I just want to thank you all for following me this long. I wanted to finish this chapter last night but I got stuck which led me to feeling flustered and frustrated and depressed, so I had to just push it away.

Anyway, have y'all seen Captain America? If anything the ending of that movie helped me write this one a bit. I won't say what in particular. If you haven't seen Captain America...get on it! The Avenger's trailer. Unf. (Please excuse author lusting)

Chapter 14

And The Morning Was Mocking Me

Loki Laufeyson had every right to be pleased with himself. His magic, when he needed it most, did not fail him. In fact, he felt as though he had outdone himself. Miles upon miles had been traveled in a most efficient block of time.

He had assumed that his still weakened state would only be able to carry him to the place where his brother had landed. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he could go much farther.

He could wait for his brother to return to Midgard. There was no doubt in his mind that the headstrong and impulsive Thor could find his way back to the planet. He knew it from the moment Thor brought his hammer down onto the Bi-Frost. His own plans had been trampled upon, but the collapse of the Bi-Frost was not the end of it all.

Thor would return. And Loki would be there to greet him...in his own way.

For now, he needed power. He needed it in spades. Ellie would not be enough. No, Loki Laufeyson had much greater plans for this world of mortals. They would fall first. And then he would return for the Frost Giants. Loki was not a god to leave things undone.

Power, real and raw, was hard to come by on this planet. For months, while Ellie slept curled up at his side, he would reach out into the world looking for any means of power.

The closest power came from a man with a talent for technology. His crowning creation, his peak, the suit was a thing of power. But not enough power.

Then there was Jane Foster. She possessed nothing Loki could use. But she would be the one to restore the BiFrost. He made sure to keep one eye on her progress. Her and that doctor.

Across the continent lay a man in hiding. He was unlike his human brethren. Loki could not know what it was that made him different, stronger. He did not care to know.

But it was when he had gazed upon the man hidden under the streets that he discovered something else. An energy that reminded him of home. Something that was not of this world, but somehow it came to be here.

S.H.E.I.L.D. They held this power. He had penetrated their organization's forces before. He could do it again. He would do it again.

Now he found himself within mere miles of the mysterious power source. He felt stronger than he had in weeks. He had plans, concrete ones. He had every reason to be pleased.

Yet something troubles me still. He did not know what it could be. Had he forgotten something important? No, it wasn't like him to forget.

He could not understand it. He felt strong again. His magic had not failed him. And yet, there seemed to be some shadow over his heart. It weighed on him.

How inconvenient.

His thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of rustling sheets and a small intake of breath.

A labored grimace formed on his face. Of course.

He turned from the window, waving the curtains closed. The orange glow from street lamps disappeared and the room was shrouded in darkness.

Loki had never fraternized with mortals before Ellie. He had no way of knowing what their limitations were where his magic was concerned. He had assumed that the experience of travel would overcome her with ease. She had in fact recovered more quickly than he would have estimated.

Stubborn little thing. He thought.

Ellie's senses seemed to be rocking back and forth between clear and blurry. Shadows and slivers of light attacked her eyes, unrecognizable echoes floated in her ears. Her head was throbbing dully, her body felt heavy.

Her memory, however, was strong.

Eric. Eric was not Eric. Eric was Loki. Loki, a man who thought himself a god. Or was he actually a god? He did do things that seemed impossible.

Maybe it was all a dream. Ellie thought forlornly. A boozy, crazy dream. I did get some drugs from the nurse at the clinic.

As her vision sharpened, she held a tentative hand to her aching head. It was then that she realized that she did not recognize the room she was in.

It was dark, but she could sense the object in the room and make out silhouettes, none of which seemed familiar.

"You are awake." Came a skeptic, madly surprised voice from her right.

Ellie blinked toward the direction of the voice and almost fell off of the bed. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

"You." She said. Not Eric, but...Loki. Dressed in that costume attire. Outlandish and ridiculous as it was, it suited him quite well. He stood with all the grace and confidence of a dancer, with his chin held high. Maybe I am still dreaming.

Ellie resisted the urge to pinch herself. She was being silly. Dream or no dream, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"Where are we?" She asked, still to shaken to attempt a rise from the bed. She wanted to confront him, get in his face and yell at him. However, she could hardly manage to keep her head up.

"You do not need to know that." Loki said, curtly as he crossed the room.

From what she could tell, they were in a hotel room. A very nice one. The furniture was understated and minimalist. The walls covered with inoffensive but none the less beautiful paintings. The bed she had no doubt been carelessly tossed onto was enormous and covered a great deal of the sleek wooden floor.

"Hey!" She called. He ignored her. Instead he touched his hand to his own chest. The clothes he wore began to melt away.

More of his "godly" tricks no doubt.

To Ellie's eye, it seemed as though another layer of clothes existed under his gold and green costume. She had seen him wear this particular outfit before: the clean cut suit, the deep gray coat, the neatly arranged scarf.

"How long was I asleep?" Ellie demanded. She knew he meant to leave her here. Wherever here was. She did not necessarily want him close, but she would not let him go anywhere without answering her questions.

She all but leapt off of the bed. It was a poor decision. In her mind, she imagined herself strutting over to him. Instead when her feet touched the floor and the full weight of her own form fell on her shaky knees, she crumpled to the floor.

Her head was spinning, her ears ringing. Her cheeks flushed from sudden nausea and humiliation. A moan escaped her lips.

This is not happening.

A breathless sigh reached her ears. She felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulders, another around her waist. She was hoisted upwards and dropped onto the bed.

"Mere minutes, I assure you." Loki answered dismissively. He didn't look at her, but busied himself with a pair of leather-made gloves. "You may want to rest, the trip did nothing for your balance."

He turned to leave, but Ellie reached out and grabbed a fistful of his coat. "Wait."

Loki sighed again. He would have to do something about her obnoxious stubbornness. It was not an appealing trait. And he wasted much time playing with her.

"Where are we?" Ellie tried again. This time her tone was much softer, almost pleading.

Loki could hear the change in her voice. She was scared, he knew it. She covered it up well, denied her feelings. She was, in some ways, like him.

He made the mistake of catching her gaze. Her dark eyes drew him in. They were so large and so expressive. At first, they had made him sick. But now he found her eyes, like pools of stormy nights, a source of strange familiarity. He was reminded of the bridge to the Bifrost. Of the countless nights that he and his brother had crossed that bridge, off on another quest. On those days, days of togetherness and brotherhood, he would glance up into the depths of the universe. The happiness and the joy he felt standing at his brothers side seemed infinite and never ending. Ellie's eyes were as deep as those depths. No one possessed eyes as dark and as drawing as hers.

His hand trailed from the gentle curve of her shoulder, to the side of her flushed cheek. She pulled away from him.

"You must rest." He said, almost kindly.

Ellie was surprised by the sudden softness in his voice. He meant it. He wanted her to rest.

Is he worried for me? Or is he just...lying.

"Promise me, Elizabeth." He said. "Promise me that you will stay here and rest until I return."

Loki did not wait for her affirmation. He pulled away and walked to the door.

"I will answer all of your questions when I return."

And he was gone.

It was not difficult for him to find S.H.E.I.L.D. The call of the strange power held strong. The building was like any other. Interestingly enough, it was placed in a rather crowded section of the city. Scads of loud, silly, and stupid mortals packed the wide sidewalks and roaring streets. Equally loud, silly, and stupid signs were everywhere glowing brightly.

It seemed odd to him, that so many people would be out and about at such a time. Ellie was never awake at such an hour.

The hour was almost dawn. The darkest shades of night had come and gone. The sky was painted an eerie muted blue, marred by the light and colors of the streets.

He waited until he saw a flock of people enter the building. One man caught his eye. He had seen the man before.

Eric Selvig. Beautiful.

Ellie felt as if she had been slapped across the face. After shuffling over to the window s he had pulled back the drapes hoping to find some clue to where she was.

I can't believe it. I-I'm...

"Home."

Central Park. Just outside of her window. Large trees were stripped bare of leaves, covered in a healthy dose of fresh snow. A snow plow dusted the street below. She was in New York.

But...why?

The "why" hardly mattered.

I need to leave. Before he comes back.

She did not know where he had gone. She did not know when he would return. Her sister did not live very far from here. Just across the park. If she could gather up enough energy she could make it there.

She inspected herself. She would have to move quickly. Her clothes were not New York winter ready, to say the least. She half expected to find clothes in the closet, but found none. Where were the clothes he had taken?

He did take clothes, did he not? Who cares? You don't have time for this.

The leggings and t-shirt and ratty black sweater would just have to suffice. Gathering up every last ounce of strength she had, she pushed the pain in her head and the dizziness aside.

Thankfully, the door opened. She wandered into the empty hallway and searched for the elevator.

The chill of the icy December day enveloped her like an old friend. A sturdy New York winter. It brought her satisfaction and discomfort all at once. She had missed this: the noises of the clustered city streets, the smells, the feeling of protection offered by the large, looming buildings. Of course, the chill also weighed on her already tired body.

Ellie huffed, wrapped her arms around herself, as hurried across the street. She would have to run through the park. She knew what path to take, what bridge to cross, what side tracks to avoid. The only challenge she foresaw was lumbering up to her sister's door and presenting herself.

With not bags, no purse, no money...What will she say? She won't believe me. I still don't believe me. It's a dream. I'll make it to her house, knock on the door, and wake up. Yes, that seems like an opportune time to wake up. Dreams are always like that...

She walked into the park, too tired to run. It was a slower journey than she would have liked. Her legs felt like led pikes; the morning breeze causes her very bones to ache. She had almost crossed park.

She arrived at a large fountain, one she knew well. She plopped down onto the low edge needing to rest. Her face fell in her hands and she let out a quiet roar of rage.

"What is wrong with me?" She bemoaned. She felt so tired. Her shoulders heaved and her breath became smoke in the cold air as it was pushed past her lips in fervent gasps. She had never felt so weak, so delicate, so ill before.

Even as a child she had been a downright awful invalid. She hated sickness. She hated being confined to her bed and forced to rest and sleep and naps. She drank medicine like water, downed pill after pill, did anything in her power to speed sickness along. While she was sick she would bitch and whine and natter on like a spoiled little child. She knew how obnoxious she could be, but she never ceased. The anger she felt for her less than fine state outweighed any and all other feelings.

She felt that anger now, but like all of her other senses, it was dull and small. To make it all worse she was having this hell of a dream, or hallucination, whatever it was.

It just...It can't be real. Loki? It's all...

She knew that it was all far too real. She could feel much more than a pinch on her skin. Her chest was beginning to tighten under the pressure of the winter cold. It was becoming harder and harder to pull a full breath into her lungs.

I need to get inside.

She peeled her hands away from her face. Her heart plummeted into her stomach.

Loki stood before her clad in his sharp suit, his eyes sharp with disapproval. Ellie rose quickly to her feet, intent to make a run for it.

"Foolish girl." Loki said to himself. He stepped towards her arms ready to sweep her up and out of the cold.

His word's hit Ellie hard. A eeling much like rage bubbled in her chest. With all of the strength she had she pushed him away from her.

"Foolish?" She spat. Without thinking, she grabbed at his sleek tie, pulling his face toward hers.

"I have no reason to trust you. No reason to stay with you. No reason to listen to you. And you call me a fool? You're the fool! For thinking that I would just lay down and listen? You lied to me. Every word from your mouth...a lie! If you had any idea what being lied to felt like you would not call me a fool."

The moment her tirade had ended, Ellie felt reason to regret it. Loki brushed her away with ease. His fingers touched her neck and then wrapped themselves around it. His eyes were flames of green. She realized that he could end her right there.

Loki was stunned. How dare she? She thinks that I know nothing of betrayal.

He knew all. This mortal could imagine the betrayal he faced. His father, his mother, they had lied to him. They had been ashamed of their own son. They would have rather lived with the lies than ever admit to his true nature. He had been named the god of mischeif, the god of lies, the god of irony. It made him sick, knowing the true nature of his namesake.

And this little fool.

Ellie choked as his fingers began to tighten. His other hands gripped her wrists, his lips by her ear.

"You think I know nothing of lies? That I have not felt the pain of being lied to? You know nothing of that sort of pain. You silly little-"

"I don't believe you." Ellie managed. "If you truly felt that pain...then you would have never lied to me."

Ellie fell to the hard cobblestone ground, unable to catch herself when he suddenly released her. She choked, trying to control her shivers.

Loki felt as though he had been stabbed through the heart. Ellie's words were completely justified. He knew it. He was no better than his father and his mother. No better than his brother.

There were many people that deserved such pain. Ellie was not one of them. He reached down and tucked his arm under her knees. Her head lay against her chest, over his heart. Her violent shivering did not cease. It pierced through Loki's heart. If he wished it, he could give her all the money in the world, conjure any item she wished for, but he could not, with all of his magic, give her the warmth that she could give to him.

Ellie groaned. "Just leave me...alone."

Loki sat himself down on the ledge of the fountain, cradling her fragile form in his arms.

"I mean you no harm, Eliza-...Ellie." He said.

"I don't believe you." Ellie whispered.

"You are ill." Loki pressed on, ignoring her. "You are weak. And...I am to blame. You must rest."

"Why should I trust you?" Ellie managed. Her voice was disappearing into a whisper. She was so very tired.

Loki found once again, that lying was not an option here. "You shouldn't."

Ellie felt her eyes drooping, she would all asleep soon. She couldn't fight it anymore. She could fight him.

"Loki..." Elli breathed. Loki's spirit jumped again at the sound of his name on her lips. "If anything...If I die because of you...I'll kill you."

A sneer and a laugh forced its way onto Loki's face. He stood up, holding Ellie tightly to him.

"Understood." He said. "You stubborn little creature."

Grrr...

I'm still not entirely happy about this chapter. Let me know what you think about it. I will have the next one up very soon.

Thank you all for reading and...keep it up because things are going to get messy and hot very quickly.(again it's the author lust, I cannot possibly contain myself for much longer.)