** Author's Note: So, there are some parodies in this chapter, very unsubtle references that you'll instantly recognise and no doubt roll your eyes due to the corniness. But I just couldn't resist. Sorry. My bad!**

Finding herself aboard one of S.H.I.E.L.D's helicopters, Sif had settled in for the journey and somehow managed to fall asleep. The heat inside, combined with the humming of the engine and whooshing of the blades somehow lulled her into a soft slumber.
It was after midnight, and only when they came in to land did she jerk awake, instantly irritated at herself for having drifted off.

"Where are we?"
She demanded, as she attempted to peer out of the small window which only afforded a distorted view of what looked like the ocean. But it was difficult to tell due to it still being dark outside.

"We're on the coast, approaching a town called Whitehaven. There's a helipad here, so it's the closest place to land to where Loki and Lorelei are."
The voice of Agent Coulson called out from the cockpit, his voice only just audible above the noise.

"Do you know how Loki fares? Is he unharmed?"
She yelled back, failing to conceal her concern for the mischievous God.

Coulson failed to respond, and it was only then that Sif realised Agent Romanoff had at some point joined her in the back of the helicopter. She sat alongside her now by the opposite window.

"We managed to get Loki's cell phone number, did you ever see him use one?"
She spoke hurriedly, her face deadly serious.

Sif nodded slowly,
"Yes he possessed such a device. Why?"

"And do you know any of his contacts? Anyone he associates with here?"

Pausing briefly, Sif recounted the information for her,
"There was Lorelei of course...then a woman named Chelsea...and her sister Anna....but of what importance is this?"

"Hmm, quite a few women. He always did strike me as a bit of a smooth operator-"

"What exactly are you implying?"
Sif cut her off sharply, and shot her a withering look.

Ignoring her but not oblivious to her irritation, Natasha continued,
"Are you sure you don't recall a Laurel Swan?"

Sif was just about to dismiss the question and reproach the agent for her blatant refusal to answer her own questions, when suddenly a vague recollection struck her, and the name Laurel Swan resounded in her head.
Yes, that was Lorelei's alias, and what had been the thing he'd said in the car park? "This is my swan song"
Whilst this phrase was commonly meant as a reference to the last performance of a person's career, what if he'd intended it as a clue?

Noticing the recognition on Sif's face, Natasha leaned closer expectantly,
"What do you know?"

"I may be mistaken, but Loki referred to the word swan before he was abducted. And Laurel was a name that Lorelei used."
Her words trailed off as she noted the way in which Natasha was nodding knowingly.

"Yeah....that makes a lot of sense."

"In what way?"
Sif asked, although she was almost afraid to.
And with good reason.

"It seems Luke De Ville and a Laurel Swan are partners in crime, quite literally.... "
The agent hesitated momentarily whilst Sif sat waiting with bated breath,
"...there's been some seriously shady business transactions, which we need to question him about. So he's going to have to come in before you plan on taking him anywhere."

Sif swallowed hard. Loki had specifically expressed how he had no intention of becoming a prisoner of S.H.I.E.L.D again. And he probably wasn't likely to take too kindly to Sif trying to persuade him to cooperate with any of their investigations either.

"What is the nature of these dealings? If you so urgently need to question him then I must know precisely what he is entangled in."
She demanded.

Eyeing her steadily in order to gage the shield maiden's reaction, Natasha's voice dropped lower,
"From the information we've ciphered from his PC, it would appear that your boyfriend is involved in illegal arms trading."

Stunned by her words for several different reasons, Sif took a sharp intake of breath. The shock and embarrassment causing her to reel as if she'd been physically struck.
"My, my what?!"

Chancing a quick glance towards the cockpit in order to ensure that Coulson wasn't looking on, Natasha leaned towards her as far as her seat restraints would allow,
"Call it intuition, but you seem more than just a little concerned for his well being. So I followed up a few local news reports which described a woman matching your description being involved in an RTA....witnesses reported seeing a guy matching Loki's description, one-handedly tossing a cab driver ten feet into the air, before fleeing the scene with the woman, who should have been seriously injured. Onlookers also described the pair as a couple-"

"They could easily have been mistaken!"
Sif cut in, perceptibly bristling,
"You choose to believe the presumptuous statements of bystanders? And why speak of such things now, when there are clearly far more urgent matters to discuss? Such as Loki's involvement with dealing in weapons."

"That's precisely why I am bringing it up..."
The agent explained,
"...I know what it's like to be compromised. But you can't afford to let your personal feelings impair your judgement. He already poses a serious threat to international security, and you could be risking an awful lot for someone who can't be trusted....on all levels."

The words hung in the air like a fog, a tense silence now descending.
As Sif gathered her thoughts she struggled to keep her expression impassive, in order to conceal the humiliation and rising panic that threatened to engulf her.
The only clue to her inner turmoil was the soft blush that dusted her face and neck.

"I appreciate your concern Miss Romanoff..."
She managed finally,
"...I don't doubt that your interference is kindly meant. I shall aid you in whatever way I can in order to assist in this most serious matter. Where is he at present?"

She sensed the woman's reluctance to divulge anything further, but as she stared at her imploringly, her resistance wavered,
"We've traced them to a small hotel, about thirty minutes from here. I spoke with the night manager there who confirmed they booked into a room just a short while ago."

A mixture of dread and anger began to swirl within the pit of Sif's stomach. The news that the trickster was sharing a room with Lorelei made her feel nauseated. She actually wanted to be sick.

"I know you might not wanna hear it, but you need to consider the possibility that Loki is playing both sides here. He seems overly familiar with Lorelei. It's almost ironic that the hotel manager described the pair as a 'couple' also."

Sif closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. Her bottom lip quivered, but she would not allow herself to shed any further tears over Loki.
Forcing all unwanted thoughts from her mind, she attempted to focus on what was most important.

"What do you need?"
She asked shakily.

Reaching into her jacket pocket, Natasha produced a small cellular phone,
"We have Loki's number now. You contact him via text, it's more discreet than calling. Once he knows it's you we'll see if he responds then take it from there. Our main priority is arresting Lorelei first. You have to play Loki at his own game, act naturally. We don't wanna spook him. Once we get you inside and remove her....then you haul his ass in."

Nodding slowly, Sif took the device from her with determination,
"Show me what to do."

**************

After having carried his bag up to the room, mindful of Lorelei observing his every move, Loki politely excused himself and slipped into the bathroom.
He'd felt the vibration of his phone in his back pocket, and trusted that she'd forgo monitoring his toiletry ablutions. He hoped that such an unsavoury invasion of one's personal privacy was beyond her limitations.
Once inside, he hurriedly checked his phone and found himself smiling as he read Sif's message....

Loki, it is I. The S.H.I.E.L.D agents have equipped me with this phone in order to make contact. They have also provided a collar, fashioned after Asgardian technological design, which will serve to silence Lorelei, thus enabling your escape. I am on route and shall be there soon.

Heaving a huge sigh of relief, he pulled the chain on the toilet in order to keep up the pretence and fool Lorelei into believing he'd used the facilities, before hastily typing a reply;

Thank goodness! For once those meddling morons have proved to be useful for a change. I shall keep her distracted so that you won't be detected upon arrival. I know her Achilles heel. I'll leave the door unlocked for you to gain entry. Be sure to come ALONE, Sif. S.H.I.E.L.D have served their purpose now. We have no further use of them. That's my girl ;)  xxx

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he opened the door, mentally bracing himself for what was to follow.
He slipped on his usual mask of indifference and shot Lorelei a wide smile.
She sat perched on the edge of the double bed, legs crossed and arms folded.

Exuding confidence, he sashayed towards her whilst slipping off his suit jacket.
"Now....where were we?"
He purred, fixing his gaze upon her.

Smiling sourly at him, Lorelei appeared to be far from impressed. And when she spoke, even her tone was tinged with bitterness,
"It will take more than your exaggerated public display of affection to convince me of your honest intentions.....Tom"

Chuckling as if to himself, Loki ran a hand through his now dark blonde hair. It felt odd to him, being shortly cropped, though slightly longer on top and perfectly coiffed.
"Pseudonym's are necessary. And Thomas seems to be a relatively common Midgardian name...As for my affections, you ought to know it isn't something to be taken lightly. Being openly affectionate is not in my nature."

Placing her hands on either side of the bed, Lorelei looked up at him from beneath her curtain of dark brunette hair,
"So you expect me to believe that by kissing me and referring to me as darling, you have somehow put the lady Sif from your mind? Do not insult my intelligence. Especially given the fact that you've deliberately changed my features to resemble her own...yet again!'

"Your appearance matters not to me, but I can understand why you would have your reservations..."
He exclaimed, his tone now deadly serious,
"...but actions speak louder than words, do they not?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth when he lunged towards her, lifting her small frame with ease as he pulled her into his arms.
At first the sorceress seemed hesitant, but the passion and ferocity of his kiss surprised her.
Seeming to give in to his advances, he was both relieved yet reluctant as she returned his kiss.

This was a new experience for Loki, and one he did not like at all.
In the past he'd bedded many women, Karnilla, Amora....even Brunhilde the chief Valkyrie on more than one occasion after an initial drunken fumbling that took place during their adolescence. As well as Lorelei herself....amongst others.

But none of his sexual encounters had ever left him as sated as he had felt when coupling with Sif.
None of them captivated his interest like she did. And whilst they were all attractive in their own way, to him, Sif's beauty was beyond compare.
He'd desired her for the entirety of his adult life, and her touch seemed to set his very soul on fire.
Discovering that they shared a mutual attraction for each other had thrown him completely off kilter. He'd revelled in the knowledge that she desired him, her caresses and kisses caused a surging heat to pump through his veins which had proved to be addictive.
But it wasn't just her lustful craving that he couldn't get enough of.
He enjoyed her company, and her tenderness towards him had somehow melted his previously frozen heart.

So now it took great effort as he pushed Lorelei down onto the bed. There was no feeling, as his hands roamed over her familiar, yet unfamiliar body.
Prior to Sif, engaging in carnal activity was something he was able to do without dwelling on his emotions.
The workings of the male mind differed somewhat to females. Separating love and sex came naturally.
But now he was struggling with feelings of guilt, and repulsion. Which was alarming.
What did it mean? Had Lorelei been right when she'd accused him of loving Sif?
He'd desperately tried not to dwell on it and hadn't been willing to consider it as a possibility until now.

He reasoned with himself that what he was doing now was necessary. He had to keep Lorelei distracted and away from her crystal ball, whilst simultaneously keeping up the pretence that his loyalty lay with her.
This was who he was. He had to adapt in order to survive, just like he'd always done. She had power over him. And although he was indebted to her for assisting him, and being his ally since his arrival on Midgard, everything had now changed.

Unbuttoning his shirt, she now slipped her hands inside in order to feel his skin beneath her fingertips. Under normal circumstances he should have found this arousing, but instead her touch left him cold, and he felt almost numb on the inside.
The hollow space had returned.
Sif alone had filled that internal void, and the sobering realisation that such an emotional attachment could only mean that he'd fallen in love with her, unnerved him and shook him to the core.

Rolling around on the bed in a passionate clinch; feigning an enthusiasm he did not truly feel, he strained his hearing in order to listen out for Sif's arrival, and silently willed her to hurry.
Because he knew now, he was not able to go through with this. He'd started something he could not, and did not want, to finish.

Fortunately for him, his sharp senses did not fail him, and at last he heard the approaching footsteps in the hallway.
Using his keen wits he purposely positioned himself beneath Lorelei so her back was to the door, ardently peeling her top over her head whilst muttering false declarations of desire.
His plan worked well; muffling the sound of the door opening, and Sif did not disappoint him by acting swiftly....

Unbeknownst to him, she was already seething as she'd made her way up to the room.
Upon her arrival she'd been shown the CCTV footage from the hotel reception.
The manager had obligingly agreed to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D after a lengthy telephone conversation with both Agent Romanoff and Director Fury, who'd contacted the hotel directly to inform the manager of the situation.
As a result, the hotel staff were awaiting Sif's arrival. But after positively identifying Loki's car, she was confused when the driver was described as being fair haired, and going by the name of Thomas Pine.

In order to be sure, the manager had shown her the footage captured by the camera in the hotel lobby.
Taken aback by Loki's different look, that soon became the furthest thing from her mind once she saw the images of him tentatively placing his hand at the small of Lorelei's back as he'd steered her inside. The recording became increasingly painful to watch, as whilst waiting for the key and booking-in receipt, he proceeded to wrap his arms around her waist, kissing her neck like some loved-up newlywed on honeymoon.

As she opened the door to the room, for a fleeting moment she froze.
Greeted by the shocking sight of a semi-naked Lorelei writhing around atop of Loki on the bed, she felt as if her chest was being trampled on by a herd of stampeding Bilgesnipe.
But her senses soon returned, and she recovered quickly. Without pausing for thought, she raced across the room with all the speed and conviction she usually reserved for the battlefield.
Gripping her nemesis by the hair, she pulled her backwards onto the floor aggressively.

Dazed by the sudden and unexpected attack, Lorelei did not have time to put up a fight as Sif struck her hard across the face; stunning her further, before clamping the Asgardian collar into place over her mouth.
The sorceress regained her wits, and made to stand in the hope of taking Sif on, but this only served to anger the shield maiden further.
With lightning speed, she brought her elbow up hard and it connected with Lorelei's chin with excessive force, before using her foot to sweep her legs from under her.

"Stay down whore, unless you wish to suffer my wrath further!"
She warned, producing a dagger from her belt as she stood over the hapless Lorelei who now lay crumpled on the floor. No doubt seeing stars from the blow she'd just received.

Loki sat up, his shirt still open and his sandy hair now slightly dishevelled,
"Good girl....I knew you'd come."
He grinned lazily, as he rose and approached her.

As he stepped forwards she shrunk away from him, and refused to look him in the face. She couldn't quite bring herself to. As much as she'd feared for his safety and had longed to have him safe in her arms after the kidnapping, his intimate exchanges with her lifelong enemy had wounded her far more deeply than she could have ever anticipated.

"What troubles you, Sif? Is my new look not pleasing to you?"
He joked clumsily, for want of something better to say.

Undeterred by her coolness towards him, he persisted in his attempts to be near to her. But as he made to snake his hands around her waist, she could no longer contain her anger.
Spinning around she slapped him ferociously hard across the face, his head whipping back with the force of it.

"It is your behaviour that displeases me, you ignorant pig!"
She hissed.
But to her utter astonishment he responded by grinning devilishly at her.

"You're so fiery Sif....I like that."

"Go to hell, you son of a bitch!"
She fired back scathingly, turning her attentions back to Lorelei.

Gripping her roughly by the arm, she began dragging her towards the door; ignoring her inaudible mumblings of protest which were muffled by the collar.

"What are you doing?"
He demanded, clearly confused by Sif's actions.

"I am handing her over to S.H.I.E.L.D."
She replied simply, without looking up.

"What?!"

"You heard me, sly one."

"You brought them here, when I specifically told you not to!"
His voice raised by several octaves as panic gripped him.

"She is wanted for questioning....and you are well aware of the reason."

It was then that Loki took in the dagger she was still brandishing, and instantly recognised it as his own.

"You've been back to the apartment..."
He barked accusingly,
"...you betrayed me, by leading them there!"

"Betray you?"
She cried, halting in the doorway. Fixing her eyes on him she regarded him with a look of pure disdain,
"You hypocrite...you dare speak of betrayal when you had no intention of returning with me to Asgard, otherwise why would you have taken that with you for the journey!"
She gestured towards his bag which lay on the floor in the corner of the room.

"I packed that before you convinced me to return to the bifrost site-"

"Yet you still ensured that you took it with you in the car, despite having no need of those belongings. So do not attempt to lie your way out of this.....otherwise I shall silence that silver tongue of yours once and for all..."
She pointed the dagger at him, in order to make her intentions blindingly clear,
"....yes, it appears whilst in your haste to abscond you neglected to pack your most favoured weapon."

"Speak plainly woman, what precisely are you accusing me of?"

"I should have questioned you in relation to how you managed to fund your elaborate lifestyle. The accommodation, the car, the expensive clothing and furnishings....I overlooked so many things, but it all makes sense now, and I've had time to come to my senses. You have been in league with Lorelei all along, and it is my firm belief that you also intended to elope with her. That charade of an abduction was probably no more than an elaborate hoax."

His brow furrowed further, and he stared at her askance,
"Don't be so utterly ridiculous! What would lead you to such a conclusion?"

Lorelei began to squirm and writhe in Sif's grasp, earning her another sharp blow to the side of the head which instantly caused her to desist struggling.
Loki swallowed hard.
The ferocity Sif was exhibiting, proved that she was in no mood to be trifled with. But as she continued to haul the stunned Lorelei through the door, he was struck with the startling reminder of the sorceress' hold over him.

"Wait!"
He called out, attempting to keep his tone calm,
"Please don't...I still need her-"

Without giving him further chance to explain, the shield maiden dropped her prisoner and launched herself at him. A red mist had descended; her temper soared, and she could no longer contain the fury that had welled within her. His words had been the final straw.

She tackled him to the ground, and the combination of her rage and him being caught off-guard resulted in her easily besting him in their tussle. Her movements were a blur and he found himself flat on his back, her straddling him. His own dagger pressed against his throat.

"Need her?"
She echoed,
"Well that is most unfortunate, as I am going to deliver her to the agents who are standing by outside....and then I shall return to deal with you!"

She moved to stand, and as she rose he reached out towards her in a vain attempt to catch hold of her by the arm,
"Sif, you misunderstand me-"

"Don't you dare!"
She roared, her reflexes causing her to whirl around and swipe at his grasping hand,
"Do not touch me ever again!"

Without so much as a glance backwards, she left the room, dragging Lorelei with her.
It was only when she reached the hotel lobby and was met by Natasha and several other armed agents, did she sheath the dagger.
And she froze, paralysed at the sight of the blood which stained the blade.

"Are you sure you don't need back-up to help bring him in?"
Natasha was asking now, as Lorelei was duly handcuffed and led away,
"I know it must be hard, but you were all over the place in there."

"I assure you, I need no assistance."
Sif replied distractedly, her previous anger giving way to concern.

She had injured Loki.
Unintentionally in her blind rage, she'd lashed out at him. And as she stared at his blood which marked his own dagger, she felt an icy chill creep down her spine. Because no matter how angry, frustrated and disappointed she was with her wretched lover, she could not bear the thought of having caused him any harm.

"Please....just give me a little more time."
She all but begged.
And it was her desperation; the uncharacteristic way in which she implored with such urgency that resulted in agent Romanoff agreeing to her request without argument.

Choosing to take the stairs in order to save time, Sif rushed back to the room, the nagging uneasiness growing as her feet didn't seem able to move as fast as she needed them to.

Crashing through the the door, which was ominously still ajar, her eyes fell on the dark red stain on the beige carpet where Loki had been.
Gripped by panic, she scanned the room and upon further inspection noticed the bed sheets now lay askew half on the floor.

"Loki?"
She called out, instinctively heading for the bathroom.

There was no response, so she threw open the door and took a sharp intake of breath when she saw him leaning over the sink; his left hand immersed in the basin, which was filled with bloodied water

"Loki!"
She exclaimed, clasping a trembling hand to her mouth,
"What have I done?"

Slowly he raised his head, and forced a tight smile which did not meet his eyes,
"A little blood goes an awful long way Sif....it's probably nothing more than a mere scratch."