A/N:

Heloo! I just want to thank you guys so much for such great feedback. Reading your reviews and getting such amazing comment really helped me to go on and work on this next installment of this series. It really means a lot to me! I apologize for taking so long I've been busy with a lot so I appreciate your patience. I hope you continue to enjoy this series as much as I did writing it, and keep the reviews a comin! Xoxo,
GypsyMermaid

Three years after Loki has been banished to Midgard adjusting to its strange customs & finding love for the first time in his life, he wants to make amends with his family. (Sequel to the prince and the musician)

Everything belongs to the awesome Marvel..except for my original characters!

The Prince and the Road to Redemption

Chapter One
Preparation and Realization

"Loki, cut it out I am gonna be late for work!" It was a beautiful summer morning. Grayden was supposed to have the day off but her boss called her to fill in a shift. Loki had a day off from his bank teller position, and was eager to spend it lying in bed with his favorite person in the world. Being his usual early bird self, he started a pot of coffee and went to shower. Grayden was preparing for a shower of her own when Loki called out to her "Join me?" She could hear the mischief in his voice. Oh was it sexy. Without responding,
she opened the bathroom door as quietly as she could and snuck in. She dropped her robe & silently opened the shower door.

Her stealth was pretty epic. Loki with his back turned was humming when she ran her soft hands down his back gently. He shot up at the contact and shivers ran down his spine. "Morning handsome" she purred. He slowly turned around to face her. "Good morning my sweet girl, I love when you greet me like this" he said pulling her close to him and cupping her bottom in his hands gently patting it. The shower door began to fog from the beautifully hot water and the even hotter passion from its two current occupants. She leaned up to kiss him and they began to shower. "So, how long are you going to be at work today since technically speaking it's your day off?" He asked. "Boss man said until 2 this afternoon so it should be a quick day."

"Very well, the sooner you bring your sexy mortal ass home the sooner you can get your surprise my darling" he winked. "Really? Hmm..it must be pretty big babe, you've been hinting at this all week" "Oh yes, I can't wait to see the look on your face, and don't you dare go ask Anne I've already threatened her to be still you little sneak" he laughed. "How'd you know I was..damn you Loki you know me too well!" "Indeed I do, you're my woman are you not?" "Damn right just as you're my man" They both got that lustful look in their eyes and he pulled her into another deep kiss. She went to reach to turn the knob off but Loki grabbed her and lifted her up ready to take her right then and there. Before he could go any further Grayden playfully spoke "Loki cut it out I am gonna be late for work!" "Can't I make love to my woman in the morning?" "Of course you can but you know what happens once our energizer bunny asses get going, now off with the water sweetie" He reluctantly put her down and sighed as he reached for the shower knob.

She kissed him in between his shoulder blades softly and smacked his bottom leaping out of the shower laughing down the hall. "Dearest why do you insist on toying with me this way, you know I will only come for you!" He leapt after her caught up with her and spun her naked body around to face him. She moved closer to him and whispered in his ear "because my love, in the end you'll always come for me". She turned around and very slowly sauntered into the walk in closet, as he silently thanked the gods for that view. Down below he began to ache for her. Damn. He would get her back for this.

30 minutes later they were fully dressed having breakfast when the doorbell rang. "Hey good morning are you ready to go?" "Sure come in let me grab my bag". Anne walked up to the table and grabbed a muffin. "Wow, these are awesome!" She said stuffing her face. "I know, I made them" Loki said pride fully with a smirk on his face. "And it only took you nearly a year to learn, pretty slow for a god huh" Anne laughed. "If only I had my powers at this moment I could erase your mouth completely" Loki rolled his eyes, still smiling. At first things were rocky between he and Anne. She was very protective over Grayden and didn't trust this stranger that she took into her home after not even a full day of knowing him. When Loki explained that he was foreign royalty from a distant realm Anne bugged the hell out. He had to be some sort of con artist, but he didn't have any real motives to cause harm. He was simply an outcast on a strange planet. One day while Grayden was upstairs doing laundry, Anne decided to have a talk with Loki in the lounge room. In talking to Loki Anne could see exactly why Grayden fell for him. Grayden and Loki were total opposites but were exactly the same. "You guys really are perfect for each other, it's sickening but don't get a big head about it" Anne rolled her eyes. "I can see you really care for her. You are her sister and I must love anyone she loves. Anne, I only want to make her happy" Loki spoke. "Which you have. She makes you pretty damn giddy for a man of such grand and badass power. A guy that treats her the way she deserves is good in my book, but if you hurt her your royal godly ass getting kicked...your highness" Anne spoke very seriously dropping the usual sarcasm from her voice. "Point understood" Loki passed her his bag of chips. Did he actually shutter under Anne's gaze? Wow, didn't see that coming, plus ten for her I'm quite impressed, he thought. That's how their brother and sisterly friendship began. Anne was a great verbal sparring partner in the insults department and Loki or Anne wouldn't have it any other way.

Winning over the best friend? Check! Grayden's older brother was a bit harder, as the topic of brothers was still sensitive. Rain was over protective over his little sister, a feeling he knew all too well. An overbearing handsome boisterous man, that caved into his sisters every whim. He reminded Loki a lot of Thor. She had his heart & if Loki broke it, god or not, prince or not Rain would kick his ass from earth to Asgard. He was still suspicious of Loki because come on, he literally fell from the sky and came virtually out of nowhere, but he gave him the benefit of the doubt because he saw just how much Loki loved his baby sister. He saw how much she loved him & just how happy they made each other. Rain wanted to have a man to man talk with him soon, so for now he was ok with it. But, he was watching and watching carefully.

"Alright girly, let's get this show on the road, I'm gonna go start the car thanks for the muffin Loki see ya later & good luck with the surprise!" Anne said as she walked out the door. Grayden finally put her shoes on and also heading towards the car closing the door. Loki stood there with her bag in his hand counting down until she realized what she was missing. "5..4..3..2.." The door swung open, and she looked up "I for-..she was cut off "your purse my love" Loki said finishing his lovers sentence. "God, I'm such a spazz sometimes!" She rolled her eyes. "You're my spazz, now give us a kiss" Loki chuckled. She pulled him down to kiss him. "Smart ass" she said in between kisses. "Tell me something I haven't heard" he said sarcastically. "I love you bum, see you later" she smirked walking out the door. "I love you more" Loki replied. As he watched the car speed off he thought to himself, a bum? I am NO such thing, I am a God and a Prince..HA!

Honestly, Grayden or Anne didn't see why they were at work today. Everyone knows that lounges (especially if you're a native New Yorker) come alive at night time. So being here at 7 in the morning was well too early. Mr. Giuseppe had been very close friends with Grayden's parents since before her and her brother were born so taking her and Anne into his restaurant (Mirage Lounge) was a no brainer. Rain on the other hand didn't really care for that particular scene. He instead decided to open up a fitness center, which was pretty successful. He played tons of sports in high school so it was only natural he felt to go down this path. Overall, Rain was very content with his choice. Mr. Giuseppe and his wife never had kids of their own so Grayden her brother and Anne were their kids, especially after the accident. Her parents asked the Giuseppe's to watch over their kids should anything ever happen to them. He loved the business but adding Grayden and subsequently Anne to the staff not only boosted business, but he truly felt like his extended daughters had come home. It made him and his wife happy. Anne thrived here. She was excellent at promoting the lounge and booking venues.

Grayden had a way with people. She was magic. Any celeb that came in always asked for her. She nearly died when Brad and Angelina complimented her beauty. She could swear they were both hitting on her, or maybe she just imagined it, who cares they both knew she existed! Then came the more unpleasant nights when Mr. Giuseppe held her in his arms comforting her from failed auditions and false promises of music and fame. He knew about her secondary dream to one day have a place of her own as great as his. He knew one day he would retire and pass down this place to her. He'd made enough to support his wife. Mrs. Giuseppe knew it was the right choice. They loved their kiddos. "So boss what are we in for today?" Anne asked. "Good news folks, we are adding some new things to the menu!" "Really, that sounds killer so what's it gonna be?" Grayden asked. "We are adding some classic American style dishes some more cakes & also more drinks. We got some new chefs and servers coming in today matter of fact, they should be on their way in a bit, so you're going to get them familiar with things around here" he spoke. A guy who looked to be in his mid-20s came in followed by a young woman looking to be about the same age group as well. Mr. G spoke "This here is Peter Parker & Anna Marie" They both smiled and waved. "Most people just call me Rogue sugah, sure is a mighty fine place ya gotcha self here!" she smiled. "And most people call me Pete" the young man also smiled.

"Hey I'm Grayden and this is my best friend and practical sister Anne" everyone shook hands and exchanged greetings. Peter knew he was going to love it here. He was a pretty good cook at home with his aunt May thanks to his late uncle Ben teaching him what he knew. Rogue loved herself some good food and was a social butterfly. They were both excited to get started. What a marvelous universe for them!

Loki sat at home lounging about on the couch watching a Once Upon a Time marathon completely engrossed in it. "I can certainly relate to Rumplestilskin, he and Belle are most suitable together" he said as Tetris meowed in agreement with him. This furry beast really grew on him. Wherever he went Tetris wasn't too far behind. He thought back to how Grayden like Belle, loved him for who he was and accepted his past. He like rumple always wanted to be a better man for her despite his past errors. She really was the beauty to his beast. It had been three years since his banishment and since then he's been a work in progress. How is it that this mortal has become my entire existence? He thought to himself.

She was beautiful adorable intelligent sexy and not afraid to speak her mind. She made him laugh and like him, spoke fluent sarcasm and mischief. Just her very presence in a room without words spoken calmed him instantly. Though he was surrounded by many in Asgard he still felt alone. With Grayden, she crept her way into his heart and cast away any trace of loneliness he had ever felt. When he revealed his true Jotun form, she didn't jump scream or back away. Instead she was astounded by it and called him beautiful. Loki never thought he'd hear those words coming from anyone regarding him. He was completely shocked. He thought he was imagining. Of all places he found his mate in Midgard. He loved her with every ounce of his being. Her body, her laugh, her beautiful voice, her scent, her habit of forgetting things and her virtuous patience. Her uncanny ability to read his emotions without saying a thing. He could swear she was a mind reader. Their lovemaking was through the stratosphere. He couldn't live without this woman.

Loki knew that he wanted to be with her forever, of that he was certain. Though he was truly happy he felt a twinge of sadness. Though he was hurt and angry with his family, despite the indirect rivalry Odin had created between his two sons, he did miss Thor. Through it all though Loki was having none of it, Thor tried his best to comfort him and include him in everything he did. "No matter your form, no matter what happens, you will always be my little brother Loki, I love you. Our lineage cannot ever change that. I will always do my utmost to protect you." Those were the last words he remembered his big brother saying before all hell broke loose. By the time Loki had a change of heart it was too late. The frost giants had already been let into the palace, destroying everything in their paths on their search for Odin.

"You must come quickly my sons, your father has requested you at once" Frigga spoke as she ran to her sons. Loki felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. A sharp pang of guilt spread through his body. "Father how did they get passed Heimdall, I do not understand" Thor spoke confused. Odin spoke with his back facing everyone. He took a long pause before he began. "I suppose someone in this room knows how this has transpired" he turned around with his eyes locked on Loki. "Isn't that true my son?"

Thor and Frigga looked at one another puzzled. Whatever remorse Loki felt in that moment was wiped clean. He was genuinely sorry for hurting his dear mother but he was not sorry for his golden haired brother. The brother that was above him his whole life, because of that man. Odin. His body began to radiate a green glow of electricity, coiling around him like an emerald serpant, cracking through the air. He was pulsing with venomous magic. The once bright sky was clouding over with darkness. Guilt gave way to searing hot rage as he spoke with acid dripping words. "All my life you thought Thor your precious son, beloved by all above me. I didn't exist if he was in the same place as I. I was never good enough, strong enough suitable enough to be anything but in his big oafish shadow for the rest of my days. I wondered what did I do or say that would cause you to blatantly disregard me father. I wanted to be the best I could be for you, but you never saw that I threw my best in everything I've done. Ah yes, it all makes sense now. I was not born of your blood. I'm a monster, a Jotun a child's nightmare. I'm a stolen relic, too small even for my own kind. I was left to die. You should have left me where you found me. I yes, I was the one who concealed the frost giants and, gave them access to find you, so that they may smite you and my former brother, so that I may take the crown and bring the people of Asgard to their knees!" Frigga ran out of the throne room shattered in tears, her heart in shock and disbelief at Loki's anger.

"Loki you cannot mean this, you are angry right now. Come let us speak please!" Thor pleaded with him but Loki was too blinded by his own rage and hurt to even hear Thor. "Father you kept this from him why?" Thor was so confused feeling pained and hurt for his brother. "Now is not the time for sentiments brother, it's too late" Loki lunged at Odin with his staff but was blocked by the guards sword. Odin held his staff to the skies and summoned its power. "No!" Frigga cried running back into the room towards Odin. In a blink they all disappeared.

The all appeared in the bifrost. "My son I will not try to fight you, but please know this is not what I wanted. You leave me no choice!" Odin spoke the words of banishment. Thor begged and pleaded for his brother to be spared but it was to no avail. Frigga stood helpless and distraught. She hugged him tight enough to suppress some of Loki's anger. Just in time to bid her farewell for what may be the last time he may see her. He fought the urge to reciprocate sentiment as Thor nearly broke him in a goodbye hug. Before he knew it he was crashing towards Midgard. That had been three years ago. He was certainly not the same person he was then. Grayden helped with that, something he was thankful for each day. He decided right then and there that if he wanted to marry her, he would have to return home to seek his father's blessing and have the wedding ceremony in the palace. After all he was still a prince. He wanted her to meet his family and see his home, where he came from. She would be a princess of Asgard and partake of the apples that would make her an immortal goddess. More than that he wanted to make amends and set things right with his family. He wanted them to meet this woman that changed his life for the better.

He had spent a week planning an anniversary trip to crystal beach, where they first met. He set up a gazebo and with Anne's help all of Grayden's favorite foods and desserts that were packed perfectly under the gazebo. He was going to ask her to come home with him to meet his family. While she got to know them, he would also make his amends. He had it all figured out. Hopefully they will all forgive me, he thought. He was finally ready to set things right. Lost in his thoughts and nerves he counted down the hours until his love came home.

"Yeah, people are always askin me about mah white streak, it's always been there I guess" southern bell Rogue spoke smiling. "That means you're an old fart!" Peter teased. "You better put a lid on it sugah or else I'll knock ya upside ya head!" "Watch out, looks like you and Loki have some competition" Grayden laughed. "Oh shut up!" Anne yelled. It was 5 minutes until she was home free. Truthfully though Peter and Rogue were pretty fun and took instructions well, she could only focus on what this mystery surprise was that Loki had in store for her once she got home. She for the first time in her life had really come to love someone she couldn't see herself living without.

She loved this man in every way possible. His interesting way of talking that she's grown used to. His wicked deviousness. The unspoken language they share. He often teases her about being able to nearly read his mind. The way his emerald eyes meet hers with scorching intensity and she forgets life around her. His stubbornness. All the little things he does for her. She came home exhausted one night after a long shift and he drew a candle lit bubble bath for her, strawberries included! His velvety voice, when he was being all sexy and mysterious. She truly loved him. Not since her parents died has she truly felt this strong of a bond with someone, outside of Anne and her brother.

He was her best friend. It wasn't until he came into her life that she thought about marriage and even kids, but now the possibilities were infinite. They would definitely have fun trying for a baby. He truly lived up to his god hood in bed! She thought at one point her hips would give out. It was just freaking amazing! Now, she couldn't wait to get home! Damn, getting hot and tingly at work was not appropriate but screw it, she was getting off in 5 minutes anyways so whatever!

"Alrighty, see you guys tomorrow" Mr. Giuseppe called out as everyone said their see you laters and went on their way. "Pretty good day today huh" Peter said. "Sure was, those gals sho' are pretty and the boss seems real nice" rogue said while backing into the garage. "Yeah especially Anne" Peter smirked. "Lord, you and ya fascination for them red headed gals!" "Hey, redheads are hot!" They both laughed. Peter took the groceries out of the trunk and they walked into their respective apartments. "Knock on my door in an hour, dinner should be finished by then" he said before walking into his place. "You got it hun, see ya in a shake of a lambs tail!" Rogue yelled before closing her door.

"I'm so sick of his complaining already!" "So why don't you break up with him if you're so sick of him?" For the patillionth time Anne was unloading on Grayden about Marion. It was love at first sight in Paris, but now that he is living with her in New York, all they do is bicker over every little thing. They've broken up and got back together at least 8 times already. For being such a unfiltered loudmouth with balls steelier than the man of steel, she sure was a shrinking violet when it came to breaking things off with Marion for good. But as any best friend knows, you support your girl no matter what, even if you've given her sensible practical advice, and she ends up doing the polar opposite and complains as if you didn't give her any advice at all. She's either going to get fed up and move on with her life or, continue to backpedal into a pointless relationship that she has every opportunity to end but doesn't want to because she's settled knee deep into a comfortable pattern. Talk about a cliché. Ugh, whatever. "I don't know Gray, I'm giving him two weeks to get it together and if not he's outta there" yeah, that's what she said last month. Grayden was getting annoyed, but she was still supportive of her best friend. "I'll believe it when I see it, but you know you deserve better stop settling" Grayden said rolling her eyes. "So, that Peter guy is kind of hot" Anne really has the attention span of a hot fart.

She was officially draining Anne's relationship woes out with the tunes of The Black Keys. She turned up the car stereo and jammed out. "Tighten Up" was such a rad song. Finally they drove up to her house and she couldn't be more happy to book it to her front door. "Let me know how everything goes and call me later, that is unless you and Loki aren't screwing like damned jackrabbits...oh god the image in my head eww!" Anne made a mock gagging noise. "I'll put my phone on silent!" Grayden laughing "Oh you skanky McSkankster!" Grayden busted out laughing as she turned the doorknob. "Wouldn't be surprised if you call out sick tomorrow, bye doll!" Grayden waved and then walked into her condo.