Sorry for the short chapter,but I couldn't leave my faithful readers hanging while I pondered over how or even if to continue. So mini chapter will put this on hold while I mutter over where this is going. Thank you followers and all who reviewed.

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Thor's voice split the sky like thunder as he rushed forward, far too late to stop the inevitable and as he reached the edge he could already see his beloved's still body floating in the now open pool below. The sky flashed with lightening and rain torrented down as he screamed into the night. Steve was immediately at his side,but could do nothing but stare dumbfounded at the scene below.

With a growl, Thor took hold of the ledge,the stone crumbling beneath his desperate rage and he pulled his entire body over in one swift move. Dropping quickly the four stories to the concrete pool landing below, the floor shattering under his might as he landed on one knee. Immediately he was to his feet and dove into the pool to retrieve Luke's body, cradling it tight to his chest as he waded towards the edge, his eyes searching the far too pale face for some sign of movement.

Steve grimaced as he followed Thor's quick route down,landing only a few feet where the large Demi God had and arriving just as he was placing Luke's still body on dry ground.

"LUKE," Thor roared in desperate frustration, as if the lean man were only sleeping. Roughly he shook the drenched body. "LUKE NOOO!"

The thunder god raised his fists high above his head but Steve rushed forward and stopped him.

"Don't,"Steve urged. "You'll crush his chest."

Rogers immediately knelt beside Luke's still body and grasping one hand in another, began rapidly pushing on his chest. Noting absently the goo still melting away where the vest had been. Thor got to his feet and paced behind him as Rogers continued his CPR. He couldn't quell the defeated wail that escaped his lips at being so helpless. If they where only back on Asgard, he could summon a healer to use their magic, but here on Midgard he was helpless when it came to human injuries. If only, but he knew his father would never allow his brother to return, despite such dire conditions. And even if he did, to what end? He would likely be denied access to the healers or worse, allowed to heal him only to see his brother confined behind an impenetrable barrier for all time, never again to be held or even touched by Thor. No, it was too much.

"Luke," Steve urged, pausing to tilt back the other man's head to allow Rogers to administer desperate puffs of air into his lungs in hopes of Luke picking up the life saving breaths by himself. Nothing.. "Come on buddy! Don't do this to us. LUKE!"

Luke's body remained still and unmoving. Not a breath breaking the calmness of his too pale lips. Steve felt his hope fading with every passing second. He couldn't be dead. He had come so far, done so much to unknowingly redeem himself. He just couldn't be dead. Thor continued his torment behind him and he knew he just couldn't give up. He had to do something. But there was nothing. He was doing everything he knew,but it wasn't working. Why? Why was another of his friends leaving him? It wasn't fair.

Steve allowed his own facade to break as he raised his fists over his head and brought the down on the still damp figure below him. Violently water spewed from Luke's lips as he suddenly coughed and sputtered, gasping for air. Steve couldn't believe it, mentally thanking God for answering his prayers, and rolled the lean man onto his side so he could rid his lungs of the pool water. Thor immediately dropped in front of him,pushing Rogers to the side so he could pull him up into his arms, cradling his still sputtering head in one massive hand.

"Careful," Rogers warned, urging Thor to lighten his grasp in his exuberance. "We have no idea what injuries he sustained. That was quite a fall."

Thor couldn't help his outpouring of emotion and he held his beloved in his arms. He muffled his joy in Luke's damp curls as he rocked him against his chest. Slowly Luke's cough's and wheezes faded into slow breaths, but his body remained still and his eyes shut to the world.

Steve gently brushed the damp locks from Luke's face to check his condition, pleased to see his lips were returning to a more normal shade of pink. He allowed himself to release his own breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and sat back to take in the scene with a sigh. Slowly he reached out and wiped some of the goo still coating Luke's chest and rubbed it between his fingers.

"The vest dissolved in water," Steve said out loud,even though he doubted Thor was listening. "Luke knew the pool water would dissolve the vest and disarm the bomb. Hmmmm clever." He placed a steadying hand on the massive Asgardian's still tensed shoulders,thinking absently if only Loki had known Thor's intense love of him.

"He has always been clever," Thor shared,his face still buried in Luke's dripping locks as if he were afraid of releasing him.

The pool door opened and Steve didn't have to look up to see who it was. A team of black suited men rushed forward with a long plastic board,but Thor refused to release Luke to them. Finally under Steve's gentle reassurances he laid his brother's still body on the stretcher, but desperately wrapped one of Luke's hands in his own, refusing to release it even though it didn't grasp him back.

"Phil," Steve greeted the grey suited man holding the door as he followed the procession out to the waiting van.

"Rogers," Coulson greeted back with a curt nod.

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