So, after I had a fangasm over everything that came out of D23 concerning the Avengers movie I now have a better idea of what motivates Loki to wreak havoc over the earth. Which is wonderful because I was going to work off guessing. An interview Tom Hiddleston gave put everything in perspective. And gave me some hints about what Loki will do before the movie. Which I will begin to delve into here, the second-to-last chapter! (In all honesty, though, I may have to make it twenty-one chapters.)

As always, thank you so very much for reading my story! I love you all!

Chapter 19

Here & There

As morning dawned Ellie and Loki were slow to wake. They had proceeded in their lovemaking for most of the night, pausing only to regain their strength.

Ellie realized that night that she had never wanted a man in the millions of ways she wanted Loki.

But then I guess he really isn't a man. She thought. Sure does act like one though...

When sleep began to fade away, Ellie found herself tucked against Loki's long body. Their legs were still tangled together. Her arm was splayed over his well shaped chest. His face was buried into the curve of her neck. She could feel his cool breath against her collar bone.

She had never been more comfortable in all her life. I never want to leave this bed.

Loki, who had been awake for sometime, moved his head when he realized that Ellie had awoken.

He placed a light kiss on the side of her jaw before returning his head to her chest. He was quite content to lay there. He enjoyed the feel of her bare skin against his cheek and the sound of her blood rushing through her veins.

"Good morning." Ellie whispered, running her fingers through his ink black hair. She waited for him to return the greeting but he did not.

Ellie shifted a bit. "Loki...?"

Loki only nodded against her skin, his fingers tracing patterns on her shoulder.

"Tell me about Asgard." Ellie said quietly. She was still drifting in a state of sleepiness. She would feel better if they had something to talk about. As much as she wanted to lay there forever, she just didn't feel right doing so.

Besides, she would never tire of the sound of his voice, or the ancient way he spoke.

"My little one." He whispered, taking her free hand in his. "Why would you want to know of such things?"

"I want to know about you." Ellie answered honestly. "And about this...realm of the gods."

Loki sighed. He did not wish to talk about the life he had left behind. From the moment he had fallen, he had taken all of the memories he had made and locked them away.

Still, he wanted to please Ellie. She was too curious to let this go. If he didn't appease her now she would never stop asking until he did.

There is much I could say. He thought. Without saying too much.

He sighed. Pulling himself up, he wrapped his arms around Ellie, turning her to her side and lining his body up with hers. Her back snuggled against his chest. Loki buried his face in her face for a moment and breathed in her wonderful sent. Their was some raw and rusty about it, nothing like the woman of Asgard. Loki couldn't explain it, but thought that it most likely had something to do with her mortality. She was no shining goddess. Perhaps that was what he was most drawn to.

"Asgard," Loki began. "Is a shining city."

Loki talked for hours and Ellie listened, completely awake and entirely enthralled. Asgard sounded like a paradise surrounded by stars.

Ellie found herself smiling and laughing as he told her stories of his many tricks and schemes subject onto the poor citizens of Asgard. Many of them were cruel and mean in spirit, but Ellie found them more than amusing. To hear him speak so honestly and with such conviction brought her joy.

However, his stories soon began to fade and Ellie understood how difficult it was for him to speak of his brother and father and mother. She didn't wish for him to relive memories with pain.

I suppose we should stop this now...

Loki could feel her shift as if she was ready to crawl out of bed. His arms instinctively tightened around her waist and shoulders. He could hear a small, breath of a laugh. In any other circumstance, Loki, the god of mischief and lies, would smother the mortal that dared to laugh at him.

But not now, not Ellie.

"Tell me of Midgard." He whispered into her ear. He smiled when she twitched at the feeling of his breath on her skin.

"Midgard?" Ellie repeated.

"You call it Earth, I believe."

"Oh," She breathed. Ellie took up his large hand in her own. She traced the indented lines of his palm. His skin was so cold.

How strange. She thought to herself. It feels...nice.

"Well," She whispered. "Earth, erm, Midgard is no Asgard."

Loki listened with only a little patience. He had little interest in this home of weaklings, but he wasn't about to let Ellie shy away from him.

"How so?" He said, urging her on.

"Loki," Ellie said sighing, she wiggled her way out of his grasp and leaned her back against the headboard. Sighing, she looked down at him and her heart almost melted into her guy. He was lying on his back, his arms now folding behind his head, his chest very neatly on display. His eyes were trained up at her, wide and kind. She had never seen his eyes like that, so sweet and restful. Ellie's words were tangled in her throat her thoughts a muddled mess in her mind.

"Umm..." She said, unable to look away from his outrageous beauty. "W-what was I-? Saying?"

She cringed at her own absolute inability to focus. The last thing she wanted was for Loki to realize exactly how much he affected her. Unfortunately for Ellie, Loki was already well aware of his looks and draw.

A cat-like grin dawned on his face and he lifted one hand to brush against her cheek.

"Darling Elizabeth," He cooed. "Do I entice you?"

Ellie scoffed haughtily and knocked his hand away. "Please."

She crossed her arms over her chest, her face turning rosy read as he chuckled away.

"Do continue," He said lightly. Loki couldn't remember a time when he had felt this at ease, this peaceful.

"Earth is nothing like a shining city." Ellie said eager for a change of subject. "I'm sure you've seen it. I'll admit that I...choose to ignore many things. I could never be that person, the one who saves the world. I'm just not..."

She couldn't explain it and she knew she sounded selfish and uncaring. But I am selfish and uncaring...to a certain degree.

It was one of the many things she had come to terms with a long time ago. Her parents had always taught her and her sister that they had to take care of themselves before offering care to others. Kill or be killed, her father would say. It's just they way of the world.

The way of the world.

"Loki, to me...Asgard sounds like some sort of Utopia. I mean filial matters aside..." She added, when Loki's brow furrowed dangerously. "There is no poverty, no hunger, no corruption, no mass killings, none of it. Am I right?"

Loki considered her words. It was true. From the time he was a child the people of Asgard had followed his father's command willingly and with much joy. In Asgard any threat to a citizens happiness came in the form of the frost giants.

"The earth has all of these things." Ellie continued, now well on her soap box. "But above all else...we have war."

"The Asgardians have faced war." Loki said, quick to defend the misgivings of his own people.

"Yes, but for how long? Earth has had wars of all kinds for centuries. While I was in school, it seemed as though every History course I took was a tour through the great wars of our time. The 100 ear war, World Wars, Cold Wars, Civil Wars, Wars against Terror. If Asgard is the world of the gods then...Then Midgard is the world of wars."

Ellie didn't mean to be so opinionated. She didn't consider herself to be a political person. She hardly kept up with the news of the day and she never known someone to go to war. Still, she had seen the sheer horror that war had wrought over all of the lands. Documentaries, Movies, Television...Real or not they were the ideas of man.

We have a war-fetish. Ellie thought.

"I hate it." She said, far too candidly. Ellie looked back down at Loki. His face was a mix of consideration and concern. Ellie huffed in frustration and slid back on the head board, leaning her head against Loki's shoulder. She snaked her hand down and ran her fingers through his.

Loki was astonished. She seemed so upset.

She worries for this place, she hates what it has become, and she worries for the sake of others. He thought, trying to understand her notions. He himself felt very little for his fellow Asgardians. But they were pillars of pretension and was not one of them. Ellie, however, was very much apart of this realm. Would he never understand? The only place he truly belonged he sought to destroy.

Damn. He thought. Again, Ellie was unknowingly forcing him to see what he wished to ignore.

He rolled to his side so that he could get a proper look at her face. Her dark eyes were a mess of sorrow and shame. He hated to see her this way. He leaned down at gently caressed her lips with his own. His hand brushed over her forehead and ran through her hair.

"You should not trouble yourself this way." He said almost sweetly, pressing his lips into hers. She responded in kind, but soon pushed him away.

Ellie rolled herself out of bed. "Don't mind me, Loki. I'm no...what was the name? Of your um...former companion? The one that ate all his feelings like a pregnant woman?"

Loki smirked. He had not described Volstagg in such a way. It had been her very own interpretation. He enjoyed her ability to coin terms that could shatter another person. Deep inside of her, he could see a woman with great prowess. Soon enough he would drag it out of her and she would see her own true self. And be proud in spite of it.

For now, he was content to watch her as she crossed the large room towards the closet. She had inconspicuously tried to snatch away the sheet from the bed to wrap around herself, but he had held fast to it. Now she hurried along, completely bare, her skin still flushed from their night of sleep and lovemaking.

"Do you really know nothing of the myths and legends perpetrated by your ancestors?" He teased, enjoying the view.

Ellie simply scoffed. "Loki, my mother's family can be traced back to the colonies and my father's family is of Scottish decent. Now, I don't expect you to understand a word of any of that but let me assure you...my ancestors never spoke of gods and ice creatures and...what was it? Meal-nor?"

She reached into the closet searching for something to wear. Ellie would never admit to it, but she wasn't entirely against Loki's leering gaze. She almost enjoyed it. His eyes bore into her like a ghost and she could feel the intensity even now.

She stumbled at the sound of his laugh. Pulling a checkered blouse from the closest she quickly plunged her arms into the sleeves and began to button it up. Only then did she realize that she was not wearing a bra.

"Oh, dammitall" She muttered, embarrassment catching up with her original thrill. Not so gracefully she stepped into the closet completely and slid the door shut behind her. She managed to slip into a bra and panties before the door slid open again.

"Are you...hiding from me?" Came the frightfully sly remark from the doorframe.

Ellie turned around and placed her hands on her hips, the shirt hanging from her wrist.

"No..." She said, matching his tone. She was not about to let him think that she was one of those virginal, shy girls. She shivered, however, when he traipsed over to her, ogling her scantily clad form.

He placed both of his hands on her shoulders trapping her gaze. Ellie knew what swam in his emerald eyes: lust.

"You should never hide." He said, his voice as thick as honey. "Not from me."

To Ellie's ears, it almost sounded like a threat. However, Loki released her shoulders and exited the large closet, leaving Ellie completely flabbergasted in his wake.

It took Ellie several minutes to compose herself and finish dressing. When she finally left the safety of the closet, she was clad in a pair of black slim-fit jeans, her checkered blouse, and knee length leather boots. Over her arms she had draped her favorite winter coat. It was an olive green number with black buttons and trim and a large collar that folded over neatly.

"Loki?" She called not seeing him.

"Yes?" She nearly jumped out of her skin. He was standing behind her.

She spun around. He too, was dressed to the nines in his usual Midgard finery.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, much like a young daughter would address her travel savvy father.

"I am." He said curtly. "Thought I do not wish to. I would rather stay with you, Elizabeth. So that we could spend the day ravishing each others sweat soaked bodies."

"Hush." Ellie snapped. She knew he only said it to get a rise out of her. She tried to contain blush that was blooming on her face and creeping down her neck. She glared at him, but he only sneered clearly enjoying every lasting second of her torment.

"I'm leaving, too." She said, holding her head up high.

"Oh?" Loki said, adjusting his green tinted, hound's-tooth scarf.

"Well," Ellie began. "Can I?"

She felt a familiar stab. She was a grown woman and here she was reduced to asking permission to leave the hotel room she had been placed in against her will.

"I will allow it." Loki said, after a quick silence.

Ellie looked at him with genuine surprise.

"Really?"

"Of course, Elizabeth." Loki crooned. "You are not a prisoner."

Even as he said it, Ellie knew he didn't mean it. They both knew the truth. For intents and purposes, she was, in fact, a prisoner. Ellie was bothered that she was apparently unaffected by his thinly veiled lie. Sometimes, Loki reminded her a great deal of a politicians. He had the tongue of a serpent, a closet filled with masks, and the bite of a rabid beast. She knew of the dangers she faced associating with him. But what choice did she have?

And even if I had a choice, She thought. Would I choose to leave him?

Her mind was filled with a thousand different voices and they all spoke the same word.

No.

I'm such a fool. She thought. But this was something she had always known.

"Where are you going?" Loki's voice said, a bit of an edge in his voice.

"I'm going to..." Ellie said. "See my sister."

It was a decision she had made as she had fallen asleep the night before. She was in New York and much had changed with her. As much as she hated everything her sister ahd become...

She is still my sister. And...I should see her.

She wanted to.

Loki looked down at the girl, confused by her words. He knew very little about her family life, but from what he had heard, assumed, and dreamed, she was no more a fan of her family than he was of his.

These mortals...Such foolish, masochistic creatures.

"If that is your wish." He said. He headed towards the door and Elizabeth followed. Holding it open for her, he watched her pass, enjoying the smell of her perfume.

As they rode together in the cramped elevator, Loki offered her some last words.

"Elizabeth," He said. "I am trusting you to return to me."

Elizabeth looked up at him. His eyes were trained in front of him, watching the needle above the door slowly travel to the left, counting down the floors. She bit her lip.

A small part of her thought of never coming back to the hotel. If her sister welcomed her back, Ellie knew she should go. Se couldn't imagine that Loki would care enough to come looking for her. Had he not gotten what he wanted?

The rest of her, body and soul, had been hoping for him to say just that. He wanted her and would continue to want her. It made her chest rumble and she fought hard to contain a silly, schoolgirl grin.

She reached out as fast as she could and grabbed one end of his scarf. Pulling it off of him, she wound it up and tied it around her own neck. Loki looked down at her in confusion.

She just shrugged. "It's not like you need it."

A resounding "bing" flooded the cart and the doors cranked open. Ellie stepped out and began to walk towards the revolving glass doors. She turned her head over her shoulder to find Loki nailed to the ground, unmoving.

"Oh, don't worry yourself," She called teasingly. "I promise I'll bring it back to you."

She ran off before Loki could respond.

Loki watched her go, a smile tugging at his lips. I was rather fond of that scarf. He thought.

He was almost relieved that she had chosen to leave him. He had business that needed attending right away.

He exited the hotel and crossed the street into the large park. To pedestrians and passers-by, he looked like any other lonely city boy lost in his thoughts and not be interrupted. He walked on for a long while, until he hand come to a small pond near the center of the park. Not many people came by this was, it was an area covered in uncut shrubbery and rocks.

He did not waste a moment of his time. He stepped up to the pond, so close that the toe of his boots were drenched in the icy water.

A nice, thick fog had been forming in the early morning hours and it shielded him from any prying eyes. He stared into the murky water, watching his reflection ripple on the surface.

Then his reflection began to vanish. A new face appeared.

This face was large and gaunt and even in the shadow of the brown water it was apparent that the face had a green tinge to it.

"Greetings." Loki said, his voice cutting and smooth.

The face in the water smiled, revealing a line of clunky, yellowing teeth.

"So the rumors were true." The face spat. Its voice was distinctly male and resembled that of an aging bullfrog. "The great and terrible god of mischief, Loki himself, has fallen from grace. You're Pa must be thrilled."

Loki ignored the jab and frightful smile on his lips. "You received my message?"

The face shook off its smile, replacing it with a look of business. "I did."

Loki tapped one foot impatiently. "And?"

The creature paused only for a moment.

"We accept."

So...is it pretty much public knowledge that Loki will be using the Skrulls in The Avengers movie? Because, I'm just going to go with that. Not that I know anything about the Skrulls, I know that their green, but they can shape shift, I guess? I don't know I should do my research.

Also, I will be posting a new "story" tonight, which will just be the place for all of my one-shots and drabbles I mentioned earlier. Hopefully I will have a couple of those up tonight. Anyway, thank you for reading and please review!

Much Love,

BB