"So…we're looking for an alien and a sorcerer," Steve Rogers was repeating. "And then, a Titan might be on his way, but we're not sure when, and have no idea how to fight him."

"Nicely recapped, Cap," Tony held his cup of coffee up to him.

"Thanos can be defeated. I only need to replace my hammer."

"You lost your hammer?" Natasha said, astonished. "Nice one leaving that out."

"Well, lost is a bit of a strong word," Thor shrugged.

"What's a good word, then?"

"I …suppose it was destroyed by my sister the Goddess of Death is a better way to say it."

"Where's your sister? Are we able to recruit her?" Natasha was practical to a fault.

"Ah no. She's either dead or worse. Surtur destroyed Asgard, and Hela presumably with it. She drew her power from Asgard, so with it gone, she's…"

"Powerless," supplied Steve. "Ok. So no Goddess of Death," he looked around. "Anyone know where Banner is?"

"He's with my people," said Thor.

"Bruce is taking a day or two," Tony stood and poured some more coffee. "He'll be ready to suit up when the time is right."

"When is the time right, exactly?" smirked Natasha.

Tony winked at her. "Where are our wayward lovebirds? We need to protect Vision and that thing in his head," he sat down again. "Because Thanos is coming for him."

Mortals are so very fragile. Loki steadied her and thought this in passing. He looked out into the expanse of Alfheim, trying to remember when the last time he was here. He didn't want to be poorly received, not when they were looking to traverse the catacombs. The Light Elves were a kindly race, but not everyone on Alfheim were, and Loki wanted to be sure that the Elves were on his side in case they ran into others.

They were also fiercely protective of their records, and with good reason.

There was nothing like it in the Tree.

"This place is incredible," Jane breathed.

"Alfheim is lovely," he admitted. "The ah…library of sorts we need to get to is just on the edge of the city there. It's but a mile or two. Can you walk?" he looked over at her.

"Sure," she smiled.

"Good. It's worth the effort of walking to see the it fully," and he started down the smallish hill.

Part of Jane wondered at her willingness to follow Loki wherever. She should be more cautious around him.

But he had been mostly fine since they met up.

Working together on the blueprints for the BiFrost, though that never came to fruition. She thought about how they got steadily more comfortable with one another…

And then she thought about that kiss that they shared…

How long ago was that, now?

Had it been only that morning?

Jane looked at him as he walked next to her. "How long will we be here?"

"A few hours, I expect."

"Do you honestly think that my father or mother are in papers here?"

"Well, if they're not, then mortals are not at all what anyone imagined them to be. But it's highly unlikely that you're just mortal. I'm not certain that I could hold an Infinity Stone without something like the scepter I used."

"Right," she said, memories of what he did with that scepter momentarily filled her thoughts…but she dismissed them, having promised to move on from it. "Did you attempt to hold it?"

"I did not."

"Can anyone hold an Infinity Stone?" she was beginning to think that there was something wrong with her, not special.

"Well, I'm not sure. I'm not exactly an expert on the things. In fact, I knew very little about them until I met the Other…" he said softly.

"Maybe understanding them better can help us defeat Thanos."

He stopped at that. "It's doubtful that we'll be defeating Thanos, Jane. A bargain is what we should be aiming for."

"But wouldn't it be better to defeat him outright?"

"Perhaps," and he started walking again. "But I wouldn't count on anything. Best to keep our goals realistic."

"This, coming from the God of Mischief."

He chuckled. "And as the God of Mischief, it's prudent to know when to back down. We can survive, but we might not win, exactly."

"What constitutes winning, in this?" she muttered.

"Killing the Titan," Loki said with conviction.

Jane sighed and kicked a stone on the ground. Killing the Titan. She looked at the foliage covering the floor just next to them on the lane. "Can we stop a moment?"

He sighed inaudibly. "Are you tired?"

"No. Just wanting to enjoy this …" what? "…this, sojourn to another realm," she smiled.

"You forget. We are trying to save yours and my race from Thanos's ire."

"How can I forget, Loki? But what would ten minutes matter?"

He decided not to argue, and followed her into the glen. Jane walked along the split of trees, out toward an overlook. She was high on a precipice, and as she looked out, she exclaimed, "It's a circumbinary planet!"

"A what?" Loki stood next to her.

"Look! Two suns!" she pointed.

"Oh," he sat down on the rock edge.

"Oh?" she was aghast. "That's all? 'Oh'?"

"Well, I've seen it before."

Jane shook her head and sat next to him. "What do you know about Alfheim?"

"Many things."

She waited. "And? What specific things?"

"Jane, this really is a waste of our time. Isn't it better to continue to head toward the catacombs?"

"I want to learn what I can, Loki. Can't you just tell me a few things?"

He swallowed, looking at her earnest face. She was sincere. "Very well. Let's see…" he paused, looking away and out into the landscape. "Alfheim is home to about half a dozen races. The Light Elves are the most advanced…but there are some other peoples who have populated it. Odin's ravens are here," he paused. "The Light Elves are incredible artisans. They are skilled ironworkers, and able writers and record keepers. They hold magic, but not quite as much as some of the other Realms. They consider it their duty to keep records of things, so that mistakes aren't repeated."

"That makes sense."

"Yes. But we seldom heed that advice," he tossed a stone into the valley below.

"Where did you get your magic?"

"Frigga. But the Frost Giants also hold it."

"Were you close with your mother?"

He cleared his throat. He nodded.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

And he felt some anger brim…she was sorry? He didn't need her pity. Her concern. "We should go."

"I mean it, Loki. I am sorry…" she reached for his hand.

He took it away. "No apology necessary, Jane. Let's go," and he went to stand.

"Don't do that," she said. "Don't avoid it. It's my fault she's dead. She was trying to protect me."

He hadn't known that. "What?" he said softly.

And for the first time in days she felt some inkling of fear. "She…she was fighting the Dark Elves, and Malekieth …he…"

"Stop. No more. I do not care to hear," why hadn't Thor told him?

Because there was no reason to. Why should he care how and why Frigga died? Jane Foster was nothing to him.

She was nothing to him…

He looked at her.

And her sepia eyes were peering earnestly back at him. He felt himself waver under her gaze. "Jane," his mouth was very dry. "This is…painful for me. Even more painful to admit that it hurts. And I do not wish to discuss it."

She swallowed. "Right. I understand."

"Thank you."

She smiled at him. How much she had misunderstood about Loki! She had honestly believed him to be pure evil, but now…

Now she saw him as someone who had lost their way. Maybe he was trying to find his way back. "We should go," and she went to stand.

Loki stood first, and offered her his hand up.

Jane took it, and as he pulled her to standing, she realized too late that she hadn't resisted enough, and crashed into his chest. "Sorry!" she said loudly, muffled by his tunic.

He felt her breath against him through his clothes, and he felt her pulling away. And there was a part of him that wanted to hold her close, not let her leave. "It's all right, Jane Foster," and he stepped back. "Let's get going."

She nodded, following him out of the copse and back onto the road. Jane shoved her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt, thinking. "Where did you put that sorcerer?"

"He's safe."

"But where?"

"In between."

"What? In between?"

"Yes. He's fine. Likely sleeping. I'll get him once we've returned to Midgard."

Jane shook her head, her mouth set, but didn't press it.

And they walked on for another ten minutes, until they reached the bottom of the path…and there they saw the tops of the city Loki had pointed out an hour ago.

But from this vantage point, it was much larger, though not as big as any Earthen city Jane was accustomed to. It looked much like a town in Switzerland, if she had to describe it. Nothing terribly alien. "Lovely," she observed.

He nodded to her and led her to the largest structure…stone mostly. "Here we are," he said, and he ascended a set of stairs.

"Where is everyone?"

"It's harvest time on Alfheim, so everyone is at the market. They'll be returning in a bit, but most live outside Alne."

"Alne?"

"The city we are in," he walked up to the door. "This place used to be the capital, but has since been usurped by Yggdrasil City."

Jane simply nodded as Loki opened the door.

"Nindrol!" he exclaimed.

The elf appeared to roll his eyes. "Prince Loki," he nodded. "What…" he cleared his throat. "Ah…why are you here?"

"We are here to canvass the great knowledge of Alfheim," he smiled.

"And what specific knowledge do you seek?"

"We are looking specifically for ancestral knowledge," he began. "My companion here is Thor's near-intended, however she is but mortal. We are looking to see if her deep ancestry might not appease the God of Thunder and his regal obligations to his people."

"I understand that your home was recently lost," Nindrol said, not unkindly.

"That is true, yes. So it would mean all the more to the Aesir if we could offer them a worthy Queen," he paused. "To begin afresh."

He waffled a bit, then nodded. "Come. I'll take you to the correct place."

Loki followed, winking at Jane.

"What do you know of the Infinity Stones?" she asked Nindrol.

"Infinity Stones?" he glanced back at her. "How does a Midgardian mortal know of those?"

Loki elbowed Jane, his eyes wide. How could she be so indelicate?

"I'm a scientist on Midgard, and I had heard Thor talking about them," she looked at Loki wide eyed, as if to say, Was that ok?

"The Infinity Stones are not playthings, Miss…?"

"Selvig," supplied Loki. It was possible that Thanos knew her surname, in which case, he did not want it to get back to him that he and the mortal were spending time on Alfeim.

"Selvig. But we have information about them, to be sure."

"Maybe after we look at my lineage, we can…"

"Only if we have time, Miss Selvig. You know how Thor always wants you back in a timely fashion," Loki chastised.

"Yes. But perhaps…"

"Perhaps we should allow Nindrol here to take us to where we need to go, and worry about your side-interests later."

She cleared her throat, walking down the stone steps into the catacombs. It was lit by torches, and there were doors about every ten steps on either side.

Down, down they went…

"Do you have lineage information on every person in existence?" Jane asked.

"Nearly," said the elf. "Here we are…" and they reached a landing. The doors on either side were adorned with wooden carvings. They were massive in size and structure. "This one," he pointed to the one on the right. "Holds the information about the lower Realms. This one," the one on the left now. "Are the higher Realms. Both Midgard and Asgard…and some about Alfheim and Vanaheim, even Valhalla, will be to the left. I suggest you start there," and Nindrol opened the door.

Inside were wooden shelves and stacks…maps on walls…there was more information than Jane could ever hope to traverse. "Ok," she breathed, thinking that she needed some coffee and food.

…and Nindrol closed the door behind him.