Marvel characters don't belong to me. Just Jenny & Co.

Big thanks to Delta808th, Lady Kaelyn of Midgard, Janizary, tywingfieldtbs42, and Booyakasha for reviewing!

Loki was so shocked at Thor's words that he very nearly dropped the glamour that was disguising him as Odin. He froze, desperately trying to clear his thoughts. How could anyone from Midgard accomplish a feat such as that? Brynn might have been able to, but she's... He couldn't finish that thought, not now in the presence of others.

"Father?"

Loki snapped to attention to see both Thor and the masked girl looking at him, waiting for a reaction. He cleared his throat, "You know as well as I do, Thor, that just because something appears to take another form does not mean that it actually does. It could very well be a glamour or some other clever trick."

"No Father, Eir's tests clearly showed that Mock was in Jotunn form while she was unconscious."

Loki turned his incredulous gaze on the girl, or Mock, as Thor had called her, "How is this so? And what sort of name is Mock? I gather from your mask that it is not who you really are."

Mock just glared at him, trying her best to look as if she wasn't scared. But Loki could see straight through her. She was trembling slightly and her entire body was tense, as if preparing for a fight. But still she held his gaze.

Thor placed a reassuring hand on her arm and the girl flinched, but allowed the contact. Her head turned briefly toward Thor and he gave her an encouraging look. She swallowed before meeting Loki's gaze again, "Odin, right?"

Loki nodded, looking at her expectantly.

Mock took a deep breath, "I didn't know I was Jotunn until Thor told me, sir. As for the name and mask, well... Most normal people on Earth aren't very... aren't very understanding, if you know what I mean."

She's telling the truth. Some of it, at least. He took a good long look at her. She's been tortured, it's the only thing that can explain her behavior. Despite himself, he actually found that he sympathized with her somewhat. Being different was a curse.

He gave a longsuffering sigh just for dramatics, "Very well Mock, you may stay until you are fully healed. But no later. Thor, show her to a guest room when she's well enough to walk."

With that, Loki turned on his heel and headed to the sanctuary of his mother's favorite garden to ponder over the enigma of this teenager whose voice and accent reminded him so much of his Gabrielle.

As soon as Odin was gone, Jenny sighed in relief. Odin was one tough character and he'd managed to completely terrify her with just a look.

Thor chuckled and she leveled a questioning gaze at him. He smiled softly, "Father often has that affect on many. In fact, I'm quite sure that my mother was the only one who was never intimidated by him."

"Was?"

His face turned sorrowful, "She died in battle not long ago."

"I'm sorry. At least you got to know her," Jenny responded, not quite meeting his eyes.

"I take it you never knew yours?"

"No sir, she died when I was little. A fire, according to my guardian."

Thor looked thoughtful, "What of your father?"

"Never was around." Before he could begin question her further, she stood up from the infirmary bed, swaying a little as she tried to catch her balance. His arm caught hers and he gave her a firm look.

Jenny narrowed her masked eyes at him, "Look Thor, I really appreciate everything you've done for me. But right now everything hurts, I'm really tired, and I want to get back home as soon as possible. If you would be so kind as to show me to that guest room, I'd be extremely grateful."

Thor nodded, but the look on his face told her that he was far from done questioning her.

As soon as Thor closed her guestroom door behind himself, Jenny moved swiftly from the bed to the door and pressed her ear against the crack. She hadn't been lying when she'd told the blond Asgardian that everything hurt, but she had neglected to mention that she'd fought through worse than a little soreness.

Jenny listened carefully as his footsteps became fainter and fainter until she could no longer hear them. She quickly changed into a loose shirt and some legging-like pants that Eir had given her before Thor had escorted her from the healing rooms. As soon as she was done, she opened the door of her room and poked her head out into the hallway. There was no one in sight but she figured there'd be guards or servants passing through soon. If she was going to do this, she had better be quick.

This is a stupid idea, but I've got to know. Thor's not going to mention him, the guy could barely mention his own mother. And Odin's definitely not going to tell me anything either. The only one who might tell me about Loki is Loki himself. That is, if I can find where they're keeping him.

Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched from the shadows...

The straightest path from the gardens to the King's quarters led through a part of the guest wing and Loki, still in Odin's guise, followed it. He wasn't too worried about coming across Mock, the girl had looked ready to pass out when he'd left her with Thor. What he was worried about was finding out who she really was. His heart wanted so badly for her to be his little Brynn, but his head kept refuting that desire with cold and cruel logic. Gabrielle's house had been so thoroughly destroyed by fire that it would have been obvious to anyone that no one could have escaped. And the graves... He'd spent all night looking at those cold headstones.

No, Mock couldn't be her. More than likely she was some kind of super-powered human, quite likely something more like to Captain Rogers than the Hulk.

His thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of a door opening and he slipped into the shadows out of long-ingrained habit. A masked face framed by soft brown waves of hair poked through the doorway of a guest room. Mock looked right, then left, before slipping out of her room. While her mask was still in place, she'd changed out of the shift she'd been wearing into a shirt and pants.

What is she doing?

The girl quickly pulled her long hair back into a ponytail and then took off down the hallway, headed towards the center of the palace. Loki covered himself with a different glamour that rendered him completely invisible and followed her.

Once she reached the end of the hallway, Mock plastered herself against the wall and slowly stuck her head around the corner. She moved in absolute silence down the new hallway and Loki would have been impressed if he hadn't been confused. Where does she think she's going? What does she hope to accomplish?

"Well done Mock, wrong way," came her sarcastic whisper, as the girl stopped at another corner which Loki knew lead to the royal rooms. She leaned her head against the wall, "Stupid, they wouldn't keep him here."

They? Him?

Please R&R.