"Put here down! Oh my god! Put her down or I'll call the police!" Jane demanded Thor, waving a pen at him, her choice of a weapon.

Thor knew Jane was Darcy's friend so he decided to go with it. He started putting Darcy on the ground before him. "No! Not there, on that couch, over there!" Jane snapped at Thor. She watched him gently put Darcy on the navy couch with care that made Jane's heart clenched. Then when he knelt next to Darcy with the saddest expression, Jane knew. He wouldn't hurt her.

She relaxed.

Thor tried to get Jane's attention. "Jane Foster, can you help me? Please, I will give you all the gold I have, just please Lady Jane, please heal Darcy," Thor begged.

"I will, don't worry Thor," Jane told him gently. She pulled out a first-aid kit from underneath the couch and got to work. She gave Thor a glass of water and wordlessly pushed him on the sofa, giving him a reassuring smile.

The stories Darcy had told of this Jane Foster's kindness were all true, Thor could see that. The small women who had been shaking before him a second before was now behaving as if the God of Thunder was a well-known acquaintance.

Soon Darcy's face was blood-free and finally looked less of a horror-film. She sealed Darcy's wound with a Band-Aid and wrapped her in a blanket. With the blood gone, Thor could see that Darcy was perfectly fine.

Jane stood up and Thor followed her to the kitchen, trying to help.

"So, Thor," Jane began, clearing her throat, "How did you and Darcy, you know…?"

"She saved from the SHIELD army, only a couple nights before."

"The SHIELD army?"

"Yes. They wanted to kill me and Darcy and I escaped from their castl-uh building. She thought you would be able help me and on our way here, we were attacked." He pulled out a crushed GPS. "With the aid of this device I saw where you were and I…"

"Came," Jane finished for him. Now that she knew that Darcy was okay, she decided Thor was okay too.

Loki hadn't told her much about him and she figured that Loki's misery as a child was mostly due to their father's bad parenting, really. I mean what the heck was that guy thinking, raising two brothers as if both were going to be kings. Poor Loki. But Thor wasn't a monster.

And he might be in love with Darcy. At least he was severely deep, as Darcy would say, "in like".

"So Darcy's ok now. I'm assuming you came to earth, or Midgard, for some other reason too."

Thor looked at the ground. "I came to take my brother home. I've been searching for him for months. I have traveled all around the realms in hopes of finding him."

Jane's heart softened. Thor loved his brother. But she loved Loki too.

"Thor. Does your father want Loki to return?"

Thor shifted uncomfortably. "Not…quite. He believes that Loki is lost to Asgard, that he will no longer be his son. The All-Father has given up all hope. But my mother needs Loki, as do I."

"I don't believe you." A voice came from behind Thor. Loki stood there, in his Midgardian clothes.

"Loki, my brother, my friend, what has become of you?"

"Why are you here?" was all Loki asked, ignoring the question. His stare was so cold, so bitter; Jane wished Thor had never come.

"Why am I here? Where else would I be? I'm here to recollect the prince of Asgard, my brother, my friend. Please brother, waste your time in this lowly realm no longer. Mother misses you very much and all of Asgard wishes for the Queen to be well once more, and that's only possible through your return. I beg you brother, end this madness and come home."

Loki stared at Thor. It wasn't with the hate that Thor had anticipated. No, this stare was much worse. It marked Loki's indifference all too well. Thor's heart sank when he realized Odin might have been right, they all have lost Loki.

Finally, Loki spoke. "Frigga mourns the loss of a son. But what of my mother? Have you ever pondered that she might have mourned this loss as well? I always wonder that. What my life would have been like if it was the one I was meant to live."

"Loki!" Thor exclaimed, making Jane jump, "How dare you disgrace the All-Father with your ungrateful dissertations? This has gone too far my brother. Our father saved your life, why can't you simply show a bit of gratitude and come and be where you belong?"

"'Where I belong'?" Loki mocked, "Pray tell me, 'brother', what happens when I go back 'home'? What exactly are you expecting? I will go back, Frigga will cry with joy, and Odin will gain more respect, and alas the synthetic atmosphere of peace in Asgard will be restored. Marvelous. But have you considered Thor, what will happen with me? I will be the monster in the kingdom, people will fear my presence, I am no longer a mere trickster. I am a monster."

"If you think the people of Asgard are that shallow – "

"Of course I think that!" Loki cried, "You saw how they reacted; they loathed me Thor, hated me! Even you were disgusted!"

Thor tried to retort when suddenly Loki began to shift into his frost-giant form.

Jane squinted into the blue light radiating from Loki and watched him phase into the red-eyed frost giant he had told her stories about. She remembered how he spoke of frost giants with disgust. But now she understood it all. The cocky trickster God of Mischief abhorred his very being.

This was something above the lack of self-respect. This wasn't about depression or being suicidal. This was about living a story that was never yours. This was being split in half between what you are and what you were forced to be. Loki wasn't tricked just by fate. His own life had tricked him and he had no choice but to play along.

But now he was done playing along.

"Watch how you stagger back with your cowardly fear Thor!" Loki laughed without humor. His eyes were red and Jane found it hard to look away from him.

"I knew you would come back to find me, I had the inkling, you are not the one to let go," Loki's monster eyes softened, "But, Thor, I am nothing more than a stolen relic. You cannot change the truth, this is my reality. This time, I have to ask you, if you still hold any brotherly-love for me, let me go. Do away with me. I no longer wish to be burdened by my situation. I do not know what life I'm living, but it holds no purpose. I'll go back to Asgard and continuing living a lie, pretending to be someone I'm not. Or I can live here with the constant worry of having the only being I care for age and die without me. Perhaps I should leave now, allow you and Jane a normal existence, one free from my hatred and resentment."

"Is this your wish Brother? You wish to die? And what will you leave behind? Broken hearts and misery."

"And what of my misery? Am I to stay here only to please others?"

"What about Jane?" Thor challenged.

Loki glared, "What about her?"

"You'd be willing to leave her behind with a broken heart?"

Loki didn't even look at Jane. She had been standing here this whole time but Loki had ignored her. She had never felt so weak, so broken. It was like watching everything you care for just rip into shreds right in front of you.

"Her heart will heal; after all, she's just a mortal."

Jane's heart shattered.

"And what of Frigga…"

Thor challenged Loki endlessly but Loki just kept shooting his hopes down. Nothing mattered anymore. They kept bantering. They didn't see the tear on Jane's cheek.

She's just a mortal. Those words summed up all of Jane's fears and insecurities. She knew she wasn't good enough for Loki. She wasn't good enough for anyone. She didn't deserve love. It was all fake and temporary. She felt like a fool.

What was she thinking? Loki, a god, would love her? She wasn't even pretty. Asgardian women were much prettier and stronger. They were goddesses, talented ones. But Jane was just a mortal. That's all she was.

She couldn't hear the brothers argue anymore. She couldn't even breathe. She needed to think. Logically, this all made sense. Her mind had been telling her that Loki didn't care for her, but her heart was always steering her away from that ugly thought, it made her feel hope. She had loved having someone to love with the illusion that they loved her back. But that wasn't true either.

Without thinking she made her way quietly out her door, the arguing gods didn't even notice.

She walked around town watching the people do their daily work, working hard and keeping busy. That's why Jane loved her work so much, it made her forget everything and she could just lose herself in her diagrams for hours without any pain or regrets.

She had forgotten to get her coat and it was still very cold. She shivered and walked into Lola's and slid into a booth. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. Instead she ordered a hot chocolate.

Jane was used to rejection. No one had really been around for very long. Her uncle, aunt, classmates; no one really was there. She really thought Loki was different.

She felt pain but then decided to ignore her feelings and just think about things. Logically.

God, I'm such a fool, she thought to herself, completely defeated, I bet all Asgardian men are like that women. Seriously, it was nothing special. It wasn't love for him, how could it be? I'm not even his type. What do I even have? He deserves someone prettier, nicer, better. I don't even have any experience. I'm just a mortal. Gosh, that hurts. 'Just a mortal?' But that's what I am. That's what I was trying to tell him before. Think about Jane, you knew it the whole time, why are you so surprised now? So he may have let you to believe something that wasn't true, so what? I mean, if it's a part of their culture then it's not even his fault. Like Thor was looking at Darcy. These gods, they are above us. We aren't worthy. Well, I'm definitely not.

She drained her hot chocolate, allowed the burning sensation to drown the lump in her throat. Her heart was hurting but now the pain was numbed by the realization.

I'm not worth it.

Jane placed the cash under her cup and marched back to her house, trying to ignore the deadness she felt in her soul. She would never admit it, but her hopes really did die that day.

!

Thor stepped back defeated.

"Even so, I cannot kill you. You may not consider me your brother, but you are still mine."

"Fine. Then leave."

Thor glared back at Loki. "I would, but I am responsible for that maiden." He pointed at Darcy who was still passed out on the couch across the room.

"Is she…yours?"

Even in his anger, Thor managed a blush. "Not quite, she's just…a very important friend. I will protect her at all costs."

Loki's gaze softened again. "Mortal women are not what we expected."

"No, not at all," Thor chuckled, finally relaxing. While Loki transformed back into his usual form, Thor looked around, frowning.

"Speaking of mortal women, where's Jane?"

"Jane?" Loki finally looked around and they heard a door close and found Jane walking inside, rubbing her arms.

"Is it just me or is it seriously freezing?" There was a tremor in her voice that did not go unnoticed by Loki.

"Jane, are you alright?" he asked, worried. He moved towards her

.

She looked at him, her heart melting when she took in his beautiful face full of concern. He may not love her, but Jane still loved him.

"Yeah," she smiled a little, realizing that her love for him was enough for her. She didn't need his back, she could live without it. Hadn't she all this time?

She realized that Thor and Loki were not glaring or shouting at each other anymore.

"Shit, my head," someone moaned. Thor and Jane turned to look at Darcy and both rushed towards. Thor beat Jane to Darcy's side.

As she passed Loki, Jane looked down, away from him and sped up, arching away from his body.

No one would have noticed that subtle movement. But Loki did.

Loki noticed as he took in Jane's face. It was like a little dark cloud had invaded a blue sky. Something was very wrong.

A/N: Thanks for reading. 1Laure-Lo, thanks for the follow! As always, JigokuShoujosRevenge, Princess PrettyPants, and JPElles, thank you guys for reviewing, you all rock.

The reason why I've made the Jane and Loki fall apart is because I need Loki to man up and confess his love so he can realize that he does have reason to live and he can't be selfish. He thinks she doesn't love him as much as he does but he's wrong…so yeah. I know that's like playing dirty and it's all very clichéd but I think for this situation, such a common plot-line is necessary.

Stay tuned, your reviews are always appreciated, thank you very very much for reading!