Okay. Before you ask why I'm now running for my life from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents, some of whom used to be my close friends and now want nothing more than to put a silver bullet or arrow through my brain, it may clear things up to say that it's been a while between the ending of last chapter and the beginning of this one. With enough time and the right circumstances, anything can happen. Even something as catastrophic and confusing as the steaming mess my life has become.

However, I don't want to leave you with another cliffhanger. That was mean, especially since I knew full well that I wasn't going to be returning for a while. But at the moment it was crucial that only Loki and I knew about our plan...of course, that also meant that everybody would think that I was a double-agent and Loki was something worse.

But what are friends for? If you'll recall the last sentence of the previous chapter: '...from the one friend that had needed me most.' When I finally realized that, I felt like the worst person in the world. I literally almost broke down and cried just from writing that down. But I didn't, because Loki's here, and that would be embarrassing.

Anyway. You probably need a recap first, before I launch into how nerve-wracking it is to almost miss the flight that is your ticket out of a manhunt. So here it is.

"I didn't take it."

I looked up so fast I almost broke my neck. Of course it was him, leaning against the doorjamb the way he did that very first day that felt like forever ago. But his eyes didn't shine the way they normally did, like he had forgotten to polish his emerald irises on his way to the rescue. His voice was equally dull, more lifeless than I'd ever heard it. Despite how angry I was at myself and him, I couldn't help but feel concern for my...for what used to be my friend.

"Am I supposed to believe that?" I growled, sniffling and unabashedly rubbing my tears off on my sleeve. "God of Lies. Another mental slap in the face for getting attached to someone like you."

I thought he was going to say something clever or snappy, something that would bolster his confidence as much as it would annoy me. But he didn't. Not a breath escaped his lips. For once in his life silence was his greatest weapon. It cut me to the quick, and I found myself forcing back a fresh wave of tears. I put my face down in my arms, grunting at Loki for him to leave me to my miserable wallowing.

"I didn't expect you to believe me," he murmured softly. So painfully soft he must've been crying. "In fact, I might've had a mind to disown you had you taken my word for it. I'm the boy who cried wolf...if you'll forgive my double entendre. I've lied a thousand times, so how can I expect you to believe me now? I've ruined my own alibi because you of all people should know that nothing I say is valid."

I froze mid-sob. Of all the things I thought he would say, that was the complete opposite of anything I thought could possibly come out of his mouth.

"Loki, that's-" I stopped myself when I realized I'd looked up at him. Big mistake. Carefully I looked away from his liquid, greener-than-green eyes.

"...not what I expected you to say." I said truthfully, settling back into myself and resuming my guarded look. He let out a small sigh, almost inaudible. Almost.

"Thank you, I suppose?" he muttered, turning to look back out the doorway. Observing him, he seemed apprehensive, like he was watching for something out there. I was instantly suspicious. Loki was right-with the God of Mischief, you can't afford to be anything but vigilant.

"What are you doing?" I implied, scootching up to see him better. He didn't look as sad anymore, probably distracted with his task.

"Watching out for some extremely angry agents that should be due any second now," he mused, raising his eyebrows and narrowing his eyes as if it took effort to look all the way down the hall. It wasn't the best excuse to ignore me that I'd seen, but it wasn't the worst either.

"Angry, eh?" I drawled. Gee, I wonder.

"Oh, yes. Livid," he described with half a smile as if picturing their expressions. "No one's going to be happy when they find me gone, especially in such proximity to the disappearance of the Tesseract."

Then it dawned on me that he was being serious. And that this was serious. More serious than any crisis I could have claimed to have witnessed.

"Loki, what were you thinking?" I burst vehemently. The Avengers were already looking for an excuse to tear into him, and with what Loki had done I didn't know that I could stop them. "Escaping at a time like this? They already think it's you. Heck, I thought it was you. It still could be you, for all I know!"

"Kinners, I know I couldn't possibly ask this of you after all I've done, but could you trust me one more time?"

It was times like this that I wondered if I was being a great friend or a great idiot. I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down, knowing that this wouldn't be pleasant.

"This better be either the cold truth or the best lie you've ever told." I stated flatly.

"I know who it is," Loki began, only daring to look at me for a moment before checking down the other side of the corridor. "and I know that that fact by itself could convict me, but I swear I wasn't with him on this one. I know where he'll run, what he'll do, and how he thinks. To my knowledge he doesn't know I've turned, because...well, frankly, I didn't either until now."

Loki waited for me to say something, and when I didn't he looked at me. Before he could see how much that meant to me, I raised my eyebrows coolly and gave him his own slightly sarcastic Go on. face. He took it as a cue to look away, which gave me a chance to blot away my mounting tears.

"I need to catch him," he vowed. The determination in his voice and face could only be described as heroic. "I wish I could say want, but I don't think that's quite true. Not yet, anyway. I've had a taste of the glory a hero enjoys, but I can't say that I am one. Not after what I've done. But this...I know it could never atone for my sins, but I can't ignore it either. Perhaps...perhaps that's all that being a hero means. Perhaps I don't need to be adored. Just to know for myself that I am doing something good."

For the second time ever, I beheld the look of horror-infused confusion that Loki saved for moments when he looked back at me and found me crying.

Reddening, I pulled my hat low over my eyes. As if that would help, he'd already seen me. This time he didn't immediately embrace me, maybe because I was attempting to smile. Knowing Loki's experience with people, that would definitely throw him.

"...did I say something wrong?" he asked delicately. I shook my head, rubbing away my tears before they could streak down to my chin.

"No," I sobbed, trying to get myself under control and failing pathetically. "It's just…," Nope, still can't speak complete thoughts. "...oh, come here, you."

I hugged Loki.

He tensed up again, so I loosened my death grip a little because I thought he was going to push me away again. But he didn't. He did the exact thing that I wanted him to do but knew he never would. He hugged me back.

For the longest time, I just cried and cried over his shoulder right there in the doorway.

"You sure I didn't say anything wrong?" he asked again, tentatively. That was so far from the truth that I laughed out loud.

"No," I assured him, stepping back and giving him the best smile that a weeping friend under emotional duress can give. And then I told him the truth, just like he had done for me.

"You did something very right today, Loki. And I'm proud of you for that."

To my eternal shock, Loki's eyes filled up with tears themselves. His mouth hung open for a moment, trying to find words to say. Then he bit his lip and looked away from me. Finally he scrunched his eyes shut and looked down, as if he were confessing his sins all over again.

"Did I?" he queried in a shaky, frail plea. I smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it with his face to the floor.

"Yeah, you did." I said again, steadily gaining control of my voice. I took his shoulder in as comforting a manner as I could muster. "Good job."

"Well-" He was having trouble finishing his sentences, too. He took a deep breath and looked back up, out the still-broken window where I'd saved his life without even thinking about it.* Then he found the strength to look me in the eye and give me his prized fangirl-heart-attack-inducing smile. Complete with a mischievous eyebrow twitch.

"Oops."

We both burst out laughing.

*See Werewolf vs. Shield