Chapter 4

The next morning Thor woke staring blankly at the ceiling in Maria's room. He rolled over and stared at the photos, his eyes lingering over the young girl's gorgeous smile. What happened?, he wondered sadly, his chest painfully tight.

He'd listened to her cry last night. The moment his door had closed she seemed to give out trying to hide it, and he could hear her for what felt like hours. It'd been hard to stay put. He remembered clenching his fists in the sheets as if to anchor him to the bed, stopping him from going and comforting the weeping woman. It'd been all his fault. It had felt like a lifetime before the sobs finally quietened and the house was silent. After that, there wasn't a sound to be heard.

Thor had still found it hard to sleep.

He slinked out the bedroom as quietly as he could, leaving Mjolnir inside. He squeezed his hulking frame down the stair case slowly, cursing every time the old wood groaned under his weight. When he finally stepped down onto the floor again he breathed a sigh of relief.

Daylight peeked out brightly between the cracks in the curtains but the house was still reasonably dark from the drapes. He didn't dare touch them; the tiny woman laid out on the couch was soundly still. Thor wondered forward into the living space till he was crouched in front of the couch, staring at Maria's sleeping face. She looked so peaceful, her eyes closed and relaxed, her lips pressed together softly. All ounce of tension was gone. Her hair was splayed adorably over the arm of the couch where her head lay, her delicate hand resting by her cheek. Thor tipped his head to the side as he watched her. This is how she should be. At peace. Not scared. Not in pain. Not alone.

As gently as he could, his fingers reached up and brushed away a stray curl that was falling into her eye. Thor didn't think he'd ever seen anything more beautiful.

A thin blanket was draped over her body but it fell short, slipping from her waist, revealing the grey mans shirt she slept in. Thor carefully peeled the blanket higher up to the nape of her exposed neck.

Satisfied that Maria was at peace and would remain so, Thor rose and went back upstairs, exploring the bathroom. He was surprised to see that an old house like this one had a shower installed but he ran the taps of the bath regardless. They would make less noise than the shower, he reasoned. He wasn't risking waking Maria for anything.

He didn't take long to wash, anxious to be there for Maria when she finally woke. He washed and dressed quickly, back downstairs running his fingers through his damp hair within twenty minutes.

Maria was still asleep.

Or so he thought.

A sharp gasp from the couch drew Thor's attention from the window out of which he'd been gazing. He moved to the living room in a shot. "Miss Maria." He crouched down again as Maria's eyes snapped open and found his instantly. The clear brightness of his blue eyes seemed to calm her frantic heart.

Her hand pulled up from beneath the blanket and pressed over her heart. "Oh God." she breathed. "You."

"I am here. You have nothing to fear." he reassured, though he was quite sure that wasn't what she meant, judging by the blunt tint in her voice.

He bowed his head slightly, then rose to pull open the curtains from the windows. His back turned, Maria straightened up on the couch, pulling the blanket up with her, holding it to her chest as she watched the god consciously. Sunlight streamed suddenly into the house and Maria covered her eyes with her hands.

"Jesus!"

XXX

"Right. Agenda for the day: clothes, food, flowers."

Thor said nothing as Maria led him through the town centre, talking more to herself than to him. Any other day he might have been intrigued by the mortal setting around him, the centre filled with shops and stores the likes of which Thor had never seen before. But his mind was still troubled.

More specifically - he thought, eyeing the woman ahead - by her.

She'd barely been able to look at him all morning. She was still upset, Thor understood. From the moment she'd opened her eyes, breaking that blissful spell of sleep, she'd gone back to scared and defensive, her shoulders tense, her eyes suspicious, her voice wary.

The journey to the city had been brief. An hours journey or so. The walk through the field was uneventful, but as soon as the city bloomed around them Thor had been interested. Maria - in as dull as a mood as she was - showed him hospitality in her home. She helpfully pointed out helpful places: the hospital, the town square, the library, the shopping centre... and that was where they were now, scouring up and down the stores until Maria found the one she was looking for. Thor followed silently.

He wish he'd brought Mjolnir. He longed to feel the powerful weight in his hand, so at least he didn't have to feel as useless as he truly was. Mjolnir couldn't make Maria happy, but it could keep her safe. At least Thor could feel he was doing the mortal woman some duty.

"Here."

Maria stopped, and Thor nearly walked into the back of her. He stumbled to a clumsy halt to avoid her, just as she darted forward beneath the glowing sign that read 'Primark'. Thor followed cautiously.

The shop felt like a woman's shore. Everything seemed light and feminine, and the further Maria led him into the store Thor saw more and more mortal women, and more and more womens merchandise. He gulped in discomfort. Why was Maria bringing him here? Thor trained his eyes ahead and clenched his fists, clinging to all the discipline and dignity he possessed.

Finally they reached the end of the store and the doorway was in sight. Thor's heart leapt with hope at the thought of being able to leave, but at the last minute Maria swerved and began to trot up some stairs, leading to the second floor. He groaned quietly, and followed.

The second floor though was a hundred times worse than the first.

Before the stairs he'd had to wade through simple women's clothes, shirts and jeans and skirts, then jewellery, and shoes and other accessories he did not understand. But this... this was torturous. The second floor had men's clothes alright. Thor could see them - on the other side of the store. It was what lay between them that scared him.

Maria didn't give him time to protest though. She marched ahead carelessly.

Thor glared at the baby clothes as they passed, wishing they could go on forever. They ran out all too quickly, and Thor was forced to follow Maria through the stalls bearing women's undergarments. He tried to train his forward - far beyond Maria - and to close his mind, but he was surrounded. Everywhere he looked were women, seemingly oblivious to the man in their midst as they handled the items feverishly, holding items to their chest and gossiping about things that had Thor gulping till his throat was raw. His heart hammered in his chest, trying to cling to his gentlemanly composure.

By the time he was finally enveloped in suits and shirts, his cheeks were aflame and his eye twitched. He was thankful that Maria didn't even glance back at him, striding forward purposely.

Once again, Maria stopped abruptly. This time, his mind still a daze, Thor crashed into her. His hands instinctively found her shoulders to hold her steady as he righted himself of his own accord, trying to ignore the way Maria's shoulders stiffened under his touch.

"God." she muttered, subtly easing herself free, cheeks pink.

Thor hand fell to his side uselessly. He cleared his throat. "Have you found what you seek?"

Eyes widening as if suddenly remembering something, Maria span around and fumbled with the clothes on the wrack. "Just about." She turned back with a pair of jeans in her hands and unfolded them, holding the waist band to Thor's hips. The god leapt back immediately, shocked (perhaps still on edge from the previous section), and Maria arched an eyebrow at him. "You want to wear those forever?" she snapped, nodding at the black trousers he currently wore. "Stay still. I just need to find the right size then I'll leave you alone, alright."

Thor watched her carefully. "You... think me offended?"

"Well, you won't even let me measure you for clothes."

An innocent manoeuvre, he decided reluctantly. The people of this world were strange. He stepped forward unwillingly, and instantly Maria was comparing the trousers to those he already wore.

"Perfect." Maria withdrew quickly, and swung the jeans over her arm along with another matching pair. She blinked up at him. "What sort of shirts do you like?"

Thor was lost. But after a short while of searching with Maria's aid - and mercifully less intimate 'measuring' involved - they'd wracked up a total of six shirts, a jacket and an extra pair of boots, which Thor made himself usefully by carrying them on Maria's behalf. They'd just walked back down the stairs to the first floor of the store, when Thor suddenly had an idea.

He caught Maria's arm gently, relieved when she didn't flinch or yank away. She frowned at him questioningly. "Maria, you mean all this for me." She continued to stare at him. He cut to the point. "You should buy something for yourself."

He wasn't sure what reaction he expected, but it certainly wasn't the one he got: Maria's stiff demeanour cracked and she laughed, her mouth drawn wide and her eyes bright. Her hand touched her stomach and she bent over slightly at her middle. Thor watched patiently, confused. Finally, she straightened up again, pressing her lips together against further chuckles, though her eyes still sparkled with a light that made Thor smile with accomplishment. "What would you have me get?" she gasped.

Thor looked around instantly for inspiration. He hadn't expected his plan to work so quickly. Something caught his eye and he marched to it without hesitation. "This."

Maria followed with colouring cheeks.

Thor unhooked the garment from the rail and held it out to her, at just the right angle so it hovered over where it would lie if she were wearing it. The fabric was charming light brown colour, falling to her knees, a thin sash around the waist, with a delicate flower pattern decorating the body. It suited Maria.

"This?" Maria gracefully took the dress from him and studied it carefully.

The god watched her mind work behind her eyes. He had no objections to what the girl was wearing now (a plain white shirt with a black skirt), but knew she'd look even prettier with more feminine clothes, so she could look every bit the beautiful woman she was. Thor smirked inwardly to himself; he always had had a weakness for beautiful women. And Maria was most certainly a beautiful woman, a fact highlighted even more as a humble smile spread on her face.

Finally Maria lifted her eyes to his, still shining with their sudden glee. "Alright."

Thor grinned.

XXX

Thor unloaded the contents of the shopping trip onto the kitchen table, careful not to break anything. "We needed all this food?" he glanced over his shoulder at Maria, who was filling the sink with water for her flowers.

"It's your fault you eat so much." she scolded lightly with a teasing smile.

Ever the gentleman, and proud at having cheered Maria up, he'd offered to carry all the shopping home. That was all the clothes they'd bought and all the food they'd gone on to purchase at another store. The only thing he'd allowed Maria to hold was the flowers they'd brought at the flower store, and that was only because he didn't trust himself to be careful enough to keep them in their delicate condition. Maria had cradled them like an infant on the way home.

Thor stood back as Maria rummaged through the food bags, instantly putting things in the shelves with impressive speed. "I'll take your clothes up for you." she said when she was done, gathering up the bags containing the clothes.

"Wait!" Thor's arm shot out and caught Maria's wrist before she could disappear up the staircase. "You should try the dress on." He explained quickly, releasing her.

He did not see her smile as she ran upstairs, but he knew it was there none the less. Sighing in content, he wondered to the living room and threw himself down on the couch. Finally he'd done something right! After all this time of making Maria cry and hurt, he'd finally managed to turn things around. And not just that, he thought to himself proudly, I made her smile. I made her laugh! A grin of his own was just settling on his face as the clattering of steps on the stairs distracted him and he turned in his seat.

The moment his eyes hit Maria though, he jumped to his feet. His mouth fell open.

Maria blushed modestly under the gods gaze as her hand toyed nervously at the hem of the dress. It was nicer than she could have hoped. Thor had a good eye for a man. And though she'd admitted upstairs that it did indeed look nice on her, here and now, under Thor's scouring gaze she was once again filled with doubt. "What do you think?" she finally asked with more courage than she felt.

Thor gulped and tried to regain his dignity. "It looks..." he searched for words that truly described how beautiful she looked, her face practically shining with happiness. "Wow..." he could only breathe.

Maria cheeks flushed. Pressing her lips together in a gleeful smile she turned on her heel and tended to the flowers in the sink, glancing over at the god creeping forward awkwardly. "You made a good choice. I should take you shopping more often."

"I merely wished to see you happy. And to show my appreciation for your hospitality." he stepped forward, and took up Maria's hand in his. He paused for a moment, waiting to see if she'd pull away. He smiled when she merely glanced to the floor embarrassed. "Is there anything more I can do for you?"

"You're keeping me alive." she chuckled, gently teasing free of his hand to take the flowers from the sink. "I think that's enough on your part. It should be me that's doing everything for you, not the other way around!"

Thor chuckled too. "But you are a woman."

Maria glanced over her shoulder and arched an eyebrow at him. "And? Is being a woman a weakness where you're from?"

"Quite the opposite. Where I'm from women are treasured and valued much more than they are in this world." he explained delicately. "My mother always reminded me to respect women."

"I like your mother."

Thor lowered himself into a chair at the table as he laughed. "She always told me to treat a woman with care and honour, for she will bare me children, tend to me when I am injured, comfort me with her presence... it is something she told me to always hold dear." He didn't miss the way Maria blushed and focussed deeply on gathering the flowers stalks with a neat ribbon. "Protecting your safety is something considered unconditional, something to be done regardless of order or circumstance." he went on.

"I wish more people thought like that."

Maria's hands stilled in their work as her voice hardened unmistakably.

She ignored Thor's frown on her back, and gathered up the flowers in her arms. She made her way to the door.

"You are leaving?"

Maria's hand froze on the door handle, as she heard the god rise from the chair and take a step forward. "Yes." she said quietly. "I have to go somewhere. It's Sunday."

Suddenly, she could feel Thor behind her. "Then I must go with you."

She held her breath for a moment, then turned the handle and let the door drift open. Stepping out, she turned to the god in the doorway. "Alright," she sighed, her voice heavy, but brave.

Thor frowned as he stepped out of the house and followed Maria again. She was upset again, but it was different. He could feel it was different. He'd seen the anguish in her eyes, but it was not the same as earlier. Earlier she'd surrendered to it. This time she was fighting. She was braving against it.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked, as Maria led him back down the route he'd taken the day he'd first come to visit her. He could remember the path. He saw the familiar sight of the cemetery drawing near.

Maria didn't look back as she answered. "To my parents' graves."

Thor's mouth shot open in surprise. But as Maria stopped at the low wooden gate and turned to glance at him, he closed it respectfully. "Would you rather I wait here?" he asked softly. He would understand. This was something personal she had to do, and he was an outsider. He would understand.

She shook her head, her eyes gleaming. "No," Thor caught the crack in her voice. "Would you come?" her eyes were glistening with unshed tears as she stared into his. He could see the plea in her gaze. Then to his surprise he felt her small hand close over his, resting on the stone wall of the cemetery. "Please?"

Without hesitation, nor taking his eyes from hers, his fingers gently gathered up hers and pressed them tenderly to his lips. "It would be my honour." he whispered into her skin.

Maria's fingers clung to his needily as she led him into the cemetery. Thor picked his steps carefully, not willing to disturb the graves or the tributes that surrounded them in the narrow space to walk amongst. Maria knew her way well though. They drew closer to the church with every step until they were walking around the stone wall of the chapel, to where the church wall met the cemetery wall, trapping them in a small nook.

And within that nook lay two graves.

Even as Maria bent down to settle the flowers between the mounds of stone, she didn't let go of Thor's hand. His eyes watched her with sympathy. He could feel her fingers clinging to his tightly, to the point her nails were almost digging into his skin. He wouldn't let go though. He would stay as long as she needed him. And he could feel it - she needed him now.

The trembling of her arm alerted him to her crying long before she drew back to his side enough for him to see the tears. They brushed teasingly over the bruise on her cheek.

"I come here every Sunday." she said in a calm voice. "Like how mum would bring us to dad's. She died not long afterwards. She couldn't take it. I still come though. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't." A sad smile graced her lips. "I don't want them to think I'd forgotten them. Never."

His hand closed around hers comfortingly. "They would be proud of you." Of that much he was sure. With such a beautiful, kind daughter, how could any parent be anything but proud of Maria?

"Proud..." she shook her head. "My mother would be more proud of you for picking out this dress! She always said I should be more girly." Suddenly Maria looked to him. "She'd like you, I think. And my dad." The graves re-drew her attention. "I never quite believed him when he said someone would come, but here you are." She nudged her elbow in his ribs. "Why'd you have to prove me wrong for? I hate losing."

Thor couldn't help but smile, and he was glad to see Maria do the same. "I wish I'd met your parents. To have raised a fine daughter like you, they must have been good people."

"At least they've met you now." she smiled, wiping her hand over her face and looking upwards to the sky. "We were always taught that even if we can't see people it doesn't mean they're not there. I bet they're watching us now." Her teeth shone as she laughed. "My dad would have loved this..."

"He sounds like a remarkable man."

"He was. He was my everything. He took care of me."

Thor glanced from the graves to Maria, thought she still stared ahead. Not good enough, Thor decided in his head. He wanted to be looking into her eyes as he said this. He reached out his spare hand and cupped her cheek in his palm, gently angling her face up to him. His bright blue eyes captured hers in a heartbeat. He gazed deep into her soft brown depths, praying he would be able to convey just how sincere he truly was. "Then I will take his place." he vowed solemnly.

Maria's hand rose to cover his over her cheek and she smiled. "Thank you."