Chapter 1

"Here, drink this."

Elani brought a cool glass of water to Loki's dry, chapped lips. It had been a few weeks since they had brought him back to Asgard after rescuing him from the Chitauri. Thor had rescued him from his last, and most brutal, torture and he and Elani had been taking care of him ever since.

The God of Mischief was weak and fragile. He was recovering from many wounds, physical as well as psychological. The healers had been feeding him intravenously ever since he had come home. This had sparked a fit of unconscious rage from Loki but the healers sedated him.

Loki parted his lips and drank the cool water. He sighed in contentment; he had been having the dream of being on fire again. Elani's cool fingers brushed against his forehead, feeling his scars. He remembered waking up to see her and his brother standing over him. They had both burst into tears and had to physically restrain themselves from touching him. They both knew he was fragile.

His skin was better now, just scarred and bruised. The healers said that too however would eventually fade and disappear. Elani laid his head back against the pillow. He had taken up permanent residence in the hospital on Asgard. Everyday Thor would come and ask him if he wanted to bathe. His brother would then proceed to take his dirty clothes, wash him, and dress him up in something new.

He appreciated their gentle care. He didn't know what he would have done without it. He rolled his head to the side and closed his eyes; he was always tired now, trying to re-gain his strength. Elani kissed his cheek and sat up from the bed. He was just on the verge of falling asleep when Thor burst into the room.

"I'm sorry for any interruption I may have caused, but I must speak with you. A matter weighs heavily on my mind." He spoke quickly.

Elani sat back down on Loki's bed and took his hand. He rolled his head over to see Thor and nodded his head slightly.

"You may tell us." Elani said gently.

"The Lady Sif...before we left, confessed that she had feelings for me."

Loki's eyes got wide but Elani didn't look surprised. She had after all given a comforting touch to Sif before they had left to rescue Loki.

"What is your problem then Thor?" She asked.

"I do not know what to do. I am in love with Jane, of Earth. But Sif is one of my oldest and dearest friends."

"Thor, you'll have to talk to her, decide what to do on your own. We can't decide for you."

Loki drew in a breath to speak but quickly hissed as pain flared up his side. Elani was immediately on her knees beside him.

"Where does it hurt."

"Le-f—t."

She slid up his shirt and groaned. The left side of his body was taking quite a while to heal. She placed her hands over the still scorched flesh and poured her magic into his side. It couldn't heal him, she didn't have the training for something this serious, but it would alleviate his pain. Never mind the fact this was taking away her healing ability for her own scars. She just wanted Loki to get better. She hated seeing him in so much pain.

Loki had told her that he didn't care her face was so scarred. She still felt self-conscious however, showing him her face. She was half glad he was so out of it half the time. Maybe if she was lucky he wouldn't remember her scarred face and she would have it healed by the time he was better.

All the magic she was pouring into him to alleviate his pain had made him feel better; so much so that he was finally able to fall asleep. She pulled his shirt back down gently, careful of the burn. Elani placed a gentle kiss on his brow before turning to address Thor.

"You have to take care of it yourself; no one can tell you the right thing to do."

Thor huffed. It wasn't the best advice he had ever received, but they were right. He had to sort out his feelings and talk to Sif, when he was ready. He bowed before leaving the room. He was suddenly hungry.

~O~

"Oh darling our children are back safe and sound!" Frigga hugged her husband, still excited to have Loki back.

"Yes my love, they are safe. And Loki will get better."

"Yes he will." A thought crept into Frigga's mind.

"Shouldn't we throw them a wedding?"

Odin sighed. Frigga had been upset when Elani and Loki had mysteriously disappeared and Thor told her he wasn't getting married. Ever since finding out Elani and Loki were engaged, she was ecstatic.

"Talk to them dear, ask them what they want. But if they say yes, they must heal properly first!" He yelled after his wife, who was already heading to the infirmary.

~O~

"Of course it's a good idea Frigga, but I'll have to talk to Loki about it when he wakes up. I'm sure he'll say yes, but I'll still ask."

Frigga sat next to Elani on the couch.

"Is he getting better?" She asked.

Elani smiled. "Everyday he's getting stronger."

"When do you think he'll wake up, and stay awake?"

"Soon." Elani's voice was full of hope.

She needed him to wake up soon, to get better. What would she do without him. She reached forward and held his hand in hers. For a moment, she thought she felt him squeeze it.