I dedicate this chapter to Moonlight Calls, Good luck on that AP Test!

I know how difficult and stressful they can be, I took 4. One of them was AP US History.

I hope you all enjoy the chapter!


Thor stormed into the observing room. He felt the storm cloud form in the skies from his rage. Fury would not let him speak to Miss Reutman. Thor had argued with him through the night about how he had a right because this was his brother they were dealing with. He needed to know what emotion condition Loki was in. It had been withering and dying for too long now. Thor inhaled and exhaled trying to control his temper with the unyielding human.

Thor stared through the glass into the interrogation room. He frowned, something blurred his vision. He stepped back.

"Courtney was Here"

The words were smeared on the glass in a way that anyone in the observation room could read it. Dozens of other sayings were written on the glass such as "Defying Gravity," "Born in the USA," "Viva la Vida" and "Break Away." Writing was not only thing. Tiny stick figures labeled as the Avengers speckled the glass complete with their uniforms and signature weapons. After a moment of long examination, Thor realized that it was written with lotion, a Midgardian thing Jane used to moisturize her hands. Thor looked at it all and admired Miss Reutman's nerve.

Then he looked beyond the glass and realized with astonishment that she was not there. Neither were the table and chairs. Then Thor amended that thought when he saw the table on its side in the corner. Looking closely, Thor also saw that the space in-between the table and wall could easily be Miss Reutman's hiding place.

Briskly, Thor left the observation room. He had decided he was going in there, come what may. He needed to know. And it wasn't as if Fury could dismiss him.

The Norns were with him and such an explosive entrance became unnecessary. There was a Shield soldier outside of the interrogation room door. He had a plate of food in one hand while the other fumbled with the key and door.

"Let me help you." Thor said, with a broad smile.

"Thank you, sir." The man said passing the tray to Thor.

Once the tray was firmly in Thor's hand, his other hand punched the soldier. The man dropped to unconsciousness without a sound. Thor retrieved the keys and unlocked the door. He entered the room and shut the door quietly. He briefly glanced at the mirror decorations which were now in reverse. He marveled at the thought and art required to write backward.

Thor approached the sleeping woman as quietly as he could manage. But he winced at the noise he made with every step. He looked down at the girl. She was curled in a bundle of various coats, scarves and jackets, some being used as padding, others used as blankets. She was a fair maiden. Not as beautiful as his Jane, but still fair. Her dark brown hair lay in tangles around a narrow face. Her skin glowed with a rather nice olive tone. She also had a slight chubbiness about her chin like she carried a few pounds that she could not lose. All in all, Miss Reutman appeared only merely pretty, but not a raging beauty.

"Miss Reutman?" Thor softly asked.

A groan, then she rolled muttering, "I hear you, I'm getting-"

She had looked around for a moment seeming confused. However, she figured it out on her own. "Oh, this is a cheery place to wake up to."

Her voice sounded sarcastic, but Thor did not have expertise in the field of humor.

She looked up at him, "Oh, you brought me food. Thank you! I haven't eaten since the orange yesterday and before that lunch. Thank you so much."

He smiled brilliantly and handed her the tray. She stood and glanced at the overturned table. Thor picked it up and placed it back in the center of the room. He then held the chair for her.

"Oh, thank you," She smiled, "That's very kind of you."

After she sat, Thor carefully pushed the chair in. Then he took the other chair and sat across from her. He knew he was staring at her as she ate, but he needed to see every detail. He had to know why his brother spent so long with this girl-because that's all she was a girl. She could not be more than . . . Thor couldn't even guess.

"Miss Reutman, how old are you?"

She smiled waving her spoon at him teasingly, "Now, Mr. God of Thunder, that is one of the two questions you are never suppose to ask a girl. The other is how much she weighs."

"I apologize. Curiosity got the better of me." Thor carefully said, slightly surprised that she was aware of his identity before remembering that humans had communicated his appearance across devises called the television.

"I'm eighteen, but be I'm nineteen in the spring."

So young. Thor found it hard to believe that his brother would be interested in such a young child. Young compared to the centuries both he and his brother had spent. Jane was closer to his body maturity, this girl was not as near.

"Did that man send you in here to try and get something out of me?" Miss Reutman asked innocently.

"No, the man, Fury, has actually forbidden me from being in here and speaking to you." Thor replied.

She frowned and twirled her spoon. Very slowly she said, "So you are really here to hear about your brother."

"Yes." Thor confirmed, "Was he well?"

"In which category? Physical, emotional, mentally, spiritually?"

"Everything you know."

She frowned and did not say anything. Thor waited patiently.

"Physically, he seemed okay, but I only glanced at him once or twice before the lights went out so I can't really tell. Emotionally, well, he seemed . . . stable. Mentally, according to the news he sounds like he needs some serious help. He seemed to be okay, but then he is the God of Lies, so who knows. Spiritually, well who am I to judge?"

Thor watched her, trying to see any lies, but he was not his brother. Thor could not decide if she had or hadn't lied.

Thor said, "It pleases me to hear that."

"'Pleases you,'" She chuckled.

Thor frowned.

"Sorry, no insult intended I just thought the way you said that was funny. I didn't mean to mock you or anything."

That statement was so unlike Jane's fire. Thor replied, "It is alright." Thor let a moment of silence pass as Miss Reutman ate, then he said, "I would like to apologize for anything that my brother did to cause you harm."

"Harm?" Courtney chuckled, "The worst he did to be was startle the living daylights out of me. But that was a small prank, only for a good laugh, no harm intended. Honestly, Prince of Asgard, Loki didn't do anything to me. Didn't hurt me, didn't issue a single threat . . . Actually, it was quite fun. We laughed most of the time, better than being bored to tears."

Thor did not hear passed 'laughed'. "He was laughing? Genuine laughter?"

She smiled nodding, "Yeah, or it sounded like it. He is the God of Lies, so who knows? It sounded genuine to me because we were joking back and forth."

"Joking?" Thor asked hardly being able to believe.

"Oh yeah, and you have to know," She said cheerfully leaning in like it was a secret, "You brother is a great singer and the most amazing storyteller. I will not lie, Loki is the best storyteller I've had the pleasure of listening to."

"What stories did he tell you?" Thor asked, eager for any amount of information.

"Oh, just a few Norse mythology sort of stories. I don't know how accurately or sensualized they were, but man, he did a good job."

"Did he say anything about me?" Immediately, Thor knew he had asked the wrong question. Miss Reutman had frozen the mirth in her eyes gone.

Thor held his breath as the girl brushed her brown hair from her face slowly. Thor waited as he could see her thoughts slowly assemble behind her dark brown eyes.

"Loki . . . Thor, you have to understand. Loki . . . He told me . . . some things, but . . . They were said with the intention of not being repeated. I-I'm not at liberty to tell you anything Loki told me. It's not . . . not right for me to tell anyone. They were told to me in confidence, so I won't repeat them. It's not my right. Sorry, the only thing I'll tell you is that we talked, we joked around, we sang songs, we told stories and . . . we laughed."

Thor was only reminded he needed air because of his burning lungs. But the requirement was forgotten with the rise of burning, brilliant hope. She had the ability to keep secrets. Loki was a much better judge of character than he was and would recognize this quality in her. Because of it, Loki was bound to have told her something. And according to her a number of things. For Loki to tell her anything that seemed important meant he trusted her in some small degree. Trust was something Loki had lacked for a long time. It was a step. A small move towards Loki coming home, coming back to his soul.

"Miss Reutman, you are truly a remarkable woman." Thor stated with admiration.

"Why thank you! So, I'm a 'woman' now?" She replied cheerily.

"You are wise beyond your years."

"Aw. You think that. So, how do I qualify for the 'remarkable' part?"

Thor focused on her hoping that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Because you are willing to keep secrets, even if it the secrets of an individual who is considered by most, a villain. It is brave for you to resist your own government. And it is admirable that you would even do it. For that, you are remarkable."

She stared at him. She seemed to be sizing him up, seeing if he was honest. Then she smiled. "Thank you for the complement, but it's really no big deal. If someone tells me something I don't repeat it. It's what I have been taught my whole life."

"Miss Reutman, that makes you all the better as a woman."

Miss Reutman smiled and looked down at her food, Thor thought she was trying not to glow so much from his praise.