Sorry this took so long. Fanfiction was not pulling up on my computer for a long time so I could not upload this next chapter. Anywho, enjoy!
Melanie's feet hit the ground lightly as she runs swiftly along the long country roads. She had always enjoyed running. It seemed to relieve a lot of the stress that was pressing her mind. Winter was just beginning to set in and the air was crisp and cool: perfect running weather. After she had lost her sight, she couldn't run anymore, and it was very hard for her to fight off her depression. But now, after Loki had healed her, she could return to her favorite sport. The thought of Loki would send her mind reeling. She didn't really know how to feel about his return. After all this time she had finally gotten over him, and she truly believed he would never return, and now that he had, it was like her mind was confused on being happy or upset. Honestly she felt a little of both, not to mention the fact that he was spotted working with HYDRA. As soon as she saw him she knew she wanted to hit him. She did feel anger towards him, a lot actually. But she couldn't ignore the fact that she had been dreaming about him for years now. No surprise she was still attracted to him, and the thought of seeing him made the little hormonal girl squeal inside, but her mature adult shoved that feeling down and reminded her of everything he had done.
She turns onto her gravel driveway and slows down to a light jog. There is something weird about the air around her as she jogs up to her house. It's almost like there's electricity flowing through the air around her and at any moment it could explode. She slows to a walk, breathing hard as she scans the yard around her. Silence. Eerie silence. Not a bird chirps around her.
Melanie's about to walk inside when she hears a loud crash in the barn. She freezes, straining her ears to hear more. It was a good thing Jame was at day care. Very silently she grabs the shotgun hanging right inside the door and makes her way down to the barn. She grips the metal tightly in her hands, trying to quiet her fast breaths. As she gets closer, she cocks the gun, pointing it in front of her, ready to shoot.
"Whoever is in there, come out now, or else I'll shoot," she says firmly, standing in front of the big wooden doors.
There's silence. No answer.
She sucks in a tight breath. No fear. No fear. She yanks open the barn doors and points her gun into the barn. She freezes, and then sighs, lowering the gun to her side. A raccoon, surprised by her sudden burst into the barn, jets out of the middle and disappears into the corner. Rakes and shovels lay scattered about the floor from where they were knocked over. She looks around the barn for a minute, trying to slow her pounding heart. Maybe she was just especially jumpy now.
She closes the doors to the barn and heads back to the house, defeated.
Melanie and Jame sit comfortably in front of a small checkerboard in the front room. The sky is dark with night, and the air is even cooler and crisper than before. The small fireplace at the head of the room is light, keeping the house warm and cozy. The TV is playing in the background, but there is no sound.
"Look Jame," Melanie says, lightly grabbing a hold of Jame's wrist, "if you move this piece here, you can jump two of my guys."
Jame follows with sharp eyes. Melanie was so impressed with how well he was able to catch on to games and things that required strategy and skill. It made her heart ache how similar he was to his father. So quick to learn, so intelligent.
Another crash from outside suddenly catches their attention. It was louder than last time, and it made the silence afterward so much more eerie.
"Mom?" Jame starts, fear in his voice.
"Everything's fine. Think about your next move, I'll be right back to go check. It was probably just that raccoon I saw in the barn the other day."
She gets up and walks briskly to the kitchen, turning on the porch light. She grabs her coat and the shotgun in the nearby closet and steps out onto the porch. The light from the porch shines out across the yard, barely reaching the edge of the cornfield. It casts shadows that move quickly in and out of focus. She scans the yard carefully, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
A sudden movement makes her start, and she yanks the gun up, ready to shoot.
The raccoon flies across the yard and disappears into the cornfield, causing a small ruckus.
"That damned raccoon!" she exclaims quietly to herself, exhaling loudly and letting the gun sag to her side.
"That reaction time was quite impressive if I do say so myself," a voice says to her left.
She whips around to see Loki, leaning against the house on the other end of the porch, arms crossed.
"I think the creature was lucky you didn't shoot." He smirks, his white teeth spread across his face.
It takes a moment for her to regain herself. She finds quickly that she is unable to speak, or even breathe for that matter. He almost looked the way she remembered him as, but there were subtle differences she could pick out quickly. First was the fact that he seemed to be two sizes smaller than the last time they had been together. His face was thinner, with sharper angles in his cheekbones. Not to mention the darkness that seemed to hang under his eyes. Second, was his hair. He had cut it shorter, and it was more clean and slick, the black tint of it shining in the light. He was still beautiful, of course. His eyes, still the sharp emerald that pierced through anything they touched.
"I think you should be more glad I didn't shoot you," she breathes out finally.
He stands up straight but keeps his arms crossed over his chest. She watches as his eyes slowly follow the length of her body and then back up. She can feel the heat spreading to her cheeks.
"Touche."
She holds the gun in both hands so it crosses over her chest. She grits her teeth.
"What do you want?"
He takes a step closer toward her and she grips the gun tighter. He notices it and stops.
"A simple hello would not suffice?"
She scoffs. "You're not the 'simple hello' type, so stop lying."
He nods, his smile fading, moving his arms so they are clasped in front of him. "And if I told you I just wanted to see you? It has felt like an eternity since we last spoke."
She breathes slowly, trying to fight back the urge to run over to him and throw her arms around him.
"Five years, to be exact."
His smile returns to his face. "So you've been keeping track?"
She frowns. "And you haven't? Now what do you really want? You don't have to play your stupid mind games with me. I know you're working for HYDRA."
"Ah yes, about that."
She lets the anger bubble inside of her. "I thought time would change you. I thought wrong."
"Oh Melanie, my dearest, why are you so quick to judge me?"
"Because," she snaps, "I have other, more important priorities I have to focus on, and I was, in fact, getting along quite well until you showed up."
"Really? And how well was your little dinner date going? Did that turn out for the better?" he replies, just as quickly.
It doesn't take long for all the pieces to come together.
She laughs with a slight edge. "Our waiter. Clever."
His face lights up with pride.
"I suppose I should thank you, for saving my life," she says irritably.
"You seem so very grateful I was there. I also believe you should thank me for such excellent service. I had to stoop low for that part. Service is not in my nature."
She suddenly gasps. "You ruined Steve's shirt!"
"It was an honest mistake-" he begins, but is quickly cut off.
"Oh bullshit, you're a god. You don't make mistakes like that. Jesus, you are such an ass."
"You are going to accuse me of being a donkey when I saved you from his bile of stupidity?" he retorts, offended.
She glares. "What he was going to say wasn't stupid. In fact, I was looking forward to it."
"Don't tell me you fancy the soldier?" he exclaims, feigning shock.
"I don't know, maybe I do. He was actually here to help me, while you weren't."
"Help you with what?"
She hesitates. Did he know? He notices her hesitation and slightly frowns.
"Is there something I'm missing?"
"No," she says quickly. "But I think it would be best if you left now. I have to call SHEILD and tell them you came, so I wouldn't come back here anymore."
He takes another step toward her but she holds up the gun so that the barrel presses into his stomach. He stops.
"Melanie."
"I said, go," she orders.
The squeak of the door catches both of their attention. Melanie turns to see Jame, holding open the door and peering out to watch them.
"Mommy who is that man?" he asks.
Melanie doesn't turn back to see Loki's reaction. She immediately drops the gun to her side and heads over to the door.
"Jame, honey, go back inside. He's an old friend, and we were just visiting. I'll be back inside in a minute, okay?"
He looks back and forth from Melanie to Loki before nodding his head and going back inside. She waits for a moment and then turns back to Loki who seems transfixed. All of his grace and cockiness he held moments ago seem to have faded away. Now he is the one who struggles for words.
"Stay away from me, and stay away from my son," she says coldly, as she opens the door and begins to head inside.
"Thirty-five years," he says lamely after her.
She stops and turns back. He looks at her, but his eyes seem lost.
"Thirty-five years in the Asgardian dungeons. I never missed a day."
She gives him a long look before closing the door and locking it behind her. The porch light turns off and the broken God of Mischief disappears.