A/N: All characters belong to Marvel and associated corporations, not myself. This is a fan-based work and I earn no money from this. This story follows closely to the movieverse, post-avengers and beyond. Also, I am an Australian writer so any 'misspellings' in regards to certain words, are not misspellings they just are slight differences between countries. Enjoy!

Galaxias

By Arlia'Devi

Chapter 1

"non est ad astra mollis e terris via"
There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.

In an old flat-roofed condo in New Mexico, Jane Foster lays in a deck chair under the night sky, bathing in the unfiltered light of the moon. Of course, being an astrophysicist, Jane knows that the moon does not produce light but it is merely the sun's rays on the other side of the earth being reflected down upon her, but it is a nice thought none-the-less. She is taking one of the few moments to she gives herself to relax and it has brought her back out to the stars, one of the things she can never seem to get away from. Maybe that is what she loves so much about them; they are different wherever you go, but they are always here, even when you can't see them.

It is no surprise then, she realises, that she's fallen for a star man.

Jane sighs and slumps down into her deck chair. She traces the pattern of Hercules and then identifies the star maps; they are always there, even when she can't see them. At night they are a certainty, her constellations and planets. She can use her telescope and track every one of them and their position in orbit. She does it almost every night but not once has she seen a great rainbow road, an interstellar tree of sectors she was apparently identified in or a great golden city on a planet named Asgard. She supposes, perhaps, even her largest, strongest telescopes can't reach that far. Sometimes she sees a comet, one with a great icy tail and she couldn't help but wonder – is that white lightning? Was the comet being propelled by some supernatural hammer?

They are all pipe dreams. Jane sighs and grabs her mojito, taking a long draw from the straw. While other women like to sunbake by the pool in their bikinis, she moonbakes by the stars in trackpants and a t-shirt.

The condo is quiet tonight. Darcy, with all of her whining and college enthusiasm, has stolen the van and gone to Albuquerque to catch a band concert. Erik still has not returned to New Mexico and Jane was worried. Erik was her colleague and good friend. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been notified, but as of yet, she has not heard much from the.

Jane sighs and rolls over, the alcohol in her fourth mojito suddenly makes her drowsy. How she longs to fall asleep under the stars and wake up to be covered by his cloak – or him – in the morning and not the bites of insects.

Jane knows she should have ventured indoors, but her slightly drunk mind slips into slumber.

"You have to leave, Miss Foster," Agent Coulson's voice slams against her mind in the blinding light of the morning.

She gets up from the deck chair, pulling an old blanket around her shoulders. Darcy must have found her up here. All evidence of the mojitos is gone, however, thank god – the four limes she'd gone through are all disposed of subtly.

"You're not safe here any longer," he says in all seriousness, which is terrible for the hour of morning she has been woken up at. "You must come with us."

"I don't want to go – Thor... I-," she stammers, her brain an intelligible mess as she sees everything get packed into the vans. Darcy was by her side.

"Thor's back!?" Darcy cries to Coulson.

"We don't have time," grits the agent. "If Loki comes here, you'll all be in danger and as an operative for S.H.I.E.L.D., we cannot have that. We have safe quarters for you elsewhere. Come now Jane."

"I'll take the van to Albuquerque," says Darcy, flashing the keys. "You have my phone number. Give me a call when all this is straightened out."

With bleary eyes, Jane agres and climbs into the BMW sedan waiting with the engine still running. She still wears all the clothes from last night and probably has a nasty case of morning breath. The only idea that's running through her head, that is powering her through this early-morning half hungover state is the fact that she's only being relocated because Loki's here. And if Loki was here, somewhere Thor has to be around. Maybe they will take her to him. Coulson gets in immediately after and Jane slides across the seat to the tinted left-side window.

"Will I get to see him?" Jane asks.

"Who?" Coulson plays dumb. It doesn't work.

"Thor is here, isn't he?"

Coulson does not reply. He doesn't have to, but his silence says more than he knows. Jane realises they're not taking her to him.

"Can you just promise me one thing," Jane says to Coulson as they begin to drive away. She sees Darcy waving by the door of their condo, then turning around to scold a S.H.I.E.L.D. worker who is carrying a large box out of the front door.

"It depends, Miss Foster, on what that 'thing' is," he replies.

Jane rolls her eyes.

"If Thor asks for me-,"

"We will tell him where you are and that you are safe," he replies. "If he wishes to visit you, it shall be his choice."

Jane offers the man a tight lipped smile, though at least it is a smile. "Thank you."

There is a moment of silence.

"How is he?" she asks quietly. She can't help it.

"Fine, by all accounts, though he did have a run-in with Tony Stark."

"Iron Man: Tony Stark?" Jane clarifies. She knows of him. She has a TV. for god sakes and for months, he's been the only thing making news headlines – Tony Stark the Iron Man Superhero.

Coulson nods. "I can't tell you much more than that, I'm afraid. The less you know, the better it is for you."

Jane sucks in a breath. It is always like this when it came to these guys – the less someone knew of anything they were planning the better. Coulson is a man of little words and those little words were mostly occupational jargon.

"I just want to see Thor," Jane sighs and slumps into the chair. "And if Loki's back, it definitely cannot be good."

"We realise that," Coulson replies. "Can I offer you a beverage, Miss Foster? It's a long drive to Albuquerque," he asks, opening a small fridge compartment between the two seats. There are small bottles of vodka, scotch, a few cans of soft drink, a bottle of water and a bar of chocolate.

Jane takes the two small bottles of vodka in two hands and clinks them together. "Cheers."

A day later, Agent Coulson is conversing with the Avengers, aboard Nick Fury's ship. Looking at Thor, the newest addition, there is some tension between him and the egotistical Tony Stark but at least the two are acting civilly to each other now they have Loki captured and in a secure containment area.

Noticing a familiar face among the crowd, Thor instantly approaches Coulson who, despite knowing the God's benevolent nature, can't help but step back from the great muscled man approaching him who is wielding a hammer the size of a man's head.

"Jane," Thor breathes out as he approaches Coulson.

Coulson reaches to his pocket and pulls out a photo of the woman, handing it to Thor. "She's safe. She works for S.H.I.E.L.D now and we've relocated her to a secure premise."

Thor nods and with a sigh, goes back to the other members of the so-called "Avenger Group" – a haphazard group of people from around the world, and in Thor's case, galaxy.

Looking back on his career history, despite it being top secret, Coulson knows attempting to explain the highlights of his professional life would snag him a place in the loony bin – star men and women who came to Earth via a magical rainbow road, a guy who dressed himself in a steel suit and proclaimed himself a superhero and a genetically altered man kept on ice for decades. It even sounds crazy to him.

The Avengers are talking amongst themselves for a moment while Coulson reminisces, before he hears Thor's booming voice say,

"Take me to my brother."

And so, Coulson steps forward, intending to show the way, but Natasha holds him back.

"We can handle this," she says to Agent Coulson. "Besides, Dr. Banner wishes to speak with you."

Coulson looks over to Dr. Banner, looking meek and aloof in his button down white shirt and jeans. His back is hunched over and his hands are in his pockets as he looks over his glasses at Agent Coulson.

"I have heard of Jane Foster," he says carefully once the others leave. "She was a high achieving graduate at MIT, and her work in astrophysics is very interesting. I have read a few of her papers. She and Thor are acquainted?"

More than acquainted, Coulson wants to interject, but he knows Dr. Banner is using the term loosely.

"She was observing on a number of astronomic phenomenon that were happening frequently around Arizona and New Mexico," Dr. Coulson replies. "Her work was also linked to an Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

"Worm-holes," Dr. Banner clarifies. "I know the theory."

"There was no sustainable evidence that the theory was correct," Agent Coulson says. "Until she apparently hit said evidence with the side of her car while chasing said phenomenon. She works for S.H.I.E.L.D. now, both because we are interested in the possibility of interstellar travel and the fact that her well-being may be in the best interest of Earth."

"Since an Asgardian Prince has become fond of her," Dr. Banner grins. "Her work is very interesting. Perhaps it should be considered she join me in the lab. A deep knowledge of astrophysicist and astrology may be useful, especially when dealing with -,"

"Jane will stay where she is," Thor interrupts the men, having entered the control room again. He approaches them with a stony look on his face.

"If she is safe, she will stay where she is," Thor repeats. "I will not have her put in danger."

Dr. Banner shuffles away a little. Agent Coulson nods his silent agreement.

What pathetic things humans were, Loki realises as he sit in a small containment bubble. They try to make up for their lack of strength with their ingenious inventions and their nifty technology, and yet they have only been able to physically make it to their own moon in all the years they have existed. A pathetic feat, and yet the humans have celebrated it with enthusiasm.

He had been four when he'd first travelled to Asgard's moon and seven when he'd first crossed the Bifrost with Thor and Odin. These human creatures thought they were so fine but they are like bugs – bugs who cannot comprehend what lie outside their nest.

And yet, his brother adores them so. Many Asgardians adore them. The Bifrost had made it possible to travel here on a whim, making the people of Asgard and their 'superhuman' abilities deities among the monkey-looking people that settled Earth. Perhaps that is why he has had little time for Earth in the past and wishes to control it now – he had never truly been an Asgardian, never settled for the norms there.

Thor's attraction to a certain human female, however, is both interesting and delicious to Loki. His brother is such a Neanderthal in many ways – hot-headed and tempered, it did not take long for him to lose his cool, so to speak, and lash out. And that hammer could break diamond with enough force. With a grin, Loki flicks the Perspex.

Speaking of said brother, he is entering the chambers now – a group of earthling riffraff in tow.

"Brother," Loki greets warmly, getting up and approaching the Perspex with open arms. "How nice it is for you to visit me. I rarely have guests."

"Loki," Thor replies with a curt nod. "Why do you do this to yourself, brother?"

Loki stays clear of that conversation entirely. Instead, he has something else he wishes to talk about – something that he know would bait his brother.

"Is it not so nice to be back on Earth, brother? So to speak?" Loki grins. "Even for such a limited time? You've already made new friends." He ushers to the members of The Avengers and Agent Coulson, who are standing behind him.

Thor does not reply.

"You have such a short time on Earth," Loki continues when his brother remains silent. "Why bother with people like me-,"

"You are family," Thor replies stubbornly.

Loki offers him a quick smile in half acknowledgement of the declaration before continuing on.

"I have been here for quite some time you know, Thor," Loki says, pacing around the containment bubble. "Before we were reacquainted, I couldn't help but meet with a friend of yours – you know her name. Jane."

Thor growls and steps forward. He can't help it and Loki knows it. "You did nothing of the sort!"

"Have you met Jane, friends?" he asks the fellow Avengers that stood behind Thor just to goad him all the more. Black Widow gives a confused look and a small shrug to Captain America.

"Oh no?" Loki sighs. "Well, she's a wonderful woman. Very intelligent. Very beautiful. She's trying to find a way to rebuild the wormhole that connects Earth and Asgard so she can be with her beloved," Loki gives Thor a pouting look. "She'll fail of course."

"You have not touched a hair on her head, Loki," Thor roars. "You lie."

"But I am very flattered," Loki says, touching his breastplate that sits over his heart. "Father exerted all the magic and energy just so you could come and see me, didn't he? That is why you are here, as you said, to take me back to Asgard 'where I belong'." He spits the word out like a bad taste. "Did Father not approve of the earthling whore? He didn't want to waste the time and energy to send you down for her?"

Thor lashes forward, fire sparking in his eyes, his hand gripped tightly around mjönlir. Tony Stark quickly reaches out and grabs Thor by the forearm, but the thunder god shakes the man off like a small bug.

"Don't!" cries Black Widow. They all fear the worst.

"The tesseract is our father's," Thor bites out, calming himself. "I know what you are doing, and it will not work."

"You were so much more temperamental before you visited Earth. It's disappointing."

"You were so much more of a brother."

Loki grins and folds his arms over his chest. "I will find her."

"She is no use to you," Thor replies, turning his back to leave.

Loki laughs as his brother goes to the door of the containment container. It hisses as it opens. As the thunder God exited, Loki calls after him, "While you love her, she is."

I realise this chapter is a little off-centre to the movie, per se, but I do hope you enjoyed it. I'm actually really excited to be writing for the Thor fandom and hope to update this regularly. I adore Thor and Jane, so this story will focus around them and their life when they actually get the chance to 'be together'. It will be funny, fluffy, and smutty (;D), but also have a developing plot.

If you liked this chapter and are keen to read a little more, please take the time to leave a quick review!

Thanks!

~ Arlia'Devi.