Star Girl and Sky-Walker
Title: Star Girl and Sky-Walker
Rating: PG
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Prompt: Minor Illness
Word Count:4421
Warnings: Language
Summary: Ten year old Jane Foster was having a pretty lousy year. Parents divorced, she had to move away from the only home she ever knew, and her life is currently one big pile of growing up problems and no one has any time or is willing to make time just so she doesn't feel quite so bad. One night, she finds a man sleeping in the barn on her grandparent's farm. He says his name is Loki and he's from another world. He's also suffering from a few injuries. Having just completed a first aide class, Jane patches him up and hides him in the hayloft; she's the only one who goes up there. So begins an awkward friendship; Jane brings Loki food and books, he tells her stories of the Nine Realms. When it's time for Loki to go back home, Jane tells him she's going to find a way to get to Asgard herself.
It wasn't fair.
Jane Foster dropped her backpack on the guest room in her grandparent's home, already fuming. Sure, her parents kept telling her that they loved her, and that part of the reason they were divorcing was so she wouldn't have to see them fight, but for crying out loud, they were grown ups. Weren't grown ups supposed to talk out their problems and solve them in a mature manner? Divorce sounded like 'giving up' to Jane.
The worst part was having to move. Some counselor had told her parents that is was better if they both moved, rather than one staying, so there wouldn't be any 'abandonment' feelings. Jane sat down on the bed and folded her arms. Well, she certainly felt abandoned right now. Ditched at her grandparents for the summer while her mom and dad 'adjusted' to their new lives. Once the summer was over, she was expected to move back and forth between their homes as if there was no problem at all.
New school, new homes, new life.
This just plain stunk. Big time.
“Jane!” Grandma called up the stairs. “Would you like a snack?”
She resisted the urge to scream back at the woman. It wasn't grandma's fault. She went to the head of the stairs. “No thank you, Gran. I'm not hungry.”
“All right.” The woman gave her the once over. “You're too skinny.” She walked away, muttering.
Now that she was out of sight, Jane rolled her eyes and went back to the guest room. “Might as well get... settled.” She went over to the odd looking radio in the corner of the guest room, fumbling with the dial until she found a station; granted it was some sort of gospel music, but it was better than silence.
*
Gran and Grandpa were dad's parents - they were all right, but, Jane reflected as she dried a glass after dinner, it'd nice if they'd stop referring to her mom as that woman when she was in earshot. She set the glass down and picked up another.
“I don't know what Jack was thinking, marrying that woman in the first place.” Gran said from the table. “She was far too career driven - she changed him, and not for the better.”
“Jack was never going to stay here, Alice.” Grandpa replied, tiredly. “But I would have liked him to have him closer to home.”
“Yes.” She let out a sigh. “I'm going to work on that quilt for the state fair for a little while.”
“I'm going to watch the game before bed.” He stood up and left the kitchen.
“I showed you where to put the dishes, Jane. Don't forget to put the leftovers in the fridge.” Gran said and she too, left the room.
Jane set the glass down, feeling on the verge of tears. Grandpa acted like she wasn't even in the room and Gran... well, what could she expect? They weren't used to her being there. Maybe they were tired, or something. “Yes, Gran.” She said to the plates and finished her task, hoping that tomorrow, her grandparents might suggest they all do something.
Playing Go Fish right now would be enough.
*
Jane was wrong in thinking things would get better. If anything, they got worse. It's not that she minded doing chores or even the fact that her grandparents were both in bed by nine at night and expected her to do the same, it was the fact that they just... well, it was like she wasn't their granddaughter anymore. Maybe they had always been this way and it was just when her dad was here they became the sort of grandparents you saw in the movies. Her mom hadn't called and when her dad did, he hadn't asked to speak to her.
“This summer has been lousy.” She said to the night sky. Sitting out on the roof of the porch, Jane stared up at the stars, smiling faintly. That was one good thing about being out here on the farm. She could see a lot more stars. It wasn't exactly a farm; not anymore. There was the house, the barn and the garage. Any farming that was done here was finished a long time ago. There was an orchard, but the actual farmland was sublet to other farmers - they used the acreage to grow silage. She leaned back on her hands, a plan slowly forming in her mind.
Jane knew it was wrong to misbehave, but how else was she supposed to get any attention? Just a little is all she wanted; and it wasn't like she hadn't been trying. She helped make the meals, didn't she? She was trying to show interest in what Gran was doing, really, but most of the time she was set down at the table with a vegetable peeler and a 'don't cut yourself' warning. Grandpa was no better; he didn't want her help working on the truck or any other sort of thing he deemed 'for boys only.'
She knew that was wrong.
Shouldn't she know how to check oil in a car, change a tire? Weren't those handy things to know?
Deciding to test her limits, Jane stood up and walked to the edge of the porch, looking down. The railing was maybe six feet down from the gutter. “I'm going to go sleep in the barn.” She tossed the blanket she had been sitting on down first. Then, she took a breath and crouched, turning around and dangling her legs over the side, slowly lowering herself towards the rail. She tensed when her leg hit the wind-chime, the faint tinkling sounding three times as loud in the stillness. Waited, and nothing happened. When the tips of her toes hit the rail, she was barely holding onto the gutter with her fingers. A second later, and she found herself sitting in the dirt in front of the house.
“Ouch.” She stood up, rubbing her backside. “Should have screamed. Maybe that would have brought them out.” She headed for the barn, stuffing her blanket under her arm. “It'll be an adventure.” She pushed the door of the outbuilding open, the soft smell of hay reaching her. “All this hay and no animals.” She left the door partially open and was about to head up to the loft when she heard a faint groan. “Hello?”
Jane set the blanket on the ladder to the loft and picked up the pitchfork that was leaning against the wall. “Is someone there?” The groan repeated itself and she stepped cautiously forward, grasping her weapon. “If you're in here, you're trespassing.” She saw a faint light in one of the stalls and moved stealthily towards it, ready to run back to the house, but at the same time, excited to see who or what was back here. She grinned faintly, thinking that maybe it was an injured dog. If it was a dog, she could take care of it, nurse it back to health and then she'd have a pet. No, it couldn't be a dog... it would be growling. As it was, there was another worn-sounding groan followed by what sounded like a curse.
She came around to the front of the stall, holding the pitchfork out, ready to defend herself and nearly dropped her weapon. “Are you okay?”
The disheveled man blinked at her. The faint light was coming from a glowing ball near his head. What sort of trick was that? Did he have some new not-on-the-market-yet floating lantern from Stark Industries? (seriously, they had the best techno stuff) His face was sallow as if he hadn't slept in a long while and he was binding up a wound on his leg. He frowned and then gave her a very forced smile. “Good evening.” He pointed at her hands. “You can put your weapon down, I mean you no harm.”
“Oh!” She set the pitchfork aside and stepped into the stall. “Are you okay?”
“I've looked worse.” He coughed. “Where am I?”
“Uh...” Jane frowned. “A barn?”
The man chuckled. “I meant what country is this?”
Jane gaped at him. “Uh, the United States of America? You're in Ohio.”
He frowned. “Ohio. Yes. Birthplace of William Tecumseh Sherman.”
“That's right!” She smiled. “You know who he is?”
“I met him once.” The man muttered. “A long time ago.”
“You're lying, you couldn't have met General Sherman, he lived over a hundred years ago.” Jane folded her arms. “I think you're loopy.”
The man chuckled. “Well, little miss...”
“My name is Jane.” She replied.
“Well, Miss Jane...” He fell back against the wall of the barn. “I don't suppose you could bring me some water? It would help greatly.”
“Huh? Oh!” She felt sheepish. “Sure. Water.” She bit her lip, looking him over. “I'll grab the first aide kit too.” She turned and hurried back to the house. It hadn't occurred to her to be wary of the stranger, especially since he was claiming to have met a long-dead Civil War veteran. But at the same time, Jane knew that there weren't any prisons or mental hospitals nearby; and he didn't smell of booze.
Getting back into the house was much easier than leaving it. Grandpa left a key under the 'Welcome' mat and after grabbing a bottle of water, an apple (just in case) and the first aide kit, she ran back to the barn, leaving the key where she had found it. “Here you go.” She handed him the water and sat down in the straw next to him.
“Thank you.” He took the bottle and opened it, downing half of its contents in a few swallows. “That helped immensely.”
Jane opened the kit and set the apple on the underside of the lid. “I brought you a little something... just in case you feel like eating in a little bit.” She gave him a smile. “What's your name?”
The man returned her smile, relaxing a little. “I am Loki Odinson of Asgard.”
“Asgard?” She frowned. “Where's that? Canada?”
Loki laughed. “No, little one, it's another realm. This is Midgard. You're a Midgardian. I'm from Asgard.”
In response, Jane opened the bottle of peroxide from the kit and some cotton. “How did you get here?”
“That...” He paused. “Is a very long story.”
*
Loki stared up at the rafters of the barn, trying to gauge the time. After Jane had done a decent job of cleaning up his injuries, (which really wasn't necessary, but he let the girl carry on), he had gotten settled in the hayloft with a mountain of straw and a blanket. When he'd asked her what she was doing out in the middle of the night, she'd told him that she was trying to get in trouble with her grandparents. After that, the flood gates had opened and she'd told him everything. He didn't want to trivialize the little girl's woes, as he was aware that there were people far worse off than her, but you couldn't explain it to her like that.
So here he was, lying in a barn in the middle of nowhere Midgard, playing the injured alien. Besides, it was clear that the little girl desperately needed a friend and that her parents were selfish assholes. He knew all to well what it felt like to be forgotten. His mother might be occasionally distant, but his father on the other hand, it sometimes seemed to Loki that he was nothing more than part of the architecture of the palace. He also had Thor. If Jane had a sister or brother, then at least she would have a fellow sufferer and things wouldn't be quite so horrible.
He also hadn't occurred to him to lie to Jane about who he was and where he came from. If she told someone, they would say that she made it up. Children were constantly making up stories. He himself made up stories on a regular basis.
Loki sat up and stretched, letting out a yawn and grimacing at his stomach growling at the same time. The apple had only sated his hunger a little last night; he'd been more interested in sleep and cleaning his wound than food. The sound of footsteps in the barn caused him to stiffen and he held his breath, relaxing when he realized that the tread was too light to belong to anyone he should be worried about. A moment later, a picnic basket appeared next to the ladder and then, Jane came into view.
“Good morning.” She grinned and carried the basket over. “I knew you weren't a dream.”
He chuckled. “Good morning to you, Miss Jane.” He replied, “Again, thank you very much for your hospitality.”
“You're welcome.” She sat down in the hay next to him. “I asked my gran if I could have a picnic in the barn, and she said it was fine with her.” She rolled her eyes. “Then she said it would be good for me to get out of the house for a little while.” She opened the basket and handed him a cold piece of fried chicken. “Gran also said to make sure I took leftovers, so she wouldn't have to clean out the fridge.”
“I'm sure she means well.” Loki offered. “She most likely is utterly appalled that she doesn't have a bratty demanding granddaughter, unlike all of her friends. It annoys her to no end to visit with her fellow grandmothers and have nothing to complain about.”
Jane fell over laughing. “I couldn't do that even if I tried!”
He chuckled and took a bite of his chicken, watching her hold her stomach as she recovered from her mirth. “Oh, I think you could. You would just feel horrible after doing so.”
The girl sat up, still sniggering. “True, but it might make them finally realize something is wrong.”
Loki took another bite of chicken and then reached over and plucked the strands of hay out of Jane's hair. She chuckled and took her own piece of meat out of the basket, before taking out a thermos and a small mug. “Quite frankly, I find it sad that your grandparents have yet to notice your distress.”
She shrugged and poured some milk to the cup and handed it to him. “It's only a few more weeks and then school will start. Then I'll actually have something to do during the day, rather than sit around and be angry at my parents.”
He took a sip of milk, smiling weakly. “You haven't told your grandparents I'm up here, have you?”
“Are you kidding?” She gaped at him. “If I had, they'd have already called the cops and you'd be on your way to the looney bin.”
“I'm certain I could have plenty of fun in an insane asylum.” He grinned. “It would be like a vacation to the land of make-believe.”
Jane pulled a hunk of meat off of her chicken bone. “Yeah, until they gave you an injection that knocked you out cold and you woke up in restraints.”
He gave her a look. “What on earth have you been reading that you know about such things, Jane Foster?”
“Nothing, I've been watching this show called Law & Order.” She turned her attention to her food. “and these other old show called Emergency.” She smirked. “Gran thinks that if it can be shown at two o'clock in the afternoon, it's okay for me to watch. Of course, she also expects me to sit down and watch Little House on the Prairie with her every morning and it counts as bonding time.”
“So you are not a reader, Jane Foster?” Loki had expected her to be a reader, and he hated to be wrong about that.
“No! I love to read!” She set down her chicken and wiped her fingers on her shorts. “I even brought a book for you to read.” She pulled out a paperback book and then gave him a sheepish look. “Well, I was sort of hoping we could read it together.”
He chuckled. “Of course we can, Jane. Some books are meant to be shared and read aloud.” He took another drink of milk. “But we should finish our meal first so that the book is not damaged by food.”
“Right.” She set the book back in the basket and they went back to eating.
*
“He was just about to step out on to the floor when he caught a sudden thin and piercing ray of red from under the drooping lid. Of Smaug's left eye. He was only pretending to sleep! He was watching the tunnel entrance! Hurriedly Bilbo stepped back and blessed the luck of his ring. Then Smaug spoke.” Loki's voice dropped several octaves and to Jane, it sounded exactly what a dragon should sound like. “Well, thief! I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath. Come along! Help yourself again, there is plenty and to spare!”
“Are there dragons in other realms?” She interjected, even though she wanted him to continue.
In response, her friend beamed and bowed towards her. “Indeed there are, Lady Jane. Although they do not sit upon hordes of gold and gems. They are rare and mysterious, and in some lands, slaying one is a great honor.”
“Don't they eat people?” She gasped. “It seems like they would.”
“Why would a great, fire breathing dragon with a wing span of sixty feet eat such a paltry tiny meal as a human or an Æsir? They would have to eat two dozen grown men to get their bellies half full. Why eat man when there are bilgesnipes and sea serpents to feast on?” He grinned. “And if they started eating people, that would cause them to be hunted, and being hunted is the last thing a dragon wants.”
“I suppose that makes sense. Have you ever seen a dragon?” Her voice was full of excitement.
“Only once. I was hunting with my brother and his friends and it flew over our campground, close enough that we could see the black talons on his feet, and my brother proposed we go after it.” He shook his head. “But thankfully, myself and our friend Volstagg knew better and convinced him otherwise.”
“Why did your brother think you should go after the dragon?” Jane frowned. “I mean... did he want some fancy boots or something?”
Loki laughed. “I have no idea why he wanted to go after the dragon, especially considering that our winged visitor had been a baby dragon.”
Jane knew her eyes widened. “How big was he?”
“As big as that truck of your grandfather's in body, and a wingspan of twelve feet.” He leaned forward, grinning. “And where there's a baby dragon....”
“There's a mommy dragon.” She grinned. “What's happening with Bilbo?” she wanted to get back to the book before she had to go in for the night.
“Ah yes, where were we...” Loki cleared his throat before continuing to read. “But Bilbo was not quite so unlearned in dragon-lore as all that, and if Smaug hoped to get him to come nearer so easily he was disappointed.”
*
Loki had delayed returning to Asgard long enough. In truth, he could have left after that first night here in the barn, rather than now, four weeks later. He was rather impressed that Jane had managed to keep his presence a secret for so long and her grandparents had never come to investigate what she was doing out in the barn all these afternoons. He shook out the blanket he'd been sleeping on, using his magic to clean it and folded it slowly, setting it on the hay.
“You have to leave, don't you?” Jane's voice came from the ladder that led out of the loft.
He nodded. “It's time for me to go home, Lady Jane.” He turned and gave her a kind smile. “And I must thank you again for your gracious hospitality.”
She came over and sat down on the hay. “You're welcome. It was nice to have a friend for the summer.” She huffed. “I wish I could go with you.”
He sighed. “I think that would be seen as kidnapping Jane. I believe you would be able to stay for one meal before I would have to bring you back.”
She folded her arms. “My parents won't miss me. They haven't asked to talk to me the last three times they've called. Either of them.”
“Well, that is shitty of them.” He shook his head. “Pardon the curse, my lady.”
“If I can't go back with you now, I guess I just need to find a way to get to Asgard myself.” She lifted her chin, grinning. “I bet I can figure it out.”
“Clever girl like you, I'm certain of it.” He sat down next to her, giving her a one armed hug. “I'll bring a welcome mat and stand in Heimdall's observatory to greet you.”
She grinned. “I'll be sure to bring some Oreos with me. Two packages of double-stuff. One for you and one for Mister Heimdall. I bet he would like a snack every now and then.”
Loki laughed. “I'm sure he would.”
She took a breath and then bit her lip, looking nervous. “If... If I can't find a way to Asgard, you'll come and visit me again, won't you?”
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Of course I will, Lady Jane. I can't tell you when I will be back, but I promise to return.”
*
Jane adjusted the focus on her telescope, and glanced through the viewfinder, smiling. When she arrived at her dad's new house, he'd apologized profusely for the situation over the summer and he hadn't meant to ignore her, but he had been very upset with her mother and didn't want to accidentally take it out on her. As such, he'd asked her if there was something she would like as a gift. She hadn't expected him to say yes to a seventy-dollar telescope, but he had. Along with extra lenses and a carrying case.
She knew that Asgard was so far away, that neither of them shared a visible star in their night sky. So she was content with making her own solar system as familiar to her as the route to her school. She shifted the scope and turned her attention to the sky.
“Find anything interesting, honey?” Her dad's voice called to her but she didn't look up.
“There's this crater on the moon that looks exactly like a head of cauliflower.” She grinned. “And again, thanks for the telescope daddy.”
“Oh, you're welcome, sweetie.” He was right next to her and she stood up. “I didn't even know you were interested in astronomy.”
“Me neither.” She grinned. “It just sort of.... happened.”
“Well, I'm glad Jane. Maybe next summer you can go to that space-camp down in Alabama.” He ruffled her hair. “If you want to be an astronaut, I'm not going to stop you.” He headed back for the house.
Jane looked skyward and grinned. “Astrophysicist, Dad. I'm going to be an astrophysicist.”
***
Loki had been fully intending to come down to Midgard, tell Thor that their father was dead and then head back home to continue with his plans to rid the Nine Realms of the Jotun. That was before he caught sight of the young woman in Puento Antigeo. His long lost friend - Lady Jane. Rather than appear in a mirror in that military - whatever it was that was surrounding Mjolnir, and headed into town proper. He found the girl with two other humans; an extremely silly girl named Darcy and an older gentleman, Erik something. He'd been rather angry when those men in suits came and took all of Jane's hard work from her (he'd be getting it back for her shortly) and quite frankly, she needed a friend right now as much as she had when he'd first met her.
He leaned idly against their vehicle, watching Jane pace and Darcy whine for a moment before speaking. “I'm looking for someone to share in adventure with... or rather, a rescue mission.”
“What the!” Darcy aimed something at him that looked like a gun - and a moment later, found herself holding a harmless water pistol.
“Loki!” Jane cried and ran over and hugged him, as if she was still ten years old. “You're back!”
“Jane, what the hell is going on?” Erik interjected. “First a Thor, now a Loki?”
“Well...” She looked sheepish. “I wasn't supposed to talk about it.”
“And you shouldn't believe everything you read, Doctor Selvig.” Loki added. “I have it on good authority that my brother is not the saint the fairy-tales make him out to be.”
“Wait... that big blond hunk of a guy is your brother?” Darcy seemed to have forgotten about her - whatever - becoming a water pistol.
“I find it hard to believe myself.” He offered her a wry grin. He'd sort the whole adoption mess out back on Asgard later. When Father was awake and Thor was back home.“For now, I think we need to get your research back, Lady Jane. And get my brother out of those... people's hands before they do something stupid. Like make him angry or his friends decide to show up.” He sighed. “I, for one, do not feel like cleaning up after the mess they could make here on Midgard.”
Rating: PG
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Prompt: Minor Illness
Word Count:4421
Warnings: Language
Summary: Ten year old Jane Foster was having a pretty lousy year. Parents divorced, she had to move away from the only home she ever knew, and her life is currently one big pile of growing up problems and no one has any time or is willing to make time just so she doesn't feel quite so bad. One night, she finds a man sleeping in the barn on her grandparent's farm. He says his name is Loki and he's from another world. He's also suffering from a few injuries. Having just completed a first aide class, Jane patches him up and hides him in the hayloft; she's the only one who goes up there. So begins an awkward friendship; Jane brings Loki food and books, he tells her stories of the Nine Realms. When it's time for Loki to go back home, Jane tells him she's going to find a way to get to Asgard herself.
It wasn't fair.
Jane Foster dropped her backpack on the guest room in her grandparent's home, already fuming. Sure, her parents kept telling her that they loved her, and that part of the reason they were divorcing was so she wouldn't have to see them fight, but for crying out loud, they were grown ups. Weren't grown ups supposed to talk out their problems and solve them in a mature manner? Divorce sounded like 'giving up' to Jane.
The worst part was having to move. Some counselor had told her parents that is was better if they both moved, rather than one staying, so there wouldn't be any 'abandonment' feelings. Jane sat down on the bed and folded her arms. Well, she certainly felt abandoned right now. Ditched at her grandparents for the summer while her mom and dad 'adjusted' to their new lives. Once the summer was over, she was expected to move back and forth between their homes as if there was no problem at all.
New school, new homes, new life.
This just plain stunk. Big time.
“Jane!” Grandma called up the stairs. “Would you like a snack?”
She resisted the urge to scream back at the woman. It wasn't grandma's fault. She went to the head of the stairs. “No thank you, Gran. I'm not hungry.”
“All right.” The woman gave her the once over. “You're too skinny.” She walked away, muttering.
Now that she was out of sight, Jane rolled her eyes and went back to the guest room. “Might as well get... settled.” She went over to the odd looking radio in the corner of the guest room, fumbling with the dial until she found a station; granted it was some sort of gospel music, but it was better than silence.
*
Gran and Grandpa were dad's parents - they were all right, but, Jane reflected as she dried a glass after dinner, it'd nice if they'd stop referring to her mom as that woman when she was in earshot. She set the glass down and picked up another.
“I don't know what Jack was thinking, marrying that woman in the first place.” Gran said from the table. “She was far too career driven - she changed him, and not for the better.”
“Jack was never going to stay here, Alice.” Grandpa replied, tiredly. “But I would have liked him to have him closer to home.”
“Yes.” She let out a sigh. “I'm going to work on that quilt for the state fair for a little while.”
“I'm going to watch the game before bed.” He stood up and left the kitchen.
“I showed you where to put the dishes, Jane. Don't forget to put the leftovers in the fridge.” Gran said and she too, left the room.
Jane set the glass down, feeling on the verge of tears. Grandpa acted like she wasn't even in the room and Gran... well, what could she expect? They weren't used to her being there. Maybe they were tired, or something. “Yes, Gran.” She said to the plates and finished her task, hoping that tomorrow, her grandparents might suggest they all do something.
Playing Go Fish right now would be enough.
*
Jane was wrong in thinking things would get better. If anything, they got worse. It's not that she minded doing chores or even the fact that her grandparents were both in bed by nine at night and expected her to do the same, it was the fact that they just... well, it was like she wasn't their granddaughter anymore. Maybe they had always been this way and it was just when her dad was here they became the sort of grandparents you saw in the movies. Her mom hadn't called and when her dad did, he hadn't asked to speak to her.
“This summer has been lousy.” She said to the night sky. Sitting out on the roof of the porch, Jane stared up at the stars, smiling faintly. That was one good thing about being out here on the farm. She could see a lot more stars. It wasn't exactly a farm; not anymore. There was the house, the barn and the garage. Any farming that was done here was finished a long time ago. There was an orchard, but the actual farmland was sublet to other farmers - they used the acreage to grow silage. She leaned back on her hands, a plan slowly forming in her mind.
Jane knew it was wrong to misbehave, but how else was she supposed to get any attention? Just a little is all she wanted; and it wasn't like she hadn't been trying. She helped make the meals, didn't she? She was trying to show interest in what Gran was doing, really, but most of the time she was set down at the table with a vegetable peeler and a 'don't cut yourself' warning. Grandpa was no better; he didn't want her help working on the truck or any other sort of thing he deemed 'for boys only.'
She knew that was wrong.
Shouldn't she know how to check oil in a car, change a tire? Weren't those handy things to know?
Deciding to test her limits, Jane stood up and walked to the edge of the porch, looking down. The railing was maybe six feet down from the gutter. “I'm going to go sleep in the barn.” She tossed the blanket she had been sitting on down first. Then, she took a breath and crouched, turning around and dangling her legs over the side, slowly lowering herself towards the rail. She tensed when her leg hit the wind-chime, the faint tinkling sounding three times as loud in the stillness. Waited, and nothing happened. When the tips of her toes hit the rail, she was barely holding onto the gutter with her fingers. A second later, and she found herself sitting in the dirt in front of the house.
“Ouch.” She stood up, rubbing her backside. “Should have screamed. Maybe that would have brought them out.” She headed for the barn, stuffing her blanket under her arm. “It'll be an adventure.” She pushed the door of the outbuilding open, the soft smell of hay reaching her. “All this hay and no animals.” She left the door partially open and was about to head up to the loft when she heard a faint groan. “Hello?”
Jane set the blanket on the ladder to the loft and picked up the pitchfork that was leaning against the wall. “Is someone there?” The groan repeated itself and she stepped cautiously forward, grasping her weapon. “If you're in here, you're trespassing.” She saw a faint light in one of the stalls and moved stealthily towards it, ready to run back to the house, but at the same time, excited to see who or what was back here. She grinned faintly, thinking that maybe it was an injured dog. If it was a dog, she could take care of it, nurse it back to health and then she'd have a pet. No, it couldn't be a dog... it would be growling. As it was, there was another worn-sounding groan followed by what sounded like a curse.
She came around to the front of the stall, holding the pitchfork out, ready to defend herself and nearly dropped her weapon. “Are you okay?”
The disheveled man blinked at her. The faint light was coming from a glowing ball near his head. What sort of trick was that? Did he have some new not-on-the-market-yet floating lantern from Stark Industries? (seriously, they had the best techno stuff) His face was sallow as if he hadn't slept in a long while and he was binding up a wound on his leg. He frowned and then gave her a very forced smile. “Good evening.” He pointed at her hands. “You can put your weapon down, I mean you no harm.”
“Oh!” She set the pitchfork aside and stepped into the stall. “Are you okay?”
“I've looked worse.” He coughed. “Where am I?”
“Uh...” Jane frowned. “A barn?”
The man chuckled. “I meant what country is this?”
Jane gaped at him. “Uh, the United States of America? You're in Ohio.”
He frowned. “Ohio. Yes. Birthplace of William Tecumseh Sherman.”
“That's right!” She smiled. “You know who he is?”
“I met him once.” The man muttered. “A long time ago.”
“You're lying, you couldn't have met General Sherman, he lived over a hundred years ago.” Jane folded her arms. “I think you're loopy.”
The man chuckled. “Well, little miss...”
“My name is Jane.” She replied.
“Well, Miss Jane...” He fell back against the wall of the barn. “I don't suppose you could bring me some water? It would help greatly.”
“Huh? Oh!” She felt sheepish. “Sure. Water.” She bit her lip, looking him over. “I'll grab the first aide kit too.” She turned and hurried back to the house. It hadn't occurred to her to be wary of the stranger, especially since he was claiming to have met a long-dead Civil War veteran. But at the same time, Jane knew that there weren't any prisons or mental hospitals nearby; and he didn't smell of booze.
Getting back into the house was much easier than leaving it. Grandpa left a key under the 'Welcome' mat and after grabbing a bottle of water, an apple (just in case) and the first aide kit, she ran back to the barn, leaving the key where she had found it. “Here you go.” She handed him the water and sat down in the straw next to him.
“Thank you.” He took the bottle and opened it, downing half of its contents in a few swallows. “That helped immensely.”
Jane opened the kit and set the apple on the underside of the lid. “I brought you a little something... just in case you feel like eating in a little bit.” She gave him a smile. “What's your name?”
The man returned her smile, relaxing a little. “I am Loki Odinson of Asgard.”
“Asgard?” She frowned. “Where's that? Canada?”
Loki laughed. “No, little one, it's another realm. This is Midgard. You're a Midgardian. I'm from Asgard.”
In response, Jane opened the bottle of peroxide from the kit and some cotton. “How did you get here?”
“That...” He paused. “Is a very long story.”
*
Loki stared up at the rafters of the barn, trying to gauge the time. After Jane had done a decent job of cleaning up his injuries, (which really wasn't necessary, but he let the girl carry on), he had gotten settled in the hayloft with a mountain of straw and a blanket. When he'd asked her what she was doing out in the middle of the night, she'd told him that she was trying to get in trouble with her grandparents. After that, the flood gates had opened and she'd told him everything. He didn't want to trivialize the little girl's woes, as he was aware that there were people far worse off than her, but you couldn't explain it to her like that.
So here he was, lying in a barn in the middle of nowhere Midgard, playing the injured alien. Besides, it was clear that the little girl desperately needed a friend and that her parents were selfish assholes. He knew all to well what it felt like to be forgotten. His mother might be occasionally distant, but his father on the other hand, it sometimes seemed to Loki that he was nothing more than part of the architecture of the palace. He also had Thor. If Jane had a sister or brother, then at least she would have a fellow sufferer and things wouldn't be quite so horrible.
He also hadn't occurred to him to lie to Jane about who he was and where he came from. If she told someone, they would say that she made it up. Children were constantly making up stories. He himself made up stories on a regular basis.
Loki sat up and stretched, letting out a yawn and grimacing at his stomach growling at the same time. The apple had only sated his hunger a little last night; he'd been more interested in sleep and cleaning his wound than food. The sound of footsteps in the barn caused him to stiffen and he held his breath, relaxing when he realized that the tread was too light to belong to anyone he should be worried about. A moment later, a picnic basket appeared next to the ladder and then, Jane came into view.
“Good morning.” She grinned and carried the basket over. “I knew you weren't a dream.”
He chuckled. “Good morning to you, Miss Jane.” He replied, “Again, thank you very much for your hospitality.”
“You're welcome.” She sat down in the hay next to him. “I asked my gran if I could have a picnic in the barn, and she said it was fine with her.” She rolled her eyes. “Then she said it would be good for me to get out of the house for a little while.” She opened the basket and handed him a cold piece of fried chicken. “Gran also said to make sure I took leftovers, so she wouldn't have to clean out the fridge.”
“I'm sure she means well.” Loki offered. “She most likely is utterly appalled that she doesn't have a bratty demanding granddaughter, unlike all of her friends. It annoys her to no end to visit with her fellow grandmothers and have nothing to complain about.”
Jane fell over laughing. “I couldn't do that even if I tried!”
He chuckled and took a bite of his chicken, watching her hold her stomach as she recovered from her mirth. “Oh, I think you could. You would just feel horrible after doing so.”
The girl sat up, still sniggering. “True, but it might make them finally realize something is wrong.”
Loki took another bite of chicken and then reached over and plucked the strands of hay out of Jane's hair. She chuckled and took her own piece of meat out of the basket, before taking out a thermos and a small mug. “Quite frankly, I find it sad that your grandparents have yet to notice your distress.”
She shrugged and poured some milk to the cup and handed it to him. “It's only a few more weeks and then school will start. Then I'll actually have something to do during the day, rather than sit around and be angry at my parents.”
He took a sip of milk, smiling weakly. “You haven't told your grandparents I'm up here, have you?”
“Are you kidding?” She gaped at him. “If I had, they'd have already called the cops and you'd be on your way to the looney bin.”
“I'm certain I could have plenty of fun in an insane asylum.” He grinned. “It would be like a vacation to the land of make-believe.”
Jane pulled a hunk of meat off of her chicken bone. “Yeah, until they gave you an injection that knocked you out cold and you woke up in restraints.”
He gave her a look. “What on earth have you been reading that you know about such things, Jane Foster?”
“Nothing, I've been watching this show called Law & Order.” She turned her attention to her food. “and these other old show called Emergency.” She smirked. “Gran thinks that if it can be shown at two o'clock in the afternoon, it's okay for me to watch. Of course, she also expects me to sit down and watch Little House on the Prairie with her every morning and it counts as bonding time.”
“So you are not a reader, Jane Foster?” Loki had expected her to be a reader, and he hated to be wrong about that.
“No! I love to read!” She set down her chicken and wiped her fingers on her shorts. “I even brought a book for you to read.” She pulled out a paperback book and then gave him a sheepish look. “Well, I was sort of hoping we could read it together.”
He chuckled. “Of course we can, Jane. Some books are meant to be shared and read aloud.” He took another drink of milk. “But we should finish our meal first so that the book is not damaged by food.”
“Right.” She set the book back in the basket and they went back to eating.
*
“He was just about to step out on to the floor when he caught a sudden thin and piercing ray of red from under the drooping lid. Of Smaug's left eye. He was only pretending to sleep! He was watching the tunnel entrance! Hurriedly Bilbo stepped back and blessed the luck of his ring. Then Smaug spoke.” Loki's voice dropped several octaves and to Jane, it sounded exactly what a dragon should sound like. “Well, thief! I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath. Come along! Help yourself again, there is plenty and to spare!”
“Are there dragons in other realms?” She interjected, even though she wanted him to continue.
In response, her friend beamed and bowed towards her. “Indeed there are, Lady Jane. Although they do not sit upon hordes of gold and gems. They are rare and mysterious, and in some lands, slaying one is a great honor.”
“Don't they eat people?” She gasped. “It seems like they would.”
“Why would a great, fire breathing dragon with a wing span of sixty feet eat such a paltry tiny meal as a human or an Æsir? They would have to eat two dozen grown men to get their bellies half full. Why eat man when there are bilgesnipes and sea serpents to feast on?” He grinned. “And if they started eating people, that would cause them to be hunted, and being hunted is the last thing a dragon wants.”
“I suppose that makes sense. Have you ever seen a dragon?” Her voice was full of excitement.
“Only once. I was hunting with my brother and his friends and it flew over our campground, close enough that we could see the black talons on his feet, and my brother proposed we go after it.” He shook his head. “But thankfully, myself and our friend Volstagg knew better and convinced him otherwise.”
“Why did your brother think you should go after the dragon?” Jane frowned. “I mean... did he want some fancy boots or something?”
Loki laughed. “I have no idea why he wanted to go after the dragon, especially considering that our winged visitor had been a baby dragon.”
Jane knew her eyes widened. “How big was he?”
“As big as that truck of your grandfather's in body, and a wingspan of twelve feet.” He leaned forward, grinning. “And where there's a baby dragon....”
“There's a mommy dragon.” She grinned. “What's happening with Bilbo?” she wanted to get back to the book before she had to go in for the night.
“Ah yes, where were we...” Loki cleared his throat before continuing to read. “But Bilbo was not quite so unlearned in dragon-lore as all that, and if Smaug hoped to get him to come nearer so easily he was disappointed.”
*
Loki had delayed returning to Asgard long enough. In truth, he could have left after that first night here in the barn, rather than now, four weeks later. He was rather impressed that Jane had managed to keep his presence a secret for so long and her grandparents had never come to investigate what she was doing out in the barn all these afternoons. He shook out the blanket he'd been sleeping on, using his magic to clean it and folded it slowly, setting it on the hay.
“You have to leave, don't you?” Jane's voice came from the ladder that led out of the loft.
He nodded. “It's time for me to go home, Lady Jane.” He turned and gave her a kind smile. “And I must thank you again for your gracious hospitality.”
She came over and sat down on the hay. “You're welcome. It was nice to have a friend for the summer.” She huffed. “I wish I could go with you.”
He sighed. “I think that would be seen as kidnapping Jane. I believe you would be able to stay for one meal before I would have to bring you back.”
She folded her arms. “My parents won't miss me. They haven't asked to talk to me the last three times they've called. Either of them.”
“Well, that is shitty of them.” He shook his head. “Pardon the curse, my lady.”
“If I can't go back with you now, I guess I just need to find a way to get to Asgard myself.” She lifted her chin, grinning. “I bet I can figure it out.”
“Clever girl like you, I'm certain of it.” He sat down next to her, giving her a one armed hug. “I'll bring a welcome mat and stand in Heimdall's observatory to greet you.”
She grinned. “I'll be sure to bring some Oreos with me. Two packages of double-stuff. One for you and one for Mister Heimdall. I bet he would like a snack every now and then.”
Loki laughed. “I'm sure he would.”
She took a breath and then bit her lip, looking nervous. “If... If I can't find a way to Asgard, you'll come and visit me again, won't you?”
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Of course I will, Lady Jane. I can't tell you when I will be back, but I promise to return.”
*
Jane adjusted the focus on her telescope, and glanced through the viewfinder, smiling. When she arrived at her dad's new house, he'd apologized profusely for the situation over the summer and he hadn't meant to ignore her, but he had been very upset with her mother and didn't want to accidentally take it out on her. As such, he'd asked her if there was something she would like as a gift. She hadn't expected him to say yes to a seventy-dollar telescope, but he had. Along with extra lenses and a carrying case.
She knew that Asgard was so far away, that neither of them shared a visible star in their night sky. So she was content with making her own solar system as familiar to her as the route to her school. She shifted the scope and turned her attention to the sky.
“Find anything interesting, honey?” Her dad's voice called to her but she didn't look up.
“There's this crater on the moon that looks exactly like a head of cauliflower.” She grinned. “And again, thanks for the telescope daddy.”
“Oh, you're welcome, sweetie.” He was right next to her and she stood up. “I didn't even know you were interested in astronomy.”
“Me neither.” She grinned. “It just sort of.... happened.”
“Well, I'm glad Jane. Maybe next summer you can go to that space-camp down in Alabama.” He ruffled her hair. “If you want to be an astronaut, I'm not going to stop you.” He headed back for the house.
Jane looked skyward and grinned. “Astrophysicist, Dad. I'm going to be an astrophysicist.”
***
Loki had been fully intending to come down to Midgard, tell Thor that their father was dead and then head back home to continue with his plans to rid the Nine Realms of the Jotun. That was before he caught sight of the young woman in Puento Antigeo. His long lost friend - Lady Jane. Rather than appear in a mirror in that military - whatever it was that was surrounding Mjolnir, and headed into town proper. He found the girl with two other humans; an extremely silly girl named Darcy and an older gentleman, Erik something. He'd been rather angry when those men in suits came and took all of Jane's hard work from her (he'd be getting it back for her shortly) and quite frankly, she needed a friend right now as much as she had when he'd first met her.
He leaned idly against their vehicle, watching Jane pace and Darcy whine for a moment before speaking. “I'm looking for someone to share in adventure with... or rather, a rescue mission.”
“What the!” Darcy aimed something at him that looked like a gun - and a moment later, found herself holding a harmless water pistol.
“Loki!” Jane cried and ran over and hugged him, as if she was still ten years old. “You're back!”
“Jane, what the hell is going on?” Erik interjected. “First a Thor, now a Loki?”
“Well...” She looked sheepish. “I wasn't supposed to talk about it.”
“And you shouldn't believe everything you read, Doctor Selvig.” Loki added. “I have it on good authority that my brother is not the saint the fairy-tales make him out to be.”
“Wait... that big blond hunk of a guy is your brother?” Darcy seemed to have forgotten about her - whatever - becoming a water pistol.
“I find it hard to believe myself.” He offered her a wry grin. He'd sort the whole adoption mess out back on Asgard later. When Father was awake and Thor was back home.“For now, I think we need to get your research back, Lady Jane. And get my brother out of those... people's hands before they do something stupid. Like make him angry or his friends decide to show up.” He sighed. “I, for one, do not feel like cleaning up after the mess they could make here on Midgard.”