A/N: All characters, places, and events you recognize belong to Marvel, Disney, etc.

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Day 160

Mojave Desert: Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility

Water, hot enough to redden her skin, snaked over her bare back and dripped from the ends of her hair. Jane barely felt it, lost as she was in her thoughts.

All things considered, she had handled the afternoon's bombshell well. She had closed the lab door—shakily, but quietly—and headed to the nearest restroom. Locked in a stall, she told herself that she could not freak out.

And so, five minutes and several deep breathing exercises later, she headed to meet Agent Malone. After the meeting, Jane hadn't returned to the main lab, unwilling to risk encountering either Erik or Thor. She stuck a Post-It note on Erik's door: I want to review my notes on absorption rate tests—having dinner in room. See you tomorrow —J.

The food sat congealing on its tray. Jane had spent most of the evening trying to corral the wild-eyed thoughts galloping around her brain. She finally dragged herself to the shower, to see if that would help her focus.

Should I confront Erik and Thor? Maybe I should wait for one of them to 'fess up. But what if they never do? I need more information from Thor about Loki so we can focus our work. But what do I do about Thor? Why do I feel so...platonic...towards him? I'm going to have to talk to him. But how can we have a serious talk when he's hiding a big secret from me?

She slowly glided her soapy fingers over the mark on her wrist.

Of course, I might be keeping a pretty big secret from him.

Jane wondered if she was just overreacting because of the stress she'd been under. She didn't know for sure that there was any special significance to the pattern on her skin. Its appearance kept changing, which was normal for a healing wound. But that didn't explain why tracing the swirls and knots slowed her heart rate and infused her with a feeling of security.

By the time she toweled off, she was much calmer and her thoughts were clearer. She would stay on the Tesseract project. Prior to overhearing Erik and Thor's conversation, she had viewed the project as important, but largely theoretical. Now, she understood that the work they were doing was practical and necessary. Loki was a real and imminent threat.

The thought of tangling with Thor's brother again froze her heart. She couldn't deny that. But she also couldn't deny that she was relieved to finally know what had goaded Odin to action. Her PTSD had been caused, in large part, by terrifying unknowns. Was Thor dead or alive? Would Loki try to finish what he'd started? Was today the day that death would rain down from the bare skies? The stress of the uncertainty had caused her mind to turn on her and produce crippling nightmares.

What was that saying? "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't." Loki was a dangerous being who had tried to murder his own brother and exterminate an entire race to secure the throne of Asgard. But he was at least something of a known quantity—if Thor would be honest and share what he knew about Loki.

She knew that Erik believed he was acting in her best interests, but he had allowed her to work blind for three weeks. And Thor...she didn't really know Thor at all, did she? She needed someone on her side. Someone like Darcy Lewis.

Hours later, though, she still stared at the opposite wall. The glowing LED clock had been laid on its face some time ago. She didn't need a constant reminder that the night was draining away. All of her logical arguments notwithstanding, the dull weight of anxiety still thumped in her belly.

oooOOOooo

Day 161

The Sanctuary: Chitauri Space

Another reptilian soldier charged, but Loki easily side-stepped and pivoted to drive a dagger under its ribs. The lizard-like form instantly vanished, and the black-haired man growled in frustration.

"The armor has to extend all the way down the back." He turned to face the hooded creature across the bare rock.

"How many humans will defend themselves with daggers, runt?"

"If my dagger can find a vulnerability, then Midgardian weapons could also. And the mortals might have help."

"From whom might the mortals have help?" The Other hissed at Loki.

Loki stood his ground. "Asgard is always watching the Tesseract."

"You said the Bifrost was destroyed."

"Odin has his ways. We should be prepared."

He waited, fist clenched around his dagger, to see how his ally would respond.

"Very well, No-One's-Son." The malevolent figure withdrew.

Loki waited a moment to ensure he was alone, then sheathed the knife and wrapped his left hand around his right wrist. His head had ached constantly since he had returned from Midgard. Perhaps the Tesseract had affected him more than he had expected. Oddly, the only thing that ever helped relieve the distracting pain was massaging his wrist.

He suspected the Tesseract was also behind the dreams that haunted him on the rare occasions he was allowed to sleep. When he awoke, he never remembered anything beyond vague impressions. The dreams weren't unpleasant. On the contrary, they filled him with a sense of rightness, of belonging. That in itself was unsettling. He was certain they could not come from his dark, twisted inner world.

Whatever the cause, he could not allow Thanos to detect these weaknesses.

oooOOOooo

Day 161

Mojave Desert: Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility

Jane shifted the pile of notebooks to one arm, swiped her key card, and pushed the lab door open with her elbow. Erik was already there, seated at one of the work stations, his back to her. Jane took a deep breath before heading in.

Game face on, woman.

"Good morning, Erik."

He looked up from the printout he was studying and smiled—a little too widely, Jane thought.

"Good morning, Jane. How was your evening?"

I spent most of it staring at a wall. Alone.

She set her load on the empty work surface next to his and inconspicuously tugged her flannel cuffs down to cover her wrists. "Very productive, thanks. I got a lot figured out."

"Glad to hear it." Erik returned his attention to the report in his hands. "Any conclusions?"

"Several. The most pertinent is that I need Darcy Lewis here."

I want an ally.

Erik looked up at her again. "We have several lab techs available. I could assign one to you."

"Yes, but I want Darcy."

"Our research is very sensitive."

Jane crossed her arms. "I know SHIELD investigated Darcy when Thor showed up the first time. She must have checked out, or Malone wouldn't have let me call her last week."

"But she has classes."

"Coulson could call the dean. And, look, SHIELD forced me to come here while I was still recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder. That was pretty crappy, you know. I think I've done really well, but I want a friend."

"I'm your—"

"A girl friend, Erik."

The older scientist sighed. "I'll see what I can do." He bowed his head and squinted a bit to continue reading.

"Thanks." Jane looked around the enormous room. "Where's Thor?"

Once more Erik's head came up. He resembled a bobblehead doll. His finger pointed toward the sky.

Jane followed his gesture to the catwalks above them. "Again?"

"He says he can protect us better from up there."

She shrugged and sat next to Erik. She slipped a scrunchie off her wrist and pulled her hair into a loose bun, then sorted through her stack of notebooks. Selecting one, she opened it and began thumbing through the pages, skimming the handwritten notes.

Absently, she tugged strands of her hair out of the messy hairdo and twirled them around the fingers of her left hand. Tug, tug, twirl.

Jane reached for another notebook and opened it over the first. A third notebook went beside it, a blank page ready. Tug, tug, twirl.

Erik glanced at her. "Are you going to be ready this afternoon for the tests on the sample metals?"

"Yes. I'm just reviewing the last of the absorption rate data."

"You said you were going to do that last night."

I lied. It's an epidemic around here.

"I just want to check it over one more time." Jane made a few notations, then nudged Erik. "So, what's the verdict? Is Thor going to let us test Mjolnir?"

"I don't know."

"It would be helpful for our research."

"It might help if you asked him. You rarely speak to him. I think he's disappointed."

Jane assiduously made a few more notations before Erik nudged her.

"I'd personally appreciate it if you would speak with him, be less cool toward him. He did come back to Earth to protect you—us."

She leaned toward Erik, keeping her voice pitched low.

"Protect us from what, exactly? The Tesseract hasn't shown any odd readings since I got here."

Erik glanced back to the papers in his hand. "Ah, from whatever might come along, I guess."

"Do you ever suspect that Thor isn't telling us everything he knows?"

He turned sharply to her. "What? What do you mean?"

"I mean—why is he really here? What did Heimdall really see? What made Odin decide it was worth it to send Thor to Earth? I have a hard time believing that it was some vague vision. Johann Schmidt threatened the entire human race using the Tesseract, and Odin didn't lift a finger."

Erik remained silent, ostensibly reviewing the data before him.

Jane continued, "Has he said anything to you, given you any more clues?"

What are you going to do, Erik? Now's your chance.

The older man cleared his throat. "I see your point. I think we need to trust Odin's judgement on this one, though. I, for one, don't feel qualified to argue with him. Do you?"

You didn't answer my question.

"I guess you're right."

Erik's shoulders relaxed a fraction. Jane's tightened.

She resumed scanning and making notes. Tug, tug, twirl. Tug, tug, twirl. Maybe she should ask Thor about testing Mjolnir. The Tesseract had been housed on Asgard for centuries; the Aesir had to have a way of containing its power. Could Mjolnir deflect or absorb the energy? Tug, tug, twirl. Thor had told her it was forged in the heart of a dying star. Not much chance of reproducing that, but at the very least, she would know if Mjolnir could be used as defense in case of an attack. Tug, tug, twirl.

Just go talk to him, Jane. Get it over with. Tug, tug, twirl.

A large hand encircled her left wrist, only a thin layer of cotton between it and her scar. "Stop."

Some protective instinct kicked into overdrive. She swiftly rose and twisted out of the unwelcome grasp, defensively crossing her arms against her chest.

Thor stood in front of her, hands raised palm-up in the universal symbol of "I mean you no harm."

Jane's central nervous system hadn't processed the message yet, though, and she snapped, "Don't touch me like that!"

Thor wisely took one step back from her before answering. "I apologize, Jane. I wasn't trying to startle you. You must have been deeper in thought than I realized."

She remained in the same stance, warily eyeing Thor.

"Jane?" Erik's voice broke into the tense moment. "I don't think Thor meant to upset you."

"Then why did you grab my arm?"

"Again, I apologize. You looked so intense, and you were torturing your beautiful hair. I meant only to tease you, to lighten the mood."

Jane uncrossed her arms and patted her hair. It was indeed frizzy all around her hairline. She caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection off a computer screen and grimaced.

"I do that sometimes when I'm thinking."

"You should plait your hair, as the Aesir do when preparing for battle. It keeps me from pulling my hair out in the stress of the moment."

"Maybe I should," she said, by way of concession.

"I would be pleased to show you how," Thor said.

Jane glanced at Erik, who raised his eyebrows and subtly nodded. She was uncomfortable with the idea of letting Thor touch her. But she knew she had to talk to him sometime, and maybe this was the right opportunity. And it was just hair, right?

"Um, okay. I guess I could take a break. I've done about all I can do before we begin the next tests."

Thor beamed and Erik grinned and Jane's stomach twisted.

oooOOOooo

Jane sat in her dining chair, wishing the Earth would open up and swallow her. Thor had gently—lovingly, even—combed the tangles out of her hair before beginning to weave tiny braids back from her temples. She was afraid this had been a mistake. They were alone in her room and the atmosphere had grown decidedly intimate. He had pulled her head back to rest against his abdomen to give him greater leverage as he plaited. She felt the rise and fall of every breath he took, felt the warmth and strength of his large body. Under other circumstances, she had no doubt where this grooming session would lead.

He slowly drew the comb through her hair, preparing for another braid. She closed her eyes, waiting for the rhythmic pull and tug on her scalp. Instead, Thor ran his hand down her temple, her cheekbone, her jawline, down to her throat.

Jane's eyes flew open and she choked, "Thor!" just as he whispered her name. She grabbed his hand.

"Jane, I missed you so much. I longed only to return to you. I thought you also waited for my return."

There was no easy way out now. She inhaled deeply and steeled herself.

"I did wait for your return, Thor. But—"

Her sentence was cut off as Thor abruptly knelt in front of her and clasped her hands. "But what, Jane? I'm here now, with you."

"I'm real while we're together...I'm as real as you need me to be."

Jane frowned and shook her head.

"What is it, Jane?"

"Nothing. I thought…" She shook her head again. "Look, Thor, we need to talk. You are an amazing, amazing person...god...alien...whatever. You are brave, strong, responsible, kind. And certainly you're handsome."

"Go on," Thor said with a smile.

She managed a small smile in return. "But, I don't know, I don't feel the same as I did before."

Thor's smile melted.

Jane continued, feeling that it was now or never. "I know it wasn't your fault, but I think the nightmares I had after you left changed me somehow."

"Is there...is there someone else, Jane? Has another man captured your heart?"

"No!" Jane responded hastily, eager to reassure him, at least in this. "I'm not interested in anyone at all. I feel...numb, I guess, inside."

"Perhaps this is a temporary condition, then. As you continue to heal from your terrible experience, you might find yourself thawing towards me."

His hope-filled eyes gazed at her. She caved a little. "Perhaps. We'll have to see." Jane dared to squeeze his hand. "But, I'd really love to be your friend in the meantime."

He grimaced, then gave her a small smile. "If you need a friend, I'll be your friend."

"Thanks," she said, meaning it.

"And as your friend, may I finish dressing your hair for battle?"

"Please do."

Thor returned to his task, though he was careful not to pull her too close or allow his hand to linger too long on her skin. Jane was grateful that he was respecting her wishes, though she also felt a bit sad for both of them.

"Thor?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you allow us to test Mjolnir against the Tesseract?"

He continued braiding, though he didn't answer. Jane sat patiently.

Finally, he said, "I don't know if that is a wise course of action."

"What are you most concerned about?"

"The Tesseract has tremendous power. Mjolnir has tremendous power. In an attack, I would not hesitate to use Mjolnir. But I fear the results might be too dangerous for a mere test."

Jane chose not to press the issue. Instead, she changed tack completely. "Thor, we need to know more about what Heimdall actually saw here on that day."

This time, Thor's hands faltered for a moment. When he spoke, though, his voice was even. "I've told you what I was told."

Et tu, Thor?

"Okay, but isn't there a way to get a message to Heimdall or to Odin? Can't Heimdall see us? We need more information to construct the best possible defense. Think about it. If Heimdall saw a massive meteor headed this way, we would need a very different type of defense than if he saw, oh, say,"—Jane deliberately kept her voice light, as if she were speaking off the cuff—"Loki. Ow!"

She yelped as her hair was suddenly yanked.

"I'm so sorry, Jane. My hand slipped. Please forgive me."

"It's okay."

Come on, Thor!

The Asgardian fastened the end of the braid and released her hair. He motioned to the office chair. "May I?"

Jane nodded and he pulled it over to the table and sat.

"I can try asking Heimdall to give us more information. That doesn't mean that we will receive any. You need to understand that."

She nodded again. Thor ducked his head until Jane made eye contact with him. "What if...what if we discover that it was some intelligent being that Heimdall saw and not a mindless threat like a meteor or a solar flare? What would you do then?"

"Then we would need to learn all that we could about this intelligent being in order to know how best to defend ourselves. What does he—or she—want from Earth? What are his strengths and weaknesses? It would be great if we had access to someone who already has some experience with...this being. Right now, we're just groping around in the dark. If Asgard has more information and is withholding it, then Odin isn't really interested in protecting the Earth."

Seconds ticked by. Jane held the eye contact, trying to mentally force Thor to tell her the truth. He looked away first.

"You make it sound so simple, Jane. What if giving us more information caused more problems than it solved?"

"You make it sound so complicated. We need to know as much as possible, no matter how unpleasant, in order to have a shot at defending ourselves."

Thor nodded slowly. Come on! Then he said, "I'll see what I can do."

Jane sighed. She needed an ally. "We should get back to the lab." She stood, and ran her fingers lightly over the braids Thor had created. "Wow. These braids feel complicated, like weaving. How did you learn to do that?"

Thor began, "We all learned to dress each other's hair—," then noticed that Jane stood frozen, her eyes round. "Jane? Are you all right?"

She shook her head. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just had a super strong feeling of déjà vu."

"What?"

She shook her head again. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Let's go, okay?"

oooOOOooo

Day 169

Mojave Desert: Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility

Jane groped for the handle of the toilet, but her gut spasmed again before she could flush. She moaned and coughed weakly, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Oh, yeah. This was what had been missing during these fun happy weeks in SHIELD-land. Supernatural shenanigans, betrayal, and now puke. Lovely.

It had been just over a week since she discovered that Loki was the reason Thor had returned to Earth. It had been just over a week since she realized that Erik and Thor were lying to her. She felt she had handled the extra stress well, so this stomach upset was probably viral.

Jane drew in a breath and tested the response of her tummy. The worst was probably over, but she was definitely tired and shaky. The funky mark on her wrist wasn't happy, though. It burned and itched.

She cleaned herself up, making sure to run cold water over the scar. It would be nice if that thing would finish healing.

Maybe this illness was a blessing in disguise. She, Erik, and their team had been working every day, twelve to sixteen hours a day. They had identified a man-made metal, adamantium, as the most practical solution for long-term containment of the Tesseract's radiation. Their gamma diodes were working beautifully. Jane didn't understand how any of that would stop Loki if he returned for the Tesseract, but she hadn't figured out a way to broach the subject.

She could use a day off. It would be a relief not to have to watch Erik and Thor continue their charade, not to have to play the game back. Jane shuffled to her in-house phone to call Erik. She explained she had a stomach bug, and wanted to sleep for a while.

Jane crawled back into bed, surprised at how exhausted she felt. Her daytime life was tense, but she had been sleeping well at night. She chalked it up to sleeping in a real bed for the first time in months. But now, despite the fact that she'd slept a solid seven hours last night, she couldn't keep her eyes open. As had become her habit, she fell asleep stroking the mysterious scar.

She had no idea what time it was when a knock at the door awakened her. Jane frowned and mumbled, "Go away...sleeping."

But the knock came again, and Jane loudly grumbled while rousing herself. She pulled on her long green dressing gown and stumbled to the door. "This had better be good."

A look through the peephole didn't improve her mood. Someone—one of the clones, no doubt—held a tray of soda and crackers. She hadn't asked for any food yet, she had asked to sleep.

But then the bearer of the tray backed up so Jane could see her face. That wasn't a clone!

"Open up, boss lady!"