Author Note: Again, thank you everyone for your continued support. I do love reviews. They make me feel all fuzzy inside. Please leave me some. Tell me what you want to see happen next. I promise to take it into consideration!

Also, I again leave a warning that this chapter contains smut. However, it also contains serious plot development, so if you don't want to read it, just sort of skip around it.

Anyway, I love you all! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this!

Trudy was awake when they arrived late that Thursday evening. It was technically after visiting hours, but the nurse had been nice enough to let them sneak past security. Apparently the darling old woman had been asking about the arrival of her "son" since she had regained consciousness the previous day.

Upon finding her room, John had rushed to her bedside, leaving Alice to stand awkwardly in the doorway as he nearly smothered the old woman in a hug. It had been far too long since they had seen each other, and as soon as she smiled up at him he wondered why he had ever left in the first place. Yes, he loved his career, he loved Alice, but Trudy had been there for him since the beginning. He owed her so much, and yet, he had just packed up and left without a second thought.

"It's about damn time you got here," she greeted with a wink.

"You haven't changed a bit," he grinned, hugging her as tightly as he could without fear of hurting her.

"I'm an old woman stuck in my ways," she laughed, giving him a soft peck on the cheek. "But look at you! You're positively glowing!"

"It's because I'm finally seeing you again!"

"Oh, poppycock! It's this new young lady you've found and we both know it. Where is this darling girl who has stolen your heart anyway?"

John stood suddenly, looking back toward the door. Sheepishly he beckoned to Alice, feeling a bit embarrassed for not introducing her immediately. In the euphoria of seeing his old friend he had nearly forgotten she was with him.

"Trudy," he said proudly. "This is my darling Alice. Alice, this is Trudy my...adoptive mother."

Beaming, Trudy extended a hand, which Alice shook with a grin.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice," older woman smiled, her wrinkled consumed by delight. "I suspect Johnny is treating you well."

"Like a queen," Alice assured her. "And it's a pleasure to meet you too. John has told me so much about you."

"All good things, I hope."

"Only good things."

"That's because he's too polite."

"Nonesense!" John insisted. "You're wonderful."

"You've just been away too long," the old woman chuckled.

"So what happened?" he asked suddenly, sitting on the foot of her bed and taking her hand. "They said you had a heart attack."

The old woman's face grew grim and she shrugged.

"Old age is best reason we've come up with," she sighed. "I was driving to work and it started storming and next things I knew I was here."

"Did you drive yourself here?" Alice gasped.

"Oh goodness no! A young man was driving by and found me. He picked me up."

"Do you know who it was?" John inquired. "We should thank him properly. And how did you get your car home?"

"Ruth and her husband went and got the car for me," the old woman chuckled. "And the young man was from out of town anyway. It was just happy chance that he found me."

For a moment her eyes faltered and Alice sensed she was hiding something. It seemed to go right over John's head, so she decided not to pursue it, especially since she was just now meeting the woman John considered to be a mother figure.

It was then one of the nurses slipped in to check on Trudy.

"You know it's past visiting hours," the young nurse commented, beginning to fiddle with the tubes on Trudy's IV.

"Oh, Liz, this is my son and his girlfriend," the older woman explained. "They just arrived from Chicago."

"Well, they technically can't be here," the nurse, Liz, warned. "But we'll give them another few minutes."

"That's okay," John insisted. "We just couldn't wait to see her. We haven't even found a hotel yet."

"Why would you need a hotel?" Trudy piped in. "I thought you would watch the house."

"That's what we were hoping for."

"You are still sly as ever."

"I learned from the best."

He winked and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"We'll come back and see you tomorrow, okay?" he promised.

"You better! Oh! And don't forget to feed the cat when you get to the house. I've had Ruth checking on the place, but I told her you two would be here tonight, so I don't think she's been there today. You know how she is…"

With a cackle, John nodded and gave her a warm hug.

"We'll make sure Henry is well fed and properly played with," he smirked.

Alice took her turn in hugging the old woman before following John out the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled.

"I look forward to it," Trudy replied with a wave.

As they left the hospital, John took Alice's hand, eyes aglow with delight. She seemed relieved to see him happy again and he really couldn't blame her. Though the trip had been long and filled with great music and plenty of potential to make fun of Alice's driving, he hadn't taken advantage of any of it. The worry for Trudy and her health had kept him from enjoying the drive, but now that he knew she was doing well, considering her state, he was fully prepared to enjoy himself.

"She's great," Alice said, resting her head against his shoulder as they walked to the car. "I'm glad we came down."

"Me too," he agreed.

The hospital was about ten miles from Trudy's house. She had a small cottage on the outskirts of town, where the dwindling suburbs gave way to sprawling desert. John loved the seclusion, but it seemed to put Alice on edge.

"Have never stepped foot outside Chicago, love?" he teased, setting their suitcases in the entry and leading her into the living room. "You know, the entire world isn't a huge sprawling metropolis."

Giggling, she shook her head.

"I've spent my entire life in Chicago," she shrugged. "I didn't really get out much."

"Well, we are certainly out," he grinned. "How do you feel about sleeping under the stars?"

"Sounds romantic, but also like we'd be risking being attacked by poisonous desert creatures."

Taking her hand, he shook his head.

"Not necessarily," he chuckled, leading her down a small hallway to a sliding glass door. "Not here."

He opened the door, leading her onto what initially appeared to be a porch. However, it had walls made entirely of glass, as was the ceiling. There was a telescope in one corner, along with a table and two chairs. To the right, there sat two patio chairs, which reclined, obviously for comfortable stargazing.

"This is beautiful," Alice breathed.

"I know," John agreed. "This used to be my room.

"Your room?"

"Well, technically there is a spare room that was mine, but I stayed in here most nights. I love looking at the stars."

"You must miss it in the city."

"You have no idea."

"Then why do you stay?"

"Now days? For you."

Blushing, she took his face securely in her grasp and kissed him hard. It felt as if his heart jumped in his chest and he responded instantly. Gripping her hair, he pulled her closer to him, stumbling a bit as he attempted to find one of the lounge chairs. His leg collided with the soft cushion and he slumped onto it, laying back and pulling her on top of him.

Gripping her hips, he rubbed himself against her, knowing she could feel his hardness through the jeans he was wearing. She gave a low moan and wasted no time in ripping off her shirt before moving to fumble with his belt.

"In a hurry are we?" he smirked, nipping at her neck. "Where's your sense of foreplay, darling?"

"I just want you to fuck me," she replied, her voice low and husky.

"We'll get there, darling," he chuckled, unhooking her bra and throwing it aside. "Let me have a bit of fun with you first."

Shaking her head, she yanked down his pants, exposing his throbbing erection.

"No," she said decidedly. "It's my turn to have some fun with you."

Slipping off her panties, she hiked up her skirt and slid her slit over him teasingly, seeming to take extra care making sure he could feel her wetness. Groaning, he reached for her hips, but she slapped his hands away.

This surprised him. He was used to being the dominant one when they fucked. It felt natural for him and she never denied him the pleasure of it. This was out of character for her, but he had to admit it aroused him and he was curious to find out what she'd do.

The sensation of her breath on his cock made him gasp and he let out a groan as she descended on him, tongue flicking around the head before closing her lips around him. She took him deeper into her mouth and he threw his head back, a moan slipping from his throat. Hollowing out her cheeks, she began to suck him. Unconsciously, he began to move his hips with her rhythm, but she plated her hands firmly on his waist to stop him.

It wasn't long before he was near finish. Gripping her hair, he pulled her off him and kissed her fiercely.

"Enough," he growled, taking hold of her hips as the beast within him awoke. "Stop teasing and fuck me."

Despite her being on top, it was easy for him to guide her onto him. He thrust into her and she cried out in ecstasy. Gripping her hips tightly, he led her in a rhythm. He found it easy to lead her like this, to dominate her even if she felt that she was leading this.

It wasn't long before her walls were tightening around him and her orgasm took her. The sensation was incredible, though it didn't bring about his release like it usually did. Exhausted, she collapsed onto him, breathing heavily.

Frustrated, he lifted her off and slid out from under her.

"Get on your hands and knees," he commanded, standing up and coming around behind her.

She didn't comply right away and he gave her bottom a light slap.

"I said get up!" he repeated impatiently. "I'm not done with you yet."

Groggily she complied, opening her legs wide to expose her entrance. He wasted no time in taking hold of her hips and slamming into her tight wetness, eliciting another of her delightful shrieks. Leaning over her, he traced her spine with his tongue.

He loved this position. It felt so animalistic, so feral, and allowed him to completely overtake her, to rule her. Whenever they made love he had this instinctual urge to overpower her, to dominate and control her every move. At first she had insisted that she wasn't "into" that dominant act. However, the longer they were together, the more she began to bend to his will. He was more than happy to be the king of her pleasure.

Soon he could feel that telltale sensation of his release nearing. Growling, he increased his pace, fucking her hard and fast until he finally came, spilling into her with a satisfied groan, her name falling off his tongue. She soon followed with a second climax, screaming his name in return and tightening around him.

When she was finished, he pulled out of her, allowing her to roll on her back before collapsing on top of her, his head on her bare chest. Her heart was racing and he just lay there enjoying the sound.

"That was…intense," she commented after a minute or two.

He simply chuckled in response, his fingers running over the outline of the setting sun on her arm.

"I think you forgot to feed the cat," she muttered after some time, sweeping his hair behind his ear.

"I should probably do that," he agreed. "Just give me a moment to…regain myself."

"I figured."

For a while longer, the two of them were silent, simply taking in the sensation of each other's skin. Finally, he found the strength to get up and feed the little tabby cat.

"I love you, John," she whispered as he got up.

"As I love you, Alice."

The next morning, John awoke with the rising sun. It had been so long since he'd been able to watch as the glowing orange orb lit the desert sky, turning it brilliant shades of pink and orange and finally blue.

He and Alice had set up an air mattress on the sun porch and slept under the stars. She had been exhausted and fallen asleep quickly, while he lay awake staring up at the stars. When he did finally sleep, it had been especially fitful. His dreams were filled with visions of warriors and blue ice giants. There had been a man who had called him brother and wielded a mighty hammer. However, now that he was awake, he couldn't remember the man's face.

Alice awoke a few hours after he did, complaining about how bright the morning sun was as she wondered into the living room. By this time he had made coffee and was sitting at the kitchen table with the cat, Henry, lounging on his lap.

"You get used to it," he assured her, the tabby on his lap looking curiously up at the new visitor. "This is Henry by the way."

The cat hopped off his lap and approached Alice, circling her warily before rubbing against her leg.

"He's cute!" she cooed, picking him up despite his disapproving meow.

"Apparently he likes you," John grinned, watching as the cat sniffed her.

It collapsed like a ragdoll in her arms as she began to pet him.

"We should get a cat," Alice suggested, making John laugh.

"Maybe someday," he chuckled.

Still holding the cat, she sat down across the table from him.

"When are we going to visit Trudy?" she inquired.

"After you shower and get ready," he replied. "I've already done so. I was just waiting for you to get up, but I didn't want to wake you."

"It's not like the sun didn't do it for you," she groused.

"Oh, shut up and go take a shower."

Sticking her tongue out at him, she complied, dropping the cat onto his lap. For a moment he considered joining her, but decided against it as the cat settled. It was so good to be home, especially with Alice. He wished desperately that they could stay longer than the week they were allotted.

When they arrived at the hospital, Trudy was still asleep. John had sent Alice off to fetch them some lunch while he waited for her to wake up.

It had been a long three days. Alice was absolutely exhausted. Between the long car ride, sleeping in an unfamiliar place, and having crazy sex the previous night, she felt she could sleep for days.

Upon pulling into the Subway parking lot, she noticed a strange vehicle parked outside. It looked like an oversized van, but tall with strange lights on top. It reminded her of the vehicle from the Wild Thornberrys, except it didn't have zebra stripes. Sighing, she got out of the car, knowing full well that she sleep deprived after making that comparison.

The smell of fresh baked bread filled her nostrils as she entered the restaurant. A tall blonde man and his girlfriend were in front of her in line. They seemed to be recently reunited because the girl kept asking how long he had been back.

"I've told you, Jane," the muscular man replied in a booming voice, which he seemed to have a difficult time controlling. "I just got back from visiting Stark. I had to go see him before I could return to you."

"But that lightning storm happened four days ago," the girl objected. "It couldn't have taken that long to fly to see him and then come back."

"Darling Jane, you know I didn't stay away on purpose."

"I know."

Sighing, the girl hugged him before stepping up to give the man behind the counter her order.

Alice found the man's dialect particularly odd. It wasn't necessarily because he spoke like a medieval knight, but more because he spoke almost exactly like John. It wasn't everyday you came across someone with such a strange way of speaking.

Moreover, she wondered if the man was actually talking about visiting the Tony Stark. Honestly, he didn't really look like the type of guy who was friends with Tony Stark. He was wearing a plaid shirt and jeans and, more importantly, it appeared that his girlfriend was the one paying for their meal.

Trying to shake the feeling that there was something incredibly off about the pair, she stepped up to the counter and placed her order. Though she tried hard not to eavesdrop on the couple, she couldn't help hearing bits and pieces of their conversation. So lost was she in listening to the blonde prattle on about trying to find his long lost brother, that she didn't realize he was standing directly in front of her as she began to fill her cup with fountain soda and bumped right into his chest.

The feeling was electric, like a shock going right through her. She gasped, nearly dropping the drink, and spilling the bag of sandwiches on the floor. For a long moment, the man just stared down at her in disbelief. Fearing he was angry, she began to back away slowly.

"No need to apologize, maiden!" he said suddenly, dropping down to one knee to begin gathering her subs for her. "You just…you…"

He put the sandwiches back in the bag and handed it to her, his girlfriend shooting confused looks between the two of them.

"Thank you," Alice awkwardly said before making a beeline for the door.

As she walked out, she heard the girlfriend ask what "all of that" had been about.

"I don't know," the man replied, sounding thoroughly confused. "That mortal woman smelled of Asgard...of Loki."

Thoroughly confused and a bit frustrated with herself, Alice practically ran the rest of the way to her car and practically jumped in, resting her head miserably on the wheel.

She had no idea what the guy could have possibly meant about her "smelling like Asgard," but she definitely recognized the name Loki. If she wasn't mistaken, it was the Norse God of Mischief. Starting the car, she decided that she needed to dig into her mythology books when she got back to Chicago.

Back at the hospital, Trudy was now wide awake. She and John had broken into the old deck of cards in her purse and started a game of Poker. It was how they always used to spend their nights when he lived with her. Trudy was a card shark and had taught him every game she knew. Poker was still his favorite, especially five-card draw.

"So," Trudy said conversationally. "Have you gotten any of your memory back since the last time I saw you?"

Raising an eyebrow, he shook his head.

"You know what the doctors said," he shrugged. "I've got a blank slate."

Nodding approvingly, the old woman lay down two cards and exchanged them for two in the deck. Grimacing at his hand, John exchanged three of his own.

"You still thinking about going soul searching?" she sniffed.

"I don't think so," he replied, rearranging his cards.

His hand was pretty bad no matter how he looked at it.

"I've got Alice now," he went on, laying down a pair of queens. "I don't think I need to find out who I used to be."

"That's my boy!" Trudy beamed. "Also, you lose."

Cackling, she lay down a full house.

"I still swear you cheat at this game," he scoffed.

Gathering the cards, the old woman began to shuffle.

"I'm just lucky," she winked. "And I don't think you should try to find your old self."

She looked up at him, her eyes seeming far away. It appeared as if she knew something that she wasn't telling him, but he knew better than to pry.

"And why is that?" he carefully inquired.

"Because, John," she warned seriously. "People often don't like what they find."

This concerned him. Between the look in her eyes and the cryptic message, she seemed to know something. Then again, Trudy has always been wise and mildly cryptic at times. And more than anything, he knew better than to pry, especially when she was giving him advice.

As she began to deal again, Alice returned. She looked forlorn and stressed, but shook off John's questions. Apparently, none of the women in his life appreciated prying.

"It was just a long line at Subway," she said, though he could tell she was lying. "And the couple in front of me was being obnoxious and almost spilled my drink. I don't know. I'm just tired."

John unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite, motioning for Alice to join he and Trudy in their card game.

That night, they returned to the house late, having spent the day playing cards and laughing with the delightful old woman. Alice had perked up a few games in and by the time they arrived home, she was absolutely glowing.

"I love Trudy," she enthusiastically said for the hundredth time. "She's absolutely hilarious."

It was true, for an old woman, Trudy really was great. Not only did she have a great sense of humor, her taste in music was impeccable, which Alice always approved of. The phrase "young at heart" really was the best way to describe the old woman.

Again, they set up the air mattress on the sun porch, this time trading passionate lovemaking for stargazing. Alice cuddled close to John as he pointed out constellations and his favorite stars.

"See that bright one there?" he enthusiastically grinned. "That's Draco…and over there…that's Cassiopeia."

"How do you know all this?" Alice giggled.

"Alice," he sighed. "I studied these stars for months. I know exactly who all of them are. They're like old friends."

Kissing her forehead, he hugged her close. He had been overly affectionate since she had returned from bringing them lunch. Initially she had believed it to be because she was so upset from her run-in with the strange blonde guy. However, she knew him well enough to know that pity affection was usually short lived. He had something on his mind, though she hadn't the heart to ask what.

"Alice," he sighed, as if on cue.

By his tone, she knew whatever was bothering him was about to come out.

"Would you still love me if I found out about my past?" he nearly whispered, the concern in his voice heart-wrenching.

"Of course I would!" she insisted. "What kind of silly question is that?"

"But what if I was a bad person?" he insisted. "What if I was…I don't know…some sort of criminal?"

Rolling her eyes, she pecked him on the cheek.

"Sweetheart," she said seriously. "Whoever you used to be is in the past. No matter who or what you were, it's not who and what you are now. Your past is no matter to me. No matter what it was, you will always be John Walker to me. You'll always be the man I love."

"Promise?" he begged, blue green eyes wide and desperate.

"I promise."

Kissing him tenderly, she turned his attention back to the stars.