One With Gods

Long ago...

A young prince sat alone at a social gathering. A feast for an occasion he forgot the name of; not that he cared, anyway. Other men his age were gathered in a dark corner, loudly sharing stories of all the wars they've fought in and the maidens they've taken. The young man's own brother was apart of the rowdy group. He shakes his head at the foolish displays of masculinity, each one trying to out do the next. He knew a fight would break out soon and quickly end with idiotic laughter when someone gets tackled onto a table. He stayed clear of all of that madness, choosing to finish up a poem he started. Others called him a trickster, but to him, they were just too slow to catch on. People believed his self importance was unwarranted, but it was true, he was better than them in every way. No one would ever come over and ask him to join the festivities, either they didn't want his company or already knew what his answer would be. That didn't mean he didn't want to joke, to laugh, to dance; but he sure wouldn't be caught fraternizing with those imbeciles. He was interested in a few women but he knew his feelings were unrequited, he didn't exactly meet the social standard for beauty among the populous. He was an anomaly, while most had golden hair, his was the color of a ravens feathers, while most had muscles he decided to exercise the idea of brains, not brawn. He saw the young women eye the warriors closely and he told himself any woman interested in men like that didn't deserve him anyway. Ladies have approached him of course, leading him to learn quickly that his title and class could win him a bride; but he hastily halted any advances made by a woman who would only take interest in him because he was a prince. No low class lady ever challenged him, and he found no joy learning this. His brother; however, was ecstatic at the news.

He grew up loveless, the other males- including his brother- teased him, saying the only woman he socialized with was his mother. It was mostly true; he respected his mother more than anyone, and he enjoyed her company. He didn't see anything wrong with it, but the other men used it as fuel. He let it get to an annoyingly high peak and decided to give in. He let them witness him taking a young woman back to his chambers. He didn't do anything with her, discovering she was a virgin. He told her that her first time should be with someone she trusted, somewhat lecturing her on the matter. Later that night he chivalrously offered to walk her home but she declined. The next morning she went to the king and told him that the young prince took her virtue without her permission in the night. The men that saw him leave the tavern with her were forced to testify against him. The man plead not guilty but he was not believed, even his mother turned her face away from him in disgrace. This earned him the title of mischievous and he was punished accordingly. He didn't care what the populous thought of him, he just wanted at least one person to believe in him. And no one did until later, after his punishment was served. He was able to convince his loving mother of the truth, and that's all he needed. But now no one else trusted him. He was a trickster, a liar and he wasn't fit to be king. So he started acting how people expected him to, he became the evil terrorist people thought he already was.

ANNA

"Isabellianna, daughter of Roarke." Odin spoke my name in front of the room of people. My cheeks were hot with embarrassment, I kept my head bowed as I knelt in front of him. "You are a brave warrior, a smart ally, and a kind friend to my family and my kingdom. I ask you to forgive my father's mistakes, to hold nothing against the people of Asgard, our shame of letting your magnificent species die out is burden enough. In return you will be recognized as a diplomat, I grant you safe passage in Asgard and a shelter under my own roof. Whatever you desire I shall not deny so long as it is just and in my power. Rise, Lady Isabellianna!" As he addressed me for the last time and I stood, the room full of people cheered. 

Frigga and her daughters came over to congratulate me and I embraced each of them in a hug. There was still sadness lingering from earlier in the day but they masked it well. 

"Will you sit with us at the feast?" Illain, the youngest sister asked hopefully. Time on Asgard was different, so she might have been seventy Earth years old, but looks to be about thirteen.

"Now, my sweet, you know she will have to be seated at your father's right hand." Frigga told her daughter.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Feast?" I asked.

Ygritte rolled her eyes. "There's always a feast." I smiled at her, she reminded me of Natasha, firey yet reserved when need be.

I looked to Illain. "Well your father did say he would grant me whatever I desire, and I would love to sit next to you during the feast." I smiled and she grinned back. 

__________ÅÅÅÅÅ__________ 

It was just how it sounded, a feast. Different kinds of food, and a lot of it. I sat next to Odin for a few moments after he made his opening remarks and a toast then I asked him if I could change the seating arrangements. So now I sat next to Illain as she chatted to me about her horse.

I ate the food that was prepared for me and drank the wine that was poured for me. I haven't been treated like this since my parents were alive almost two centuries ago, it was a lot to take in. Not that I was complaining, everything was delicious and I was happy. Just a little overwhelmed.

"Chew with your mouth closed, Illain." Agatha, the oldest, most responsible, reprimanded her sister. Her blue eyes then fell on me. "You're going to fit in so nicely here, Isabellianna. Like a jigsaw piece. Now, with you here our picture can finally be completed." She smiled.

My heart leapt in my chest. "You don't know how much that means to me." To be accepted, and welcomed like family. I thought S.H.I.E.L.D. was my family, but they never treated me like it. Just another Agent whose life was expendable. I loved my S.H.I.E.L.D. family and except for a few I'm sure that love was unrequited. Here I feel loved, I see their auras are full of love and acceptance. 

I look to Frigga who was sitting on Odin's left side at the long table and find she's already looking at me. We smile at each other and I know I am where I am meant to be. Part of me will always be with the people of Earth. Nat, Clint, Maria, Fury.... Steve. Those are only a handful of people, here I am surrounded by people who care for me.

Illain suddenly stood next to me and my head snapped in her direction. "Isabellianna you must dance with me! This is my favorite song!" She pulled me up out of my seat.

"But I don't know how." I argued with an uneasy laugh.

She grinned up at me, pulling me along to the middle of the room where other people had already gathered to dance. "I'll lead!" She insisted, and I couldn't bring myself to deny her this one dance. We began and I watched her feet but I was still a stumbling mess. She lifted my head to look into her eyes. "Just follow my lead, and your feet will follow."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I caught the rhythm and soon I was dancing like a pro. I giggled at the girl holding my hands and she smiled back, singing along to the song. We glided over the dance floor with not a care in the world. Our long dresses floating along with us. I was happy.

The song was over too soon for my taste but when the music stopped and changed we stopped dancing and hugged each other. The grin on my face seemed permanent. "I haven't had this much fun since... ever." I confessed to her. "You're a great leader."

She led us back to our seats. "I'm glad to be of service." She said cheerily.

I silently thought if I could ever get bored of this life, or worse- would this life get bored of me? I shook my head, I wouldn't let negative thoughts ruin my good time.

Although, soon I do get tired of the feast. The loud chatter, the people getting wine drunk. I turn to Ygritte who is being pretty quiet. "How long do these feasts usually last?" I ask her quietly, not wanting to offend anyone.

She stroked her chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe a day or two. You can leave when you want, I have to go when my sisters want to." She said and my eyes widened. She chuckled. "That's nothing, at the end of a lost battle it's three days, at the end of a victorious one its a week. Weddings get a fortnight." She explained.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "I wont be getting married here then."

The blonde tom-boy smirked. "Well if it was your wedding you wouldn't attend the feast for long. You and your husband would retire to your chambers to make a little lord." 

I couldn't control my flushed cheeks. "Oh," Was all I could get out, and she giggled.

"I wouldn't speak ill of weddings, either, you might break a few people's hearts, some who are at this feast now." she spoke as if she were uninterested.

My eyebrows raised. "Who?" I asked looking around. Someone here liked me? A God liked me? "I've only been here a couple weeks." I said confused.

She fixed the gold necklace at her collar. "It only takes a day to find interest in someone." She spoke softly. "Red hair, dark blue cloak. Near the door." She pointed out for me. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, he was talking to a friend, but every now and again he glanced at me. "Gunter, Son of Pod, a rich man who lets his money do the talking. He is used to getting what he wants for the right price."

 He was handsome, but if he was how she described then I wouldn't let his looks sway me. I began to eaves drop on he and his friend's conversation. They were talking about... me! I listened harder.

"I bet ten thousand crowns you wont go over and get her to dance with you." His friend taunted.

He narrowed his eyes. "Make it twenty thousand, my friend, and we have a deal."

"Twenty thousand it is." He held out his hand for Gunter to shake. 

I stopped watching and listening then. but soon after Gunter was at my side, smiling like a fool. "Lady Isabellianna. It is a pleasure to have you here in Asgard allow me to introduce myself. I'm-"

"Gunter, Son of Pod, richest man in Asgard." I cut him off and faked my impressed tone.

"Ah, so you've heard of me." His tone showed his pride. "My reputation precedes me."

I nodded. "And I also overheard your bet with your friend. And since you are the richest man in Asgard, I don't think twenty thousand crowns will put you in debt when you lose that bet."

He didn't miss a beat. "You're not in a dancing mood, then. How about a walk by the shore, we can watch the stars dance in the night sky." He spoke poetically, with a smirk on his face.

I mirrored his smirk. "You can watch me as I walk out of the hall and retire to my room." I stood and he took a step back.

"I suppose permission for my eyes to grace you will satisfy me... for now." He spoke playfully.

"Then I suppose you would have to seek me out to know satisfaction again." I started to walk past him but stopped when we were shoulder to shoulder. "Make sure its not under the terms of a bet next time." I whispered to him and then took my leave.

ANNA

"Did you try to roofie me!?" I asked in disgust.

He put his arms up in defense. "I don't know what you mean. Come now Isabellianna, there's no where you can go, we're here until morning." He tried to plead. He was inching closer to me.

"Yeah, no. I'm out--" I was cut off by him pouncing on me. His sloppy wet lips were all over my face. He found my mouth and tried to slip his tongue past my teeth which were clenched shut. My flame engulfed hands were on his shoulders and in a few moments he and his expensive robes were ablaze. He let me go and was running around the deck, screaming. Sooner than I'd like, he remembered he was on a boat and jumped overboard into the water. I flew up overhead, looking down on him. "Plant based toxins don't faze me you imbecile." I told him as he waded in the water. "Oh yeah, and I can fly."

I started to fly off back to the castle. I heard Gunter shout and the boat started moving again, following me. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Of course the boat didn't really run out of fuel. I let out an angry war cry and I flew as fast as I could. The boat was right behind me.

When I had the castle in sight I searched for Odin's life force. I was able to fly in through a balcony and meet him as he walked through the halls. "M-my lord!" I stuttered over the words, as I was not used to saying them. He turned to face me.

"Isabellianna, to what do I owe this pleasure?" A smile covered his face.

"There's a man, Gunter Son of Pod, and he just harassed me--"

"Don't listen to a word she says!" Gunter came in, out of breath. "Lord Odin, this wretched woman you have brought into your home completely assaulted me out of no where! I invited her onto my boat for the evening and without warning she attacked me! Seize her immediately!"

Odin took in the sight of the man, he was clearly singed. I bit my lip as the Allfather turned and eyed me in suspicion.

"Well-" I started to defend myself.

Gunter cut me off. "I'm telling you she's not to be trusted! I've heard word that she's been meeting with that mischievous son of yours, the prisoner Loki! The two of them conniving; she's not to be trusted."

I knit my eyebrows, how did he know about that?! Odin's eye widened. "Are his accusations true, Isabellianna?" He asked.

I bowed my head looking at the floor. "Yes, but... He just tried to force himself on me!" I held my arm out to the red head accusingly.

"You've visited Loki?" He chose to completely ignore me. "What hold does he have on you, Isabellianna?" He took my hand in his.

"He doesn't have a hold on me, I swear!"

The elder was about to speak when Heimdall came stalking in with ten guards flanking him. "My King! This man speaks falsehoods against Lady Isabellianna. Arrest him!"

The guards were on the rich man immediately, I stood there smug as he was put in shackles. He was silent and he didn't struggle, he knew arguing with Heimdall was a lost cause. Odin was also quiet. His expression pleaded for my forgiveness and I nodded with a small smile. Gunter was led to the dungeons. Odin finally spoke. "That still doesn't explain why you visit Loki."

Heimdall spoke for me. "Lady Isabellianna offers her company as therapy for Loki."

I caught on fast and nodded. "He needs help, I want to try and straighten him out."

Odin grunted, taking the information in. "Very well then, take caution when dealing with him, he likes causing chaos." He sighed as he muttered something to himself. My sensitive ears caught his words. "I wouldn't want another Sigyn incident." Who is Sigyn?

I bowed, agreeing and Odin was off again, down the hall. I turned to the golden-clad warrior. "Heimdall," I acknowledged, thanks in my tone.

He nodded to me. "See you around." He said before walking off.

I chuckled dryly. And walked off to my part of the castle. Luckily I wasn't stopped by princesses or guards or anyone. Then I realized I was drained, emotionally and physically. I dragged my feet to my room and over to my bed and sprawled on it. I didn't bother to get under any blankets or take off my armor or dress or shoes. I was asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

__________ÅÅÅÅÅ__________

After a big breakfast and a long shower I was on my way to the stables. I hadn't seen my horse in a while I decided to check on him. Someone else was there when I arrived. He was petting my horse, he wore full armor so he couldn't have been a stable boy. "Um, hello." I made myself known to him.

He turned his head quickly, startled. His eyes widened when he took me in. I glanced over him, blonde hair, steely blue eyes, he was pretty short for an Asgardian, basically the same size as me. He had intricate facial hair, not as good as Tony's but still good enough to know this man cared about his appearance. He smiled and bowed to me. "Lady Isabellianna," he walked over to me, grabbed my hand and kissed it. "I am Fandrall. I'm the one who gave you Murmur." He gestured to my chestnut stallion.

"Oh! Thank you so much! He's perfect." I looked to my horse as he huffed in pride.

Fandrall puffed out his chest in pride as well. "He deserves someone kind like you. And you deserve someone who knows your worth." He looked down at the floor then back up to me. "I heard about what happened yesterday evening, if anyone ever gives you anymore trouble, notify me and I'll take care of it."

News here sure travels fast, I sighed but smiled. "Thank you, but I hope I won't have to take you up on your offer."

He nodded. "Likewise." He bowed his head to me. "Please excuse me, I would really love to stay and speak with you but I must attend my duties, there are battles to be fought and a war to win." He gave a sad smile as he started to walk off.

I nodded. "Right, talk to you later!" I called to him. When he was out of sight I turned to my horse. I opened the small half door and stepped in with him. "Hello handsome boy." I wrapped my arms around his large neck in a hug. He leaned into it and neighed softly.

"I missed you." He said in a huff.

"Aww I missed you too, how have you been, they take you out for walks, right?" I asked stroking his shiny coat.

"Yes, I walk with another horse sometimes." He answered.

I tilted my head. "Vera?" I asked, naming Illain's horse. He shook his head no. "Then who?"

He nodded to his left. "Him, three doors down from me." His horse voice was small as he spoke. "He's mean sometimes."

I got defensive. "Do you want me to talk to him?" I didn't even wait for his answer I was already walking through the stables. Three doors down I was met with a full sized door. The golden nameplate on it read 'Sleipnir' in fancy writing. I opened the door and was met with a black horse facing a corner, his back was to me.

When he heard me come in he turned immediately. "Loki!?- Oh who are you?"  He asked sneeringly. I was still taking him in. He was large, even for a horse. On top of that he had eight legs. He caught me staring and stomped his front hoof.

I jumped and looked up at his face. "My name is Isabellianna. Why did you think I was Loki?"

He took a step back. "You understand me?" He let out a deep, gruff neigh.

"Yes," I nodded then I remembered what I was there for. "I also understand you take walks with my horse, Murmur, sometimes."

He scoffed. "That wimp belongs to you?"

"He does and I would appreciate it if you would treat him respectfully." I put my hands on my hips.

Sleipnir let out a laugh. "Loki is this one of your tricks? This is too funny, but come out now, I've seen through your disguise." He came closer to me and nudged my shoulder with his nose.

I knit my eyebrows. "I'm not Loki, sorry, are you two friends?"

His large brown eyes took me in. "So you're not him, he's not my friend, no. I came from him."

What he said didn't clarify anything. "What do you mean, he like made you or something?"

"Or something. Technically he's my mother, he had me when he was a mare." He brushed it off like he told the story a million times.

I frowned. "What?" I shook my head trying to process the information. "So you're Loki's... son?" I asked.

He dug at the dirt beneath his hooves. "One of them, yes."

"O-one? How many--" I was stuttering and stumbling over my words.

"Three others," he understood what I was trying to say. "four boys."

"And all of them horses?" I was lost, why haven't I heard of them before?

He stifled a laugh. "No, we're all pretty different. I'm the only one he actually birthed." He boasted.

This was all so confusing, I decided to get back to the subject that I came here for. "It sounds like you really like Loki, I bet you're sad you don't get to see him now that he's in the dungeons."

Sleipnir eyed me suspiciously. "Right."

I put on a small smile to let him know my intentions were good. "If I pass messages between you two will you be nicer to Murmur?" I offered.

He thought about it for a moment. "Or, you can come read to me. That's what Loki did when he'd visit."

My eyes widened, his offer was so innocent. "Deal!" I accepted.

ANNA

His cheek was pressed against mine. "You shouldn't trust me, Izbell." He whispered in my ear.

"I do." My shaky voice answered.

He stopped what he was doing. I felt my eyes ease open. "I shouldn't do this.."

I held his cold hands in mine. "But I want you to." I half begged him.

He shook his head. "It isn't right." He leaned back and looked into my eyes. I saw a sadness in them. He brushed my hair back from my face and I shuddered at his light touch. "You barely know me, so you can't possibly trust me."

I held his face in my hands. "I know enough." My thumbs stroked his high cheek bones.

He groaned in frustration. "Can't you see I'm trying to protect you from doing something you might regret?" His eyes flicked back and forth between mine, searching.

I smirked. "I can protect myself."

He rolled his eyes. "It shouldn't be me." He grimaced, like saying the words hurt him.

I brushed his hair back this time. "If not you then who? Gunter Podson? Fandrall has taken a liking to me, maybe I should go seek him out to satisfy me. To pleasure me and be pleasured by me." I used his words against him this time.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them again and spoke. "Not tonight Isabellianna."

My hands were on his shoulders as I examined his face. "Not tonight?" I asked, confused. "If not tonight then when?"

His eyes were still closed but a smirk grew on his angular face. "Our wedding night."

I jumped at the words. His eyes opened and his arms caught my waist and held me to him. I shook my head vigorously. "Loki... Loki, no." I saw his frown and I realized what I was saying. "No! It's not like that!" I closed my eyes this time, I crossed my arms over my chest. "Marriage is such a human thing, I don't want to be human, I don't want to play by the rules, Loki."

He sighed and picked me up, setting me down next to him on his bed. I blinked, he was stronger than he looked. "What you are saying is you don't want to be with me." 

I reached out to touch him but he leaned away. "No, Loki, I do want you."

His jaw was clenched. "I don't think you know the difference between love and lust, Darling." There was a tone of aggression that I could tell he was trying to bite back.

"No, I-"

"Just say it! Just say you don't trust me!" He yelled.

I jumped up and stood in front of him. "Why would I lie?!"

He stood in front of me, towering over me, making me crane my neck to see him. "You don't trust me!" He raised his voice even louder and he bent down so his face was closer to mine.

I don't know if it was the yelling or how close his face was to mine, but before I could do anything to stop it, my hand was swinging around quickly to meet his face. There was a satisfying 'slap' and I just rolled with it. Anger was my fuel. "I. Trust. You." My breathing was heavy because of adrenaline. "I trust you to make all the wrong decisions! I trust you to lie because you think you're making the right decisions. I trust you to get mad and act out when things don't work in your favor. I trust you to be stubborn!" I laughed and shook my head as tears started pricking at my eyes. "I trust you wont purposely try to physically hurt me. Loki, I trust you with my life because you've saved me already." My anger died as the words surfaced and my tears fell. It was out there now, I was vulnerable.

His arms wrapped around me tenderly. I sobbed into his chest for who knows how long. He stroked my hair and rubbed my back. The small gestures comforted me some, and my cries quieted. He could have been talking the whole time but this is when I heard him. He was quietly whispering  "I trust you to think outside the box. I trust you to be firey, in more ways than one. I trust you to see past all of my tricks, every time." He finished and kissed my cheek. "Well we have our vows down, but you wont marry me?"

I was too weak to hug him back, I just stood there in his arms. "I don't know, Loki, I'm tired." As soon as the words left my mouth he gently lifted me and set me in his bed, he laid next to me under the blankets. I held back a yawn and snuggled closer to Loki. I soon remembered that we were in a dungeon and Odin was already antsy about me talking to his adoptive son. "What are you projecting right now?" The question came out in a crazy mumbled, muffled mess.

He caught on what I was trying to say. "Me pacing, reading a book."

I smiled. "Mmhm, what book are you reading?"

"A history book." He answered softly.

"I like history."

"I thought you said you were tired?" He asked, his voice rumbled low in his chest.

"I am, so shhh."

"You were talking first." He chuckled.

"Mmhm." Was all I could get out before I was out of it.

"Sleep, Izbell."

__________ÅÅÅÅÅ__________

I woke in the morning, stretching. I was facing the outside wall, but I remember I was facing Loki when I went to sleep so I must have been tossing in my sleep. I turned back around to look at the fallen prince. His green eyes were open and he was staring at me. I couldn't read his expression but his aura seemed happy and calm. I smiled at him and went to stroke his smooth jaw. Did he even grow facial hair? I liked to think that he got up an hour before me just to shave. Or maybe he didn't even go to sleep. "Do you even sleep?" I asked, my voice soft from sleep

"Yes, I don't enjoy it much." He admitted, and his voice told me that he did in fact sleep; it was gruff and raw. So much more different than his smooth voice that could charm a snake.

I frowned, I loved sleeping, all of my problems went away when I was unconscious. "Why?" I voiced my curiosity.

"All the bad things I've done- and I've done a lot of bad things; they come back to haunt me in my dreams." He kissed my temple. 

Poor Loki. I grabbed him and held him close. My leg wrapped around his waist and my arms embraced him. I stroked his ruffled black hair. "I'm sorry." 

He turned with me on him so now I was on top of him, our chests and stomachs pressed against each other's. "Why are you apologizing? You've done nothing wrong, you actually help sooth me." His smile was small yet content.

Hearing that made me happy. "That's good, I'm glad." I spoke and then it was quiet for a while. "So I think I'm done just randomly projecting to you." I broke the silence again. 

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "What leads you to believe this?"

"Well I was thinking about you all day yesterday and I never showed up here." I admitted.

He nodded in approval. "Just keep practicing." He advised.

"Of course." I giggled. "But I want to learn something new now." 

His fingers played at the hem of my shirt. "Well I suppose you can go on to making multiple projections of yourself, or you could learn illusions." He offered.

I weighed both of the options. "Which one is harder?" I asked sitting up and back on my heels,  straddling his hips. I jumped when I felt something poke my thigh, and when I realized what it was I blushed. He grabbed my waist and pulled me up, so now I was closer to his bellybutton than the tent in his pants. 

"I would have to say I am." He chuckled with a smirk. 

I laughed along with him. "Well you're not wrong!" Our musical laughter finally died down and a pleasant smile was left on my face as I leaned down to rest my cheek on his shoulder. My nose was at the crook of his neck, I breathed in his earthy scent. "This is so crazy." I sighed.

His large hand stroked my hair.  "What is?" He asked, voice rumbling in his chest.

"Us." I clasped my hand in his free one. "This."

ANNA

It was only two weeks into our honeymoon and I found myself sneaking through the halls of the palace at the crack of dawn with a horse.

Not just any horse, a really big horse with eight legs.

Loki was happy to see his son, and vice versa. I learned that Sleipnir spoke, he and Loki had a secret language, the same language that he used to make plans with me under Thanos' nose all that time ago. Loki read to him and brushed his mane until I had to take him back to the stables.

A month in we were playing hide and seek in our astral forms. We evolved from playing it in physical form because I always won by detecting where he was. It was much more fun now that he could fly too, anyway.

It was peaceful, no one bothered us unless we wanted them to. And though I was allowed to leave the Hall, I rarely did (save for horse related missions.) In that time we covered half the spells in Loki's magic book. I learned Loki's favorites: After Image - leave behind a projection of myself while the real me is doing something else, Mirror Image - how to make multiple projections of myself, and Cover Image - how to manipulate myself to look like someone else. All of which ranged from hard to insane in difficulty. But we had time, and Loki, surprisingly had patience. Surprisingly because of his unrelenting passion for being king. Now.

"But, why?" One night we were up in deep conversation I asked him about why he'd want to rule a kingdom. To me, it seemed his place could be with me in bed for all eternity.

His eyes looked up to the ceiling as he answered me. "I was groomed for it, darling. Fa- Odin always told us that a good King was patient and just, wise and thoughtful. He told us that brains would always win over brawn in battle."

I knit my eyebrows. "He was describing you." I whispered.

Loki's green eyes shot down to meet mine. "Exactly. So you can imagine my surprise when he picks Thor, a brainless fool, to take up the throne."

I shook my head. "That's not fair."

A smirk spread in his face. "Of course now I know it was because of my heritage, all those years of being second best to Thor, they have an explanation now. Odin couldn't let a monster sit on the throne."

I gasped and gave his cheek a reprimanding yet loving slap. "You are not a monster, Loki. You're... You're my King." I grinned and he smiled back. But something in his eyes told me that it wouldn't be enough for him.

He leaned in to kiss me. "My Queen." He hummed against my lips.

We had a lot of long restless nights, some talking, some doing other things. The other things; however, weren't a good enough substitute for actual exercise because I realized soon enough that I was gaining weight. Lounging around and eating the endless food they brought for us will do that I guess. I promised myself after the honeymoon I'd get back to my training regimen that I practiced while with S.H.I.E.L.D. Until then, I'd eat all the vegetarian Asgard burrito thingies I'd want. Until they made me sick. Literally.

One evening I found myself regurgitating half digested burrito into the gilded porcelain throne. Loki rubbed my back and held my green hair back out of the line of fire. When I was finished Loki pulled me into his arms, without a word as the toilet flushed. "Sorry, I think I had a little too much to eat this time... Maybe it was the yeast in the dough, I had beer once and it didn't really sit right with me..." He let me rant. For too long.

I noticed he was more quiet than usual. But when he finally spoke I wished he'd stayed that way. "Darling, Love, are you sure you're not with child?" He asked tentatively.

My eyes widened as my mind went over all the evidence. The weight, the appetite, the puke. Our two months were almost up. Two months, could I be having these side effects? I could be, I had no idea how long the Medjordian gestation period was. I had no idea how to be a mom. I had no idea how to do anything.

"Isabellianna?" Loki's voice was soft, he brought be out of my thoughts. He looked down, my eye followed his to see his hand rested on my belly and mine gripped his wrist. His skin was turning blue where I touched it, trying to counteract my heat. I immediately dropped my grasp on him. He kept his hand placement, though. I was still scared, he noticed. "You don't want to have it?"

I shook my head. "No, I mean I do. It's you. It's us. It's just. I'm having a lot of fear for the unknown right now." I tucked my hair behind my ear, my hand was shakey.

He kissed the top of my head. "I can fix that." He pulled me up to a standing position and dragged me along to his library. "It's called research, dear." He searched to bookshelves, selecting a few then came back over to me. He handed me half the stack and we went over to the fireplace to read.

I flipped through the pages, the books he handed me were all about the creatures of Jotunheim. Jötunn's power comes from the ice, Jötunn's thrive in darkness. Jötunn Jötunn Jötunn. I slammed the book shut, aggravated. I wasn't afraid of the Jötunn part of this.. this child I was actually afraid of everything else. I looked over at Loki, he was still reading tentatively. Wait a minute, did he think... "Loki, you don't think I'm afraid of your part of the.. baby?"

His concentration on the book in his hands was broken. His eyes trailed up to meet mine. A jet black eyebrow raised. "You're not?"

I smiled, that smile turned into a grin, the grin turned into a giggle. Soon enough I was cackling. Loki's face stayed the same but I'm sure I looked crazy to him. "Loki I'm more afraid of me than I am of you." I decided to explain myself. "You're here, uncomplicated. Me? I'm human and Medjordian, I know human biology like the back of my hand, but Medjordian? Not so much. I don't know what I should do to prepare. The human way? Or the unknown Medjordian? What if my mother was just lucky having me with a human, what if Medjordians laid eggs or some shit? What if my body rejects it?" Tears were coming to my eyes. I wrapped my arms around my stomach. "What if I can't protect her?"

Loki was over to me in an instant. He cradled me to his chest. "It's going to be okay, dear. I'll find every book on Medjordheim that I can."

I wiped my tears, sniffling. "Loki, I-I think I'm having mood swings." I looked into his eyes.

He smirked. "That you are."

I punched him in the chest, playfully but enough to hurt a little. "Shut up."

He pulled me back into his chest and kissed the top of my head. "That's my Queen."

We searched his library self to shelf for a week before our honeymoon time was up. My husband was sent back to the dungeons to be a prisoner. I flew a handful of books down to his cage each day so that we could read them together. No one else knew about the child inside me, my orders. I didn't want people to get their hopes up for something that might not happen. Loki still insisted that I go see the scientist/healer people. But I didn't want to be an experiment, the guinea pig for them to find new information. I wanted to find some information out there first.

There weren't many books on the 'Lost Medjordians' that included information on how they gave birth. We were almost done with the books in Loki's library, it was my third month pregnant and I was showing, really showing. From my head to my toes I was changing. My green hair grew fast and was darker, my dark red skin was lightening. And the weight, I wouldn't pass for lean now. One night I was up late reading, Loki had sent me back hours ago, telling me to rest but I couldn't. I just had to find something, anything to put me at ease.

There was a knock at the door. I lazily looked up from my book. "Come in." I called.

Frigga appeared in the open doorway. Then she made her way over to me in my bed. "Pregnancy befits you, my child. You have the glow." She told me.

My eyes widened. "How did you-?" I asked.

"My husband may be blind in many ways than one but I am not." She announced, grabbing my hand. "Come with me, swiftly now." She led me out of the hall and out of the castle to a different important looking building. "This is the hall of science, I've been researching your kind since the moment you arrived here on Asgard. Today, I think I came across something that might interest you." She led me to a door with three locks on it. She closed her eyes and said a few words, enchantments under her breath. She reached for the knob and opened the door with ease, pulling me in with her.

There was a long descending staircase and torches lit automatically and we went deeper. We were met with another door, this one was different. It was made of mahogany, and had 'Med Jord' inscribed with the Medjordian letters and language. My eyes widened, there was no knob. "How do we get in?"

Frigga shook her head. "I cannot, but I think you can." She nudged me forwards, toward the door.

I looked back at her before focusing on the door. I placed my hand on the door and gasped. The wood was still alive. I tried to use my earth manipulation powers to move the door aside. It didn't work. "Open." I spoke in Medjordian. It didn't budge. "Open!" I yelled. Nothing. I retracted my hands and hung my head.

"You can do it, Isabellianna." Frigga encouraged me.

She brought me all this way, I couldn't let it be in vain. I thought back to all my conversations with my mother.

"Isabellianna! Let us go for a walk. Roarke, we will be back soon." Momma pulled me along, out of our hut home. We walked into the forest. This is where momma always took me to talk about the things we can't tell Papa. She sat me down on a rock and looked at me sternly. "You were red in your sleep again, you can never let that happen! Do you understand?" I nodded. "The other people cannot know what we truly are, and you must never forget. Medjordian. Einn med jord. Remember that. Always."

I nodded again. "Einn med jord."

I opened my eyes quickly. I pressed my hands to the wood again. "Einn med jord."

There was a rumbling sound and the wood started to move away. I looked back at Frigga. "Go." She ordered. "I'll watch the door."

I thanked her with my eyes and entered through the door, it closed behind me.

ANNA

Many of the books in the chamber were death logs after battles. It helped me learn that a lot of Medjordian's had long first names in place for not having the standard three names that Midgardian's have. In one book I learned they were usually names of various gods and goddesses of Asgard mixed in with part of the mothers name. It made sense, Analisette, Isabellianna. Medjordians were weird, they were loyal to their ruler, the father of Bor. This leader's greatest foe was the fire giants of Muspelheim and Medjordian's volunteered for the fight, together they subdued them, dwindling the giant's numbers drastically. It turns out Medjordians weren't as docile another things portray them.

I found records of the last battle. I found something horrifying. It wasn't the story my mother told me. The story of the Chitauri. How them, and their endless fleets decided to take over the realm. It wasn't the story of the siege that took place millennia ago. They were resisting their king. They were resisting Odin. Him and a woman named Hela were hungry for blood and power. They took as many of their people as they could to a far away moon. Hela destroyed the planet, destroyed the whole tenth realm. Years later a new Odin came forth, he found the remaining few, the grandchildren of the Medjordians he was going to kill. He granted them immunity in the realms, and asked for forgiveness. They did not forget, they tried attacking him in Asgard but they lost and the young were orphaned. Odin took and replaced their memories and put them on earth.

I shut the book and threw it across the room. I was shaking. I tried to calm myself but I couldn't. I needed... I needed Loki.

"Isabellianna!" I opened my eyes and there he was. "I told you not to project until we knew it was safe- what's wrong? The child? How is the child?"

I stumbled over into his arms. "She's fine, Loki. I found out something horrible about Odin."

He sighed. "There are countless bad things about Odin, Darling. Which one did you hear?"

I told him about everything I read. His jaw was clenched tight. "It's not fair, he's a hypocrite when he locks you up now, he was worse than you." I told him solemnly.

His eyes were closed, in thought. "You mustn't tell anyone."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" Loki was the first person I thought would want to take the information and run with it. He could be free right now.

"When the time comes I'll use the information against him so I can rule, but now is not the time." He explained himself. "Promise me you'll keep this between us for now?" He looked into my eyes.

I sighed, so Loki had a plan. "Alright, I can never look at him the same way, he's been lying to my face this whole time."

He nodded. "I know, try not to stress over it, it can't be good for the baby. Go back and find what you're looking for then come and tell me what you find. And don't project, we don't know how it effects her yet." His concerned eyes were on my stomach.

I smiled he started using my pronoun for the baby, not that I knew. I'm able to look at the auras and life signatures of everyone around me but not myself. And since the baby was apart of me at the moment I couldn't see anything on her. "See you soon." I told him then returned to my body. I rubbed my stomach. "You're alright, right?" I asked, of course nothing felt wrong but I waited a moment before going back to reading.

I found a small leather bound book in a dark corner. I opened it and found it was a journal. It belonged to a Medjordian traveller. An account of all her adventures. I flipped through and her adventures had been stalled. She had fallen in love with an Asgardian. She noted it was during the reign of Bor. She blended in with the Asgardians and was able to marry hers. She became pregnant and she wrote all about it. My eyes widened. I clutched the book to my chest. This was what I've been looking for. I ran to the door, it opened for me and closed when I was passed the threshold. Frigga noticed the light in my eyes and smiled.

"Let's go." She told me and I followed after her.

We parted ways after entering the castle. I went down to the dungeons and she went up to her hall. I felt bad for her, though I guess the man she married didn't seem like a killer. Did he take Asgard's memories too? I tried to to think of that and focused on getting to my husband.

The guard on duty let me into Loki's cell, he sat up in his bed hopefully. "You found something?" He asked eagerly.

"Maybe." I opened the book to where I left off and handed it to him. "You tell me."

He took the book from me and read it to himself. I sat down next to him and and waited, trying not to get my hopes up too much. I placed my hand on my stomach absentmindedly.

His hand was over mine after a while and I looked up at him. "They carry the child just as Midgardians and Asgardians... Though their time to carry the child is shorter."

I scrunched my eyebrows. "How short?" I asked I was really big already, am I ready to give birth already?

His eyes scanned the page. "Six months." He smiled leaning down to kiss my cheek. "So three to four months for you to go. You're halfway there." He set the book down. He shifted on the bed and pulled me into his arms. My back was against his chest. His hands were on the sides of my stomach. I let the back of my head rest on his shoulder and he pressed his cheek to mine.

I closed my eyes and melted into his arms. "She's going to be okay. " I whispered. I smiled. "Now we can tell everyone."

He shifted a bit behind me. "Good, I may have already told Ygritte."

I turned around, eyes wide, my jaw dropped and a laugh escaped. His expression was apologetic. "How'd she get it out of you?" I questioned, amused more than angry.

"She has her ways," He said with a grimace. "and people call me a trickster." He chuckled. I laughed with him. In truth he probably told her because he couldn't keep anything from his favorite firey sister. I sighed with a smile. I began to take off my shoes. My husband raised an eyebrow. "You're going to sleep here?" He asked.

"I'm too tired to walk back to my hall. Besides you told me to go to bed hours ago." I smirked. I slipped out of his arms to crawl under the blankets of his bed. He joined me, shortly after. He kissed my temple, my cheek, all the way down to my shoulder and back up. His soft caresses and my exhaustion had me asleep in no time.

ANNA

"Isabellianna, you must push." Frigga's fearful blue eyes looked into mine as the scientist healer ladies tried to help deliver my baby.

I closed my eyes and wailed as I mustered up the strength to push. Sweat was dripping from my body and tears were streaming down my face from the pain. I saw the looks the snide doctors were giving one another and I cried out. "Frigga! Frigga, I can't do this."

She grasped my hand in hers. "Yes you can. Isabellianna you can deliver this child." 

I shook my head and bit my lip. I was sobbing now. "I can't." I got out between cries.

She squeezed my hand. "Don't you dare give up, the baby is counting on you." She said sadly but forcibly. I shook my head again.

Even over my cries I heard the doctors whisper to themselves. "We can cut the baby out if she isn't strong enough."

"Better of to let both of them die, it is the spawn of Loki."

I saw the fire ignite in Frigga's eyes. "Speak ill of my family anymore and I'll have all of your heads." She spat at them then turned to me, fearful again. "Tell me, what do you need Isabellianna?"

I clenched my eyes shut."I can't, I can't-"  I was ashamed. I tried to stop the tears but they kept coming. Maybe they should just cut her out and leave me to die. My mind brought me one place. "I need... I-I need Loki." I told her.

There was light in her eyes once again. "If I take you to him will you promise to deliver my grandchild?" She asked.

I blinked away my tears and stopped my crying for a moment. "Y-yes."

That was all she needed. And I knew Asgardians were strong but it still surprised me that Frigga could scoop me up so easily. The doctors protested. "She won't make the trip."

"She's better left in our hands."

Frigga didn't listen. "My daughter will be just fine in my hands." She told them and took me out of the room, out of the building. The rising sun disturbed my sensitive eyes and I turned away. It took ten minutes for us to get down to the dungeons and I was worried for the worst. I started crying again. Frigga was barking orders at the guards when they didn't react fast enough. When I opened my eyes again I was under the bright light of Loki's cell, being shifted into his arms.

"What happened?" He questioned frantically, going to set me on his bed. The look on his face was unlike any expression I've seen him wear before. It broke my heart.

"She went into labor in the middle of the night. She says she can't do this without you, Loki." Frigga explained to him.

"Izbell." He whispered, brushing my hair off of my forehead. I saw the tears in his eyes.

"We have to work quickly, Loki. The baby can't survive long like this." Frigga was propping my legs up and open.

Loki nodded. "I can handle this." He swapped spots with Frigga. Now he was the one in between my legs and the blonde woman was back to holding my hand. Loki felt my stomach under the silk night gown I was wearing, his cool hands soothed my soul. "Can you do it now Love, Izbell. Can you push for me?" He asked sweetly and I squeezed Frigga's hand but nodded.

"Push for me, darling, I know it hurts, but you must." He cooed and I obeyed. I pushed with all my might. "That's good, breathe, breathe." I took in gulps of air. "Now again, push again- oh"

My eyes widened at his change of tone. It was Frigga who voiced my concern "What is it?"

Loki rubbed my stomach lightly. "Her feet are coming first, it's going to be okay, dear, relax. You can do this. Push for me again."

I clenched my teeth and pushed. It felt like hours until Sjofna Lokisdottir was born, wailing almost louder than me. Crocodile tears formed in my eyes as I saw Loki smile down at his daughter, Sofi Natalia was the midgardian name I came up with for her. She had my mahogany skin and a head full of green locks. Loki looked back down at me, surprised. "There-there's another." He announced as he handed Frigga her granddaughter.

My eyebrows scrunched together. Another? Could I do it? The determined look on Loki's face gave me the strength I needed. Frigga could no longer hold my hand because she was holding my daughter so I grasped the sheets and clenched my teeth.

"I see the head." Loki informed me. And I breathed a sigh of relief.

Ten minutes after his sister Litre Lokisson was born. I was able to catch a glimpse of his honey kissed skin and tuft of black hair in his father's arms before I passed out from exhaustion.

__________ÅÅÅÅÅ__________

I awoke in Loki's bed, submerged in the blankets. I blinked and immediately shot up in the bed. "Where's-"

Loki cut me off, a hand over my mouth. I looked to him as he put a finger to his lips and removed his hand from my face. I saw, at the edge of the bed were two gilded cribs. I climbed over Loki to peer into them, and was surprised to find one was empty as they were both in the same crib. I looked to Loki for clarification. "Sjofna cries when she's not with her brother." He whispered.

I smiled and looked back down I saw that Litre's skin had changed to normal Medjordian colors and I wondered if I just imagined his teak skin and black hair. I brushed it aside and just watched my babies sleep.

"You're sticking with the names you chose, then? Litre and Sjofna?" He asked, rubbing my shoulders.

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the children. "Lee Nicholas, and and Sofi Natalia for Midgard names." I smiled. Nicholas for Director Fury, and Natalia for Natasha, my Supervising Officer. He nodded and kissed my cheek.

"You did it, dear." The pride in his voice made my heart swell.

"We did it." I turned and kissed his soft lips. "I wouldn't have been able to bring them into the world without you, Loki." I smiled. "They're beautiful."

"I can't agree more." He sighed. 

There was a stirring in the cribs and I looked down to see my son peering up at me. His arm outstretched toward me. I giggled and placed my index finger in his hand. "I love you, Lee." I whispered. With his other hand he reached for Loki. My husband was about to place his finger like mine but he seemed to think twice about it and retracted his hand. "What is it?" I rubbed his back.

He shifted on the bed. "When I touch him, he... looses his Medjordian colors..."

My eyes widened. "So I wasn't hallucinating?" Loki shook his head and I gave a soft smile. "Don't be afraid to touch your son, Loki." I took his hand in both of mine, kissed it, then placed his finger in his son's hand. I gasped in wonder as Lee went from red and green to brown and black. Loki was about to pull away but I stopped him. "He's camouflaging. I was able to do it as an infant, too. It's how my mother was able to keep my father from knowing we were aliens."

"Speaking of your mother, did she have a twin?" He asked me. Calmer now, playing with his son.

I shook my head. "I thought it was you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No, it couldn't be from my side."

I bit my lip. "Well I really don't know much about Medjordians."

Still playing with his son, he reached over to the nightstand and picked up the journal of the Medjordian traveler. He handed it over to me. I looked through it. I froze when I found the answer to our question. "What is it?" He asked.

I brushed my short hair away from my face. I read from the page. "And my children were born. A healthy, normal litter of two. A male and female."

ANNA

"No, it's not okay, because I have a brother out there, maybe even an uncle if he's alive."

Loki looked down at his feet as he had Sofi over his shoulder, burping her. "I just don't think you should fret over it."

I stopped pacing, still rocking Lee in my arms, trying to get him to sleep. "But you do realize that my mother basically lied to me my whole time with her, and she did it because she was trying so hard to be human. She threw away all of our heritage, our history. Because she loved a human. What's the point in being in love if you can't be honest?" I went over to sit next to my husband, I rested my head on his free shoulder.

"Maybe she wanted to protect him." He tried to reason with me.

I sighed. "Maybe." I picked up my head to look into Loki's green eyes. "I know lying is in your nature but you can always be brutally honest with me, okay?"

He shook his head. "I'd never lie to you-"

"I know who you are, okay? I know that being a ruler is really important for you, I wouldn't even think about stopping you from following your dreams. Because I'd expect the same thing in return." I looked at my children. I leaned down to kiss my son's forehead. "We have to teach them about who they are. Every part of them." I put him in his crib and Loki did the same with Sofi, setting her right next to her brother.

Loki pulled me into his lap. "That's a lot of parts. Midgardian, Medjordian."

"Jotunn." I smiled, lacing my fingers with his.

"And they'll grow up Asgardian." He pressed his lips to my temple, breathing in my scent.

"Speaking of Asgardians, you know who I should speak to about any other Medjordians?" I looked into my husband's eyes.

"Heimdall?" He guessed.

"Yeah, he sees every being in the universe, right? He should know if there are anymore out there. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner." I stood, determined.

Loki looked up at me, pouting. "You're going now?"

I giggled. "Yes, there's no time like the present."

He grabbed my hand and kissed it. "Come back quickly? We'll miss you."

"Of course." I bent down to kiss him and he let me go. I was on the surface in no time. I flew through the city and beyond the rainbow bridge until I was in Heimdall's workplace.

He nodded when I entered, obviously expecting my visit. "Welcome, Isabellianna."

I smiled at him. "You know what I'm here for right? So can you do it? Can you use your power to find other Medjordians?"

He shook his head, taking off his helmet. "I don't have to use my powers."

My eyebrows scrunched together. "What do you mean-" I was speechless when his dark skin turned red before my eyes and his hair turned green. "What?"

He quickly turned back. "I am your uncle, Isabellianna."

I stared at him, my mouth agape. "What?"

"Your mother, Annalisette. Was my sister-"

I shook my head. "I know what an uncle is, why are you telling me this now? Not when I first came here? Not when I was pregnant?" I was livid. "And you're working under someone who dwindled the numbers of our race?"

He gave a half smile. "You sound like your mother. I wanted you to figure it out for yourself. And as for me serving Odin, there are much bigger things at play than he."

I narrowed my eyes at him, I would except his answer, for now. "Speaking of my mother, do I have a brother? Where did she send him?"

"Your brother is well. He rebuilds with his wife and children." He spoke, his eyes were distant.

I tilted my head. "Rebuilds?"

He nodded. "The battle on Vanaheim has been won, but many homes were destroyed in the process."

I bit my lip. "Does he know about me? I want to meet him."

"He doesn't know of you. He has guessed he has a sister, but it is only a theory in his mind." He explained.

"Send me to him." I told him.

He nodded. "As you wish." He walked over to the sword and I prepared myself for the bifrost ride. "His name is Njorden." After a turn of the sword and a deep breath, I was being hurdled through space.

I touched down on rich soil and came face to face with a man who looked like me. Heimdall's aim was pretty good. The man in front of me was wide eyed as he looked over me and my colors that mirrored his own. Red skin stretched over muscles, short green hair, long eyelashes that rimmed his gold eyes. He was the male me, my twin brother. "Njorden?" I asked.

He blinked fast. "Yes?"

"I'm your sister, Isabellianna."

His green eyebrows raised. "Sister?" He asked, his voice smooth, just as a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen ran up to him, his daughter by the looks of it.

"Daddy, who is this?" She asked.

I looked to him for his answer. "This is your Aunt Bella." He said, his tone was soaked disbelief.

The girl was also skeptical. "Aunt?"

I looked to both of them with a half smile. "I can explain."

Njorden mirrored my smile. He must have been reading my aura. I took my time to read his, it showed confusion, shock, and a hint of happiness. "Over lunch?" He offered. I agreed. I ate before I fed my twins, but I could eat more now.

We walked to his home. Through the dense forest. This planet was so green, very different from Asgard; and modern New York, even. "Daddy and my older sisters raised this forest." The young girl said proudly.

I smiled down at her. "That's amazing."

"Clara, Dione, Mizzy, and Eindral. Those are their names. Then there's my brother Magnus and me Reilly." She ticked off the names.

My eyebrows raised. "You have such a big family. I just had a daughter and son of my own. Your cousins. Litre and Sjofna."

Her eyes lit up. "I have cousins?" We made it into a house and there were five women sitting around the table chopping vegetables, peeling fruits. Four of the five women were undeniably Medjordian. My nieces, but they looked, well... They looked my age. All of them could pass for twenty on Midgard.

Her eyes lit up. "I have cousins?" We made it into a house and there were five women sitting around the table chopping vegetables, peeling fruits. Four of the five women were undeniably Medjordian. My niece's, but they looked, well... They looked my age. All of them could pass for twenty on Midgard.

"Hello, beautiful." Njorden went over to the Vanir woman, his wife, by the way he kissed her. She looked up and stood at the sight of me, my eyes widened at the sight of her bloated belly and the aura near her stomach was gold, she was pregnant. I went over to her quickly and held out my hand. She looked at it then looked to her husband. With his hands, a form of sign language and explained that I was his sister. She smiled and hugged me. I was surprised but I hugged her back. "Visseren, my wife. She was born deaf." Njorden explained.

She let go of me and I noticed the other girls were staring at me. Reilly broke the ice for me. "You guys! This is Aunt Bella. I knew we had an aunt! And we have two cousins! That's Dioniden or Dione for short. Clara, Eindral, and Misseren or Mizzy." She pointed out for me.

Visseren ushered me to a seat. "Thank you." I told her in her silent language and her eyes widened. She looked at her husband.

"Magnus." She signed.

A girl with shorter green hair spoke up, Dione. "You have the power of language? Only our brother has that."

Another girl with curly hair spoke, that was Mizzy. "What's your specialty?"

I tilted my head. "Specialty?"

"Mine is water!" Reilly spoke, immediately creating a puddle of water in her hands."Dioniden and Mizzy have earth like Daddy, Clara is air, and Eindral has water like me but Magnus is fire."

That was just a lot of information to take in. "Fire." I said

Everyone in the room had a look of realization. Njorden raced to a cabinet and pulled out a journal and pen, he wrote in it . "Then all the secondary attributes must be divided by specialty." He seemed to be speaking to himself.

The girl who was pointed out as Dioniden spoke. "Then what about the tertiary attribute? Could they still be by link? And either Misseren or Eindral is an anomaly?" She asked.

Everyone's eyes were on me. "Do you read minds?" Two people asked me at once. I shook my head. "Life detection, then?" And I nodded.

"Fifty-fifty, then? Heart and soul each have life detection and mind and body can infiltrate thoughts." Njorden confirmed.

I was lost. Reilly spoke up for me. "We need to explain for Aunt Bella."

"Forgive us. Let me start from the beginning" My brother spoke. "I have been wanting to know my background ever since realized I was the only red child on this planet. I tried searching for answers but there were none. Then I met my wife and we had twins, Dioniden and Clara. Clara was different, she could not raise vegetation and move things the way we could, but she could create forcefields and she had powers of persuasion. We all were able to read minds, fly, view the ambiance of people in range, and we were incapable of digesting meat correctly. Three years later came Misseren and Eindral. Eindral was different this time. Specialty water. Primary attribute the gift of breathing in water, secondary; she can feel what others feel and manipulate that. Tertiary and can only be used on those outside of our race: life signatures. It wasn't until Reilly came along, also with water specialty that I was able to complete my knowledge. But my son. He is the only fire, we were hoping one of the next two would have fire so I could do more tests.

"If you would allow it I would also like to see your children- how long ago did you have them?" He asked.

I was stunned, tests, and stats, and classifications... this all sounded like S.H.I.E.L.D. I could understand he was curious. But it looked as if he was breeding to get more information. "Th-three weeks now." I stuttered out.

Everyone's eyes widened. My brother touched my shoulder. "You should be with them now. After a month as infants they mature very rapidly." He turned to his youngest, Reilly. "Three years."

I shook my head. "Even I didn't mature that fast. I was maybe two years ahead at most. I grew to age ten in eight years then stayed like that for eighty."

"Where did you grow up? Where are you from?"

"Midgard." I answered. "But I will be raising my children on Asgard."

"Our bodies mature at fluctuating rates, but we are a camouflaging species. Your growth rate was slowed because you had to fit in with those of Midgard. You were at the best age to stay safe there, I'm sure many midgardians took pity on you and helped you as a child. Asir and Vanir grow much more quickly to survive. " He explained and I cringed at every technical term that was used.

A boy about Reilly's age entered. Magnus by the looks of it. His face was dirty and his green hair messy. "I hope dinner's ready I'm starvin-" his gold eyes met mine and he was speechless. I was the same, looking at him, his aura shone with every color of the spectrum. "Oh hi?"

"Maggie, this is our Aunt Bella, she's fire, like you." Reilly announced.

Magnus tested me, his eyes narrowing. "Fire, really?" He asked in a foreign language.

"Yes, I can understand all the languages. The secondary attribute or whatever can be confirmed." I replied.

He smirked. "My family is weird."

"I take offence to that, I am your family." I laughed.

"Let's eat!" He turned to his siblings and announced, their auras told me they were growing suspicious. He cut us off right in time.

The whole time I was really uncomfortable, it was really like being back at the academy with all the scientists trying to decode me. They were all so formal, save Reilly, Magnus, and their mother Visseren. I wished my mother was more honest with me about Medjordians before she died so then Njorden wouldn't have to treat his family like a science project and I wouldn't have to search the depths of an old Medjordian library to find answers.

It was nearing time for me to go. I inched toward their front door as I said my goodbyes. I caught Magnus' gaze and told him in the secret language Loki and I shared that he and Reilly could come visit whenever they liked. He seemed happy about that.

"You should stay with your family, the convergence is happening soon, that is sure to change their growth patterns." Njorden informed me.

"I will, and maybe when they're older I'll bring them to visit." I smiled at him. He smiled back, reached around me to open the door. I stepped out into the field beyond their house. "Nice meeting all of you!" I called to them and waved. "Heimdall?" I looked up at the sky and soon enough I was on my way back to Asgard.

"How was your trip?" He greeted me.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to sense his life signature. "Wow, I should have known something was up when I couldn't sense your life. Is that also your, uh, tertiary attribute?" I asked him.

He nodded. "I sense life, those of Medjordian blood are censored to me."

"Sofi and Lee are gonna have a fun time playing hide and seek with you then, they're gonna think they're the best hiders in all the nine realms." I smiled.

"Go to them, Loki grows anxious." He informed me.

I rolled my eyes. "That big baby." I turned to stroll back to the palace.

"Sigyn visits him."

I snapped my head back to look at my uncle. "The-his ex?"

He nodded. "She is envious-"

He didn't get to finish before I was off running, then flying back to the dungeons.

ANNA

She was beautiful. Pale blonde hair that went down to her hips. Big baby blue eyes. A rosy color that dusted her cheeks. She wore a flower crown. She giggled at something he said, it was like bells. She wasn't a goddess, she was a Disney Princess

Sigyn looked up at Loki in his cell and he looked back with so much admiration that I began to wonder why he ever chose me. I watched them from behind a pillar, down the hall. The guards watched me curiously. Loki enchanted his cell so that the cribs and our children couldn't be seen. I took a few deep breaths, swallowed my fear and walked toward them. "Hello." I greeted nervously.

She looked at me and smiled. "You are Isabellianna?"

I looked to Loki and back to her. "That's me."

"It is wonderful to finally meet you, I am Sigyn. I am sure Loki has never mentioned me, as I am a part of his naïve past. And he does not like to think much about that." Her smile was sweet and sincere.

"We've discussed you before." I kept my defences up, unsure on what she was really thinking. It didn't help that Loki wasn't talking, he was only watching.

"That is grand, then." She was calm. "Forgive me for not attending your welcoming ceremony or wedding, my two boys were off fighting battles and I was left to fret over them. I sent you a gift, however. Did you receive it well?"

I bit my lip. "I haven't gotten around to opening all my gifts yet, sorry. I became pregnant so fast, I've been focused on my babies." It was true, though I didn't know why I was telling her everything. Heimdall said she was envious but her aura read nothing but love and adoration.

Her perfect eyebrows raised, and she brought her hand to her mouth. "There was no birth announcement, I would have brought a gift for them as well."

I shook my head, smiling. "It's alright, I only had them three weeks ago. And a lot about them was uncertain, I needed to figure some things out before they were exposed to the public.

She smiled and nodded. "I understand that completely."

I brushed one of my green locks behind my ear. "How are your boys?" I didn't know if it was right for me to ask.

She looked to the floor and smiled. "I call them boys but they have grown into young men. So far they have fought for peace and remained unscathed. Thank the Allfather."

"That's good." I looked to Loki again, well the image of himself he put up as a façade. He looked down upon us, expression blank. I looked back to Sigyn. "Would they ever like to meet their brother and sister?" I offered.

Her soft blue eyes looked into mine and her aura told me she was pleased. "Váli is a little bitter with anything having to do with his father, but Narvi just might."

"Um, would you like to see them?" I raised my eyebrows, questioning.

She clasped her hands together at her chin. "Oh could I?" She asked.

I nodded then looked to Loki who slowly dropped his illusion. He was near his bed, rocking Sofi in his arms. He scooped our son from the crib and brought them over to the window where we stood. "Sjofna and Litre." I pointed out for her.

She looked up at them in wonder. They looked back at her with gold and green eyes. "They are beautiful!" She exclaimed and my heart swelled with pride. "If you ever need anyone to talk with about motherhood or to just chat with, please reach out to me. And I am sure Narvi would love to meet them."

"I'd like that, maybe when they're older, I've been told they're going to go through a growth spurt soon." I looked to my children to check if they grew any while I was away, they looked the same to me. I noted that I couldn't sense their life signatures either, but I could see their auras. Sofi was hungry.

"Well, I should head back to my sons, I can see you want to be with your children." She gave a closed eyed smile to me and started to walk away. "See you soon, Isabellianna."

"See you." I waved to her, and soon she was gone. I motioned a guard over to let me into Loki's cell. He had put our children back into their crib and was striding over to me. I raised an eyebrow. He made his way to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his face into my neck. "Hi Loki." I greeted him with a giggle. He didn't say anything. "Loki?" I wrapped my arms round him tightly waiting for him to speak. Did Sigyn bring this on? Was he sick? My mind was reeling with all the thoughts of what could possibly be wrong with him.

"I had a nightmare." He finally spoke with shakey breaths. I walked him over to the bed and sat. I made him lay down, his head in my lap. I stroked his dark tresses.

"Tell me about it." I told him softly.

"We were reading to our children, I stumbled over the words then you didn't want me anymore. You took them and left." His eyes were wide, staring at the blank wall.

"Loki as long as you want me I'm not leaving-"

He shook his head. "That's not all. Odin captured you. He was holding you in a cell, right across from me. He starved you I watched as you wasted away. Our children already dead, Sofi hung in your cell and Lee in mine." He was shaking as he chose each word carefully. "I pleaded with Odin, my life for yours, kill me and you could be free again. He didn't agree. He told me to kill you. I didn't accept. But, then, he said I I could be king if I did and.. and I..-"

I bent down to kiss his forehead and his temple and cheeks. "Shhh" I told him. "It's not real. You'd never be put in that situation. Odin wouldn't dare mess with me, or our children.

"But-"

"My Loki. My King. I know who I married, it was just a dream, try not to think much on it." I brought my hand to his and wove our fingers together.

He took a deep breath, squeezing my hand gently. "I woke up and our children were fussing I tried to calm them and then Sigyn showed up here. I didn't know if you would want her to see them so I hid them and tried to keep them quiet."

I brushed my hair behind my ear. "Why didn't you two work out? She seems so nice, and she's very pretty." I said the last part quietly.

Loki kissed the back of my hand. "I was young when I married her, I was your age actually. One hundred and eighty or two hundred or so. I had barely reached my peak maturity. But I already made a name for myself as a trickster. This was also around the time of my brother Balder's death-"

I gasped. "You had another brother?"

"That's a different story, Dear. For a different time." He spoke sadly. "But Sigyn was the only woman who would talk to me. Thor was much more popular, as he is now. She saw through the tricks and accepted me for who I was. She is kind and loving. Too much so, she let me walk over her, I was poisoning her while she thought she was saving me. Our sons saw through it all, they convinced her to leave me. I'm glad they did." His tone was full of regret.

I picked up Sofi and started to feed her, thinking over what he said. "Our kids are going to have such a big family."

Loki smiled up at me. "Tell me about it."

I sighed. "Where do I start?"

ANNA

"You can stop watching them so fiercely, dear."

Loki came up behind me as I stared at our children in their cribs. "I don't want to miss anything, Loki."

He massaged my shoulders. "The realms are at peace, there is no reason for them to grow more rapidly than usual."

"I know-"

"You should take them outside to get some fresh air. I'm sure Thor and Frigga would love to see them." He backed away from me to sit on the bed. "Take them to the riverside, or the bridge, or-"

I turned to him quickly. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" I sneered.

He shook his head. "You haven't been away from the palace in a month. I'm the one locked in a cage, not you. Not our children. Be free."

I looked at him for a long moment, tears welling in my eyes. Before he had time to react I fell to my knees, weeping. "I don't want- I don't... I can't protect them out there, they are safe in here I don't want them to get hurt. " I was forgetting how to breathe.

"Slow down Izbel." He came over to kneel in front of me. "What are you trying to say? There is no threat outside in Asgard, all of the gods in the realm adore our children despite their paternal heritage. Any one of them wouldn't have to think twice about helping them if they were in danger. Tell me what's really on your mind, dear."

I looked into his emerald eyes and frowned, tears still fell from my face. How could he read me so well? "I want us to be together as a family, Loki. I don't want you to miss out on their life. If they had a growth spurt and you weren't here I'd feel guilty."

He stroked my hair. "Darling, you knew what you signed up for. I am stuck here, but you and our children should be free. Do it for me, take our children to the river for me?"

I looked into his eyes and wiped my wet cheeks. "I'd do anything for you, Loki."

He stood us up and started to gather our babies into their buggy. "Take them to the waterfront, sit with them as the sun sets and tell them stories of Midgard." He was pushing me to the exit.

"Are you sure-"

He grabbed my shoulders. "Izbel I do not want to hold you back from anything. Go. And take my sisters, or my brother, I hear he's been back for some time."

I took a deep breath and kissed him on the cheek.

One moment I was in the halls of the castle, the next I was on the river bank watching the suns drop. Thor was beside me holding Sofi in his arms, telling her about Valkyries. I rocked Lee gently in my arms, we all listened.

"Valkyries were strong women soldiers who fought for the nine realms. They were valiant and resilient. And the best warriors of my youth. In fact, when I was younger I wanted to be one. Then I learned the gender requirements of course. Sjofna I see in your eyes now that you will be a strong independent woman, just like your mother." He sent a cheesy smile my way. "The Valkyries might be long gone by now but you will be as strong as one, I am sure of it. And Lee, though she may never need it, protect your sister."

I looked at the blond beefcake and smiled. "That's so nice, Thor. You're a great storyteller."

He chuckled and placed Sofi back in the buggy. "I learned from the best. Odin would always tell us stories of old. His stories are some of the best memories of my childhood." 

I cringed at the way he spoke of his father. I could never forgive Odin; but Thor hasn't seen him in the same light as I have. Nevertheless, it wasn't my job to change his views of his dad, he had to witness for himself. I mustered a smile for his sake. "That's nice." I said softly.

He sighed and stretched his arms above his head. "I have enjoyed this time together, Isabellianna, I hope I can get more chances to see my niece and nephew in the future."

"Of course! Any time you want to see them just let me know. Loki wants them to have strong bonds with all of their family. He wants as many people to love them as possible." This time my smile was genuine. The more people there were to love them, the more there to protect them and care for them.

"All the nine realms will love them." He assured me. "Forgive me, but I must go attend to some... business." 

Everyone knew he would go and visit his Midgardian lady, or have Heimdall stalk her for him. I couldn't think of a reason he was still being so secretive about it. "Have fun." I told him as he started to swing Mjolnir. 

He nodded to me and flew off toward the rainbow bridge. I placed Lee in the buggy next to his sister. "Isn't your uncle Thor great?" I asked them, and they looked up at me with big gold eyes. "Speaking of family... I've told you two about your Uncle Njorden and your cousins on Vanaheim, but I haven't told you about your family on Midgard." In the distance the Bifrost powered up and went off. "Maybe you'll get to see them, one day when you both are older. There's your aunt Natasha who you're named after, Sjofna. There's Nick Fury who I named you after." I tickled my son's foot and watched him squirm. "There's a special academy for people to train to be agents and protect Earth. That's where I met them, and oh how can I forget your Uncle Clint. I think you'd like him, he's pretty funny. There's so many more people there that I love, and I know they'll love you two. People all over the universe, like my good friend Carol."

The Bifrost went off again and I raised my eyebrows. "That was quick..." I looked to the bridge and immediately felt a dark wave wash over me. My babies started crying and my gaze quickly went to them. My worst fear was being realized. Lee and Sofi were growing bigger like the slow but steady rise of yeast in an oven. "No... No. No!" I pulled both of them out of the buggy and found myself stumbling backwards, I fell onto the shore. My children and I cried together. Maybe if I held them, they wouldn't grow. In my arms they were safe, they should have no need to grow. But the dark wave never dissipated, and I felt them; millimeter by millimeter as they grew. 

Finally the dark energy was suppressed and I surveyed the damage, I pulled my children away from me slowly. My little three-month-old infants were now bigger. They looked up at me with curious eyes, they didn't cry anymore, that was left to me. I took a deep breath and stood, gently placing them in their buggy. Instead of laying down they sat up and looked around. Sofi was babbling and Lee was tugging at his  bodysuit; the buttons snapped at the bottom and it now fit him like a shirt, the same went for Sofi. I put on a brave face for them. "Let's go see Daddy, okay? And then we'll figure out what it was that made you grow." 

"Daddada" Sofi spoke with a smile and it broke my heart.

I raced to the dungeons praying that whatever that wave was wouldn't come back. A lot of emotions coursed through me. Guilt was one. Loki missed this, even though he said he wouldn't mind; I still felt guilty.

ANNA

Loki gazed at his babies with a slack jaw. "I never thought..." He spoke quietly. He reached for his son and lifted him into his arms. His eyes widened as he took in the weight change. "I'm sorry I let this happen-"

I shook my head and took Sofi in my arms, walking her over to the bassinet at the foot of Loki's bed. "No need to apologize, it's not your fault. I'm going to find the culprit."

"What do you mean?" He asked me as he rubbed Lee's back.

"I felt a dark energy suddenly appear here on Asgard, as soon as it showed up they started to grow." I walked over to my boys and kissed each one.

"Be safe, Darling."

"I'll be back to feed them soon. Change them into some clothes that fit, and read to them a bit?" 

"Of course."

I left my babies behind and went in search of the dark energy. It had disappeared and in its place was a... Midgardian? I flew toward it curiously. Thor was also there, and Frigga, they were strolling down the corridor with Thor's girlfriend, Jane Foster. I eyed them curiously while they met me with smiles. 

"Isabellianna! This is Jane." 

Jane spoke to me first, flustered. "Oh, wow, thanks for helping out at New York." she held her hand out for me.

"It was no problem." I shook her hand and felt the deep abyss within her as our skin made contact. So it was her who brought the dark energy here. I retracted my hand and turned quickly to Frigga. "Can I speak with you quickly?"

"Yes dear," She walked away with me and I heard Jane behind me whisper to Thor.

"I didn't realize she came here to Asgard with you."

Thor chuckled. "She married my brother, too." 

Jane laughed but stopped when she found Thor was being serious. She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Frigga? Is she aloud to be here? She has something dark in her. " I informed my mother-in-law.

Frigga nodded. "She has a sickness, here is the best place for her to be."

I grimaced. "The energy inside her made Sjofna and Litre grow."

The blonde matriarch gasped and grabbed my hands. "I didn't even realize, I'll do my best to keep her contained."

"Thank you Frigga." I felt a little relief, I knew Frigga would handle it. "I'm going to head back to be with them, I'll bring them to visit soon." I smiled.

"Send my love to my son, we had a... disagreement earlier."

I nodded and started back down toward the dungeons. "It was nice meeting you Jane," I gave the human a polite smile.

She reciprocated my smile. "Y-you too,"

Back down in the cage I complained to my husband while feeding Lee. "Thor brought his girlfriend here who somehow has a bunch of dark energy just residing in her. I don't like it. Not around my babies." Lee finished and I handed him to his father to get burped. I picked up Sofi and started to feed her. "Why is Odin Allowing such a thing to happen. I swear if my babies grow any more Jane will not be safe."

Loki chuckled. "Oh, Izbells."

"What? I'm serious! I don't like it one bit."

"Keep calm darling, no need to get so riled up. I'm sure Frigga has a handle on it." Now done burping, Loki stroked his son's soft curls before placing him in the bassinet.

I sighed. "I heard you got in a fight? You and Frigga?" 

Loki looked to me them quickly at his wall, regret showing on his face. "Yes."

"She said she loves you."

"And I, her. It was a petty disagreement." My husband shook his head.

"Whatever happened, I'm sure she knows you didn't mean it."

"Perhaps," he spoke quietly.

I rested Sofi's head over my shoulder and burped her.  Soon her eyes grew droopy and she was in dreamland. I placed her next to her brother. Their sleeping space was getting cramped, I'd I have to switch the bassinet with one of the many gilded cribs I received after their name day ceremony. Sofi was a lost cause without her brother near fussing if he went to sleep any other place than right next to her. Lee was quiet, more manageable, he only cried when he was hungry, wet, or sleepy. I went to sit in Loki's lap, laying my head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and we sat quietly. Memories of our relationship flashed before my eyes and I smiled. I remembered a time when I worried about Earth more than I cared for myself. A time when I didn't know who I was supposed to be. I was an agent, but Fury was like a father to me, Clint an uncle, Nat a sister, and for a brief moment The Avengers were my dysfunctional family. What if I didn't abandon them, what if I stayed? I could be living in an apartment, waking up to Steve sketching me while I slept. His new body I wouldn't have to protect. I would live under the lie that I was the last Medjordian, I would be naive and afraid. I would never have grown there like I did here with Loki.

"What are you thinking about?" Loki asked quietly.

"What my children with Steve would look like." I looked up at him to give a sly smile.

His nose crinkled. "They'd come out spangled."

I chuckled and held him tighter. "Y'know, I'm glad I chose you-"

"How could you not be?"

I ignored him and continued. "Steve was too good, and you know, I'm not really into blondes."

"Oh no, Thor will be so disappointed." 

"But you know Fandral has been looking mighty fine these days, and he gave me a horse, that's major brownie points in my book." I grinned and Loki rolled his eyes. "Oh my, there he goes now." I pointed out to the hall and waved to the warrior who was escorting prisoners to their new homes; however, his eyes looked over the cell we were in. "What are you projecting?" I shoved my husband playfully.

"If you want Fandral you go out there, but for now, you're locked in here with me." He growled and flipped us so I was on my back pinned to the bed. The grin on his face gave me no assurance as his cool hands slid under my shirt. I tried to contain my laughter as he tickled me. 

"Stop, you're going to wake the babies." I pleaded with him, giggling. 

"A price I'm willing to pay to make you suffer."

"You're so evil." I tried to squirm out of his grasp. 

He bent down so his lips were near my ear. "That's why you love me."

I shivered. "Well, you're not wrong." I kissed his cheek.

"When am I ever wrong?" He asked and flipped me over and continued to tickle me.

I buried my face in the blankets to keep from making too much noise. Then something snapped, the feeling of dark energy washed over me. "Loki, Loki, stop!"  I called.

"What's the matter?" He asked frantically, removing himself from atop of me. 

I immediately ran over to my babies and saw they were growing in their sleep "No!" Loki was at my side in and instant. I scooped them up and held them close. 

"Isabellianna, get away from the force field, now!"

I looked up at him confused, and he pushed me behind him, backing me up against the wall, I followed his gaze out into the hall where one of the prisoners was breaking out of his cell. "Oh no," I whispered holding my babies close as they grew steadily in my arms. I slid down the wall till I was sitting. Loki crouched in front of me, he placed a hand on my shoulder reassuring me. 

"Keep them quiet." He said and we watched as the prisoner went to each cell, breaking people out. As he came nearer Sofi and Lee grew faster. In the hall chaos ensued. The alarms sounded and guards rushed in to contain the disorder. The prisoner who started it all finally arrived at the cell we were in. Fear burned in my heart. Lee, uncomfortable now started squirming in my arms, Loki, stroked his cheek and put a finger to his own lips. Sofi Looked at all of us in wonder.

The prisoner walked away from our cell and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I let out a weak sob and Loki wrapped his arms around all of us.

"Mommy's crying, Daddy, Mommy's crying." Sofi said.

Lee burped. "I'm hungry." He squeaked out.

I cried even harder into Loki's shoulder. There was fighting still going on outside and they still grew. Loki took a deep breath and softly shushed the three of us.

  Loki took a deep breath and softly shushed the three of us

ANNA

Things quieted and I surveyed the damage, the hall outside the cell was in shambles, it wasn't any better inside. Sofi and Lee sat on the bed as I paced the room. Though they seemed tiny wearing two of my spare shirts, they were the size of toddlers. They were toddlers. 

"Daddy why is mommy not feeling good?" Sofi asked.

"She's a little overwhelmed, Princess." Loki responded kindly to her.

"Over wamed, Wee, over wamed." She repeated to her brother.

"Overwhelmed." Loki said again, nodding.

I couldn't accept it, my babies... weren't babies any longer. They could walk all on their own and talk. Their limbs were longer and they had teeth. Their hair was longer and their eyes were wide.

"Daddy, can I eat?" Lee's breathy voice asked and I stopped in my tracks. 

"I'm so sorry Lee, You're hungry I forgot. Mommy's sorry. I'll go get you some food. You're big enough now you can have something other than milk."

"Uhh, okay!" He said enthusiastically.

"Be good for daddy while I'm gone." I turned to leave, I felt Loki's sad eyes on me.

"Darling, wait."

"Hmm?" I asked.

"It'd be better if they went with you." Loki spoke. "You can get them a change of clothes and feed them both in the kitchen."

"Yeah I wanna go with Mommy!" Sofi yelled.

"A-are you sure?" I asked my husband. "You don't think its safer here for now?"

Loki shook his head. "They told us the conflict is over." 

I nodded. "Alright then," I held my arms out for my children. "Come to Mommy!" They climbed off of the bed and ran over to me. I balanced them on either side of my hips. "It's getting late, I think we'll go back to my hall to sleep." I told Loki.

He stepped toward us and wrapped his arms around us in a hug. "See you all tomorrow."

The palace was a wreck. I tip toed over fallen pillars and broken marble. Guards were scurrying around but that was it. On my way to the kitchen I saw the sisters walking solemnly. "Look it's your aunts, Agatha, Ygritte, and Illain." I told my children.

Illain caught me in her gaze and stopped her sisters. I let my children down to stand on their own. We made our way over to the sisters. "This is Litre and Sjofna?" Agatha asked, her blue eyes wide. Illain bent down to speak with her niece and nephew.

I nodded. "Whatever happened here made them grow."

"You weren't in the battle?" Ygritte tilted her head, her normal sharp eyes were cloudy.

"No, was it bad?" I asked and all three of them shared a look.

"We lost our mother, Frigga has gone to Valhalla." Agatha said mournfully.

I felt tears come to my eyes. "No, it can't be..." If only Loki, or I was there maybe it could have been different.

"We're on our way to prepare her body for the ceremony. The three of you can join us if you please."

I looked down to my children and felt numb from the shock of everything that has happened. "We'll meet you soon. Growing so fast makes them hungry."

"Of course," Aggie nodded. "See you soon." She said and they were off.

I ushered my children to the kitchen, it was empty like the rest of the castle. I guess Odin sent everyone home. There was a food keeper, not unlike a refrigerator, and I got out some rice and beans to heat them up. I've taken on so many jobs, friend, sister, agent, but the only one that mattered at the moment was mother. While the food heated I looked at my children who stared back at me. "Do you remember your Grandmother Frigga?" I asked tilting my head.

Sofi nodded vigorously and Lee spoke softly. "She sang and would read us fairy books."

"She's gone now? Is she gone?" Sofi asked.

They were so developed, you'd think they'd actually lived three years and not just three months. "Yes, that's right, and do you remember Aunt Aggie said she's in Valhalla now?" I asked and both toddlers nodded. "Well, we don't have to be sad that Grandmother Frigga is gone because she was protecting what she loved. She's in a place where she's comfortable and happy." I tried to explain as best I could. I'm sure one of the other Asgardians could say it better.

"She's gone. But I miss her, can I miss her?" Sofi asked.

I smiled softly as I served them their food. Lee started eating and Sofi paid more attention to me. "Of course you can miss her. I have a trick to help when you miss her, too."

"What is it Mommy?" My daughter asked.

"When you miss her go find a book she used to read to you or sing one of the songs she would sing." I ruffled her curls.

"Hmm, okay!" She giggled and started to eat.

"Do you like the food, the rice and beans?" I asked them as I prepared them two cups of apple cider.

"I think I like it, Mommy, rice and beans." Lee spoke.

"Rice and beans!"

I felt a little sadness at the fact that I didn't get the chance to feed them myself. I sighed longingly and put the cups of cider down in front of them. "This is apple cider, it's very sweet."

Sofi grabbed the cup with both hands and I had to catch her hand before she dumped all the contents on her face. I smiled, at least there was something I could still teach them. They both drank cautiously so they wouldn't spill sticky juice everywhere.

"Mommy I wike app cider." Sofi told me.

"You like apple cider?" I repeated.

She nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah! What about you, Wee?"

Lee smiled. "I like it."

The finished up and I took them to where I sensed the sister's life signatures. They were in Frigga's room. The sisters were gathered around their mother and everything became too real for me. I ushered my children to Illain's arms and stepped outside of the room. Tears poured from my eyes. The woman who came to be a real mother to me was gone from my life. While I was too young to understand my real mother's passing, this one impacts me. And though I live on Asgard where they find dying while standing for something is honorable and they don't cry; I spent nearly two centuries on earth where every death was sad. Ygritte joined me in the corridor and I tried to hide my crying.

The second oldest sister put her hand on my shoulder. "She-"

"I know I'm not supposed to cry, it's just how I was raised." I cut her off.

She shook her head. "No, I was going to say she wouldn't have wanted you to hold back your emotions."

I was stunned for a moment, but then I smiled. "What happened here, anyway? Who was that prisoner?"

Ygritte told me everything she knew. How Jane brought a lot more than a 'sickness' to Asgard. Soon after she was finished Sofi poked her head out of the room and grabbed my hand to drag me back inside.

"Mommy, she's so pretty!" Sofi exclaimed.

I looked at my mother-in-law. She looked like she was enjoying a nice slumber. "She is." I confirmed.

"Sjofna and Lee are great helpers." Illain smiled down at her niece and nephew.

"It's almost time for the send off." Agatha was looking out beyond the balcony where the sky was darkening.

My children and I walked with Thor and Jane to the ceremony. Jane's eyes never met mine, and Thor was happy to see his niece and nephew but the sadness showed in his eyes at their abnormal age. The sisters would meet up with us later. All of Asgard gathered near the water where at least fifty boats floated. Glittering lanterns shown across the land. I closed my eyes and whispered my goodbyes to Frigga, when I opened them a flaming arrow flew towards the boat she was in and fifty more followed.

ANNA

After the ceremony I bathed my children and put them in some clothes that fit. I read them a story and put them to sleep in my bed. As they snoozed on I decided to project myself to my husband. He was sitting in the corner, His hair messy and in his face, his eyes rimmed red and puffy, he looked down at his hands in his lap. I walked over to him as he projected himself out of his body, he embraced me tightly. "It's all my fault, it's all my fault..." He spoke in to my shoulder.

I shook my head and stroked his hair, pushing raven locks away from his face. "No Loki, there's nothing you could have done."

"If I weren't such an idiot I wouldn't be locked in this cage and I could have protected her." He sobbed.

I felt my eyes prick with tears. "You and I both know she is capable of taking care of herself-"

"Tell me how it happened. All that dim guard said was that she died. Tell me how." He didn't look up at me.

"Don't torture yourself with details, Loki." I pleaded with him.

"I need to know who I have to kill. Who is responsible for my mother's death?" He finally looked up at me. His green eyes were sharp.

I kissed his forehead. "If it will help..." I sighed, my lips still pressed to his skin. I pulled away so we could make eye contact again. "The Dark Elf Malekith killed Frigga because she protected Jane, who holds the aether inside of her." I spoke slowly and clearly, I saw the rage rise in him.

He was actually shaking in anger. "Frigga died because of that hag? First my children and now my mother have to pay the consequences of Thor's folly? That girl should have never come here-" he cut himself off abruptly as his projection self returned to his body. I was curious but only for a while as I noticed Thor approach the window. The image of the room shifted but I saw through the illusion. "Thor, after all this time and now you come to visit me." The illusion of Loki said smoothly. "Why? Have you come to gloat? To mock?"

"Loki, enough. No more illusions." The blond brother spoke and I raised an eyebrow as Loki let the illusion fade.

"Now you see me, Brother," Loki spoke. I went over quietly to sit at his side, to offer him any support I could. He knew I was there, but Thor did not. I put my hand on my husband's shoulder. "Did she suffer?" He asked. And my heart felt like breaking.

"I did not come here to share our grief." Thor looked around defensively. "Instead I offer you the chance of a far richer sacrament." He fidgeted with his arm bracers and I sneered.

"What could he possibly offer you?" I whispered.

"Go on," Loki spoke, intrigued.

"I know you seek vengeance as much as I do. You help me escape Asgard and I will grant it to you. Vengeance, and afterwards; this cell."

I scoffed. "The nerve of him."

My husband thought for a moment. A dry chuckle escaped his mouth. "You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?

"I don't." Thor said quickly. "Isabellianna does. Mother did, and you should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with a glimmer of hope that my brother was was still in there somewhere. That hope no longer exists to protect you. You betray me and I will kill you."

I rolled my eyes. If only he knew the truth.

"When do we start?" He asked.

Thor looked around. "At dawn. Get dressed."

I gasped. "So soon?"

Loki cinched is eyebrows together. "I will not leave without Isabellianna's knowledge." Loki spoke.

"She is a part of the plan, I had hoped she would be here with you now. She has a special role. Keep you in line."

Loki chuckled. "I'm sure she will be glad to hear that. Go, tell her; I will be ready when you return." He spoke to Thor and as the blond turned I kissed Loki's cheek and returned to my bedroom. My children were sleeping soundly. I stroked their curls for a few seconds then shimmied out of bed. Dawn would come soon enough. I went over to the entrance door of my hall. I felt Thor coming nearer. Soon enough he reached me.

He was surprised that I was waiting for him. I wasted no time. "Loki told me I am to be his body guard on a stupid quest to kill Malekith?" I asked.

"That is the plan, but there is more. And you mustn't tell Loki this. I already know he will betray me-"

"And you think he wouldn't betray me? He'd sacrifice anything to get what he wants." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"He would never allow any harm to come to you. That is why if he gets carried away with the plan I have in store, I will use you against him. It has to look authentic, Jane will be totally in the dark, and there is a chance for Loki to use that to his advantage. He is to act that he will turn over Jane but if the act becomes reality-"

"You want me to be a damsel in distress, got it." I moved my hand to my hips. "Now if that's all I have to find my children a babysitter."

"One last thing, I can't guarantee my father or other guards won't discover us, but if anything happens and I am caught, you take Jane-"

"The mission comes first, I got it. I was an agent remember." I jogged away from him, and out of the broken castle. I flew up a few mountain peaks and landed in front of a mansion. A few lights were on. I walked up to the door and knocked nervously. More lights turned on. A sandy brown haired boy answered the door, his eyebrow cocked in a way that was hauntingly similar to Loki. This had to be one of his sons.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Oh um, forgive me. I uh-"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Well spit it out. I want to know why my father's new wife came to visit at such a late hour." He smirked. "If you want to return him I'm sorry to say he's yours to keep."

My eyes widened. He was so... Loki. "I'll be going on a trip and I was wondering if Sigyn would be able to take care of my children while I was away."

"Well why didn't you just say so?" He rolled his eyes. "Mama!" He called into the house.

"Yes, Válli!?" She answered sweetly. Making her way to the door. "Oh! What a pleasant surprise."

"She wants you to watch her weasels while she goes on holiday with the King Weasel." Válli explained and a reprimanding slap on the back of his head from his mother made him wince and wipe his smirk off of his face.

"We'd be happy to look after them, we are family after all." Sigyn grinned and nudged her son.

"It really would be no problem, Narví and I have denounced our father but we would like to get to know our siblings and you, of course." The lanky boy gave a small sincere smile.

My eyebrows knit together and I smiled. "Thank you so much, I'll go get them ready." I turned to walk away.

"Hold on Dear, let me come with you." The beautiful blonde caught my arm and I nodded in response. She tightened her shawl over her shoulders and walked beside me. Válli saw us off, I noted he didn't go back into his home until we were a ways away. Sigyn caught my glance behind us. "He's my youngest, he still looks after me like I'm a glass statue. He's yet to be annoyed with me like Narví."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "How old are they?"

She looked up at the sky and giggled. "Oh let me see... Válli is about six hundred Midgardian Summers, and Narví one hundred and fifty more than that."

Shocked, my eyes widened. I had expected them to be old, but not so much older than me. "I know Loki is just over a thousand years old, but wow, Asgardians age so much differently."

"It's all in what we eat," she explained. "Our bodies reach maturity quickly, as for our minds, that's a different ordeal. Such is why I thought it was okay to get married to the first person who noticed me. You have a good head on your shoulders, I can tell. Even if you are younger. Loki will always have a special place in my heart, he gave me my boys after all. We are just two different people."

"You're so mature about it! People on Midgard are less so." I lamented.

"Well I can see why you left, then. There's no use in getting so worked up about it. I loved him, we had fun, he wasn't good for me, so he left. We are older, more wise. I still have love for him, and my family is yours." She spoke wistfully.

I stared at her in wonder. "How come you never found anyone else?"

"Oh I don't know." She blushed. "My boys were a lot to handle as they were growing, I couldn't really focus on courtship. And now, well, I rather enjoy my freedom. Asgardian men are mostly very traditional and possessive."

I thought about that while we walked. I thought about my marriage to Loki, and how I turned him down the first time. I realize now how hurt he must have been if he truly was asking out of love. He was trying to show me he loved me the old fashioned way. The way he was taught. He courted me and asked me to be his. When we reached the gates to the castle a different thought crossed my mind. "What of Odin, then?" I whispered. "He seemed so cold toward Frigga. Even in her death it seemed he only thought of her a business venture."

"Oh, Loki didn't tell you?" The lamb asked and she read my confused features well because she immediately explained. "Odin and Frigga are a sort of hm what do Midgardians say? They are a business arrangement. In order to stop ridicule on those who practice magic, the witches of Asgard offered one of their sisters to be married to the king."

"There was a time when magic was bad?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Asgard has an interesting history." She had a small smile. If only she knew.

We reached my children's bedroom, they were still safe and sound asleep.

I didn't sleep at all that night. I strapped together my armor and paced my room, my hands rested on the hilts of the daggers at my waist. My green hair was up in a bun, a few short strands fell on my forehead and every few minutes I brushed them out of the way. I checked life signatures every minute; Thor's, Odin, Loki in his cell, if I focused hard enough I could make out Sigyn in her home upon the hill. It pained me not to be able to feel my babies, but I knew Sofi and Lee would be safe, Sigyn's house was far away from Jane and the fray to come. But what of me. Of Loki? Would we be safe? At least I was able to tell them goodbye, Loki might be able to escape Odin's wrath if we got caught, but I doubt the King would show me his mercy. I've seen the way he looks at me, after marrying Loki, after Frigga... he has little love for me now, and after what Heimdall is going to do, he will have little love for all Medjordians. I just hope he would show mercy on my babies, as he did on the children in the past, my ancestors.

As the time grew nearer I grew more nervous. Jane rose from her slumber, it was my time to move. I made my way to Thor's hall as he made his way to the dungeons. I knocked on the tall door of the bedroom I took the liberty of opening it as soon as I felt her move towards the door. She was near the food cart, a sweet roll in her hand.

"Oh, you're... punctual." She noted, still chewing.

"I take it Thor has filled you in?"

She nodded. "You don't want to grab a bite or anything before we leave?" She gestured at the platter filled with cuts of ham, eggs, sausage, and various rolls. The salted ham smell was already making me queasy. I guess she understood the unease because she dropped the roll she was holding and dusted her hands as she walked over to meet me. "Let's get going then."

We quietly walked through the castle, to anyone who passed us we were just two ladies going for a stroll. Asgardians cleaned debris around us and I couldn't contain the feeling of hatred that boiled within me at the woman who walked beside me. I clenched my jaw to try and suppress the feeling.

Sif met us in the hall and led us to the brothers, I felt relaxed as I laid eyes on my husband. Next to me, I felt the heat of hate rise in Jane. Her arm raised and connected with Loki's cheek. "That's for New York." She stated with a huff.

Loki met eyes with me and told me to stay calm. "You sure know how to pick them, Thor." He said with a smirk. "But how do you suppose we get to the bifrost?"

I sensed Odin on his way to the rainbow bridge, guards followed. I gave a nod to the blond brother. "We aren't taking the bifrost." He spoke just as passing guards noticed us, panic arose. "Sif?" He called to the warrior.

She nodded and we turned to rush away. I didn't see, but I heard as she stopped my husband with her drawn sword and warned him not to betray Thor. I nearly rolled my eyes. Next we met with Volstagg in the great hall. We were ushered into the Dark Elves' ship and Thor tried to start it as the warrior outside fought off at least ten guards. I got anxious as the guards closed in. I spotted the button that said 'start' in the language and pressed it, the machine whirred to life and Thor surrendered piloting to me. I knew the plan, cause as much damage as possible make a spectacle. Thor attended to Jane as Loki bickered with him. I focused on destruction and dodging the Asgardian munitions fired at us. I turned to Thor and nodded. In the middle of Loki asking me why I agreed to such a horrible plan Thor threw him off of the ship. Thor proceeded to jump off and onto Fandral's seaplane with Jane. I set the foreign ship to autopilot and jumped off myself, flying down to the seaplane.

Loki was steering and he gave me a wink as I landed. "May the best Pilot win." He smirked. Just then, we were fired upon by a lone seaplane patrol.

"Fandral," Thor spoke to the other blond.

Fandral seized the anchoring rope and fancily made his way onto the other seaplane. "Any other visitors on their way, my love?" Loki asked me.

"None," I replied.

Loki smirked as he headed straight into the face of a cliff. "Are you mad?!" Thor called to his brother.

"Possibly," My husband whispered in reply, his grin growing larger. The cliff got closer I held on to Loki and braced myself. We flew straight through a narrow crack and I saw the mystical glowing like the bifrost along with sparks flying as the seaplane scraped the walls of the crevice. I felt my body shift as it did during bifrost travel and suddenly we were shot out on a dark planet. This is where evil came to breed. Loki's whimsical "Ta-da!" was the only thing that warmed me on the cold, dead world. I found myself shifting closer to my husband. He slowed the plane and at a cruise we passed the dust-covered rubble of Svartalfheim. The wreckage must have been beautiful once, cities, castles, large works of architectural art. My mind traveled to earth to the ancient Roman Colosseum. It was beautiful once, I remembered it was Bor, father of Odin who warred against the Dark Elves, it was he who brought their home to ruin. Could Asgard fall? Could Earth? I shuddered at the thought, my husbands voice snapped me back to reality.

"What I could do with the power that flows through those veins." He lamented staring down at Jane, passed out in Thor's arms. I elbowed his ribs.

"It would consume you." Thor replied.

My husband scoffed "She's holding up alright." he looked away. "For now," he added.

"She's strong in ways you'd never know." Thor argued.

"Say goodbye," Loki urged. He was being sincere, and I had to agree with him, her frail body barely fought against the evil that flowed in her.

Thor looked down at his love. "Not this day." 

Loki stood from his seated position next to me. "This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing. It's a heart beat. You'll never be ready. The only woman whose love you've prized will be snatched from you." Loki's words were harsh but they were true. It was why I left Steve all those years ago, I never thought his scrawny body would make it to twenty years, let alone a hundred. But maybe, hearing Steve's story gave Thor hope, maybe he hoped Midgardians would find the secret to longer life so he could live out his days with his love.

"And will that satisfy you?" Thor asked bitterly.

Loki puffed out his chest, I could see he was hurt that his brother would suggest such a thing. "Satisfaction is not in my nature."

"Surrender not in mine."

"The Son of Odin." 

Thor took offence to the remark, this time he stood. "No, not just of Odin! You think you alone were loved of mother? You had her tricks, but I had her trust!" His voice was raised making me wince.

"Trust." Loki scoffed. "Was that her last expression? Trust? When you let her die!"

"What help were you in your cell?"

"Who put me there? Who put me there?!" Loki challenged, and Thor came over to grab his brother. There were tears in my husbands eyes, but I knew well enough not to get in the middle of this familial spat.

"You know damn well! You know damn well who!" Thor raised his fist and I surely thought he would deck Loki but his aura rang with realization. "She wouldn't want us to fight."

"Well, she wouldn't exactly be shocked." Loki smirked and I saw a smile creep on Thor's features. 

Thor turned away from us. "I wish I could trust you."

"Trust my rage." Loki whispered. I reached out silently, touching his arm in reassurance, he made no eye contact with me. 

At the front of the plane Jane rustled, her aura was black. This time I held onto Loki grounding myself, making sure I didn't do anything I would regret. She awoke, her eyes black as ink she looked up.

"Jane?" Thor asked.

"Malekith."

I felt it too. "We're here" I informed the boys.

Loki landed us gently and we walked over to the cliff's edge to get a look at Malekith and his troops exit the Dark Elf ship. This was it, make or break time; a lot of power would be held in Loki's hand, what he would choose to do with, only he knew.

"Alright, are you ready?" Thor asks Jane, and she nods but Loki answers.

"I am." His chest large. "You know this plan of yours is going to get us killed."

"Yeah, possibly." Thor responds. Loki lifts up his hands to be unshackled and I reluctantly shift towards Jane.

"You still don't trust me, brother?"

"Would you?"

"No, I wouldn't." I saw the gleam of the dagger, he could kill Jane right here if he wanted to. I had to make sure the act went according to plan. He stabbed Thor and the blond let out a groan, it looked authentic, I jumped. Thor fell down the precipice and Loki jumped after him. Jane called out for her lover, I helped her down the cliff to them. In the distance Malekith noticed our display. He walked eagerly over to us. Loki wasn't done with his act. "You really think I cared about Frigga, about any of you?" I winced as his foot connected with Thor's face. "All I ever wanted was you and Odin dead at my feet!" At that moment Thor tries to call Mjolnir but Loki swiftly cuts off his hand. I play the solemn deer in headlights as I let Jane run off to the screaming Thor and I take a knee. Loki catches her up. "Malekith, I am Loki of Jotunheim and I bring you a gift!" He throws his offering at the elves' feet. "I ask only one thing in return, a good seat from which to watch Asgard burn."

The prisoner and Malekith share a look, and the prisoner explains that he saw Loki in the dungeons of Asgard. If Malekith could express glee, he'd probably be doing it. He walks over to Thor and turns him as he lifts Jane in the air, the darkness of the Aether spilled out of her. I saw it all flow out, and when nothing was left I nodded to Thor.

"Loki, now!" He called to his brother. Loki immediately dropped the illusion and he jumps to cover Jane and Thor summons Mjolnir and I start my flames. We aim our blasts at the liquid evil floating in the air. I gave it all I had... but it wasn't enough. Malekith smirked as the evil flowed within him and he turned to leave on his ship. His lackeys were silently ordered to keep us busy. Thor and I fought off those we could but we weren't getting any closer to Malekith. In the middle of fighting Thor flew off, confused I checked to see what he was doing, Loki had was being sucked into a vortex. My eyes widened, I didn't get to see what happened because an elf sliced my thigh open, I cried out in pain and incinerated my assailant. I checked back again and Loki and Thor were safe, on the ground. Thor flew over to fight the large prisoner and I went to Loki's side to protect Jane. The elf lackeys were closing in on us.

"Half and half?" I asked.

"I was thinking we even the odds." He smirked and I knew exactly what he was thinking, soon, there were four of each of us. Though the illusions of ourselves could only doge and fake attacks, they kept the rest busy while we picked them off. I was rusty, I was getting hurt. I imagined Natasha there, coaching me, she would be ashamed. You have to keep your elbow up. Widen your stance. Ground yourself. You trip, you're dead. You miss a kill shot, you're dead. Always stay on top. You get pinned, you're dead. I missed sparring with her and Clint. Fighting side by side with my husband wasn't that bad. I wasn't dead yet. We were down to two of them and I noticed Thor in a losing battle. Loki saw it too. "Can you handle it from here, Darling?" He asked me.

"I've got this, my love." I gave him the go ahead to help his brother. One of the elves tried to follow him but I threw a dagger piercing through the back armor. The elf fell to the ground and I focused on sparring the last one.

After breaking a few of the dark elves' bones he was down for the count, I turned my attention to survey how the boys were doing. My eyes fell upon them just as the prisoner slammed Loki onto the blade in his own chest. "No!" I yelled. I was frozen for a moment, another vortex grenade went off, consuming the prisoner. I nearly broke the sound barrier as I flew over to Loki's side where Thor was already sobbing. This wasn't part of the plan. Tears fell from my eyes. "It's alright. I'll tell father what you did here today." Thor assures his brother. I kneel and grasp at my husband.

"I didn't do it for him." Loki admits and he closes his eyes. His skin starts to turn cold and blue and Thor cries out. A sob wracked my body, I felt my heart begin to burst.

But something wasn't right. Loki seemed gone, cold, no breath, no heartbeat. His aura still shown with color. His life signature did not fade. I held his hand harder in mine and I felt him squeeze back, if only slightly. I buried my head in his chest and sobbed more. How dare he. How dare he not let me in on this trick of his. My heart still pained in my chest.

"Isabellianna, we must go." Thor spoke.

I looked up at him furiously. "Go then."

"Please, come with us?" He begged.

"No. This is your fault! This was your plan. I played my part. Loki played his. I will follow you no longer." I put my head onto my husbands chest again. "This is all your fault! Take your woman and go. I will bury my husband." Those last words, even untrue sent a wave of nausea through me. I let out a wail. They didn't go. "Jane please, I beg of you take him away."

Jane was understanding. She pulled her man's arm and he reluctantly seceded. When I sensed them far enough away I held my husband. "How dare you do that to me." I whispered fiercely. "What do you have planned? I hope you have thought of our children, what can we do now that Thor thinks you're dead, what good can come from that?"

His illusion dropped and his face was stern. "Darling, you're bleeding out." He sat up and ripped a swatch of his garment off. He tied it around my thigh and I yelped in pain. He pulled me into his lap and held me. "I saw the chance and I took it. I didn't plan on doing this when I came here. Anyway if I had, its good you thought it was genuine, if only for a moment, you aren't the best liar."

I frowned. "Only when I'm trying to lie to you."

"I love you." He sighed.

"I love you."

"How would you like to get rid of Odin?"

I rolled my eyes. "You know I would like that more than anything in all the realms." I caught his smirk in the corner of my eye. "How?" I asked.

He stood, carrying me bridal style. He turned into one of his Einherjar prison guards. "Well my lady, maybe it's time for a new Odin." 

"I wouldn't be able to stay on Asgard, not if Heimdal is exiled, not if you're not alive Loki, there is nothing for me there. To keep appearances I will have to leave."

"You will go with your brother on Vanaheim? "

"No, my other family."

"What of our children? You will just whisk them away to that terrible world without another thought? Don't I get a say in this? Don't they?"

"I will not lie to them, and I will let them choose who they want to stay with. But you don't get a say, Loki. To every one but us, our family, you will be dead. You said it yourself, I'm a bad liar. I can't live a lie every day and that's what I would be doing if I stayed here."

"You'd be living a lie on Earth, too."

"At least it would be my lie."

"Don't leave me, Izbell."

"You got what you wanted, Loki, You got your throne. This is just one of those situations where you can't have your cake and eat it too."

"As king I will make the rules, I can eat all the cakes I want."

"But you won't be king. Odin will."

"Please don't leave me."

"I have to. I don't want to. But I have to."

I kneeled in front of my children in my bedroom. I explained everything to them, and awaited their response. They were about the size of Midgardian ten year olds now. The convergence and Malekith's dark energy made them grow while I was away.

"So Daddy will stay here, but if we stay we have to pretend he's grandpa?" Sjofna asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

It was all very confusing. "That is correct." I replied. "And if you come with me to earth you can't tell anyone Daddy is alive."

"Daddy really went to Midgard and hurt people?" Litre asked.

"He did but he was under the control of someone else." I felt so guilty putting this all on them, they were so tiny but I could tell their minds were whirring. "Remember that neither choice is final, staying here or accompanying me, it's just easier for us to prepare." I was so close to telling them to just come with me. But they deserved a choice.

Sjofna crossed her arms over her chest. "I think we're going to stay here." She decided.

I started to nod but Litre's head whipped around at his sister. "But I want to go with Mommy." His eyes were wide.

Sjofna shook her head. "We can always visit her, this is our home, Lee."

"I'm going with Mommy."

"We have to stick together, and I'm staying here so you have to stay with me." Sjofna's voice was confident but in her eyes I saw she pleaded.

"As much as I would like for you two to stay together; you are each your own person and I know wherever you choose to go you will be surrounded by people who love you." I decided to interject.

"But Mommy, we've always been together." My daughter pouted. "Oh, why can't we all just stay here?"

I was so caught up in the conversation I hadn't noticed Loki approaching, he was in my bedroom dropping his Odin illusion before I could protest. "You fool," I hissed and checked to make sure no Einherjar guards were around I only noticed Ygritte making her way away from the hall. Siblings in crime those two.

My children were happy to see their father, he kneeled and they jumped in his lap and he embraced them. "My darlings." He whispered as he held them, he looked up at me. "I had Ygritte listening in. I couldn't stay away." His eyes asked mine for forgiveness.

I gave in, I knelt and held my family in my arms. "I don't want to split us up, but I have to, to keep us safe I have to." I cried.

"Litre you will accompany your mother to Midgard, Sjofna you will stay here. Both of you will have free passage back and forth, and free choice to stay where you wish. But if your mother were to stay and the people were to find out I was alive, she would be arrested as an accomplice to treason."

"I could protect us daddy! I'll make sure no one finds out-" My daughter was desperate.

"Sjofna, it is final, your mother has to go away, and if your bother chooses to go with it is his choice."

Sjofna still pouted as Lee and I held our bags waiting to take the bifrost to Midgard. There was a new person operating the cosmic portal, Skurge was not exactly the most kind looking, his tattoos and grimace were certainly a big change from Heimdall's warm smile. However, Heimdall was exiled before Loki took over the throne and it would arouse too much suspicion if the All Father were to miraculously go back on his word. Litre hugged his sister and Odin goodbye just as Skurge opened the bifrost. I stroked my daughter's cheek and labored to smile at my husband in the king's guise. We stepped through and I held my son's hand and closed my eyes as we hurdled through space.

When my feet touched down again I opened my eyes and was met with the red hair and sly smile of my Supervising Officer, Nat. I could feel the tears welling and a smile grew on my face.

"Hey girl," She called, like we just saw each other yesterday.

"Hey," I breathed and went over to hug her, she hugged me back but pulled away to kneel down at Lee.

"And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" She smiled, holding her hand out.

Lee took her hand and kissed it, making me blush with embarrassment, Natasha giggled. "Lee Nicholas Roark." He answered.

The wide eyed look Nat gave was understandable. "This is your aunt Nat," I told him and now his eyes were wide with wonder.

"Aunt?" Natasha asked.

"I've heard so much about you!" Lee was excited. 

"Well I want to hear everything about you, we can talk in the car, would you like to see your new house?" Lee nodded and she smiled opening the door for him to get in. She shut the door and I walked over to the passenger seat. "Thor told me you would have company, I didn't really expect this." She teased.

I sighed, "Me neither." 

I was drinking lemonade on Clint's front porch with Laura and Nat watching Clint and the kids play freeze tag. I loved watching Lee erupt with laughter. It's only been about two weeks on earth and he's really fitting in. Me on the other hand, not so much. 

"Just a small detail, they're doing clean up in London. Fury highly suggested it, he even said you could take his namesake along. I don't think he'll take no as an answer." Nat pleaded with me.

"Well then he'll just have to take no answer at all." I quipped.

"Zing!" Laura called and laughed.

Natasha chuckled. "You're a lot more feisty now Anna."

"Having kids will do that to you." Laura chirped.

"Just think about it, please, for me." Nat gave me puppy-dog eyes

"Don't do it!" Laura whispered loudly. We all laughed. I thought about it.

Later that night I talked it over with Lee. He liked the idea of going to a different country and liked even more the opportunity to be enrolled at a prestigious private school. The smile on his face as he went to bed thinking about it made up my mind.

The tablet in my shaky hands told me everything I needed to know about the clean up detail, about Thor's battle, the casualties, the map of the city and hot points that needed attention. It told me the names of the people I was working with, their backgrounds, specialties, food preferences. It did not tell me; however, how Coulson, Phil  was alive. The screen of the tablet flashed a heat warning and I let go of it, dropping it on the floor of the quinjet. Luckily My son, in the seat across from me was snoring lightly, fast asleep.

The PT clad agents pointed me in the direction I needed to go. I stopped in the hall when I spotted him. He collected various things from the ground as agent Johnson followed behind. 

"You know, it'd be nice if for once, Thor and his people sent down the God of Cleaning Up After Yourself. They probably have a magic broom for this kind of thing." He spoke then his eyes spotted me. 

I waved. "Hi uh, I think I'm your magic broom?" I greeted, waving. Agent Johnson looked between the both of us.

"Isabellianna Roarksdottir. Now you're a sight for sore eyes." He came over and hugged me. 

"I could say the same."

"Fury called you all the way from Asgard?"

"Wait you're a god?!" Johnson exclaimed.

I chuckled. "Not, exactly." I said, answering both questions. "I came to help."

ANNA

I helped Coulson and his team clean up Thor's mess and the Norse followers who rose up, I helped them for a bit after that. On weekends Lee would come in to the office and FitzSimmons would teach him some tech stuff. Agent May was a good sparing partner, and just being around Coulson put me at ease. A month in I got a visit from Magnus and Reilly, they decided not to leave. A month after that I moved us all back to New York, I got my niece and nephew enrolled in High School and Lee enrolled in elementary. There were no worldly threats, just a few loose ends I tied up with Cap and Nat. I could breathe easily, I knew Lee would age gradually, like he should. I missed Sjofna deeply, I knew her father would protect her against anything, but I wanted to hold my daughter. Reilly was of course no substitute but her company was very much welcome. They informed me that their siblings were born Jerrick, a boy, and Daughny, a baby girl, they aged during the convergence so they were a little younger than Lee and Sofi. We found out that Lee can create water so Reilly helped him a lot with that. Magnus kept to himself most of the time, but he seemed happier than he was when I visited him on Vanaheim, he and I honed our fire type skills. Reilly, Magnus, and Lee had to stay camouflaged during school, and I decided to do the same on missions. It was annoying, but something I was willing to do to keep my family safe.

Missions with Steve were interesting, I could tell he had some lingering feelings but he was a good friend to have that wasn't as fragile as other humans.

Things got kind of scary when SHIELD was compromised.

I knew who I trusted and they trusted me. Fury, Nat and I weeded out the hydra infection, but ultimately the Avengers had to assemble once again.

Steve and Nat convinced me to move my family out of my modest SHIELD financed three bedroom apartment and invest in a few hundred acres in upstate New York. The kids stayed with Clint and his family that summer and I directed the building of my house. The day before it was finished I sent the painters home early. In the woods beyond the house I sensed someone. I couldn't get the painters out fast enough before I ran outside in paint splattered cover-alls and met my husband within the trees. I embraced him tightly. "You idiot! What are you doing here? I've missed you so much. Kiss me."

He chuckled and leaned down to meet his lips with mine. My tears started to flow at the kiss. I pulled away and buried my face in his chest. He stroked my hair. "My darling, I've missed you as well."

I looked up at him and saw the pain in his eyes. I missed the time he was locked in the dungeons where I could visit him whenever I wanted. "What are you doing here, Loki?"

He gestured to a picnic behind him. "I brought lunch." He held my hand and walked me over to the blanket on the grass, where we sat and he handed me flowers. "Ygritte and Sjofna talked me into it." He saw my ears perk up at the sound of those names. "They are doing fine, our daughter is becoming more fierce everyday. She gets warrior lessons from Sif and works on her magic with Ygritte. Agatha will be wed soon to some poet. Neither I nor Odin really approve."

I nestled down in between his legs, resting my back on his chest while he wrapped his arms around me. I started eating the grapes he brought. "Tell me more about Sjofna."

He chuckled and continued. We talked and snacked for two hours. I missed laughing with him. I missed his silly faces and his silly stories. I told him everything about Lee and he was a proud father. As the sun was setting we packed up the picnic and I took him on a tour of my new house. The tour was haulted when we got to my bedroom.

He was gone when I woke up, but there was an open book on my nightstand. A handwritten note from him read: "Thank you for letting me into your life, my love, my Izbell."

Remembering the instant message book from his library at home I found a pen and wrote back: "Thanks for visiting, I love you so much."

To my surprise it wasn't Loki's handwriting that replied: "Hi! This is Sjofna, tell Lee I miss him, and please tell daddy that you're not gonna leave him for that Steev gu-" I chuckled as her writing was cut short and Loki's continued: "I love you, I shall let you know when I plan to visit again."

At that moment I heard my son and niece and nephew burst through the front door. I closed the book and went to greet them. I told them that we had to finish the painting and they prepared excitedly.