Masking My Life

Chapter Sixteen~Notebook Talk

You know I should really stop finding myself in situation with drunk men, although Thor drank the same amount as Erik and is somehow......sober. I smile as Thor and Erik stumble down the street, singing a Norwegian folk song, it was funny I remember learning about this in my second year of high school.

They improvise an impromptu drinking song dance          routine involving side steps and happy slaps, optimistically in time with the song.

"The mood is good, our hearts are full, there's magic in the air. It's all because we're here tonight, and haven't got a care." they turn to my I roll my eyes as we walk "So raise a glass, and toast to life, wherever it may lead-"

"Tra-la-la, tra-la-la, a friend is fine indeed. Tra-la-la, tra-la-la, a friend is fine indeed!" we sing laughing, Thor holds up a hand for Selvig's last finishing slap.          Selvig misses it completely and falls to the ground like a straight dead weight with a CLUNCK!

I put a hand over my mouth in shocked a little. Thor stands up, Eric slung over his shoulder, and we start to walk up the street towards Jane's trailer.

"Erik! Is he all right?" ask Jane letting us in 'He's fine. Not injured at all." I explain to her leaning against her counter as Thor enters, he bangs Eric's head on the doorway, he groans. "Sorry, my friend." says Thor.

"What happened?" ask Jane turning to me, I sigh "They drank. They fought. He made his ancestors proud." I say "Yes!" says Thor looking to me "Put him on the bed." says Jane, Thor moves through the small trailer carrying Eric, like a          bear lugging another bear, smashing into things along the way, until he finally sets Eric down on Jane's bed. Eric awakens groggily and looks up at him through bleary eyes.

"I still don't believe you're the God of Thunder.....or that you have powers. But you better." Eric says passing out, Thor grins, pats him on the cheek. Jane watches, stunned by our friendship, impressed by          Thor's tenderness.

Thor turns back to her, looks around. "These are your chambers?" he ask, Jane suddenly becomes self-conscious. She starts cleaning up the mess around her. "Well, it's more of a temporary living space, really. I don't usually have visitors in here.          Actually, never..."

I liked it "It's cute reminds me of what my old sorta trailer used to look like." I say, smiling. Thor picks up a sock off the floor Jane snatches it from          him, puts it away. "Can we go outside?" ask Jane, we nod, Jane steps out "Hey Thor." I say stoping him before he heads out I hand him Jane's note book I snatched from Coulson "Give it to Jane and earn those brownie points."

Thor steps off a ladder onto the roof of Smith Motors. He offers Jane his hand, helps her up. I climb up as well and am amazed by Jane's little set up. There's a telescope set up, a couple chairs, some blankets. "I come up here sometimes when I          can't sleep. Or when I'm trying to reconcile particle data. Or when Darcy's driving me crazy. I come up here a lot, now that I  think about it."

I sit on a chair as me and Thor look at the night sky, filled with stars. "I'm glad you're safe." says Jane "You've been very kind. I've been far less grateful than you deserve." says Thor "I also hit you with my car a couple times, so it kind of evens out." says Jane. She hit him with a car? We grin, then Thor reaches into his pocket and pulls out her          notebook.

"I don't believe it..." says Jane as she takes it from him, surprised and grateful. "It was all I could get back. Not as much as I promised. I'm sorry." says Thor, I give him a wink "No, this is good. Thank you. This means I don't have to start from scratch..." She sits down and opens the notebook eagerly, then stops, a harsh realization clouding her face. I notice.                         "What's wrong?" I ask.

"S.H.I.E.L.D., whatever they are. They're never going to let this research see the light of day." says Jane.

"You must do this. You must finish what you've started." says Thor.

"Why?"

"Because you're right. It's taken so many generations for your people to get to this point. You're nearly there. You just need someone to show you how close you really are." Thor moves beside her, opens her notebook, turns to the page which bears a sketch of a globe and a bridge and pictures.

He takes the pen from the notebook, begins to add to the sketch, leading from one point to another in space. "Look -- your ancestors called it magic. You call it science. I come from a place where they're one          and the same thing and even people in this world have that as well." says Thor looking to me.

I recognize that Thor is drawing the branches of a tree as me and Jane look on, amazed and intrigued. "What is it?" me and Jane ask, we look to each other and giggle "This is how my father explained it to me...Your world is one of the Nine Realms of the Cosmos, linked to each other by the branches of          Yggdrasil, the Worlds Tree. Now, you see it every day, without realizing. Images glimpsed through, what did you call it?......this Hubble Telescope. So, Nine Realms..." starts Thor, the two look at each other. Jane nods. They smile.

This is going to be a long night.