A/N: Welcome to some new followers! Thanks so much, everyone, for your kind reviews. And thanks to my lovely beta dristi5683. You're a peach!

Day 141, just before dawn

Mojave Desert, Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility

Pale blue light washed the entire cavernous space in a cool, other-worldly glow. The Tesseract beckoned to him, as it did each time he visited, the Space Stone calling to the Star Walker. Loki paced around the swirling cube, coattails flaring, boots soundless on the concrete floor.

"Soon," he crooned, "but not yet."

As Loki had anticipated, the Tesseract responded, growing brighter and more agitated. Usually, Loki savored the pull of the Tesseract, the promise of unimaginable power. This morning, however, he was distracted by a dull ache in his head. A simple painkilling spell would take care of it, as it had done for Jane.

Loki muttered a few words and waited. Nothing. His basic incantation made no difference. He frowned and searched his memory for a stronger spell. When that, too, failed to curb the throbbing, Loki cursed loudly. The Tesseract flared and he apologized, soothing the Stone.

What could have given him a headache that was stronger than his own magic? He had been fine right up to the instant he—

He had been fine until he had left Jane.

The bond.

Loki cursed again, this time under his breath. This was an unexpected and unwelcome side effect. He hadn't known the bond would make it painful to be apart; that detail had been omitted from the tomes he'd studied as a young mage.

He would simply have to ignore the pain, as he had done during many battles and tests before. Loki closed his eyes for a moment, focusing through the headache, steeling himself for what had to be done, rehearsing what he must say. Figuratively speaking, he had already turned the hourglass over when the Tesseract became aware of his presence.

Loki took a steadying breath, then dissolved the incantation cloaking him from Heimdall's sight. He stood undisguised, Kai's simple black clothes having been exchanged for his own full battle gear. He tipped his face to the ceiling of the immense room, knowing that metal and concrete could not block the vision of the Gatekeeper.

"Heimdall! Do you see me now?" Loki's voice rang out, strong and cutting. "Kindly inform the Allfather and Thor that Loki Laufeyson is alive, and I've found the Tesseract. Odin Allfather may not care about me, but he can't afford to ignore a threat to the Space Stone, can he?

"And, Heimdall—" Again Loki paused to will away the headache. He covered the rune bond mark with his left hand, comforted by the ridges and whorls of the unique pattern. You must do this.

"Heimdall, if there is any compassion in your heart, if, indeed, you have a heart, please protect Jane Foster. Thor will soon discover that Jane and I are sealed by an infinity bond." Loki listened to the words and marveled that they were true. "But it is my doing. Jane is not to blame—she's no threat to Asgard."

A deafening shriek split the air. The Tesseract's unrest had evidently reached the limits of SHIELD's tolerance. Already footfalls could be heard in the corridors. The outer doors were wrenched open; three guards stomped in and found nothing out of place; Loki had already transported outside the compound.

In the weak light of another desert dawn, Loki continued hastily, "I don't ask this for myself. I know there is no love lost between you and me. But Jane is a rare treasure. She possesses knowledge and understanding far beyond her species. For the good of the Nine Realms, she must be protected. I will—" his throat abruptly closed, and Loki swallowed hard, impatient with himself. "You are my witness, Heimdall. I will cast a spell to erase the bond from my memories. This is all I can do to shield her from our enemies, but the rune magic of the bond may be too strong."

Wincing at the pounding in his head, Loki flung his hands out, palms up. Green wisps of his magic gathered, snaking over his fingers and up his arms.

"Jane," he whispered. Whiskey eyes...brilliant mind...rosy lips...stubborn will...satin skin...quick wit...velvet… "Kostr," he pronounced clearly. "Kostr tyna. Tyna." Tendrils of his power invaded his mind, taking from him his memories of the bond. "No," he protested, taken aback by the sudden deep sense of loss, but it was futile. Loki reached for his right wrist and found the skin smooth. "No…"

It was time to return to Thanos. "Heimdall! Tell Odin I will wear a crown." Loki cloaked himself from the Gatekeeper's gaze once again. He would leave this pitiful Realm and not return until he was ready to conquer it. Then he would mold it into a kingdom worthy of himself, with the help of Midgard's best minds.

Loki searched for and found an open pathway to the Sanctuary. As he stepped through the fabric of space and time, he noted that he had a headache. A simple painkilling spell will take care of it.

oooOOOooo

Day 141

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

A strange voice floated to her through a thick haze, arms like steel bands gripped her. Jane heard the words "safe" and "protect," but those words didn't match the pounding of her heart nor the crawling of her skin. She had to get away from her captor. Someone would come save her, she knew, but she couldn't quite recall who.

"Jane? Jane! Everything is all right. Wake up!"

The blackness receded with a rushing sound, and Jane screwed her eyes shut against the sunlight. Something shifted, and a blessed shadow fell over her face.

"Jane?"

With a herculean effort, Jane pried her eyelids open. A great golden lion's head swam into view, china blue eyes shining. Except lions don't have blue eyes.

Thor.

One hundred and forty-one days ago, she had watched a man die at the hands of a terrible monster sent by his jealous, murdering brother. Then she had witnessed his resurrection and transformation into some kind of god. Mere moments later, she had bidden farewell to him and watched him be sucked up into the heavens, returning to who knows what kind of chaos. His presence on Earth had validated her theories about bridges to other worlds, but the events of his visit nearly destroyed her; certainly they scarred her forever. She had subsisted in crippling terror for four long months, afraid for his life, afraid for her own. Through great effort and counseling, she had overcome this fear, had begun to reconstruct a life for herself.

Now he was back. He seemed whole and healthy. Relief poured through her veins, washing away the nagging worry she'd felt for him.

"Thor! Is it really you?"

He smiled at her, that blinding blessing. "Jane! Thank the Norns! Yes, it's me."

Why hadn't he returned earlier? Why hadn't he found a way to send her a message? Didn't he know she would be worried? Anger raised her hand; she slapped his face.

Startled, Thor nearly dropped her. Jane hadn't fully processed that he was holding her in his arms.

"Why did you strike me?"

"Your horrible brother tries to kill you, you go back to Asgard, then—nothing! What happened?"

Thor smiled at her again. "It's a long story, Jane. I'm just happy to see you again. I'm happy you're better."

"Put me down, please."

Thor shook his head. "Jane, you fainted when you saw me. I thought you were going to topple off the roof. I'll put you down on the ground."

Jane looked around the giant then to see that they were still on the roof of her lab. "Well, take me down then. I need to use the ladies' room."

"Ah. Yes, of course." Thor complied, handing Jane her belongings to hold before stepping off the roof.

Jane felt the drop to the ground like a ride in a fast elevator. Thor gingerly set her on her feet, keeping a hand on her back to steady her. She shrugged him off, unlocked the lab door, and slipped inside, not caring whether or not Thor followed. Jane made a beeline for the bathroom.

She attended to her most critical needs, then stared at herself while she washed her hand, careful not to wet her bandage. Bruised, shell-shocked eyes greeted her, and her hair was wild. Thor was back, and she looked like a bag lady. She grabbed her comb and got to work making herself presentable.

Jane mouthed the words to her reflection: Thor is here. How did she feel about that? She had longed for his return, but now she felt nothing. She was to be taken to the Joint Dark Energy Facility today. That was traumatic enough, without also having to deal with the sudden reappearance of the God of Thunder.

Several minutes later, Jane emerged from the bathroom. Thor sat on a dining chair, arms resting on the table, patiently waiting. His face lit up when she walked toward him, but his smile faltered a bit.

"Is something wrong, Jane Foster?"

She rummaged through her rucksack, making certain all her belongings had been brought off the roof. When she completed the task, she met Thor's eyes.

"You can just call me Jane, you know."

"You don't seem happy to see me."

Jane sighed. She didn't really want to push him away. "I'm sorry. I am happy to see you. It's just...complicated. I've been through a lot since the De—since you left. I don't want to talk about it yet."

Thor stood, pushing back the wooden chair. His light armor sparkled in the clear sunlight streaming in the windows. "As you wish. A jet is waiting for us on the outskirts of town, ready to take us to meet Erik Selvig."

"Where is the agent who was supposed to pick me up?"

"I believe Erik Selvig informed you this morning of an unusual situation at the fortress where the Tesseract is kept, did he not?"

Jane nodded.

"My arrival was part of that situation. I, of course, asked Erik Selvig about your safety, and he asked if I would like to personally escort you to the fortress."

"What was the other part of the situation?"

"I am afraid you'll have to speak to Erik Selvig about that."

"You can just call him Erik."

Jane fell silent as she worked through all the answers she'd like to have and all the faces she'd like to punch. Mutely, she picked up her bag and nodded when Thor asked if the two suitcases were all she needed to take. She followed him, locking the lab behind her.

It was a lovely mid-autumn day in Puente Antiguo. The sky was heartbreakingly blue, the light warm and golden. She had solved a major issue with the Tesseract project. Thor—Thor!—was back. But Jane felt numb. Am I in shock?

Isabel came out of her diner to meet them as they approached, carrying a white paper bag. She stopped several feet away and looked Thor up and down. "Well, if it isn't the mug smasher himself."

Thor grinned. "Hello, Lady Isabel. Yes, it is I. May I apologize once again for my ignorance of the social mores of your fine realm?"

Isabel flapped her hand at him in dismissal. "Eh, I'm only kidding. What brings you here?"

Jane just stared off in the distance, so Thor cleared his throat and answered, "I've come to escort Jane Foster to her temporary laboratory. Dr. Selvig needs her help."

"Yeah, I heard. So you're her ride?"

"No, we'll fly in an airplane."

"That's too bad. Might be fun."

Thor chuckled. Isabel held out the bag to Jane.

"This is for you, girlie. You can share it with the space hunk if you want. I'll miss you, okay?"

Jane stepped forward and hugged the older woman. "I'll miss you, too. Thank you for everything."

"How's the hand this morning?"

Jane looked at her bandaged hand in surprise. "I actually forgot about it. It doesn't really hurt anymore."

Isabel raised her eyebrows. "I must have done a better job patching you up than I thought I did. Take care of yourself."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

Thor raised his hand in farewell and the two of them continued on their brief journey. Jane's steps faltered only once, when she realized she hadn't walked past Isabel's diner since the day she ran to the side of a broken Thor, since the day the Destroyer demolished Puente Antiguo. Thor noticed the slight stumble and immediately turned to catch her, but Jane sidestepped him. She did not want him to touch her right now.

Puente Antiguo was a tiny town; soon the gleaming lines of a small jet came into view beyond the broken-down buildings and abandoned houses. Jane wondered how an airplane could land without a runway, but she kept her curiosity to herself.

The aircraft sat next to the site where Asgard's Einstein-Rosen bridge had last been activated, the unusual loops and knots still visible. They boarded the jet. It was clearly a no-nonsense transport plane, not a luxury airliner. Two metals benches lined the inside of the fuselage with safety harnesses bolted down. Thor secured her luggage and then motioned for Jane to sit. She ungracefully plunked down in the space closest to the exit, set the bag from Isabel next to her, and fumbled with the harness. Thor continued to the cockpit, spoke to the uniformed woman in the pilot's seat, and soon the jets powered up.

Jane was thankful that Thor sat across from her rather than next to her, but then realized she'd either have to look at him or spend the flight rather obviously avoiding him. Perhaps the noise of the engines would be too loud for conversation.

The jet took off vertically, as a helicopter would. Well, that answered her question about a runway. Jane craned her neck to watch the land disappear through the windshield in the cockpit, then they were airborne. And it was surprisingly quiet. Dang it. She glanced at Thor out of the corner of her eye and found him watching her.

Grow up, Jane. Talk to him. She sighed and turned to face him. "Um. Thank you for not letting me fall off the roof of my lab. That was very kind."

Thor raised his eyebrows. "You're...welcome? It certainly was the least I could do, after startling you so badly. You've had enough difficulty lately."

A comment he'd made tickled her memory. She cocked her head, frowned, and said, "I wonder how much you already know about what I've experienced. Did Erik talk to you about me?"

"No, he simply asked me to accompany Lieutenant Irving to escort you."

"Okay, well, earlier, you said you were glad I was better. You wouldn't say that unless you knew that I hadn't been well."

Thor glanced away.

"Yeah. That's what I thought. I went through hell after you left, Thor. I begged you to help me."

"I know you did…" he said quietly.

"And you didn't show. Fine. But you're here, now that I've pulled myself up by my bootstraps. So what got you to come back now?"

Thor ran one hand through his long, golden hair. The motion caused his unnaturally large biceps to ripple. A few months ago, Jane would have positively swooned over those muscles.

"You have been working on a project related to the Tesseract, have you not?"

Jane nodded.

"The Tesseract is quite important to Asgard. Heimdall alerted us that it was in danger of falling into the wrong hands. Odin decided this was worth sending me to investigate."

"I see. And I wasn't…?"

"Jane, it is not so simple as that. When I returned to Asgard, I was immediately thrown into a battle with Loki. The Bifrost was destroyed. I could not travel by usual means—I still cannot. In order to send me to Earth, Odin had to use a great deal of dark matter and his own energy. This trip was very costly to Odin personally."

Somewhat humbled, Jane lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"You don't need to apologize, Jane. You couldn't have known. I hated that I could not return, that I could not even send a message to you. I frequently asked Heimdall to check on you, however. I knew you were having some sort of difficulty following the events of my visit. For that I apologize to you."

Jane looked at him again and shrugged. "It's called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It probably doesn't happen to you Asgardians, but sometimes when humans have been through a shocking situation, our brains can't properly process the experience."

Thor shook his head. "Jane...I wish I had been here. But—forgive me, I don't understand. I defeated the Destroyer."

"Yeah. I know. Crazy, huh? But I guess the trauma of the Destroyer pulverizing Puente Antiguo and seeing you die stuck with me. Can we, um, talk about something else now?"

"Of course. I do have another question. The last while, Heimdall has often had trouble seeing you. Has anything out of the ordinary been happening?"

Jane snorted. "Thor, my entire life is out of the ordinary for a human being. But, no, nothing weirder than usual has been happening. In fact, I've been growing healthier and stronger. I've been able to resume work. Until Erik announced that I was being forced to work at the SHIELD prison, I was doing really well."

Thor frowned. "Perhaps this is related to your work with the Tesseract."

"Yeah, maybe. Listen, Thor, you said what happened when you returned to Asgard was a long story. We've got some time now. Would you please tell me what happened?"

Please say you killed Loki. Please. I need to know he's not a threat anymore.

It was Thor's turn to look away. "It took some time to piece together the chain of events. It was Loki who let the Frost Giants into the Vault during my Coronation, which led to our visit to Jotunheim, which led to my banishment."

"Had he always been jealous of you?"

Thor looked at his boot-clad feet. "It seems so. It's become apparent to me that those who live in the sun have very little idea what it feels like to be in someone's shadow. I did not realize that he felt so slighted. I was painfully ignorant of a great many truths about Loki."

"So you were banished, then Loki visited and told you that your father was dead. But that was…?"

Thor nodded. "A lie. Odin was not dead, though he had fallen into the Odinsleep. Loki was temporarily king of Asgard, and he had concocted quite a plan, which he did not want me to disrupt. Thus, when the Warriors Three and Sif came for me, he sent the Destroyer to keep us from returning to Asgard."

"What was his plan?"

"He had determined to win Odin's favor by exterminating our oldest enemies, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. He invited Laufey, their king, to murder Odin while he slept. However, Loki's true intention was to kill Laufey as he attempted to assassinate Odin."

"Did he succeed?"

"Yes. Loki killed Laufey. That act alone wasn't entirely unwelcome. Laufey was a tyrant who threatened the peace of the Nine Realms. However, Loki's actions put Odin in great danger and put Asgard at risk of another war.

"When I arrived, Heimdall was near death. Loki had used a Jotun weapon to freeze him. I found my family in Odin's bedchamber, Laufey's body on the floor. Loki calmly announced he was going to destroy Jotunheim. He focused the Bifrost on Jotunheim, then froze the controls so that the energy from the bridge would build and build."

Thinking of her recent research, Jane said, "Eventually creating a nova."

"A what?"

"The planet would explode."

"Yes. And while the Jotnar have not traditionally been our friends, I could not let Loki massacre an entire race. We fought terribly. He even told me he would—"

"What?"

Thor shook his head, but kept his eyes resolutely on his boots. It occurred to Jane that she hadn't needed to be so concerned about looking at Thor, since he wouldn't look at her. "He said many things to taunt me."

Jane was riveted by Thor's story now. "So what happened?"

"I could not stop the Bifrost. So I took Mjolnir and broke the Bridge. That disrupted the beam trained on Jotunheim, but it created a terrible explosion. Loki and I were both thrown to the edge of the Bridge. I caught Loki and Odin caught me."

"Odin?"

"Yes, he had awakened while we fought."

"I see. So Odin pulled you from the edge of the Bridge."

"He pulled me up, yes. But Loki...Loki let go."

Jane hoped that meant Loki was dead. But then Thor raised his eyes to hers. The anguish in them shamed her. "What do you mean that he let go?"

"He fell into the Void. I tried to hold onto him, but he released his grip."

"What is the Void?"

"The Void is the empty space between Realms."

"So, is Loki…is Loki dead?"

Thor hesitated for a moment. "We haven't seen him since that day. It's hard to say what happened to him."

The two sat silent, each lost in thought. Jane finally shifted in her seat.

"To be honest—and I know this sounds horrible—I'm relieved, Thor. I've come a long way in my recovery in a short time, but I still occasionally have panic attacks. Nearly all of my remaining anxiety stems from the possibility that Loki will unleash some fresh horror on the Earth. It's comforting to know that he is likely dead."

The God of Thunder stared at the white bag next to Jane. A pang of regret struck her.

"You know what? I should have kept my mouth shut. Loki represents to me the worst period of my life, my worst fears, my lowest low. But he's still your little brother. So I apologize."

Thor nodded, but still didn't meet her eyes.

oooOOOooo

Day 141

Chitauri Space: The Sanctuary

"Runt. You've returned." The hooded figure moved swiftly to stand in front of Loki.

Loki inclined his head in acknowledgement and allowed his gaze to wander around the forsaken rock these strange creatures inhabited. He had disdained the scrubby brown desert, but there had also been sunsets of impossibly saturated color, surprisingly patterned lizards, and flora which impressively survived the harsh conditions. This so-called Sanctuary was black, bare, and ugly. Like their souls, perhaps? In any case, he had not missed it.

"Where is the Tesseract?" The Other's voice caused the faint aching in his head to amplify.

"The Tesseract is safe for the time being. I will be happy to explain to you and to Master." Loki reminded himself to keep his eyes lowered. There was no need to provoke his "allies."

"Your explanation had better satisfy Master. Or you'll be mine for more training."

Again Loki merely nodded.

Soon he stood before the Mad Titan, waiting with bowed head to be spoken to.

"Loki of...where are you from again?" The booming voice crowded into his ears.

"Master, I am born of Jotunheim and reared in Asgard."

"That's right. You're an imposter, aren't you?"

Loki didn't mind enduring pain if it served to further his purposes. But he had learned on his first stay at the Sanctuary that the Other was very creative and could create torture that felt like the marrow was being torn from his bones. Even Loki could swallow his pride and at least feign submission in order to avoid unnecessary pain.

So he stifled the impulse to attack, kept his gaze averted and replied evenly, "I am an imposter if you say that I am, Master."

The monster's laughter echoed off the jagged rocks.

"You have not brought me the Tesseract, No-One's-Son."

"I have not, Master," Loki agreed.

"I'm feeling generous. I'll give you one chance to explain why you failed in your mission before I kill you. You may look at me while you speak."

Loki raised his eyes to the hulking purple being, floating above the surface of the craggy rock in some sort of throne. "Thank you, Master. If you please, I changed strategy mid-mission as I learned more about the nature of the Tesseract. It is currently housed in an easily penetrated Midgardian facility. I have successfully influenced both mortals who study the Tesseract. I understand what must be done to manipulate its power, and I can advise on the formation of the army best suited for an invasion of Midgard. My recommendation is to leave the Tesseract where it is until we are ready to attack. Otherwise, we'll alert the mortals and they will prepare defenses."

He neglected to mention that he had alerted Asgard that day. But he hadn't been able to resist baiting his false family.

Thanos hummed. "How can mortal defenses stand against our forces?"

"They cannot prevail, Master, but they can be terribly annoying."

Here the Other spoke. "I must agree, Master, with the runt. Humans are surprisingly resourceful."

Loki risked speaking again. "If you prefer, I can retrieve the Tesseract right now."

"No. Your explanation is satisfactory."

Loki breathed a bit easier.

"But," Thanos began, "I would like to know about these two mortals studying the Tesseract. What are their names?"

"Erik Selvig and Jane Foster, Master."

"Ah, yes, Jane Foster is the one who interests me. Our colleague here"—he gestured to the Other—"reported that you seemed particularly invested in her, that you seemed to protect her."

Loki chuckled. "Master, she was important during my time on Midgard. Unbeknownst to her, she taught me a great deal about the Tesseract. I plan on using her again. But invested in her? Protecting her? No, Jane Foster was but a tool to further my mission."

Thanos studied Loki for an interminable moment. "The Other said you didn't want him to kill her."

"If it pleases you, Master, what I said was that killing her would delay the mission. She was my best source of information."

"You are a liesmith, though. Test him." Thanos waved two fingers, and the Other grasped the neck of Loki's tunic and yanked him backwards.

The foul stench that always accompanied the Other choked Loki as the creature leaned in close. "I know what I saw in your eyes, No-One's-Son. You will pay for your lies."

He dragged Loki to a familiar stone table. "Lie down."

Loki complied, knowing that resistance would only prolong the agony. The Other shackled his hands and feet, then placed the moist, revolting fingers of his hand on Loki's head. Instantly, Loki's body stiffened with pain and disgust as the Other psychically pushed himself into his mind. It felt like rape, and Loki knew, having endured both torments on this rock.

Thanos' thunderous voice reached them. "Well?"

"I sense nothing, Master, but he is an accomplished liar. I must dig deeper."

The agony rolled through his whole body, whiting out his mind and curling his fingers. He strained against the restraints, feeling blood run down his right arm.

An eternity later, the Other withdrew, leaving Loki exhausted and whimpering.

"He speaks the truth, Master. Jane Foster is merely a means to an end. She is nothing."