Disclaimer: I do no own anything pertaining to Thor (whose story was created by J. Micheal Straczynski and Mark Protoseivh)or anything else you might recognize.

A/N: To answer a question: Jess always refers to Movie Loki as Reindeer Games (or something along those lines).

The Last Frontier

I will always be me that I know / But oh, even though I'm happy being me / I want to get away from all this harsh reality

-Lenka, "Anything I'm Not"

"What do you look like?"

Loki slowly looked up from the laptop he'd recently procured in order to run endless simulations on how Earth energy and his magic might react against what he knew about the Tesseract.

"Do you not have working eyes?" Loki inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

Jess sighed, rolled her eyes and flopped onto her stomach. Jess had announced the couch was getting too much use from their rears and almost forcefully threw him into the bedchamber two weeks ago. He had a feeling she more than likely wanted to lay out flat. She was unable to do that if Loki was seated at his end of the couch. Since that point, Loki spent most of his time in the bedchamber rather than the TV room, as it was quieter. Usually.

"Loooooowwwwkeeeeeeeeeeeey," Jess whined. "You know that's not what I meant."

"No, I do not understand. This is what I look like."

He made a gesture to himself.

Jess buried her face in the pillow and screamed. Loki looked at her quizzically before going back to the laptop and entering in more numbers. He forgot about Jess still she loudly asked, "Where the hell did you get that program? NASA?"

"No. MIT," Loki joked with a smirk. Where he'd obtained it, Jess likely had never heard of and they knew she knew, her days were numbered.

Loki could admit he did not wish for her days to be any more numbered than they already were.

"You know, I don't want to know," Jess grumbled.

Loki continued to punch numbers and get no results for another half hour before he sighed and leaned back into the pillow on his side of the bed.

His side of the bed.

He'd never had a side of a bed before. Before, it had just been him in the bed. Alone.

Was this his side of the bed? He always sat on this side, as she seemed to only use one side of the bed. Even if she was not with him when he came into the chamber, he sat on this side. Even when we was forced back into his cat form when Dell and Benoit/edict came over, he curled up on this side of the bed.

"The blue skin," Jess announced.

Loki jumped at the sound of her voice. He attempted to compose himself before looking down at her.

"Go blue," she ordered like she was cheering for a football team. (Jess was an avid football fan and spent her weekends watching this sporting event now that it was "football" season.) "I'd like to see it in person. Please?"

Loki stared at her, wondering when it had become okay for her to speak to him in such a manner. He was a prince. One did not order a prince to do anything unless you were the king.

But, was he really a prince?

No. Well, yes. Technically, he was always a prince. He was just no longer the prince he thought he'd been.

Did that matter?

No.

Did he have a problem with how Jess had spoken to him?

No.

He had a problem with her request, but not how she phrased it.

Huh.

"No."

"Awww, Lo, come on," Jess pleaded, pushing herself up onto her elbows. She was buried under her blankets while Loki was on top, but she still kicked him. It was not painful, mostly due to the fact she lacked shoes and had about six inches of padding between her foot and his leg. "I like the blue skin."

"I thought you did not know what it looked like," Loki stiffly replied.

Jess sighed, flopping back down. "It's hard to see in the movies when Hiddles goes blue, but I think it's gorgeous."

"How do you know if you find it hard to see?"

"Well, he's all adorable," Jess pointed out, giving him a look. "The blue just adds an element. I could do without the red eyes, but it's part of the package. He doesn't look like the other Frost Giants either as they're not pretty. In Thor when he goes blue, he's kinda pretty. I wonder if he'll be blue in Thor 2?"

"You do realize Hiddleston is made to look just as I do in real life, so I would look the same as he does when he is…blue," Loki pointed out, shutting the laptop and turning to leave.

"Arg. I'm curious, okay? And I know you're all uptight about your blue skin," Jess said, sitting up. "Don't you run away from me. Get back here."

Loki paused at the end of the bed and looked back at her.

"You want to see the monster?"

"Lo, we've been over this. You're not a monster," Jess tiredly said.

She tossed the blankets back and got out of the bed. She pulled down the tank top she was wearing over her stomach (for some reason all the shirts she wore ended up around her waist and she was forever yanking her shirts down) and padded over till she was standing in front of him. She folded her arms, wrapping them around her waist.

"You're Loki. You've got pink skin and you've got blue skin. I've been dying to see the blue skin and I guess since you've been here for awhile and in humanoid form, I felt I could ask. So, please, might I see your Jotun form?"

Loki frowned at her.

"I'm not racist, dude."

"Racist?"

"Yeah. Do you not know that word?" Jess asked, frowning up at him.

"I'm not familiar with the concept," Loki stiffly admitted, tighting his grip on the laptop in his hand.

"Oi with the poodles already," Jess muttered. "Okay, you Asgardians are racist against Frost Giants. Frost Giants are a race of people and y'all see them under a blanket of hate. You…hate them simply for being Frost Giants and refuse to give them a chance, see them for anything other than their race. If you get me a dictionary, I could give you a better definition. It's one of those words I kinda grew up around and just kind of understand the meaning. Being racist is a bad thing."

"So, to say all Frost Giants are monsters, savages, and should be killed is racist?"

Jess jade green eyes darted back and forth between his before she nodded. "Yeah."

"I see," Loki said. "So, I was raised to be racist against myself."

"Er…yes."

Loki frowned.

"You don't have to be racist," Jess remarked. "You know you're not a monster, savage or any of the other things you were raised to believe."

"I am a monster."

"Loki, we've been over this. You're not a monster," Jess sighed. "I thought you were done with the self hatred?"

"Clearly not."

Jess blinked. "Are you pulling my leg."

"Not at the moment. You are using both your legs."

Jess groaned, tossing her hands in the air.

The mirror shows not / Your values are all shot / But oh my heart was flawed / I knew my weakness / So hold my hand / Consign me not to darkness.

-Mumford & Sons, "Broken Crown"

"Why do you want to see?"

It was four days later. Jess was curled up in the corner of the couch under a pile of sheets watching one of the Iron Man movies. She peaked out at him from her cocoon. She had informed him Russia had taken up residence in her nose and to leave her alone. She proceeded to burry herself in sheets.

"I told you. Curious," Jess said, pulling the sheet off the top of her head. Her hair was wild and stuck out all over. She had recently had it died various shades of red and orange. It kind of looked like her hair was on fire.

Loki pressed his lips together.

"I don't want to sit around and laugh or anything. I just wanna better look," she reiterated.

"Why?"

Jess sighed, giving him a look. He wanted to call it pity, but he was sure she was simply fed up with him. Or was in pain— Russia living in her nose and all.

"Loki, you need to accept this aspect of yourself. From your reaction the other night, you've not accepted it," Jess said, nose twitching. She sneezed ten times in secession. "Blarg. What was I saying?"

"I have to accept myself."

"You do, Lo," she said, sniffing. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You despise that part of yourself. While you're not a depressed lump as you were when you first got here, you are…I know you've gotten nowhere on that laptop you stole from the Apple store."

"Borrowed. I'll return it."

"Uh huh," Jess said, dropping her hand from her nose. She sniffed again. "I like the fact you're a Frost Giant."

Loki rose an eyebrow, looking at her doubtfully.

"I think it's cool. You've got two looks!" Jess cried.

She sniffed again. Her eyebrows knitted together for a moment till she pushed herself into an upright position. Swinging her legs, she sat with her legs crossed in front of her and tucked under her thighs. Jess gathered her pile of sheets around her, pulling them tightly.

"You are magical, you shape shift, and you've got blue skin. I happen to find it quite cool."

"Literally," Loki grumbled.

Jess swallowed loudly. "Yeah, okay. I walked into that one."

She sniffed, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. Loki wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"I will never hate you for being a Frost Giant. I will never hate you for being pink. I will never hate you for doing magic. I will never hate you for your past transgressions. I like who you are. I like you. You're my friend and I know…I know you need someone to accept you for you who are."

Friend?

"I don't…I don't have friends," Loki stated flatly, narrowing his eyes.

Jess snorted. "Uh huh."

"I…don't," Loki reiterated. "Thor has friends. I have— had Thor."

"Okay. Well, what am I? Chopped liver?"

Loki pursed his lips together, raising his chin a little as he regarded her.

"And you accept me for who I am, then? Because you're my…friend?"

Loki doubted she really, truly did. He knew she knew an awful lot about him and had spent a great deal of time contemplating his character before he even showed up in her life, but he doubted she really could simply accept him.

No one accepted him for who he was.

That was why he had no friends.

"You're like Harry Potter with the added bonus of ice magic," she proclaimed happily.

"What?"

"NO! You're LUPIN!" she shouted, pulling the sheets back up on over her head like a hood. She pulled them tight and looked at him in a manic way. "Lupin! Hidden power of werewolf!"

"He despised himself for being a werewolf," Loki pointed out.

"I know. He thought it made him a monster," Jess agreed with alacrity.

"He was a monster in wolf form without that potion," Loki reminded her.

"Yes, yes, so it's not a perfect example, but being a werewolf wasn't his only thing," Jess said, rocking back and forth.

Loki had a feeling whatever medicine she had taken to help with her illness had kicked in as she was smiling strangely, behaving oddly and her eyes were glassier than they'd been earlier.

Maybe now was a good time to show her? Last time she'd been like this, she didn't remember much of what she'd done once the medicine had taken hold.

"Lupin was awesome. He just had a furry little problem," Jess explained. "You've just got a frozen little blue problem. And it's not even as bad as Lupin's issue because you don't turn into a werewolf. You simply turn blue and remain who you are." She darted a hand out and poked him in the chest to accent each word. "Who. You. Are."

He glowered at her for a moment. He eyed her finger (painted an alarming shade of orange), then her face and then her finger again. She retreated back into her sheets.

"I know it's hard, Lo. But…please?"

She looked at him with her big eyes and blinked. He was sure she was attempting to bat her lashes at him as females tended to do at him for unknown reasons, but she mostly looked foolish.

"You do realize you are on a lot of…medicine at the moment for your Russian problem and you might not remember me showing you, correct?"

"Russian problem," Jess snorted. "My sinus problems are now Russian!"

This seemed to amuse Jess greatly. She giggled and fell over.

"I love…whatever I took!" she chortled.

Loki sighed. "Maybe another day. When you're not crazy."

"I am not loco. I'm perfectly sane," Jess said, sniffing again and sitting back up. "Please. I'm sick. Take pity and show me your pretty blue skin."

She pouted at him now, something she did have a talent for. Jessica Witton had the whole kicked puppy look down.

Loki was able to resist many things, but for unknown reason that kicked puppy dog look got him each time she brought it out.

Luckily, it was not often.

Loki sighed and closed his eyes. He felt for the cold, frozen spot within himself and allowed it to overtake. He felt his skin turn cold, hissing as the humid, hot air touch it. Jess issued an awed sounding noise.

"Loki…" she trailed off.

"What?"

"You're pretty."

"I am not pretty," Loki snapped, opening up his eyes. "Little girls are pretty. Flowers are pretty. I am not pretty."

Jess gazed up at him. As he looked into her glassy, green eyes, he half expected to see some disgust, or something that hinted at the fact she was not okay with the blue skin, raised marks, or his red eyes. Instead he simply saw…her. She was looking at him as she usually did, only she looked a little too excited.

That was likely due to the various medicines she'd taken.

"Gorgeous. Exotic. Beautiful. Pulchritude. Bonito. Bonny. Fair. Comely."

"I get it."

"Beauteous. Appealing. Fetching. Stunning. Beguiling. Bewitching."

"I have gotten the picture."

"Toothsome. Pas mal de tout. Belle. Cute!"

"You're done."

Jess giggled, falling sideways again. "Bijou! Sweet. Attractive. Dishy! Natty. Fanciable. Glamourous."

Loki pressed his fingers to his eyes for a moment.

"Exquisite, devine, foxy, winsome. Dapper!"

Loki sighed deeply.

"Azure. Cobalt. Midnight. Perse. Lapis. Sapphire."

"Now you're just listing shades of blue, Jessica," Loki sighed, lowering his hands.

"You are blue. Are you cold?"

"I think the name Frost Giant implies cold will be involved."

"Can I feel? I mean, I won't touch you, as I might get frost bitten, but can I feel like above?"

Loki eyed her warily. "Do not touch my skin. It will likely burn you, as you rightly assumed."

Loki knelt down next to the couch as Jess pulled herself into a seated position. He extended his arm, keeping it bent at the elbow and holding it out in front of his chest. Even thought it was getting colder now, he was still wearing a t-shirt. Jess's definition of cold and his varied vastly.

Jess allowed her hand to slither out of the sheets she was wrapped in. As her hand came out, the sheet fell open a little. She grabbed it up before it fell off her with her other hand, all the while hovering her hand a good six inches above Loki's arm.

"Feel anything?" he inquired.

"No. Gotta go closer," she said, quite serious.

Loki watched her as she ran her tests, slowly lowering her hand till it was hovering just above his skin— almost touching.

"That is close enough," Loki said, almost snatching his arm away. Jess reached out with her hand not hovering above his blue arm and grabbed his shoulder so he couldn't move. The sheets pooled around her.

"This is so awesome," she breathed, her green eye wide with wonder. "You are radiating cold instead of heat. It's kind of like my feet in the winter."

"Your feet?"

"I've got ice blocks for feet. When I go to bed, I can feel them radiate cold against my legs," she whispered as if it were a big secret. "Can I have the pink skin now?"

"Why? Tired of this?"

"No. Wanna test what it feels like against the blue," she explained in a hushed tone.

Due to the state she was in, Loki indulged her. He let the pale skin overtake his body.

"Whoa," she said in her normal volume. "Utterly cool. This feels so..bizarre now. You're like…cool. Or my hand is cold."

She slapped her hand on her face.

"Nope. Hand hot," she proclaimed, sticking it back out till it was hovering above his arm again. "You're not hot. You're like…lukewarm."

She clamped her hand down on his bare arm suddenly. Her hand felt like a hot iron on his cool skin.

"Are you sure you do not have a fever?" he asked, frowning a little as he searched her face. She was not sweating, nor did she look feverish.

"No, dude," she breathed. "No fever. Just allergies. Tis allergy season once again, with fall quickly approaching."

Loki still reached out with his free hand and felt her forehead.

"Normal, right?"

"No, you feel hot to me."

"Hmmmm" Jess hummed. She took her hand off his arm and burrowed back into her sheet hut.

"I'm dopey," she giggled.

"Yes, yes you are," he agreed.

"I don't have a fever. I'm cold." She giggled and started to sing. "It's gettin' cold in her, let's put on lots of clothes…"

She dissolved into giggles. Loki shook his head and stood up.

"Do you know what?" Jess suddenly asked.

Loki stared at her as she gazed back at him with glassy eyes.

"I know quite a bit."

"I like you and you should build an arc reactor," Jess proclaimed.

"Oh?" Loki asked, raising his eyebrows.

Jess nodded and pointed at the screen. "If Tony Stark can do it, I bet you can do it."

"Tony Stark is…fictional."

"So were you till you fell out of the sky."

I was just guessing at numbers and figures / Pulling the puzzles / Questions of science, science and progress / Don't speak as loud as my heart

-Coldplay, "The Scientist"

It took six weeks. Six weeks spent working endlessly. Six weeks and all he had to show was a tiny, silver device that looked like a child's toy.

"I still can't believe that's it," Jess said, eyeing the object in the palm of his hand. "That thing's supposed to be more powerful than an arc reactor?"

Loki looked over at Jess, who was seated in the chair next to the couch hugging a Union Jack pillow to her chest. The look on her face was one of confusion and bewilderment. The past six weeks, she'd helped him when she could, but she wasn't versed in science. As she put it, her mind didn't work that way. While Loki might have brushed her off as an idiot once, he knew better. While she couldn't do math or really understand the object that would allow them to travel back to his original universe, it was her idea.

One she gave him when she had a fever (she actually had a cold, not simply allergies) and was doped up on medicine and pain killers.

"It is an arc reactor," Loki reminded her. "We needed a power source with enough power— so I invented one."

"Well, invented as you made a working model of a fictional idea."

"Details," Loki scoffed.

They were silent for a few minutes. Jess continued to stare at the device in his hand with awe.

"It took out the entire Texas power grid," Jess reminded him.

"I did not realize that would happen."

"I cannot believe you built that from the plans they used as props for the movie," Jess breathed, leaning forward a bit. "Is it on? It's glowing."

"It's holding a little of my magic to show you that it works. I must feed more of my magic into it and allow it to connect to the Tesseract in my original universe for it to truly be operational," Loki reminded her.

Jess nodded.

"Are you ready?"

"Huh?" Jess asked, sitting back suddenly. She looked at him with wide eyes, confusion in those green depths. "Ready for what? Are you leaving now?"

Her whole face fell.

"We're leaving."

"We?"

She pointed between herself and Loki several times. Loki nodded.

"Seriously? We? What? Why? I can't…what about…what?"

Loki sighed, setting the…tiny arc reactor (he had yet to think of a better name for the object) down on the coffee table.

"Why would I not take you?"

"I live here!"

"You do not belong here," Loki reminded her. "You told me when we first went to the site as humanoids. You felt the same tug, the same pull as I did when you stood in that spot. You belong in the other universe."

Jess frowned. "But, I don't know anyone! I won't have any identification! What about…"

"Your grandfather is cared for," Loki reminded her. "Due to how he set his financials up, he will be cared for till the end of his days. He doesn't remember you and when you see him he tends to get angry."

Jess frowned, looking away. Loki had gone with her once when she had gone to visit the old man. He did in fact get hostile towards her, which clearly broke her heart.

"I believe if you inform Dell and Benoit you plan to go abroad and find yourself, they will understand."

"I won't be able to contact them, though. Loki…I don't know," Jess said, suddenly standing up and going into the kitchen.

Loki knew she was making tea. He had learned this action of making tea in time of distress was a very British thing to do. The fact Jess did it was further proof to him she was different from those she'd grown up around. While he could accept that some Americans might do this action because they fancied themselves anglophiles, Jess did it without thinking— as if it was perfectly natural for her to constantly make and drink cups of tea in times of crisis.

He had pointed it out one day to her and she had stared at him blankly before saying, "You know, Dell says the same thing. She said in another life, I must have been totally British."

"We drink tea instead of coffee on Asgard. Mo—Fig— Mother used to make tea in times of upheaval. When I was upset, she'd bring me a cup of tea."

"I hate coffee," Jess proclaimed. "Dell says it makes me un-American. Benedict says I'm not French, which I could have told him. Also, he says American coffee sucks. But so does American tea. Hence why I pay an arm and leg for the British stuff. I'm a brat."

Loki didn't think it made her a brat, as it sounded like something he'd do.

The green eyes were something else that made Loki believe she did not belong in this world and she was in some way connected to him. While she failed to leave photos of her family out, she did in fact have them. Members of her family all had lighter hair and blue eyes— like Loki's adoptive family. However, unlike Loki, she resembled her family members in her facial and body structure. She was clearly related to them— just dark hair with green eyes. (Her natural hair color was quite dark, going by the pictures of her before she discovered hair dye.)

Loki knew there was a reason for these green eyes. He'd yet to discover it, but knew in time he'd figure it out.

The fact she had found him out of all the inhabitants of the planet also told him she was important. She felt the same tug, the same pull of the other reality. She felt out of place, singled out here. She felt adrift— just like Loki.

"How do you expect me to just dump my life here?" Jess asked, slamming her mug down on the countertop. "This is my life. This is it."

Loki glanced around the tiny apartment and looked back at Jess.

"This is your life. Is this all it is?"

Jess ground her teeth together.

"You said it yourself you do not belong here. Did it occur to you the reason you found me, the reason you can feel the other universe as I do is the fact you belong there and not here?"

"Loki, I'm mortal."

"I know."

"I am going to die."

"I know."

"You're not."

"I will someday," Loki reminded her. "I'm semi-immortal. Not forever immortal."

Jess gave off a frustrated sigh and raked her fingers through her wavy hair. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm going to grow old and die. And I'll do it in a world by myself."

"You will meet new people," Loki reminded her. "If our theories are correct, the Tesseract is currently in a SHEILD base. I am sure once you prove you are not a danger to the Earth, they will be able to set you up with an identity."

Jess scratched her forehead and snorted. "Sure. What will likely happen is they'll lock me away and run tests on me till I die."

"I won't let that happen, Jessica."

Jess glanced at him from under her lashes before looking at the countertop again. She let her hand fall from her head and traced random patterns for a moment on the smooth surface.

"I don't know, Lo," she said.

Loki smirked at the use of his nickname. While he detested the shorting of his own name (and hers usually), he knew she only called him that in fondness. Use of it now meant she would be coming with him.

"How much time do you need?" Loki asked.

"Give me a week. Man, I'm going to miss Thor 2," she sighed, running a hand through her hair again. "Can you put an undetectable extendable charm on my purse?"

"Excuse me?"

Instead of answering him, Jess went into her room and came out with a rather large book. She handed it to him and said, "Read. Then charm my purse."

She handed him the purse she carried on a daily basis, a thing of purple leather and brushed silver metal.

"Lists. I need to make lists."

She sat down at the desk with the computer and began to compile her lists. Loki, meanwhile, opened up the book and began to search for what she'd asked for. It only took him a matter of minutes to remember what exactly what she meant. Shutting the book, he grabbed her purse and set to work.

Go and run through the hallways / And find your way to the door / You will end up like always / Back where you were before

-Guster, "Fa Fa"

"I can't believe we're going to do this."

They were standing in the park in the very spot Jess had found Loki the Cat in his Asgardian armor almost eight months prior. Loki had packed the armor in her purse and was wearing his Earth clothing of black jeans, grey t-shirt and black leather jacket. He allowed they might be welcomed better if they were dressed in the proper clothing— even if Jess insisted on wearing those blasted bright orange sneakers. (She had consented to dye her hair a normal, natural shade and was sporting a dark chocolate shade that was almost black.)

"Believe it, Jessica," Loki said, opening his palm to display the tiny arc reactor. "Did you give Dell and Benoit the sweets?"

"Yeah. I gave them to them last night," Jess sigh with a sigh. "I forgot you could do magic and make them forget about me."

"I didn't want to give them that option," Loki admitted. "But, you were worried about them being worried about you…"

"I know. I think it best if they forget me. I mean, they're like the only people I still talk to that care about my existence. God that is depressing. Out of the entire planet, only two people worry that I vanished off into Africa and never came back or contacted them again."

The story Jess had told her employers, the people at her grandfather's home and the apartment complex was that she was traveling to Africa to do charity work.

With his free hand, Loki reached down and grabbed her hand. She looked up at him in surprise. Her hand felt overly warm to him, which was likely due to her nerves. She'd been a nervous wreck for the past three days— even with her anxiety medication.

"I care about your existence," Loki said, feeling rather missish. "And this is right. You do not belong here."

Loki looked up at the sky. Clouds were gathering above their heads quickly.

"I belong where you're from…I don't understand."

"And you might never," Loki admitted. "Are you ready?"

"No."

Loki gazed at her.

"Yeah. Fine." She squared her shoulders, adjusted her purse, and took a deep breath. Then squeezed his hand till he couldn't feel his fingers any longer. If she'd been Asgardian, she would have broken his fingers. "Ready when you are, Rose."

"We will likely appear in front of SHEILD on Midgard. Hopefully," Loki reminded her. She nodded. He could feel her pulse thudding within her hand as she clutched his. "Whatever you do, keep hold on me. Especially after we get there. I doubt they will shoot us on sight, but they will not be friendly."

"Especially if you announce you're burdened with glorious purpose," Jess mumbled.

"I will not do that. I will tell them where I am from. They know of Thor, so they will know I am not a hostile."

"Can I be Hostile Number 17?"

"No."

"Damn."

"Are you ready? If you are, I will begin to channel my magic," Loki said, giving her hand a squeeze. He wanted to send some of his magic to her to clam her down, but he needed all his magic in order to open the door on the other side and connect to the Tesseract.

"As I said before, ready when you are, Rose," she said, sucking in a deep breath again.

Loki quirked an eyebrow.

"Beam me up, Scotty?" she tried.

Loki nodded (he got that one) and turned his attention to the object in his palm. Concentrating on it, he began to allow his magic to flow into it. It began to glow— a bright, bright electric blue. Next to him, Jess sucked in a sharp breath and pressed herself to his said, gripping his hand even tighter. Loki continued to pour his magic into the tiny arc reactor till it began to burn bright white. It was becoming very hot and rose up off his palm as it burst into pieces. Loki grabbed Jess and pulled her closer to him and used his other arm to pull her flat against his front.

The door was opening.

Soon, all the feelings of home— the tug, the pull, the caress— roped around Jess and himself in burning white light. The energy crackled and suddenly Loki felt his feet leave the ground and he was falling again, only this time he wasn't alone and the fall was rough. Wind, light, heat whipped around them. Jess used her free hand and knotted it up in his t-shirt. He and Jess hurtled along, moving faster and faster. It was very unlike traveling through the Bifrost, yet similar at the same time. The light around them turned from white to blue again as they twisted and fell downwards. The more they fell, the more familiar everything began to feel for Loki.

No noise reached his ears.

As fast as it began, it ended and he felt his feet connect with something hard and his knees buckled. He didn't let go of Jess's hand, but let go of her body. She instantly let go where she'd been fisting his shirt. He flicked his arm connected to the hand holding hers so she landed besides him as he crumbled to the ground.

"Oof," Jess's muffled voice sounded among all the other noise that quickly entered Loki's ears suddenly.

Guns were cocked, soldiers were moving and the Tesseract was crackling. Loki recognized the voices shouting at them, but chose to ignore them for the time being.

"Are you in once piece?" Loki asked quietly, turning his head to the right.

"As me tomorrow."

"I'm asking you now."

"I think so. That was some ride," Jess muttered. Loki felt her move but did not move himself. She lifted herself up onto her elbows and looked around, her eyes taking in where they were. "We're here. And, uh, Lo…"

"What?"

"I think…" Jess stopped talking, turning around to look at something over her shoulder. "I think…we're not the only ones coming through."

So, I'll love whatever you become / And forget the reckless things we've done / I think our lives have just begun

-Muse, "Falling Away With You"

A/N: And so ends Deep In The Heart. Part Two is now up, titled For What It's Worth.

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