The day was brilliantly fine as Loki escorted Bishop down to the lakeside shore, her arm tucked in his. A soft breeze brushed past his skin, setting her blonde hair to waving on the wind, rippling out behind her. The soft grey dress she wore, made in the Asgardian style, with subtle gold stitching along the waist and neckline, looked beautiful on her.

"You'll love the lake," Loki told her. "It's beautiful, especially at this time of year."

Bishop smiled up at him and he smiled back. "I can't wait to see it," Bishop responded. "Asgard is even more beautiful this time."

"Asgard in spring is simply lovely," Loki agreed. "Although I do love the forests in autumn, when the leaves turn gold and orange and the winds are cool. You can feel the change in the air and it's exhilarating." He smiled again, looking down into her eyes. "In the fall, we'll have to come back."

The lake came into sight as they continued along the smooth stone path, spreading out away from the city. The sun glinted off the rippling water, almost blinding the couple for a moment before they descended the last set of stairs onto the terrace and the angle of sunshine wasn't as strong.

A large picnic basket was waiting on the table, although no one else was around. Bishop glanced over at Loki after she spotted it. "Did you have that brought here?"

"Being a prince has its benefits," Loki replied. "I felt you might enjoy this more than remaining in the palace for the rest of the day."

"Thank you," Bishop said. "This is great. Besides, we never did have our second date."

"Right," Loki said. "Well, it may be long overdue, but it's here at last. Let us enjoy it."

He escorted her down to the thin golden table, seating her on the bench before sitting down beside her. Bishop opened the picnic basket and pulled out a couple of silver plates. "Ooh, your Asgardians are fancy when it comes to picnics."

Loki laughed. "I believe my mother packed this. She must have gotten wind of it from the servants."

"Your mother is amazing," Bishop said, and Loki laughed again.

"Yes, she is."

The two talked while they ate the sandwiches and freshly baked pie inside the basket. "Asgardians eat sandwiches?" Bishop asked at first seeing the food.

"Well, ever since Thor spent that time in New Mexico, we've tried out a few new food types here from Midgard. Thor's even been joking an 'American' bar will open up soon to serve exclusively Midgardian food."

"A tip to whoever opens that bar," Bishop said. "Use mayonnaise on the.... What type of sandwiches are these, anyway?"

"Quail," Loki said. "Usually, we don't make sandwiches out of them, but Thor said you mortals like to put birds on bread. And sometimes cattle."

Bishop just laughed at him.

As soon as they had finished eating, Loki grabbed Bishop's hands and pulled her up off of the bench. "Come with me, darling." He led her down off of the terrace, toward the lake shore. "Isn't this magnificent?"

"Truly," Bishop said, shading her eyes from the sun. "It's even better being here with you."

Loki turned to her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she draped her arms over his shoulders. "I wholeheartedly agree. That it's better being here with you, I mean."

Bishop leaned into him, lifting her face up to his as she smiled softly. "I wish it could be this way always."

Loki felt a slight ache inside him, knowing he yearned for the same possibility. Someday. Someday, I swear. "Me, too, Ellie. I want that more than anything." There was a long, serious silence for a moment as he just held her, before he added, "Although, perhaps, we should finish our second date before we start discussing the future."

Bishop remained quiet and Loki worried he'd said the wrong thing. "Forget I said anything, Ellie."

"No," Bishop said, looking up at him again, her eyes serious. "I was just wondering...is there even a future for us? I mean, you're an Asgardian prince and I'm an NCIS agent. If we wanted a future, could we even have one? Even just as a couple."

Troubled, Loki gazed down at her. "Yes. There has to be. There will be a future for us, when we are ready for it. I swear it."

"You can't promise something like that," Bishop told him.

"I would rearrange the stars for you," Loki said quietly. "I swear we will have a future, no matter what I have to do to have it."

"Just don't commit atrocious war crimes again," she said with a small, strained laugh, and Loki brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I won't," he said. "I can assure you of that. But I will move Asgard and Midgard to give you a future with me, if you would have it."

Silence fell again, but this time it was a contented silence, the two of them just enjoying being alone together. Then they turned to look out across the lake, toward the mountains reaching up into the sky in the distance.

Bishop took Loki's hand. "Come on, let's go to the water," she encouraged, and he followed her down, leaving the perfectly manicured grass behind for the sand of the lake shore.

Kicking their shoes off, Bishop continued to lead the way into the water until they were standing ankle deep in the lake. The hem of her dress dragged in the water, the color darkening as the fabric absorbed the water. She was grinning now, like their previous conversation hadn't happened, and Loki grabbed her by the waist and spun her around, lifting her off the ground. The momentum soon grew too much and the two fell down into the lake, the water splashing up around them as Bishop shook the hair out of her eyes. "I'll get you for that," she threatened, with a laugh, and Loki grinned back at her.

"How are you going to do that, darling?"

In response, Bishop struck the water hard with her hands, sending a stream up into Loki's face. As he recoiled, wiping the water from his eyes, he heard her laughing and blindly reached forward, grabbing her and pulling her to him as he sat in the water.

"There's no DiNozzo to interrupt us this time," he said as he kissed her.

"Or Stark," Bishop replied, her fingers running through his hair. "It's just us."

As if their words had jinxed them, a cell phone could vaguely be heard ringing.

"What the –?" Loki began, glancing around them suspiciously. He stood, helping Bishop to her feet, and the two of them turned, scanning their surroundings for a sign of the noise. "That's not you, is it? I swear, if that's somehow DiNozzo, I will kill him."

"No, it's not me," Bishop said. "I left my phone in my room. Besides, I don't get reception up here."

There was no one in sight, but the phone kept ringing, the faint strains of some song playing. Loki and Bishop exchanged a glance, then Loki slowly walked out of the lake, summoning two daggers and handing one to Bishop.

"Stay close," he warned, and she nodded.

The sound of the phone grew louder as they walked along the shore, but there was no sign of the source. Bishop cocked her head as they approached it. "Isn't this Imagine Dragons?"

"Why are you asking me?" Loki asked. "I don't know."

"It is," Bishop said. "Demons."

Loki tilted his head as he listened to the lyrics. "When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide."

What sort of premonition is this?

"This is too long for a ringtone," Bishop said as the song continued. "Something's wrong."

"Besides the fact that we can't see a phone or a person?" Loki asked. "Yes, something's very wrong."

"They say it's what you make, I say it's up to fate. It's woven in my soul, I need to let you go. Your eyes, they shine so bright, I wanna save that light. I can't escape this now, unless you show me how!"

"Whoever is causing that noise, show yourself or be killed!" Loki declared.

"Who said that?"

The panicked voice echoed through the air, seeming to come from right in front of the two agents. They both jumped, for there still wasn't anyone there. But the voice was unmistakably coming from in front of Loki and Bishop.

Loki stepped forward, brow furrowed as he glanced around, but with that one step the lake scenery and Bishop disappeared and he was standing on a street, looking at a middle-aged homeless man sitting on a curb in the middle of an empty area. One look around confirmed it as Ghost Street.

"Loki?" Bishop's voice came from behind him and then suddenly, she was standing beside him. The man stared at them, his eyes wide.

"Where's the music coming from?" Loki demanded. "Why were you playing this Imagine Dragons music?"

"Uh, I wasn't playing music," the guy answered. "And why would I imagine a dragon?"

"Then where did the music come from?" Loki asked, glancing around suspiciously. The man continued to stare at them, shocked, and it was only on reflection that Loki considered they must look sort of strange, their clothes being soaked and in a style Midgardians did not wear.

"Oh, good. He heard."

Loki turned his head to see Halo looking at him, her head cocked, hands on her hips. "I told you the premonitions would summon him." She smirked. "You want something you can't have. All it took was that reminder of his inability to keep what he thinks he has."

"Brilliant, as always," her partner responded, standing on the other side of the NCIS agents. His hands were clenched at his sides. The homeless man glanced from one enhanced to the other, then scuttled backwards, out of the way.

"Ellie, behind me," Loki said, just as Halo began to glow and the surrounding streetlamps sparked as her partner raised his fists.

Protect her, no matter what. Protect her from them.

Loki thrust his arms out just as they did, and the Aether's dark red light struck their powers and turned it into ash. His own powers swept forward and collided with the two, sending them and the homeless man flying backwards. Both Halo and her partner turned their momentum into a flip and landed on their feet, Halo's form still glowing, but the homeless man wasn't so lucky, instead striking a building and lying on the ground groaning.

He felt Bishop's arms around him and felt exhaustion ripple through him. Protect the homeless man, he commanded the Aether inside him. Keep him from Halo and her partner. His strength couldn't take much more of this power, however, and so Loki retreated backwards, Ghost Street vanishing as Asgard reappeared.

"Aw, not fair. But watch, poster boy, we'll be back for you. You can't contain us or restrain us. We'll always get out." Halo's promise lingered on the air for a moment, and then it was gone, the music was gone, and Loki and Bishop were again alone on the beach, completely baffled.