The sky was dark by the time we saw the outline of the military type encampment they'd created to surround the crater. How they got it all up so quick was fascinating to me and I parked a good few miles away to make sure their cameras and excessive guards wouldn't see us.

"What now?" I asked Thor.

"Now, I show you who I am."
He got out of the car and I followed.

"No, wait," I held him back, my hand grabbing his arm, which he looked and smirked at, "look at the fucking city they built around that thing! You can't just go in without any weapons or- or let me help you."

"I know you can do much with your magic, but I need to do this myself. I will prove I am worthy."

"Have you not proven that yet?"

A certain sadness crossed his features but he shook it off.

"Not enough. Just wait here. It won't be long," he smiled at the thunder rumbling above us.

"Are you sure?"

"Gods," he laughed, "if you had your memories and you knew of how worried you were acting about me you'd be ashamed. And I would not let it go for months."

I rolled my eyes as he slipped off into the dunes and grasses, not bothering to conceal his huge figure too well. I sat on the hood of the car and hoped everything he said so far was true, especially the part where I had nothing to worry about.

Thor's P.O.V.

After the successful break in and the not so successful retrieval of Mjolnir, I sat defeated on the small room they designated for me. The joy of finding Ness and hopefullness of finding my hammer were replaced by a cold, hard pit in my stomach. Worry about getting us both back to Asgard. Worry about never getting her memories back. Or my hammer. Worry about her remembering and realising that it wasn't me she missed at all.

"You made my men, some of the most highly trained professionals in the world, look like a bunch of minimum wage mall cops," the man, Agent Coulson, spoke to me. "That's hurtful."

I couldn't respond, but only stared at the ground, my head lost in a grey cloud of hoplessness. He kept speaking but I did not listen to anything he said, instead spinning thoughts of worry and sadness in my head. If one more bad thing came my way I might as well collapse from it.

"Who are you?"

I finally looked up at him but gave no answer only staring him down.

"One way or another we'll find out what we need to know. We're good at that."

A strange sound came from inside his clothing and he brought out a small metal device much like the one Neaessa's friend, Darcy had told him to smile into. Would this man ask him to smile as well?

"Don't go anywhere," the man said, looking at the machine, before walking towards the door, which slid open of it's own accord. Midgard was much more advanced than I recalled.

As the door closed behind him, the picture of my brother reflected back to me.

"Loki," I exhaled, sitting up, "what are you doing here?"

He wore garments similar to the ones of Midgard, in his usual green and black colours. His face looked somber.

"I had to see you," he responded.

For a moment panic moved through me. Did he know I had found her? And then, why did I feel the need to keep this from him? But then I saw his face. Grave news were coming and the way he always spoke of her, even years after she'd left, was never with the hopeless gravity I saw now, but with a helpless, unconcious excitement radiating off him. He did not know. Was I supposed to tell him?

"What's happened?" I asked instead, "tell me, is it Jotunheim? Let me explain to Father."

"Father is dead," Loki replied.

"What?" disbelief filled me. He could not be. I had just seen him, less than two days ago.

"Your banishment, the threat of the new war, it was too much for him to bear. The way that you've acted or the past thirty years, ever since she," there he choked on the word, but continued, "ever since you began acting more brashly. It was hard on him. But you mustn't blame yourself. I know that you loved him, I tried to tell him so but he wouldn't listen."
Tears fell out of my eyes and I could not help them.

"It was so cruel to put the hammer within your reach knowing that you could never lift it. The burden of the throne has fallen to me now."
"Can I come home?" my voice shook.

Unease passed through my brother's face. I wondered if he would deny her this if he knew she was here as well. I wondered if it was selfish not to tell him so that at least she could go back. But surely she wouldn't leave without me.

"The truce with Jotunheim is conditional upon your exile," Loki said.

"Yes, but, couldn't we find a way?" tears kept coming out of my eyes.

"Your mother has forbidden your return. This is goodbye brother. I'm so sorry."
Blow after blow hitting home I finally felt it. The full collapse of everything I had had being taken from me, losing it all. And it was my fault. I could blame no one but my own foolish self.

"No," I shook my head, "I am sorry. Thank you for coming here."

"Farewell."

The movement as he turned around was slow, but he was quickly surrounded by green lighting and then he was gone. And so was my chance to ever come home. And possibly Ness's.

"Goodbye," I whispered to the air as the door opened.

"Goodbye?" a smiling figure walked into the room through one of the walls, materializing before my eyes. "I just got here. I hope you were adressing the shit boarding they gave you."

"How did you?"

"I may not remember being one of your gods, but I can still work some of my old tricks," she shrugged, "let's get out of here."

She held her hand out, seeing my visibly broken state. I took it gratefully and the next step I took was out in the desert, next to the truck.

"Ta da!" she said.

Her attitude was forced, cheerfulness injected into all of her words, but I could tell she was trying for me and so I just smiled along.

"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, I'm taking advantage of your emotional state," she joked, "and getting you to come home with me tonight."
I did not understand the joke entirely but she found it funny and so did I and I could tell there was a double meaning hidden there. And although everything felt wrong, one thing had clicked and I knew with that start we might be able to get the rest of the it right.

Regular P.O.V.

We got to the lab flat set up, where everyone was awake and waiting for us. The rush I got every time I used any of my abilities was still keeping me on my toes, I felt as if I'd taken adderall on an empty stomach, my entire body shaking slightly. I wanted to push them further. But this is exactly why I didn't. I might not know where or how to stop.

"Are you alright?" Erik asked me, concerned.

"We both are," I responded, Thor walking in a depressed daze behind me.

The ride back had consisted of almost entirely silence, broken only by the shifting movement of Thor's body as he came closer to me and rested his head on mine. I let him. The comfort of someone's touch, not in a sexual way, but the way I hadn't let myself feel as far as I could remember. Real comfort. Real feelings passing through me.

"I think everyone should rest now, we had a long day," I said, eyeing Jane who seemed ready to leap at him in hopes of her things being recovered. She got it and stayed in her place in the couch next to Darcy.

"You can take the extra mattress from my room and place it in yours for him," Erik offered.

We arranged everything and I took my pants and jacket off before Thor came into the room and looked me up and down, blood flushing his cheeks. I smiled at him.

"I'm taking a shower," I said, "you know what that is, right?"

"A bath without the comfort?" he chuckled.

"Exactly," I laughed, grabbing the large cotton shirt I used to sleep in and a clean set of underwear and heading into the adjoining room.

I washed my face, hair and body, scrubbing harshly to get the feeling of overwhelmedness out of my skin. It took scaldingly cold water and fifteen minutes of standing there without moving before I felt ready for bed. I stepped out and dried myself, brushing my long dark hair with my fingers and dressing before stepping back into the room where Thor was still awake, lost in thought staring at the ceiling.

I sat on the edge of the "bed" we'd made for him and he turned on his side to look at me. A smile that didn't quite reach his eyes came across his face and he took my hand in his larger one. I didn't know what to say, I barely understood anything that was happening. I knew he wasn't lying when he said we were friends and that every part of the stories he told me, however much it was taking me to digest them, were true. He might be brash but he's childlike in his innocence. I wish I could be the same. But I had trouble trusting anyone, believing anything. Maybe that's why this news didn't shock me much. It was hard for me to trust my own judgement in finally accepting someone's words as truth. Especially someone, that to the best of my memory, I met only a day ago.

But even without fully comprehending, I wanted to be there for him like he wanted to be for me.

"Thor?" I broke the silence.

"Hm?" his eyes were closed, his head leaning on our held hands.

"You promised to help me and I want to help you too. I'll make sure you get Mjolnir back."

"And I'll make sure you get your memories back. Whatever spell is keeping them locked away, it can be broken. I am certain if we knew what it was you could break it yourself."

"Who would take my memories? I thought you said we were all friends."

"I wonder the same thing," he admitted, "as I wonder how you ended up here. For a long time, we thought you had left of your own will but now I think there's more to it."
"You keep saying we, who do you mean?"

He sucked in air, as if willing himself not to say anything.

"Thor?"
"My family," he spoke slowly, "we were all quite close to you. My father saw you as the future queen of Asgard. My mother saw you as the daughter she never had. Our friends cared for you deeply. We. All of us, felt your absence."

It sounded as though something was missing, but I didn't press it. Had there been someone else?

"I missed you too, without knowing it. I think I still do."

"I'm right here."
"I know."

I let go of his hand, crawling into my bed and facing the wall. I know he won't get much sleep after the heavy night he had. Not getting his precious Mjolnir back and being caught by a bunch of assholes who took all of his new friends' things can't be much fun. And I don't even know all of what went on inside, or in his head for that matter. I don't even know why he lost his hammer or how he came to Earth and why he's stayed.

"Ness?" he speaks after a few minutes.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for everything. Tomorrow we can talk. And I can explain everything I've missed."
I don't answer for a few minutes, fearing my voice will break. My entire body feels exhausted emotionally and physically. I finally thank him and if he's awake he doesn't respond. By the time I fall asleep light is peeking through the blinds, and I ignore it and hope for an hour at best.

Fourth chapter! If you haven't commented yet pleaseee do! I swear it's my biggest encouragement to write more and the best way for you to give me any imput or ideas or feedback:) Hope you're liking the story so far! And there are many twists and explanations to come of course!