A/N: First, I want to thank everyone who's reviewed, they really do mean so much. Within the next few chapters, I hope to address a previous comment made by Richard towards Loki. We will also be finding out which part of Loki's birth certificate upset him the most, have Thor and Jane meet, and delve a little bit into Jane's childhood. Thank you to everyone who's come along with me so far, and I'm deeply honored you've stuck in there for ten chapters. I would like to caution that some of the things revealed about these versions of our beloved characters aren't going to be pretty.

Teach Me

Chapter 10

Since Saturday night when she'd discovered Loki had left her home, Jane Foster had been a walking mess of nerves. She was so overcome with frustration, guilt, and self-loathing that she couldn't eat, let alone sleep. She'd scrubbed her home from top to bottom in hopes of working herself into unconsciousness, and when that hadn't work she'd resorted to pacing. Jane had called Loki a few times, always hanging up when his voice mail picked up and then she'd mentally degrade herself over how pathetic she – a grown woman – was acting over some kid. This, of course, would result in more self-loathing, and by the time Monday morning arrived she'd worked herself into such a state, Jane had called Erik at his home in hopes of calling in sick for the day. That idea had puffed up into a ball of smoke the moment she'd heard his voice over the phone.

"God, what's wrong with you," she'd gasped in surprise at how awful the man truly sounded.

"Went fishing this weekend," Erik had explained through a bought of coughing and sniffles that made her cringe. "'Snot as bad as it sounds," he assured her, "but Ruth hid my car keys so I can't go to class today. I already called the school, and Principle Landrews is very glad you can teach without me."

"I can," she squeaked out in surprise.

"I assured her you were one of the best teachers I've ever worked with. She's aware of how difficult I can be, and said she wouldn't call in a sub."

Erik sniffed a bit and Jane closed her eyes to fight off the mounting stress. "So I'm teaching today," she clarified, "alone? Is that even legal?"

"Dolores, er, Principle Landrews will check up on you ever-so-often," he reassured her. "You'll be fine, Janie. You're one of the most capable people I've ever meet."

"You're just saying that 'cause you raised me," she teased softly, a weak smile tugging at her lips as her resolve built. "Alright, I'll head in early since I'll be covering all of your classes today –"

"And tomorrow," Erik added. "Maybe even Wednesday, you'll have to ask the warden about that."

"Auntie just worries about you," she interjected with a sigh. "Just left me know when you're coming back, okay?"

"I will. It's…it's good talking to you outside of class," Erik added, then coughed a bit. "I hate it when we fight."

"Me too," she agreed, hanging up shortly afterwards and going into a frenzy as she prepared for her day. She'd wanted to get out of teaching today, and wasn't it just her luck that instead she was the only teacher for the next few days. "Fuck," she hissed to herself as she pulled into a parking spot and headed on into the school a full twenty minutes later. Principle Landrews had re-explained all that Erik had told her this morning about Jane student-teaching without a supervising teacher, and that she'd "pop in" every once in a while as the day progressed. Jane had smiled and went on to Selvig's biology room.

With a heavy sigh, she'd sat at his desk, reviewing all of his class plans. The ones she taught, Jane was perfectly comfortably teaching – 'well, all but one,' she'd mentally corrected – so she spent her time going over Erik's solo classes. Thirty minutes until school started, and about ten minutes until the first students arrived, Jane had risen stiffly from Erik's chair and proceeded to write each class's homework on the chalkboard. Loosing herself in her work, Jane wasn't aware when another person entered the room until she'd heard her name whispered softly, reverently. Jane's hand had stilled, and she'd turned questioningly towards the voice.

'Loki,' she'd thought, her eyes taking in his determined stride and the predatory gleam in his eyes with a small measure of confused hesitance. Why was he here? And why was he looking at her like that – like a man wishing to devour a woman – when he ran from her only a few nights ago? His firm, yet gentle hold on her jaw along with his all-consuming kiss chased away any ability to form a comprehensible question. Jane quickly found herself giving in to him; her lips moving in sync with his own as her fingers moved upwards to curl into his long strands of ebony hair at the nape of his neck.

"Jane," he purred, his lips pulling into a relieved smile. Lowering his forehead until it touched hers, his desire darkened eyes searching her own. "I was so afraid you wouldn't be here," he murmured to her softly, "that you'd convince yourself what happened between us was a mistake."

Jane whispered his name questioningly and his eyes fluttered closed. "I love you, Jane Foster," he declared a bit louder, "more than you could ever know. You've bewitched me," he continued, his hands reaching up to soothingly run through her hair, "I've watched you, spent time with you, and have somehow found myself loving you more with every second of every day."

Jane swallowed hard, her mouth opening to protest but no sound left her throat. It was as if the firmness of his tone overrode her ability to argue with him. No, she reasoned, not to argue but to lie to him. What was she going to say? That she hadn't wanted to do what she'd done? That she didn't want to be with him? All lies. Still, she wasn't certain if she could honestly withstand the intensity of Loki's passions.

"Where did you go," she sighed out as she tried to quell the fierce pounding of her heart. "I came to talk to you, but you were gone. I called a few times –"

"I know, lover," he answered with the same breathlessness she possessed, his choice of endearment causing a spike of desire to flood her senses. "Thor was called home early by our mother's attorney. It seems she left me some things, and I… I don't know what to do with it, Jane."

"Can I help?"

The offer was out of her mouth before she could stop it. Loki breathed out and some of the tension left his body. "I hope you can," he replied honestly. "Can we… talk… about this later?"

Jane's eyes flicked towards the classroom clock and then towards the door. In less than five minutes students would begin flittering in, and neither she nor Loki needed to be caught in their current positon. "After school? You can park in the garage in case anyone comes by. There's a keypad just outside the car entrance for emergencies. Just push in 4762, and it should open up for you," she instructed. "Remember to close the door, and a spare key into the house is hanging from a nail just below the manual garage switch."

Loki nodded, his eyes darting towards the door as the daily noises of students moving about continued to grow. Licking his lips, he quickly claimed her mouth once more before pulling away from her. "You're my rock right now, Jane," he confessed hesitantly, "the only part of my life that makes sense at all."

Instinctively, Jane reached out a hand towards him, but he'd already turned his back to her. His retreating figure was soon swallowed amongst the throng of students. Jane shut her eyes, wondering how she could feel so certain when he was around her and so confused when he wasn't. With a frustrated huff, she attempted to push him from her thoughts (an impossible task if ever there was one) and focus solely on her work. So fruitful were her efforts that Jane had failed to notice Loki's absence until the last class of the day as she'd taken attendance.

Had he been gone all day, she'd wondered, or had he simply skipped her class in ordered to get a head start to her home? No sooner had the question formed in her head than Principle Landrews had appeared outside her door, asking to see her for a moment.

"Begin reading chapter 21," she instructed her class. "The review questions at the end are homework if you're a quick reader, and please remember I'm just right outside the room." The last bit was added teasingly and received a few smiles and a couple of chuckles. Once out in the hall, Jane switched quickly towards a more formal tone. "How can I help you, Principle?"

"This is Thor Odinson," Dolores Landrews said, motioning towards the tall, muscle-bound man with shoulder length blond hair and a gruff looking beard and moustache standing beside her and across from Jane. "He's Loki's brother and legal guardian," she clarified. "It seems his brother received some disturbing news this weekend and reacted rather poorly to it."

"Poorly," she questioned, remembering how he'd been with her this morning. He'd admitted he needed her help, but hadn't seemed unstable by any means. In fact, the level of frustration and uncertainty he had shown had been perfectly understandable given the circumstances.

"He locked himself in his room after he came home Saturday night," Thor's deep baritone cut into the conversation. "He didn't come out at all Sunday, at least not that I'm aware of. When I went to check on him this morning he was already gone. I'd hoped he'd went to school."

And he had, Jane mused, uncertain if she should reveal that little tidbit of information. Her eyes raked over Thor's worried and stress-filled face with a heavy heart. "He did," she heard herself say, nearly gasping at how quickly his light blue eyes – so different from Loki's grey ones – snapped upwards to lock with hers.

"How do you know this?"

Jane's feathers ruffled a bit at the slightly accusatory tone that laced those words. "He came to see me before my first class. He wanted to know if we still had a study session tonight."

"See, Mr. Odinson," Dolores Landrews beamed at the man, "I told you if anyone could tell you something about your brother, it'd be Ms. Foster."

"And what did you say," Thor pressed, ignoring the elder woman gazing up adoringly at him.

"I told him we could cancel if he needed to deal with any personal emergencies," Jane responded with the most professional voice she could manage, her eyes concealing her inner fury. This man she didn't know thought she'd what? Spy on his brother – her charge – for him? The nerve!

"Personal emergency," he continued his faux interrogation. "Did he mention what they were or where he was going?"

"Mr. Odinson –"

"Thor," he cut her off, a smile that was meant to be charming sliding across his lips.

"Mr. Odinson," she continued as if he hadn't said a word, "I take my job very seriously. These kids are with me day in and day out for most of the week. It's crucial to build a steady, stable relationship with them –"

"I understand, Ms. Foster," he rushed to soothe her. Jane's eyes flashed furiously at being interrupted again by this man, only to be patronized.

"Apparently you don't," she spat out, "seeing as how you came here with the intent of having me break the trust of one of my most valuable students. Your brother is ahead of his age group, Mr. Odinson. He's a genius, not a miscreant! I honestly don't believe he's a danger to himself or anyone else at this point in time, which is all I'm legally bound to report. To answer your questions, I didn't press for details and I didn't ask where he was going. Now, if that's all," she huffed angrily, her glare hardening at Thor's amused stare.

"I am so sorry," Dolores gasped out, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Ms. Foster here is a student-teacher from the University. I hope you don't hold her deplorable behavior against this school as a whole-"

"Nonsense, Mrs. Landrews," he assured with a wave of his hand. "In fact, I'd like to invite Ms. Foster to the manor."

"What," Jane and Principle Landrews all but screeched out at the same time.

"From now on, I think these study sessions you've been having with my brother should be done at the manor," he stated calmly, the amusement in his eyes beginning to hint at an inner hunger than made Jane decidedly uncomfortable.

"I appreciate the gesture," she attempted to decline without having Dolores Landrews give her a talking down afterwards, "but-"

"Now none of that," he chided as if she were a child. "The matter is settled. Thank you for your time Mrs. Landrews," Thor began, giving the woman a firm handshake, "and Ms. Foster, I'll be seeing you." He offered his charming smile once more before turning and walking away.

Jane snorted angrily after him, sounding more like a horse than a lady, spun on her heels and marched back into the classroom. With a frustrated growl, she noted that the final bell would be ringing in less than five minutes, so she allowed the students to pack up early and spend the rest of the time socializing softly. As soon as the last teen had left the room, Jane was locking it behind her and walked quickly towards her car in the teachers' parking lot.

"Loki," she sighed out in frustration after clipping her Bluetooth receiver into her ear and dialing her home phone number, "if you're there pick up, please. I'm calling your cell next. I really need to talk to you," she said after her answering machine picked up her call, her fingers shaking nervously as she placed her keys in the ignition and slowly back out of her spot.

"Jane," his voice coated her ears and instantly calmed her as she pulled out onto the road.

"Loki," she replied, relief heavy in her voice, "have you been there all day?"

"Is that a problem," he asked, his voice sounding slightly guarded.

"No, no," she reassured. "I was just worried. Your brother came to the school today-"

"Thor," he hissed out, and she could just picture his eyes narrowing into slits. "What did he want?"

"For me to tell him where you were."

"And what did you do," he pressed, his voice almost accusatory.

"I gave him the verbal equivalent of a bitch slap," she spat out defensively. "What did you think I did?"

"For the Golden Boy? Women do all sorts of things," Loki hissed.

"I'm not interest in him," Jane quipped, and the sinfully dark purr of Loki's voice as he inquired just who she was interested in had her panties dampening. It was then Jane caught a glimpse of another vehicle behind her. Normally she wasn't the paranoid type, but Jane could swear she'd seen this car at the school before she'd left. "Shit," she whispered softly, licking her lips as she made a last second decision to pull into the next parking lot she came a crossed, which just happened to belong to a pizzeria.

"What is it," a velvety voice laced with concern filtered through her ear piece.

"It's nothing," she insisted. "I'm just being silly. I thought a car was following me."

"What color?"

"Loki," she sighed out in disbelief.

"What fucking color, Jane?"

His voice was insistent, and so she'd replied that it was a dark navy or black. "I pulled into a pizzeria," she said, attempting to ground herself. "What do you want on yours?"

"Whatever you do, just hurry home."

"You did park in the garage, yeah?"

"I did," he agreed, and she relaxed somewhat.

"Good. I'll be there soon, and we can work out your troubles over dinner," she said, forcing a bit of cheerfulness into her voice. She hung up soon after, and got out of her car to go in and place her order. As she sat down at a booth to wait, Jane couldn't help but think about Loki and all that had happened between them. She cared for him, even admitted to herself she was beginning to love him, but she wasn't certain how good they were for one another. Her thoughts then switched over to Thor, her eyes narrowing as she thought of his pompous, arrogant ass. How could someone as sensible as Odin supposedly was over look Loki for someone like that? It was positively mind boggling. And so it was with a confused mind and an empty stomach, that Jane Foster once again began her way home with the yummy smell of food to distract her.