Ah, alrighty, I got a chapter up...about time, right? Sorry it took so long. I hate it when you get closer to break, and your teachers suddenly decide to pile on paper after paper after project on you, and you don't have time to do things you want to...like WRITE! That's my excuse. Also, this is my last week, so I'll probably post another chapter by...next week? Hopefully at the latest the 22nd. Just in time for Yule! Maybe I'll make it Christmas-y... Let me know if you think that would be a good idea. :) Enjoy the chapter!

Loki awoke before Danni; he awoke before the dawn. He had slept more than he had in a long time, even if it was only two hours. He'd been restless since that visit to Jötunheim – when he still thought himself to be a son of Odin; before he discovered something was different about him. Something about last night seemed to put him at ease, even though the storm made that seem impossible.

He looked over and saw her next to him. That was when he felt a strange sensation in his hand. He looked down and saw her hand resting in his. "What…?" he thought, awestruck.

He didn't want to disturb Danni. She had earned the sleep, but he thought it inappropriate to be holding hands with her…

But he liked it.

And it wasn't like they hadn't already broken a boundary – they slept together! It was innocent, and, looking at it logically (as Loki often does), Thor didn't give him much of an option. He had to keep her with him. Thor always let his emotions get the better of him. The question is: what made Thor so upset?

Danni stirred, making Loki act on instinct and turn his head towards her. Luckily, she didn't wake, but her hand squeezed his. It was a soft squeeze, but it was enough to make Loki's heart skip a beat. He looked at her, and his heart stopped. She had a terrible look on her face, like she was terrified of something and could not escape. She was having a nightmare.

"Danni," Loki whispered while touching her arm as gently as one would touch a cloud. She didn't stop and her grip tightened as she began to struggle with her thoughts. Loki realized she was having a nightmare, and he was about to wake her, when she began to talk in her sleep.

"No…I will not go…not Jötunheim. I won't go back…"

Loki's eyes went wide and his jaw slightly dropped. "Jötunheim? Is that what she said?"

"I am yours," she continued, while flailing her legs a bit, still squeezing Loki's hand, "Why do I not remember you…?"

Loki pondered for a moment at the last bit and how it seemed odd. "A dream can be so, at least I believe…" He hadn't dreamed since he felt he had the privilege to dream. The closest he's gotten to a dream of late are his constant thoughts and memories of how his life once was, and how it will never be so again.

However, his thoughts stuck on the use of the name Jötunheim. Loki knew it too well at this point to mistake it. "How does she know that name?"

Her eyes fluttered open. Loki was the first thing she saw, and, flushing a little, she noticed he was holding her hand, but she didn't pull away.

Loki followed her gaze to their hands, and his first reaction was to let go; so, he dropped her hand and watched as it hit the mattress. Then he looked at his own hands, remembering that, in reality, they were blue.

"I'm sorry," Danni said, getting out of bed frantically and grabbing her things, "I shouldn't have stayed…" she was about to run downstairs to get away from the embarrassment, when a voice followed her.

"Danni! Wait a moment, will you?"

"I shouldn't have stayed with Jack. I just made things weird…and our hands…" Danni thought about it, thinking that, although it was weird, they were in a bed together, and she has been told that weird things happen in her sleep. "It was kind of nice though…" she remembered the warmth she felt upon awakening from that terrible nightmare. It gave her a sense of comfort and made her feel protected, but from what exactly, Danni could only guess.

"Danni!" the voice caught up with her.

Danni turned around just before she was completely out the door, "Jack? Um… I'm sorry about this whole," she motioned around with her hands, "everything: barging in on your work, staying the night, everything…"

"I invited you," Loki tried to calm her down, "and I needed the help." But what he needed at that moment was information.

"Danni," Loki continued, "you…spoke in your sleep," her eyes went wide as she wondered what she could have said, "I think you were having a nightmare."

"Did I wake you?" she seemed so ashamed and so vulnerable. Loki almost felt pity for the Midgardian.

"No, I was awake before then." He did his best to focus back onto her, "You mentioned something that caught my attention though."

She looked up, feeling a little scared about what she could have said. "What did I say?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.

"You seemed to not want to go back somewhere… 'Jötunheim' I think is what you said." Loki knew that was what she said, right down to his very core.

"Jötunheim…?" she thought back, and remembered her dream, and how it was like the many she had had before she had met the god of mischief. "Yes… that was its name…" she said more to herself.

"What is it?" Loki asked, trying to sound more like a concerned man than an accusing prince.

"It's a place in these dreams I keep having…why?"

"It sounds familiar to me," Loki said coolly, "I didn't know if you knew anything about it," his silver tongue was excellent, as always.

Danni stepped back in, not used to the cold air of the morning, and closed the door. "Jötunheim sounds familiar to you?" she asked skeptically, "Well it's no tea party, I'll tell you that much. I'll also tell you, since you don't seem to realize, it's only a dream. I don't know why it would sound familiar to you…"

"Trust me, it does." He said, not being able to meet her gaze.

Danni looked at him, and, for a moment, he seemed hurt. Why? "It's basically a popsicle of a planet," when he seemed to have not understood that metaphor, she elaborated, "It's a planet. It's really cold, probably even colder than it is out now," she added with a smirk. "There are creatures on it that seem to want me for something…and I've been there before…" she looked at him, realizing how insane this all sounded. "In my dreams," she added, hoping he wouldn't think of her as a total lunatic.

"Creatures? Like what?"

Danni was surprised that's what he took out of her explanation, "I don't remember exactly… I just remember red eyes…and this one in particular – I think he was their king or something – had a deep and scary voice that made my skin crawl…" she looked up at him with fear, as Loki had expected, "I don't know why I have these dreams… I've had them since I was little. They never go away…"

"She should be afraid…all of Asgard is afraid of these terrible creatures…I am one such a creature." Loki thought, and felt ashamed of his heritage. Who wouldn't? From growing up as a prince of Asgard to discovering that he is the monster parents tell their children at night, Loki's life had been a lie since birth; he's been unwanted since birth. He doesn't deserve existence…yet here he is.

"Are you okay, Jack?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"Yes, I'm fine…" he said, running his hand through his ebony hair and letting out a deep breath.

"I should go," Danni said, "Unless you need help with anything else?"

She had sounded hopeful when she asked, and Loki had wanted her to stay. Although her company was not wanted at first, it was nice to know he could enjoy the camaraderie of someone who could not judge him of what he really was...unless she discovers the truth.

The worry began to crawl over him until it swallowed his mind with fear. What if he were to be feared as nothing more than a monster for the rest of his life? Was he to be forever in shame and disgrace from his family? Even if they thought him dead, they knew the truth about him. Thor must have even known by this point. Maybe even the Warriors Three (not that he cared much for them, but they had always mocked Loki somehow for something).

"No. Thank you, Danni, but I think it would be best if you went on with your daily life while I work out some things on my own time…I hope you understand."

Disappointed, Danni nodded her head in agreement and left the home, leaving Loki alone to his thoughts and – little did she know it – anger.

His fury had been nestling deep within his subconscious since his discovery of his true parentage. It had built up when Odin went into Odinsleep. It had built up when he was king, and discovered, with power, people had begun to notice him. It had taken power for him to be noticed. Well, then, what was he before? Just a meager prince? A man with nothing more to him than a name? Where was the respect he so rightly deserved after all he had done for the people of Asgard? Where was his moment of glory? "Just once," Loki thought, "I would have liked to have tasted what my brother has, and what the All-Father has…Thor, an unruly man, as everyone knows, still to be king? He would have brought the end of the nine realms within a week."

Though Loki never wanted the throne – had never wanted power – he had felt it had done him good, and had suited him well. Loki knew he was intelligent and cunning and excellent to get himself and others (if needed) out of any situation, whether it be by use of his silver tongue or his skill with magic.

His rage grew to an extent that he just wanted to flip over everything. Through his anger at his "father" and his brother…even his mother hadn't said a word! Not a word of who he truly was! How could she? How could they?

That made him snap. He closed his eyes, felt a rush of rage, a flash of white light, and then everything was thrown onto its side. Loki hardly gets physical, even when alone to let loose his anger. His magic was his strength. More could accomplish more with magic than with the sheer force of a man, even if that man was considered the god of thunder.

Looking around at the new mess he had made, the new things broken, he sighed and said to himself, "Now would be a good time for a walk," and he left the home.

He was too heated to notice the frigid air that had surrounded him, but once he started to cool down on the inside, he felt the physical toll on his body. It was bitter cold, with winds that burned his flesh like a cold flame. The sun could not be seen beneath the gray sheets above him. He had experienced something similar at Jötunheim, although those conditions were much worse. The asphalt was hard under his feet. Everything around him was cold, hard, and gray.

Gasoline defiled his sense of smell. He hated certain things about Midgard, and one of them was how far it had come with technology. The air was once pure on Midgard. He had come here before with Odin when he was a child.

Loki didn't mind the cold – in fact, he preferred it. Not because he is a Frost Giant, but because it helps him think. Although days like today, with a bitter chill, make more of a distraction than a comfort. But Loki pushed on, nevertheless, through the crowds, through the cold, and through his rage.

A sudden shove made him snarl. A woman with brown hair and glasses had pushed him unexpectedly.

"Sorry!" she yelled back at him, and continued running forward.

Loki walked after her, upset that he would be touched in such a manner. His rage caught up with him again, and he wasn't afraid to let it show.

"Jane, wait!" Darcy called out to her.

Jane Foster did not wait, but continued on, in her own anger, at her own problem. "He said he would be back," she thought, "It's been over a month now…"

"Jane!" Darcy yelled, catching up to her, "I'm sure Thor will come back. He's probably just really busy playing with his meow-meow and being a king."

Jane smirked, remembering that's what Darcy called Thor's magical hammer, Mjolnir. "I know, but…he promised."

Loki couldn't help overhearing the name of the brother he once thought he had. He suddenly realized the importance of this person, Jane, "So, this is my brother's love? Oh, how interesting…" he thought, with a devilish smirk plastered upon his face, "How very interesting indeed," he looked to the sky, "Don't mind me, brother, I just found your new toy to play with."

He followed them to a coffee house. Loki had never had coffee before, but he got some in hopes to remain inconspicuous. He observed as the two women took a seat in the middle of the coffee house. He took his place a couple of tables down. Someone had left a newspaper on the table, and Loki opened it as a means to disguise himself, and listened in on what else they were saying.

"Jane, he cares about you, really. He's basically a god and nearly a king, and, although every single name he mentions is weird, he has respect, and I'm positive he'll keep his promise to you."

"I know… I just don't like waiting," she said with a smile, "I miss him."

"I'm sure he misses you too," Darcy replied. The man at the counter called their order, and Jane got up to get it. "Meanwhile, where the hell is my love life?" she added with a pout.

Loki listened and already knew of Thor's inability to see the woman. "He had made the choice to destroy the Bifrost, as well as my rule…" he tried not to think too much about his lingering anger as he saw Jane taking her seat once again.

"So, Darcy, where are the coordinates I asked you to get?"

Darcy's eyes got a little wide, she drummed her fingers on the table and didn't make eye contact with Jane, "Um…about that…"

"You don't have them," she stated in a flat voice.

"I asked Erik to do it—"

"I asked you to do it."

"But I needed help, so I just asked Erik."

Jane looked frustrated. She took out her phone and dialed Erik's number.

"Hello?" Erik answered.

"Erik? It's Jane. Darcy said she asked you to get her some coordinates, and I kind of need them now."

"I know what you're talking about. I'm sorry, Jane, I don't have them. I asked my intern – well, ex-intern – to get them before she quit."

"Danni quit?!" Darcy asked, listening in.

"Shh!" Jane retorted, "I'm sorry, Erik. Did she say why?"

Meanwhile, by the window, Loki had heard Danni's name, and decided a few more moments of listening in would be well worth his time.

"She said she met someone else who would be better for her…" the silence made Jane feel sorry for her friend. "He and Danni got along well," she thought.

"Well, give her time," Jane said reassuring him, "She's still young and experimenting with her life. She'll come around."

"Well, I'll go find those coordinates for you. I'll talk to you later." And he hung up.

"Why did Danni quit?" Darcy asked. It was more of a rhetorical question, since she had heard everything Erik said.

"I'm not sure," Jane replied. "She'll find her way back. She always does." Darcy had no idea what Jane was talking about, but she didn't question her. It was still too early, and Darcy hadn't felt her brain turn on fully yet. She needed more coffee.

Loki didn't understand what Jane meant by her words either, but there was no way to question it. Yet it festered and played around in his mind. "She'll find her way back? Back where?" suddenly he remembered Danni speaking in her sleep. "Jötunheim? Does this mortal know of Jötunheim also?"

The two women stood up to leave. As they were doing so, they spoke of something in hushed tones so no one else would hear. They left, and Loki stayed. He finished his drink, and could not help his thoughts from wandering to Danni.

Ah, so there is a puzzle Loki must solve...he's good at puzzles, I'm sure he'll figure this out in time. ;) Thanks for reading! Any reviews would be appreciated! You guys are awesome!

~Mina