A/N- Again, thank you for the feedback! Just a short chapter before the juicy bits get here! I really hope you're enjoying it- I'm certainly loving writing it at the moment! 5,000 words in one sitting?!

Recently read an interesting piece by amidtheflowers on An Archive of Our Own called "The Art of Mishap: An Examination of Tasertricks Fanfiction and Loki's Psyche". (Check it out, it's...enlightening to say the least for us Darcy/Loki shippers!) Long story short, it got me thinking about Loki's character, and his past actions, and how everyone just forgives him really easily in some stories... So prepare for Darcy being confused/conflicted. But hey! FF is a bit of fun (for me, anyway), so I'll try keep it relatively angst-free, obviously ! :)

Sorry for the essay! On with Chapter 4!

Chapter 4

Darcy woke up next morning, tangled in silk sheets with no idea how she had gotten there. Asgardian wine was definitely dangerous, she thought with a dull ache in her head. The last she remembered was trying to drink Volstagg under the table. Apparently, that hadn't worked. But it didn't matter- everyone was roaring drunk at the feast. After all, it had been the night before Thor and Jane's wedding. She didn't even want to know what the actual wedding would be like.

"Shit." She cursed, dizzily standing up and clutching the bookshelf for support. It was Jane's wedding today, and she needed to be there for her. She could easily see Jane clutching at her face, stressing out on what to do, what to wear. Jane had always been like a mother to Darcy, and Darcy felt it was about time she should return the favour. She showered and got dressed into her dark purple shift dress (sexy underwear underneath), brushed through her hair and put a bit of make up on. It had amazed her how perfect the women were here. Like a land of flawless celebrities.

She clutched the gem that still hung around her neck, then paused. She remembered the conversation with Loki, realising she had promised to go back for the third time before the wedding. She held the gem tight. Loki's room. She found herself, again, in the company of a monster without really realising what she was doing.

"Loki?" She called out cautiously. She took a step into the candlelight again and surveyed the sleeping man, his lanky frame slumped in the corner, his expression far from blissful sleep. "Loki."

She prodded him cautiously. He stirred, and looked at her with scared eyes. "Who were you expecting?" She said, eyebrows raised as his expression sunk back to his normal, bored look.

"You came back." He said, simply. Not with gratitude, but as if it was a fact.

"I said I would."

"You did. But you know not to wake a sleeping dragon."

At this, Darcy began to laugh. "A dragon?! Have you looked at yourself lately?"

"Always about appearance, are we, mortal?" His voice still carried a groggy, sleepy tone.

"Why do you ask me to come back?" Darcy asked, intrigued.

Loki looked at her and sighed. "The entertainment is lacking. The only visitor I get is my mother."

"So you're lonely?" Darcy said, half mocking.

Loki narrowed his eyes. "I may have lost my liberty, but I have not lost my brain nor my fury."

"Well, let me know when you're attempting a Shawshank, and I'll get out of your way, sharpish."

She heard approaching footsteps, and panicked, looking at Loki's amused face.

"I'll see you soon, I expect." Loki muttered as she vanished, only to arrive outside Jane's room, her heart beating like a drum.

She looked at the thick wooden door, not wanting to interrupt anything, but, being Darcy, she knocked and then strolled right in.

"Darcy!" Jane's voice was a caution. Darcy put her hands over her eyes but the image was imprinted onto her retinas. Eww. Mind you, she knew a couple of people who'd pay to see what she just saw. Sign of her questionable acquaintances, she thought wryly.

"Oh, shit! Sorry." Darcy went to back out of the room, when she bumped into another person right behind her. Spinning around, she saw Fandral, one of the warriors three, an awkwardly horrified look on his face. "Come to see the show, too?" She laughed, and pushed him out into the corridor, closing the door right behind them.

It took Jane 3 minutes and 48 seconds to answer the door- Darcy counted with a smile on her face. Fandral frowned at her counting, wondering what Midgardian behaviour this was. Still he kept quiet- probably in embarrassment.

"Darcy. Fandral." Jane poked her head out of the door, flustered. Darcy just grinned at her and raised her eyebrows. Fandral spoke first, wanting to talk with Thor. Jane let him in and turned on Darcy. "Couldn't you have knocked?"

"I did. Then I let myself in. I didn't know you were going to be indulging in a bit of morning sex." She nudged Jane playfully until she smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I figured we'd have ourselves some mental prep time. How long do you have?"

Jane looked at her watch. "Oh. About 5 hours till the actual wedding. It's Asgardian custom to marry when the sun is about to go down. Don't even ask me why."

"Why?" She said with a sly smile on her face. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Honestly, I'm pretty calm after you talked to me."

"Well, you know. When I go back, maybe they'll give me a Psychiatrist job. I'm good at talking to the nutcases." She knew she meant that in more than one sense, thinking back to Loki.

As if Jane had read her mind, she closed the door behind her softly and began to walk Darcy down the corridor.

"Darcy." She began tentatively.

"Jane?"

"I'm worried about something."

"What is it?" Jane's hesitance made Darcy uncomfortable.

"There's going to be an extra guest at the wedding. As per Frigga's request. And Thor's."

Darcy let out a sigh, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Let me guess…" Thinking of her favourite pet prisoner, she said with resignation, "Loki."

"Yeah… him. I'm worried that him being there might make things… awkward."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of him."

"You will?" Jane stopped walking to look at her.

Darcy swallowed. Shit. Now she needed to tell all to Jane, and she wasn't sure what to say. "Oh, I just happened by an Asgardian prison and talked to one of the inmates. I'm sure he's a nice guy when he's not blowing up New York or trying to enslave a race. Oh, and I've been to see him 3 times, so I can't really call it an accident anymore."

Instead, she lied. "You know. I'm good at psychopaths."

Jane exhaled, relieved. "Thanks."

"Anyway," she said brightly, doing a little twirl in the corridor. "Enough of unwanted wedding guests. Where's your dress, your stuff?"

"Frigga is having it sent to me. I honestly have no idea what I'm wearing."

"Are you serious?" Darcy's jaw dropped as they climbed a spiral staircase.

"Yep. Another Asgardian thing. I need to be there in an hour for hair and make-up."

"It's taking them 4 hours to do your hair and make-up? God forbid I ever get married."

"Have you even seen the women round here? They're like… perfect."

Darcy huffed. "And so are you. Stop having an inferiority complex. Have you seen the way Thor looks at you? No competition."

"Really?" Jane looked smug. Then the smugness vanished only to be replaced by horror. "I need to shower. I need to get my parents. I need to-"

"Woah, woah, woah there Jane. I thought you were calm?"

"Yeah. Calmness." She hyperventilated, then sat on the window ledge, head in her hands.

"I'll go get your parents if you want."

"No, it's okay. I need to have a word with my dad anyway. He seems to think it's funny to joke around with Odin of all people. I don't think he realises he's a God." She chuckled nervously.

"Ha. At least you weren't the one getting drunk with Volstagg."

Jane flashed her a smile and hopped off the window ledge. "I guess I'll see you at sundown. I'll be the one wearing white." She did a double take. "…Maybe. I don't even know."

Darcy stopped and hugged Jane, hard. "You'll do great."

She watched her friend walk back the way they came, with a sinking feeling in her heart coupled with a pang of loneliness.

See you in a bit- Jane and Thor's wedding, coming up!