Agent 032

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“I tend to.” Shaking her head she had to concede that there was certainly more to her friend than met the eye. “If you don’t want the man then pass on a good word for me,” she said it all in jest.

There was a smile as Adam came running to her the pup turning to quickly be prancing at their heels. She managed to coax the ribbon out of it’s mouth and back to Adam. Signing to him that they could keep playing for a bit longer.

“You are too kind to me.” With a half hearted gesture to the rest of the city, she continued. “It is a bigger pond here at the least. I will take a step out into it again one day.”

“Mm …” A contemplative sort of sound, accompanied by a casual wrinkle of her nose. “He seems quite sweet, but … I’m older, and on paper at least I’m further up the ladder at the Museum. It wouldn’t be a fair match.” Not to mention she didn’t want responsibility of diverting a naive young man to a dalliance she already knew wouldn’t last.

But on the other hand … her eyebrow twitched, and she gave Claire a thoughtful sideways look, “If you’re serious, I could … arrange an introduction. Maybe take Adam off to a new exhibition while you two talk?”

CLAIRE:

Claire sat deep in the room of the tardis. Hiding in the space between her bed and the wall. Knowing it was nearly pointless. He could bend this ship to his will.

It gave her comfort for the moment though as his voice echoed down the halls.

Her hands pressed tight over her ears she began to hum the first song that came to mind to try and drown it out.  

“Relax, Claire, it’s just a nursery rhyme.” The Doctor extended xir senses, searching for her through xir connection with xir Ship. Xe located her in what the TARDIS had designated as her bedroom; moved with long strides.

"Killing me isn't what I'm scared of you doing."

Closing the door to her room, Claire leaned her forehead against it. Never would she admit it to anyone but she kept her ears focused on listening for what he was going to choose to do. Letting out a sharp breath through her teeth when she heard the front door slam shut.

Curled up in her bed and allowed the rain to muffle a sob that broke free from her chest. Not able to hide her fear over him now that she was alone.

She wasn’t sure how long exactly she had been laying there in the dark when she heard the sound of the door open again. Heart jumping to her throat. Sitting up on her sheets at the same time she realized she hadn’t locked the door, she stared at the door waiting to see if an unfamiliar face came through.

When she heard the shower in the bathroom turn on she slumped back against her pillows. The headache still not gone she kicked the sheets off. Feet softly padding to the kitchen, she made herself a mug of tea. Staring at the other often used cup for a long moment. She sighed before fixing him one too. Setting it on the table on his end of the with a few biscuits next to it. She nabbed one before making her way back to her room. Leaving the door open a crack this time.

The world seemed a little easier now that he felt he had washed some of it away. Loki still felt fragile, as if all his troubles lurked in the dark, waiting to jump on him the moment he forgot himself and looked at them. He sniffed, his head somewhat cloudy, and prayed it was just the transition from outside to the shower and that he wouldn’t get smacked down with a human ailment come morning.

He fetched some fresh clothes from one of the hall cupboards he had been using as his own and pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a shirt. A quick scrub at his hair to get rid of the worst droplets was done and then he approached the bedroom. He didn’t even think to go into the kitchen; hadn’t realised about the tea.

“Damn.”

Heart racing she screwed her eyes shut. Wishing for a lot of things; that this would have all been a nightmare, that the invaders wouldn’t see them and that she had grabbed something to defend herself with. In her rush to get out of the manor, a momentary dart into the kitchen for a knife was not possible. She knows that would have been her biggest mistake.

“The Lord and Lady of the house won’ be coming back here.” She’d be a sitting duck in the woods. “Took everything of value with them when they left.” Another shudder went through her when she thought about what the invaders response would be when they realized that.

Claire grabbed at the ribbon around her neck. “What will it cost for this ferrying?”

Greed certainly had its place in Jack’s pirate heart but it never won out in a true test of conscience. In this dire situation, he hadn’t once thought of bartering anything out of the woman. He wasn’t about to start now. The very idea of leaving anyone to this mess clenched in his soul.

Beyond the garden she didn't risk wandering out of his shadow as they cut through the trees, the straightest path to the shoreline while avoiding the ruined town. The undergrowth cutting her feet. Compared to that when they reached the cold sand it was a relief.

Pulling a few inches away from his side. Not seeing the raiders here. She heard the other pirates before she saw them. Clearly an incensed debate going on in the row boat. 'Leave' and 'stay' being the words she heard tossed back and forth the most.

“You really think that -” Stopping herself short before she said something that would just make this whole night a lot more complicated. She pushed herself back to her feet and walked back around the table. Closing her take-out boxes and carrying them to the fridge. Needing a task to distract her and her appetite was long gone.

With an ache growing behind her eyes, she focused on keeping her breathing steady as she knew tears were close behind. Leaving the kitchen she went straight to the hallway.

“I’m going to bed. If you’re still here in the morning, fine. If you choose to leave… then I wish you luck.”

This house felt too small and he couldn’t think straight. Loki managed to hold his tongue from snarling after her, too wrapped up in his own emotions to accurately assess Claire’s. He hated feeling this way, so full of desperation, anger and needs he daren’t express. Instead of talking, he stalked out of the front door. There was no planning in it, no packing of his things. Only a sudden need for space, just as Claire sought.

Loki walked fast, striding for the nearest park. Somewhere he could run across grass and breathe the outside. It was raining. Of course it was. His mortal body wasn’t meant to get soaked and cold but he could care less about it right now. He ran until his legs were tired and he knelt on a hill, knees muddied, hands clutching the grass.

After a minute or two of misery he felt something clouding his mind, something familiar and yet frightening in that he couldn’t shut them out.

“May I speak with you, my prince?”

Always so polite, so just, even after everything he had done.

“Come to mock me, Heimdall?” He relented and allowed the contact even so, his irises shifting from blue to golden. “How is life as an exile?” The vision solidified and he saw the god standing within the Bifrost chamber, realising he should eat his words.

“I am no longer in exile, as you can see,” Heimdall replied. There was a softness in his voice Loki had not heard before, not toward him. “Nor do I mock you, son of Asgard. I am pleased to find you are not dead. I had not looked for you since that day on Svartalfheim. I will not intrude on you long. Just know I believe you were on the right path. This is where it gets hard, my prince, but it does not have to be. She will help you if you let her. There is no shame in allowing it. Do you want to find out the true extent of the power of Loki?”

“Yes. But h-”

“Go back. It is not done with. Pick yourself up and for Heven’s sake, get out of the rain.”

With that, Heimdall and the vision was gone.

Curled up in her bed and allowed the rain to muffle a sob that broke free from her chest. Not able to hide her fear over him now that she was alone.

She wasn't sure how long exactly she had been laying there in the dark when she heard the sound of the door open again. Heart jumping to her throat. Sitting up on her sheets at the same time she realized she hadn't locked the door, she stared at the door waiting to see if an unfamiliar face came through.

“Good… good,” she said turning for a second back to the screen so that her hair would cover her burning ears at the slight compliment. Though her ego loving the stroke after what she must have looked like the few minutes earlier. “And I meant what I said last night. The shock of this morning doesn’t erase that.”

“I don’t know how it worked where you came from, but humans… We like… we really like to label things. And I’m not sure I want to label this. Not yet.”

Loki blew on his tea to cool it and then nodded. Were it not for the television covering up any awkward silences, he might have snickered. He felt happy. Perhaps that was simply the stupid human hormones. Whatever it was, he wasn’t about to give a damn if he could hold on to it.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. In that regard, we are at least quite liberal on Asgard. Labels tend only to be applied once declarations are made by the parties involved.” He considered adding that he was, however, a prince, which made serious commitments more troublesome. But what did that matter? He had been banished, Thor dallied with mortals as he pleased and he was the official crown prince. Loki would do as Loki wanted.

As he finished she turned her head back to leaning against the couch. Her cheek just a bit closer to his shoulder this time. Nodding her head in agreement.

-

She kept one eye on the boy and his pup. Weary of the shallow lake and any dips in the grass that could trip him up. For now he was bouncing along using a new ribbon to play tug-of-war with the friend.

“Oh it has been a challenge. Trying to explain to him that he can not have all the sweets that the bakeries have been making up, at least the jewelry is on higher shelves,” she answered. A laugh in her words. “Charlie certainly loves the ribbons though.”

There was a shake of her head at the next. “Not too many admirers choose to chase after a woman already caring for a child. Maybe in a few years once the household no longer needs me.”

“I’ve seen that blonde man that handles the dinosaur fossils giving you sweet looks… think he could be one of the secret letter writers?”

“Young Mr Buxton?” Thera turned to look at Claire with a grin, “Emphasis on the ‘young’? Well …” She wrinkled her nose, “He’s in his 20s, I think, but the phrase ‘age is just a number’ sometimes applies both ways.” The palaeontology intern wasn’t a child, but as far as she could gather he had come from a rich family, and straight from Eton to working in the museum, without much life experience in between.

Which could mean … oh dear. Thera’s eyebrows raised, and she had to concede, “You may just have a point.”

There was a smile as Adam came running to her the pup turning to quickly be prancing at their heels. She managed to coax the ribbon out of it's mouth and back to Adam. Signing to him that they could keep playing for a bit longer.

No longer careful of the creaking floorboards she followed what the pirate said. Gathering the skirt of her nightgown in her hands and hurrying down the hall. Opening the door to the hideaway staircase as another pound came against the front door.

She could only hope they didn’t hear her gasps as the cold sea air hit her when she exited the back door. In the garden but knowing they couldn’t stay. To her left was the town and to her right were the other homes. The sounds of more shattering glass and screams telling her there was no help to be found that way.

“Heaven help them,” she whispered a prayer. Before her eyes darted back to the pirate. “Is the town any better?”

Jack’s gaze did not stray much to his companion while they crouched in the bushes, too intent on keeping watch for their survival. He despised the savagery of any band of raiders, which made things awkward being a pirate. It was why he worked well alone or with those he trusted. The world was a terrible place sometimes and the only way Jack could square with it was to keep his mind as close to a zen plateau as possible. Copious amounts of rum and more than a dash of madness helped.

Heart racing she screwed her eyes shut. Wishing for a lot of things; that this would have all been a nightmare, that the invaders wouldn't see them and that she had grabbed something to defend herself with. In her rush to get out of the manor, a momentary dart into the kitchen for a knife was not possible. She knows that would have been her biggest mistake.

"The Lord and Lady of the house won' be coming back here." She'd be a sitting duck in the woods. "Took everything of value with them when they left." Another shudder went through her when she thought about what the invaders response would be when they realized that.