A/N: One chapter to go! Can you believe it's almost over?
The sun sat high in the cloudless sky, shining down unhindered on the crowd amassed outside the chapel. Jane was among them, smoothing down a crease in her dress and pushing back a section of hair that seemed to have come undone from her up-do. She was starting to regret picking that hairstyle for today, and trying to do it herself instead of going to a professional.
It couldn't be helped, and it was the least of her worries anyway. Over and over again, she went over the steps in her head, the way she had been all last night and the day before. One foot forward. The other foot forward. The first foot forward again. The second foot forward again…
One would think that one simple walk in a straight line wouldn't cause this much stress, especially since all eyes would be on Sif once she came out. Any mistake Jane could potentially make would be long forgotten once they saw her. So just in case someone else thought it would be funny to watch her scratch herself all the way to the altar, Jane took comfort in knowing at least that.
She was similarly relieved to know that, unlike her first ill-fated attempt at being part of a wedding march, this time she wouldn't be alone. At the start of the ceremony, she glanced at Hogun, waiting at her side for their cue to go in. He looked quite dashing in his tuxedo with his hair pulled back and his face clean shaven. Though the stoicism remained, he did meet her gaze once, and offered her a small smile.
"You look beautiful," he said. "I'm honored to have you on my arm for the wedding march. Just do me a favor and don't tell my girlfriend I said that."
"Your secret's safe with me," Jane said.
When the music started, everyone inside fell silent. The familiar notes of the processional music rang out through the echoing chamber. Jane steeled herself, for the moment of truth was upon them at last. Inside, she knew Thor was taking his place and awaiting Sif. Jane hid a grin in her flowers. Thor was about to get the socks knocked off of him when he saw his bride.
Volstagg went first, arm in arm with his wife. Their seven year old daughter stood back with her basket of flowers. Earlier, Jane had used the excuse of admiring her pink dress to check and make sure it really was flower petals in there. Better safe than sorry.
Jane and Hogun were next in line, and in spite of Jane's fears, they got through it without a single problem. Jane's dress didn't snag, her heels didn't break, and she never lost balance. Even her hair was behaving finally. She stood between Volstagg's wife and Natasha Barton, watching Volstagg's daughter, followed by Frigga's little nephew as the ring bearer. It was easy to think that all eyes would be on her once the stage fright set in, but then the music changed. All heads turned to the doors as the bridal march played, and there was Sif.
She was truly a vision in her flowing white gown. Jane held back a laugh as Thor all but dropped his jaw. His broad shoulders sagged. He was not unlike a high school student getting nervous over his first date. On a man as big and powerful as Thor, it was the funniest look Jane could imagine.
Of course, once Sif was in front of him, he immediately regained his composure. He was almost prince-like, holding her hands in his as the priest began the sermon.
"Dearly beloved," he said, and Jane had to hand it to the old man, he projected his voice quite well. "We are gathered here today in the sight of God to join this man, and this woman in holy matrimony."
As the ceremony continued, the priest exalted the many virtues of Thor and Sif. He spoke of the love between them and his belief that this was a match destined for long-lasting happiness. Though Jane had to wonder if he said that about every couple he married, this time, she agreed wholeheartedly.
"Thor Odinson, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." Thor was even louder, if possible, than the priest.
"And do you, Sif Jaimeson, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
And so, the rings were exchanged, they were declared man and wife, and they shared what had to be the most passionate kiss Jane had ever seen. The chapel erupted in cheers and not one of the two hundred guests could stay off their feet. They applauded wildly for the happy couple, making their way to the doors hand in hand. The way they looked at each other, it was like nothing else in the world existed. Jane knew that look. One time she had seen it directed at her, and she wished she could say it was in circumstances as joyful as these, but she couldn't.
There was a hole in her heart that could attest to that.
They never found Loki's body.
A hundred search parties scoured the ocean near the cliff side where he and Malekith met their ends, but while pieces of the crime lord continued to wash up on shore, not a trace of Loki was ever found.
Nothing had ever been more difficult for Jane than getting back on her feet and into the van when it was over. The keys were in the ignition, saving her the horror of having to take them off of a corpse. She drove and drove until something familiar appeared, and from there, it was a short walk to the police barricade that had been set up outside city limits.
The waiting officers took her straight into custody. Their questions were brief and strictly protocol, and they were perfectly willing to drive her into the city to the station where Thor and Sif paced around the waiting room, wringing their hands in fear for their loved ones.
Telling them what had happened was the hardest part. Thor had looked so bright when the officer escorted her in, so hopeful, only to have it all dashed when Loki didn't come in after her. Jane only needed to look at him with tear stained eyes to confirm his worst fears. The explanation that followed was short and muted and may have left out some key details, but the gist of it was all the same.
Malekith was dead. They were safe at last.
Loki was dead. He gave his life to end the threat and save them all.
The only consolation was that Thor promised to tell his parents himself. Jane sat in the waiting room, her legs pulled up to her chest and her head buried, as if that could drown out the cries coming from the next room. She knew she was probably a mess. Her clothes were ripped, her hair unkempt, and she didn't think she smelled all that good either. She couldn't bring herself to care, though, and nobody around her was callous enough to say anything. One female cop even brought her a blanket to wrap herself in. Jane huddled beneath it, it's warmth doing little to stop her shivering.
In the weeks that followed, Jane felt numb. Thor gave her time off from work as he took a well deserved leave of absence himself. They all spent most of their time together, Jane temporarily moving into the guest room of their penthouse while Odin and Thor worked with the police and the FBI to ensure that nothing and no one else posed a threat to their lives. In the process, many of Malekith's most loyal underlings were captured or killed. Those who survived were too low in the hierarchy to pose a threat. They could all rest easy, was the message that rang loud and clear.
If only they really could.
It was two weeks before Jane stopped feeling like a guest and started feeling like a freeloader. Thor could insist all he wanted to the contrary, Jane knew it was time for her to get back on her own two feet. If the danger had passed, she had a life to go back to. She had a job to do. She had bills to pay.
She had to start living again.
Jane packed her bags, hugged Thor, Sif, and Frigga goodbye, and went home to her apartment. For the next few weeks before the wedding, Loki was always in the back of her mind no matter how she filled her head with other things.
She thought about him even on the day she went back to work.
Even when she went for her final dress fitting.
Even when Darcy went into labor at the shoe store, and nearly gave birth in a pile of flip flops.
Trying not to think about him was out of the question. Every time she saw a tall man in a suit, she pictured his face over theirs. If she spoke to someone with the slightest hint of an accent, she'd hear their words in his voice.
A weaker person might have gone insane from the stress, but Jane persevered, perhaps in the hope that someday, she could wake up in the morning and not look at the empty side of her bed before anything else.
The reception took place in Central Park, in one of the greener fields Jane had ever seen. Five long tables were filled with celebrating friends and Odinson family members. Those who didn't partake in drinks crowded the dance floor. Thor and Sif had enjoyed their first dance as a newlywed couple just a short time ago, gliding along to a tuneful Scandinavian ballad for all of thirty seconds, before the DJ suddenly switched to rock music. As the dance floor filled up, the two of them stole away for a game of touch football. Ruining her dress didn't seem to concern Sif as she happily ran through the grass with her skirts hiked up and the ball tucked under her arm.
Jane sat near the end of the table reserved for the wedding party, catching her breath after taking part in one round of bridesmaids vs. groomsmen. With Sif as their quarterback, they had just narrowly scored one point over the other team, but now Jane really needed a break. She should have followed Sif's example and worn sneakers under her dress. Now she was going to have to soak her feet in a hot bath for two weeks before she could walk without pain again.
The game ended as everyone sat down for dinner. The wedding cake was a monster of a confection. Seven layers with a pair of viking warriors on top, the bride holding her bouquet in one hand and a sword in the other. The cake itself smelled chocolate-y when Jane got close to it. Already, she'd seen Volstagg and his two children eyeing it hungrily. Volstagg's wife, clearly used to this sort of thing, directed her family back to their plates full of vegetables and glared them all into submission when they moaned and groaned about it.
Jane picked at her own plate. The food was delicious, and she'd barely eaten more than a breakfast roll that morning, but every time she picked up her fork, she froze with it over her cooling filet mignon and green beans. She stared at it while her stomach made slow turns, and then put the fork back down. After the fourth or fifth time, Jane was all but resigned to ordering pizza later at home.
The main course soon segued into drinks before the cake was cut. Fandral was having a lot of fun now that he was on his fifth cocktail of the evening. He had an arm around Thor's broad shoulders, and he was loudly relating a story Jane could barely understand through his slurring, but that Thor must have heard loud and clear if his red ears meant anything. Jane smiled, somewhat sadly. She never stopped thinking about who should have been filling the best man role.
There had been something she had wanted to do since the party started, but before now, hadn't thought she'd have the courage for. She had at least one drink in her now, and maybe that was taking care of her nerves the way people always hoped it did. Jane drank down the remaining wine in her glass, then picked up her knife. A few clinks were all it took to bring the crowd to silence. All the eyes on her were worse than at the chapel, because now Jane knew for sure that they were watching her. Swallowing, she got to her feet and spoke quickly, before she had a chance to get scared.
"Hello, everyone," she said. She stopped to clear her throat of a small tickle. "Um… as most of you already know, I'm Jane. I'm Thor's co-worker and Sif's substitute bridesmaid."
There was a smattering of laughter.
"I uh… I'm sorry to interrupt everyone's good time, I just had a couple of things that I wanted to say, and I think now might be a good time… actually, it probably isn't, but this is a wedding and I'm pretty sure that it's customary to make announcements like this in front of everybody… er, sorry. I ramble when I'm nervous."
More laughter. This time, Jane joined in.
"Yeah, well, I just wanted to say… well, first, I want to say what a perfect couple Thor and Sif are, but I think that might be Fandral's job?"
She glanced at the best man, who threw down another drink and gave Jane a flirty wink.
"'s okay, beautiful! I don't mind!"
This brought about the most laughing so far. Thor boomed over all of them, and even Sif threw in a chuckle, even as she poked Fandral's shoulder and gave him a hard stare.
"Thanks, Fandral," Jane said. She cleared her throat a second time. "I also wanted to say how… grateful I am to call people as wonderful as the Odinson family my friends."
She looked at Thor and Sif, Frigga, and even Odin all in turn. Most of them smiled back at her, though there was a solemnity to it, as if they knew where she was going with this.
"A few months ago, I met someone in a very unlikely way, and I had no idea that he was going to change my life forever. He helped me get through a difficult time in my life, and even though things didn't go the way I had hoped, this time, I know I'm not alone. I have people I can talk to who understand. I know that what I've suffered doesn't equal what they have. They… they found someone they thought was gone for good, only to lose him again right after. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like.. but you know what? I think that's okay."
Jane paused to push back some tears.
"I think that… this time, we all have more hope. We're looking to the future and feeling a little brighter. I can only speak for myself, but I feel like when I met him, I found something that I've never had before, even when I thought I did. I… I wish I could say all of this in a way that makes sense, but I don't really have a way with words, so I kind of just have to wing it."
Jane's hands clutched the sides of her dress and looked down. Her eyes drifted closed for a moment. She thought she could smell the musky scent of his cologne in the air.
"I just want to say how happy I am to have been a part of this, and to have been able to call Thor and Sif my friends. I know that today is a day a lot of you spent years waiting for, so while I won't call it an official toast since I know that's Fandral's job, I'd still like to raise a glass to Thor and Sif."
She picked up her glass, refilled by a passing waiter. Everyone else followed suit.
"To Thor and Sif," they all said.
"Yeah, Thor and Sif!" shouted Fandral. "Sexiest couple to ever whoop my ass at touch football. There's my official toast, now everybody drink!"
Jane nodded her thanks to the tipsy best man and raised her glass to her lips. The sweet liquid was a boon on her dry tongue and slipped sweetly down her throat. Though she didn't and wouldn't drink nearly enough to get drunk, she did feel a very slight and pleasant buzz from the alcohol. She looked over at the wide, expanding field, the glass slipping out between her fingers.
It slipped all the way to the table.
Red liquid seeped into the tablecloth, staining the clean white linen forever. Jane stared at the figure in the distance, talk and dark against the sun. Looking closer, a long black jacket appeared on a body clothed in suit and tie. Long black hair was swept back around a regal face with a long nose, and piercing green eyes met hers with a kind of intensity that Jane had come to expect.
She lost her breath.
It couldn't be real, could it?
He couldn't really be standing there, alive, safe, healthy as the day they met. Watching her from afar with the beginnings of a grin that showed off every one of his perfect white teeth.
It just couldn't be…
Something crashed. It took all Jane had to turn to Thor. A plate full of cake was shattered on the ground where he dropped it, and he was staring with his mouth wide open and his face pale white.
He saw it too.
That means it was real.
He was really there.
He was alive.
He was… turning away.
He was leaving.
Jane vaulted over the table, an impressive feat that barely registered in the back of her mind as she ran. The pain in her feet had vanished, her body pumped full of adrenaline that had her running so fast not even Thor could keep up. The only thing on her mind was how.
How did he survive?
(They never found his body.)
How was he here now?
(He looked as well as the very first day.)
How could he even dare scare her like that?
(She was going to kill him.)
Jane stopped at the top of the hill, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Multiple footsteps grew louder behind her. Up ahead was a long limousine with two men before it. Loki approached them. He stood taller than Jane had ever seen him stand before. The two men bowed their heads to him as one opened the car door to let him in. He hesitated, looking back for just a moment.
For over a month, Jane had replayed that final day so many times that she had it memorized, from Loki waking up in the hospital, to his escape, to her kidnapping, to Kurse's death, to the second kidnapping, to the cliff side…
She always had the most trouble with that part.
That last look Loki had given her before he went over had been burned into her memory. So much had gone into that look, she thought. All the pain and the anguish Loki must have felt at what should have been the end of his life. All the regret and things left unsaid. He'd never been able to finish what he was going to say in the back of the van.
And now, here he was, and the look he gave her was much different, yet no less telling.
His eyes moved down for a split second. Without thinking, Jane followed his lead. What she saw gave her pause, and she stooped down on weakening knees to pick up the flowers and the wrapped box with her name on it. The other, smaller box, she swept up as well. Her arms were full and she had trouble standing. Loki was getting into his limousine. One of the men was in the driver's seat and he started the engine. The car peeled onto the street, driving off until all Jane could see was a black line that disappeared around the bend.
That, at least, was one question Jane didn't need to ask. Farbauti's voice was playing in her head; had been since she saw him stand over those two men like he held their lives in his hands. .
'You kill the king, you become the king.'
Malekith was dead. Murdered. Now there was a new boss in charge.
"Jane!"
Thor strode up beside her, Sif not far behind. Down below, the entire wedding party was on their feet, gathered together to watch the spectacle and wonder what it all meant. Jane paid them no mind. Indeed, she ignored Thor calling her until he was right by her side, his hand on her shoulder.
"Jane… where did he…"
If he wanted any sort of verbal confirmation that this wasn't just a cruel shared dream, he wouldn't get it. He would get the smaller box pressed into his hands, the tag addressed to him and Sif snapping off and falling into the grass. Thor opened it, pulling out another, velvety box that also had their names stitched onto the lid.
"What is it?" Jane asked.
Thor had opened the box, but inside was nothing but bare black lining with two circular indents. Thor covered his mouth, holding back a shudder.
"It's for wedding rings," he said thickly. "My… our parents have one just like it."
Jane played absently with the soft petals of the flowers, watching for a moment Thor clinging to Sif as the two of them shared tear filled looks. Jane turned away, offering them at least that little bit of privacy. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply the scent of the flowers. It filled her lungs and opened them wide. She could breathe again.
"He'll come back," she said, with a conviction she could never explain but trusted implicitly.
"He'll have a lot of explaining to do when he does," Sif said.
"I may have to knock him around a few times for worrying mother," said Thor.
The three of them shared knowing looks and secret smiles. Jane held the flowers and her as of yet unopened gift close to her heart. It beat madly in her ears, as she watched the many cars and taxis line up on the long Manhattan streets. She saw no trace of that black limousine.
But someday, some way, she knew she would. She knew that he'd be there, and then she would understand everything, because he would tell her everything. She'd never let him rest until he did, and then it would be her turn to tell him. She was going to have a lot to say, when the day came.
Until then, she returned with Thor and Sif to the reception, and for the first time in weeks, she was happy. Truly so.
'He'll come back…'