As Diane woke up she felt sore, all the tension that had built up for the last weeks was gone, she had cried herself to sleep. She felt her eyes dry as there were no more tears on them. The anger was gone replaced with melancholy, there was no one in the house, she was alone.
“I´ve made a mess of everything” – she admonishes herself mentally –“Why? Isn´t it enough he´s still here? Why do I keep worrying about the day after? “- Then answered her own question –
-“Because you didn´t with Edward and he left” she confessed –“But Loki isn´t Edward”-
She sighed at least she was thinking clearly now as if her tears had washed down her fears.
“Why doesn’t he tell me that he loves me? That would be enough”-
She needed someone to talk to, though there weren´t many people that could understand.
-Natasha? – It wasn’t as they were best friends but she had always been nice to her and she might understand.
-Yes. Diane? What´s wrong? – The woman on the other side of the phone asked
-Nothing really, I just needed someone to talk. Are you busy? – She wasn’t entirely sincere.
-No, I´m just unwinding from the mission. What´s on your mind?
-Loki and I had a fight last night, it was my fault. I overreacted. Now I´m feeling anxious he´s still angry-
Natasha reassured her – I wouldn´t worry if I were you, Loki loves you.-
-You think? He has never told me so-Diane admitted
-Really? Well, he isn´t good at expressing his feelings. You know it took him centuries to tell both his parents and Thor about the way he felt.-
-You´re probably right- she sighed
-Are you ok? You sound sad- Natasha asked worryingly
-Yes, I´m just feeling a bit lonely, neither Samantha nor Loki in the house, it feels so quiet.-
-Do you want me to come over? We can get a cup of coffee-
-No, it’s ok. Besides I have to pick up Samantha from school.-
-Ok, how about we get together one of these days? Maybe go shopping?-
-I´d like that-Diane smiled she would really like that
-Call me later then- Natasha replied
-I will- she hanged up the phone as she went to take a shower thinking about their conversation, “She really thinks he loves me? I hope she´s right”.
Meanwhile at the Avenger Tower Loki had finally decided to get up, he hadn´t sleep much and he still felt angry at the events of the night before.
After grabbing something to eat he sat at the sofa and played the movie he had bought.
Tony and Clint went in and sat at the sofa with him.
-What are you seeing?-they asked him
-A movie Diane likes-he replied
-Why?-Tony asked
-So I can figure something out-he replied a bit unsure he could.
-You are looking worried, is everything ok?-Tony asked again
-Not really-he needed some human input into the whole situation, he might as well tell them-Diane and I got into a fight last night.-
-I can´t believe that, you lovebirds fighting? – Tony replied in disbelief
-Yes-Loki sighed –I don´t understand what happen, she was watching this movie when I got to her apartment I thought that If I saw it I might understand something.
They looked at him sympathetically then Clint asked –Do you want us to leave?
-No, stay. Maybe you´ll read something in it I won´t – he stated
-Ok- Tony replied
As the movie ended Loki had already told both of them what had happened the night before.
-I just don´t know what the movie has to do with our fight-Loki confessed
-I´m not sure-Tony replied –Maybe she feels identified with the main character being a single mum like her, but I don’t think that´s it.-
-You men are so stupid- Natasha stated, she had been in the living room for a while now. Loki´s story had filled the gaps Diane had refused to share.
-Where does that come from?-Tony protested
-Because you are over analyzing it. Diane wasn´t neither sad nor angry because she watched the movie, she was watching the movie because she was sad. She could have chosen any other movie and you still would’ve got into a fight.-
Loki remained silent meditating on Natasha´s words.
-Either way, I don´t know why you care, it isn’t like you love her. – Loki was smart but he needed a push in the right direction Natasha thought as she said the words to him.
Loki protested energetically to her comment –But I do love her, she makes me wish I were still human so I could forget about everything but her-
-Did you ever told her that?-Natasha asked as she raised her eyebrows
Loki though about it as he came to the realization that not even when they were in Paris did he actually said it to her –No, I didn’t thought I needed to, I assumed she knew.-
-How? – Natasha was infuriated by his answer –I hardly think she has some psychic powers to read your mind-
As he was scolded by Natasha Loki was able to put everything together “ She doesn´t know, she´s been scared from the beginning , but not about falling in love with me, but at the possibility of losing me” he remembered now, the phrase from the movie that had made her start crying “…loses someone dear”
-I´m so stupid-Loki admonished himself
-Told you-Natasha replied
-I´d better go fix this-Loki stated
-I would bring a very, very, very big gift as a peace offer like … Tony had started suggesting as Loki teleported to Diane´s apartment.
But he wasn’t prepared for what he saw on his arrival, the front door was broken and the apartment was a mess, not a sign from Diane or Samantha at sigh. The glass coffee table that was on the living room was broken, blood dripping from it. He felt his heart sank as he desperately started calling for them.
-Loki? – A small voice answered his call
-Samantha?-he shouted –Where are you?-
-Over here- she replied walking out of her bedroom.
He carried her in his arms as he embraced her, after he made sure she was unharmed he asked her –What happened?-
He could tell she had been crying and she almost started again as she told him – Mum went for me at school, she was so happy to see me. We walked home, a block from here she noticed someone following us. We manage to outrun them in the elevator but I think she knew they wouldn´t stop as soon as we got in she told me to get into the secret hideout Tony made for me, she told me not to get out or make a sound no matter what I heard. Loki I could hear them breaking the door, she was screaming, they took her, why didn´t she hide with me?-she hugged him as she cried.
-“Because she was keeping them away from you”-he thought not having the courage to tell her.
-Samantha, shhh, is ok, don´t cry. We´ll find her I promise –he wasn´t sure he could keep that promise –Let´s get you to somewhere same first-
-You promise you´ll save her?-she asked
-I do- with that he teleported back to the Avengers Tower.
As they teleported in everyone noticed something was terribly wrong, fear reflected in their faces … fear they would never see Diane again.
Natasha took Samantha to her room to comfort her as well as giving them some space to talk.
-What happened?-Tony asked with a worried frown.
Loki told them what Samantha had told him, as he ended he added –there was blood on the floor-pain reflected in his face –I´m afraid that …-he couldn´t end his phrase.
Thor held Loki´s shoulders as he looked into his eyes –Don´t even think that. We´ll get Diane back. She´s smart and strong, she´ll survive this.-
-I just don´t know what I would do without her-Loki confessed as he let Thor embrace him
-Then, we´ll have to make sure you don´t need to find out- Tony told them –Luckily I´m prepared- then added –Jarvis Protocol Mandarin on Diane-
-What´s Protocol Mandarin? Steve asked
-Well, after the Mandarin incident I decided I wasn´t going to let anyone I cared about out of my sight, so I planted GPS chips on all the people I like-Tony replied
-You planted a GPS on my girlfriend?-Loki asked as he broke from Thor´s embrace
-Well, yes-Tony answered –She was a little difficult, but then I finally found a bracelet that resembled you amulet, does she still wears it?-
-Yes, she doesn´t take it off. Thank you- Loki hugged Tony without even thinking about it, he had given him hope.
-It may take a while though; Jarvis needs to align the satellites.-