Kenzi threw her arms out to the sides, shrieking in pleasure. Frigg clutched her tightly around the waist.

"I'm on top of the worldddd!" Kenzi screamed.

Frigg laughed. "That's not inaccurate."

Kenzi threw her head back, enjoying the feel of the warm air rushing past her face. "Seriously, Friggy, this shizz is AMAZING! I would KILL to have wings." She looked over her shoulder at Frigg's expression. "Oh. Bad choice of words?"

Frigg just gave her a strained smile. Kenzi faced front again. She had to be careful. Frigg was right, there were a million ways she could offend someone here. Not that she was too worried. What was the worst that could happen to her here? Still, she wanted to make the most of paradise, which probably meant not pissing off anyone who spoke to her.

"I'm sorry, Frigg, that was insensitive."

Frigg shook her head. "It's not your fault. You do not know any better. You'll learn. Valkyrie have a long and noble history. Any warrior who arrives here must learn about us. They all speak too quickly when they arrive."

"So, it's not just me?"

Frigg smiled. "It's definitely not just you, Kenzi."

Kenzi saw the ground rushing towards her, and before she knew it, her feet were safely on the firm earth. She stumbled forward but caught herself. "Whew. That is SUCH a rush. Thanks for the ride, Frigg."

Frigg bowed her head towards Kenzi. "Anytime, Warrior."

Kenzi glanced around. "Soooo...where's my pad? Are we talking, like, a hut? Because I'm used to that, but is there someone I can talk to about a decorating budget?"

Frigg smiled. "Your home will have been designed according to your tastes. The moment fate knew your soul was bound for Valhalla, it would have created the perfect home for you."

Kenzi's jaw dropped. "This place just keeps getting better and better. Lead the way, Friggy."

Frigg steered them towards a path through the trees. Kenzi could see a clearing up ahead, and she found that she was nervous. She attempted to distract herself. "So, no neighbors then?"

"The location is also chosen to match your heart. Deep down, you must not have wanted neighbors."

Kenzi frowned. That was kind of true, actually. She didn't necessarily want people all up in her business. It had never been a conscious thought, however. How did this house get made? What did she actually want, deep down? Frigg entered the clearing ahead of her and stepped aside to allow Kenzi to see. She stepped cautiously into the clearing and froze, eyes wide.

"No. Freaking. Way. You have GOT to be kidding me." She turned to Frigg. "This is a joke, right?"

Frigg seemed confused by her reaction. "Is it wrong?"

Kenzi shook her head. "It's...it's absolutely perfect." She took a tentative step forward, gazing at her new home. It was a large, Victorian-style house. It was painted light green, with darker green trim. The roof was a deep red. There was a large wrap-around porch, and Kenzi could see a porch swing hanging on one side. There were a few steps leading up to the front door on the front right side of the porch, and Kenzi could see stairs leading to a second entrance on the left side of the house. There were beautiful wooden pillars framing the front of the porch, with intricate wooden fleur de lis running along the top of the porch. There was a rounded balcony on the second floor, above the porch, with the same intricate carvings and columns. Set farther back, there was a rounded tower, with a cone-shaped red roof. Kenzi felt something stir in the back of her subconscious. She realized that this house bore a striking resemblance to the dollhouse she had had as a child. Long after it wasn't cool for a girl to play with a dollhouse, Kenzi would retreat to the sanctuary of her dolls' perfect life whenever her own became too much to bear. When she turned 13, her stepfather had discovered her playing with it, and flew into a fit of anger, telling her that she was too old for this kind of thing. He took the dollhouse from her, and she watched out her window as he threw it in the dumpster across the street, making sure that it broke apart before he walked away from it. Of course this would be the house her heart desired; it had been the only place she felt safe during those years. She quickly wiped away a tear and looked at Frigg. "Can we go inside?"

Frigg smiled gently at her. "Of course, Kenzi. This is your home."

They walked along the lawn towards the steps. Kenzi gazed at the yard, pleased to see that there were flowers blooming along the edges of the yard and in front of the house. She climbed the steps slowly, gazing up at the woodwork on the porch. She stood in front of the dark wooden door for a moment, looking down at the ornate door knocker. "Should I knock?" she whispered softly.

Frigg came up behind her. "There's no need to be nervous, Kenzi. This house was made for you."

Kenzi nodded and took a deep breath. She pushed the door open slowly and a smile slowly crossed her face. She had stepped into a welcoming foyer. The foyer opened into a circular room with an incredibly grand staircase spiraling through it. The banisters twisted upwards, framing the staircase with solid oak turrets. A low wooden bench sat on the immediate left side of the door. Kenzi sat on it heavily, looked towards the ceiling in awe. The staircase led up at least two floors; she couldn't see the top from where she sat. She looked to her left and saw a surprisingly bright living room. To her right, she could see the kitchen at the end of a long, wood-paneled hallway. The inside of the house felt surprisingly modern, considering the exterior was extremely classical Victorian. Even the staircase felt more like a modern art sculpture than a functional mode of travel. Kenzi was overwhelmed, and didn't even notice Frigg sit down next to her on the bench.

"Would you like to explore on your own?" Frigg asked. "I can wait here."

Kenzi shook her head lightly. "No, please come with me."

Frigg nodded. "As you wish." She stood up and pulled Kenzi to her feet. Kenzi looked in both directions and decided to head left first. She stepped into the living room and looked around, taking it all in. She had been right; despite it's outward appearance, the house was extremely modern. There was a large stone fireplace along the far wall. Several sleek couches were arranged around the room, making several different sitting areas. There was a large leather armchair in one corner that Kenzi immediately wanted to nap in. A giant TV hung on another wall, and Kenzi could see that the entertainment system was well-equipped. A thought occurred to her. "Hey, do you guys have cable here? What's the deal?"

Frigg smiled. "Any amenities that are available on Earth are also available here."

Kenzi nodded, impressed. "Sweetness." She continued gazing around the room. She smiled, noticing that even the walls were decorated to her taste. No weird renaissance art for her; there were a few cool abstract paintings mixed in with framed movie posters from her favorite old movies. The mantle of the fireplace was full of framed images, and Kenzi stepped closer to look at them. She felt a sharp pang in her heart as she saw that they were all images of her friends: Bo, Dyson, Tamsin, Trick, Hale, even Lauren. There were several pictures of her and Bo making ridiculous faces, and she found a picture of her and Hale on the night he proposed. She whirled around and looked at Frigg. "Hey. My boyfriend..." she took a deep breath. "My fiancee died, just before I did. He was stabbed. Is he...Is his soul here? How would I know?"

"I can look into it for you, if you'd like. There is a hall of records." Frigg replied.

Kenzi nodded. "Please." She knew that not every dead person came here, and it wasn't like there had been a Valkyrie there when he was stabbed. But it had technically been a battle. She wasn't holding out a ton of hope; she had already made peace with his death. But it would be nice to see him again, if he was here.

They continued through the living room. There was a hallway at the back of the room that led behind the circular foyer and into a formal dining room. It was beautiful, but Kenzi wasn't too concerned with this room; it wasn't like she was planning on doing a ton of entertaining. They continued on into the kitchen. It was a large, open, modern kitchen. It was brightly lit; most of the walls were covered with windows. Kenzi immediately made for the fridge, throwing the doors open and gazing in wonder at the food inside. "Damn," she breathed. "Someone knows what mama likes." She spotted a bottle of wine sitting on the counter and began rummaging through the cabinets until she found a wineglass. Pouring herself a glass, she took a long sip and sighed. This house was amazing. She hadn't even made it upstairs yet. She turned to Frigg. "Can I go upstairs on my own?"

"Of course," Frigg replied. "I'll wait in the living room."

Kenzi nodded and made her way through the wood-paneled hallway she had seen earlier until she was back in the circular foyer. She hurried up the stairs, excited to see what the rest of the house held. She reached the first landing and turned off. There was a hallway stretching out in front of her, with several doors off of it. The first one she pushed open revealed an office, with a desk, computer, and bookshelves filled with books. The next door seemed to be a workout room; there were mirrors along two walls, a punching bag, weights, and yoga supplies. She shrugged. Probably good to have it. She reached the last door in the hallway and pushed it open, revealing the bedroom of her dreams. A king-size four-poster bed was in the center of the room, it's wooden headboard against the wall. There were sconces hanging every few feet along the walls, and Kenzi could see that they held real candles. Kenzi turned and saw the balcony that she had spotted from outside. She stepped onto it, pushing open the glass doors and taking in the view. There were two wooden chairs on the balcony, with a small wooden table between them. Kenzi smiled as she gazed out over paradise. She could see the falls in the distance, and she could see the glint of gold that she knew was the Great Hall. She walked back inside and spotted two doors opposite her. She walked to the first one and found herself in the bathroom. She almost moaned as she looked at the jacuzzi-style tub in one corner. There was a luxurious shower stall next to it. Double sinks and a massive vanity completed the incredible bathroom. She walked out and to the other door. Pushing it open, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

From downstairs, Frigg heard the yell. She raced up the stairs to the bedroom, calling Kenzi's name. She entered the bedroom, looking around, and saw the door in the corner was ajar. She approached it cautiously, pushing it open the rest of the way, and began to laugh.

Kenzi was kneeling on the floor of the closet, surrounded by clothes that she had just yanked off their hangers. She was currently cradling a pair of boots like they were her own firstborn children. She was stroking them, her small, leathery babies, eyes closed, apparently lost in some previously undiscovered bliss. She began murmuring to the boots as Frigg continued to laugh. "You came back to mama. I always knew I'd see you again. You beautiful, beautiful devils." She looked up at Frigg. "This is seriously the most incredible closet I've ever seen in my life. I'm never leaving it."

Frigg smiled. "If this is how you want to spend eternity, you can."

Kenzi threw herself backwards, arms spread, into the pile of clothes. She closed her eyes, smiling. Frigg turned to walk out, and Kenzi sat up quickly.

"Hey, wait!"

Frigg turned back towards her. "Yes?"

"How is there seriously more to this house? What more could I possibly need? What's on the third floor?"

Frigg shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you find out?"

Kenzi nodded. Frigg held out her hand and pulled Kenzi to her feet. Kenzi left the closet, throwing a wistful glance back in its direction as she made her way back to the stairs. Frigg paused at the staircase. "Should I wait here?"

"No," Kenzi replied, "come on up." They ascended the stairs together, and when they reached the top, Kenzi turned to Frigg in confusion. "Huh? Do I have a roommate?"

Frigg also looked a little confused, but she finally responded, "Your heart must have wanted this room for some reason, Kenzi."

Kenzi gazed around the room. The four-poster bed, draped in lace. The collection of knives hanging on the wall. The clawfoot bathtub clearly visible through a semi-translucent glass divider. Suddenly, she understood. Of course her house would have a room for Bo. If it was made out of her heart, there's no way it could have missed the biggest and most important segment of it. Kenzi felt her eyes filled with tears, and she dropped to her knees. Burying her face in her hands, she let out the tears that she had been holding back since she arrived. Bo had lost her when she climbed into that portal, she knew that. But Kenzi also knew that she couldn't see Bo either. Frigg touched her shoulder uncertainty, not knowing what to do. From below, she heard the front door open and a familiar voice call Kenzi's name. She responded softly, knowing her voice would travel down the stairs. "We're up here."

The footsteps on the stairs quickened as Kenzi's sobs became audible. Tamsin crested the top of the stairs and saw Kenzi on her knees. She rushed over and pulled the small human into her arms, holding her tightly as she finally grieved for the loss of her best friend.

Thank you for reading and for all of the amazing reviews! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far. Not a ton of action in this chapter, Kenzi really has to get her bearings here. Any comments and suggestions are appreciated!