Thanks to all those that reviewed, faved & followed! I love you! My beta & mate KeeperoftheNine is in need of thanks once again cause she made some parts of this awesome in my eyes.

I see this chapter as being rather sad, but we do have a few hints as to what's to come :D Chapters I can't wait to write!

Go to the link on my profile for pictures to go with this chapter.

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"Turning, turning, turning through the years.

The minutes into hours and the hours into years.

Nothing changes, nothing ever can,

Round and round the round-about and back where you began.

Round and round and back where you began."

Turning, Les Mis

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The horses stood all huddled together on the bridge, a distance away from Heimdall's observatory. Thor and his parents had walked on ahead together with Loki not far behind. Bethan was the last to dismount her horse, almost unwillingly. Heimdall was stood atop his pedestal, his sword – the key to the Bifrost itself, clasped firmly before him. The King and Queen standing to his left while the young princes stood to his right.

They all watched as Bethan drew nearer, the gaze from so many pairs of eyes making her long to turn and run back to her horse. The circular opening on the domed wall gaped before her like some monstrous mouth, awaiting to swallow her whole. Bethan clenched her right hand, squeezing the band of Loki's gift tight between her fingers. She shuffled past Frigga and Odin to stand before the monstrous mouth.

"Should you decide to stay, no one would think less of you Bethan. Least of all us."

She felt her lips move into a small, sad, smile when Frigga spoke. The Queen's hands clutched at her husband's arm and sleeve, a gesture not dissimilar to that of their foster daughter, long years ago.

"I'm sure."

Silence came over them again, Bethan found herself looking down at her boots. Lina had taken time to make sure that they were scrubbed clean before dressing her in loose tan breeches, cream undershirt and a worn brown leather jacket. There was no need for fine clothes among the dwarves.

"Well, Little Sister, the day has arrived." Thor smiled warmly, seemingly oblivious to the other's sadness, stepping forward to tower over her. Taking Bethan's hand in his, Thor placed a small something in her upturned palm.

She studied the small metal oval attached to a length of leather cord to form a necklace. The metal oval had the image of two men in a long ship, sail full of wind, the sun above, the sea below and the edge was worked into twisting knots. Thor took the liberty of turning it over in her hand to show her the back. Scribed into the metal were a set of runes.

"Venture Forth, Safe From Harm." Thor was still smiling at her, reading what was written, out loud.

Bethan's face broke into a genuine smile of her own. She swiftly strung the travellers charm around her neck. "Thank you, Thor."

"This way I can make sure Little Sister will stay protected."

Squeezing his hand, Bethan felt a pang in her chest, "Big Brother can be sure of it."

The large, firm hand of Odin rested on her slim shoulder, drawing her around to face him.

"The first time you left Asgard, you were but a tiny babe, cradled in your father's arms. You were still such a tiny thing when I brought you back...now look at you, Bethan."

Odin clasped her shoulders in both hands, his voice soft and warm, full of the love from a father she had never known. With no warning, the Allfather tugged her gently to his chest, wrapping his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Bethan hugged him tight, enjoying such open affection that he had shown no one in years. Pulling back he held Bethan's face between his hands, taking one last long look before breaking into a smile that rivalled Thor's. Stepping back he allowed space for Frigga to take her turn in holding Bethan close, whispering encouragements and farewells into her ear. When the Queen eventually let go, there was only one more person to say goodbye to, and he was stood like a cold, pale statue far behind where Thor was standing.

The real goodbye between Bethan and Loki had already been spoken earlier that morning, after both had washed away the grime of the night before and Bethan had taken something for her hangover.

She hadn't cried. Even when she knew it might be the last few kisses she would ever get from him. For all she knew, a wife may be chosen for him soon. Perhaps Loki would be a husband by the time she returned? Maybe even a father? Bethan mused that he would have such beautiful children, if he himself as a child was anything to go by, and no doubt would there would be many of them. She always imagined him surrounded by lots of black haired little boys and girls, all scrambling for their father's attention. Bethan was not able to stop her vision from becoming blurred with tears at the thought and the sight of Loki standing there looking so down and dejected.

Moving swiftly over to him, Bethan threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his collar. His arms wound around her waist to hold her tight.

Loki had such a strong urge to kiss her before she left, in front of everyone, and he almost did. That was until he caught his father's puzzled gaze. Odin watched them thoughtfully and for a panicked second Loki thought the Allfather knew. It was highly doubtful that Odin believed his sons to be blushing innocents, but nonetheless, it was unlikely he would react well to the news that his youngest son had deflowered his even younger ward. Bethan was akin to being the King's daughter, and such an affair carried on behind the backs of the royal Court would undoubtedly be frowned upon, no matter how much joy it brought.

He pulled away from Bethan and tried to give her a reassuring smile, hating that there were clearly tears welling up in her eyes. Loki gave her waist a little squeeze before grudgingly stepping over to stand by Thor again.

"Lady Bethan. Are you prepared?"

Heimdall's voice echoed within the golden dome. Bethan pulled her eyes away from Loki to look ahead, to the inky blackness speckled with lights.

"Yes."

The Gatekeeper drove the key to the Bifrost into the pedestal, causing lightening to spark and jump as the mechanics of travel began to turn, clunk, drop and whirl.

Bethan's breathing quickened, trying to breath and quell the panic. Bifrost travel had been a terrifying experience when Odin had rescued her from Vanaheim. Memories of that were making her heart thud against her ribs.

"As tradition of Kunnandi Fara, there will be no contact with Asgard until the day of your return. But know this, I will be keeping a watchful gaze upon you, as often as I may. Should your life be in danger, Asgard will be rallied to your aid."

Bethan's hands clenched and released, over and over. Her breaths came quicker now, but she set her jaw, determined to stand her ground and allow the monster to have its meal.

"My Lady, I wish you well."

Bethan's stomach turned as she was pulled, spiralling into the Bifrost.

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Tumbling, covers tangled about her legs, Bethan fell from her bed onto the hard wooden floor, stars still spinning in front of her eyes. The floor was cold and the room was dark but she still knew exactly where she was. Her tiny little flat in 1940's London could hardly be mistaken for her rooms on Asgard.

Long years had passed. Two hundred of them in fact, and Bethan had lived through enough already to give her nightmares for the rest of her life. It was not fear that quickened her heart and added weight to her breathing. Rather that her dream had seemed so...real. The same sick feeling from travelling in the Biforst was lingering there in the pit of her stomach.

There was hardly a day that went by where she didn't think of those she had left. The ring still upon her finger and the charm now tied around her wrist were a testament to that.

Bethan released herself from the bed covers and replaced them on the bed, feeling calm once again.

It was 1947, only a few short years after second world had ended, leaving its mark on almost every country with its lists of the dead. Bethan had been in the thick of the planning and the invention. She had proved herself such an impressive engineer that she was asked to work with both the British and US governments. They had her working on making planes fly faster on less fuel, finding ways to make the issued guns safer so that they would not wear easy and backfire, killing or blinding the man holding it. She had also been brought in to help make trench tunnels less likely to cave in. For the last two years of the war, Bethan had been working with the US army to find a way to end the conflict, something she was still regretful for being a part of, though not for stopping the advance of the German forces.

Pushing it all to the back of her mind, Bethan got back into bed and stared at the ceiling. Without intending to, she started going over all that had happened since she had left her home.

At first she had spent time with the dwarves as an apprentice. Learning how to keep a forge, working the bellows for hours on end. They taught her the basics of weapon casting and then up into the masters level. Bethan then travelled to Alfenheim and was taught all the ways of working wood and building structures both grand and humble. Spending weeks in the forests at first, felling trees and sending them off down the river. There she had also met some travelling magic wielders from Vanaheim which, at first, made her uneasy and she found out later that she had every right to feel this way. Things came to light that had tore at Bethan's soul and for a time she had turned to drink and mind bending herbs in hopes to relieve it. Bethan would have driven herself into the ground had it not been for the man who owned one of the larger boat yards. He took her into his home, let her stay with his family, giving her work and hard graft to earn her keep and burn off her sorrow. Bethan had wished at that point to be in her bed again at home, with Thor and Loki huddled in close to her, an arm each wrapped round her middle to keep her safe, while Odin and Frigga sat close by, talking softly in the background. She had wondered sometimes, on the edges of sleep, why Heimdall had not sent someone to get her when she had been at her lowest.

The magic wielders made their apologies by taking her on journeys through time and space, leaving her body behind. At first she had thought it was simply a cheap parlour trick, but all her doubts were eradicated when they all returned from an astral trip to the future and there were books and little trinkets from that time. Bethan had been too scared to try it with them again and was glad when they moved on.

After twenty-five years in each realm, Bethan moved on to Midgard, or Earth as its inhabitants called it. She fell in love with the place. On other realms, such as Asgard, the people were much the same, believing the same things, but here there was seemingly unending variety.

For a hundred years she explored, venturing through the countries, immersing herself within different ways of life in the true spirit of the Fara. Watching, reading, learning. From the islands of Japan to the steep hills of San Francisco. Bethan had truly begun to marvel at the humans ingenuity, spending hours in their libraries in some of their largest cities, finding out how their machines and sciences worked.

She had then fought hard to create an identity as Bethany Andrews and study to become, what the humans called, a mechanical engineer. Bethan had truly never felt happier than being in dungarees, covered in oil and grime while tinkering and tweaking and building.

Women weren't usually found in such a work place at the time, but after hounding and forcing, she had found her way in, eventually leading to her working on the projects during the war.

Lately though Bethan had parted ways with the company she kept in the UK and US forces, going back to work in a small car mechanics in the heart of London city. For such a long time she had felt settled on Earth but now she was beginning to feel that itching in her chest, urging her to move on. It was burning away, whispering of golden halls, blue skies and all the people who had been plaguing her dreams as of late.

Curling up into as tight ball as she could muster, covers drawn up to her chin in attempt to fight off the chill, Bethan made the decision.

She was going home.

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Packing up her life had been more difficult than she had first anticipated, but it was finally done. Bethan truly could not believe all the possessions she had acquired over the years and had been sad to part with beautiful pieces of furniture that she loved but had no hope of taking with her.

For over a month, Bethan had been packing as much as she could into the now tattered looking chest that had been a parting gift from Odin and Frigga. It now contained mainly her books now and gifts for those back on Asgard. Before she had left, Frigga had also given her a few strange little devices, explaining that these little metal circles with little blipping lights in the middle when turned on, worked almost like an invisible rope. When the time came for Bethan to come home she was to fix the master control device to her clothes and the others to the things she wished to bring back, and they would follow her through the Bifrost.

The man she had hired to help her move boxes, luggage and her wooden chest out into the countryside gave her a strange look when she paid him. The mortal had no idea why she had made him drive his van full of her things out into the fields, miles from any house, and put everything in a pile in the middle of hill on an open field.

Bethan waved to him from atop the small hill as he drove away in his battered green van, only stopping once he had disappeared from view and the clanking and banging noises of the ancient engine could no longer be heard.

Placing her hands on her hips, Bethan took in the scenery around her. Soaking in the sun, enjoying the cool breeze that eased the heat of this unusually summery day. Taking her time to check all the ropes tying boxes together and that the devices were still where they needed to be, she then attached the control to the lapel of her tan fitted jacket and turned it on to see all the little red lights blink into life.

She started to feel the nerves tie her stomach up in complicated knots but she still smiled at the feeling. After checking that her hair was still neatly held in her high ponytail in the mirror of her compact, Bethan slipped it back into her leather satchel before checking everything one last time.

Bethan studied herself for a moment and began to wish she had really put on a dress instead of deciding on chocolate brown heels to go with the same coloured trousers, a bird blue blouse and her jacket. She would have little chance of walking up to the palace unnoticed in this get up.

Brushing it from her mind, knowing there was no point in changing now, she stared up at the brilliant blue of the sky and Bethan spoke softly, knowing she would still be heard.

"Heimdall."

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Bethan stumbled slightly with the jolt of arriving on the other side, but she managed to stay on her feet, glad to see her boxed possessions arrive beside her to.

Out the corner of her eye a silent figure stood above and watched, waiting for her to turn and face him. She honestly could not believe that she was once again here, in front of this being.

Slowly Bethan turned and was met with the imposing face of Asgards gatekeeper. He did not smile but she could hear the slightest smile in his deep voice that sounded almost like the heartbeat of time itself.

"Welcome back to Asgard, my Lady Bethan. I am glad to find you have returned in the one piece."

She let a wide smile spread over her face, "It was a bit touch and go a few times over the years, wasn't it?"

Bethan swore she saw the smallest of upward flickers on his lips before he spoke again, "There is a horse waiting upon the bridge, it will take you to the palace entrance. The guards know to make way, but I have told none of your return. I thought to make it somewhat of a...surprise."

The knots in her belly had loosened but had now retied themselves in even greater intricacy with excitement. Bethan felt unable to hold herself back and she ran up the few steps and threw her arms around Heimdall's neck, straining to reach on tip toes. The gatekeeper actually accommodated her and slightly bent his knees so she did not have to strain up so much. When she finally pulled away she flashed him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. Just excited to be home."

Heimdall had assured her he would arrange the transportation of her things, his momentary farewell expressed in a slight bow. Bethan climbed onto the back of the grey-maned white mare that waited for her outside the observatory. The leisurely stride it took through the golden gates as she reached land and beyond was starting to bother her, but Bethan knew that she would draw too much attention if she galloped full pelt through the streets. Plus she had not ridden a horse in decades, and found herself a little uneasy upon its back.

At the entrance to the palace the guards bowed deeply as the gates opened for her and she rode into a grand wide courtyard of pale stone. A servant came up to take the horse, bowing deeply and welcoming her home, saying it was nice to see her back in Asgard once again. She thanked him kindly and asked him some questions which he was more than happy to answer.

The clicking of her heels echoed through the halls as she walked through them, sure of the first place she wanted to go.

Bethan finally reached the royal family's private dining room and could hear a familiar booming laugh that made the knots tighten even more.

She nodded to the guard beside it to open the doors, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders as she stepped through, a slightly nervous smile gracing her features as Bethan stopped just inside and the room went silent. All three pairs of eyes and the single gazed at her in utter shock and amazement as they sat round the table where they had been sharing breakfast together.

The men all sat awestruck, while Frigga made the first movement, rising from her chair quickly and rushing over to Bethan, enveloping her in her arms. "Oh Bethan, my dear girl!"

Bethan clung to the older woman who did not seem to have aged a day, "Hello Frigga-Mother. My heart's so glad to see you again."

"Little Sister!"

She found herself pulled away from the Queen's arms to be brought hard against Thor's chest in a bone crushing hug.

"Thor, put her down! She's only just arrived back and you already seem to want to send her to the Healing Rooms with broken ribs!"

Frigga scolded her eldest but was unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. Thor released Bethan to hold her at arms length. His smile smile seemed to grow as he looked down on her.

"By the God's I can't believe you're actually here! Look at you. No more that scrawny little girl. You've returned just in time for I need someone to make changes to my armour."

Bethan swatted him on the arm and both laughed heartily.

Loki watched as his father rose from his own chair to embrace Bethan. He felt as if his magic was acting on it's own to conjure an image of a memory. He agreed with his brother whole heartedly; for Bethan was definitely no longer the child of before. She had grown maybe a inch or two more, her hair was by far longer and from what he could tell of her peculiar fitted clothes there were hints at the curvaceous figure he had always suspected she would develop. The most obvious sign being that her chest had swelled, her backside was now no longer almost non-existent and her waist flared into hips that many a woman would be proud to possess.

It was then that he noticed she was looking right at him, a soft smile playing over her lips that he couldn't help but mimic. Loki realised that he'd been caught staring. He inwardly scolded and to get a hold of himself. He strode over as confidently and with as much of a dignified air as he could muster.

Bethan had been marvelled in the changes she saw in Thor. He had not grown taller but had in fact grown wider than she thought was possible! She thought on how handsome her Big Brother looked with his facial hair when she noticed Loki walking towards her.

Spending so much time in America at one point meant she had a whole list of words and phrases to use and her brain for some reason decided to sound in her head 'Jesus H Christ!'

Loki had shot up several inches just like she thought he would, but did not tower over her the way Thor did, though he had followed Thor in growing out side ways as well. He had been so skinny and lanky when she'd last set eyes on him but now he was better described as lean and well built. Had he been on Earth then his stature would be one of great envy among men as well as great admiration among women. Frigga must have had an easy task to find him a wife, even with him being not the norm for male qualities on Asgard for Loki's face was no longer was of the boyish charmer Bethan remembered, but was now an extremely handsome young man. His clothes were different from what he used to wear, much more formal and regal, still choosing to dress in steely golds, deep greens, browns and blacks. Loki hadn't lost that same swagger in his step that was only accentuated by the swish of his long jacket. His hair was much longer now than it had once been but now styled to be straight and slicked back away from his face. Bethan laughed inwardly to herself, being reminded of the night with the pool in the Hanging High Gardens.

She damned her heart for starting that familiar pitter-patter beat as he drew closer.

"Little Bethy. Not so little anymore."

Loki smiled warmly, holding out his arms to her. She gladly let herself be wrapped up in them, putting her own around his waist.

"Hello Loki. It's so good to be back home."

Bethan felt slightly bereft when he pulled away and stepped back, standing tall and straight, regal like his station commanded.

"And it is good to have you returned to us, my child." Odin was smiling wide as he gestured for everyone to sit down again. Loki flourished an arm and a new chair appeared beside Frigga on the opposite side of the table to him.

"I'm sure there is much you wish to tell us about your travels. I simply cannot wait to hear everything." Frigga seemed almost excited as a little child as she arranged some food on a plate for Bethan.

"It may take a while for there is certainly much to tell."

Thor took a great bite out of the ham in front of him. Bethan had to suppress the laugh that threatened at the sheer look of disgust on Loki face, especially when Thor spoke with his mouth full, "Stories of such are better with mead and friends! A grand feast should be held in our Little Sister's honour!"

Frigga nodded in approval, "That would be wonderful. I shall arrange it for-"

"Tonight!"

"Tonight?" Loki cocked a dark, curved brow. "Thor, she has barely just arrived back and you want to shove her into a feast with the entire Court? It would be like throwing a lamb to a pack of wolves who had been starved for months."

Thor snorted. "So full of dramatics, brother! You act like such a woman sometimes." Bethan struggled further to suppress her laughter at the dark look Loki now gave Thor. "Father, does this not sound like a grand idea?"

The Allfather seemed to think on it for a moment before speaking, "It would mark the occasion."

The Queen shot him a scolding look, allowing it to soften before turning to Bethan, "Do you feel you would be settled enough for tonight?"

"Sure- I mean, yes, that sounds fine."

Everyone, even the servant in the corner, seemed to jump when Thor's fist met the table, "That settles it then! Tonight we toast Bethan's return to Asgard and home!"

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The charm that Thor gives Bethan is actually a necklace I own but, alas, can't wear because it's made of lead I think & makes my come out in red itchy spots if left against my skin. So I wrap it round my wrist. Also the pattern is an actual Nordic travellers charm as is the inscription.

Silly Bethan. Assuming that Frigga-Mother managed to tie Loki down to some puffed up pretty in her absence ;)

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