Chapter Ten - The Plans
Loki watched Darcy mope through breakfast. He worried about her, and when she temporarily got lost on the way to class because she'd wandered down the wrong corridor, he felt compelled to ask again, "Are you sure you don't want to go home?"
"No. Jane and Thor are there," she insisted then came to an abrupt stop as she noticed the younger Thor and Jane talking in the doorway of the Potions classroom.
"Good morning!" Jane called out with an enthusiastic grin. She grabbed Thor's hand, pulling him along to meet up with them.
Darcy tensed and frowned as Thor addressed her. "Jane told me how you saved her from being hexed by Malfoy."
"I told him you were really brave."
"Yeah," Darcy replied, her tone flat. "Because projectile vomiting is so commendable." She diverted around them and disappeared into class.
The happy gleam dissolved from Jane's features. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Darcy has had a couple bad days," Loki confided.
"Oh."
Thor had to rush off to class, but promised Jane he'd see her later.
"It's alright if I spend time with your brother, right?" Jane asked when Thor had gone.
"If it keeps him away from me, you can have him."
This declaration amused and puzzled her in turn.
Luna also picked up on Darcy's sulky mood by the end of Potions. She stayed back with her, waving Loki and the others on ahead to D.A.D.A. so they could chat in private. Whatever Miss Lovegood said or didn't say, Darcy cheered by the time they strode in and took their seats.
In his usual good humor, Lockhart referred to the six of them as his aspiring adventurers and encouraged them to disclose what they'd found out about poltergeists. Jane and Ginny took turns listing the group's findings on the chalkboard while Lockhart insisted that he already knew every fact they offered.
They had learned a lot about poltergeists' abilities and a couple theories about how they came to haunt certain places, but hadn't found much information about deterring or repelling one.
"My book said poltergeists can't be around burning sage," Colin said. "I bet we can get some sage from Professor Sprout."
"I read in two separate entries that they don't like salt," Jane countered. She went on to point out the problems they'd have with the disagreeable Mr. Filch if he caught them setting fire to anything inside the castle, herbal or otherwise.
"What should we do, Professor?" Colin asked.
"I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I just gave you the answer, Mr. Creevey. You have an excellent beginning here," Lockhart said, gesturing to the board. "Knowledge is always your best weapon."
Luna straightened her posture, a simple enough motion that drew everyone's attention. "From what I hear, Peeves usually just throws things. We should research spells that can protect us from that sort of an attack."
Professor Lockhart wholeheartedly agreed and assigned them each to find at least two spells that might be helpful in that regard. Then he let them go a little early, snatching the chalk and erasers right out of Jane and Ginny's hands and herding them all from the classroom as quick as he could.
"What was that about?" Jane asked when the door shut behind them.
No one offered an explanation.
Excited about their D.A.D.A. homework, the first years decided to wrap up their lunches and have a picnic out on the grounds. They found a tight bunch of trees to protect them from the wind and hunkered down together with a few blankets, their sandwiches and several texts of spells. Overall, the children made a rather enjoyable time of it, laughing and debating as they generated their list for Lockhart. In time, the falling temperature drove them inside, which was best since they all had assignments to complete for other classes anyway.
Loki's bedside clock read almost one in the morning when he and Darcy finally got back to the apartment.
"The picnic was fun," Darcy admitted.
Loki nodded, crossing to his dresser to pull out pajamas. "At least the day ended on a good note."
Darcy lingered, pretending to take interest in his spellbooks, though her gaze only flitted over the pages. He guessed that she delayed her departure because she worried about what could be waiting for her beyond his door.
He wanted to be supportive, but wouldn't suggest or allow her to stay the night. His feelings for adult Darcy were much more complicated than those for her mini-counterpart. So, aware that he had to keep a clear head, Loki shooed her out of his bedroom.
The women went out of their way to avoid each other through the next week, turning the atmosphere both at home and the lab tense and uncomfortable for all. At work, the couples kept to their usual tasks, only speaking to the other pair when necessary. Any message that needed to get from Jane to Darcy, or the other way around, passed through the brothers or text message.
"Jane is miserable," Thor told Loki when they were the only two to show up for the weekly project meeting. He shut the conference room door and took a seat across the table. "She's not just losing her intern, but her best friend as well."
Loki stared at the stack of files in front of him. He had insights that he could share, but thought it imprudent to meddle in the situation. Really, Jane and Darcy needed to talk, but neither was ready to do it.
"I think Darcy feels unappreciated and trapped, and this is her way of breaking free."
"I'm sure you're right. Though, I wish she'd been more forthcoming with her frustrations before blowing up at Jane."
"I'm sure they would have talked if we weren't here mucking up the situation."
"I'm not blaming you for this," Thor continued. "I'll still speak with Father."
Their deal hadn't been on Loki's mind right then. Studying his brother's tired features, Loki revisited Darcy's idea about Thor not wanting to be his keeper. Maybe I should speak to Father myself, Loki thought, fight my own battles.
Loki stood, collecting the files. "We can't accomplish anything here without the girls. Might as well go back to work." He started for the door, but stopped when he realized that Thor remained seated. "What?" he inquired, assuming his brother had something on his mind.
"It is nothing," he said, but his tone hinted the opposite.
When Loki didn't budge, Thor professed, "I miss the days when we felt comfortable in the same room. When spending time together wasn't burdensome."
Emotion sparked within Loki's chest, but he didn't want to address or even give it a name. He stepped out of the room, leaving the sentiment behind.
Instead of going to Hogwarts, Darcy spent her evenings organizing and boxing up her belongings. Too broke to consider many options, she planned to spend the last of her money on a bus ticket and to ship her stuff to her parents' place. Once there, she would write her thesis paper and, at long last, be done with this weird roadblock that life had dropped onto the path to her future.
"Depressing," a voice said suddenly, startling Darcy out of her thoughts. She turned to see Tony Stark standing in her doorway with Loki hovering behind.
"I'm moving home next weekend."
"I heard."
"Why are you here? Jane and Thor are out for the day."
Tony stepped in to allow Loki some room to follow. "Actually, I arranged for them to be gone. I wanted to talk to you two." Tony looked between them, his dark eyes calculating. "I'm a selfish person," he began, sounding a bit more serious than playful. "I prefer having things my way and that includes my friends being happy."
Loki chuckled, leaning against the door frame. "You've come to solve Thor and Jane's problems with your checkbook, Stark?"
"Yes and no," he said, "but first we need to get some things straight."
Darcy fidgeted and crossed her arms. She felt a lecture coming on.
"Jane has struggled for years to keep her research going, and I think we can all agree that her contributions to science and the world have been phenomenal." He didn't wait for them to answer. He said to Darcy, "Yes, she took advantage of your willingness to play sidekick, but in all fairness, she couldn't afford a paid intern. Right now, at the height of her career, she's barely pulling in enough funds to run the lab and feed and house four people."
"That's why she went to you?" Loki asked.
"She doesn't particularly like me, but we share common interests." Again he turned to Darcy. "I understand your motives for leaving. Jane does, too, but you're jumping ship right before you reach your destination."
Darcy sat on the bed. "It isn't just about money."
"Never is," he insisted. "Things have changed, right? She's different. You're different. She has Thor now. You have…" he hesitated, sneaking a glimpse toward Loki then decided not to finish the thought. "My point is that obviously you need some space. I just don't think moving halfway across the country, or," he acknowledged Loki, "back to Asgard, is necessary."
Loki looked agitated, but hadn't withdrawn from the discussion yet. "What is your solution?"
"You two and Jane can all work for me - Pepper, actually. Everyone goes on salary and gets a spiffy job title. The signing bonus includes a reasonably priced vehicle and an option to move into the low-rent apartments on campus at my facility."
It sounded too good to be true. "Really?" Darcy asked. "You're going to do all that for us?"
"Hey, whatever it takes to keep the gang from falling apart. The results coming out of the lab this last year prove that you're a fantastic team. Besides, Jane needs you. She knows it, but can't find the words to say it."
Tony addressed Loki next, acting extra forceful with his point. "Same thing for Thor. He's conceited and boastful sometimes, but he loves his brother. You should consider sticking around. Give the big lug another chance so he'll stop brooding on my sofa and drinking all my booze."
"He'll do that anyway," Loki said, laughing despite his annoyance.
"I can keep the offer on the table for a couple weeks at least. Promise me you'll think about it."
"I promise," Darcy said.
"Loki?" Tony trained his gaze on him, focusing like he was attempting some form of mind control.
"You and I are not friends, Stark."
"I never implied we were. You complained that none of us give you a chance to be forgiven. Well, you can't make a good impression if you never come to the party."
With a hefty sigh, Loki sauntered off.
Darcy rose from the bed. "I'll talk to him."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
She accompanied Tony to the door then backtracked to Loki's room, knocking before letting herself in. "OK. What's the problem?"
He sat at his desk, spellbook open and pen in hand, but doing nothing. "Stark wants to pay me off to give Thor attention. Do you not see the irony?"
Darcy laughed. "That's not exactly accurate. He's going to pay you to work for him. The whole Thor part is just a suggestion."
"If it wasn't for Thor, he wouldn't be willing to hire me."
"Maybe that's true, but if it wasn't for Jane, I'd have never met you or Thor. And if not for Thor's insistence that we get along, we wouldn't be friends. So, the whole interrelation theory you're formulating over there can't be all bad."
He relented with a smirk. "You really are quite clever."
"And I'm cute and fun. You'll miss me if you go away."
"Assuredly, but the choice still has to be mine."
Loki was only partly dressed when Darcy invaded his room the next morning. Evidently, she didn't notice or mind because she started talking and didn't stop the entire time he pulled on his leather.
"Darcy," he repeated over and over until the signal reached her brain and she silenced. "I can't Potter play this morning."
She frowned, her gaze moving up and down his frame. "Where are you going dressed like that?"
"Asgard. I must speak with my father." He sat on the bed to pull on his boots.
"Oh." She dropped dejectedly at his side. "I thought Thor was going next weekend."
"I wish to do this myself."
Her gaze dropped from his. "I'll just pretend to work on my thesis, I guess."
He sighed at her apparent disappointment. "I'm sorry. We can practice our spells when I get back."
She nodded, sucking on a strand of her hair and avoiding his stare, which only added to his guilt.
He stood, making it to the door before the idea struck him and he turned back. "Would you like to go with me to Asgard?"
Darcy erupted off the bed. "Hell yeah! I totally would like to go," she admitted with a wide grin and bouncing on the tips of her toes. "What should I wear?"
He took in her low-cut tank top, jean shorts and flip-flops, which were fine for a Midgardian summer weekend, but knew better than to parade her around Asgard like that. "Perhaps a dress?"
"Dress as in club, cocktail, church, something summery, or more like ball gown?"
Loki didn't quite follow that sentence, so he had no idea what to propose. With her close, he had an enticing view of her cleavage, though. He screwed up his lips to fend off a smile. "Something modest."
She looked down at her chest then back up at him, acting suspicious and undecided about her reaction. "Alright," she said. "Give me a minute."
A minute turned out to be ten minutes, but Loki forgave her because when she found him in the kitchen, she had on a simple, yet stunning black dress that gave her an air of maturity and class.
"Very nice," he complimented her.
"It's my funeral dress," she said, like it was a dirty secret of sorts. Darcy indicated the red and white stones on her necklace that matched her earrings. "These aren't even real."
"I won't tell anyone," he promised before guiding her out of the apartment to a large patch of dirt on the edge of the parking lot. Loki pulled her into a protective embrace, lifted his face to the sky and called out for Heimdall, the guardian of the bifrost. Then in a flash of brilliant white energy, they were snatched up from Earth and carried through space.
"Holy shit!" Darcy exclaimed as they landed. She hid behind Loki when she spotted the towering presence of Heimdall in his impressive gold armor. "He's not going to use that sword on us, is he?"
The guardian appeared to be in a good mood as he chose to chuckle at Darcy's distress.
Loki stepped aside, drawing Darcy forward into view. "Heimdall, this is Darcy Lewis."
Darcy trembled against Loki's side. "Hi," she offered in a small voice.
Heimdall nodded in greeting, no doubt recognizing her as one of the people who frequented the company of the sons of Odin. "The king meets with his council this morning," he told Loki. "Can you two stay out of trouble for a few hours?"
Though his tone had become more gruff, Loki sensed that the gatekeeper was just teasing them. "We'll be fine." He took Darcy's hand, leading her out of the dome onto the rainbow bridge. "Welcome to Asgard," he said, gesturing to the golden city in the distance.
"Wow," Darcy said, her eyes wide with awe as she took it all in. The political science major made inquiries into Asgardian culture and laws as they walked the length of the bridge.
A carriage met them at the end of the bridge. Loki asked the driver to detour through the city before taking them to the palace. Darcy knelt on the bench the entire ride, sticking her head out the window to see everything as she continued to ask him questions.
"Oh my god," Darcy said, plopping on the seat to stare at him. "I've been wracking my brain for months over what my topic should be for my thesis paper. Well, duh - I should be writing about Asgard and Earth and how the two are back on speaking terms after all these years, you know? And how Jane and Thor and you and me and sometimes Erik are all working together and saving the universe and stuff."
Loki couldn't stop grinning because she was brilliant, quirky and so very beautiful when alight with such excitement and inspiration. "It's a splendid idea," he praised, glad to see her brighten with the compliment.
"You're going to help me, right?"
"I would like that," he admitted.
Even after the long ride and a leisurely stroll through the gardens, they still had to wait outside the throne room for Odin's council to end. As the minutes dragged on, Loki found himself getting more nervous. For once, he had a harder time sitting still than Darcy.
When the thought overcame him, Loki muttered aloud, "He's going to say no," then flushed with embarrassment.
Darcy gripped his hand and leaned against his side. "Why?"
It pained him to say it. "Because he doesn't trust me."
"You've been good. Make him understand what you have accomplished and how you feel about Thor."
Loki wondered if Odin could possibly care about his feelings. Surely, such a thing wouldn't be a high priority. How could he have been stupid enough to try this without his brother? At least their father gave Thor some consideration.
The doors opened and the advisers and generals streamed out. Then a guard stepped forward with a respectful bow. "His majesty will see you, Prince Loki."
Loki thanked him as he stood then realized that he hadn't done such a thing since he was a child. Apparently, their trips to Hogwarts had reintroduced him to using words like please and thank you.
"Be brave," Darcy whispered and pressed a soft kiss onto the back of his hand before releasing it.
Wrong house, he thought, wanting to smile for her, but somehow the message didn't make it from his brain to his mouth. He didn't feel brave at all, or even clever.
Years ago, he stood before Odin in chains and hadn't been this afraid.
He took less than a minute to collect and present himself before the king, but from the sternness of Odin's features one might have thought Loki had kept him waiting an hour.
"Good day, Father," Loki said, standing tall and tensing his frame.
"Where is Thor?"
His stomach twinged. "I wanted to speak with you alone."
"About?"
"You releasing me from Thor's custody."
"No," was the king's swift and cutting response.
"Please Father?" Loki begged, pushing the words up from constricting lungs. "I need my freedom."
"You squandered your freedom when you had it. Without your brother to look after you, I would have no other choice than to put you back in a cell. You must accept the consequences of your actions."
Loki dropped his gaze to the floor, feeling sick and sad all at once.
"Who is this?" Odin asked all the sudden, causing Loki to turn.
Darcy didn't make it far into the throne room before the guards rushed forward. She looked angry and offended to have swords pointed at her.
Loki spoke, but the emotion built up in his throat mutilated her name.
"I'm Darcy Lewis," she called up to Odin with a noticeable edge to her voice.
Odin glared at Loki. "Why is there a human in my kingdom?"
"I'm Loki's co-worker and friend," Darcy continued. "I hoped you would let me talk on his behalf."
Though annoyance crossed the king's features, he waved off the guards and allowed her to approach. "I haven't much patience, Darcy Lewis."
"Yes, your majesty, I kinda noticed. Your son has been trying pretty hard to make you proud. Too bad you won't slow down and realize it."
Loki felt so horrified that he thought he might be physically sick. Of all the times for Darcy to flaunt an attitude, this was seriously not the time.
"Loki has been helpful, staying out of trouble and making friends - none of which is easy for him. He just wants to be trusted to do those things on his own, without Thor looking over his shoulder."
"If he wants trust, he has to earn it."
Darcy shook her head. "You're so blind and narrow-minded!"
Loki groaned, worrying that he might end the day in the dungeons. He shot her a pleading glance, but she persisted.
"Think about it," she challenged Odin. "How is he supposed to earn what you aren't willing to offer?"
Odin glared and tensed at her tone. He signaled the guards. "Send them back to Midgard."
Loki grabbed Darcy's hand, pulling her from the room before the guards could manhandle her. All the way home, she fumed and stayed silent. Only when they stepped into the apartment did she break down, sobbing and apologizing while Loki denied being upset with her.
Of course, the ruckus brought Jane and Thor rushing into the kitchen. "What is happening?" Jane asked.
Darcy sniffled as she confessed, "I pissed off the King of Asgard."
Jane embraced her, holding her tight and allowing her to cry. "Humans seem to have that effect on him."
Thor frowned, bowing and shaking his head. "Why did you go without me?"
Loki didn't want to justify his decision. He shrugged. "Doesn't matter now."
"It does," Thor said. "Tell me exactly what happened so we can come up with a plan to fix it."