Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N 1: Yeah, another short one, but what are you going to do? I always feel hopeless when it comes to really emotional scenes, but I tried my best to convey what I pictured. Enjoy!

The dark sky overhead seemed like an omen. It was early afternoon, yet it seemed almost like dusk.

How appropriate.

Loki gazed out the bedroom window, staring out at the bustling street, the lives being lived. A part of him hated how they could all go on with their lives while his seemed on the cusp of ending.

Or maybe he was just being dramatic.

Grace was down in the bookstore sending the boys off with Betty for the day.

Where they went, he did not know.

The sick weight in his stomach hadn't dissipated and had kept him up the entire night.

Those few precious hours he had been able to spend with her in his arms.

It wasn't enough.

Resting his weight against the wall, he sighed.

Maybe he was being foolish for believing that his deception could last forever, but how exactly was he supposed to have told her the truth? He knew she deserved to hear it, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Almost as if it was a physical impossibility.

Or maybe he was just lying to himself.

Regardless, he remembered the last words that his father had spoken to him.

'Find someone to care for you, Loki. Someone to stand by your side and help you. Find them without lying to them, deceiving them. Care for them as they care for you, and your powers will return to you.'

Accepting that he would rather be on Midgard, with this family, instead of pursuing his supposed birthright had gained him the return of his voice, but nothing more.

Perhaps if he told her the truth, all of his abilities would return, but for what?

What was strength if he had nothing to fight for? Because she was assuredly leave him if she knew of his past.

No.

They had come too far, gone through too much to just let it fall apart.

Grace may be justified in demanding the truth, but that didn't mean she would get it from him.

He'd rather her think him a liar than a murderer.

All he could do now was hope that her heart overpowered her reason.

He didn't know what would happen if it lost.

Grace turned the lock on the door to the bookstore before flipping the sign to CLOSED.

The whole night, all she had been able to think about was the numerous situations in which Loki had been strange.

From the moment the boys found him, being unable to speak or write, then miraculously regaining said abilities.

Even his way of speaking.

His confusion with everyday objects.

Not understanding certain phrases.

His discomfort around babies.

His ignorance about weddings.

How had she ignored so much?

Was she really that gullible?

Was she really that stupid?

Going up the stairs, she tried to stop her hands from trembling. She didn't know what would come from this discussion that they were about to have, but her nerves were certainly on edge because of it.

The apartment seemed empty when she entered it, moving through the rooms towards where she knew Loki would be.

She paused on the other side of the door and took a deep breath before placing her hand on the knob and turning.

Glancing up, she saw Loki turn to look at her as she entered the room and shut the door behind her.

"Was that truly necessary?" he asked, leaning back against the wall.

Grace mirrored his position against the door, the entire room separating them.

"Sending the boys out?"

"Yes. I wonder what Stark could have possibly said to make you think I would harm them."

A hurt look flashed over her face as she said, "I don't think that. I don't want them to overhear anything, so I figured this would be the best way to avoid that. You wouldn't hurt them. I know that."

He nodded, relieved that she understood that at least.

"But," she continued, her tense gaze still focused on him, "that's about the only think I do know."

Loki frowned. "That's not true. I've told you before that you know the important things, and-"

"How long have you been lying to me?" she said, cutting him off. "Because it seems like its been since day one."

"When you brought me home from the hospital you told me that I could keep that story to myself, that I could keep my past behind me. What happened to that? You knew I did not want to speak of it when you brought me into your bed, so do not try to use that as an excuse."

Grace grit her teeth for a moment, clenching her fists at her side as she stood away from the wall.

"You're unbelievable. How could you say it like that? I gave you something I have never given anyone. I let you in and you just..." Shaking her head, she willed the tears from her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What? Supported you? Comforted you? Been there for you when no one else was? Because that is how I see our relationship."

"You've been putting me through hell, Loki. Looking back, I'm disgusted with myself for just blindly following you," she replied sharply, cutting him to the core.

"I can't listen to this," he growled and turned away from her.

"You need to hear this!"

"Fine!" he spat, spinning back to face her. "Tell me how horrible I've been to you, how I've used and abused you. Tell me what I need to do to convince you that I belong here, because, for me, it is as if the whole world fades away and all there is is you. I have given you everything that I have, Grace. I would do anything for you."

"You lied to me," she whispered. "I don't even know who you are anymore, and there's nothing you can say that is going to just magically fix this."

"I know that. I do not expect you to just move on from this, but at least let me plead my case," he urged.

"Fine. Go ahead."

Loki breathed deeply, trying to keep the bad situation from spinning out of control.

"I did not lie to you about my youth. For so long, I have felt like an outsider to my own existence, and, therefore I was always suspicious of others, held them at a distance. I was lonely and full of spite, until I met you. You have shown me such warmth and happiness, and I know you despise me for keeping so much from you, but it is for the best. You would not understand what I've done or my reasons for it, so I am begging you. Just let it go. It is over. Please, Grace."

He looked so earnest, so open to her, but that only worked to hurt her more, her faith in him was so shattered.

"I can't," she whispered, biting her lip as she quietly began to cry, and hating herself for doing so.

Pain knifed through his chest, panic caused his throat to tighten while his hands trembled with the urge to grab her and shake her.

Make her understand.

"I never hurt you," he said hollowly.

"Can't you see this is killing me? You're tearing me apart, Loki. You keep lying to me!"

"No!"

"Yes! I can't trust you! How am I supposed to be with you if I can't believe a word out of your mouth?!" she screamed.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked desperately, closing in on her until he had backed her up against the door.

"Loki," she said nervously, the nearly hysterical look in his green eyes was something she had never seen in him before.

"No! Tell me what to do. Please, Grace, I-" he faltered for a moment, trying to keep himself from losing it completely. "I love you."

She sobbed, closing her eyes as her heart broke.

"You can't say that to me. Not now. Not after this. Not when I-"

Loki watched her weep, her words unlocking a realization from his consciousness.

"You don't love me anymore, do you?" he breathed, feeling an aching emptiness within his chest.

She licked her dry lips before steeling herself.

She needed to do this.

No matter what.

It would kill her, but it was necessary.

Raising her gaze, she looked into his heart-wrenching gaze.

"It doesn't matter what I feel," she replied weakly.

She could see his body practically vibrating with tension as he whirled away from her, running his fingers through his hair and pacing for a moment before glaring back at her.

"Then look me in the eye and tell me. Tell me that you're not in love with me!"

She nearly broke, but she wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing tightly and forcing herself to look at him.

"Is that what you need to hear? Fine." She took a deep breath. "I don't love you."

Loki stared at her, unable to move, unable to speak. The world around him seemed to fade out of existence while he was stuck in this horrible moment, those horrible words echoing in his mind.

Grace bit back her tears at the sight of him breaking, falling apart beneath the weight of her words.

No.

She couldn't watch this. She'd cave if she did.

Reaching behind her, she grasped the doorknob and pulled the door open, moving to go through it. Seeing her try to flee, however, woke Loki from his stupor.

"No," he ordered, hurrying towards her, his hand reaching out to grip her upper arm and yanking her back towards him. "You're lying. A person cannot just wake up and stop loving someone. You- I- Grace, you can't-"

He could hear her crying as she wrenched her arm from his grasp and moved towards the door again.

"Don't walk away from me!" he shouted.

She tried to open the door to leave the apartment, but he was right behind her, shoving it closed again before pushing her back up against it.

"Loki, let me go," she wept.

"No! I will do anything, Grace. Please," he begged his hands raising to cup her face.

"I can't do this anymore. I'm so sorry, Loki," she sobbed, feeling his thumbs gently wipe the tears from her cheeks. "I wish I could just forget about all the hardships and just be with you, but I can't. You lied to me, and you just keep lying. When does it stop? God, I've been such a fool. I thought if I ignore it or joke about it, then it doesn't matter, but it does. The problem didn't go away, it just kept growing and now I can barely see the good in us. All you do is hurt me. Every word cuts deep because I don't know what is sincere or what's not."

"You know the important things," he repeated.

Grace watched as tears welled around his emerald eyes, feeling as if something sharp stabbed her in the chest. "You keep saying that, but you don't get it, do you? It's all important. From the big picture to the smallest detail, it's all important because that is what love is. It's unconditional and all encompassing. Goddammit!" she shrieked, shoving him away from her. "I would fight like hell for you. I would go to hell and back if you asked me to, but you just won't talk to me!"

Loki gazed brokenly at her through tear-filled eyes, his lips parted, but no words passed them. His head pounded, his body felt weak while he haggardly pulled air into his aching lungs.

Everything hurt, his entire being felt empty and dead inside.

Grace panted, trying to inhale while she was wracked with sadness. Nothing had ever hurt her like this. Nothing.

She felt totally and completely eviscerated.

Clearing her throat, she forced herself to straighten and move from the door.

"It doesn't matter now. It's too late. I'm done feeling like this, so I am going up to the roof to get some air," she breathed. "Please don't be here when I get back."

His gaze flickered over and met hers, his brow furrowed and eyes flashed with betrayal, but he still didn't say anything.

Grace nodded and opened the door, a breathless pain shot through her and she almost felt like she was going to be sick, but she stood tall.

With one last look, she took him in from head to toe.

"Goodbye, Loki," she whispered.

Then walked out.

How did everything go so wrong?

It wasn't supposed to end this way?

They were supposed to be happy. He embraced mortal life, was welcomed into this family; this was never supposed to happen.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't moved.

He couldn't fucking think.

Nothing, in all his years, had prepared him for this.

With no warning at all, his knees buckled, sending him to the ground. Raising his hands, he buried his face into his palms as he knelt on the floor.

What was he supposed to do now?

Where was he going to go?

Did it matter?

Everything that was important to him was gone.

Grace. Jack. Joey.

Thor. Mother. Father.

Both families left him.

He was truly and completely alone.

So consumed was he with his heartache, he never noticed the black shape manifesting behind him.

Silently, the shadows converged and warped themselves until a solid, ominous creature loomed over him. A decrepit, disfigured hand reached forward towards the head of the troubled man.

Loki had barely felt the touch of something against the base of his head before a blinding pain reverberated inside his skull.

And then all he knew was darkness.

Tears blinded Grace's vision, causing her to stumble and collapse onto the stairs, her shins cracking against the edge of the steps. Her hands managed to catch herself, but all she did was slowly lower her body and turn so she sat there, curled against the wall.

Openly, she wept.

God help her, but she loved him. With all her heart, she loved him.

Telling him differently was the hardest thing she had to do.

Leaving him was nearly impossible.

It wasn't fair. None of this was fair.

Why couldn't he just open up to her?

What could possibly be so bad?

Why would he do this to them?

How could be put her through this?

He was supposed to love her, but why do this to her?

Shaking her head to try to clear it, she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

It had to be this way, though. She couldn't keep accepting the fact that he was lying to her. It gnawed at her conscience, festered in her heart.

He didn't trust her with his past, so how could she trust him with her future?

She did the right thing.

Bringing her legs up, she wrapped her arms around them, tucking her head down, her tears that still streamed down her face dampened the fabric stretched tightly over her knees.

She did the right thing.

But then why did she feel so bad?

How could the right thing cause her so much pain?

Sending him away had seemed like the best option, but now that she had done so, it felt as if the world was imploding on her.

Like a part of her died.

Oh God, she really sent him away.

What if she never saw him again?

What if something happened to him and he never knew how she actually felt?

The boys never got to say goodbye.

She robbed them of a father.

She had said she would have fought for him, but all she did was punish him for deceiving her and then toss him aside.

She didn't fight.

She gave up.

And now he was leaving.

No!

"Loki!" she shouted, forcing her bruised legs to work as she got to her feet. "Loki!"

Grace pushed herself off the stairs and sprinted down the hallway towards the apartment. She hadn't heard him walk out yet; he had to still be inside.

"Loki! Wait!" she called out, opening the door and rushing into the apartment.

He wasn't where she left him in the living room.

Brow furrowing, she hurried into the kitchen, only to find it empty.

"Loki! I'm sorry! I overreacted, please! I didn't mean what I said!"

She checked the boys' room and the bathroom, but they, too, were empty.

All that was left was her bedroom.

He had to be there.

"I'm so sorry," she said, moving further down the hall.

Opening the door to her bedroom, she stepped inside while saying, "I need you to know that I love you, too."

But her words were useless.

The room was empty.

Loki was gone, and all she was left with was sorrow and regret.

In the darkest depths of the keep, the Allfather stood outside of the only occupied cell. Dark magic and unyielding bars insured the prisoner would never be able to fight his way out.

Not that he was in a position to do so, anyway.

Odin gazed through the bars as his youngest, seeing the exiled prince prone on the elevated, solid bed. His eyes were closed as he was left drifting in a deep hypnosis brought on by a curse.

The cloaked menace moved around him inside the cell as it made sure Loki was prepared for what would follow.

"You are certain this will work?" Odin asked.

The being did not look over towards the king, instead it took its position by the captive's head. It's hands stretched out so that it could place its cool, gray fingertips against Loki's pale skin and pitch black hair.

"I will control his mind," the thing spoke in its blasphemous voice. "His body will bear the scars of whatever nightmares I instill in his head. Whatever I force him to experience in his mind will be his reality when he awakens."

The Allfather's gaze returned to observing his son.

No one knew of what was about the transpire.

Not his wife.

Not Thor.

They would soon find out that Loki had been retrieved from Midgard, but they will both be forbidden from seeing him.

In order for this to work, Loki had to be isolated.

"Then begin," he ordered coldly.

The creature's fingertips glowed a vibrant blue, and deep within the dream world of Loki's mind, the nightmare began.

A/N 2: Does this qualify as another cliffhanger? I don't know. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! Even if the majority of them have you yelling at me for tormenting my characters, but that's fun too! I absolutely love reading what you guys think about this story. It's the main reason why I'm forcing myself to update so quickly, so please help me help you!