Hey, I'm back. So, school has started, so I'll most likely be posting less. But if its any solace, this is my longest chapter yet! Thanks for your continuing support! :)
"Heya, Pumpkin!" Dan Lewis beamed at his daughter as he swung her in his arms.
"No, Daddy, put me down!" The six year old tried to sound indignant but was failing miserably.
"Sorry Darce." Dan couldn't help but grin. The girl had decided to wear her flouncy purple tutu and gaudy plastic tiara. Her thin caramel hair was up in a messy, off-center pony tail that she had clearly done herself.
"No, I am Princess Darcy!" She puffed out her chest, making her look more like a penguin than a princess.
"Oh, excuse me Your Highness." He bowed low.
"Darcy, your father's had a long day," Amelia Lewis, still in her dentist's scrubs, rounded the corner. She kissed her husband on the cheek, "How was the office?"
"Hectic." Dan loosened his tie and hung his coat on a rack beside the front door, "How was your day?"
"Much better now that I'm home." Amelia sighed, patting Darcy on the head, "Hey sweetie, I made you some chicken nuggets. Why don't you go eat so that I can take you over to Katie's?"
"Yay!" The six year old grinned from ear to ear, dashing for the kitchen.
"Katie's?" Dan raised an eyebrow.
"Darcy's going to a friend's house tonight," She smiled deviously, "So we have the house to ourselves."
"Oh?" Dan grabbed his wife's waist, pulling her closer.
"Dan!" She swatted his arm in play annoyance.
"Sorry," he said, opting for a quick peck instead, "But can you really blame me? I mean when a man has a wife as gorgeous as you-"
"All done." Darcy appeared from the kitchen. It appeared that she had stuffed all of the chicken nuggets into her mouth at once.
"That was fast!" Amelia rested her hands on her hips, "Did you finish everything?"
"Yep." The girl paused.
"Even your carrots?" her mother inquired. Darcy weighed her options, eventually deciding to finish the carrots rather than pick a fight.
"She got that from your side." Amelia frowned. Dan chuckled. He had never particularly liked vegetables, a trait it seemed he had passed on to his daughter.
"Well it's a good thing she has such a good mother to keep her in check." He patted her arm.
"Okay Romeo." Her eyes glimmered as she moved to grab her coat, "Save it." She paused for a moment, staring at the coat rack.
"Damnit!" She exclaimed suddenly, "I left my coat at the office!"
"Don't worry, I'll go get it while you take Darcy to her friend's house." Dan rested a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.
"No, its fine, I'll just get it on Monday-"
"No, it's freezing outside," Dan said gently, "It's almost Christmas for heaven's sake. You'll need it if we're going to get the tree tomorrow."
"You're right," Amelia sighed, "Thanks."
Minutes later Amelia was taking Darcy to her friend's house and Dan was navigating his way to the dentist's office.
He glanced at the directions his wife had written down for him. He had simply to cross a bridge over the lake and make a right at the gas station. I'll be back before she's even dropped Darcy off.
Feeling confident in his own abilities, Dan glanced back up at the road, only to find himself staring down a massive stag. He let out a yelp of surprise and jerked the wheel violently right. Suddenly the car was airborne; he had driven right off of the bridge and into the lake. The front windshield cracked from the initial impact and water was gushing in.
The car let out a metallic groan. Dan could feel himself begin to hyperventilate. Water was rapidly filling the car, and the way he had landed, he couldn't open up the driver's side door. Without thinking, he unbuckled himself and pushing on the passengers door. It opened, causing a flood of water to surge into the vehicle. Dan was trapped. Trembling in fear, he watched the water pool around his neck. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. His lungs screamed for air, but the water was too high. The sudden realization that he would never see Darcy or Amelia again gave him a renewed surge of energy. He swam desperately for the open car door, but the frigid water was getting the best of him. His vision blurred and his chest felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't feel his limbs and he knew that it was too late. Surrendering to the cold, he closed his eyes, relinquishing control.
000
Darcy's eyes shot open. She would not die like him. Swimming forward, she searched for an exit, but the tunnel seemed never-ending. Suddenly, by some divine intervention, a firm hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to the surface.
She sputtered, gasping like the room was running out of oxygen. Water spilled off of her and pooled on the stone floor beneath her.
"Jesus!" she gasped weakly. The Asgardian stared at her with concerned eyes. He too was soaked.
"Sorry to disappoint," He said, his voice sounded flat, "But it's just me."
"Not what I meant, d-dumbass." She grimaced as she waited for the room to stop spinning.
"You scared me!" he chided, gently helping Darcy to her feet.
"I scared you?" she managed through the chills, "S-sorry I swam down here to save your ass. Why is it s-so cold?"
"It's the shock of being transported; your body isn't used to it." Loki explained, patting her back as she coughed up more water.
"Transported?" Darcy looked uneasy, "Transported where?"
"Uh," Loki wouldn't meet her eyes, "How about we wait on that one."
"Uh, how about we don't."
"Look, just trust me on this one." Why was he dodging the question? What could possibly be so terrible that he couldn't tell her?
"How can I trust you when you don't seem to trust me?"
"I said drop it!"
Darcy took a step back. She had never heard him raise his voice, much less at her. His eyes were as big as saucers, taken aback by his own lack of tact.
"I'm sorry." His voice was barely a whisper, "I only meant-"
"No, its fine," Darcy couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes, reeling from the discovery of this new side to her friend.
"I never expected to see this place again." He said, "I guess being back just stirs up… unpleasant memories."
Oh. Darcy's heart sank. That most likely meant that they were no longer in New Mexico. She could feel her pulse quicken. What if she never saw Jane and Eric again? What if she never set foot in Puente Antigua again? What if she died here?
She felt an anxiety attack beginning in the pits of her stomach. Nonono not now. It had been years since she last had one, but she remembered that they had been quite debilitating. What was it that she used to do?
Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone. Repeating lyrics in her head always helped. Songs always took her out of the moment's panic, if she could just focus on one thing for long enough. I'll be waiting, all that's left to do is run. She hadn't done this since she was seventeen and she had been sent to live with her Catholic grandparents. They had just made her loose the nose ring.
You be the prince and I'll be the princess. In hindsight, she couldn't believe that she had freaked over something so petty. Her mom had sent her away and her biggest concern was a stupid nose ring. It's a love story, Baby-
"Darcy?" Loki's voice snapped her out of her trance-like state.
"Just say yes!" She cried, finishing the lyrics out loud. Loki flashed her a concerned glance.
"Er, yes?" He said tentatively, unsure as to what he was agreeing to.
"Sorry," Darcy's cheeks began to heat up. No doubt he now thought she was insane, "It's a thing I do in stressful situations, or whatever."
"Ah," Lokis face relaxed and he moved to sit beside her, "Could you explain it to me? It sounds like something I could use."
She knew what he was trying to do. He was simply trying to distract her enough to forget her panic, even if it was a lame excuse.
"Okay," She shrugged, "So, just think of your favorite song and focus on the lyrics. It's not a science or anything. I mean, I don't really know what you listen to, but I usually use Taylor Swift." She grimaced, "Because I wasn't basic enough already."
"Oh, I've heard of her!" Loki perked up, "She certainly has a lovely voice."
"Calm down, jeez," Darcy rolled her eyes, "And here I was thinking you weren't the type of guy to throw yourself at women's feet."
"I am not throwing myself at anyone's feet!" His voice was full of reproach, "I just appreciate the music style!"
"Oh, you totally have a thing for her!" Darcy couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the thought, "You have to admit that 'Loki and Taylor' sounds a bit ridiculous."
"Yes," He said, he would have looked serious had it not been for the mischievous glint in his eyes, "But Tom and Taylor doesn't."
Darcy barked out a laugh, shoving her friend to the side, "Never going to happen."
She was loathe to admit it, but their light hearted conversation had calmed her down.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." Loki said. A few strands of his hair had dried and were blowing gently in the breeze.
"Its fine," Darcy said quietly, "I shouldn't have pushed it."
"No, I allowed my fear to control my actions." He shivered.
"Hey, do you feel that?" Darcy cried, rising to her feet.
"All I feel is wind." Loki shrugged, watching Darcy warily.
"Exactly! And why would there be wind in a cave unless there was an exit somewhere?" She grinned, pleased by her own observations.
"Darcy, maybe we shouldn't-"But she was already tearing farther up the tunnel, following the faint light ahead of her. She could hear Loki's protests echoing in the cave behind her.
Suddenly, there it was. Darcy blinked as an onslaught of light assaulted her eyes. She gasped at the sight before her. They were on the side of a mountain, facing what appeared to be a massive city. Buildings like metal spikes ascended high above the streets, somehow making the city look both menacing and welcoming at once. Dark water sparkled below, reflecting the two moons- or maybe those were planets- resting in the sky.
At the center of it all, a massive structure which reminded Darcy of a pipe organ rose majestically. The whole building appeared to be gold, and it shined like nothing she had ever seen. Snow-capped mountains surrounded most of the city like imposing guardians.
"Are we where I think we are?" Darcy whispered in a reverential tone. She could sense Loki standing a few feet behind her, his unease radiating throughout the cavern.
"It would seem we've been transported to my realm." Loki's frown deepened and he took a few steps forward to be level with her, "Darcy Lewis, welcome to Asgard."