A/N: This is a prompt I received on Tumblr. I posted it here because, as usual, I got a little carried away, and I didn't want to post a seven page oneshot on my blog. Enjoy!
Jane sat in her lab, scribbling away in her notebook. She tried not to think about it, but her mind constantly wandered back to that day: the day Loki had been captured and taken back to Asgard.
It had nearly been a year since that day. Jane was seeing Thor off, when it had happened.
When he returned, she and Thor had decided that it would be better if they remained friends; things would only become complicated if they'd begun a relationship, and in all honesty, Jane wasn't sure she'd wanted the same things she thought she wanted when Thor had left the first time. He understood, and believed it to be the best.
Fury had reluctantly allowed her to say good bye to Thor before he was to take Loki to Asgard; it had been her one condition if she were to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. She had just said her goodbyes when she had the overwhelming sensation of being watched. Her eyes wandered over to the prisoner.
Loki's stunning green eyes burned into hers, and she felt frozen where she stood. His stare was unrelenting, and Jane couldn't bring herself to look away. His expression was blank, but for the briefest moment, she saw his eyes change. She saw a flicker of desperation, a flash of hopelessness. His eyes said everything he could not:
Save me.
Jane blinked a few times, bringing herself back to the present. Her eyes felt glazed over, and she tried to shake the memory away.
The sun was setting in the New Mexico sky, illuminating her lab in oranges and pinks. The clear sky had turned to a beautiful shade of orange as the sun dipped below the horizon. The only sound that could be heard in her lab was the beeping of her equipment as it collected data.
With a sigh, Jane stood up and walked outside. She gazed up toward the darkening sky, and wished for something to happen. Her eyes scanned the clear skies, some part of her hopeful that the familiar tunnel of light and clouds would touch down in the New Mexico desert and bring a familiar face.
She turned away, deciding she wanted coffee, when she heard it. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to see a familiar tunnel of light building in the distance. Without another moment's hesitation, Jane ran inside, grabbed her keys, and sprinted to the van. Once the engine roared to life, she stepped on the gas and drove to the Bifrost site.
Once there, Jane turned off the engine and nearly jumped out of the van. Standing the center of the circle, surely enough, was Thor. Strangely, he only wore some of his armor; the sleeves and the cape were missing, as was Mjolnir. She furrowed her brow.
"Hi, Thor," Jane began, stepping forward. He stepped forward and met her with open arms. When he released her, Jane studied his face.
"Thor, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"
He paused, as if in thought, then shook his head.
"Loki faces the tribunal today; he is to receive punishment for his crimes."
Jane felt a pang in her chest; not just for Thor, but for Loki. Her thoughts drifted to the two words she'd heard in her mind, over and over and over again.
Save me. Save me. Save me.
"It'll be okay, Thor. I'm sure the council will have some mercy…your father is the Allfather, right? He wouldn't let Loki be sentenced to anything too drastic," she lied easily. Thor lifted his head and met her gaze.
"Jane, the Allfather has no say in the matter. It lies with the council."
Her eyes widened. "Thor! What are you doing here then? You need to be up there, fighting for him, not here talking with me! Go!"
Thor's expression changed, and he set his jaw.
"Jane, come with me. Maybe you can help!"
She stepped back. "Thor, that's probably not the best idea—"
"Jane. If the council hears that a mortal believes he can change, that he deserves to redeem himself, then the council may be lenient. Jane, you must come with me to Asgard. Please," he pleaded. His blue eyes sparkled with both hope and desperation.
Jane's mind raced as she tried to think of an excuse; there were hundreds of reasons why she should not go, why she should stay on Earth.
And yet...
Jane nodded and watched as Thor's shoulders relaxed in relief. He held out his hand for her to take, and Jane took one last look behind her as Thor pulled her in and called upon Heimdall.
oOoOo
Jane stumbled forward, unsteady on her feet and clutching at her stomach. She felt as if she'd been stretched apart and put back together again, her insides completely knotted. The air had been sucked from her lungs, and she gasped desperately as she tried to fill them. Thor took hold of her forearm and helped to steady her.
"The first journey is difficult for everyone," he explained with a half smile. "You'll gain your bearings in a moment."
Jane nodded and evened her breathing. A few minutes later, she and Thor were on their way down the Rainbow Bridge.
The trek to the golden halls of the palace was pregnant with silent pause. Jane's mind was running a million miles a minute as she realized what kind of situation she'd put herself in. It felt as if stones had settled in the pit of her stomach; what was she doing?
Before too long, the two had reached the front hall of the palace. Jane felt out of place in her jeans and old tee; everything around her was polished and perfect, and she was…well, neither of those. She wrapped her arms around herself as her eyes traveled up and down the halls.
"Jane, we must hurry," Thor explained. Jane snapped out of her trance and quickly followed him down the corridor. She struggled to match his pace, and she stumbled on more than one occasion.
Thor stopped without warning, and Jane crashed into him. He turned quickly, eyes wide.
"Jane, stay as quiet as you can. I will speak for you; do not speak unless spoken to. The council does not tolerate insolence. Do you understand?" he asked urgently. Jane nodded and followed as he continued into the council room.
If Jane had had anything to say, she didn't now; the enormity of the room took the words right out of her mouth. Everything was arranged much like a stadium, with a group of older men and women sitting on a platform. Odin stood off to the side along with Frigga. Jane's eyes searched and finally landed on the figure standing in the center of the large room. As she and Thor continued further into the room, Jane could see that his arms were chained, wrists bound in manacles. His face remained stoic, but his slightly slumped shoulders and twitching fingers betrayed his fear.
Thor kept her behind him, and finally stopped once they reached Odin and Frigga. She stood closest to Frigga, and she briefly looked down at her. She smiled, and Jane felt confused; did Frigga know she was going to be here?
She shifted on her feet as the council stood. Her anxiety only increased as silence fell. The council member in the center of the platform stepped forward, mouth set in a hard line.
"Loki Laufeyson, your crimes against Jotunheim, Midgard, and Asgard are considered as crimes against the entirety of the Nine Realms; crimes for which are punishable by death. Not only are you considered a threat to the three realms aforementioned, you are a threat to all realms and their inhabitants. Have you anything to say in your defense?"
Loki stood still, eyes trained on the speaker. He made no move to respond. The speaker continued.
"Very well. Loki, son of Laufey, you are hereby sentenced to death."
Loki closed his eyes. "So be it."
The crowd began to murmur, and Jane looked up at Thor.
"Thor, say something!"
He furrowed his brow. "He was supposed to ask if anyone objected to this, if anyone is willing to come to his defense," Thor explained in confusion. Jane's eyes widened and immediately traveled to Loki. His hands were twitching, and his shoulders slightly slumped forward.
A group of gold-clad guards marched forward. They forced him on his knees, and Loki did not fight back. Jane panicked, and her feet moved of their own volition.
"No!" she screamed. She placed her small body between Loki and the guards, arms up and eyes screwed shut; she knew she had no chance of defending him, but she would try if she could. She didn't know the meaning of 'giving up'.
The room fell silent, and the guards stopped moving. The speaker for the council turned to face her, anger clearly etched into his wizened features.
"Jane, no!" Thor said.
"What is the meaning of this insolence? Who are you, girl?" he spat.
Jane opened her eyes and met the gaze of the furious speaker. She slowly lowered her arms and stepped forward.
"My name is Jane Foster, and I have come to speak on Loki's behalf," she said meekly.
"That is not an option," the speaker replied impatiently. The corners of Jane's mouth turned down.
"Standing up to give someone a second chance is always an option!" Jane retorted.
"You ignorant, foolish girl! Have you any idea of what this abomination has done?" the council speaker asked incredulously.
"I do, sir. I've lived it," Jane said coldly. A few people gasped, and the speaker narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean, Jane Foster?"
"I was working for a corporation called S.H.I.E.L.D. when he initiated the attack in New York. He brought the Chitauri to Earth, and we were stuck in the middle. I nearly died in the crossfire."
"You mean to tell me that despite a brush with death, you feel that this monster deserves a second chance? He nearly destroyed your home!"
"Maybe, but we had a means of defense. But that isn't the point. The point is, Loki may not deserve a second chance, but he needs it. Give it to him; give him the chance to prove he isn't the person you think he is," Jane pleaded.
The speaker seemed to consider her. Jane nervously picked at her nails, unable to stand the silence.
"How do you know he will not revert to his old ways once given this chance?" the speaker asked. Jane bit her lip; she hadn't thought that far.
She turned around to face Loki; his gleaming emerald eyes met hers.
"Loki? Will you change?" she whispered. "Will you try?"
He nodded. "I will, but know that it is only because you, and no one else, asked it of me," he replied. Jane sighed in relief and turned her back toward him once more.
"Loki has said he will change. Are you willing to give him that chance, sir?"
The speaker eyed the both of them warily. "Very well."
Jane closed her eyes in relief and smiled to herself as the crowd erupted in shock. She turned to face Thor; his grin matched hers. Her eyes drifted from Thor to the Allfather and Frigga. Both bowed their heads to her, and she blushed.
Jane finally faced Loki; she helped him up off of his knees, and the guards removed the shackles. He flexed his hands and rubbed his wrists. Thor strode forward and wrapped Loki in a hug, followed by a tearful Frigga.
Jane stepped back and stuck her hands in her pockets. Thor approached her.
"Jane, I cannot thank you enough. What you've done is…amazing. Thank you," he said, bringing her knuckles to his lips. She gave him a lopsided smile.
"It's no problem. He deserves it."
"Is there anything I can do to repay your great kindness, Jane?"
Jane suddenly felt tired; her entire body felt weak. She shook her head.
"I'm ready to go back home, actually."
Thor smiled. "I will take you."
He held out his hand for Jane to take, and she looked back one more time before they left the room.
oOoOo
Loki searched the room frantically, looking for her face. She and Thor had left. He left the council room without another word. He ran form the palace, and vanished from the front gates, reappearing at the BiFrost chamber. It spun lazily as it came to a stop, and Thor appeared at the entrance, alone.
"Where is she?" Loki asked urgently. Thor froze in confusion.
"Jane wished to return to Midgard," he explained hesitantly.
Without another word, Loki vanished once more.
oOoOo
The evening air was cool, and Jane welcomed the breeze against her skin. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she slowly made her way to her abandoned van.
"Jane."
She stopped, and turned slowly. Loki stood before her, green eyes gleaming.
"Hi, Loki," she said. The breeze played with her hair, and she tucked it behind her ear. "You should be back home, celebrating. They're all relieved."
He nodded. "As am I."
An uncomfortable silence fell between them.
Jane finally shook her head. "What are you doing here, Loki?"
"You left before I could properly thank you." He stepped forward. "Jane, I swore to my brother that I would pay you a visit; I have made good on my promise, but it would seem I visit you now under very different circumstances," he said quietly.
Jane looked down at the ground and nervously picked at her nails. "Well, you're welcome," she replied, biting her lip.
Loki lifted her chin so that their eyes met, and he pressed his lips to hers. Much to her own surprise, Jane found herself kissing him back.
Their embrace didn't last long, and Loki met her gaze.
"Don't let me down, Loki. Promise me you'll be better," she pleaded.
"I wouldn't dream of disappointing you. You're my freedom. You believed in me when it mattered the most, and I am forever in your debt, Jane Foster."
She stood on her toes and kissed his cool cheek. "Good. Now, go and join your family. They miss you." She turned to walk away, and he grabbed for her hand.
"Will I see you again?"
She gave him a lopsided grin. "Hmm…I suppose you will. You always know where to find me."
A/N: What did you think? Lemme know! Hope you enjoyed :3
(On a side note: I really am working on If By Happenstance; don't worry, it's going to be finished! I expect to get two more chapters from it, so stay tuned! You guys inspire me to keep writing; thank you for your amazing patience with me!)