Turning The Tides (Prequel to The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Chapter Two

Some background with Saleen, and we get to meet Jane! Once again, all credit to Will_of_Fiore for the lovely (and badass) girl. :)

Enjoy!

***

Thor left the celebration during the middle of it, just not into it. He walked off to the side, pausing when he saw Sif was already there, then joined her. Sif tilted her head as she considered him. "There was a time you would celebrate for weeks," she remarked.

Thor smirked. "I remember you celebrated the battle of Haragon so much that you nearly started a second."

"Well the first was so much fun," Sif gave a feral grin, and they both laughed before she sobered. "Take a drink with me. Surely the Allfather could have no further task for you tonight."

"No, this is one I set myself," Thor shook his head.

She frowned at him. "It has not gone unnoticed that you disappear each night. There are Nine Realms. The future king of Asgard must focus on more than one."

Thor raised an eyebrow, then gave a slight bow. "I thank you for your sword and for your counsel, good Lady Sif."

Sif could only sigh and watch as he left.

***

A pretty brunette woman was still almost hiding behind her menu when a napkin was pushed her way. She took a look at the word 'hi' written on it, then peered over the menu at her date. "Hi," Richard told her.

"Hi," Jane Foster said sheepishly.

"So what's the story with you?"

"Why does there have to be a story?" she asked with an awkward smile. "There's no story."

Richard gave her a look. "You've spent the first ten minutes of our date hiding behind a menu that has three choices on it. It's either chicken, vegetarian, or fish, Jane. I think there's a story, and I'm think the story involves a guy?"

Jane fidgeted. "It's complicated."

"Is he still around?"

"No, he . . . went away," she lowered her gaze. She was still a bit mad at Thor for that.

"I've been there," Richard nodded. "The going away, it's hard. I'd been seeing a woman, and, uh, she took a job in New York. Eventually, the distance killed it. And . . . and the fact that she, uh . . . she kept sleeping with other dudes."

"No!" Jane's eyes widened.

"Oh, so many," Richard nodded, then looked up when another woman approached the table. "Hi. Um, could we get some wine, please?"

"Sure, I'd love some," the woman grinned at them.

Jane closed her eyes. "Richard, this is Darcy." She turned to glare at her assistant. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hello," Richard blinked as Darcy Lewis pulled up a chair from another table, plopping down right between them.

"So I show up to work at the lab-slash-your mom's house," Darcy told her story, taking a piece of bread and buttering it, "fully expecting you to be moping around in your pajamas eating ice cream obsessing about you-know-who - "

"Ah," Richard looked at Jane with a slight frown.

"But you're not!" Darcy grinned. "You're wearing lady clothes! You even showered, didn't you? You smell good."

"Is there a point to all this?" Jane gritted her teeth. "'Cause there really has to be a point to all this."

"Right," Darcy straightened. "You know that scientific equipment you don't look at anymore? You might wanna start looking at it now." Jane blinked as Darcy plopped one of her gadgets into her hand. "This is the reason we came all the way out here."