Disclaimer: Still don't own the characters. The plot is the work of my insanity.

Jane sighed contentedly as she watched Thor stroll carelessly from their room, topless as usual as he searched for the shirt that had been discarded the night before. She had already been awake for hours, adding notes and correcting addled calculations on her theories, the ink from the whiteboard staining her sleeve where she had rubbed it away. She couldn't help the shiver that she still felt as Thor shot her a dazzling smile, if possible, filled with even more shimmer than the last one.

"I will never understand how you are able to rise so early." Thor mused, finally yanking a worn tee over his head; it did nothing to hide his toned torso, and Jane inwardly thanked every deity that she was allowed to ogle.

"Inspiration can strike at any time," Jane grinned, pausing only momentarily to peck at his lips before scribbling another thought upon her printed analyses, "And I think that this time I might have actually hit upon the key to reopening a Bifrost-type bridge from Earth."

Thor chuckled behind her, pressed so close that Jane could actually feel the vibrations through her thin coat.

"Well this is marvellous news!" he applauded her, with no effort to conceal the pride dripping from his tone, before adding wistfully, "I eagerly await the moment that my mother lays her eyes upon you."

Jane cursed the giddy excitement that fluttered, as if trying to scale the distance between her stomach and her chest; what the gorgeous god behind her needed was not a squealing fan-girl, but a comforting rock. She placed her hand on his arm, she couldn't quite reach his shoulder, and gave it a soothing squeeze.

"You really miss them don't you?"

Thor nodded solemnly, quickly rearranging his features so that the smile from before was, if not a little dimmer, fixed once again. He slipped from Jane's grasp and ambled across the workspace to pour himself what was left of the coffee pot that she had brewed when she had heard him clattering about in their room. Jane sighed again, her shoulders sagging as she turned back to her work. Asgard was always a touchy subject, sometimes producing gleeful tales, and other times causing a desolate cloud to settle overhead. The Bifrost was still destroyed, although Thor had been adamant that repairs were underway, and it was only Odin's skill with magic that had allowed Thor to return to Earth after he had delivered his delinquent brother to his parents' feet. Not only was Thor still brewing over betrayal and worry for his brother, admittedly to Jane's disapproval, but he was also without a way home. For now. That was the real reason Jane was working so hard, all hours of the day, every day; she couldn't stand seeing him so down, and if no one else was going to produce a solution, then she damn well would. One look in his direction, and the look of intense concentration on Thor's face as he stirred his coffee showed that his mind was elsewhere.

"Thor sweetie, can you do me a favour?" Jane called, smiling as he blinked away whatever had been troubling him.

"Of course, what do you require?" Thor replied quickly, already striding across the room, stepping over discarded pieces of equipment.

"I left some parts in my van, they're quite heavy." Jane explained sheepishly, gesturing towards where her rickety van still sat outside in the New Mexico sun, "They're in some boxes by the door, you can't miss them."

"Then I shall do my best to assist you," he answered cheekily, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips; he took her hand in his own and placed a quick kiss on her knuckles before turning his back on her and ducking outside, "I won't be long."

Jane grinned as she watched his retreating figure cut out the sun for a second, before moving out of sight. A deep breath and she let her eyes roam over the wide open space, lit up by the cloudless sky outside. As much as she relished the peace, and how much faster her brain worked with it, she couldn't help but notice the blatant absences. Erik was away, working for SHIELD, and there was no knowing when he was going to be back; Jane missed being able to run her theories past him. She loved Thor, but he was no Nobel Prize winner, no matter how interested he could make himself appear if he put in the effort. And Darcy; the empty space left now that she had moved on to bigger and better things, aided by the hefty bribe that SHIELD had been forced to trade for her silence, was astounding. She and Jane still kept in contact, but the rooms just felt a little emptier without her. Or they would, if she hadn't left a large portion of her stuff lying around. Jane was just pondering whether she should consider shipping them back, or maybe selling them for a small profit, when she felt a sharp prick on her upper right arm.

"Ow-"

Her other hand sprang up to cover what she assumed was a mosquito bite, but Jane was momentarily bewildered to find that her fingers closed around the end of a thin needle, jagged and broken at the end. Bewilderment was swiftly replaced by panic as her brain caught up with what was happening…then seemed to slow down far too quickly. Jane stumbled to the right, catching herself on the desk and attempting to keep her legs underneath the rest of her. A pair of arms, strong, yet too reedy to be Thor's closed around her waist. Jane kicked out, swinging her arms wide in order to fight them off, but the world seemed to be tilting on its axis. The part of her brain still functioning realised that this must be some kind of professional kidnapping; everything was so quiet, these men made almost no sound. Finally remembering where she was-when had she forgotten?-Jane tried to cry for help, but nothing seemed to be doing what it should.

"Thoorr!" a voice wheezed, and Jane realised it was her, "Th-"

A gloved hand clamped down over her mouth, and Jane's eyes stuttered closed, dragging her into darkness.

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