WARNING: This story is a sequel! It will not make much sense if you jump in now without reading One Step Forward, Four Steps Back first. Enjoy!
TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY
A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION
CHAPTER ONE: Good News
A day in the life of Loki Laufeyson is not what you may be expecting. First off, Loki is no longer a man, but a boy of five. The Norns transformed the man Loki after the battle of New York into a child in order to give Loki a second chance. Not everyone saw this as a good thing, nor did they truly see him as a boy. Odin and S.H.I.E.L.D. treated him poorly for weeks on end, but luckily Loki has Thor as an older brother.
So, a day in the life of Loki is very different than it once was. When Loki wakes up in the morning, he has to make the hard decision of pajamas or "real clothes". He eats with Jane and Thor, brushes his teeth, then has lessons until noon with various people. Loki learns all sorts of things, but his favorites are science and reading. Both are fascinating to him. He then eats lunch with Thor and has the afternoon to do as he pleases. Some days he goes outside, others he plays with his pet turtle, Moss, and others he just watches movies with Thor. Loki eats dinner, plays with Thor, takes a bath and is in bed by nine at the latest.
Not exactly what you were expecting from Loki. But what can you say? He changed. The only struggle now is fixing what others broke. Getting better after what he's been through is going to be challenging. On top of that, Loki has the difficult task of integrating his Midgardian family with his Asgardian one. These are both tasks that could never be accomplished by the faint of heart. Luckily, Loki's heart is anything but faint. It will just take some time for these things to happen. Because if Loki wants something, Thor knows he'll get it one way or another.
Loki's brow was furrowed with concentration. Sweat was dripping from it as he thought. He was gnawing on his lip in thought. It just wasn't coming to him. The room was silent besides his breathing, which was becoming labored. His heart was pounding. The nerves were finally crashing on him. Loki glanced up nervously, but quickly looked back down. This was taking much more time than he was expecting it too. He didn't understand why this was so hard. This sort of thing came naturally to him usually. Loki was just so afraid of it not being good enough. Loki groaned and laid his head down on the table. It just wasn't happening. What he wanted to do wouldn't happen. His brain wouldn't allow it. He could barely think straight. Not to mention he had a particularly annoying loose tooth to distract him from the task at hand as well. Loki glanced to the right at the box of crayons and a new spark of determination entered his eyes. He was going to finish it! It would be good because he made it! He only hoped that he would still think so when it was finished.
After an hour or so, Loki was done. He glanced it over and nodded. Not bad. It looked pretty good. Not his best work, but it would do the trick. The nerves were coming back, but Loki shook his head. He had no reason to be nervous. Or so he thought. Loki was pretty sure there was no reason to be nervous. He slid off the chair and grabbed his creation. Clutching it to his chest, Loki left the kitchenette of Jane Foster's laboratory and hurried to find someone. After a minute or two of searching, the person in question was visible. Taking a shaky breath, Loki walked over.
"Thor?" Loki called shakily. Thor turned around and smiled at the sight of his five-year-old brother.
"What do you have there, Loki?" Thor asked. Loki glanced down at the paper in his hand and avoided eye contact with Thor.
"Um, well, I…uh…I made you somethin'." Loki mumbled softly. Thor smiled weakly.
"Really? That was very kind of you. May I see it?" Thor asked gently. Loki nodded and handed Thor the paper without looking at him. Thor took it and his smile grew wider. The paper was covered in various items from feathers from glitter. Written on the top of the paper in Loki's very poor hand writing was: "To Thor, the bestest brother ever". In the center of the paper was a drawing of Thor and Loki (or so Thor thought) holding hands and smiling brightly. Thor glanced down at Loki who was shuffling his feet awkwardly. Clearly the boy was worried that Thor wouldn't like his gift. The thing was, Thor felt like this was one of the nicest things anyone had ever given to him. Thor ruffled the boy's hair and that caught Loki by surprise.
"I love it, Loki," Thor told him. Loki giggled and gave Thor a hug.
"I was so scared tha' you wouldn'! 'M glad you like it!" Loki squealed happily.
"How could I not like it? I'm going to hang it on the refrigerator for everyone else to see." Thor said.
"'Kay!" Loki cried, hurrying to the kitchenette. "Can we use this magnet?"
"Of course. I like that one too." Thor replied, taking the magnet from Loki's tiny fingers and placing the paper on the refrigerator door.
"Thor?" Both Thor and Loki looked over to find Jane in the kitchenette.
"Yes?" Thor replied.
"Were we expecting a visit from your dad and Nick Fury today?" Jane asked. There was an obvious tension in her voice. Loki was shaking already.
"No," Thor said slowly, picking Loki up. "Where are they?" Jane gestured backward with her head.
"Living room," she replied. Loki was hiding his face in Thor's shoulder.
"Leave it to me," Thor said, leaving the kitchenette.
"Wha' is Mr. Fury doin' here?" Loki whispered fearfully.
"I honestly have no idea, brother," Thor replied.
"Is he gonna take me away again?" Loki asked. Thor could hear the tears in Loki's voice.
"No. That will not happen, I promise." Thor said sternly. Loki shook his head.
"I don' belie'e you," Loki muttered into Thor's shoulder.
"I know you don't," Thor said.
Thor reached the living room and saw Odin and Fury sitting on one of the couches. The room was silent. Neither man had spoken a word to each other. The atmosphere was tense and awkward. They also weren't looking at each other. Thor took a deep breath and walked over. Loki was whimpering, his fingers clutching Thor's shirt desperately. Thor really wanted to tell him that all was well. That nothing bad would happen. But he knew that Loki wouldn't believe him. There was no point in offering words that Loki wouldn't believe. Instead, Thor began running fingers through Loki's hair. It didn't do much, but Thor liked to believe that it did.
"Father?" Thor said. Odin turned his head and stood. He walked over to Thor and kissed his forehead. The old man placed a hand on Loki's trembling back and sighed.
"He's frightened," Odin commented.
"What is Fury doing here?" Thor demanded.
"He and I have worked out the issue of Loki's schooling," Odin replied. Loki lifted his head and looked at Odin with a tearful, frightened face.
"Is he gonna take me away?" Loki asked. Odin took Loki from Thor's grasp.
"No Loki," Odin replied, rubbing Loki's back. "He's just here to help explain your schooling. He knows more of Midgard than I do."
"School?" Loki questioned softly.
"Yes. We've come to an agreement about not only your schooling, but your and Thor's citizenship." Odin said, knowing Loki didn't understand but Thor did.
"This is excellent news, father," Thor said.
"Indeed. It took a couple of weeks, but we finally reached a point that we all agreed on." Odin told him, moving back to the couch. Loki was slightly less afraid now that he knew that Fury wasn't going to touch him. Thor and Odin sat and Odin readjusted Loki slightly. Loki protested with a whine and demanded to be facing Odin. He didn't want to look at Fury. So Odin obliged, which surprised Thor. He didn't say anything about it but it was shocking that Odin would put Loki's wants and needs before his own.
"Thor," Fury greeted, ignoring Loki completely. Thor nodded, but his face was already burning in anger. Though he knew it was for the best that Fury ignore Loki, it still infuriated him. Thor saw Fury's dismissal of Loki's presence as cowardice and that angered Thor that Fury couldn't face a five-year-old boy.
"Fury," Thor grunted. Loki shifted on Odin's lap and the whimpering had begun again.
"Shh…it's alright," Odin said softly.
"May I?" Thor said. Odin sighed and nodded. Loki crawled over to Thor and clung to him. Thor felt slightly guilty that Loki found more comfort in him than in his father, but what else would Odin expect? After Fjørlag-Bryggja Odin should expect no less. It didn't stop Thor from feeling guilty though.
"I am a busy man. Let's get this done." Fury said, clearly annoyed. Both Thor and Odin glared daggers at him.
"What is the decision regarding citizenship? What of Loki's status?" Thor asked.
"You both are now citizens of both Asgard and earth. You are free to do whatever you want on earth, within reason of course, and call yourselves by your proper titles. As for Loki, he has been cleared of all charges to his name. The clear comes from insufficient evidence, but the real reason is obviously circumstance. Questions so far?" Fury explained.
"On Midgard people carry last names. I am assuming that our last name is Odinson?" Thor asked.
"Only if you want it to be. I have the paper work you need to fill out regarding names here." Fury said, handing Thor the papers. Thor flipped through them as Fury continued, "If it's alright with you Odin, I'd like to move on to Loki."
"Of course," Odin said.
"Since Loki has been cleared of all charges, he is now free to go to school. He is entitled to education by law since he is a citizen of the United States. Failure to comply will result in jail time for you, Thor. Has he received any education these past two months?" Fury questioned.
"Yes. Jane, Erik, Darcy and I have been giving him lessons in the morning. He learns everything from reading to Asgardian history." Thor answered.
"Good. You have the choice of homeschooling him or sending him to school. In this country, public school is free and private school costs money to enroll and send children to it. The decision is up to you, but we have to know by the end of this month what you plan to do." Fury said.
"Alright. Is there anything else?" Thor asked. Fury smirked.
"Actually there is. The Loki clause." Fury said.
"Loki clause?" Thor repeated. Fury nodded.
"If Loki ever steps out of line S.H.I.E.L.D. has every right to hunt him down and bring him in, regardless of age. He has to be an outstanding citizen in order to be treated like one. If he wants to live here, he has to be on his best behavior otherwise he'll regret it." Fury explained. He seemed smug, pleased about it. He assumed that one day Loki would return to evil and he would have the right to take him away.
"You will not monitor us, right?" Thor retorted.
"Of course not. That's against the law." Fury replied.
"Then we're done here," Thor said.
"Fine. Just mail in the paper work when it's done." Fury said, standing. He left the laboratory and every one glared as he went.
It wasn't until around seven that Thor looked at the papers again. Odin had stayed for dinner and Frigga joined him. Loki was ecstatic about his parents eating dinner with him. He didn't really understand why they were there, though. The reason they were there was to talk about Loki's schooling. Frigga and Odin had a strong desire for Loki to attend lessons on Asgard like in his previous childhood. He need magic tutoring badly and they wanted him to know Asgard's stories as well. Thor wanted Loki to make his own decision regarding school and knew full well Loki wanted to go to public school. So after dinner, they all sat at the table and Thor pulled out the papers.
"We need to talk about this," Thor said. "We all want different things regarding Loki's education."
"I want him to tutor on Asgard," Odin declared. Frigga nodded in agreement.
"So do I. I think it important for him to get a grasp on his magic as well as know Asgard's proud stories." Frigga added. Odin and Frigga turned their gazes to Thor. Loki was looking at his feet.
"What do you think son?" Odin asked.
"It matters not what I think or want, but what Loki wants. This is his schooling we are talking about." Thor said. A smile was etched upon Loki's face and he glanced up to meet their glances.
"I wan' t' go t' school with other kids, but I also wan' t' learn how t' control magic," Loki told them, "I j'st don' know how I coul' do tha'. I can' be two places at the same time." Thor smiled.
"Do you want to learn about Asgard's history still?" Thor asked. Loki nodded.
"Yeah. I like tha' lots." Loki replied.
"How do we come to an agreement, then?" Frigga asked.
"I have an idea," Thor began, "when Loki visits on weekends he can spend part of the day learning."
"That sounds like a fine idea. What do you think Odin?" Frigga said.
"I think that will do nicely," Odin agreed with a nod.
"Then it's settled then. Loki will go to public school." Thor said, Loki squirming in his seat happily.
"Thank you mummy an' daddy an' Thor!" Loki squealed in delight.
"You are very welcome, Loki," Thor said, Loki still bouncing in his seat.
Odin didn't approve of Loki going to Midgardian school. Thor could tell. They sent Loki to his room to play for a while and an awkward silence fell. Thor wanted to avoid an argument. Unfortunately one was coming. Thor knew it. He could tell from Odin's very posture that he wasn't happy. Not happy at all. He wanted Loki to have a traditional Asgardian education. That wasn't possible, though. Loki wasn't allowed on Asgard more than two days at a time. How in the nine realms could Loki get a traditional Asgardian education if he didn't live there? It didn't seem to register with Odin, though. He refused to compromise and would only accept what he wanted. The old man was so hardheaded and Thor knew that this "discussion" would only go poorly.
"Father," Thor began, "please think before you speak. We don't have as many options as you think." Odin scowled.
"What mean you?" Odin questioned. Thor sighed; this was going to be a long night.
The argument was loud and long. So loud that Loki could hear it from his bedroom. Jane came in to sit with him as they argued. He hated that they were arguing over him. Absolutely hated it. Could no one get along? Would he always be a point of argument for his family? At this rate, Loki was beginning to think he would be.
"Why are they still fightin'?" Loki asked softly. It had been nearly an hour. Jane sighed.
"I don't know buddy. It seems like your daddy can't agree with anybody about this." Jane replied.
"Don' they care wha' I wan'?" Loki cried, flopping backward on to the bed.
"I'm sure they do. You just have to understand the position your parents are in. All of Asgard is against you, yet they want to raise you the way they want but they can't. Until Asgard is less hostile toward you buddy, your parents won't be able to raise you the way that makes them comfortable. Can you imagine having your son in some distant land and not being able to be with him?" Jane explained.
"Can' we j'st be one big family? Tha's what I wan'." Loki said.
"I don't think it's that simple," Jane replied.
"Well I do. We coul' be one big family if we tried. But I don' think daddy is even tryin'." Loki told her. Jane laid down next to him and sighed.
"Oh Loki. You might be wiser than all the grown-ups combined." She said with a smile. Loki giggled.
"Thank you Miss Foster. I j'st wan' the fightin' t' stop." Loki said rolling over.
"Want to take your bath?" Jane asked. She could see Loki shrug.
"'Kay," Loki replied sitting up. Jane sat up too and they walked to the bathroom, the argument still going strong. Loki glanced backward at the direction from which the heated voices sounded and sighed. This was all his fault. He would never be able to please Odin. Ever. That much was clear. Tears formed in his eyes, but he blinked them away. Never had he been so discouraged in his life. He had no idea how to repair his family. He felt like it was all on him. Clearly leaving it to the adults resulted in arguments. He just didn't know how he could do it. It wasn't like he was good enough to. But he would try anyway. There was no other option. Loki had to otherwise his whole family would fall apart and it would be all his fault.
And we're back! I meant to have this up a week ago for Thanksgiving, but alas it didn't happen. But it's here now! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to have the next chapter up in a week!