Thor rode through the meadow on his horse while trying to support Loki. His brother had just barely become stable enough for his breathing to start up again. Thor just hoped that Loki could last until they got to the healers. The only problem was that even though Loki had begun breathing again, he was still unconscious.

The bumpiness of the ride made Thor flinch for his brother every time the horse jolted one way or another. With one hand he held the reins but with the other he wrapped his arm around Loki's chest, careful to not hurt him where the dagger had struck. Loki leaned heavily on Thor's chest as he rode as fast as he possible could back to the palace.

The trees and all of the surroundings around his whizzed by in a blur. Thor felt the wind on his face and his hair blowing back from the force of the breeze. The horse jumped over a fallen tree underneath them making Thor fly up. He hung on to his brother tighter as the horse jolted forward once more as its feet hit the ground.

The outline of Asgard was coming close very fast. Thor could see the few Asgardians that still roamed the street at night in the light of the stars. He pressed his chin lightly to Loki's forehead.

"We'll get you there, Lo…" he whispered even though he knew his brother couldn't hear him.

The moment where the horses hooves hit the paved roads of Asgard's streets, Thor began to really believe in hope for his brother. The people fanned out from the streets making a path for Thor. They looked up at him confused but he didn't care. The only thing he was focused on was getting Loki home in time.

The palace was only a few streets away but Thor still hurried at the same pace. The horse took a sharp turn to the left, nearly throwing the both of them off. Thor hung on for Loki's life though, and straightened himself once they were around the corner. The entrance of the castle was easily in sight now. No one was out there except for the two usual guards who guarded the doors.

Thor raced through the last street, unhesitant. He soon came up right in front of the guards, pulling the horse to a sudden stop. It reared up on its hind legs, causing the guards to cringe back to keep from getting in the way of the steed. The horse clopped its hooves back down on the ground, causing Thor to flinch at how much he jerked with Loki in his arms.

"Your highness, do you- do you require assistance?" Stuttered one of the guards that was obviously taken aback from the sight of Loki who was dying once again in Thor's arms as he carefully maneuvered off the horse's back. Thor breathlessly nodded as he carefully put Loki down so he could reposition his arms under the back of Loki's knees and the back of his shoulders so he could carry him up to the healing room.

"My- my father and Jane…" Thor panted a few times before continuing. "Alert them that I have returned."

Thor stood up again with Loki now in his arms. He pulled his brother's shoulders closer to him so that Loki's head tilted limply into Thor's chest. He paused for a moment, making sure that he wasn't hitting where Loki was bleeding the most.

"Is that all?" asked the other guard. Thor swallowed before taking a deep breath and nodded. He didn't wait for the guards to carry through his orders though. He took long strides towards the front doors which the guards opened for him. He curtly nodded in thanks before rushing into the hallway.

Okay, okay… Up the stairs, down the right corridor, up the stairs again and the first doors to the left. Hold on Loki…

Thor was running now. The servants and maids gave him weird and worried looks, but he continued on without saying anything. The only thing running though his mind was: Loki… healing room… Barely any time left…

Thor didn't even think of where he was going but luckily he just did it automatically. Somewhere on the way there, he passed Fandral who hadn't even looked up at first. His head was hung low like he something terrible had just happened. Thor wondered what Fandral was so down about, but that wasn't his main focus. He was slowed by his friend's voice down the hall after he had passed him though.

"Thor? What-" Thor glanced back for only a moment to see a confused look on Fandral's face.

"I can't talk right now, I'll talk to you in a few minutes." Thor said. He rushed off leaving Fandral looking awestruck and as confused as ever. Later he would ask what trouble him, but for now, the most important thing was the healing room was right on his left.

Thor burst through the doors. Two healers snapped their head up from their paperwork to look at him. One looked utterly confused while the other immediately jumped into action. The woman ran to a bed on the left side the room and tore the sheets of it, the white layers cascading to the floor. Thor nodded and rushed to the bed side and with great care, he set his brother on the bed. Loki's head gently pushed into the pillow as Thor pulled back so his arms weren't supporting his brother any longer. Never had his brother looked so weak in Thor's lifetime of seeing Loki.

Now that they were in the light of the palace, Thor could easily see the heavy bleeding right below Loki's ribs. There was a dark red spot on his clothes where the knife had stabbed through him.

"What happened?" The healer immediately asked while going into action. The other had joined her now and they were both frantically examining Loki's wound and checking his pulse.

"He- He…" Thor faltered, not able to get enough air. He panted for a moment, the healer looking up at him for a moment before returning her attention to Loki.

"It's alright, take your time, dear." she told him kindly. Thor took a deep breath before continuing. Where did he even start?

"He made a deal with some dark figure, I didn't know who it was. It was that if Loki went to die for his failing in New York, the figure would spare Asgard from someone's wrath. He was hurting Loki with some sort of magic. I didn't know what it was until I was riding back and I remembered the mentions of Black Magic. It's the only thing I can think of. And then the being, he- he pulled out a dagger and…" Thor didn't finish, hoping the healer knew where he was coming from.

She seemed to, for she nodded and continued to examine Loki's wound. She hurried across the room to get a wet cloth as she pressed it gently to Loki's side. The cloth turned a light red the first time the healer pressed it to his injury making Thor wince. She seemed involved in her work so Thor was hesitant to question her.

"Will- will you be able to help him?" Thor asked. The old kind face of the healer glanced up at him. Her face was not worried or regretful, but it wasn't happy or optimistic either.

"I will do everything in my power, but never in all my years have I had to deal with Black Magic." she warned him. Thor nodded.

"Thank you…"

"The only thing is that we have much to do. If you would be so kind to step outside for a moment."

Thor frowned at looked at his unconscious brother. The other healer was now looking at his wrists while gently pushing a cloth to them. Thor bit his bottom lip. He didn't want to leave his brother.

"Only for a few moments…" The healer said while sensing his reluctance.

Thor sighed and nodded. Despite his hesitation, he knew that Loki was in good hands for now. He slowly walked out, glancing back one last time at his brother who was surrounded by the healers trying to save him. Thor turned around again and walked back through the doors.

Fandral was waiting outside when Thor closed the door behind him. He had the same look on his face as when Thor had left him in the adjoining hallway. He tried to look in the healing room before shut the door, but he most likely couldn't see Loki from there.

"What on Midgard…" Fandral whispered. "What happened? Heimdall told us… he told us that Loki had died!"

Thor nodded and wearily slid to the floor next to his friend who sat down next to him.

"He did… It's a long story."

~X~

Jane jumped when the doors flew open. Darcy ran in the room talking so fast that it all came out as nothing but: asjdhfasfl… Loki… ahdfpaojeirfo… the healers… gsdkfaeradfs.

"Darcy, slow down…" Jane said calmly. She wasn't in the mood for excitement. She was however interested in why Darcy seemed so rushed. Darcy nodded and took a deep breath before repeating in a slower low voice.

"Someone just spotted Thor carrying Loki into the healing room… alive. Barely, but still he was breathing!" Darcy said. Jane felt her eyes grow wide. But Heimdall said that he had seen him die! From what she heard, the gatekeeper was hardly mistaken.

"Thor's outside the heeling room with that Fandral guy now." Darcy said breathlessly excited. Jane smiled. She appreciated Darcy's excitement even though she didn't exactly get along with Loki. Jane looked at the floor and shook her head as she smiled. Thank god…

Jane looked up at Darcy who smiled back at Jane's expression. "Thanks Darcy…" she said before pushing herself off of the bed where only a moment she sat on thinking Loki was gone forever. She tried to control herself on the way out the door, but once she got into the hallway, she began running down the hallway towards the corridor with the healing room.

~X~

Fandral showed a slight smile and shook his head.

"He always has been a fighter…" he said referring to Loki. Thor smiled and nodded. He watched the doors of the healing room. He had been watching them ever since he told Fandral everything that had happened. He hoped they would open and the healer would come out and say Loki was fine and he could see his brother now, but they had remained closed while separating Thor from Loki. What if he was dying in there? Thor had millions of worries but he tried to stay calm in Fandral's presence.

"So… so he's back? He's not doing that whole evil thing anymore?" Fandral asked trying to find the right words. Thor's smile faded and he looked at the ground in front of where he sat with his legs crossed and his back against the wall.

"I think so…" Thor hadn't really thought about it. What if Loki woke up and was back to his evilness? All of that for what then? Absolutely nothing.

No, not nothing… Thor thought. He's alive, that's all that matters… right now anyways.

Fandral turned and opened his mouth to say something else, but something else caught both of their attention. Thor turned to see Jane turning the corner at the end of the hallway. They locked eyes for a moment until she slightly smiled. He looked at her with tired eyes before standing up.

Jane ran down the remainder of the hallway flinging her arms around him when she got there. He chuckled and wrapped his muscular arms around her back. He felt her warmth and her heartbeat against his chest as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Loki, how is he? Heimdall told he passed but then Darcy just said..." Jane faded off as she pulled away and looked up into Thor's eyes. He smiled back at her just taking in her appearance. She was gorgeous as always, her hair lightly flowing over her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes were looking at him curiously. He didn't answer, but he pulled her back into a hug which she returned without questioning.

"He's fine, just unconscious. The healers are working on him now. He has a stab wound right under his ribs. We're lucky it wasn't near any organs or anything." Thor said. Jane put a hand on Thor's bicep and smiled up at him.

"He'll come through. He's much too stubborn to give up, isn't he?"

Thor chuckled and nodded, taking her hand in his. He held it close to him as he watched the healing room doors for what felt like the thousandth time. He was aware that Jane was watching him looking slightly concerned, but he just squeezed her hand and twined his fingers with hers.

"Oh!" came a voice from behind Thor, making both him and Jane jump. "I'll go alert the others." Fandral said. Thor looked back and took a deep breath, recovering from the sudden startle. He had forgotten that Fandral was still there.

"Okay, thank you Fandral." Thor said. Fandral nodded and fast walked down the corridor towards what Thor imagined was his father's room.

Thor was about to turn back to Jane when suddenly the doors finally burst open in front of them. Thor took a step back, taking Jane with him. They watched as a healer was revealed behind the doors. Her hair was all undone, she was out of breath, and most disturbing of all, her hands were coated with blood. She attempted to hide them behind her back one second too late.

Thor looked at her, preparing himself for any bad news she may bring. Despite her tired appearance, she looked up at Thor with a smile of sorts.

"He is doing alright. You got him here just in the niche of time. I'm afraid he's still in a deep sleep, but you may come and see him now." She turned and began walking in the room, expecting Jane and Thor to follow. Jane looked up at him and took his hand as they walked in the room.

Loki wasn't lying in the same bed as when Thor had left him. He was in one on the other side of the room with clean sheets and a pillow. He had a nightstand next to him with a candle that flickered and reflected against the smooth surface of the furniture. Loki himself was in a new gray t-shirt that rose and fell on his chest as he breathed. He wore the same black pants though, which were mostly covered by the sheet that was draped over most of his body. His face looked peaceful as he slept but it only made Thor feel sick, reminding him of how it had looked similar when he had died those couple minutes.

The healer began walking over to Loki's bedside across the room while talking along the way.

"His stab wound is stable. We were able to heal most of it, but the only problem is that it was worsened by the Black Magic." the woman said.

"So it's confirmed then… It was Black Magic?" Thor asked, following behind the healer with Jane. She looked confused as to what 'Black Magic' was, but he would explain later when they were alone.

"Yes, although I've never worked with the particular magic, I have seen people do it. It's an ancient magic, a very bad magic. It basically blocks other magics to be used on whatever it has cursed, in this case, your brother. We cannot use magic to heal his wound, and I don't know about the poison either. The blade was poisoned, wasn't it?" the nurse asked.

Thor nodded, remembering Loki telling him not to touch it.

"Well, I don't know what I can tell you about that. It's not spreading anymore, but it is still in his body. For a while both the poison and Black Magic will be trying to harm Loki. It's all a matter of whether his body decided to fight back or give in." The healer stopped by the edge of Loki's bed, examining him one last time.

"So, do you have any idea as to when he may wake?" Thor asked hopefully. He wanted to hear his brother's snarky voice again, he wanted Loki to make fun of him and pester him and provoke Thor how he knew he was easily provoked. He just wanted his brother.

"I- I'm sorry, we don't know. It could be in a few minutes, it could be in a few days. If he doesn't wake in over four days though, we'll have to take more extreme measures."

It was silent for a while. Thor walked in front of Loki's nightstand so he was directly besides his unconscious brother. Him and Jane gazed down on him, seeing how weak and fragile he looked.

"Well, he should be stable for the night. You are welcome to stay or come visit anytime." The healer said. She looked at Loki and made sure he was alright before bustling off to the swinging doors of the sleeping quarters. Before she could leave, Thor called her.

"Yes?" she turned.

"Thank you… very much. Many wouldn't help considering all that he has done in the past." Thor said, and he truly meant it. Most would deny them assistance because of what Loki had done in the past, this he knew.

"When it comes to healing to save someone's life my dear, it doesn't matter who it is. This is my job, you're very welcome." she gave Thor a comforting smile, meaning to make him feel welcome and for his brother to feel safe, and it truly did.

Thor looked over at Loki, and then at Jane. He then looked across the room for something for him and Jane to sit on. There was a table with four basic wooden chairs that roamed to. He took two chairs, one in each hand, and dragged them to the side of Loki's bed. He positioned one by the head of his brother's bed, and the other directly next to it.

"M'Lady…" Thor said, gesturing to the second chair. Jane gave him a half smile before sitting down.

"Why, many thanks, Sir…" she replied. Thor smiled and sat down next to her. For a moment, they just watched Loki. Thor savored seeing his brother heavy breathing, seeing as he thought he would never hear him again. Thor's knee was touching Jane's since the positioned themselves tilted so they could face each other. He felt her hand comfortingly rub his forearm that he rested on his knee.

"Thor..?" Jane said questioningly.

"Hmm?"

"What exactly did happen?" Jane asked. Thor noticed how she asked hesitantly like Thor wouldn't be willing to tell. He didn't mind telling her at least, but the memory of it still fresh in his mind still made his chest tighten.

"I got to the observatory and there was three… alien-like creatures there that I knew were from a different planet. They had Loki tied up and…" Thor went on telling the events as he remembered them. He closed his eyes while recalling what happened, the image of his memories vibrantly displayed in his mind. As he got to the part of explaining Black Magic, even though he tried, he nearly lost it.

"They- they tortured him…" Thor said quietly while opening his eyes to watch Loki. "I could only watch, I couldn't do anything but I should have and…"

"Thor…" Jane interrupted. She stood moved in front of his gaze and took his face in both of her hands. "Thor, look at me." He did, looking up into her hypnotizing brown eyes that could get him through nearly anything. She looked at him with a worrying expression.

"It's not your fault, you saved him… He'll get better and wake up and be fine. No one should watch their little brother go through that, but you got him out." she told him firmly. He bit his bottom lip and let his eyes wander to his brother once again. He knew she was right. As he watched his little brother sleep, he felt that he was safe. Thor couldn't help but feel guilty even still though.

Thor looked back up at Jane and nodded.

"I know…" he said apologetically looking up at her. She tilted her head as she gazed into his eyes before leaning forward to press her and Thor into a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer so that she was on his lap now, facing him. She completely twined her arms around his neck as Thor kissed her even deeper, taking in her heartbeat against his chest.

"Er… should I come back later?" they heard a voice come from behind them near the doors. Jane jumped, pulling away from Thor so she could see who was there. Thor turned his head to see Fandral and Hogun in the doorway of the healing room.

"Uh, no- no…" Thor tried to say.

"No- we… I…" Jane stuttered as she slid of Thor to sit in her own chair. Fandral chuckled and Hogun tried to hide a smile as they entered the room in long strides. They came to Loki's bedside where Jane and Thor sat and gazed at Loki.

"Will he be alright?" Fandral asked, now glancing over at Thor. Hogun looked over too, the both of them expecting an answer. Thor told them of how he was considered stable, but they weren't sure about the Black Magic and poison still in his body.

"So when will he wake?" Hogun asked in his grim voice.

Thor shrugged. "I don't know. They don't know. No one really knows." He looked back over at the doors. Where were his other friends? Had Fandral only found Hogun? Fandral answered him without Thor even having to ask.

"Volstagg is already sleeping. You know how he can be moody without his sleep or food." Fandral said. Thor smiled and nodded.

"And Sif?"

Fandral's smile faded as he watched Loki. He hesitantly glanced up at Thor giving him a guilty, apologetic look.

"Well… uh, you know how she is about Loki. I don't agree with her, but she said she doesn't care what he has done, it won't undo his past actions or something like that." Fandral said. Thor felt a bit angry at first. Loki had gone to die so that she and countless others could live. How could she be like this? Thor did remember that Loki had tried to kill her with the destroyer, take over Asgard and Midgard, and he actually succeeded in many deaths. He truly couldn't blame her, but he still wished she would join him in hoping for Loki.

"Well I truly appreciate both of you coming to check up on him." Thor said. "All of you, actually." He added while looking over at Jane. Hogun and Fandral nodded.

"Do you need anything?" Fandral asked, eyeing Thor. Thor looked around the room to see if he needed anything that would help Loki. He seemed set though, so he shook his head.

"No, you guys can get to bed. I'll stay here with Lo tonight." Thor said. Fandral squinted at Thor.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Fandral asked. Hogun looked at him with the same worried expression. Thor smiled, appreciating his friends concern.

"I will be fine." He assured them. They nodded and left the healing room, their footsteps fading down the hallway. Jane remained in the chair next to Loki's bed. Her head was tilted as she examined him with a sad expression.

"Jane, you should get some sleep. You have been examining that blasted elven ship all day." Thor said. She glanced up at him and smiled.

"I am seeing dark jagged shapes everywhere now that aren't really there. We've been trying everything! I have no idea how that thing works…" she complained, suddenly frustrated. She looked down at the ground and frowned, obviously upset by the fact that they couldn't get the ship to cooperate.

Thor walked around to the back of her chair. He put his hands on her shoulders and gently massaged them. He felt her become a bit less tense. She let her head fall back lightly so she was looking up at him. She stared at him for a while, letting him rub her shoulders. He smiled at her.

"I know you and Selvig will figure it out." he reassured her. He meant it too. If anyone in Asgard was able to figure it out, he knew it was them. With the help of Darcy, of course.

She looked up at him for a moment. "I love you." she finally said. He brushed the hair off of her face before leaning down to press his lips to her forehead. He gripped the edge of the top of the chair as he then pressed his forehead to hers from behind.

"I love you too." They stayed like that for a while, closing their eyes and feeling eachother's presence.

"Get some sleep…" he whispered. He stood straight once again, and she pulled herself up off the chair. She walked around the chair and paused by Thor so he could kiss her jaw before she left to go to bed. He watched her go until the doors shut behind her. Thor sighed, a warm feeling building up in his chest. He hoped at least he could keep her safe.

This brought him back to Loki. He lied in the same position, breathing the same heavy breathing pattern while forming the same exact peaceful expression. Thor sighed again before looking around the room. He wanted to find something that he could sleep on for the night. Surely the healers wouldn't mind him sleeping in one of the many beds… there was no other patients there. But Thor felt that even the closest one which was about six feet away was too far from his brother. He didn't want to get anywhere further than three feet. He knew this was overprotective, but after literally watching your best friend and baby brother die in your arms, Thor didn't care if he never let go of Loki at all.

Thor decided to try and line up the two chairs next to Loki's bed so they formed somewhat of a long table. He pushed them close to Loki's bed before walking to the nearest bed next to Loki. He took a pillow and two blankets off of it. With the blankets, he laid them over the joined chairs. He put the pillow on Loki's bed, right by an open space next to Loki's shoulder. Thor collapsed on his makeshift bed, exhausted. His body lied perpendicular to Loki's bed while his head and shoulders lied on the pillow that was gently pressed against the side of Loki's chest. Thor stayed as close as he could to Loki. He listened to Loki's breathing. It was slow and gentle like the rising and falling of Loki's chest that Thor could feel as he lied close to his brother. Thor looked up at his brother's face before lightly nudging his shoulder with his head.

"Loki?" Thor quietly called out to him. No answer. It was worth a shot. "Come on Lo, I can't do this alone." Still nothing. Thor supposed he could wait. He would wait as long as it would take, but he really hoped that it wouldn't be too long. For now, he was just glad that Loki was safe.