Sorry for the delay, but I decided to get back up on the writing horse. :)

Jessie

Ice ran through me, turning the temperature to near Arctic levels in my veins. Odin held my gaze with a frustrating amount of cockiness glimmering in his one good eye. My eyes turned to flicker among the guests in the room and I suddenly realized just how many pairs of eyes were burning holes straight through me. Even with the change in color to my dress, I was unable to mask the monster that I was from the Aesir.

"You really thought changing your appearance on the outside would hide the vile creature you really are?" Odin's voice was a harsh whisper inside my head and it took me only a few minutes to realize no one else had heard what he had said. Loki's grip around my waist tightened but I could barely feel it. I was numb. My breathing grew ragged and fast, panic setting itself into my mind as I tore myself out of Loki's grasp.

"I am not a monster," I growled, my stomach twisting as I took a step towards Odin. No guards moved forward, insinuating that even they knew how powerless I was. Odin looked at me as if I was a small child, the condescension like needles sticking into my skin. Suffocating smoke filled my lungs and suddenly I was surrounded by fire, so much fire. My brother's small screams were echoing off the walls as tiny fists beat against a door. I wanted to run to the door, to open it for him and pull him out of the room where I knew embers were slowly licking towards him, but I didn't. All I did was walk away, as if I couldn't hear his tiny screams.

"Stop," I whispered, tears running down my face.

"Jessica," a silky smooth voice ran through my ears and I felt two strong hands wrapped around my arms slowly pulling me back into reality. Loki was in front of me, his emerald eyes running over my face. Odin was looking with an air of disapproval our way, but I was barely aware of him. The smoke slowly disappeared into the air and I realized it had been an illusion. I was on Asgard, I was with Loki, I wasn't that thing. I couldn't be.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, a dead tone to my voice as I looked past Loki and into Odin's eye. He smirked as if he had just won some grand argument before turning and leaving. My eyes followed Odin's departing form before glancing around the room and taking notice that the several pairs of eyes from before were no longer staring at me. Despite the sudden lack of vengeful gazes, I still felt as if I was in more danger just standing in this room than I was at any other point in time. At any moment I could visualize a sword swinging in my direction.

"Love?" a gentle voice whispered in my ear and I looked back to Loki. He made no other move to comfort me other than to rub small circles on my arm, and that upset me. It upset me because I wanted my Loki back. I wanted my Loki back because my Loki would pull me into a hug with his long arms and hold me against his solid chest as he kissed the top of my head and whispered comforting nonsense into my ear. I wanted my Loki back because as soon as I mutter 'I'm fine' he released me and turned back to Frigga. Frigga's eyes were on me, however, and I saw an understanding concern in them that surprised me. Not wanting to remain, I turned to Tony and asked if he would mind dancing with me. He complied, taking my hand and moving a little ways away as the orchestra began playing yet another Aesir tune that I didn't know.

"Are you okay, Jess?" Tony muttered the question as his hands fell on my waist and my arms went around his neck so that I could close my eyes and lean my head against his chest. Tony was warm, a contrast to my love's cold, and Tony was safe, a contrast to my love's current edge. I trusted Tony, though not as near as I trusted my Loki. But my Loki wasn't here right now. I shook my head in response to Tony's question and one of his hands came up to rub my back gently.

"I wish we never came here, Tony," I murmured just loud enough for him to hear.

"Hopefully King Eyepatch will tell us what he wants tomorrow, and then we'll leave as soon as we can, alright?" Tony suggested. Shrugging, I began humming softly to the music that filled the room.

"And when we get back hopefully Loki will be back too."

"Pardon me, but might I steal this dance?" I opened my eyes to see Fandral smiling a disarmingly charming smile in my direction. I turned to Tony, seeking some type of objection. Instead, Tony shrugged and released me. His gaze went to me, though.

"Are you okay with this, Jessie?" he asked softly, almost hesitantly. Looking back at Fandral, I felt no real potential danger from the Asgardian. My arms slipped off of Tony's neck and I turned to take Fandral's hand. His smile grew fractionally as he did a small bow in my direction. Tony, however, still seemed slightly hesitant now that Fandral was touching me- even if it was only my hand. For a minute I toyed with the idea that Tony was trying to figure out just how much Loki would kill him or how much he would kill himself if I was hurt.

"I shall return her unscathed, I assure you," Fandral began to lead me away with that departing statement. We reached a slightly less populated area of the grand room before Fandral finally placed his arms around my waist and held me slightly closer than I thought appropriate. I let my arms go around his neck, but I couldn't help but think about the differences between the tanned Adonis and my alabaster love. Fandral's eyes were almost understanding as he changed position just enough to allow a little more space between us. "You are not comfortable here, are you?"

"Whatever do you mean?" I felt sarcasm in my voice, it somehow managed to slip out despite my efforts to subdue it. Fandral chuckled, as if I had told a great joke.

"You think all Aesir mean you harm? Some do, well many do, I must admit. But do not fear, I am not one of those," Fandral's words were honest, even if he did sound slightly conceited. His disarming smile was back and I almost squirmed in his penetrating gaze. "I would never allow someone to harm such a beautiful rose as you."

"Well, aren't you the charmer?" I arched an eyebrow at him jokingly, allowing my body to sway along with the new song. "To bad I am off the market, huh?"

"It really is quite the crime," he laughed quietly, his eyes lighting up as he spoke. I found myself grinning back at him. "Although I must admit you don't seem too fond of your lover tonight."

"Loki...," I trailed off, my eyes falling to my feet and watching the movement of them across the smooth floor.

"Do not fret, you do not have to tell me anything you do not wish to," he assured me. I nodded, looking back up at him. The song changed to a new song, and suddenly there were bodies moving and spinning around us. "Shall we?"

I did not have a chance to reply before Fandral had begun taking strides in a circular direction, my feet following his own as my mind stuttered to comprehend the sudden change in atmosphere. I heard him mutter a silent 'take my hand' just before one of his hands found one of mine and my other hand slid to his shoulder. He began leading me, pulling me into a complicated dance that my head couldn't quite wrap around. His hand pulled on my own slightly and I detached just as he sent me into a graceful twirl. Then, I was pulled right back to him and he was back to leading me through the spinning couples as if we were just another pair of dancers on the floor.

"Will you walk with me back to my room?" I asked as the party came to a close and I found that Loki and Tony were nowhere in sight. My feet hurt, and I was tired from countless songs spent twirling about on the dance floor. I didn't feel safe walking back to Loki's room alone, or with one of the guards. Thor's words about Fandral echoed in my ears, but I pushed them away. I had no intention of sleeping with Fandral, after all. Besides that, Fandral was a friend of Thor's, which meant I could trust him to protect me should anyone try to harm me.

"It would be my pleasure," Fandral began walking alongside my as we exited into the large, open hallway. Only a few small groups of people still lingered around us, most of them appearing too drunk to stand much less attack me. We walked side by side, chatting idly about light topics that Fandral could think of. It wasn't until we were not too far from the royal palace that I spotted a few of the guests lingering on the street. "Greetings!"

"Oh, look. It would appear Fandral himself has brought the vermin to us," one of them announced, a really burly guy with dark brown hair and a bushy beard. Fandral tensed beside me, one of his arms reaching out in front of me.

"Come now, my good fellows. I do not wish to harm you, but I cannot allow you to harm such a lovely damsel in my presence," Fandral still managed to sound confident, but his eyes seemed to grow almost murderous as one of the men stepped towards us.

"Are you really going to defend that creature, Fandral? It is an abomination! Come, let us slay it together and avenge our ancestors!" the man spoke incredulously, as if it was genuinely surprising for Fandral to side against them.

"Unless you wish to endure the wrath of me, and the vengeance of Thor should you harm his friend, I suggest you think wisely before you act," Fandral ground out the words, an inexplicable anger seething underneath his skin. One of the men growled and charged forward with a blade in hand, but Fandral met him mid swing with a blade of his own. Grinning deviously, Fandral proceeded to break his sword free before cutting at the man's face. The man hollered, holding his face as his sword clattered to the ground. Even in the dim moonlight, I could tell the man was bleeding profusely. "You might wish to see a healer, Holden."

Another one of the men charged Fandral but Fandral managed to send him to the ground effortlessly. I found myself only able to watch and stare as Fandral dispatched each of the three men in order to defend me. When he was finished, and all three men were kneeling on the ground before him, was when he returned his sword to it's place and walked back to me. He offered me his arm, and I took it without thinking.

"Let us return you to your home, m'lady."

"Thank you."