Chapter 4 – What have we done?

Jane struggled as the guards walked her away from Loki, her heart racing faster the further they walked. This was all too much. She had known there was a chance this could happen, she had known they were risking a lot but sneaking around but why was it this bad? She couldn't fathom a reason why Odin would really have her chained and taken away to a dungeon; surely he would just reprimand her verbally and return her home – where she belonged.

It wasn't that long before she was left in a dark dungeon cell, nothing like the one Loki was being held in. It was rocky all around her, with a metal gate at the front – almost like an old fashioned prison cell from her own world. She took in small breaths and walked to the gate, clutching the metal within her hands "you can't just leave me down here – this is inhumane!"

She called out but soon enough she was left in complete darkness, the final guard vanishing up the stairs. "This is ridiculous…I didn't even do anything!"

Jane ran her hand through her hair and walked around her cell, running her other hand along the cold stone – attempting to find anything that would be useful to her. There was nothing, she was alone and probably facing more trouble than she knew of.

"Loki…Loki?" she moved back to the cage and called out, wondering if he would hear her from his own cell. "Loki please say something….I'm officially freaking out now" she took in some scattered breaths, waiting for some response.

"You needn't scream my name" a voice whispered from behind her.

"Loki…" she spun around, finding him stood in the corner of her cell "I thought they were keeping us apart. How did you even get in here?"

"I'm not really here, Lady Jane" he sighed, stepping out from the darkness and moving closer to her.

Jane moved closer to him, reaching out to have him hold her.

"No, no – I'm not really here and I can't stay for long. I'm using all of my power to project myself to you" he stepped back, even if he could hold her – that wouldn't work well. It would only show his weaknesses and make this whole deal more beneficial for Odin and the others.

"I'm scared" she bit down on her lower lip, tears seeming to work their way down her cheeks without her wanting them to. "I don't know why he's so angry about this. I've been here before – ".

"With Thor as your companion – not I"

"But why isn't he just sending me home? Why am I being locked in here?" Jane did understand that it was frowned upon to be seen with a known criminal but she didn't see why it was so bad. After all, Loki had proven his worth before – by saving her – hadn't he?

"There is more to this than you are aware of – more that I should have perhaps told you about before inviting you to accompany me here so many times". Loki strolled around her, making sure to keep his physical self-aware of anything happening in that other cell. "I may have been less than honest with you about things…"

"What do you mean? You can tell me now – there is no point in keeping it a lie anymore" Jane watched him pacing around her, feeling a little silly. What if everything they shared had been a lie? What if he didn't care about her at all?

Loki stopped pacing and glanced through the gate of her cell "I witnessed Odin die, I stood back and watched as he took his final breath – I may have helped it along more than I should have but I thought he was dead. I may have used my illusions to cast a new image upon myself" he turned back to her "one of a king". He smiled "you cannot blame me for taking up the chance to rule over Asgard, can you?"

Jane offered him a confused glance.

"It really isn't that confusing, Jane" he moved closer to her "I have been portraying the Allfather for a while – ever since I first cheated my own death. I had first thought it to be a perfect way to escape my cell – to start over without any further problems from my apparent 'father' but I was too tempted. It was far too tempting to take up the chance once I knew he was dying".

"You killed him…you lied to me" she stepped further from him, shaking her head as the tears grew stronger and her words became difficult to say. "Has everything been a game? Is nothing we have talked about been true?"

"Don't dwell over this too much, you were never a part of this game" he sighed, glancing down to the floor. This was not how he enjoyed seeing her; he wasn't used to dealing with her emotions yet- at least not the ones where she was sincerely sad. He also didn't want her to fear him, not while she was the only friend he really had. "I would have told you – eventually. The fool was dying anyway; it didn't seem terrible to take upon his role. Thor had the chance to claim the throne but declined it".

Jane tried to make sense of it all "and now they think I was a part of it all – don't they?" She wiped away her tears and walked towards him, feeling more annoyed than upset. "You need to tell them the truth; you need to tell them I didn't know any of it!"

"I have tried; they won't listen and have been watching us together. They know everything" he glanced up to her, at least finding more comfort seeing her angered. This showed the fire she possessed which was one of the many things he admired in her. "They know you came with me of your own free will and that you have been openly willing to play the game of deception".

Jane let out a deep sigh, it was true – she wasn't forced to spend time with him and had done so without really caring about the cost. "So what are they going to do to me?"

"I don't know" he lied, he couldn't tell her all that he knew – it would have brought more of those human emotions on.

"What do you think they will do to me? What are they going to do to you?" she reached up to him but pulled her hand back, remembering the fact he was projecting himself there. It was stupid, she was being silly – she should have been angered by his deception but she still cared for him. She wanted to know that she would be okay but also that he would be. "Please tell me anything you know".

Loki shook his head "I don't know anything; they hold no reason to share these things with me". He gazed over to her, not wanting to part with her "I am almost certain they will punish us by making sure we can no longer be around each other – it will most likely involve my own imprisonment and your return to Midgard". He was lying again; he had to keep up some charade to protect her.

"I won't get to see you again?" Jane was a little shocked with her own unhappiness about this, she really needed to be distanced from him for her own safety – yet she couldn't stand the thought of it. "I don't want to be kept away from you".

"You won't really get the choice; I highly doubt the old fool will banish me like he did with Thor – that would defeat the object of punishment". He offered her a small smile, nothing too snarky or confident – just a somewhat sincere smile "don't worry about it; you really have nothing more to fear. I've been imprisoned before and still found my way out – so you needn't cry too often about missing me".

Jane rolled her eyes but smiled, she at least felt some comfort from his cockiness "I just can't believe it's come to this. I just thought we would always get away with it but I guess everything good comes to an end".

"So you do feel it was good to be with me? You don't hold an endless amount of regret over any of it?"

"None, I don't regret any of it but I do wish you had been honest with me from the start" she sighed again.

"If I had been honest with you from the start, you would never have been so willing – but then you wouldn't be stood within this dark cell".

"I don't care".

"You lie – and badly so but I admire your attempts" he smirked, stopping for a moment as he seemed to listen out for something.

Jane tried to listen too, not hearing a single thing "what's wrong?"

"They're coming" he muttered, listening more.

"There's no one coming…is there?" she ran over to the gate and glanced towards the stairs, there was no sign of any life or movement.

"Not here, I have to return to my body" he muttered.

Jane spun back to face him "promise me you're not lying about what they will do".

"I promise. You'll be home before you know it and I'll find you again" he lied, almost struggling to keep his emotions in check as he stared over to her. "I really have to return now" he whispered, closing his eyes.

"Loki?"

"Yes?" he kept his eyes closed.

"I love you" the words came from Jane freely, she wasn't under any spell to say them but she was a little stunned by it. Did she love him? Was it all just part of her worry? No, she felt it and the idea of being without him was too much to bear.

Loki opened his eyes once more and stared over to her, almost seeming confused by her comment – just as confused as she probably was. "Ah, your lying is improving" he winked to her but could tell she was being sincere about it – the sadness and well, love showing through. "It isn't wise to love a monster; didn't your parents teach you anything as a child?" Loki thought about it for a moment but opened his mouth to speak "but I assume it is safe on this occasion as this monster lo-".

He vanished.

Jane ran to the area he had been "don't leave me here" she cried, sinking down on the floor as she was left with her own worries once more. The only comfort she really felt was the fact that she assumed he was going to return the same shocking words – that he loved her too.