By mid- morning on Monday, she had her report on disc and had sent it to Fury's office. Lily had told her she'd missed a busy sales weekend. Sarah apologized and promised she would go shopping with her later in the week. On requisition day, Sarah had gone to the lab but only Dr. Banner was there and he seemed distracted. The long scepter that had been a permanent fixture on the table in the lab was missing. She started to venture a question when Dr. Banner saw where she was looking and smiled slightly, "Oh, Thor and Loki took it for the day. Table looks empty without it doesn't it." Sarah handed him the tablet, "What did they take it for," She hesitated, "If I'm asking the wrong questions, please tell me." Dr. Banner shook his head, "Not at all. They took it to go to Asgard, right now it's the only way they can travel there until some bridge is rebuilt.." Sarah felt herself break into a cold sweat. "Asgard..." Banner nodded, "Yeah, back home. They won't be gone long but Loki can't take the scepter alone, Fury's orders so Thor went with him." Sarah couldn't make herself take the tablet that Banner held out to her so he slowly put it on the table where the scepter had been. "Miss Miller, are you okay?" Sarah nodded, "So Asgard is..." "Their home, yes." Banner replied, a slight edge of irritation in his voice, "Loki said something about it to me, about you not believing him." Sarah shook her head, "I don't, I didn't..." She reached over, grabbed the tablet from the table and swiftly walked out of the lab. "Thank you, you're welcome, have a good day." Banner mumbled after her as her turned back to his computer screens.
Sarah stayed in her cubicle on her lunch hour on the internet. She had brought up websites on Norse mythology, Asgard, the Rainbow bridge, Thor, Loki...trying to reconcile in her head what she was reading with the dark charismatic man she had set next to on the jet, let stay in her apartment, who'd held her hand and begged her company..."Of course myths are just that aren't they.." She'd said to herself aloud. "He couldn't have been that bad.." She thought of the classified level 4 file, on impulse shut down the computer, and sat there, in the silence of the office.
Loki looked about him as the training room shimmered with blue fire and solidified into reality. He let go of the scepter, his face slick with cold sweat, as he staggered back a step. "I will take this back to the lab, brother." Thor said turning away towards the door. Loki stepped into the bathroom in his quarters and splashed cold water on his face. He had much preferred travel by the Bifrost but as that still wasn't possible, this would have to do. The throb from the power of the scepter still ran through his hands and thoughts of darker times filled his mind. He sat down on his bed and lay back, arm across his eyes to shut out the light and was asleep in seconds.
The beep at the door of his chamber started him awake. He sat up, "Enter." The door slid open and Sarah walked in. Loki stood up slowly from the bed and out into the living room. She was clearly agitated, pacing back and forth in front of the door. "Can I help you?" He asked dropping down heavily onto the couch, his arms crossed. "Does Fury know you're here?" Sarah looked at him, blinked, "Um, I don't know. Why are you asking?" Loki sighed, "Aren't you afraid of getting in trouble?" Sarah put her hand to her forehead, "With who, you or Fury?" Loki could resist a small chuckle, "I'm not sure which would be worse." Sarah smiled but the corners of her mouth trembled. She took a deep breath, "I heard you went home today." Loki nodded. "I did indeed, I wanted to speak to my father about things troubling me. I heard you went home this weekend yourself." Sarah sat on the couch beside Loki. "Yeah, didn't get me very far though. I couldn't stop thinking about you." She didn't dare look at him as she felt him shift position. "I kept telling myself either you were crazy or I was. Tell me what happened to you on the mission. Why you changed like you did." Loki put his fingertips to his temples and rubbed them, "I was born of the Jotun, frost giants on the world called Jotunheim. I was a small baby left to die in a temple by my father, Laufey, ruler of the frost giants. Odin found me and raised me as his son." Sarah nodded vigorously, "Okay, sounds like what I read..." Loki looked at her, "Doing homework?" Sarah glanced up at him and quickly away, "Just trying to prepare myself." Loki sat forward on the couch, "Sometimes the truth is more terrible than the lie isn't it." Sarah nodded again and suddenly felt his hand slip beneath hers where she'd placed it on the couch. "Thor is right, you don't need to believe me. I only ask that you accept me. Maybe in time I can show you if that's what you require." He squeezed her hand gently and this time she was able to turn and face him. "I have missed your company more than you know, Sarah." He leaned forward and kissed her hand for a long minute hoping to still the trembling there. "I've missed you too." Sarah replied, her head swimming, Loki looked up at her and in that moment was struck to the core of his very being. He had been wrong, completely wrong. It wasn't the need for company, the desire to learn more about Midgard or even the chance to prove himself, it was Sarah. He swallowed hard and sat back into the couch, the thought sinking into his brain that this human woman had awakened feelings in him he had thought long buried as his ambitions had turned his mind to a darker purpose. His heart racing, he stood up from the couch abruptly. Sarah stood with him, a quizzical look on her face. "Are you alright?" Loki looked at her as if seeing her for the first time and she put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey don't zone out on me." Loki nodded, a slight pause then a smile, "Sarah, we have much more to learn about each other." Sarah smiled back at him, "Maybe Fury would let you go on another outing with me. I'm an agent after all. You would probably have to ask his permission." Loki turned his head, "What kind of outing?" Sarah thought for a minute, "I told my sister Lizzie that I would go see my nephew's softball game this weekend. She lives in Far Rockaway. That's not far," She giggled, "Despite the name"She could only imagine what Lizzie would do when she showed up with a man the likes of Loki on her arm..She would have to wrestle the phone from her to stop her from calling her mother. "Softball," Loki said, "And this is a game Midgardians play?" Sarah nodded, "We can try and ask can't we?" Loki put his hands on her shoulders, "I will follow you wherever you lead, Sarah." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, the touch enough to catch the breath in his throat. Sarah looked up at him, a sudden urge to pull him into an embrace running through her mind. "I'm go..going to leave before I do catch hell for being here." She stammered. As the door closed behind her, Loki was already thinking up an argument for Fury in his head.
Fury shook his head, "No, I cannot let you go one on one with an agent. You need at least two accompanying you." Loki slammed his hand down on Fury's desk, "What are you afraid of, damnit? Do you think I intend to harm Sarah in any way? If I am a prisoner than put me in a cell, don't tease me with this semblance of freedom." Fury stared at him, "I don't think you intend to harm Ms. Miller at all, that's what has me sorely vexed at this point, and this semblance of freedom as you call it, is your own doing don't you think?" Loki paced to the door and back, "You don't think you can trust me but I assure you, you're wrong. What about the mission we just went on, didn't I behave then?" Fury looked down, paused, "Yes you did. You made a concentrated effort for the good of the team." Fury templed his hands in front of his face, "Let me think about this. I'll tell you my decision later."
Sarah looked up at Loki standing by her desk. "Thor is going with us?" Loki nodded, "He wouldn't let me go alone with you, he said that at least two agents were needed." Sarah shoved him playfully, "Hey at least he didn't say absolutely not." Loki crossed his arms, "No he said bring the jolly giant with you. Insufferable that Fury doesn't trust us alone." Sarah shrugged, "Take it for what it is Loki. A permission slip to get out of this place for the day."
Saturday dawned clear and warm. Sarah had chosen a yellow sundress with spaghetti straps, maybe she could work up a tan this year. She put her hair up, took it down and put it up again, finally deciding to leave it up. Mr. Whiskers followed her through the apartment receiving a misguided shove more than once for being in the way. So excited was she for the day's events that she nearly forgot to lock the door when she left and had to trudge back up two flights of stairs to do so. Thor and Loki were standing outside the front doors of the office when she arrived. Thor had on a white t shirt, tan pants and a jean jacket looking for all the world like it'd been painted on him. Loki was dressed in a dark blue shirt, sleeves rolled up with blue jeans and he had his coat draped over his arm. He smiled at her as she trotted up to them. "You look lovely, Miss Miller."Thor remarked. Loki glared at him and offered Sarah his arm which she took and held tightly. "Indeed Sarah, you are a vision." Sarah felt the blush rising to her cheeks, "And I'm here between two handsome young men, how lucky am I." She felt Loki pull her in towards him and she smiled to herself.
The train ride was long and they chatted between themselves, trying to ignore the stares they were receiving throughout the car. "Do I look so strange to everyone?" Thor whispered to Sarah, who shook her head, "Take them as compliments, it's not often they get a man of your calibur on this route." Thor nodded thoughtfully. Loki however, couldn't take his eyes off Sarah and when she leaned into him, he put his arm on the seat behind her and felt her head rest against his chest. He was starting to wish the ride would never end but soon they were stepping off the train and Sarah was searching the parking lot for Lizzie's car. Lizzie pulled up to the curb in a small SUV rolled down the window, and waved to Sarah, "Hey the train is on time today." When she saw Thor and Loki walking up behind Sarah, her eyes grew wide. "Get in, we gotta be there at…one-thirty…" Her words died away as she looked in the rearview mirror at the two men sitting on either side of Daniel in the back seat. Lizzie leaned over to Sarah and whispered, "I've seen the blond on the news before, isn't he.." "Lizzie, these are my friends…" She hesitated, "Um Thor and Loki, I work with them, let's go.." "Good day, M'lady." Thor replied and Loki gave a quick nod. Sarah watched as Lizzie slowly put the SUV in gear and rolled away from the curb. As they headed through the city streets to the ballfield, Sarah glanced in the rearview mirror as her nephew looked first at Thor then at Loki and back again. Suddenly Daniel, who'd just turned ten, looked at Thor and said, "Are you really a superhero?" Sarah turned in the seat to see Thor smile and nod, "I am, and Loki is my brother," Daniel turned to Loki who smiled at him as well and Daniel looked back to Thor, "You must keep it a secret though, little brother." At this Daniel turned his head to the side, "Why, don't you like him?" "He means about the superhero bit, Daniel, not Loki." Sarah said, suppressing a laugh as she glanced at Loki who was staring out the window at the scenery, a grim look on his face. "Well that answers my question," Lizzie said as she pulled into the parking lot of the ball field. "What question," Sarah asked. "If he had a brother to spare."
Sarah sat between Lizzie and Loki on the bleachers waiting for the game to begin. Thor had wandered down to the dugout where a group of boys had gathered to stare up at him. "You must tell me how this game is played my little friends." Thor was saying, Lizzie shouldered Sarah and leaned in close, "You didn't exactly tell me that you worked in that kind of office. Thor has been all over the news for months since the invasion in the city." Sarah shrugged, "This is a special circumstance, I was originally going to bring Loki alone but.." She looked at Loki, "His brother wanted to come with us." "Thor and Loki," Lizzie glanced over at Loki, "Your mother named you after gods?..Where are you from?" Before Loki could open his mouth, Sarah said, "New York.", Lizzie nodded, then said, "Where did you grow up then?" Loki glanced at Sarah, "Northern Europe," Sarah replied as she saw Loki shake his head and lean backwards against the backrest of the seat. Beside the dugout, Thor had squatted down and was talking to Daniel's team animatedly. "Look at him," Loki groused, "The world's biggest cheerleader." Sarah turned to Loki, "Are you okay?" Loki looked at her, "I just wanted to spend time with you without feeling like I'm still under house arrest." Sarah shushed him but thankfully Lizzie was more interested in the game which had finally gotten underway. Sarah leaned in close to Loki, "We are spending time together," She took his arm, locking it with hers and laced her fingers between his own. Loki began to tremble and she squeezed his hand. "Sure you're alright?" Sarah asked him a worrisome look on her face. " Loki gave a quick nod, suddenly a cheer went up as a play was made and Sarah let go of his hand to clap her approval. "Daniel is pretty sharp out there isn't he." Sarah said to Lizzie, "Yes he is, and your friend there is getting right into it isn't he." They watched Thor, fingers gripping the fence, shouting encouragement to the boys. Sarah relaxed against the backrest. "What do you think of the game?" She asked turning to Loki who shrugged nonchalantly, "It's not like anything we played at…home" He finished, looking at Sarah who smiled at him, "Our games are a bit rougher." "Look at that sky," Lizzie interjected, "I think we're going to get rained out" Sarah looked up at the sky where clouds had started to gather and darken. Ten minutes later, they were standing under the eaves of the snack bar roof watching the sky light up while the rain poured down. "Well that's that," Lizzie said as she saw the coaches shake hands.
The heat in the car made Sarah feel like her wet clothes were plastered on her. "That sucks, did you guys win, Daniel?" Sarah asked. "Daniel shook his head, "We were behind when the rain started so the win goes to the other team." Thor sitting beside him said, "Little brother, if you tried your best, that is all you can do. It's not whether you win or lose, it's how hard you tried. If you gave it your best effort, that's what matters." Thunder rumbled outside the car. "Hey you guys want to stay for supper?" Lizzie said, turning to Sarah, "Regretfully we cannot, M'lady. We have to return to the office." Sarah thought Thor was going to tell Lizzie why and was relieved when he elaborated no further. After Lizzie had hugged Sarah in a tight embrace and given her kiss on the cheek, she had driven away leaving them at the station, and they stood under the shelter on the platform waiting for the train. Loki had draped his jacket around Sarah's shoulders to keep her warm as the cold air from the storm had begun to settle in. The soothing rhythm of the rocking car on the train as it rolled back towards the city lulled her into a light sleep and she woke up as the car rolled to a quick stop in Grand Central terminal. When they finally reached the foyer of the office, Sarah stepped inside with Thor and Loki, "I'll walk you to your quarters," Sarah said, falling in step with Loki as they walked to the elevator to the lower levels. As the elevator began its descent, Sarah glanced at Loki, "You really weren't yourself today." Loki leaned back against the elevator wall, "I've much on my mind, Sarah. Forgive me, I didn't mean to spoil the afternoon." Sarah walked over to him, "You didn't, I just want to know what's troubling you." The doors slid open and they stepped out into a deserted hallway. "When I went home the other day, I spoke to my father about something. I cannot discuss it with you." Sarah nodded, looking crestfallen. Loki put a hand on her shoulder, "I promise someday soon I will tell you but I cannot now." She managed a small smile, "I'm going to get going home." "We could've brought you to the apartment. I don't like the thought of you walking the streets of this city by yourself." Loki said, then he put a hand beneath her chin and tilted her face up to him. "You could stay here with me tonight." Her pulse quickened as the thought of being alone with him again but she shook her head. "No, we managed to get into Fury's good graces. Let's keep it that way. I'll try to see you on Monday." Sarah said and turned to go but Loki had taken hold of her hand and held it tightly. "Wait Sarah," She turned back to face him, "Come to see me tomorrow if you can." Sarah squeezed his hand, "If I badge into the building on a Sunday, Fury is going to start asking questions.." Loki pulled her closer to him until they were inches apart. "I care little for what Fury thinks. I want you here with me." The weight of what he was saying to her suddenly hit her. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't but she was rising up to him as he leaned into her and their lips touched, so slowly, gentle, then he heard her draw breath sharply as the pressure intensified, her hands sliding up to the middle of his back, her fingers curled slightly so that he could feel the light scratch of her fingernails, then her lips parted, opened against his and she shuddered in his arms when she felt their tongues brush tip to tip, she moaned softly into his mouth. The sensation nearly dropped him to his knees and he slid his hands down to her hips as the kiss deepened into passion, fierce, ardent, the sensation weakening his balance causing him to lean against the wall for support, their breath coming in short gasps now as he broke the kiss to seek other places, the curve of her jawline, the nape of her neck, her collarbone, the hollow at the base of her throat, she slid her hand to the back of his head, fingers entwined in his jet black hair, suddenly afraid to let go for fear she would drop to her knees.."Loki," She groaned, "We have to stop." He nipped gently at her earlobe, with a whispered "Why?" 'Yes why' Sarah wondered to herself but her mind couldn't begin to form a coherent thought. Loki brought his hands up to cup her face and his lips were upon hers again, his kiss becoming stronger, more insistent now. She put a hand on the wall behind him to steady herself and the ensuing beep both made them jump until they realized that she had touched the wall panel for the door to his quarters but it served to bring them back to their senses and he touched his forehead to hers as they both smiled. Sarah stood back from him as he pushed himself away from the wall and they stood there gazing at each other for a long moment. "I can't even think straight right now, Loki." Sarah said, putting one hand on her hip, the other atop her head as she smoothed her hair from her face. "I've wanted this for far longer than you know. I have been without love, without compassion or reason for countless ages, so long that I believed that part of me," Here Loki touched his chest with a fist, "Had never existed at all. Now I find that I only needed someone to awaken it in me again." Sarah slipped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his collarbone, he encircling her shoulders in a strong hug. They stayed like that for long minutes until he kissed the top of her head and she drew away from him. "Now I really do have to go," She sighed. He leaned over to her and gave her a light peck on the lips. "Will you try to come and see me tomorrow?" She nodded, "If I can convince the guard to let me in without my badge, I'll try. If not, I'll see you Monday, I promise." As the elevator doors closed behind her, Loki entered his quarters, walked into the bedroom and flopped face down on the bed.
The Allfather had warned him against involving himself with a human woman. He had set in the Great Hall across from Odin the day he had gone home, and told him of Sarah. "Loki," His father had said, "You will outlive this Midgardian woman by many ages. You open your heart to torment once again, to see her grow old and die before you. That is something we, with all our power, cannot change. Are you willing to accept this?" Loki was perfectly willing to accept Sarah, he wasn't willing to accept that she could not live as long as he would. "There must be exceptions to this, father." Odin had opened his mouth to speak but stopped, stroked his beard for a moment. "I cannot offer you any hope beyond this. There is a hunger within you that is plain to see when you speak of this woman. If she has touched your heart, nothing I say will alter your perception." Loki had taken leave of his father, his mind in turmoil and the unrest had followed him that whole day with Sarah. He now wished he had talked to her about it but as she was still unsure about Asgard, he hadn't wanted to upset her. But she had touched his heart, melted the ice around it, captivated him, completed him, and he knew he would go to the ends of the earth for her.
Sarah had been turned away by the guard on duty that Sunday with apologies but Sarah thought it just as well. She'd needed a day away to process what had happened between herself and Loki, even if she couldn't tear her thoughts away from the feel of his lips against her nape or the passionate kisses, the taste of him, the scent, the feel. She shook her head hard as she stood outside the door to the building and was preparing to walk back to her apartment in the summer sunshine when her cell phone rang. It was Director Fury, "Miss Miller, I'd like a word with you in my office, the guard will badge you in." She turned and looked inside the foyer, her palms suddenly sweating, took a deep breath, and went back inside.
Fury gestured to a chair in his office when she walked in and she sat down. "Miss Miller, I didn't expect to see you here on the weekend, getting a little extra work done?" Sarah fidgeted with her cell phone which she had kept in her hand. "You weren't maybe planning on visiting someone, were you?" Sarah looked up into Fury's hard gaze, "Miss Miller, I rarely do this because of the sensitive nature of such material but as you are an agent, I'm going to give something to you to look at. I want you to see it before you decide to continue down the path you're on." He handed Sarah a cd case, written on it was the name "Loki" and underneath "Classified Level 4" Her hands trembled and she gripped the cd case hard. "I'm also transferring you to operations in the lower levels of the Stark tower as of Monday. You will be monitoring communications around the world with regards to suspicious or malicious activity. It is a step up, Miss Miller, understood?" Sarah nodded, not wanting to look up at Fury for fear that he would see the anguish in her eyes. "You may go now, enjoy your weekend, or what's left of it."
She stopped before the entrance to the foyer, considered heading for Loki's quarters to tell him what was happening but realizing she would be seen every step of the way. She stepped back out into the sunshine a moment later but felt much colder than she had minutes before.
She put the cd in her briefcase, far below the sheaf of papers and requisition hard copies stacked therein. She had no desire to see what was on it and briefly thought about snapping it in two, instead stashing it away. She called Lizzie but there was no answer, then she called her parents but there was no answer there either. Finally she decided to call Lily, she'd become a good friend inside of the month she'd spent at the office and she wanted to tell her she was being transferred. "You're kidding, " Lily cried into the phone, "We'll have to Skype now and you won't be at lunch either!" "We could meet up for lunch," Sarah said, "We're only a block away." "I know but it's not the same," Lily said sounding petulant, "I'm sorry, it's Fury's orders. This is going to be harder than it sounds." She thought of Loki and what was going to happen when he didn't find her in the office on Monday and put a hand to her temple. "We'll have to figure something out." After she hung up with Lily, she sat there trying to figure out how to get a message to Loki. Nothing as easy as picking up the phone, all calls to the office were monitored. She would have to see what kind of opportunity Monday would bring.
Loki had been restless Sunday and even more agitated Monday as five p.m. approached with no word from Sarah. He walked into lab 3 to speak with Dr. Banner but only found Stark there, sitting at the table where the scepter sat, staring at it. "Captivating isn't it, the workmanship is unique. Your buddies really knew what they were doing" Stark said as Loki turned to leave the lab. "Loki turned back around, "Where's Banner?" "Had to step out for a bit, what can I help you with?" Loki shook his head, "Nothing," and turned again to leave until Stark spoke up again, "Oh hey, we got a new employee at Stark towers." Loki kept walking towards the door, "Transferred over from S.H.I.E.L.D., yeah, our little requisition girl, Miss Miller." Loki's hand hovered over the door panel, "She's in communications now. Should fit right in nicely, didn't you go on a mission with her just recently?" Loki spun around to face Stark, "I need to speak with her. Take me to your office." Stark held up his hands, "Hey, no can do, it's already past quitting time so she's gone home, and I can't take you anywhere. You need supplies or something? There's a new girl doing requisitions." Loki came over to the table and slammed his hands onto the surface, making Stark stand and back up. "You're playing me, metal man, do you want to get into so dangerous a game?" Stark could see the table start to ice over, Loki's hands turning blue. "This game wouldn't be as dangerous as the one you're playing with Sarah now would it?" Rage overtook him and Loki shoved Stark into the glass wall behind him, the glass spidering outward. "Now what," Tony gasped, "We're going to get into a pissing contest?" "Silence!" Loki roared, "You know nothing about what is between Sarah and myself." Tony shoved Loki backwards, catching him off guard. "You don't want me to call Banner to give you another spanking now do you?" Loki spun around and stepped toward the table. Behind him he could hear Tony in a whisper, "Jarvis, stand by." Loki put his hands by his side, "I've no wish to fight." Tony stepped up to the table beside him. "Good because the suit is about due for its thirty thousand mile checkup and if I bring it in with dents and scratches on it, I gotta pay extra you know? So why don't we just call this a draw alright?" Loki didn't move, "Have you ever lost anything you hold dear?" Tony paused for a moment, "No, uh wait a minute, nope, I've gotten what I want in life, Miss Potts, a stellar career, a brilliant mind, I'm pretty sure I'm set…but then again I didn't try to take over the world either…not that I haven't in a completely different way but let's not split hairs." Loki turned his head to stare at Tony, causing him to jump, "And what if you were to lose all of that? If someone had taken all you had?" Tony put his hands out, palms up. "I'd simply start over again." Loki narrowed his eyes, "Even Miss Potts…could you stand to lose her too," Tony was silent, Loki thought that it might have been for the first time in his life, "It's terrifying to consider isn't it.." The sliding of the lab door interrupted them and Loki turned to see Dr. Banner walking towards them, "Tony, I did the analysis on the metal and I came up with…" He slowed and finally stopped on the other side of the table, looking back and forth between them, "Am I intruding on something? Cause I can leave the same way I came in.." Loki stepped around to the other side of the table with a backwards glance, "No, I've said what I came to say." As they watched him through the glass walls, heading down the corridor, Banner turned to Tony, "I did miss something, didn't I?" Tony gave a quick shake of his head, "Nope, now what have you got to show me?"
Sarah stood in the foyer of the S.H.I.E.L.D. offices, mouth open in disbelief. "I'm sorry Miss Miller, technically you still work for us but this is a high clearance site so you have to get a badge reissued when you've been transferred." Mr. James said, handing her badge back to her. "Is there anything I can help you with? You need to talk to someone in the office?" She nodded, "It's alright, I'll call them." But it was anything but alright. She stepped out into the street where it was starting a light rain and punched Lily's number on her cell phone. "Hello?" She heard Lily answer but by the sounds in the background, she was still on the train. "It's Sarah, are you heading straight home?" Lily answered that she was, "Can I come over and talk to you. It's important." Lily paused, "Uh, sure just give me time to get there. Is everything okay?" Sarah's throat felt thick, "Not really, no. I need your help."
Try as he might, he could not calm himself. He had mulled over going to Fury and begging him to let him see Sarah but knew it would be a futile effort. Questions would be asked that he didn't care to answer. He had spent the better part of that evening in the training room, working with such fury that he'd broken two staffs, his cries echoing off the thick glass walls, until he lay on his back, drenched in sweat, trying to catch his breath and fight the anguish that threatened to cover him like a relentless tide. It was well after midnight when he finally retreated to his quarters and lay across his bed in the pitch blackness, his final thought wondering if Sarah had tried to come to see him as she'd said she would.
Sarah had arrived at Lily's small apartment just after 6 p.m. soaked from the steady light rain that had been falling, hiding her tears as she quick walked down the city streets. Lily handed her a cup of coffee. "You need a new badge? Shouldn't that be easy? Just ask Fury." Sarah shook her head, sniffed, "He would ask why I needed it in the first place, then when I told him, he would say no. That's why I need your help." Lily sat down at the little kitchen table across from Sarah, "Doing what?" "I need you to get a note to Loki." Sarah said already searching in her briefcase for a clean sheet of paper. "Loki? What for?" Sarah hadn't told Lily about their relationship, had in fact told no one and she supposed she would have to now. "Loki and I, um…we've been seeing each other, sort of, in a way. Call it what you will, but now I can't get into the office and I need to tell Loki that I'm trying to find a way." Lily's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, "You're not serious are you? How come you didn't tell me sooner?" "I was afraid Fury would find out and I'm not so sure he hasn't, I think that's why he transferred me." She pulled the cd out of her briefcase, "He even gave me this to look at." Lily looked at the cd case, "And did you?" Sarah shook her head, "And I'm not going to. If Fury does know what's going on, I think he'd do everything in his power to stop it." Lily put a hand over Sarah's, "Maybe Fury has a good reason, did you ever think about that?" Sarah nodded, "Someone once said to me that sometimes the truth is worse than the lie, and I want to keep the Loki I know now. So can you help me please?" Lily deliberated for a moment telling Sarah to watch the cd, then sighed, "Write your note, I'll see that he gets it. I'm a sucker for love."
Sarah had been right about Fury in the extreme. Fury had played the level 10 surveillance video at least 3 times to get through his head what he was seeing. His first thought had been to terminate Miss Miller's employment but she was still a good agent and the way the world had been going lately, that was a hot commodity. He had decided to transfer her with his advice burned on to the cd, taking deliberate care to include the video surveillance from the hover carrier as well as the destroyed Tesseract facility in the desert and countless feeds from the day in the city that had been confiscated and had never seen the light of day until now. He knew that mere words would make no difference to her, he only hoped he could impress upon her good sense instead.
Loki read the note that Lily had slid over one of the tables in the cafeteria over and over though there were only a few sentences on it in Sarah's handwriting. 'My badge won't work anymore. What do we do? I miss you so much…Sarah.' He had folded it again and again and slipped it in the pocket of his pants before looking up at Lily who was still standing there. "Any reply you want me to give her?" Loki stood up, "Only that I love her, and I will find a way."
He found Thor in the weight training room. It amused Thor to see how many weights he could fit on their small machines even though there was never enough to make any difference and he had to be careful so as not to toss the weights and smash something or someone. Thor set the gargantuan bar he had been lifting on the rack and turned to see Loki walking towards him, "Loki, what is it?" Thor asked, concern in his voice, "Brother I need your help. I need to see Sarah Miller and I can't do it alone, Fury won't let me out of his sight." Thor sighed, "Loki I cannot go against Fury. He has already expressed a desire for you to return to Asgard and I have had to beg him to reconsider. If you continue to try and seek the company of Miss Miller, I fear the consequences could be dire." Loki leaned over, bracing his hands against the weight bench suddenly as exhausted as he'd never been before. "Is it because she's a Midgardian? You, yourself have visited Jane Foster many times over, why would you deny me the same happiness, brother?" Thor walked over and put a hand on Loki's shoulder. "I have freedom to travel about Midgard, your past actions have served as your prison and your sentence may be longer than you wish it." Loki stood and shoved Thor's hand away and growled, "How can I hope to atone for my past transgressions without the chance to do so?" Thor closed his eyes, seeing the face of Jane dance before him. "Brother, I doubt there is little I could do, even if I offered to go with you to see Miss Miller, Fury would deny it, you know that now." Tears of anger welled in Loki's eyes, "Then what is there for it but to defy him?" Thor took Loki by the arm, "No, that would surely earn you a one way trip back to Asgard. Let me try to find a way, my brother, I share your pain though you scarce believe me when I tell you this." Thor put his hands upon Loki's shoulders again, "Promise me you'll do nothing until you hear from me." Loki nodded dejected, a stray tear coursing down his cheek. "I will try, I can only promise you that."
Friday dawned hot and muggy. Sarah looked out at the sky watching the dark clouds roll in as she sat at her desk in Stark towers. Loki's message had come to her like a lifeline but there had been no others and she had barely been able to keep her mind on her work all week. So wrapped up in her thoughts was she that she didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching her desk until Stark tapped her on the shoulder. "Miss Miller, are you coming to the office party tonight? I wanted to get a head count, one of my little quirks." Stark smiled at her. "Mr. Stark, I'm probably not going to come, I haven't felt much like partying. I've got a few problems to work out at home." Tony put a hand on the arm of her chair, she could smell his expensive cologne mixed with the faint scent of bourbon. "Is it that you don't have anything to wear? Cause I can get Pepper to find you a selection of dresses, it's semi casual anyway," Sarah protested as Tony pulled out his cell phone, "Miss Potts, I'm going to send Miss Miller upstairs, see if you can't find her something nice to wear for tonight.." "Oh I can't possibly, Mr. Stark" Sarah stammered but Tony was offering his hand which she took and he pulled her to her feet, "Now everyone is going to be there, I'm sure you don't want to be hearing about a party you missed every day for the next month, do you?" He walked her to one of the elevators at the front of the room in which she worked. "Miss Potts has great taste," Tony grinned, "She picked me after all." She watched Stark wave as the doors closed and the elevator began to rise.
Half an hour later, she was standing before a three way mirror in a pale yellow strapless empire waist gown with tiny blue flowers along the hem. "I think this really compliments your complexion, Sarah." Pepper said, "This was the one you wanted to try on again wasn't it?" Sarah nodded, the beautiful gowns had actually made her feel a bit better and Pepper was so nice to her, almost sympathetic as if she could see the inner disquiet Sarah was struggling with. "How much is it?" Sarah asked, "It's nothing, Mr. Stark's treat. Trust me, he wouldn't have it any other way." Pepper replied, "Now I'll pack this up and have it sent to your apartment around 6 pm, ok? Party starts at 8." Sarah thanked Pepper and left to return to her desk downstairs, however, when she was back seated at her desk, her thoughts once again turned to Loki. She glanced outside watching the storm clouds build on the horizon thinking that they exactly mimicked her building mood.