A/N: Hello, hello! I survived Montana and had a great vacation. Thanks so much to all of you for patiently waiting. Hopefully this chapter is worth the wait.

Massive thanks to subjunctivemood! Your skills never cease to amaze me.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything having to do with Marvel Comics or any of its creations. I can only appreciate the characters they've given us to work with.

Chapter Thirty-Five

"A girl made of splinters isn't built for love, but they tried anyway. They tried. And turns out, I can. I can love hard as shrapnel… so hard I melt skin."

2013: Asgard

Trk-trk-trk

The hazy veil of sleep shifted like water, flowing from black to purple to rosy pink. A temperate breeze wound through the air, carrying the essence of sunlight and dew, further accented by jasmine stirred from the various trees and vines decorating the balcony. It smelled like morning.

Trk-trk-craw

Jane stretched languorously, rolled over on the chaise lounge, and pulled the blanket up under her chin. Whatever the time, it was too early to get up. The events of the past two days had left her exhausted, and despite her new status as a guest of Asgard, she wanted nothing more than to doze for a while longer.

Brr-trk-trk-trk

And to get rid of whatever was making that sound.

Groaning under her breath, she buried her face in the blanket. If she ignored the noise long enough, maybe whoever or whatever was making it would stop. That approach worked with Darcy. Well, mostly. A peaceful silence stretched out, but just when she thought the coast was clear, there came another trk-trk-trk. Frustrated, Jane opened her eyes, jerked in alarm, and promptly fell off the divan.

"What the…?"

It was a bird. With a distinctive comb and plume of tail feathers, it looked most like a rooster. However, it was nearly twice as large as any rooster she'd ever seen, and the traditional array of colors had been replaced by a single, vibrant gold. Perched on the end of the divan, it cocked its head, peering at her with one eye, then the other. When she began to disentangle her legs from the blanket, it ruffled its feathers and crowed.

"Good morning to you too." Jane stood and eyed the bird. Its large spurs made her hesitant to try shooing it away. She settled for scooting around the back side of the chaise lounge instead. "I guess you can just… stay here."

Retreating inside with the washroom in mind, she was surprised to find Thor. It was early. The sky outside was still tinged pink with dawn. And yet, there he was looking as clean and refreshed as she probably did wrinkled and disheveled. She cleared her throat, and he turned, a smile instantly brightening his face.

"More gowns." He gestured to the armoire. "The tailors just finished. I offered to deliver them myself."

"That was nice of you."

"I might also have wanted to check on you." His contentment wavered as she crossed the room. "You didn't change or sleep in the bed. Was it not to your liking?"

"Oh, no, everything was perfect. It had nothing to do with the room." The thought that he might have considered her ungrateful was mortifying. "I just wanted to sit outside for a while and accidentally fell asleep out there."

Thor seemed appeased. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very. And you?"

"As well as can be expected. Volstagg came by early to—"

A crow drowned out the rest of his sentence. Brows drawing together, Thor glanced from her to the rest of the room and back again. Jane, on the other hand, merely sighed and shrugged. "There's a rooster on my balcony." If only that was the strangest thing to ever happen to her. "It was there when I woke up. Actually, it woke me up."

As bizarre as it sounded, her answer must have made sense, because he nodded. "Gullinkambi. He's harmless, though I can't say I've ever heard him crow. Mostly he just wanders the grounds." There was a slight clicking, and they both turned to see the rooster strutting across the balustrade. "He will find his way back to Fólkvangr eventually."

With one last craw, the rooster extended its wings and leaped from the balcony. It didn't fly so much as coast to one of the treetops in the garden below before disappearing into the foliage. Jane thought she spied golden feathers weave through the hedges, but then Thor was tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, drawing her attention.

"I'll leave you to get ready. Come find me when you're finished. I'll be in my chambers."

Jane sat at the dressing table and slowly brushed her hair. It was amazing, the effect one bath and a change of clothes could have. Honestly, she would've been perfectly happy with a walk-in shower and terrycloth robe, but the in-ground bath heated by the stones lining its interior and a dressing gown made of the finest silk she'd ever seen were nice touches. She wasn't going to complain.

After working through the last few tangles and changing into one of the dresses from the armoire – a simple, toffee-hued number that was surprisingly easy to put on considering she hadn't worn anything like it in centuries – she slipped into the hallway. The dim torchlight had blurred away its features the night before. Now, flooded with early morning light, it was as finely crafted as everything else. From its architecture to its decorations to its clothing, the Realm Eternal spared no expense.

She padded down the corridor, trailing her fingertips along the wall as she went. Thor had said his chambers were three doors down, but when she reached the third room, a door stood to either side. Confused, she looked back and forth between the two. Which had he said?

Taking a gamble, she knocked on the right door. "Thor?"

Nothing.

She tried the left only for it to ease open at her touch. The hinges protested, and she cringed at the resulting squeal amplified by the empty hallway. None of the other doors opened, though, nor did anyone emerge from around the far corner, so after a few seconds pause, she widened the gap, opened the door enough to poke her head through.

"Thor? Are you in here?"

The room was not unlike her own – a sitting area, a large bed, a balcony – but whoever stayed there enjoyed several additions. The single armoire had been upgraded to two, both of which were half again as large as hers. A sort of worktable topped with various jars stood in place of a dressing table, and the drapes that bordered the opening to the balcony had been replaced by bronze ironwork. There were bookshelves, too, massive built-ins that surrounded the fireplace and spanned floor to ceiling.

Jane eyed the rows of books eagerly. Learning was something she never tired of, and those would all contain new material to her. Asgard might not put faith in science, but who knew what the rest of its literature was like, its history, its legends. What she wouldn't give for the chance to peruse each and every page.

The room wasn't a guest suite, not with its customizations. But it also wasn't Thor's. The firmer lines, extensive woodwork, and stronger patterns were distinctly masculine, but that was where the parallels ended. Nothing else fit the God of Thunder, not the built-ins or the worktable and certainly not the colors, a striking mix of charcoal and gold. Not to mention it looked to have been unused for some time.

"Wrong brother." Starting at the voice, she spun around to see Thor leaning against the opposite doorframe. He dipped his chin in her direction. "Those were Loki's quarters."

"I… I'm so sorry. I couldn't remember which room you said, and you didn't answer when I knocked on that one. This room was open, so I just assumed…" She pulled the door shut, blushing furiously. "I wasn't trying to snoop."

They met in the middle of the hallway, his easy chuckle soothing her nerves. "You act as if I will strike you down here and now. There is no harm in a mistake, Jane." He tipped her face to his. "And you need never fear me."

But therein lay an entirely different problem.

Because she didn't fear him.

Only what he would think of her, in the end.

Thor tucked her under his arm and ushered her into his chambers. In the moments before they entered, though, Jane glimpsed movement down the hall. The person – an attendant, by the look of it – stiffened and immediately ducked into an open doorway. As they similarly disappeared, Jane frowned. Would she ever be free of prying eyes and judgmental stares?

"Asgard suits you." Thor closed the door and motioned to his chambers in an unspoken make yourself at home before moving further in. "You look beautiful."

She trailed him slowly, taking in the newest taste of décor. Ancestral weapons had been substituted for books, pieces of armor for corked jars, ivory and crimson for charcoal and gold. It was a fitting distinction for the two would-be brothers.

"Thank you. You look… relaxed." He glanced at her, brows raised, one hand paused mid-grab for something on the tabletop, and she couldn't help but laugh. "I mean that in a good way. I don't think I've seen you in anything except armor since we first met. It's nice."

Those first few days in Puente Antiguo, Thor had worn whatever clothes she could scrounge up. Now he sported a burgundy tunic over a pair of black pants, the first of which he ran a hand down almost self-consciously. "There has been little time for rest as of late."

"From the sound of things, that won't be changing anytime soon."

"No, I fear it won't. These are dangerous times."

The timbre of his voice had deepened, drawn down by the weight of something inevitable, but Jane was unwilling to let that solemnity remain. Thor was made for daring heroics and carefree laughter, sincerity and integrity and unrepentant affection. Gravity's shadow had no place on his features. It just didn't fit. And so it was with a deliberate tranquility that she wended her way towards the weapons displayed on the wall around the fireplace.

"So now that I'm here, what's our next step?" She fingered a line of rubies inlaid in an axe handle. "What do you have planned?"

"Today? Nothing. War is imminent, but the full effects of the Convergence will not be upon us for several weeks yet. Until such a time as it cannot continue, the duties of the crown remain." There was that reliability she knew so well, that honor. "But there is no reason for you to be similarly confined. You have the freedom to explore the palace and all it holds in my absence."

Jane's hand fell away from the notched edge of a dagger as she spun around. "I can look around?"

"Yes."

"At anything? Anywhere?"

"So long as it is within the palace, yes."

It was a thrilling offer, one that apparently pleased Thor to give as much as her to receive, if his grin was anything to go by. The ever-present scientist in her hummed to life. There was only one stray thought to dampen her excitement. "But… I'll be alone."

"Týr is to report on his dealings with Niðavellir soon, and after midday, the All-Father and I will hear from the people. Much as I would prefer your company, I am bound to these commitments." He crossed to her and leaned back against the mantel. "Forgive me?"

There wasn't anything to forgive, because it wasn't disappointment she felt. Having spent enough years fending for herself, it wasn't that she needed an escort. It was more how the rest of the realm would react. You do not belong here. She hadn't forgotten the healer's cold disposition during her first visit to Asgard.

But Thor looked so expectant and voicing the true nature of her concern would only complicate matters, so she just heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, I guess so." And then… "But only if you do me a favor in return."

Still under the impression she was being sarcastic, he grinned. "Whatever you wish." He didn't notice the tension that crept across her shoulders, the way her expression sharpened, that slight hitch before the words came tumbling out.

"We need to bring Gerðr back from Jötunheim."

The effect was instantaneous. And, if she were being honest, funny. A myriad of emotions flicked across Thor's eyes as he did his best imitation of a fish, mouth opening and closing and opening again. He didn't respond, though, just listened as she explained how she'd met Gerðr, the conditions of their bargain, and that the frost giantess had essentially saved her life.

When she finished, his eyes lowered. "I was with you in Midgard for four days and never once inquired as to your time in Jötunheim. Heimdall told me some of your sufferings, but I… I should have asked." He absentmindedly traced the edges of whatever item it was he'd picked up at the worktable. "Aiding you with this is the least I can do. I will speak to my father."

"You think that'll work?" She arched an eyebrow. "Last time we talked to him, things didn't go so well."

"A life debt is something even he cannot dismiss."

"Well, I hope you're right." Any lingering sense of doubt was overpowered by relief, soothing away the knots of tension. Part of her reason for coming to Asgard was the ability to make things right. Fulfilling her agreement with Gerðr was a start. "Thank you, Thor. Really. This means a lot."

The morning sun finally broke over the palace spires, cascading onto the balcony before spilling down to the lake below. Its light marked a sharp line across the marble, the brightness of it staining the interior of the room. However, a wayward reflection off the glass table found the item curled around Thor's fingers, and the shimmering caught her eye.

"What is this you keep messing with?" Jane reached out, and he relinquished the item easily. Items, rather, because there were two: a matching bracelet and necklace. She rubbed a thumb across the hammered gold bracelet, then the necklace's pendant. It reminded her of a geisha's folding fan. "They're lovely."

"They're yours, if you'll have them."

Jane jerked to attention. "What?" But Thor was already clasping the bracelet around her wrist.

"Other jewelry might be more impressive, but these are precious to my family." He pulled the necklace from her limp fingers and gently turned her. "They belonged to my mother."

The pendant settled against her collarbone, and she dutifully pulled her hair to one side so Thor could fasten the chain. "She gave them to you?"

"Bequeathed. She was killed when the Chitauri stole the Tesseract."

Everything ground to a halt. The breeze off the water, the sensation of fingers against her nape, the distant voices as the people of Asgard started their day. Even the breath in her lungs shriveled to dust. All that remained was the pendant around her neck, a weight made heavier by Thor's awful revelation.

It all made sense now – the All-Father's bitterness, the unanimous reaction to the queen's name – and Jane's heart faltered in a terrible way. When she turned back around, Thor's face was carefully blank. She recognized that look. Time might have numbed the loss, but a current of grief remained. Would always remain. Fragmented memories of her own rose to the surface unbidden. She could taste them now like ash in her mouth, the bones of them stuck fast in her throat. Sorrow was a vast sea with few islands.

"I'm so sorry, Thor." Compassion and empathy had her resting a hand on his arm, but it wasn't long before she stepped back, sought the necklace's clasp. "I can't accept these. It's not right."

Thor, however, halted her movements with a gentle touch. "She would have wanted you to have them."

"She didn't even know me."

"But I do." A melancholy smile tugged at his mouth. "And I can attest that, had she met you, she would have cared for you as much as I."

"Thor…"

"Please take them, Jane." Then again, more quietly, his head coming to rest against hers, eyes focused unseeingly at some point between their feet, a shallow furrow between his brows. "Please."

Before she could answer, before she could even decide how to answer – though how could she possibly say no? – someone knocked on the door. Jane pulled away instantly. Thor, on the other hand, was far slower to react. He straightened gradually, only calling out a gruff come in after he'd cleared his throat.

The door swung open to reveal one of the Einherjar. "My prince. My lady." He bowed to each of them in turn, then faced Thor. "Lord Týr has returned from Niðavellir. The All-Father requests your presence."

Thor nodded. "I'll be right there."

The Einherjar disappeared behind the door, and Jane turned to see Thor striding towards the worktable, stripping out of his tunic as he went. Her eyes automatically dipped to his sculpted torso, the way the muscles in his back rippled when he tossed the tunic aside and shrugged into a fitted undershirt, before pointedly darting to the lake outside.

She moved to the balcony and leaned against one of the columns, toying with the pendant. "Tell me about the titan."

For a moment, it seemed Thor wouldn't answer. The only sound that came from the room was that of his armor clicking into place. Just when she was getting ready to remind him of his promise, he sighed.

"The Realm Eternal didn't always hold the influence she does now. In the early years after Yggdrasil's formation, a race known as the Celestials reigned supreme. Stories say there were once billions of them. They controlled all nine realms until the Aspirants challenged them with a weapon known as the Godkiller. The resulting war wiped out both races, but before the Celestials were defeated, they created another race of beings called the Eternals."

Jane turned. "The Celestials created them?"

"So they say." Thor had donned everything except his cape while she'd faced the other way. Now, he fastened it to the plates on his shoulders. "In the aftermath of the war, Yggdrasil entered an age of peace. That is when Asgard rose to prominence. All existed quietly throughout the realms for several millennia, but during my great-great-grandfather's reign, an Eternal named Thanos came into power and committed genocide against the rest. He was subsequently banished to the Void for his crimes. It was meant to be a death sentence."

"I'm guessing he survived."

"We heard rumors over the years, but they were discounted. Those cast into the Void never returned. No one believed escape was possible." Jane nearly huffed a laugh. Loki had. He'd always maintained there was a chance. "But we were wrong. It was Thanos who invaded Asgard, killed my mother, and stole the Tesseract."

The pieces were starting to fall into place. However, a significant gap remained, one that left her perplexed. "You said he also took the scepter."

"And assisted Loki's attack on Midgard."

"So what does all this have to do with the Convergence?"

"Weak boundaries between the realms is one of the effects of the Convergence. You said it yourself. Thanos will not have forgotten it was Asgard that sentenced him to the Void. We believe he will use those portals and all the weapons at his disposal to wage war upon the realm. That is where you come in." Thor leaned against the worktable and graced her with a proud smile. "You alone have the ability to track the Convergence. If you can predict when and where they will form, we will be more prepared to stand against him."

Faith. That was what he was giving her. A staggering amount of faith. Responsibility, too, not just for the future of Asgard but all of Yggdrasil. Thor had declared his intentions when he brought her to Asgard and defended her against his father's condemnations. He'd thrown his lot in with her for better or worse.

It was too much to take in.

And yet, there was more.

"You know I'll help. We'd need to go back and get my equipment, but I'll do everything I can to help stop Thanos." Jane worried her lower lip. That small sliver of hope was back again, sparking against her traitorous heart, setting her nerve-endings alight. "But that's not the only reason you brought me here."

Thor shook his head. "I wish it were. The creature you saw was a son of Muspel. A fire giant. Many centuries ago, their movements became shadowed to us. Not even Heimdall could see them. We never knew how or why it started, but so long as they didn't interfere in the realms, we were content to leave them be. Clearly, that is not the case anymore."

All of that, she already knew. Had known for a long time. Nevertheless, she managed a slightly distressed expression around the jittery anticipation coursing through her veins.

"For all that Thanos weighs on my mind, the sons of Muspel are equally disturbing. My father believes they might be working together. I'm inclined to agree." Thor fiddled with the strap to one of his new vambraces. "No one has been around the fire giants in over two thousand years, so we have no hope of discovering their motives. But there is someone who's spent time with Thanos."

The world shifted in a fundamental way, condensing and narrowing around her, but her voice remained unexpectedly steady, the single word ghosting out on the wake of her exhale. "Loki." And the way Thor's mouth tightened into a thin line was answer enough.

"We do not know the extent of his knowledge, but he must have gained some insight during his collaboration with the titan. Unfortunately, he will not share it with me or the All-Father or anyone in Asgard. He will speak only with you. That is his demand in return for aid."

Another knock sounded. At the reminder of the waiting meeting, Thor pushed off from the table and bent to retrieve Mjölnir from its place at his bedside. It couldn't have taken more than a few seconds, but it was enough for him to miss the way she swayed unsteadily, threw out a hand to the ironwork, gripped the pendant at her neck. The discussion the evening before had instilled in her a hope she was scared to embrace, but now she knew.

Loki was alive.

He was alive.

"But an immediate answer is too much to ask of you. There is a war council scheduled one week from now. A decision does not need to be made until then, so take some time to consider. Loki is not always the… easiest person to handle. I'm sure you remember that from Jötunheim."

Still in somewhat of a daze, Jane trailed Thor into the hallway where he escorted her back to her room. They paused outside the door. The Einherjar continued to stand at attention nearby, but he had the decency to avert his eyes when Thor pulled her close.

"Enjoy the day." His lips brushed her temple. "I'll find you when I'm done."

"You are troubled."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Troubled minds lead to rash decisions."

"How very wise."

"Were I wise, I would either advise you to return to the palace or accompany you there myself. The prince was explicit when he told you to remain within its walls."

Jane crossed her arms, tucked her hands into the folds of the dusky blue shawl she'd retrieved from the armoire, and cast a crooked grin over her shoulder to the Gatekeeper. "That was supposed to be a private conversation."

"So it was." Heimdall didn't return the gesture, but there was a playful glint in those strange burning eyes. "But I cannot always control what I see."

Turning away, she followed the curve of the Bi-Frost. Circular engravings that faintly mimicked the World's Tree branches covered the interior of the dome. They wound their way across the surface, curled through one another, stretched towards the sun streaming in through each of the openings. She stepped out onto the platform opposite the entrance. The sunlit waves below rippled like the scales of some ancient sea serpent. Beyond that, there was nothing but clear sky.

"What brings you back to my post so soon, Jane Foster?"

She cocked her head and watched the water pour over the edge of the realm. "A troubled mind. Don't worry, though. I don't plan on doing anything rash."

"Were it planned, it wouldn't be rash." The dull scrape of armor sounded. When she glanced back, he'd rested his hands on the great sword's hilt. "What weighs on you?"

"You mean you didn't see it?"

She arched a brow, but he didn't join in her teasing the second time around. Instead, concern bled into the vacant spaces left behind by the lighthearted atmosphere. "The people of Asgard bear you no ill will. They will come to accept your presence in time."

A frown marred her face of its own accord. Tell that to the groups of noblemen who'd haughtily stared down their noses as she wandered the palace halls, the ladies of the court who'd tittered and whispered behind their hands, the Einherjar and their suspicious, sidelong glances. If acceptance was in her future, it was a distant, far-off thing.

It was their silent but undeniable prejudice that had eventually driven her into the castle town. There, at least, she was able to disappear into the crowd. She'd made her way down the main thoroughfare, weaved along the network of alleys between homes and taverns, and passed through the local marketplace where one of the vendors had insisted on giving her a piece of fruit that looked like a plum but tasted like a pomegranate. Before she'd even realized it, she was beneath the archway that led to the Bi-Frost, translucent crystal pulsating beneath her feet.

Blending in with the commoners had lifted her spirits. They hadn't recognized her or known she was different. To them, she'd been just another Asgardian out for her daily wares. But the farther she'd travelled down the Rainbow Bridge, the more the truth gnawed at her, prickling beneath her skin. They'd only accepted her because they didn't know her. If they had, their reaction would've probably been the same.

Jane gathered her skirt to one side, sat on the end of the platform, and let her legs dangle over the edge. For all she hated using such a childish phrase, it wasn't fair. She was being judged for something she couldn't help. And while that lay at the root of all bigotry, it didn't lessen the sting of the nobility's snub. If anything, it heightened it. The world – all of it, the whole nine realms – was a cruel place.

Scowling down at the water, she swung her feet harder than necessary. "I didn't ask to come here."

"Neither have you asked to leave." Heimdall's refutation came quietly but firmly. "Yggdrasil trembles with the coming war, and the people feel its presence more and more keenly each day. In times such as these, they look to the crown. They need to feel its guidance. They are buoyed by its strength. But what do they see now? The crown prince bringing a Midgardian woman to the Realm Eternal."

"But I'm here to help." The words came out harsher than she intended, but she didn't correct it, just bit them out. "Thor brought me here to help."

"You know that. Thor, the All-Father, Sif, and the Warriors Three know that. But the people do not. The last to come to this realm murdered their queen and left with a powerful artifact. You cannot fault them for their suspicions."

Heimdall had the voice of a father. Gentle, understanding but stern, comforting… it was the kind of voice she could listen to for hours on end. The deep bass of it resonated within the Bi-Frost, and Jane felt herself soften in turn, the last dregs of indignation melting away.

"Give them time, my lady. They might feel differently once they see what you've done for Gerðr." She nodded absently. Then she stiffened as the implication sunk in and spun around. "She's to be returned tomorrow evening."

"They've already decided?"

He tapped a finger to his temple. "Just decided."

"Well, I guess that's some good news." A sudden updraft brought with it mist from the Great Sea, and Jane took cover beneath the shawl. "So what else do you see?"

"Everything. I am always watching."

"Do you have to think about it? You know, concentrate on a specific person or realm? Or does it just… happen?"

"I look and listen, and it is there. The sight comes to me. I never have to seek it out." Jane rubbed at her eyes. He sounded like Loki explaining how he used magic. For once, it would be nice to get a normal, straightforward answer on how things actually worked instead of one blanketed in otherworldly mysticism. "Most of what I see is of little importance. It passes by like fog, soon to be forgotten. But certain things do catch my attention."

As suddenly as the wind had picked up, it died down. She lowered the shawl and used the ends to soak up the thin sheen of water that had settled on her dress. "Like what?"

"Unrest in the realms, potential threats to the crown… a person I've never before seen suddenly appearing in the midst of a life already half-lived."

Jane fell still.

For the longest time, she'd been hidden from the Gatekeeper's view. Loki had hidden them both to keep his actions over the centuries a secret. That Heimdall had been able to witness their plight in Jötunheim, much less her interactions with Thor, meant something had changed. At some point, the veil had been lifted. At some point, she'd been revealed.

How had she not realized it sooner? If the past few years hadn't been so hectic, perhaps she would have. Looking back, it was painfully obvious. The pieces had all been there, she'd just failed to connect them.

"Do you know the easiest way to read a person?"

Resuming her motions with what she hoped passed for nonchalance, Jane swallowed thickly. "How's that?"

"The eyes. Most mortals have wide eyes, brimming with ambition and full of wonder in their race against death." The subtle grating of armor came again, this time accompanied by heavy footfalls. "However, you have deep eyes, Jane Foster." Her teeth clenched with the effort to stay calm. "You have seen too much. More than any mortal. More than many Æsir."

Heimdall stopped behind her, a little to the right. A dense silence full of a thousand unsaid things stretched out for a moment. When she couldn't stand it anymore, she blew out a shaky breath and looked up to him. "Are you going to tell the All-Father?"

His gaze was set steadily out on the sky, but his head tilted slightly. "Unless you become a threat, it is not my place to tell."

"What about Thor?"

"Your secrets are your own, as are your reasons for keeping them. I am the Gatekeeper, not the judge."

The vice-like grip that had taken hold of her heart and lungs gradually eased, and she relaxed, leaning back onto her hands. It wasn't as bad as she'd always imagined, someone knowing. Granted, she didn't know Heimdall very well and he didn't know the full extent of the truth, but still… it was nice.

A patch of clouds worked their way across the sun, and Jane watched the shadows play over the water. "Are you going to take me back to the palace?"

"No." Heimdall shifted beside her but didn't return to his post. "Your safety might be a priority, but from what I've seen, you can take care of yourself."

"I don't know about that." A myriad of brief misses and close encounters and narrow victories flitted through her mind, few of which were the result of genuine skill. "Sometimes I think I just get lucky."

"There's no such thing, my lady."

And as the two of them stared out into the infinite, a touch of wistfulness colored the edges of her slow smile. "So I've heard."

It was a small assembly that gathered the next evening for Gerðr's return. There was Heimdall, of course, and Freyr who stood to one side of the dais. Farther back were the All-Father, Hogun, Thor, and herself, along with a woman so beautiful Jane had suffered a self-conscious blush just being introduced.

Her name was Freyja. Leader of the Valkyries and twin sister to Freyr, she was the supposed goddess of love, beauty, magic, and war. With her flowing blonde hair, porcelain skin, subtle hint of curves, and come-hither eyes, the first two titles were practically a given, but there was an underlying strength that belied the delicate features and graceful attire. It shouldn't have come as a surprise. According to Thor, the Valkyries' reputations were well-deserved.

"You mean they're real?"

"Yes. There are thirteen in all. Masters of arms, they ride into battle on their winged horses." Thor leaned low to whisper in her ear as they drifted away from the rest of the group to a more secluded section of the Bi-Frost. "Sigrdrífa stands at Freyja's right hand. Brynhildr, Hlökk, Randgríðr, and Guðr ride in the forefront, followed by Kára, Mist, and Róta, and finally Geirskögul, Skuld, Reginleif, and Göndul. Herja usually remains at the rear."

"Why does she have to stay behind?"

"Herja's strength lies not in a sword but in magic. That power proves most effective when used from a distance." A wry sort of smile played at the corners of his mouth. "It is an impressive sight to behold. She is not called devastator without reason."

Jane shifted her weight from one foot to the other, considering. "I didn't know the Valkyries were warriors. The myths only refer to them as choosers of the slain."

"And indeed they are. They sweep through a battle, choosing who they will slay."

The echo of footsteps yanked Jane from her thoughts, and she watched the All-Father break apart from the group. No one spoke, but Freyr stiffened at the approaching noise, drew into himself almost imperceptibly. He was like a tightrope, stretched taut but fraying at the ends from the pressure. For all that the Vanir god grated on her nerves, the anxiousness he tried and failed to hide was endearing.

"Do you see her?" Odin stared up at the Gatekeeper. Atop the platform, Heimdall nodded once. "She is alone?" Another nod. "Then retrieve her."

It all happened very quickly. The great sword was lowered into the center mechanism, Heimdall turned it to activate the Bi-Frost, a pervasive hum filled the air… then a multi-colored beam of light shot out into the evening sky. Jane took an unconscious step forward. It was one thing to travel via the Bi-Frost. It was another to witness it at work. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Within seconds, the light faded to reveal a familiar figure.

Gerðr stood in the opening, silhouetted by the starry backdrop. To her credit, she didn't even appear shocked by what had just happened. Remnants of snow speckled her dark hair and clothes as she blinked silently at the party. Eventually, though, her eyes found Freyr and softened, and he began to slowly close the distance between them in response.

His focus never strayed. He didn't so much as blink. He just stared at her with an unwavering devotion, like he was afraid she wasn't real, as if she would disappear if he did anything less. When only inches separated them, he stopped, reached out, and hesitantly caught her hand.

"Hjertet mitt…" Freyr bowed low and brought her fingers to his lips. "Jeg er din for alltid."

Gerðr placed her other hand on his head, carded her fingers through his hair. "Og jeg, din." Then she drew him up.

They stood there, foreheads touching, eyes closed, radiant in the warm light of the Bi-Frost against the rain of stars. It was quite the romantic scene – movie-worthy, really – and across the room, Jane smiled. My heart, I am forever yours. And I, yours. Perhaps she'd been too harsh in her initial assessment. Maybe, deep down, the Vanir god and his jötun wife weren't as bad as she thought.

"All's well that ends well." Thor curled an arm over her shoulders. "Shall we go?"

The group filed out, giving the reunited couple a moment alone. Even Heimdall retreated to the entrance and turned his back. They were halfway down the Rainbow Bridge, suspended in the darkness between the glow of the Bi-Frost and that of the city, before conversations began to break out. Thor recounted details from some meeting with Hogun. Ahead of them, Odin bent his head to Freyja. Jane, however, walked along in silence, lost in the vision of the embracing couple, convicted by their quiet, unshakable devotion.

"I'll do it."

Jane turned away from the balustrade. The fingers that had been tapping out a nonsensical rhythm against the marble wrung each other nervously, but if Thor was aware of her agitation, he didn't acknowledge it. He merely glanced up to her from his seat at the table. "Hm?"

"Talk to Loki. I'll do it." The cloth that had been buffing Mjölnir went still. She had his undivided attention now. "But I want to do it alone. I don't want anyone else there."

Slowly, Thor stood. "You're sure?" She nodded mutely, and he set the hammer aside. "Very well. I should inform the All-Father immediately. Plans will need to be made, most likely for tomorrow morning if it can be arranged." He ran a hand down her arm. "Thank you, Jane."

Night leaned against the walls of the palace around them as she watched him get ready to leave. There was one timeless second where she thought her strength would fail her, that she wouldn't do it, that her courage would falter on the wayside… then her hand darted out, fingers wrapping around his wrist.

"Thor, wait."

Jane's heart hammered in her throat. She wasn't ready. Then again, she never would be. She was standing on the precipice, unsure if the leap would result in flight or broken bones. But she had to do it. She had to. Even if she shattered on the rocks below, she would jump. For him, she would jump.

Gathering herself, she stepped back and met the question in Thor's eyes with a fearless determination. This was how things would be made right.

"There's something I need to tell you."

A/N2: Things are about to get interesting! Tune in next time to see Jane and Loki reunite! On another note, there were a ton of references scattered throughout this chapter.

Gullinkambi is one of three roosters whose crowing is said to signal the beginning of Ragnarök. It's claimed he lives in Valhalla, but for the purposes of this story, he'll be staying in Fólkvangr, Freyja's dwelling where it's said she takes half of the slain in battle. Týr is the god of law and heroic glory who, in the myths, sacrificed his hand in order to bind Fenrir, a giant wolf that plays a part in Ragnarök.

Also, all of the Valkyries mentioned in this chapter are ones described in the Prose or Poetic Edda. There are more, but I narrowed them down to the following thirteen for reasons that will be made clear later in the story:

Sigrdrífa – inciter to victory
Brynhildr – bright battle
Guðr – battle
Randgríðr– shield destroyer
Hlökk – noise of battle
Kára – wild, stormy one
Mist – clouds
Róta – sleet and storm
Herja – devastate
Göndul – wand wielder
Geirskögul – spear shaker; high-towering
Skuld – debt
Reginleif – power-trace

Stuck in the middle of all that mythology was a nod to the comics. Thanos' origin story and everything about the Celestials and Eternals was pulled from those.

Lastly, so sorry to those of you who commented and messaged hoping Frigga wouldn't die. I would've changed it, but it's been a part of the outline since the beginning. Unfortunately, this is war and bad things happen.

Please review! And if you're on Tumblr, feel free to come follow me. I operate under the same name, and the link is on my bio. Check out the 'twotw' tag for chapter updates, music recommendations, and general items of inspiration relating to this story; you might also find the occasional hint of where everything is headed in the long run.