The conversation was stunted and more than harsh, leaving Alexis in no mood to negotiate.

"She is your betrothed!" Thor roared at his younger brother.

"I didn't want her, or this!" Loki yelled back with just as mush vigour.

"You love her!" Thor pointed at Alexis

"She is mortal, therefore I do not!" Loki glared at Thor.

"You are the most vile, selfish, hard-hearted creature in existence!" Alexis screamed at the top of her lungs. "I loved you! And you're throwing that away because I'm mortal! You coward!"

"Obviously I overestimated your importance to me." Loki snapped back at her.

"So, what? I'm nothing to you now?" Alexis' voice lowered, pained.

"You were never anything to begin with-"

Alexis silenced Loki with a sharp slap across the face, the sound of which echoed around the chamber as she turned her back on Loki. She'd been hurt for the last time, she would make sure of it.

...

Alexis clutched her notes and the Grimoire to her chest as she slunk through the Asgardian Palace to the gardens. She couldn't stay here. They'd all just have to get through this without her. They had her research; they'd just have to figure something out. But she was out of here. She couldn't stay another minute in this place. Couldn't stand another minute anywhere near the proximity of…him

Alexis pulled out the Grimoire and, doing her stations to the four Winds, drew a traveling ward on the ground beneath her feet, praying to all she held dear that this worked correctly and didn't summon that strange little creature – Mem-locke – like the last time she'd tried this.

Finally, in resignation, she spoke the words. "High Powers, I summon thee. With the power of the Realm, I summon thee. Appear O Magic One, and relay me to my home with your blessing and protection…" Alexis paused and thought of her mother, a tear trickling down her cheek as she finished her spell. "Ancestor O Mine…I beseech Thee… Take me from this place!"

Alexis felt the ground shake slightly beneath her feet and, closing her eyes, felt wisps of wind brush by her face. Then came the tinkling sound and the bright glowing of the ward she'd drawn. Then… nothing.

When Alexis opened her eyes again… she was home. The photos of her with Tony and his Father stood on the dresser in front of her. Alexis was home… but she would never feel whole again.

...

Loki felt the space-time continuum shift, and a sudden feeling of loss overwhelmed him. He'd felt the magic and seen the flash of light, but he hadn't realised until just now.

Alexis…was gone

...

It had been two months. Alexis missed her big brother Tony… she wanted him to come back…to come home to her and Pepper. Jarvis had been bugging her like crazy! It needed to end. Not just Jarvis… but her state of grieving. By the Gods she missed Loki…literally craved his touch…

Unable to hold back the tears any longer, Alexis broke down into sobs so strong they shook her small form. Big, blubbery tears dropped from her eyes, leaving drops of water on her cheeks and clothes. She wrapped her arms about herself in an attempt to control the shaking, but only succeeded in falling to her knees in her grief at having lost her one true love…a love that no longer wanted her… and that knowledge made her cry out in agony.

...

The gut-wrenching cry was heard throughout the Nine Realms. More importantly…it was heard by Loki. He flashed to her side in an instant, and looked down at her pain-racked form with such sadness as was unknown to most of the cosmos. How could he have been so cruel?

He knelt down and pulled her into his arms. She pushed him back meekly and, when she looked into his eyes, he knew the moment had come.

"I love you!" And, with that, he kissed her passionately.

...

Please R&R my lovlies!