Songs: "The Arena" by Lindsey Stirling (kind of obsessed with this song soo-), "Everybody Knows" by Sigrid.
Emotion filled eyes sought out the location of the familiar voice; his lips drawing up in a slight smile. "You're here."
"Where else would I be?," Jane murmured as she strode gradually over to the containment cell; her gaze solely focused on that of her husband's as the sounds of his scream still echoed in her ears.
"I've missed you so much, Jane, and I can only hope I am not having hallucinations. Though, if I am, what better hallucination than that of my dead wife?" Chuckling humorlessly to himself, he dropped his hands to his lap and peered down at the floor. "If you are only a figment of my imagination, I only hope you've forgiven me for not protecting you and the baby. I thought if I went with his wishes that you would be safe from harm. But, yet again, I managed to mess up things; just did not expect your demise to be the punishment."
"W-what are you talking about?," she uttered in disbelief; confusion coating her voice as she reached the door that kept him sealed away. From where she stood, the sight of his debilitated form made her want to cry out in horror as she took in his overly thin frame marred with dozens and dozens of cuts and scrapes. "Loki, what happened to you?"
"Oh, Jane, my Jane -" the dark haired Prince started as he allowed his head to raise up; the image of the woman who had made his life worth living greeting him as he looked forward. "I wish I knew where to begin. So much has happened since the day I left you in Tromso that I lack the ability to give you a proper explanation. I - " his eyelids widened as a second presence revealed itself to him. Pulling himself up and wincing as his sore muscles collided with the floor, Loki slowly made his way to where she stood. As he walked, the second presence increased to the point of causing him to tear up at the shocking realization. He was able to feel the presence of their unborn baby; the little one's heart beat thrumming in its chest as it slept within his wife. "Jane.. you really are alive."
Placing a hand on the glass barrier that separated the two of them, she nodded as her own tears spilled down her face. "I am, Loki, I am."
"My love, my Jane.." he groaned as he allowed a hand to touch the barrier, his tear filled eyes roamed almost desperately over her body; the need to take in every inch of her outweighing anything else. "I thought I lost you.." Had he been lied to by Thanos about Jane's death? The Titan had gone out of his way to tell him of Jane's fate; that he had personally picked her up by the neck and choked the life out of her. Now, however, as he stood in front of her, he was able to see that the angle of her neck looked natural.
"Hold on for a second, ok? I need to figure out something." She proceeded to back away from the glass barrier as she wandered over to the computer set up next to the cell; the need to be in his arms one that overrode the dozens of questions that had been continuously presenting themselves over and over in her head.
"What are you doing, Jane?" Curiosity pushed past the surprise as he watched her movements.
"This," she softly exclaimed as the pointer finger of her right hand pressed firmly on the button that allowed entry into the cell. The sight of the glass door sliding to the left greeted her as she looked forward and walked with determination toward Loki; the sight of her confused husband a noticeable one. Without letting him know what she was planning on doing, Jane's hands reached up and wrapped themselves around his shoulders as she proceeded to close the distance between of them; the tension that had been building for the past couple of months disappearing within seconds.
Allowing himself an amused smile at how adorable his wife was, Loki completed the embrace by sliding his arms around her waist. "Is this what you needed to figure out?" His head leaned forward as his nose buried itself in her brunette locks; his nose drawing in a deep breath as the scent of her hair filled him and created a soothing balm that soared throughout his body and soul. "I've dreamt about doing only this for so long, Jane."
Nodding in reply to his question, Jane smiled slightly at the presence of him breathing against her head; a gesture that she had taken for granted. "Do you still think I'm dead, Loki?"
Emitting a soft chuckle that felt almost alien to him as he was unable to recall the last time he had laughed recently, Loki tightened his hold on Jane's body and shook his head. "A hallucination wouldn't be holding me as tightly as you are. A hallucination wouldn't have our still alive baby still within her body," he murmured while reaching in between them to caress her lower abdomen; tears of joy now spilling down his cheeks as his touch allowed him to feel the baby's heartbeat all the more. "I hope our little one hasn't been causing their mother too much trouble."
"Aside from the usual morning sickness and stuff, no. Once we figure all of this out, you'll be able to come home with me and we can get through this pregnancy together." Hope, one of the most powerful feelings in the world, bloomed within Jane as she began to think of how wonderful it would be to have him there with her.
Overwhelmed at the thought of being able to go back to his normal life, Loki drew his head back as his eyes sought out hers; her beautiful brown eyes working together with the aroma of her hair to soothe the jagged edges of his soul. Given their close proximity, he was able to feel the soft breeze that was her breath caressing his lips; an action that had become so commonplace in his life with her. This woman, the small astrophysicist he had cried over when he thought her dead; the bold Jane who was carrying his first child and had allowed him a chance to have all that he wanted, he loved her with all that he was and more. As much as he was cherishing the warmth of her body pressed against him, Loki recognized that he needed more. Hands moved from where they had resided on her body to cup her face lovingly as he bowed his head to capture the lips that he had been thinking about since the moment he left Tromso. The plump texture of her lips along his caused the dark haired Prince to groan in surprise as he was reminded of the fact that he hadn't been able to kiss his wife as of late. Craving more, he slid his hands from her face and down her body only to clasp greedily onto her rear end as he proceeded to pick her up; the shift of her body against his causing him to emit a hungry groan this time.
Feeling both the wondrous warmth of his lips against hers only to have the additional warmth of his body along hers, Jane clung just as hungrily to Loki; the need to erase the time apart from him becoming all the more prominent as she held on. How she had been able to survive without him was a question that she still truly could not answer as she returned the kiss vigorously. This man, the individual who had once started as a close friend; her mischief loving Loki who she loved more and more with each passing day. Knowing that she was, finally, able to share a kiss with him was almost too much for her deprived mind to handle, but she still clung to him. The notion of stopping seemed far too ridiculous to even consider.
As his lips moved along hers; lips touching along his favorite corners of her lips, he was about to non-verbally ask for admission to allow him entry into the warmth that was her mouth when a menacing voice snapped him out of the romantic moment. 'What is this? So you've seen through my ploy, Asgardian? Clever. Now, I will give you one chance to obey me or, this time, you will be the one to end her life. Try not to disappoint me.' No, he mused to himself, as he ended the kiss; his eyelids opening as he watched Jane look at him in confusion. He needed to get her away from him if that was the route Thanos aimed for. Carefully setting her down onto the hard flooring beneath the two of them, he regretfully let go of her and stepped away; fear filling the dark haired Prince as the thought of him ending Jane's life disturbed him greatly. "You need to get away from me, Jane. Please. I love you too much to put you in harm's way."
"Loki, I don't under-," Jane began as she reached out for him. As she did so, she began to feel intense cramping in her lower abdomen; the pain of it mimicking that of the menstrual cramps that she used to experience every month during her period. Grimacing at the sudden, sharp pain, Jane placed her free hand on her abdomen while using the other to continue reaching out to Loki.
"No, please; just stay away and get out of here. I can't-" he gritted his teeth as he felt his mind become clouded; the only thought in his mind that remained was that of ending Jane's life which caused him to verbally scream as he gripped onto his head and clutched tightly onto his dark strands. He could not, would not end his love's life. Doing so would only make him a monster; something he had to once handle when he had learned of his Jotun DNA. "Just, please, go." The Titan had said he would give him a chance to obey him and he had done so. Where was this all coming from?
Watching tearfully as he clutched angrily at his head while his scream bounced off the walls, she could not imagine the idea of leaving him when he was acting the way he was. "I can't, Loki. I just got you back so I can't. Please let me help you."
"What part of, 'just go' did you not understand, Jane?," He snapped at her; the struggle to keep control of himself putting a strain on him. "If you love me, you will get of my sight."
"None of this makes sense, Loki." Hurt at being snapped at pushed her to retaliate; her hands clenching in fists as she tried to make sense of what was happening. First they were kissing and enjoying a wonderfully romantic moment; now this.
The pain of defying Thanos crackled through his skin; the intensity causing him to let out another scream as he fell to the floor. Clenching his fists in an attempt to stomach the excruciating sensations soaring throughout his veins, the dark haired Prince caught the sight of movement from his left and snarled. "Jane, get out! Go be with Thor and get the hell away from me. Please!"
Strong arms wrapped themselves tightly around her waist just as she was about to reach for him again; the grip tightening as she groaned from the tension of the hold. The cramps from earlier were intensifying to the point of making her feel as if she was going to pass out. "Let me go..," she uttered before casting a glance at the individual that had grasped onto her. "Thor.."
Grunting in acknowledgement as he pulled her to safety, he let go of her only to nudge her down the steps leading toward the entrance. Watching as she tearfully descended, Thor turned to gaze at the computer that contained the button that allowed the glass door to open and close with ease. Locating the button, he pressed on it firmly; his blue eyes moving to find his brother. "I came as soon as I overheard you two yelling at each other, brother. What is this madness?"
"I am not myself, Thor," Loki muttered as he drew himself; his facial features twisted in pain as his gaze went from Thor to Jane in the background. "Keep her away from me, brother. Do what I asked of you back on Asgard."
Looking over his shoulder at Jane who seemed to be leaning heavily against the wall as she held onto her stomach, Thor nodded slowly before looking back at his brother and jerking slightly as he found Loki standing close. Taking a step back, Thor replied, "I promise."
"Good. Now you will have what you've always wanted, brother: her." His lips quirked humorlessly as his eyes wandered over to his Jane. Fingers itched to wipe the tears from her face; to pull her back into his arms and never let her go. "I love you, Jane."
"Then tell me what's going on," she retorted; her teeth gritting as she felt something soak her underwear. What the hell was happening to her? "I can handle a lot, you know."
"You foolish woman; I know you can handle anything. That's one of the many reasons why I fell for you, but this is bigger than anything you've dealt with. Thor -" his eyes slowly wandered over to his brother as he listened to Jane groan in frustration. " - get her out. Now." Or I will wind up killing my wife and I will never forgive myself for that.
Forcing herself to try to concentrate on the conversation as the cramps continued to attack her from within, Jane squeezed her eyelids shut as the feeling of something trailing down her legs greeted her. Panic seized the small astrophysicist as she tried to make sense of everything that was happening to her. "Tell me, Loki." Oh my God, I'm going to pass out.
"Do you really want to know, Jane? Huh?" Loki grimaced; feeling terrible for being so harsh with her.
"Yes." Nausea along with the cramps and the fluid spilling down her legs greeted her; the sudden symptoms freaking her out just as much as what was happening now with Loki.
He eyed her as he felt the full effect of Thanos' control surround him. "If you do not leave, I will not hesitate to murder you. Slowly, intimately," he growled; anguish flooding him as he heard himself uttering the words that had been repeating themselves in his head.
Jane found that she was no longer able to move as she stared at Loki incredulously; pain for him flooding her senses as she struggled to understand why he would end her life in the first place. "You are not the man I knew, Loki."
"Ah, so you do understand. Lovely. Marrying a monster like me was foolish of you, but I must say that I do have delectable taste in women. Pity I will have to put your race under my control, but I promise you all will be content with the decision." Madness reigned as he found himself far too exhausted to hold it all in.
"Jane, let's go."
"Indeed, Jane; follow Thor. I am quite certain he will be very pleased to have you at his side knowing that I've gone mad. If you do choose to be with him, I will not be devastated. After all, the witless oaf tried to take you away from me in the past so it would only make sense that he would try again." Despite all that he was saying, Loki could feel his heart aching as he eyed Jane; the sight of her pained expression hurting him in countless ways.
Unable to find any other words to express the variety of feelings flooding her thoughts, Jane forced herself away from the wall and propelled herself out of the room.
As soon as the two of them had left the room, the sudden symptoms had only increased to the point of her stumbling forward; the sight of her blood dripping down onto the floor beneath making her continue to tear up as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
"Jane.. is that your blood?" Thor's worried voice filled the hallway as he walked toward the brunette.
"Thor, something's wrong; I can't - I'm in so much pain," Jane whimpered as she staggered; the pain making her feel as if her lower abdomen was going to fall out.
"Jane!," he called out as he reached her and held onto her. Holding her close, he could not help but notice how pale she looked. "Jane, what is it?"
Groaning painfully as the cramps continued, Jane clutched with both hands at her stomach as she slumped against Thor. "The baby, there's something wrong with the baby.."
Panic filled the blonde God of Thunder as he gazed down at Jane's pained expression. Holding her close to him, he proceeded to run for the medical section of the helicarrier; fear for his friend fueling him as her pained groans soon turned into pained screams.
"Jane, hold on, ok? We're almost there, I promise."
Several agents of S.H.I.E.L.D darted out of the way as they watched Thor carry the gasping Jane down the hall; a few covering their mouths in horror at the droplets of blood that followed the two of them.
The sight of the medical bay greeted him as Thor kicked the double doors open; the movement causing several of the medical staff to jump in surprise as he forced himself into the room.
"Help her; she's in pain. Please!," He yelled out; fear for the woman he still had feelings for filling him as he desperately eyed the staff.
One of them; a middle aged woman with short brunette strands rushed forward and called out to him to place Jane who had passed out from the sheer pain she was under. Doing as he was instructed, Thor gently placed Jane on the bed while feeling tears spill down his cheeks. In all of the years that he had known her, he had never seen her like this before. Watching as the doctor and other members began to examine Jane, he moved to stand out of their way while keeping an eye on her.
Hours that felt like years passed as Thor stood in the medical room; his heart heavy with what the doctor had told him. Thankfully as he looked over at Jane, he was grateful that she was still resting as the shock of what he needed to tell her would take a lot out of her. Stepping quietly over to the sleeping astrophysicist, the blonde God of Thunder bent over and softly placed a kiss on his friend's forehead before straightening. Watching as she shifted slightly from the touch, Thor knew he also needed to share the information with Loki. After all, the man was her husband despite the madness he had been spewing earlier.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Thor turned away from Jane and left the room; Loki's location his destination as he walked. Anger at his brother's reckless words coursed through the blonde as he turned the corner; the sight of a maintenance worker mopping up the blood greeting him. His brother was to blame for what had happened to Jane, he mused. While he did not fully understand why Loki had said and done all of what he had chosen to do, the fact remained that he chose to do so.
Reaching the room in a surprisingly quick fashion, Thor let himself in as he recognized that the possible reason as to why he had managed to get there quickly had a lot to do with all that was on his mind. Walking in slowly, he was greeted by the sight of Loki leaning against the wall of his cell; his head hanging downward as he seemed to be staring thoughtfully at the floor.
"Brother," Thor started.
The dark haired Prince's head rose up; the equally dark eyebrows plummeting downward as he eyed Thor curiously. "Why are you here, Thor?"
"I've come to tell you news of something you're responsible for." Anger continued to crackle through him as he glared at the individual responsible for Jane's pain.
"Responsible for? Oh, do tell." Loki murmured; sarcasm filling his voice as he pushed himself forward and walked over to the glass barrier.
"The baby is gone, brother. When Jane and I left here, she was stumbling and gripping onto her stomach saying she wasn't feeling well. When I went over to her, there was a great deal of blood as well."
"... so those were the screams I heard?" Pain lanced through him as he felt tears spill down his face. "I kept hearing them, but I couldn't tell if it was her or someone else. Where is she?"
"Resting in the medical bay. She doesn't know yet what happened and I don't know how I'm to tell her. But, given that you were the baby's father, it only makes sense that you know as well." While he was still angry for what had happened, concern for his brother also presented itself as he watched the display of emotions revealing themselves on Loki's face.
"I don't know what to say, Thor. I know I can't see her like this as much as I wish I could; I-" he shook his head as he struggled to find the words to express what he was feeling. Their baby was gone and he was too messed up in the head to provide comfort to his wife. "I feel so bad for her.."
"Once she is rested, I will be taking her to a safe location to allow her to heal and deal with all that has happened," Thor muttered; the struggle over worry for Jane and worry for his brother overwhelming him.
Nodding quickly, Loki knew Jane being taken away was the best option as she needed to get away from the stress of everything. The thought of how she was going to respond once she learned what had happened tore at his heart as he reached for the chain that held his wedding ring. Drawing the band up to his lips, he kissed it softly as tears continued to spill down his cheeks. "Keep her safe, Thor."
"I will.."
(Wow! This was a lot harder to write than I thought, but I hope you all enjoy it! See you at Chapter 25!)
