"Erik, for the last time, I'd feel a lot less West Virginia if you walked around with your pants on," Darcy said, placing her cereal box carefully between her line of sight and the half-naked physicist. "I know you said Loki was messed up, but it couldn't have been all that bad."

"The implications are limitless," Erik said, barely acknowledging the intern as he continued scribbling on the chalkboard that Darcy was quite sure was old enough to have once been used to teach impressionable young minds of the dangers of Red Commies. If Dr. Selvig's handwriting wasn't already illegible, the shaking writing surface did little to help. "Ever since the Convergence ended, so many of these inter-dimensional hot spots, so to speak, are still active."

"Traces of the Convergence," Thor offered from his spot next to Jane at her drafting table. "They may happen for a while yet. A few months perhaps. Not as volatile and not connected to all worlds, but still present."

"Would it be safe to investigate them, do you think?" Jane asked. The blonde Asgardian smiled, turning to glance down at the physicist at his side. Jane shrugged. "I mean, we might as well, right? It's not like there are any more dark elves to coming to destroy the universe again."

"Is the fearless Jane Foster at last showing caution before plunging headlong into danger for the sake of science?" Thor asked.

"Yeah. Nothing like being possessed by an ancient evil mojo to dampen the spirit of adventure," Darcy added, licking the peanut butter off of her thumb. "Toast, anyone?" The brunette gave the room a once over as Erik continued the scribbling and Jane continued her drafting. The only one who really responded was Thor with his unapologetic smirk. Darcy smiled, carrying the small mountain of peanut butter toast over to him, taking two pieces for herself. In his several months of staying with them, he never turned down anything from the kitchen of Chef Lewis. "Bone appetite," she said, with no trace of a French accent even pretending to fall from her lips.

"My thanks," Thor said. Darcy curtsied dramatically, taking a less than modest bite of her toast.

"That's me," she said, crumbs of toast landing on her shirt. "Darcy Lewis, Jack-of-all-trades, Master of none." Looking down at her chest, she attempted to blow the crumbs off, but wound up merely adding to the pile before brushing them off with her hand. "So? How 'bout it? You guys going flying off into pseudo convergey points, or what? It's only been about two months since we almost died. Well, for the second time. You must be feeling pretty stagnant over there." Jane's two straight brows came together, her full lips quirking to one side.

"Can't let one bad experiment stop us forever," she said, eyes widening purposefully at her assistant. "Where's Ian?" Darcy shrugged.

"Semester's over. He was just here for a study abroad program."

"How tragic!" Thor said. "Perhaps you will be reunited with him. Surely schooling cannot stand in the way of true love."

"Relax, man. I don't do the whole star-crossed lovers thing. I do the act-before-I-think-especially-when-I-almost-die thing. After the whole saving-my-life bit, there really was nothing there. I think you were more in love with him than I was."

Thor grimaced. "I suppose I noticed that you were not quite as attached," he said, swallowing an entire piece of bread with little effort. "I thought perhaps you were being coy."

"Right. Coy is my usual style."

"Thor might have been a little attached for different reasons," Jane said pointedly, tossing a purposeful look at her significant other. Darcy wasn't really sure what to label her boss and her alien boyfriend. "Like the fact that he owes me at least one more trip to Asgard, as per our agreement," Jane said, continuing to add to her sketch of her newest device. A pregnant pause passed over the room as Darcy took another bite of her toast. She stopped mid-bite.

"Wha-?" she said, choking herself a bit before forcing herself to not talk with her mouth full the second time. "You guys took bets on me?"

"'Bet' implies there was some sort of risk of failure," Jane replied, uninterested, returning to her blueprint. "Thor bet that you two would end up together. I told him, quite confidentially, that you would eventually get bored. Perhaps some friendly wagering terms were placed on it. Can you pass me my equalizer please?"

"I feel so used," the assistant replied, grabbing the requested piece of equipment and setting it on her table next to her.

"Relax, he was going to take me anyway."

"Limitless," Erik whispered to himself, his notes on his chalkboard growing even more convoluted.

"Erik, dude, pants!" Darcy said again.

"I can't think with them on!" Erik said. "If you wanted to walk around without your pants, I wouldn't stop you, now would I?" Darcy's eyes widened before rolling dutifully.

"You know, that would sound scumbaggy from anyone else. But with you, it's just strangely earnest."

"I think studying the Convergence tremors would be fine, with proper caution," Thor finally dutifully interrupted. "They should not be active enough to cause any kind of unintended travel."

"Great!" Jane said. "Darcy! We need to pack up. One of the spots still remaining is near Kilkenny. We should be able to get there within a few days."

"Actually, there's something I kind of need to tell you guys," Darcy replied, putting her uneaten toast on a paper towel, tucking her hands into her pockets. To her surprise, she suddenly had everyone's attention focused on her. She thought she would have to do a chicken dance or something. Even Erik seemed uncharacteristically focused, for once. "I actually can't exactly go with you to Kilkenny. Or, anywhere, really." Jane frowned.

"Darcy, is everything alright?" Jane asked, an unusual amount of concern in her voice.

"Yeah, everything's cool, I just am kind of graduating?" Jane blinked, as if she almost didn't understand. Darcy had to laugh. "You know. That whole degree I've been working on for two years? Kind of wrapped up now. Which means my scholarship is running out, which means, well, no more free intern because Darcy likes having mucho peanut butter toast. Also, the job market for poli-sci majors, I've heard, is going to be pretty rocky."

"Oh, wow," Jane said, standing up from draft table. "I guess that... Wow. I almost forgot you were in college."

"Yeah. My professor said the same thing," Darcy said lazily, shrugging. "But yeah. Back to the old homestead, I guess."

"Where is your home, Darcy?" Thor asked. " I have always thought it was simply here."

"Well, I don't really have one at the moment. My parents live near Culver, but not really interested in going back there. But the US would be a good start, since I'll be legally allowed to work there. I guess DC or something. Wherever I can scrounge up a job slightly above barista, hopefully."

"Wow," Jane said again. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm going to miss you, Darce." The intern pressed her lips together in an amused line, nodding slowly.

"Thanks," she said. "I think."

Jane smirked, her teasing tone suddenly turning serious. "You really don't know what you are going to do?"

"No more than knowing what I'm doing now, really."

"You have studied the art of kingship, have you not, Darcy?" Thor asked. "Have you ever considered visiting Asgard to further your studies?" The intern screwed her eyebrows together before a dry chuckle escaped her full lips.

"Little ol' me? Nah," she said, picking up her toast. "According to your family, from what I've heard, humans are somewhere between and insect and a goat. I'm cool just being a lowly college grad."

"I understand my family has not made the best impression for you three," Thor said, more sheepish than Darcy imagined he knew how to be. "My father has a concern for my intents here and Midgard, and it may color his words and judgment poorly. As for Loki-" He did not finish, nor did he need to. Darcy searched the room, her eyes looking at anything other than Thor. Loki's name was not exactly tossed around with the greatest esteem in Casa de la Foster between she and Erik, but Thor still grieved for him, and it she found her guilt meter filling up just a little. "Jane and I were going to travel to Asgard once more, to visit on hopefully more pleasant circumstances."

"Yeah. Celebrating me getting ditched by a guy, apparently," Darcy sniffed.

"You weren't exactly upset," Jane tossed out lowly.

"Darcy, you are a dear friend, and you helped us defeat Malekith. It would be an honor if you would join us."

"Really?" Jane asked.

"Hey!" Darcy said, putting her hands on her hips, eyeballing Jane. "What I'm not fancy enough to do the whole Ren-fest thing?" Jane cocked her head to the side disapprovingly.

"No," Jane said, drawing out the one syllable word. "More like you don't have what most humans call a filter between your lips and your brain, and the last thing earth needs right now is you ticking off the King of Asgard when you inevitably put your foot in your mouth."

"I can think of something else you are putting in your mouth that's ticking him off a lot more than anything-" A violent clearing of Erik's throat managed to draw the new college graduate's attention to the slightly rosey face of the demi-god, and then back to Jane, who did not look the least surprised. "Okay point taken."

"If I may interject," Thor attempted, "I doubt Darcy would have reason to cross paths with my father. But Darcy, I know you would love the libraries we have. Millennia's worth of knowledge of kings and rulers throughout the nine realms is housed there. I know you would love it. There is no greater gift I can think of than to give you the opportunity to peruse them before you set forth on your next adventure."

"That actually does sound kind of awesome," Darcy said quietly, a little afraid of getting too excited, turning her eyes to the doe-eyed physicist. "You don't mind, do you Jane? What with this trip being ill-gotten gains and all."

"Of course I don't mind," Jane said. "It's amazing there. Just try not be so, well, you know."

"What?"

"You."