Forever and Ever, Amen

"I'm gonna love you forever and ever, forever and ever Amen..."

Days turned to weeks, months to years and he sees the signs that Loki was closer and closer each time Jackson got a clue of his where abouts. His old cowboy boots had to be replaced, the old ones that he had when he met Loki put in one of his old bags that he dragged everywhere with him on his journey. That song was the only thing keeping him going and giving him hope, even with Injury after injury and seemingly getting so close and losing him just as quickly. Jacksons hair grew out, took side jobs to survive and he became a sturdy man. He went from skinny trans boy in his late 20s to a large lumberjack of a man in his mid 30s, and his facial hair makes it look that way too. New scars, a greasy dirty outlook on his body and tattered clothes as he marches his way around the universe. Back at TVA, Loki sighs as he hears about this version of him that keeps escaping the crew he's with. He's heard of red haired versions of himself, but something didn't feel right about this. Every bar this man goes to and evidently evades them in says he whistles this 'Annoying' tune, and it makes Loki try to think of what it could be. Ironically, Mobius raises a brow across the library table as Loki digs through the files of other Loki's. When he thinks, he whistles, and he whistles the tune needed to put the dots together without even realizing it. As he whistles it he freezes, and he goes wide eyed as he digs through his personal record... To see a picture that he's seen a thousand times over and over. It's the night they danced in the bar together, the night they fell in love and made Montana home. His eyes shake as he stares wide eyed and let's a tear slip, Mobius sighing as he shakes his head and gestures towards the files in front of the Magpie. "Now why the hell does that matter right now? This isn't a time for memory lane, pal. I know you miss him, but-" "It's him, he's the variant." Mobius blinks silently in surprise as Loki interrupts him with a fast and shaken voice barely above a whisper. "He isn't a variant, Mobius, he's my lover. He used my books, my magic, to try and bring me back and now he's in a limbo like the rest of us. Mobius, we need to go back In time to the night we met! He's there, or at least he goes back to that night to see my face..." Loki falls apart as his fumbling hands close the files, abruptly standing up and storming off like a man on a mission. "He's traveling time lines hoping he will bump into me, and that bar was the world for us! If it's any timeline he will pit stop in, it's that one!" Mobius shouts Loki's name and bolts after him with a tired sigh. Yet he doesn't question it, calling in the crew and following Loki's lead out the door into a time where things were where they're supposed to be. It's so close, yet so far...

"I'm gonna love you forever and ever..."

Jackson hid himself at a booth outside, a cowboy hat and a bandana hiding his face as he watches his younger self dance and sing from the dance floor with the man who died before he could marry him. His younger self drags Loki outside as they keep singing and dancing, Loki's feet tripping out the door as they laugh. He follows them, watching as he leans against the wall by the door while his foot taps to the song. And he starts to whistle, his hat hiding the tear sliding down to be taken by his green bandana. Meanwhile, his Loki speed walks down the streets of small town Troy just looking for any sign of Jackson. He has to be hiding in plain sight and Loki knows he's smarter than he gives himself credit for. As he gets closer to the bar, he starts singing to the music as it gets louder and louder. But he no longer grinds his teeth to what was once his least favorite music, he smiles as he turns the corner of the block across the street if the bar to see his younger love life dancing and laughing. He gets lost in it for a second, Mobius chuckling as he tries to snap Loki back into orbit. "Hey, earth to Loki! I have to admit, this is some of the sappiest shit I've seen, but your 'Variant' is who were looking for." Loki just whines as he hears the music getting close to ending, and just as he remembers... It plays again. He sobs a little as the tears slip out down to his quivering chin, his eyes scanning for Jackson. His eyes land on the mysterious figure tapping his toe to the beat, that green bandana being all to familiar. That's the one he bought Jackson at a hippie shop on the edge of Sandpoint- His legs act before he can stop them, and he's sprinting towards the chaos that's a Friday night biker bar. Jackson hears a familiar voice and he looks up, his eyes going wide as his hands shake. It can't be, did he just fall Into his lap!? He hops over the rail of the bar and runs towards the Magpie with a loud Hollar of his name, tripping for a moment and landing right into Loki. They both tumble to the sidewalk gravel with a wheeze, but Loki laughs in joy as he wraps around the know strong bodied Jackson who picks him up with ease and holds him tight as he stands back up. Loki wraps his legs around the cowboys waist as his hands cup Jackson's cheeks to pull him into a long awaited kiss that he thought he'd never have again. Jackson kisses him back with those chapped and not as youthful lips as he sobs into the god of Mischiefs soft and well cared for own.

"Forever and ever..."

Loki slowly pull away to sob out pleas and apologies as Jackson just laughs and places his face into Loki's neck with a grin. "Boy I don't wanna hear that right now, save your apologies for when you've actually done somethin' wrong alright?" Loki whimpers at this as they sit in each other's embrace, Mobius walking over and tapping the lovers shoulders. "I'm glad you two got it figured out, but Space Cowboy has to head home got it? This is a chance to have a proper good bye." With a clap of his hands, the older man pauses the timeline and causes it to freeze in place as to not be seen or disturbed. Jackson snaps at Mobius and steps back like a protective dog, Loki grasping that green flannel tight for dear life. "No way in hell am I leavin' him after all these damn years of lookin'! He's comin' home with me got it? I know I broke some time line rules or some shit, but he has a kid that needs him- So I'm sorry but I ain't lettin' him go over my dead body!" Mobius steps forward, one of his men pointing a gun at Jackson in a silent warning to put the Magpie down. But this Bluejay isn't backing down, snarling at the crowd with the intent of leaving with Loki. Mobius tries to talk some sense to his team mate, but the man only holds Jackson tighter. His emerald eyes are squeezed shut as he pleas with a voice only Jackson can hear. "Don't let me go, please... Please tell me I can just go home, I want to go home Jackie. I can't go back, I just can't." It makes Jackson stand his ground, and Mobius tries to talk down his agent as the cowboy becomes more hostile. Said agent loads the gun, pointing it at Loki's back as if saying that Loki either comes with or it's game over. Jackson instead turns a heal and starts running off, Loki looking over his shoulder with wide eyes at the bold move. "Just hold on, I can get a gate way opened and we can go ho-" Gun shots ring out, and Loki's world stops turning as Jackson tumbles and rolls into the dry grass fields across the way of the bar. He ends up letting the cowboy go, tumbling next to him as he yelps in surprise. He quickly fumbles over himself and shouts for his lover to stay awake, reaching out to see the blood coming out of Jackson's back. Mobius watches with sad eyes as Loki flips his Bluejay over, seeing blood already come out of his mouth where a smile shines through the red stained teeth on Jacksons face. "I... I love you, ya know? I already told Thor... To keep an eye on our boy if I didn't come back. Go home, run Magpie, I'll keep them at bay-" Loki groans as he picks up his Bluejay and grabs the book that tumbled out of his lovers pocket during the fall. "Now isn't the time to play hero you fool! Damn you, damn you and your stupid big heart! S-Stop singing that song, you're gonna live-" Jackson ignores Loki's words as he sings the last bit of that song while raising a hand up high and snapping his fingers to open a crack in the space time continuum, Mobius screaming at Loki to stop before it's too late. He froze, and decided that if Jackson came all this way, the least he can do is get home safely. He grinds his molars as he tries to block out that horrid noise of boots on pavement running towards him as he shouts and runs in head first through the green galaxy looking door in space. Jackson closes the door behind him, his voice becoming faint as he loses consciousness on Loki's back. The men tumble Into the wild flower field on their property, and by the sights it's the right time line. The field is untamed, and the cabin looks over grown with vines and flowers of kinds... He quickly redirects himself to the man who landed next to him, his eyes and hands frantically searching for a sign of life. Jackson cracks open his eye just enough to get a glimpse of Loki's face above his, the moon behind him like a halo as the stars shine so brightly around the Magpies face.

"Forever and ever...."

Jackson chokes on the last words of the song as Loki sobs loudly, his hands holding those freckle dusted cheeks caked in dirt and sweat like it was glass. He shakes his head as tries to stop the bleeding, a hand quickly trying to put pressure on the wound while trying to muster the magic to heal said wound. "Stop... Stop singing our song like you're dying, Jackie, please! Stay with me, stay here with your future husband ok? W-We will get married, and we will see our son grow up with someone he loves, and I will redeem myself! I'll do what ever I can, just stay here with me through it all! I can't lose you, Bluejay!" His forehead presses against the dirt covered forehead that belonged to the man who's face goes pale, his eye fluttering shut as he goes limp in Loki's arms. In panic, he shouts his lovers name in an attempt to wake him back up as his magic only just barely touched the surface of the wound on Jacksons back, and he hears the breathing become more and more rough and faint. Loki finally realizes it's too late, sobbing as he sings the last part of the song for the man of his life. His world falls apart as his lover fades away in his blood soaked wings, kissing his lips goodbye as he shakes like a leaf. He sat there for well over an hour before picking up the heavy dead weight body and moving it towards the back of the cabin, singing the song all the way through from beginning to end as he digs a grave for his beloved Bluejay. Meanwhile, Heimdall sees the sudden shift on Midgard from his new home in Norway, his focus landing on that property in Troy with sad eyes. He sighs, pulling out his little phone and calling Thor to tell him the news. The god of Thunder races as fast as he can through the sky, an all grown up Jaybird in a flight suit behind him as they soar towards home. Loki slowly places the body in the shallow grave below, his hand rubbing Jackson's cheek one last time as he feels himself disassociate from the stress and pain. He hates this coping mechanism of his, but at least his tears have stopped as he finally pulls away and placed a blade over the body. Loki grabs Jackson's hand one last time, putting it over the blade that he made himself. He carried this blade with him, the one he made himself for when he was going to propose to his Bluebird when he came home. Thor flies as fast as he can, landing next to the cabin with his brothers child just behind him. And the sight breaks both of their hearts, Jaybird running over passed Thor with a loud shout of Loki's name. "Dad!! Dad it's really you! Pops did it, he-" His own green eyes land on the barely finished grave, his heart stopping as his happy tears become terrified ones. "Where's... Dad, where's pops? Dad please, don't tell me that's him please you can't-" Loki drops the shovel and pulls his son into a tight hold as he falls apart all over again. "Jay, he's... He's gone, and it's all my fault I'm sorry!" His son clutches his brown trench coat with a vice, his eyes spilling like a water fall as he lets it sink in. He lost one father, yet gained back another, and it feels wrong. This should be a full family, he promised he'd be back just like Loki did and he's gone. Jays legs go weak, and his father picks him up just like he did when he was a child. He cradles his boy close to him as the mourn together, Thor watching with broken eyes as he remembers Jackson's words. This was going to be harsh without him, and Thor knows it- His brother will need him more than ever during this phase in his life but at least he can be here this time. He speeds over quickly with haste, immediately pulling his brother and nephew close as his family tries to pick up the pieces all over again. Loki looks back at the stones that cover the grave of his beloved bluebird, knowing he will never hear him sing those words ever again...

"Forever and ever... amen~"