Chapter XI:

It was anniversary day. One full trip around the sun since her sojourn amongst the gods. Not like Jane had the day marked on a calendar or anything.

Dealing with Thor following the aftermath of the monster attack had proven to be every bit as excruciating and painful as she predicted. She was beyond grateful for his aide, but that did not change the fact that he was the past. They were not meant for each other. She owed him a favor, that much was true. But she did not owe him anything more than that. That was not to say that she would not be there if Asgard needed a different opinion about anything Astrophysics or Bifröst-related. Jane Foster would not hesitate to build her resume.

Jane sneaked a glance at the crappy mirror hung in her bathroom, aggravatingly attempting to straighten her hair. Tonight, she was doing her best to not look like some crazed, sugar and caffeine-addicted science lunatic. Screw all the science paper publications at this point, Jane now felt the urge to author a book about her personal life experiences. Perhaps she would title it, 'How to Date a God,' with the first and only step being, 'Become an Astrophysicist.'

A knock rattled her apartment door, startling her enough to somehow drop her comb all the way into the trash can. Yes, it seemed as if the size of Jane's life would forever remain clumsy and sad.

Jane's eyes fluttered as she opened the door. "You clean up well, Mr. Jackson."

Percy was standing with one foot on the step and the other on the street, one hand in his pocket with the other on the railing, somehow managing to make the position look wonky in a way only he could.

"As do you, Dr. Foster."

Jane looked him up and down again. "Where'd you manage to find a dress shirt that fits you?"

"I have my ways."

"Please, do not try to over-romanticize a trip down to tailor to me."

A devious smile appeared on his aggravatingly handsome face. "With you in that dress, I'll do anything you say."

"Wow. Horny much?" Jane's head tilted. "Shouldn't you, I don't know, try to get to know me a bit before you even think about trying to sleep for me? I'm above that, I'll have you know."

"You're right, my apologies." Percy, in a totally Percy manner that included an overexaggerated bow, a side sweep of his back leg, and an even more devious, childish smile, held out his arm. "Dr. Foster, may I have the pleasure of escorting you to the restaurant, madam?"

Jane looked him in the eyes. For one second, it felt like the entire world had paused and in that second, the universe had made itself known.

She smiled.

"About time. A lady is hungry."

As if the gods themselves were watching her, preying on the right opportunity to ruin a good moment, her phone suddenly erupted with a heavy metal ringtone.

Darcy.

Jane's sigh was loud, but came nowhere close to the voice of her ex-assistant,

"Jane! Jane, the labs blowing up! I'm outside it right now with Erik! Your machine, there's been an explosion! And somehow Percy's here, but he's like somehow younger, and he's with this Russian-looking chick named Yelena, and they're yelling about some dude named Kangaroo, or Kang or something and Chaos I don't know Jane you need to get here right now!"

"Darcy! Slow down, please. Space your words."

What the hell? Darcy was back from the States already? And with Erik? What!? And Percy was standing right in front of Jane. What the hell was Darcy on?

"Jane! Hurry!" Darcy screamed impossibly louder.

"Hey… Jane," Percy's attention was on whatever was going on above them. "Is it just me, or is the sky a different color now?"

The night sky was now a moving mixture of cotton candy pink and jungle green. The stars were brighter, much brighter, and way too close. Almost like they were looking up at the sky of a different world.

Jane's jaw dropped. "Is that…"

"Are those…" Percy's words trailed off.

"We need to get to the lab! NOW!"

Author's Note:

I hope you all enjoyed reading this short little sucker of a story :) Thank you so much for all the feedback, it truly makes my day reading reviews. Please let me know how you think I did. Any and all feedback is appreciated :) I'm going to be slowly gearing away from short little romance stories, and more toward longer action/adventures. The next new story I have on the docket is a PJO/SW crossover that I hope gets you intrigued.

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Thanks for all the support!
Love,

Con