Welll...it was going to be a two shot. Now it's a three shot lol.

Part II

Loki's words had changed Jane. Not at first, not when she was still reeling from how cruel they were and how they had struck something inside her that made her feel utterly terrible about herself and her life. She had cried all night after he'd left. And then she'd gotten angry for about a week.

And then she started to really think about what he'd said and realized that he was right and that's why she was so hurt and so angry. Thor had died and she had given up. She had crawled into the grave with him and died.

She had devoted herself to her daughter and had forgotten that she could in fact have a life, too. So, she let Frigga and Odin take Izzy more and Jane went out. She went out with friends. She had friends over. She took Izzy out with her friends even.

She even allowed Darcy to set her up on a date. Her first one since Thor had passed on.

It was a disaster.

Not because she didn't think the guy was nice enough, Richard had been very nice and very funny, but all she'd done the whole night was compare him to Loki. Not Thor as she would have thought, but Loki.

She missed him terribly, and she knew Izzy did too for her daughter asked about him frequently. So, one afternoon, about a week before Christmas, Jane sucked it up and called Loki. She got his voice mail, which didn't surprise her too much, and left a short message: "Hey, it's Jane. I was just calling to see how you're doing. Also, Izzy really misses her Uncle Loki so if you get a chance to stop by and see her that'd be great."

What she wanted to add was that even though he was mad at her he shouldn't take it out on Izzy because Izzy was four and didn't understand why she'd gone from seeing her uncle almost every day to not at all. She had also wanted to tell him that she missed him and thought about him all the time and she was so very sorry for how things had been left.

She figured if he came over or called she would tell him all of that. But he didn't call, and he didn't come over.

She found out from Frigga that he was seeing someone.

And it was about then that she realized she was in love with Loki.

Jane took full responsibility. She'd fucked up. She had been too blind and stupid and scared and she'd lost him. She hadn't even given him a chance. She had just locked up her heart and that was that. God, she'd even tried to set him up. She had no right to be devastated by this. He had gone and done exactly as she had thought she'd wanted him to.

On Christmas Eve, Jane and Izzy packed up their presents and headed over to Frigga and Odin's. It was an annual affair that Frigga and Odin would have a big Christmas Eve party complete with dinner and drinks and all their friends would stop by to say hello. It was a big night in the Odinson family and Izzy looked forward to being able to spend some time with her cousins and friends.

Jane braced herself for Loki probably bringing his girlfriend. She would be happy for him because he deserved to be happy, and that was that.

The pain and the jealousy that seared through her upon seeing some blond on his arm just about tore her in two though. She hadn't been prepared for it and she had to take a deep, steadying breath before making her way over and boldly asking Loki to introduce her.

Loki had looked down at her, appearing for a minute like a deer caught in the headlights. "Jane," he breathed. "How – how are you?"

She smiled. "I'm well, thank you. I'd like to meet your date – girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend works," the woman on his arm said.

Jane held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Jane. Nice to meet you…?"

"Sigyn," Sigyn said and took Jane's hand limply.

Jane kept her smile in place though. "Nice to meet you, Sigyn."

"Uncle Looookiiiii!"

Izzy came flying down the hall, her blond hair sailing behind her. She lunged at Loki and Loki caught her with a laugh in his arms and picked her up. "How's my best girl?" he asked her.

"I missed you, Uncle Loki! Where you been?" Izzy asked. She began to play with the longer strands of his hair. "Are you mad at me?"

Loki shook his head. "No, of course not, Iz. I could never be mad at you."

"Are you mad at Momma?" Iz asked. She then spotted Sigyn. "Who that?"

"That's Uncle Loki's girlfriend. Her name is Sigyn," Jane said. "Sigyn, this is my daughter Izzy. Well, it's Isabelle, but we call her Izzy for short."

"Yeah, I figured that out," Sigyn said and looked up at Iz with a slight wrinkle to her nose. A wrinkle that Jane did not appreciate.

Izzy, as she had been taught, held out her hand to Sigyn. Sigyn took it and then made a face and looked at Jane. "Her hands are sticky. Excuse me." Sigyn marched off, clearly annoyed, and Jane wanted to say something to Loki about it, but was afraid if she did she would just be seen as bitter.

"Iz, let's go wash our hands before you get Uncle Loki dirty," Jane said.

"I want Uncle Loki to take me to wash my hands," Iz pouted.

"Iz—"

"It's okay, Jane. I'll take her," Loki said.

Jane, unsure of what to do, followed them to the bathroom down the hall. While Iz washed her hands from God only knew how many sweets left on her fingers, Jane clasped her hands together behind her back and looked up at Loki. "Sigyn seems nice."

He grunted and didn't move his gaze away from Izzy.

"How'd you meet her?" Jane asked.

"Sif set me up," Loki muttered.

"How nice," Jane said.

"Is it?" Loki asked and faced her.

Jane was taken aback by the anger in his tone and she wracked her brain for something to say.

"I heard you went on a date," Loki said. He looked furious. "Dick or something?"

"Richard."

"Close enough. Why isn't he here?"

"It didn't work out. I only went out with him once."

Loki cocked his head to the side and his eyes narrowed. "That so? Who are you seeing now?"

"No one. Maybe I'll ask Sif if she knows anyone. She seems to be a really great matchmaker. Iz, you done?"

"Yep!" Izzy said and hastily wiped her hands on the towel on the nearby rack. She tore out of the bathroom and Jane started to go after her.

Loki grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. He looked angry, but there was something else there and Jane couldn't suss it out. "Yes?"

He growled, let her go, and stormed out of the bathroom.

With a sigh, Jane went back to the party. It was probably best to stick to separate corners.

xxxxxxxx

"Momma, can Uncle Loki open my gift to him now?" Izzy asked when the gift exchange portion of the evening had commenced.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until tomorrow, Iz?" Jane asked her daughter.

"No, I don't."

Jane smiled. "Okay." It was pointless to argue with her daughter on Christmas Eve. Not when she was hopped up on candy, fun, presents, and the inevitability of Santa Claus. It was a heady mix for any child.

"Remember where we put it under the tree?"

Izzy nodded and bounded off with a big smile. She grabbed the correct wrapped box and went over to Loki. Sigyn made a face at Izzy and Jane clenched her jaw. What the hell was Loki doing with a woman that didn't like kids? He loved kids!

Loki got down on his knees while he opened the gift in front of Izzy, who looked as though she was the one getting the gift. When Loki opened the tin of cookies and saw that they were his favorite (peanut butter with a Hershey Kiss in the middle), he laughed and gave Izzy a big hug.

"They're your favorite!" Izzy said happily. "I helped Momma make them!"

Loki looked over at Jane and nodded at her. Jane nodded back. "They are my favorite," she heard Loki say. "Have one with me?"

Izzy nodded eagerly and Loki handed her a cookie. When Loki excused himself to see what his father needed after Odin called out to him for some help with his camera, Jane watched Izzy attempt to hand Sigyn a cookie. She watched Sigyn make a face at her daughter and shoo her away. Izzy looked hurt and frowned as she walked away.

That did it.

Jane got up and marched across the room to Sigyn. "What the hell is the matter with you?" she hissed.

Sigyn's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

"My little girl offered you a cookie and you shooed her away. Who does that to a child?"

"Her hands are gross and I don't eat sweets," Sigyn said distastefully. "Geez, what's gotten into you? Just because I don't fawn all over you daughter? She's not that cute, lady."

"Jane? What's—" But Loki, who had returned from helping Odin didn't get a chance to finish his sentence for Jane slapped Sigyn across the face.

"Bitch," Jane hissed.

Silence fell over the room and Jane, realizing what she'd done, froze.

"Jane, what the devil—"

"I'm sorry," Jane whispered to Loki. "Izzy, we're leaving."

Except in big families, one didn't get to "just leave". Frigga, Odin, and Sif descended upon her before she could even get her and Izzy's coat.

Jane didn't know how many times she apologized and was apologized to by Odin and Frigga, but all Jane wanted to do at that point was go home and forget she had just caused a scene. Finally, they let her go. Sif stayed back though and watched her get Izzy ready to go.

Jane sent Izzy outside and told her to find Harold, the Odinson butler (yes, they had a butler), and have him help her get in the car. Jane looked at Sif pointedly. "You have something to say, Sif. I can see it all over your face."

Sif arched a brow. "You love him, don't you?"

"Who?" Jane asked, figuring perhaps it was best to play dumb.

"You know who."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Sif. Does it really matter what I say? You've already got me all figured out." And then she left before Sif could say a word.