Hey all! Here's another chapter! :-) Heads up, but I probably won't be updating for a couple days due to a big AP history test I have. But I will ASAP. 

Thanks for reading. Remember to spam me with comments please! I like to know how I'm doing. ;) 

Chapter Seventeen

~Thea's POV~

"Thea?"

I look up from the darkness that surrounds me, but then turn back down. "I don't want to talk right now."

I hear movement and then the mattress bends as Thor sits next to me. "I am afraid we cannot wait. Plans have changed, and I depart with your sister at dawn."

Feeling drained of all emotion, I mutter, "Where are you going?"

"I do not know. But Thea, I swear that I will keep your sister safe. Besides," he smiles. "Jane and Tony will be with us. I do not think Leah will come to any harm."

I don't say anything. Honestly, I'm not worried about Leah's safety- I have seen enough of Thor's and Tony's strength and combat, and enough of Jane's quiet fury to know that my sister will not be harmed.

I am concerned more with Loki's words, and I know that he has planned this on purpose, to antagonize me and push my buttons, but don't know why. "Thor," I say quietly, "Why does Loki do this to me?"

For a moment, Thor is quiet, but then he says, "There is a reason, although I believe his logic is swayed. Additionally, you must understand that Loki's personality does not revolve around compassion. He does not fear anger or spite."

"He doesn't have any feelings," I growl.

"That is not true," I can see Thor's smile even in the dim light. "But his feelings are hidden by years of doubt, anger, betrayal, and a need to be authoritative. He sees you as someone he can play his feelings off of."

"So I'm what, his punching bag?"

"No," says Thor gently. "In fact, I see the exact opposite."

"If Loki thinks that making me mad at him is helping me, then he is even more warped than I imagined."

Thor is silent. Then, he says, "Thea, let us not talk about this. I have limited time to tell you some very important things. What becomes of you and Loki I do not know. But you should know this: you must put aside your anger, Thea."

"I don't think that's happening anytime soon."

"Thea, please," Thor looks desperate, and it is because of this uncharacteristic tone to his voice that causes me to look up at him. "In order to destroy the Imeldi, we must learn to collaborate. This not only includes you and Loki, but us all. Dissolved in our own personal ambitions, we will be destroyed. Together, we can be strong enough to overcome this barrier."

"The only reason I will not try to kill Loki right now," I say through gritted teeth. "Is that I need him alive to help destroy the Imeldi."

Thor sighs. "Thea."

"What?" I mutter, looking down. My eyes are growing weary, and beginning to burn. I probably need to get to sleep soon.

"I know you are struggling right now. You are shutting people out and refuse to feel love anymore, but for your sister. And I know that Loki's constant badgering does not help, and I apologize for it. But please put aside your desire to kill him. Because if you do not and attempt to do so, then I am sorry, Thea, but I will have to intervene, and you will not come out on top."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes."

I bite my lip.

"Thea, your brother, although I did not know him, would not wish for his younger sister to become a killer, would he?"

Silence.

"Would you, Thea," he says quietly. "Wish to deprive me of my brother, which you know first hand how that feels?"

Silence.

"Thea, please consider this. You may hate Loki for as long as you wish, but hatred cannot form so deeply in your heart that you lose sight of who you truly are."

"You don't know who I am."

"Perhaps not, but I can hazard a guess. You're not a bad person, Thea."

"How do you know what-"

"I see the best part of you when you are with Leah. Were you truly bad, you would feel no love, and have no sense of compassion."

"So that means Loki's truly bad. He doesn't love and damn well sure he doesn't have any compassion."

"Again, you are mistaken, blinded by your anger. Loki does have the power to love and show compassion- but like you, he prefers to hide the best side of him in lieu of something more intimidating, more corrupt."

I cross my arms stubbornly.

"You and Loki are alike in many ways. You-"

"Don't you dare compare me to that monster," I hiss.

Thor takes a deep breath. "Very well. I did not mean for this conversation to be solely about you and Loki in the first place. But I do wish to tell you this: in the near future, you are going to be facing more than your share of obstacles. And I will not be there to help you. Unless you confide in Natasha, Clint, or Loki- which I rather doubt, but urge you to do so- you will be alone."

"You're trying to tell me that I need to talk to someone." I state. It is not a question.

He smiles. "Always so perceptive. But yes, Thea. To face the monsters that are attacking you from the inside, you will need help. Both of us will be quick to agree that Loki is not an option."

"Duh."

"But please, Thea. Find someone whom you can truly trust. If not me-"

"Even if I trusted you completely-"

"Completely?" Thor smiles. "So I have earned at least some of your trust?"

I ignore that statement and barrage myself for my rash choice of words. "Even if I do trust you, then apparently you won't be around."

"That is the point of this conversation."

I take a deep breath. "Thor," I whisper, wishing my voice doesn't sound so small. "Will you promise to take care of Leah?" I will myself not to start crying again. "Please don't let her get hurt."

I hear Thor shift and he rests his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Thea, look at me."

Biting my lip to keep the tears back, I look up at him. In the dim light, shadows play across his face, but his eyes are kind. "Listen to me carefully. What the future will bring, I do not know. Both of us will have to face things, creatures, dangers, that even I have perhaps not faced. We will both be tested. But know this: I will care for Leah as if she were my daughter." When I cringe, he adds, "I know you do not like that idea, but you need to accept that whatever guidance Leah can obtain right now. I swear, Thea, I will protect Leah with my life. Does this comfort you?"

Not trusting myself to speak, I nod, swallowing hard.

He smiles. "Good. Be brave, Thea. And please get some rest. Tomorrow will not be easy for you, and you will need your strength."

*

~Nobody's POV~

The moon is still high when Thor approaches a shadowed figure in an abandoned room.

"What brings you here, brother?" asks Loki, turning around.

"I want to talk to you."

"I rather figured that."

"About Thea."

"I rather figured that as well."

"Good." Thor stops in front of his brother. "Loki, you need to understand that Thea is grieving. She has darkness in her heart."

"Well that sounds familiar, does it not? I would think that you would know that I, of all people, should understand that."

"It is familiar, but you go about it the wrong way. She needs warmth, not the coldness you shoot at her."

"And I have told you, brother that I will not coddle her as if she were Leah's age. She is old enough to know when to control herself."

At this, Thor becomes angry. "Loki, you know that the substance which you have described still flows through those veins of hers. She is battling enough interior demons to have to worry about without the exterior ones you give her."

"Brother, I have treated Thea no differently than I have treated anyone else on board. Quite frankly, I have done more for her than you have."

"Oh really? Well then who is it that has had to comfort her after she is crying, because of your harsh words?

"That may be so, but have you forgotten who has saved her life twice?"

"You speak of saving her life as salvation for yourself. If you were a good person, you would understand that doing what is right does not place you in high regard. You are using your deeds to make it sound like you have regained respect from your own crimes."

"Yes, but we must examine how much she cares about me first. Do you-"

"Damn it, Loki!" Thor yells, losing control. "Do you expect her to like you after what you have done towards her? After you have antagonized her, mocked her, frightened her?"

"Would you?"

"Loki," says Thor, breathing heavily. "I've come to you for your help. You must control yourself around Thea. She needs guidance."

"Brother, I neither wish to give it nor will she wish to receive it from me." Loki says coolly.

"Not from you!"

"Then what do you expect?"

Thor takes a deep breath. "Loki, I have neither asked Thea nor you to get along. But I do ask you this. Will you not, for just until all of this is over, continue to make Thea any more miserable than she already is?"

"You care for her."

"As do you," says Thor quietly.

Loki is silent.

"Do not deny it, because I know that is true. There is still a glimmer of compassion in your heart, and I see it."

Laughing dryly, Loki says, "Then brother, you are merely fishing for a way to see goodness in me. I care for Thea no more than-"

"Stop telling yourself lies, Loki!" Thor says fiercely. "If you wish to hide the best part of yourself, then I can do no more to stop it."

Loki closes his mouth. Then, he says slowly, "Very well Thor. I will look after Thea and make certain that she comes to no harm. Are you satisfied?"

Thor contemplates his brother. Then, he says, "Yes."

*

~Nobody's POV~

Thea runs through the corridors towards the air craft deck. She have overslept, completely exhausted from the night before, and the first rays of dawn are filtering through the hallways. Panic fills her.

She bursts up above the stairs and into the fresh air. But then, she see nothing- just the scurrying of a half dozen S.H.I.E.L.D workers across an empty runway. Something catches in her throat. "Leah," she whispers in a choked voice.

Finally, devoid of strength, she falls on the last step and buries her face in her arms. Her body begins to rack as she cries her heart out.

She feels someone's hand on her shoulder and startled, she looks up. It's Dr. Banner, with Loki a few paces from him. "Hey, Thea," he says with a small smile. "I'm really sorry- we looked everywhere for you, but..." he sighs. "They just left about fifteen minutes ago."

She nods, not really letting the words sink in.

"Okay," says Dr. Banner, speaking loudly over the strong wind. "You might want to head back inside. You guys are leaving in a couple of hours."

She nods again, robotically.

"Okay," he says again with a smile, then stands up. Thea doesn't turn around to see him off. She just stares into a void space of sky, not paying the slightest attention to the busy workers, the machines humming around, or the flapping of the wind.

Leah was gone. Perhaps she would never see her again. Thea closes her eyes tightly, the teardrops glistening at the ends of her eyelashes.

Very, very vaguely, she hears the sound of movement behind her, but ignores it. She buries her head in her arms again and attempts to calm herself down, but to no avail. She takes Thor's promise seriously, but is aware that not even he can be sure of Leah's future.

She feels a hand on her shoulder and, knowing who it is, smacks it. "Go away," she chokes.

But instead of leaving, Loki sits down next to her, his armor clinking. He knows she is crying. "Thea."

"I said go away! I don't need any more..." she stammers, "I don't need you making my life even worse than it is now!"

He doesn't say anything, but if Thea were looking, she would have seen him close his eyes tightly. Taking a deep breath, he says as he stands, "You need to get ready. We are leaving soon, Thea."

His footsteps retract and then she hears the sound of the door closing. Now that it is safe, Thea raises her head. Wiping her eyes, she looks up at the sky again. The fuel from the planes and jets fills her nostrils, and she takes a deep breath, breathing in the smell of gasoline, wind, leather and sky.

Somewhere out there, her sister is on her way to an unknown destination. Thea knows that yesterday may very well have been the last time she would ever see her sister. She now regrets being so stand-offish towards Leah.

Now she might never get the chance to apologize. Or even to say she loves her.

This sends Thea into a passionate craze of tears. Although she doesn't know it, there is someone just beyond the door, listening to her sobs and perhaps feeling the slightest bit of regret himself.

He turns away seconds later and doesn't look back.

Hope you enjoyed!

BM Fact #6

I wrote this chapter during chemistry :)