Chapter 4

They zigzagged through the corridors, Steve using his shield to clear the way whenever he could and relying on guns the rest of the time, while Tony defended their rear with the weaponry on his suit. Loki had taken a sword from one of the felled giants and fought furiously with those giants who tried to get through the defences that Steve and Tony were laying down. The two Avengers battled valiantly to keep anyone from getting close enough for Loki to need to fight them.

Loki didn't have time to contemplate the welter of emotions that were swirling inside him, forcing down the doubt and fear and concentrating on doing what he could. It was unnerving to have to rely on the humans for his own protection, to not wield either a weapon stronger than a stolen sword or his own magic to keep himself safe. It brought back memories of the time after he fell from the Bifrost so he pushed the thoughts away and refocused on the fight, wishing that there was something more that he could do, something that would get them away from there.

"My Queen," Heimdall knelt briefly.

Frigga smiled warmly at the Gatekeeper. "Any news, Heimdall? Any news of my son?"

"It seems that you were right, my lady, and that it was not too late for him to learn a lesson. He has begun to make his way on the path you set him."
Frigga's smile widened. "And he's all right, he is safe?" The worry still there in her voice, despite the good news that Loki had at least tried to do as she had asked.

"He is with the humans Thor calls Captain America and Iron Man. It seems they can be a good influence upon him and despite his actions in their world, they have not turned him away completely, although they are wary and have taken precautions."

"One cannot blame them for such action. Loki's wrongdoing there was unforgivable at first appearance. Twice he has been there and twice he has wreaked havoc, for them to listen at all is a miracle. The first of his journeys there was childish petulance and jealousy, something he should have learned better how to control and we should have worked harder to prevent. Even with Thor banished and the throne his for the taking, Loki's jealousy ran deep as did his fear of Thor's return. Thor was not sin-free, he was brash and conceited. He was ever arrogant in his belief that he was right. Midgard enabled him to learn how to be a better man, a better King when the time comes. It was my hope that Midgard could be the saving grace of my Loki also, that it could succeed yet again where I as their mother had failed them both."

"My Queen, you did not fail them. A mother can but love her children and show them the path to their destiny. It is their own choice whether they follow the path she showed. You have always done everything in your power as mother and queen to bring them up true and honest and you have always loved the good in each of them, cherished and nurtured it. Thor heeded not your words of love and care, but instead listened to the adulation of the masses until he believed he was as glorious and as righteous as they said, but he had lost sight of his true path. It was his mother's love that gave him the strength when all else was stripped from him to make right his wrongs. It was his mother's love that led him to give Loki the chance time and again to stop his madness." Heimdall looked out into the vast star-speckled darkness before he spoke again. "Loki sought only for his father's approval at first. I think he did not ever doubt yours. Alongside Thor, he saw himself as smaller and weaker. He was not a warrior lauded by the masses with adoring followers; he did not have the firm friendships that Thor found with the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif. Finding he was not of Asgard perhaps gave him a reason for those feelings of being less than his brother, gave him a focus for his anger. His time beyond the realms though changed him. His actions on his return were not his own. Looking on him now, I see your son as he was when he was younger, lost and uncertain, but this time he is seeking to do right, to please you and to earn his place as a Prince of Asgard."

"Where is he now, Heimdall? What does he do?"

"He and the two have made their way to Jotunheim and have retrieved items which Loki believes will assemble to be the artifact needed for the protection of the realms."

"And is he correct? Has he found something to protect us all?"

"It is beyond my sight to know, but Loki's reasoning is sound, so one can hope that he is correct. I shall keep close watch over their safety for the Jotunn have been alerted of their presence. Perhaps, my Queen, now might be the time to tell our King of what we have done, so he can be prepared."

Frigga stepped forward, resting a hand on Heimdall's arm, "Our brave and loyal subject always, Heimdall, but this action was mine. As your Queen I instructed you to open the Bifrost to Loki. Any wrath of Odin shall be upon my head not yours. Keep watch over my son, Heimdall, and I beg of you to keep me informed."

For the minute they had lost their pursuers and had tumbled gasping for breath into a hidden alcove, hoping to stay out of sight while they got their breath back.

"Loki, are you all right?" Steve asked worriedly.

"Yes," came the subdued response. "Yes, I am all right. I am sorry. I led you here and without my magic, I am a poor soldier. I do not have Thor's might."

"You might not have his hammer, but you're doing a pretty good job with that ice sword," Tony said approvingly. "Can you make one like that? You know, the way they do, just kind of out of thin air."

Loki hesitated, then said, "I do not know how. I have never tried. Probably not though without my magic."

"Ah well, just a thought, given that you seem to go through them at a fair rate of knots and have to keep retrieving them from people we've killed. Still, like Steve says, you're telling us the truth, you're okay? I mean you were a bit . . . shaky earlier and you weren't in great form when you arrived on Earth, so if we need to take that into account, tell us now and we'll do the best we can."

Loki's expression gave away his surprise at Tony's concern. "I am tired, but it seems that so long as I do not try to use magic, I can keep going," he replied honestly. "Captain, how is your injury?"

"Injury?!" Tony snapped. "What injury? Where? When?" He shoved his face place back and stalked over to Steve's side. "Show me where you're hurt now!"

Steve lifted a hand to his side, wishing he could touch and reassure Tony. It was never as effective trying to get through to him when he was encased in the Iron Man suit. Tony needed the tactile reassurance that Steve was alive and well along with the visual.

"Tony, it's fine. Super soldier remember, I can manage. It's just a little slice. One of them got too close and before I could do anything he'd nicked my side. Loki dealt with him before he could do any serious damage. When we're out of here and home, I will let you check it all out and drag me to whichever Doctor you want."

"Let me see," Tony demanded regardless.

Steve turned and carefully adjusted himself so that Tony could see the wound and lifted one hand to touch Tony's cheek. "I'll be okay, Tony. Let's just get out of here, huh?"

"Yeah, let's. I had such high hopes of a trip to another world and seriously it's nothing like I wanted it to be!" Tony groused. "You tell me if that gets any worse, because I'll kill you if you lie to me! No, I won't, I tell you what I'll do . . . I'll withhold sex. Yep, I will totally withhold sex, then you'll be sorry!" Steve rolled his eyes at his partner fondly as Loki snorted in disgust behind them both.

Steve smiled. "Let's go home."

"You heard the man," Tony said, snapping the suit's face plate back into position. "Let's move on out." He stepped forward to the entrance and started to lead the way back the way they had come.

Loki watched as his companions grew more tired. It was hard to tell with Iron Man as he was concealed within the metal suit, but Loki was inclined to think that it was not designed for such close quarters, but rather for space and freedom to move where the thrusters would enable flight. He imagined it must be heavy to run in, but Tony did not complain in such a way as to make him think the complaint was meant to be taken seriously and acted upon.

The Captain was even more stoic, the only things he said now were warnings and advice to keep them alive. Loki knew his breathing had harshened, that following another lucky jab the wound in his side was open, raw and bleeding. The Captain was in pain, and had begun to favor his side, trying to protect it, which just meant the attacking giants knew better where to aim their blows. Not that it was necessarily working to their benefit. The Captain was proving himself to be a formidable foe. Loki knew he couldn't keep ignoring the almost gray pallor to the Captain's skin. He was weakening, no matter how hard he still fought.

"Loki, we need to do something. Some idea that's going to get us out of this," Iron Man said. "Think of something."

The momentary distraction of Tony's voice was enough to throw the Captain off his stride, allow another giant in closer. Loki threw himself into the path of the oncoming blade, bringing his own sword up to try and deflect it, but knowing this was likely the last thing he would do.

His intervention worked to a point. It saved the Captain, who in turn had time to bring his shield round smashing the next blade to descend before it could take off Loki's head.

It signalled the end though. They were outnumbered. They stood no chance of overcoming their opponents en masse. As Iron Man had turned to see what was happening behind him where one giant attacked another swiped at his armor, shearing a chunk of it away from his body. Another swung at his head and although the blasters took him out, the flare and explosion caused them as much difficulty as it did their opponents.

The Captain brought his shield up to protect himself from another blow. The giant's ice sword shattered, but the force of the blow had driven the Captain to his knees. Loki had stumbled back to his feet, his latest sword shattered yet again and he fumbled for another, picking it up and fighting, fighting for his life, their lives, until it too shattered and the force of the impact had him stumbling, falling to the ground, where he was pinned with a sword to his throat.

The three of them were overcome and Loki knew that this was the worst defeat yet. The faint hope that he'd had of redemption was being stripped away from him and as he looked at his two fallen companions, all he felt was guilt that he had brought them here, subjected them to this. He had failed them and he had failed the chance his mother had given him. He did not try to rise again.

Tony was worried. The guards who had overcome them had dragged them through down through the ice corridors before finally he and Steve had been thrown into some sort of ice cave dungeon and there was for the minute no sign at all of Loki. Somewhere en route, they had been separated, the guards holding Loki taking a different turning. He prayed quietly to gods he wasn't sure he believed in that Loki hadn't set this all up as an elaborate ruse and that they hadn't been betrayed.

He looked at Steve, unable to properly hide his concern at the sight of the blood that had drenched the side of the Captain America uniform. Steve was pacing as much as he was able, more of a limp and flinch now than actual pacing, but despite Tony's attempts to get him to rest and at least let Tony see how severe the injury was, there he was still walking back and forth. It had all been to no avail. Steve could be one hell of a stubborn ass when the mood took him. He looked pale, far too pale for Tony's liking. It suggested greater blood loss than he was admitting to. Tony didn't know what to do, it wasn't like in this cold he could start removing his own clothes to make a bandage. They had taken the Iron Man suit before they'd thrown him in here, along with Steve's shield. He couldn't risk removing his t-shirt in case they saw the arc reactor. He couldn't risk that, he couldn't.

Memories flooded of Obadiah taking the arc reactor, leaving him to die slowly. He drew a hand back, ready to punch out at the wall, drive all of the anger and fear into the punch but Steve was there, pulling him back, pulling Tony against his chest and wrapping his arms around him and leaning over his shoulder. "I'm here," Steve murmured. "I'm not going to let them do anything to you, while I am still breathing." He caught one of Tony's hands in his own and then lifted their joined hands to rest over the arc reactor. "It's still there and that's where it's staying."

Tony twisted round, pulling his hand back so that he could wrap both hands around Steve and pull him closer. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "It was just . . ."

Steve's nose nuzzled into his hair, seeming to breathe in his scent. "Don't be sorry. I want it to stay there every bit as much as you do. Nobody gets to take it from you on my watch. You hear that – nobody!"

Tony sighed and relaxed his body against Steve's, felt the soft tremors that were running almost constantly through him. He tilted his head back frowning, lifting a hand to Steve's forehead. "You're cold."

Steve quirked an eyebrow as he said, "Ice cave, Tony. What were you expecting?"

"We should – we should – share some body heat!" Tony exclaimed.

"I seriously hope that you're not suggesting what I think you might be suggesting!"

"Holding each other close?" Tony said hesitantly. "What's the matter with that?"

Steve laughed, his love showing clearly in his eyes. "Okay, I can cope with some snuggling for a while. I'm just relieved that you weren't suggesting we have sex."

"Sex! Here? Seriously, Cap, what made you think I'd suggest sex here? One of us might end up with ice burn on our butt!"

"Tony, you've suggested sex in some weird places before now. I'm not entirely sure that this would even warrant including on the list! But having said that, I'm not suggesting that we should before I end up giving you any ideas that that is what I'm suggesting." He leaned forward and kissed Tony, pulling away when a particularly violent shudder passed through him.

Tony helped him lower himself to the floor, before pressing himself as close as he could and wrapping a hand around him to pull his head down to rest against Tony's shoulder before shifting his hand to run up and down Steve's arm gently as if to try and warm him up.

Tony was almost making himself sick with worry by the time the door opened and Loki was quite literally thrown from the top of the steps down to their prison to land in a heap on the floor in front of him.

"You should have died when you were born, traitorous runt!" the guard yelled before hurling Loki's helmet in after him and then slamming the door shut.

Steve shifted to try and sit up and Tony knew he was going to want to go over and check on Loki, but having finally convinced Steve to rest and taken the chance to check his wound once he'd given in, Tony knew it was worse than he'd let on and while not immediately life-threatening, it was still seeping blood and while it was raw and uncovered, it was open to infection. "Stay here, Steve," he hushed. "Just rest. I'll check on Loki."

Carefully he shifted Steve to lean back against the wall, seeing the pained expression on his face even the small amount of movement had taken. Stiffly he pushed himself up and walked across to where Loki still lay. Tony crouched down beside him, moving his helmet out of the way where the guard had tossed it after him.

Loki stirred as Tony called his name. He opened his eyes and shifted, letting out a groan of pain and as he began to shift himself to sit up, Tony leaned forward to support him and help him move back against the wall. His skin completely blue now, he refused to meet Tony's eyes, instead turning himself awkwardly to look at Steve.

Steve was leaning back against the wall, breath labored, his eyes heavily lidded as he struggled to watch what was happening between Tony and Loki. Still watching him, Loki said, "How is the Captain?"

"Steve, stubborn as ever, but he's not doing great. He's still bleeding and we've got nothing to bandage it with. But there's something else wrong, but I can't figure out what. Do frost giant swords have poison in them?"

"No," Loki replied softly. "Or at least never to my knowledge, I have never heard of such a thing. You need bandaging for him. Will this do?" he started to remove his cape. "You could tear strips from it perhaps?"

"Yeah, yeah we could. That's great," Tony said, taking careful note of the way Loki favored his side as he moved and one ankle in particular. "Hey, do you need me to check you over too? Is there anything we can do for you?"

Loki ignored the question, just holding out his cape for Tony to use. With a sigh, Tony took it. The heavy material was too thick to tear outright, so finding a sharpened piece of rock, he began to wear at the edge in the hope of cutting far enough in to be able to tear a strip. It took him a while and once he'd made one he started on a second.

With two strips of material in his hands, he made one into a pad and pressed it carefully over the wound on Steve's side. "Steve. Hey, Steve, look at me." Steve's eyes blinked, slowly focusing on Tony without completely losing the shadow of disorientation. "Hold this for me," Tony said as he took hold of Steve's hand and pressed it over the pad. Steve's eyes flickered with pain and he let out a slight moan. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but we've got to do this. Just hold it for me for a minute while I wrap this round to hold it in place." As he spoke he wound the other strip of material round and tied it carefully to hold the pad in place, then pulled Steve's uniform back over both of them, knowing that the tight-fitting design would help secure it further.

"Loki?" Steve whispered hoarsely.

"Going to bully him into letting me look now, Cap. Hopefully he's not as stubborn as you." Tony pressed a kiss to Steve's forehead. "Hang in there, Cap. Hang on in there." Reluctantly he moved away leaving Steve to go back and check on Loki, who seemed to be intently staring at his own hands. "Hey, Comet. How's it going?"

Loki didn't meet his eyes, shifted his gaze so it went over Tony's left shoulder. "Why do you call me these names?"

"Sorry, just . . . it doesn't matter now. Loki, what have they done to you?"

"It is nothing, I received worse at Thor's hands when we were children and arguing over petty squabbles as children do."

"Seriously? I have to say that if that's the case, I'm glad I never had siblings! Geez, you and Steve both spent your childhoods brawling." Tony had moved closer as he spoke, reaching out to check down the leg that Loki had favored and finding the ankle badly swollen.

"It is not broken," Loki said, "A sprain I believe you would call it. The Captain does not strike me as one who would have spent his childhood brawling. He seems quite . . . honorable."

"He is that," Tony agreed, "And from what I've heard he always was, but he's also not one to back down from a fight or from a principle. Even when he stood no chance of winning."

"I remember how that feels," Loki admitted. "Until I grew strong in my magic, I stood no chance of besting 'the mighty Thor' and then it was necessary to use trickery."

"So what happens now? What did you say to them?"

Loki looked down at his hands again. "I told them the truth. I told them that we had come for Vé's trinket for it held value in its ability to protect all of the nine realms from the coming threat."

"Did they listen?"

Loki lifted an eyebrow sardonically and said, "What do you think?"

"What do we do now?"

Loki shrugged, wincing at the movement, then finally giving in with a sigh of frustration as Tony managed to get in close enough to start moving his clothes to check on his injuries. He saw Tony grimace in sympathy as he checked over his torso. Loki didn't look down. He didn't want to know what bruising and cuts looked like on already blue skin or what color his blood ran. He didn't need any more proof that he was not of Asgard, that he did not belong anywhere.

"Well, I think we can safely say that's going to hurt like hell, but I can't see anything immediately life-threatening," Tony said, as he pulled Loki's clothes back into position.

Loki nodded. "The Captain needs you, I think he is in much pain," he said quietly. "I am sorry I brought you here. I am sorry we failed."

"We haven't failed yet," Tony said. "I've got out of seemingly hopeless situations before. Not sure how that's going to work this time exactly but don't give up yet." He started to move away, then said, "Look don't get the wrong impression or anything, but do you want to come and sit a bit closer. Sharing body heat might help Steve."

Loki reached out and pressed a frigid hand to Tony's cheek, "I have no heat now to share. I am sorry. If I could return to the form I had on Asgard, I would do so. I would do all in my power to help, but I cannot."

"Hey, it's okay. You would if you could. We understand. Just keep thinking, huh? Think of some way for us to get out of here."

"I asked them to release you, to send you back to Midgard. They would not."

"What and leave you here? Hey, we're a team. Teams go in together and they come out together. Cap will tell you all about teams. He's big on us being a team and behaving right, and taking care of each other. He's good at all that sort of stuff," Tony explained as he slid back in against Steve's side. Gently he pulled Steve's cowl up to cover his head and hair. When Steve moaned his disapproval at being jostled, Tony began to ramble reassuringly, "It might only be a myth that more heat is lost through your head than through any other part of your anatomy, but, there's no point in losing any that we don't need you losing."

"Not in the ice, please, not in the ice," Steve mumbled, almost inaudibly. "Not again. Not in the ice."

"Hush." Tony pulled him closer. "I've got you. It's gonna be okay."

"Don't want to sleep again. Can't sleep again."

Tony's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place and he realized what was really happening to Steve. "Shit!" he exclaimed. He tried desperately to work out whether it was a good thing or not. Would Steve falling into an ice-induced sleep save him from the injuries he was carrying? Would he get Steve back? Would he be able to wake him once they got out of this mess? How the hell was he going to get him out of this mess if he did freeze again? He bit his lip and tried to hold back the panicked welter of feelings that raged inside, tried to push them down and think. He was Tony Stark, genius and even that didn't matter if he couldn't get the one man who he really cared for out of this ice prison.

Heimdall didn't turn as Frigga entered the room behind him, just knelt as he said, "My Queen."

"Heimdall. You sent word that there was news of my son."

"I fear so, my lady. Loki and the two from Midgard have been captured by the Frost Giants and are being held captive."

"And . . . tell me of his actions. . ." Frigga's words were hesitant.

"He has done you proud, my Queen. He fought in battle alongside the two, he speaks in truths with them. He put himself between them and their Jotunn captors. He attempted to use reason and truth in his dealings with the Jotunn leaders, but it was ill received and the Jotunn have not listened."

"But Loki has done all that I could ask and more. I shall speak to Odin. Please keep watch, Heimdall."

"I will, my Lady."

Tony had curled round Steve and the two of them had fallen into an uneasy slumber as Loki watched over them. He did not know what to do now. Somewhere there had to be something more that he could do.

"Heimdall," he spoke, tilting his head back and looking upwards. "Heimdall, I beg of you to tell my mother what has passed here in Jotunheim and to ask her to arrange for my companions to be spared. I ask for nothing for me, I shall pay the prices they have laid upon my head for the murder of their King, my father," the word was bitter on his tongue, "and for invading their lands against the agreements of the treaty with Odin and Asgard. They have Vé's trinkets and I believe the one they have taken from me is the one we seek to protect all of the realms. Please, Heimdall, tell her this also and then perhaps Odin can negotiate for its use at least." Loki fell silent, hoping that his words had been heard and that Heimdall could hear the truth in them.

Steve woke with a yell, jerking away from Tony and fighting to free himself from Tony's arms which were wrapped around him. "No, no, no!" he said, panicked. Tony had woken too at the first yell, immediately awake and aware of Steve's nightmare.

"Not again, never again," Steve continued to mumble as he paced around the room, seemingly oblivious to his injuries. "Can't . . . can't do it again. Have to get out, out of here, away."

"Steve, Steve!" Tony stood in front of him, trying to clutch at his hands to stop them waving, before giving up as Steve pulled away again, not recognizing him at all. Loki stood up, coming across to stand behind Steve and block his movements away, giving Tony the chance to catch his chin in one hand and slip the other behind his neck, pulling his head round so their eyes could meet. "Steve, look at me. See, Tony, I'm here with you. You're not on your own, it's okay."

Steve tried to pull himself away, still muttering about the cold and the ice and being alone and Tony just felt a tug of something inside that wanted to protect Steve from being here, going through this.

"Steve," he said again, a hint of pleading. "Steve, you're not there, not anymore, not on your own." The fight seemed to go out of Steve and he stopped pulling away, but just looked lost and bereft. Tony pulled him closer still, wrapping him in a warm embrace and bringing his head down to rest on Tony's shoulder, all the while murmuring reassurances that Steve wasn't alone and he was going to do everything in his power to get them out of there.

It took a while before Tony managed to coax Steve into sitting down again and as they crossed back to where they had been sitting before, it was clear that the adrenaline rush was over and Steve staggered, only staying on his feet because of Tony's support and Loki stepping in on his other side. As he sat, he leaned against Tony's side, but even that seemed too much effort and he slid down to lie on the floor with his head in Tony's lap and Tony's fingers running softly through his hair.

"Hold on for me, Cap. Don't give up, I need you," Tony whispered.

"What is the matter with him?" Loki asked. "He did not seem to know where we were, who you were."

"He's spent enough of his life encased in ice, he doesn't need to be here," Tony bit angrily. "Right now, I really hate you. Seriously, you fucked up your own life, your own family and that wasn't enough, you had to come fuck up our world too! Threats from nameless monsters out there somewhere," Tony waved a hand upward. "Why the hell did we listen to you? Why did we trust you?"

Loki looked ashamed, but said, "You do not understand what it is like to be unwanted, unloved and unlovable for your whole life; to never be able to live up to the expectations of a father who had built your whole existence on a feeble bed of lies. You could never understand what drove my actions in Asgard."

"You sure?" Tony was angry now. "Because from where I'm sitting it looked like you had a pretty shitty start here in Jotunheim, but that out of some kindhearted motivation, Odin took you in and raised you as his own, brought you up to be a prince. That's pretty good going."

"He lied to me about my heritage. My whole existence was filled with untruths. As children he told Thor and I that we were both born to be kings, but only the most worthy among us could rise to the throne. I believed that if I just did enough, if I could just prove to him then I stood a chance. But I didn't, I was not even his true son. There was no way he would ever allow a Frost Giant on the throne of Asgard."

"He made a mistake. Believe me, he could have done worse by you, I know. Why did he take you in anyway?"

"He found me, here after a battle, abandoned in a deserted temple because I was too small and weak to be the heir to the King of Jotunheim."

"That sucked. Lucky for you he came along and took you in and gave you all the care you could possibly have needed."

"He never had the same pride in me that he had in Thor's achievements. Thor, always the mighty warrior, and me the weaker younger prince in his shadow. Thor also basked in adulation, the crowd pleaser, handsome and strong and virtuous."

"Didn't he get banished and all his powers stripped away?" Tony asked.

Loki looked up in confusion.

"So your brother gets banished for his misdeeds and you still think your father only saw good in him? Seriously?"

"He did not declare me heir to the throne in Thor's absence."

"Maybe you weren't any more ready to take that on than Thor was. Maybe he believed that Thor should be king once he'd learned his lesson. Didn't mean he didn't care about you or love you!"

"What would you know of heartless and unthinking parents? Either of you, you have no real concept of what I speak! How could you?"

"You want to know about bad fathers? You think Odin's the worst you could have had?" Tony snorted in disgust. "You don't know the first thing about it. What about your mother? She loved you, you must be able to see that."

"She is a good woman."

"Yeah, she is and she did the best for you, still does do the best for you. You owed them both more than this."

"And what do you owe your parents, Iron Man?"

"My parents . . .ha! You want to know about my parents? My father was a scientist first and foremost. He was an innovator, ahead of his time and he had no interest in family. He had no time for me and nothing I ever did was good enough for him to give me even the slightest bit of attention. I wasn't alone in that though, he treated my mother the same way. He wined her, dined her, swooped her off her feet and married her. Then once she was pregnant he had nothing more to do with her unless he wanted her on his arm at some social event. He didn't speak to her for weeks on end, or if he did it was to shout and rage at something I had done, some meager attempt on my part to get his approval. He was an alcoholic and a bitter man." Tony stopped short at the feeling of Steve gripping his leg. "Hey you," he said far softer, "You okay?"

Steve just rubbed at his leg as if offering support.

"Sorry," Tony apologized. "I didn't mean to disturb you. Just telling Loki here that he doesn't have a monopoly on bad fathers."

Steve snorted softly, "Tell me about it!"

Tony sifted his fingers through Steve's hair and watched his eyes blink slowly as if he too was appreciating the familiar touch.

"Their intentions were not always bad though," Steve said quietly. "It was circumstances, wars changed them, made them lose sight of what really mattered."

"You are a very forgiving man," Tony reproached gently. "A very good man, must be why I like you so much, so don't let the side down and cop out on me now."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Steve's gaze flickered across to Loki, settling on him steadily for a few moments before he spoke again. "You should forgive Odin for his mistakes, he tried to protect you, not everyone can lay claim to a father who did that for them."

"What do you mean?"

"Just the other day, Tony and I went to 'an incident'. Three children stolen from their mother by a drunken and angry father. He didn't love them, he didn't even want them. He just didn't want to have to pay her for their welfare, figured if he had them it would cost him less. The four of them were in the car when he hit a semi and almost took both vehicles over a cliff. It took hours to save those children. Did they deserve that?"

"No," Loki said quietly.

"Would it be right for them to grow up and behave badly because of it? Should everyone be made to suffer because of what he did?"

"You are an idealist, Captain. In a world of injustice, you think that people should rise above it and be better than their forebears."

"And why not?"

"Clearly you have not dealt with the injustice in your own life."

Tony snorted, "What does he know? Steve dealt with as much injustice as the rest of us! Believe me, there's no sole ownership on that round here. His father was a roaring drunk who regularly beat him and his mother, you think he couldn't bear some resentment for that. Or the fact that he was so ill?"

"Tony," Steve admonished. "You're . . ." He seemed to give up for a moment, then with a deep breath he began to speak again, "My father was a good man, but what he saw, what he went through in the war . . . it was hard on him, he suffered a lot and in a time when there was no understanding of the psychological damage to soldiers during war. Tony is right though, he was an alcoholic and when he was drunk, he did hit my mother."

"And you. . ." Tony added weightily.

"Yes, and me," Steve conceded, "but if the world had been different. . ."

Tony shook his head, a wry affectionate smile on his face as he looked down at Steve. "You're a good man, Steve Rogers. Guess that's why I kind of like you."

Steve smiled wearily and squeezed Tony's knee. "Yeah, I love you too. I'm tired though."

"Rest, we're not going anywhere without you." Tony watched as Steve fell back into a sleep. He knew the shivers had stopped and Steve's skin was so pale as to be almost the color of the ice around them. His breathing had slowed and Tony knew that he was losing the battle to keep Steve with him, but didn't have the heart to wake him when he could see how much pain he was in. He wouldn't leave him behind and so once he got him home again, then he'd figure out a way to wake him up.

When all in the room had been quiet for too long, he looked up at Loki, "So do you still think Odin wins the worst father of the year award?"

Odin stalked out to the Gatekeeper's post in full battle dress. "Heimdall, you have news of Loki?"

"I do, your Highness. He is in Jotunheim. He seeks some of Vé's trinkets in the belief that among them may be a protection for all of the nine realms."

"How does he fare?"

"He and his companions have been captured and imprisoned. He has called on me to ask for assistance in saving his companions."

"And himself?"

"No, sire, not for himself. He is a changed man, sire. He has dealt only in honesty and truth in his time away. He earned the trust of the Midgardians, such that they were willing to accompany him from Midgard to Jotunheim. They fought to protect him as he struggled without his magical energies and in turn he fought to protect them."

"Oh Loki." Odin made no attempt to hide his sorrow. "Show me my son."

"Sire, look this way." With the barest of movement, Heimdall shared with his king the image of Loki imprisoned.

"So do you still think Odin wins the worst father of the year award?"

"No," Loki responded quietly. "My father was not a bad father, but I have been a failure as his son. I only wish that I should have a chance to tell him such."

Odin turned away. It was several minutes before he turned back and spoke again, "My son needs me." Taking a deep breath, he called out, "Call forth my army, we have work."