All of the chapter titles (save chapters 8 & 9) are titles of songs by Josh Groban.
If you wish to listen to them, they can be found on YouTube or Spotify.
Grace opened her eyes and sat up. She stretched and tried to smile but she could only manage a half grin. It had been close to a month since Loki had been executed. She put her brace on and stood. She walked into the kitchen and started to make coffee for herself. She hated the taste, but it reminded her of Loki. As she waited for it, she put a lunch together for Beth.
Beth then woke up and entered the kitchen, sat at the table, and picked up the mythology book and opened it to a random page. The page that it opened on was about the Norris god of mischief. Beth looked at the picture and turned to Grace and called her over. Without a word, Grace came over to see what Beth was calling to her about. When she saw the picture, her jaw dropped. It was almost a perfect likeness of Loki himself. "What does it say?" Beth asked.
Grace could not hear her question. She was entranced by the drawing in the book. The only difference between this drawing and the real thing was his eyes. Loki had an intense love in his eyes that no photo or drawing could ever do justice. As she gazed at the drawing, it seemed to change right before her eyes. Instead of a stern look, a warm and loving smile seemed to form on the face of the drawing. Beth watched as a smile formed on Grace's face. She looked down at the drawing and noticed that it was now smiling at both of them.
Then, there was a knock at the door and Grace was snapped out of her trance. She walked over to see who it was and when she opened the door. Detective Anna stood there waiting with a smile on her face. "What can I help you with?" Grace asked dryly.
"I just came by to see how you are handling everything." Anna answered.
Grace walked into the kitchen then and Dt. Anna followed her in. Beth was sitting at the table trying desperately to read what was written about Loki. Grace slammed the book shut as she said to Anna, "We are fine." She then walked further into the kitchen and pored herself a cup of coffee.
"You do not look fine." Dt. Anna said suspiciously. As Grace sipped her coffee as she held the mug with her left hand and the ring that Loki had given her was still on her finger. Anna pointed at it and asked, "You still wear it?"
"Of course I do." Grace responded coldly as she drank her coffee and grimaced with every sip.
"Why do you continue to drink that if you do not care for the taste?" Dt. Anna asked.
Grace set down her coffee and replied to Dt. Anna by saying, "Loki enjoyed it. I drink it so I can feel closer to him."
Dt. Anna nodded her head and looked down at Beth and asked, "What do you do to feel closer to Loki?"
Beth looked up at her and answered with a somber note to her voice, "I just try to read. When I do, I hear his voice helping me."
Detective Anna nodded her head and opened her mouth to speak but got cut off. "If you would be so kind as to stop interrogating us and go about your job. You know, the one you are paid for, we have to get on with our day." Grace shouted at her with an amount of venom in her voice that Dt. Anna had never heard before. It caught both Anna and Beth off guard and they both stared at her in silence for a few minutes.
Grace's once kind blue eyes were now hard and untrusting as she glared at Dt. Anna. Once she got her voice back, Dt. Anna asked, "Why are you angry with me?"
Grace slammed her coffee mug down on the counter and shouted, "Because you come back to see us almost twice a day! You ask us the same questions every time! It is annoying! I want it to end!"
"I cannot help that I have a bad memory." Detective Anna protested.
"Oh... Like you had such a bad memory when it came to Loki!" Grace shouted.
"I did all that I could for him." Dt. Anna disputed as she slowly back out of the kitchen.
Grace followed her shouting the whole time, "You helped alright. You helped identify him! You helped catalog him! You helped slap those cuffs on him! You probably even helped with the execution!"
"I did no such thing." Dt. Anna objected as she reached the door and backed out of the house.
"Do not argue with me! You call it a job, but what it really is murder! Now I do not want to see you in my house again!" With that said Grace slammed the door in front of Dt. Anna's face and stormed back into the kitchen and resumed drinking her coffee.
Beth just stared at Grace with her jaw hanging open. Grace stood there for a few moments before she realized that it was almost time for Beth to go to school. She composed herself and turned to Beth and smiled saying, "It is time to start getting ready for school, dear."
"No it is not." Beth answered cautiously. "It is Saturday."
Grace looked at the calendar on the wall and said, "Oh… So it is." Grace looked down at the ground and sighed a heavy sorrow filled sigh. Her now short brown hair hung in front of her eyes to hide the fact that her eyes were becoming clouded with tears. She turned to Beth and said, "I am going to go lie down in my room. You can go see Liza or something like that."
"Alright." Beth answered as she watched Grace walk back to her room slowly.
When the door closed, Beth jumped up and ran to her room and got down on all fours by her bed. She reached for something that was under her bed and she pulled it out and ran back out to the kitchen. When she sat down she looked down at the small box in her hand and lifted the lid slowly. Resting peacefully in the base of the box was a wilted flower. It was brown and dry as she viewed it but the petals still held a slight blue and purple hue to them. It was the flower that Loki had given to her. It had started to wilt about a month ago when he died.
At that moment, the door opened and footsteps came in the house. Beth perked up because she thought it was Loki coming into the house. Even though she knew he had been killed, she still hoped to see him again. She was disappointed when she saw who it was that rounded the corner in to the kitchen. It was Jane. She smiled when she saw Beth sitting there waiting eagerly. The smile vanished from her face when she noticed that Beth slumped down in her chair disappointedly.
Jane could tell immediately that something had occurred. "Hey, what happened?" She asked as she sat down across from the sad child.
"Loki is gone. Grace cannot tell what day it is. And my flower is dying. Take your pick." Beth answered as she rested her head on her hands that were folded on the table.
"Loki left? Do you know where he went?" Jane asked as her anger rose in her voice.
"To heaven I hope." Beth answered in a monotone voice.
Jane then felt her anger melt away. "Loki died? How? When?"
"Yes. The police men killed him a month ago." Beth responded.
Jane did not know how to feel. On one hand, she was glad that this menace had been done away with. On the other hand, what was Grace going to do now that Loki was dead?
Jane looked down at Beth and asked, "Where is Grace?"
"She is in her room." Beth responded as she gazed at the wilting flower.
Jane cautiously walked back to Grace's room and knock on the door. No response came so she just opened the door and entered the room. She saw Grace lying on her bed in a fetal ball as she wept silently. The room was dark as Jane entered silently and looked around to find that it was completely trashed. There were clothes strewn about the floor and trash wrappers and other items all over the place. It was evident that Grace was hurting in some way and would not let Beth know about it. Jane knew what it was that was ailing her friend. It was heartbreak. She had experienced the same thing.
Jane walked up to the bed and, placing her hand on Grace's shoulder, said softly, "I am here to take care of Beth if you just want to lye here for a bit."
A quiet voice that was barely audible answered her by saying, "Thank you." Jane patted Grace on the shoulder gently and turned to leave the room while carefully trying to avoid stepping on all of the items on the floor.
Jane reached the door and looked back at Grace before she excited the room and she saw Grace lying on the bed staring at the wilted flower on her bedside table. Jane closed the door behind her and turned into the kitchen, put on a brave face, and sat next to Beth. "What is there to do around here?" She asked with a warm smile on her face.
Beth smiled weakly back at her and answered, "You can read to me."
"I would love to." Jane smiled as Beth picked up the book of mythology and opened the book to the page about Loki.
Meanwhile up on Asgard, Hiemdall was watching the events of the house unfold before his eyes. The guard of the Bifrost had seen many things in his time, but none could compare to the one that he saw before him. Grace was completely distraught by Loki's departure from her. She truly loved him.
"What is she doing today, Hiemdall?" Asked a soft kind voice beside him.
"Same thing as yesterday. She is just lying on her bed weeping." Hiemdall answered. He turned to face this new arrival at the guard post and he smiled and said, "It is nice to see you again."
"I wish we were meeting under better circumstances." His mysterious guest responded as he took a step forward and strained his eyes to see something. He eventually gave up and said to himself, "I would give anything just to see her one last time."
Hiemdall chuckled under his breath and said, "You know as well as I that you will end up staying with her and you will not come back."
"It is not like anyone here will miss me." He answered with a hint of sorrow in his voice as those words exited his thin pale lips.
"I would miss your daily visits." Heimdall answered as he smiled at his visitor.
He turned to face Heimdall then and looked in his golden eyes and asked, "Could you send me down to see her?"
"Not without the All Fathers consent." Heimdall answered.
"I do not care about that!" He shouted. "I just," He paused and looked into space with sorrow clear in his green eyes. He then looked back at Heimdall and finished his statement, "I just want to hold her in my arms and tell her that I love her. I want to tell her that she has never once left my thoughts."
Heimdall thought for a few moments and it seemed like an eternity. The man who wanted to see Grace so ardently turned to leave but Heimdall stopped him by saying, "Tonight. I will open the bridge for you tonight while everyone is asleep. But you must come back before dawn."
He turned and smiled weakly back at Heimdall and thanked him. Then he left the Bifrost guard post and walked down the Rainbow Bridge and back into the castle.
Later, back on earth, Grace was up from her bed and was cleaning up from dinner as Jane read to Beth in the sitting room. She tried to listen to the riddles being read but she found it hard to focus. Thoughts of Loki filled her mind. She remember that at times while she was washing dishes Loki would walked up behind her and stick his finger in the soap suds then put it on the tip of her nose. She always found it irritating when others did it to her, but when Loki did it, it was cute and funny.
Grace also remembered Beth running through the house squealing at the top of her lungs. When she would check to see what was wrong she would she Loki chasing her with a smile on his face as he said, 'The tickle monster is coming for you.'
There were several other things that Grace remembered as she washed the dishes. Jane and Beth were just finishing up the book when the young girl began to yawn. Jane saw this and closed the book mid-riddle and said to Beth, "You had better go to bed."
"One more, please!" Beth begged. It was all to no avail for Jane could see that she was tired and she had plans for the three of them tomorrow. Hopefully, it will take Grace's mind off of Loki. At least for a moment.
After Beth had run off to bed, Jane walked up to Grace and said, "Why don't you go to bed. I can finish this." Grace thought about fighting for a split second but then decided that it was no use. Besides, sleep was better than real life. At least she could see Loki in her dreams.
Grace walked off to bed and Jane finished cleaning the dishes from dinner. After Jane was finished, she left a few things on the table and then left the house and she closed the door behind her.
A few hours later, there came a soft knock on the door that roused Grace from a dream where she was walking in the park hand in hand with Loki. She just lay in bed for a few moments because she did not realize that there was someone at the door. The knock then sounded again. It was slightly louder this time and Grace begrudgingly sat up and put her brace on. The knocking sounded once again as she walked to the door and she shouted, "What is wrong with you. Do you not sleep?"
The knocking persisted and when she reached the door and swung it open she almost shouted, "What could you want at this time of night?" But her voice caught in her throat when she saw who was at the door. Standing there in black leather boots, leather pants, a golden breastplate, and a long green cape was none other than Loki. He was mid-knock as she opened the door and his hand was up in the air. He lowered his hand and smiled warmly at her and said with a soft tender voice with love in his green eyes, "Hello Grace. I missed you."
Grace was stunned. She stared at him wide eyed as Loki stood in front of her large as life. Was she still dreaming? She had heard of waking up from one dream only to find yourself in another. So they just stood there and stared at each other for a few moments until Loki reached forward and touched her hand. After that initial touch, Grace realized that this was not a dream and that Loki really did stand in front of her.
Grace then pulled him into a tight embrace and wept onto his neck. "I missed you too, Loki. More than you will ever know." They remained in that tight embrace for about ten minutes then Grace pulled away and asked him sweetly, "Would you like to come inside?"
"Yes, I would like that very much!" Loki smiled as he answered.
They almost entered the house when Grace turned back around and said, "On second thought, the house is a mess. How about we go onto the roof? Do you mind?"
Loki chuckled lightheartedly and answered, "It does not matter where we go, Grace. As long as I am with you, I am content." He smiled at her then and she realized just how much she had missed him. Once they were up on the roof, Grace could contain herself no longer. She leaned in a kissed him on the lips. Loki kissed her back and the two of them shared their most passionate kiss yet.
Loki then fell backwards onto his back and landed with a thud on the roof and Grace pulled away and quickly apologized. Loki just chuckled and gently grasped her hand and affectionately kissed it as he remained on his back looking up at her. She then rested her hand on his chest and leaned forward over him and kissed him on the lips once again. There was a smile on both of their faces as they shared a quiet moment together up on the roof.
After the kiss, Loki said to her, "I want you to know that all through this past month, never once have you left my thoughts. I love you, Grace." Grace smiled in response and lay down on his chest.
"You never left my thoughts either. There were times were I could not even get out of bed in the morning because I knew that you would not be there." Grace answered sweetly as she cuddled up to him.
Loki noticed that she was cold again so he sat up and Grace sat up with him and watched as he took his cape off and wrapped it around her shoulders. She giggled as he wrapped his arms around her and lay back on the roof. They laid there for a few moments just enjoying each other's presence when Loki looked down at her left hand. He picked it up and tenderly examined her hand in the soft moonlight.
Grace giggled lightly and asked, "What are you doing?"
"I am imagining a golden ring on your finger in place of this one made of hair that you are still wearing." Loki admitted.
"I do not care if it is golden or made out of hair. It is from you." Grace answered as she closed her eyes and smiled.
Loki kissed her forehead then and placed his right hand behind his head as his left arm remained wrapped around Grace. She soon fell asleep in his arms and he saw a shooting star streak across the sky. He whispered quietly to himself, "I wish I never had to leave Grace's side." He knew that wishing on a star was just a silly Midgardian superstition but he could not stop himself.
A few hours later, Loki saw the sun beginning to rise. He looked at it in sorrow for he knew what that day would bring. He would have to leave her again. He began to stand up and Grace was roused from her slumber and she asked with her eyes still closed, "What is going on, Loki?"
"I am carrying you to your bed. You need to sleep." Loki answered with a hint of sorrow in his voice. Grace did not hear it for she was still half asleep. Loki descended from the roof and entered the house and walked towards her room. Once he entered he laid her on her bed. He saw the wilted flower by her bed stand and smiled. There was also a bit of his hair there. He sat on the edge of the bed for a few moments and waved his hand over the flower. It immediately started to come back to life. The browns changed to a healthy green, blue, and purple.
Loki then stood up and kissed Grace sweetly on the forehead and whispered to her, "Sleep well, Grace. I love you."
As Loki began to leave the room, Grace opened her eyes and looked at him. "Where are you going?"
Loki turned to face her and saw a saddened look on her sleepy face. "I have to get back to Asgard. I will see you again tomorrow night though. I promise."
Grace shook her head and sat up as she said, "No. You are not going anywhere. You are staying with me tonight."
Loki smiled and said to her softly, "Grace, I really need to get back."
"But I need you to stay here with me. Please, Loki." Grace begged him.
Loki gave in to her sad blue eyes and said, "Alright, I will go lie down in the sitting room." He turned to the door then and as soon as he touched the doorknob, Grace objected.
"I read about you. How you are supposed to be a master of deceit. You could be just saying that to appease me. As soon as you leave this room, you could be gone for good. I am not taking any of that from you." Grace protested.
Loki smiled and asked, "Then where am I supposed to sleep?"
Grace thought for a moment and moved over closer to the wall and answered him by saying, "In bed with me." She patted the empty side of her bed and Loki took a few steps forward.
Loki stopped in his tracks and protested, "Are you sure about this? I may start screaming in your ear."
Grace smiled and responded, "If that happens, I will just wrap my arms around you and kiss you until you stop."
Loki smiled then and climbed into bed with her. Grace pulled his arms around her as she snuggled into bed with a contented smile on her face. They both closed their eyes at the same time but you can probably guess who fell asleep first.
Once Grace was asleep, Loki carefully got out of bed and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. He stood there and watched her sleep for a few moments then he saw the rising sun out her window. A heavy-hearted sigh escaped his lips as he looked back at Grace asleep in her bed.
He then turned to leave and paused for a moment as if he was waiting for Grace to say something to him. When none came, Loki looked back at her and smiled. He would be back to see her tomorrow night. He exited the room and pulled the door shut behind him. Loki then went into Beth's room to check on her. He found her lying on her bed with an open box lying beside her on the bed.
Curious, Loki took a few steps forward and looked into the box. What he saw made him smile. It was both the flower he had given her and the drawing that she had drawn for him all folded up. He took the few remaining steps forward and waved his hand over the flower in the box and watched as it sprang back to life as well. He then leaned forward and kissed Beth on the forehead and left the room.
Loki then left the house almost exactly how he had found it. Aside from bringing the flowers back to life, he left his cape in Grace's room draped over top of her and he left a little wild flower that he had found as he walked the gardens of Asgard in the box that Beth was holding onto so tightly. It was a small delicate pale blue blossom that was incredibly beautiful. When he saw it, that small flower reminded him of Beth and he had to pick it for her.
He left the house then and immediately stepped into the Bifrost and returned to Asgard.
That morning, Grace stretched and smiled. She remembered that Loki had come to see her last night and that he had spent the night with her. "Good morning, my love." She said as she rolled over. When she saw the other side of her bed, the smile vanished from her face. There was no one there. She was dreaming of him again.
Grace then sat up and put on her brace with a somber look on her face. She walked into the kitchen and started to prepare a breakfast for Beth. She opened the fridge and was reminded of Loki yet again when she saw the last bit of food that he had obtained for them inside the fridge. It was a hunk of cheese. Grace sighed and pulled it out of the fridge and closed the door. She then began to prepare some grilled cheese sandwiches for her daughter.
Beth then awoke from her slumber and ran out of her room with the box in her grasp and an excited smile on her face. "Hey Grace, guess what?"
Grace smiled as she turned to the young child that was rushing up to her with an elated expression on her face. "What is it, sweetheart?" She asked with a hint of sorrow in her voice that had become a common occurrence for her.
Undeterred by this, Beth reached into the box that she was holding in her hand and pulled out a flower. It was the flower that Loki had given to her. It had come back to life! The vivid purple and blue notes sang out as loud as ever as the light from the early morning sun shown in on it. The petals seemed to glow with green light as the sun beams rested on it.
Grace's jaw dropped as she asked, "Could you hold on one moment, please?" She then walked as quickly as she could back to her room and looked at her bedside table. A large smile spread across her face when she saw that her flower from Loki had come back to life as well. When she walked over to pick it up, she noticed a new addition to her table. Beside the flower as it lye on the table was a note with Loki's beautiful handwriting on it.
Grace picked up the flower first and noticed that there was more of a purple hue to hers then there was to Beth's. She then picked up the note and tucked it into her pocket. Grace then left the room with the flower in her hand and when she entered the kitchen, Beth gasped. She ran up to Grace and said, "Yours came back to life as well." She gently fingered the flower. "Was there anything else left in your room? I had a little blue flower left in my treasure box." Beth said as she gingerly lifted a small intricate flower into the light.
Grace looked at the blue flower in Beth's outstretched hand and was lost in thought. Was it possible that last night was not a dream at all? Was Loki really alive? If he was, why did he have to stay hidden? Was he in trouble? He had to know that she would be more than willing to help him in any way she could.
Beth fingered the flower on her outstretched hand delicately and asked Grace, "Is it possible that Loki is still alive?"
Grace thought about it for a moment and answered, "I am not sure. I had a dream last night, but now, I am not so sure if it was a dream."
"What was it about?" Beth asked as her dark green eyes glimmering with excitement.
Grace's blue eyes gained a faraway look as she thought over the events of the past night. Loki was truly in her arms last night. A smile spread across her face as she remembered kissing him tenderly while they were on the roof together. She thought that she would never again hear his soft voice tell her that he loves her. A giggle almost escaped her lips when she remembered all that he had told her.
At that moment, Beth ran behind her and embraced someone who had just entered into the kitchen. Grace turned around half expecting to see Loki standing there, but instead, Jane stood at the entrance to the room. "Jane? How long have you been in New York?" Grace asked.
"Two days. You have kind of been out of it for a while." Jane answered as she picked up Beth and placed her on her hip. "Allow me to express my condolences. It cannot be easy."
"Well," Grace responded as she turned into the kitchen and began to prepare a meal for their guest, "I am doing the best I can."
"That is all that you can do." Jane answered as she turned to the table and saw the two flowers that Loki had given to them on the table appearing the same way they did the day he had given them to as a gift. She remembered coming in yesterday and Beth said that it was dying. How could they be coming back to life? Unless… Jane's eyes opened wide when she realized the possibility that Loki may yet be alive!
Jane then turned to Grace who was cooking the grilled cheese sandwiches and asked, "Is there something that I should know?"
Grace looked at her friend suspiciously and asked, "Whatever could you mean by that?"
"Did you get a visitor last night?" Jane rephrased her question.
"I am not sure." Grace replied plainly.
"How could you not know?" Jane pressed her for an answer.
"It may have been a dream brought on by my frantic wishing." Grace responded. "But, given what I found on my bedside table this morning and my bed, leads me to think otherwise."
"What did you find, Grace?" Both Jane and Beth asked eagerly at the same time.
"I had a green cape draped over my bed. And," Grace then looked down and revealed a piece of paper that held Loki's handwriting on it. She unfolded it and said, "This is a letter from Loki that I had never seen before. It was just lying on my bedside table when I woke up." She stared down at it and appeared to be reading.
After a few moments Beth asked cautiously, "What does it say?"
Grace smiled as she read the words out loud that said:
"My Dearest Grace;
"I truly enjoyed the feel of your arms around me as we embraced this night. You have rendered me helpless with just the touch of your hand and the feel of your lips against mine. I love you, my dear. You and you alone are master of my broken and shattered heart. For you have made it whole again with one smile.
"I will come to see you as often as I can. How can I live without seeing your loving face?
"All my love;
"Loki Laufeyson."
Grace then folded the letter up and put it close to her heart as she smiled and a single tear found its way out of her right eye. Oblivious that both Jane and Beth where in the room with her, Grace brought the letter up to her lips and kissed it tenderly.
"Grace," Beth piped up after a few moments. "Why are you crying? Was that letter not what you thought it would be?" She asked.
Grace looked at the young child and said, "These are happy tears, dear."
"Oh…" Beth answered as she took a bite of a piece of bread that was on the table.
Meanwhile on Asgard, Thor walked into the banquet hall and saw someone in a long black cape taking the food off of the table and putting it into a basket that was in his pale grasp. This person was tall and had leather pants on as he worked quickly to remove all of the food that was left over from the most recent banquet. His hood was up concealing his face so Thor could not see who it was, but it was not one of the servants that much was clear. The way he was dressed told that he was poor, but the way he carried himself suggested otherwise.
"Halt!" Thor shouted. The mysterious capped person froze in place for a few moments. "Who are you? I demand to know!" His thunderous voice rang all throughout the room.
The man reached his hand to his hood and pulled it down. Doing this, he revealed that he had short black hair and bright green eyes. Seeing this, Thor dropped the hammer that he was welding which landed with a loud clang and said, "Loki? What are you doing?"
"I am taking this food to those who have none." Loki answered plainly. "I have learned much from Grace, one thing being that we have a responsibility to help those who are less fortunate then we are."
Thor smiled and walked up to Loki and asked, "Did she also tell you that it was necessary to dress up in a cape and sneak around as you are helping?"
"No she did not. I just never wanted to get seen doing it." Loki responded.
"Why is that?" Thor asked as confusion mounted in his mind.
"Because then I would get stopped. I do not want that." Loki answered.
Thor chuckled and slapped his hand on his brothers back and said, "Wearing a cape and sneaking around is a sure way to get stopped, brother."
"Alright. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some deliveries to make." Loki replied as he held the basket all the tighter.
He then began to leave but Thor stopped him by asking, "May I come along, brother?"
Loki stopped in his tracks and looked back at his brother and asked, "Why?"
"As you said, we have a responsibility to help those who are less fortunate then we are." Thor responded with a smile on his face.
Loki thought about it for a few moments and considered saying no but then he heard Grace's voice saying to him, "Let him come, they will love to see him."
After he heard this he grinned at his brother and the two of them headed out of the castle to distribute the food. Thor and Loki stood side by side as they gave out the food to the famished people who were just around the corner from the castle. Thor was becoming distressed as he gazed into their grateful hungry faces. How did he not even know that there was such a need for something as simple as food so close to his home? Even more confusing was how did Loki know they were there?
Thor saw a warm and loving smile on his brother's face as he distributed the food to those who needed it. He was not use to seeing this on his pale face. It caught him off guard as he heard Loki speaking softly to the hungry people and promising them that he would bring them more food when he got the opportunity to.
As they were leaving, Thor said to Loki, "Grace must have hit you over the head with a brick."
Loki looked at Thor and asked, "What do you mean?"
"I have never in my life ever thought I would see you behave this way towards other people. Poor people none the less." Thor said. "Grace must have opened your eyes to a lot of things."
"Yes she did." Loki answered as they continued to walk back to the castle.
After they walked in silence for a few moments, Thor said, "I am sorry that father has forbidden you to see her."
A mischievous smile appeared on Loki's face as he replied, "You honestly think that is going to stop me? It never has in the past. Mind now, my disobedience in this matter is for something that can never harm anyone."
Thor let out a load cheerful laugh as he wrapped his muscular arm around his brother's thin shoulders and he answered, "I never thought it would!"
Back on earth, the sun had just set and Grace was lying on her bed waiting to hear the door open and familiar footsteps to enter into the house. She waited for what seemed like hours and still nothing. Not so much as a knock on the door. Grace sat up and put on her brace as she somberly walked to the front door and waited by it for Loki to either knock or to just come right in. She desperately wanted to see him again.
On the other side of the door stood Loki. He was unsure if he should wake Grace again in order to visit her. His bright green eyes were set on the door in front of him as he considered just going back to Asgard. There was something telling him to leave. Yet, there was a small quiet voice that whispered to him saying stay. He was unsure which to listen to. Should he really awaken Grace again and then leave her as soon as the sun rose? He would come back for her someday somehow. He would always return for her.
They stood there for a few minutes before Loki began to walk away. When he did he heard the door swing open and Grace called his name. As soon as he heard Grace call his name, his heart sped up and he froze in place. He turned and saw her standing at the doorway with a loving smile on her face.
Grace then stumbled up to him as fast as she could with her arms outspread. Loki smiled and spread his arms out wide as well as he heard her calling his name still. When Grace was a few steps away from him, she stumbled and fell but Loki caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground. Grace and Loki laughed then as they embraced each other.
Tears where flowing freely down Grace's face as she smiled and laughed joyfully. Loki was alive! It was not a dream after all! She did not care if the world ended right then and there. Loki was in her arms and she was in his. Loki closed his eyes as a small smile rested on his face as he felt Grace kiss his cheek warmly.
Grace pulled away then and said to Loki with a smile on her face, "Would you like to come in? I can wake Beth. I know she would love to see you."
Loki looked up at her house and thought for a long moment. He then looked down into Grace's eager blue eyes and answered her, "I would love to see Beth. But," He stopped to run his hand through her short brown hair. "Tomorrow is a school day. She needs her sleep."
"Is that why you started to leave when you were at the door tonight?" Grace inquired.
"How did you know I was there?" Loki asked.
"I did not know that it was you. I was standing at the door when I heard footsteps receding. I opened the door hoping that it was you, and it was." Grace responded.
"Why... Why were you standing by the door?" Loki questioned with distress clear in his voice.
"I was waiting for you to come." Grace replied. "You said you would."
Loki then pulled her into an even tighter embrace as he smiled warmly and closed his eyes tightly. When he opened his eyes, an even larger smile spread across his face at the sight he saw just before him. He let Grace go and told her to turn around. When she did, she saw Beth standing at the door staring at Loki with a large smile on her face.
Loki then knelt down and spread his arms out wide and Beth ran into his arms and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He gave her a nice kiss on the cheek as he picked her up in his arms and held her close. "Shall we go inside?" He asked as he turned to Grace.
She smiled and nodded her head. Grace followed as Loki carried Beth into the house and sat down on the cot that he used to sleep on. When he set Beth down beside him, he asked, "What would you like to do?"
"Just read me a story, please." Beth answered as she wrapped her little arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.
Loki smiled warmly as he watched her close her little eyes and a shy grin spread across her face. "How about I tell you the story of a man from another world that felt alone and sorrowful until he meet a lovely woman and her charming daughter?" Loki asked with a tender smile on his face. Grace gasped when she realized that he was talking about himself meeting her and Beth.
"That sounds good." Beth answered without even opening her eyes.
Loki looked up at Grace and smiled before he stared speaking. "Let us see, were should I start."
"How about with 'Once Upon a Time'?" Grace suggested kindly.
"Good idea." Loki answered and he winked at Grace. He knew that she knew who the story he was about to tell was about. "Once upon a time there was a man who lived in a vast golden castle with everything that he could ever need. He was a prince. His world was called Asgard and it was very beautiful to the eyes and ears. There was always something fun and exciting happening and there were hundreds of people around him constantly. Yet, he always felt alone. He felt different from everyone around him and he did not know why that was.
"One day, the king told the prince that he was not his son after all, but rather the son of his sworn enemy!" Beth gasped and sat up wide eyed and listened intently to the tale being told by Loki. He continued his story, "The prince was heartbroken as he began to realize why he always felt so different. He then devised a master plot to steel the throne from his older brother. He got his brother banished to another world and when he came to visit him, convinced his brother that their father had died.
"His plot was discovered and he was thrown out of the castle and into the dungeons." Loki glanced over at Grace who was seated at the wooden bench and saw that she had tears forming in her eyes as she listen to him tell the story of his life to Beth. "While there, he was tortured and disfigured to the point where he could no longer recognize himself. He was then sent to earth and he caused even more trouble there than he ever did on Asgard. He tried to be their king with brute force.
"Little did he know, but the woman whom he would meet later stood right in front of him at this time and he did not even see her. He was so twisted with rage that he did not care about anything but himself. After a long battle, he was captured by his older brother and brought back to Asgard. He was then put into prison again. But this time, he was not mistreated, but rather, his mother would come to see him every now and again and bring him books.
"A year or so later, the kingdom came under attack! His mother was killed and he was freed to help avenge her death. After he helped avenge his mother, he tried to take the throne for a second time. He was then banished to earth. In fact, he was sent to the very city he tried to defeat!" Beth hung on his every word as he spoke to her and Grace. "It was there that he met the woman for the second time. When he saw her, he thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his entire life.
"Even though she recognized him, she took him into her house and cared for him. She introduced him to her daughter, who was afraid of him at first, but eventually grew to like him. He grew to love these two ladies who took him into their house and cared for him even though he was far from worthy of being around these two lovely creatures. Those two were far more than he could ever hope for in his sad broken life.
"Beyond his wildest dreams, the woman had fallen in love with him as well!" Loki then looked over at Grace and he saw that tears were streaming down her face as she listened to his tale with a small smile on her face. Loki wanted to stand up and cross the room and kiss her tenderly but he knew that Beth was waiting for the rest of the story. So, he continued the tale by saying, "They lived in bliss for about a year before his past caught up with him. He was recognized and he got arrested. The woman and her daughter came to see him and to see if he could be set free. But, alas, it was not possible. He was put to death the next day." He paused for a moment and examined the tear stained faces of his listeners.
Loki continued to speak, "You may think this is a sad tale, but think about it for a minute. A man who thought he would go through life unloved, experienced the love of two angels before the end of his life. He learned the truth about himself as well."
"What was that?" Grace managed to say through her tears.
Loki looked up at her with love plain to see in his bright green eyes as he answered with admiration in his voice, "That he was not a monster after all."
Grace then stood up and walked over to him and threw her arms around him tightly. She wept tears of joy on Loki's shoulder as she said, "I am glad that he realized truth." Loki retuned the warm embrace as Beth watched them both with confusion in her eyes. Then, she realized why Grace was crying during the story that Loki was telling them. It was true! He was the man and she was the woman!
"Loki?" Beth said after a few moments.
Loki and Grace parted and he turned to her and smiled as he asked, "Yes, sweetheart?"
"Does the man have to go back home tonight?" Beth inquired cautiously, "Can he stay with the woman and her daughter?"
Loki smiled and pulled Beth into a tight embrace as he answered, "He would love to. Unfortunately though, he cannot stay. He is breaking every role just coming to see the two angels tonight."
Beth then asked, "Can we come with you then?" There was sorrow in her voice as she thought that she would never see him again.
"I am not sure if the others are ready for to angels to live amongst them just yet. But tell you what," Beth, who had buried her head in his chest as she wept, looked up at him with tear stains streaking her face. "As soon as they are ready, I will come back for you both." Loki finished as Beth and Grace smiled and he pulled them both into a warm embrace.
After a few minutes, Beth went off to bed leaving Grace and Loki alone in the sitting room. The moment they heard the door to her room close, Loki leaned over and kissed her on the lips passionately. Grace returned the kiss and her hands rested on his chest as his were behind her head and back warmly. Tears began to stream down his face as he realized that this may be that last time he will get to share a kiss with her.
Grace could tell that Loki was sobbing so she began to kiss him slower and more lovingly as she tried to comfort him. One of her hands remained over his heart as the other wrapped around behind his head tenderly. She did not know why he was sorrowful, but she figured that he was worried about his father's disapproval. They shared their love for a few more minutes as tears continued to stream down his face.
Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light as a faint click sounded to their left so both Loki and Grace looked to find that Beth was standing there with a camera in her hands. "Beth," Grace said, with embracement coating her voice. "I thought you were in bed."
"I was lying down in my bed when I saw the camera that Liza lent me the other day. I realized that we do not have any pictures of Loki. So I tried to sneak out to take one. It really did not work though." Beth replied sheepishly.
"That is a wonderful idea, Beth." Loki said. He then turned to Grace and asked her, "Would you please take a photo of Beth and I together?"
Grace smiled and wiped the tears off of his face with the sleeve of her nightie. She then stood up and took the camera from Beth and watched as Beth ran to Loki's side and jumped up beside him and turned to the camera. "No, this is not going to work." Loki said after she sat down.
Beth looked up at him in despair and Grace smiled as she looked through the camera. She knew what he meant. "What do you mean, Loki?" Beth asked sadly.
"It should be like this. Look at the camera, dear." With that said Loki threw his arms around her and looked at the camera as Grace snapped the photo. Beth was laughing with joy as the photo was taken and Grace took another one then as Loki laughing along with her.
After they laughed uncontrollably for a few minutes, Beth stood up and walked up to Grace saying with a bright smile on her face, "It is your turn now."
Grace then gave the camera to Beth and walked over to Loki and sat beside him. He wrapped his arms around her warmly as she leaned onto his chest slightly. They both smiled as Beth took the photo and when she ran off to her room Loki turned to Grace and asked, "I suppose there is no way that I may receive a copy of those photos, is there?"
"You will be back by then." Grace smiled as she answered him. When she looked into his sad distressed face she realized the he was not sure if he ever would be able to return. Now she knew why he had wept when they kissed this last time. "Loki, listen to me. No one, and I mean no one, will ever take your place. I will love you forever. You will never be forgotten."
Loki smiled weakly at her and she pulled him into a tight warm embrace. They remained there for a few moments and then Loki kissed her on her cheek. Grace wept silently as she pulled away from him and took his hands and placed them on her shoulders as she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips sweetly as tears streamed from her face.
After a few minutes, the sun was about to rise then and Loki pulled away slightly, and whispered to her while their lips were still close together, "I love you, Grace."
"I love you as well, Loki" Grace answered. She did not even open her eyes as Loki kissed her again on the corner of her mouth tenderly. As his lips could still be felt on her face, there was a bright flash of light and a slight whooshing sound and his presence could no longer be felt. Grace opened her eyes then and saw that Loki was gone. She stayed in place for a few moments as if he would return if she did not move.
Grace then stood up and began to prepare for the coming day.
Up on Asgard, Loki stepped out of the Bifrost and saw the All Father standing in front of him. "What is it with my sons and humans?" He asked coldly.
Loki glared at him and answered, "You made it quite clear that I am not your son. What do you care who I spend my time with?"
"I care because Thor cares about you still! Though I have no idea why he does!" Odin shouted back at him.
"Maybe it is because we are not that different after all." Loki answered calmly.
"No! You are very different, he will be king where as you will spend the rest of your life in prison!" Odin shouted loudly.
"Why? I did not do anything wrong!" Loki protested.
"Because you disobeyed my express command! I told you not to return to earth! I told you not to see that girl again! And I find you coming back from visiting her!" Odin responded.
Loki got a strange sorrowful look in his eyes as he answered, "Maybe I just wanted a few more moments with her before I was thrown into prison again."
Odin did not know how to respond to that so Loki just left the Bifrost guard post and walked down the rainbow bridge as he thought of his last moments with Grace.
