's painful power for several lifetimes."

As if on cue, the sound of the doors sliding open behind her met her ears and she turned to see Thor peering into the kitchen at them.

He studied them for a moment before speaking loud enough to carry across the den.

"Jane, Stark and Banner are preparing the fireworks now. Darcy excitedly demands your presence." He paused and his gaze flicked from her to Loki. "Brother, will you be joining us?"

The silence that followed was uncomfortable but not surprising. Loki allowed his gaze to meet hers briefly before returning to his drink.

Sighing in defeat, Jane set her own empty glass on the countertop beside his and left to join Thor and the others on the balcony.

"You should see the things he can do, Jane. Conjure multiple images of himself, create glorious displays of light and mists, concentrate magical energy into powerful weapons. He is truly talented. I regret not telling him so long ago…"

Loud popping sounds shook the home and despite its beauty Jane wondered if Tony had gone a bit too far with his holiday spirit. Multi-colored lights danced across the black canopy above their heads and the expected "Ooohs" and "Ahhhs" whispered from the small crowd of friends around her.

Darcy was raising her glass to Pepper Potts and Thor was staring into the sky with appreciation. The show continued to grow in magnificence as Tony determined to outdo anything being shown on the T.V, and Jane felt the warmth of the holiday night usher away the lingering thought that one person among them was not bothering to enjoy the camaraderie….

"I wonder if he will ever understand how much we truly love him…"

And then he was there.

The pops and bangs so loud that no-one could hear, Loki had exited the home and come to stand on the far side of the balcony opposite the group with not even a glance their way.

Silently, slowly, one hand rose above his head and its palm opened as his fingers spread wide.

Jane felt Thor come to stand suddenly behind her, and was aware of his muscles tightening in cautious anticipation.

For several moments, Loki did not move further.

The last great display of fireworks shot off behind them and blasted the sky, decorating it with colorful sparks so bright it seemed that night had turned into day.

And that was when Loki's fingers contracted.

With a sudden fist that appeared to glow a strange and misty green, the master of magic looked to the sky above them and narrowed his eyes.

The bright lights in the sky did not die out. Day did not turn back into night.

All heads in the group looked skyward in amazement as the fireworks that had carpeted the stars above froze as if commanded to do so with a pause button.

Jane noted that the red, white and blue lights were sporadically flickering with the same green color that cloaked Loki's hand.

For well over a minute, he simply stood and allowed the final celebratory flashes to last much longer than normally possible.

And then, just as Thor began to move behind her, and Tony began to gain his voice to speak, Loki dropped his arm.

The sizzle of sparks dying into falling embers silenced anyone's tongue and the banished prince turned abruptly to walk back inside with not a word.

Tony was speaking to Thor behind her, Darcy was pulling on her arm to get her attention, and Steve Rogers was offering to help Bruce Banner clean up the mess of the balcony….

Jane craned her head over Darcy's own to peer through the doors past them.

Loki had reclaimed his seat in the kitchen, and had swapped the sparkling glass of liquor for a silver can of what appeared to be soda.

His head tilted back as he took a long drink, and as he set the can down he turned slightly to look through the den at her.

She could have sworn she saw him smile.

*Happy Independence Day my friends!*