Here's Chapter 10! I'm sorry that this came at a later date than promised, I got some sort of mutated cold/throat infection-type-thingy and it hit me hard yesterday... :(

But you guys and your reviews make me happy and ready to tackle anything... So please don't be shy and let me know what you want to read and what I can do to help make this equation a stone-hard truth:

Good chapter + Awesome viewers = Reviews and lots of viewers

NOW ON WITH THE STORY! :)

Previously

All the boys groan and hurry to get upstairs. All three share a look as they reach their respective bedrooms, nodding in agreement of their mutual decision to be nicer to the bakery owner who has gone through more than they can imagine.

If Loki is part of the family, then she is too. No matter what.

Chapter 10

A Pinch of Happy Bakery

Samantha walks into the bakery after receiving a text from her best friend in the world that sounded more urgent than the bakery running out of flour. Seeing her standing by the table and twirling an Anemone.

"What happened? Are you alright? Did you have a particularly bad nightmare last night?" Samantha asks concerned, standing on the opposite side of the counter and grabbing her friend's wrist in a soft grasp.

"I'm fine," Isabella says, putting down the flower, her shoulders sagged as if they carry the weight of the world. "I was talking with Shadow the other day, and I've decided to tell Loki everything."

"Everything?" Samantha gasps, shocked that her friend who has a wall as strong as the Sun's gravity pull on Earth and as impenetrable as a diamond. "Even about Cooper and Magnus and your weird green thumb with plants?"

Isabella nods, not looking at her friend, "Yes. And I hope that he will not be disgusted by me and break off our relationship."

"Why are you doing this? Are you already in love with this guy? When are you planning to tell him? It's only been three months Isa. I can't let you hurt yourself again." Samantha says, grabbing her friend's shoulders and looking at her beseechingly. "Isa, what happened that you can even consider doing this? I'm not a mind reader, you know."

"I'm not in love with him Sam," Isabella says calmly, a bare ghost of a smile dancing on her lips, "But stopping Cooper's ghost from haunting every relationship I'll ever have is not the way to live. By acknowledging what he did to someone I may have slightly stronger feelings for, I'll be able to get over the PTSD and him. I'll be talking to him on Friday."

"Two days from now? What is causing you to have this change of heart? First you swear me and Bobby to secrecy, then you want to let the first guy you feel more than a passing attraction to? That sounds a little shady Isa, and you know it." Samantha says, giving a look that demands secrets be shared.

Sighing, Isa tells her in an exasperated tone, "I have a feeling that something big is going to happen. Something that might damage Loki's and I's relationship to an almost unrecognizable degree. If I don't tell him myself, then someone else will tell him a skewed version meant to manipulate and inspire hatred towards me.

I-I don't want that to happen. I am choosing to be selfish and keep him as close to me as possible. He is someone I can see sitting on the porch with me when we are done with having adventures together. We'll be there talking about our difficult children and their own difficult children. I can see that. It's like nothing I've ever felt with any of my other boyfriends. That alone makes me scared and excited. I need to know how we fit, and to do that I need to be a new puzzle piece, clean and fresh, ready to find my perfect fit."

Isabella swallows roughly, "I need to let him go."

Samantha takes in what her best friend is saying, understanding why she has to do this, not necessarily agreeing, but understanding nonetheless.

"Alright, if you are sure that there is a chance to have your happy ending, then do it. I will be right here if you are whisked away on a magic disco stick" -Isabella snorts at that, nodding in agreement- "and I will be right here if you fall apart again to help put together the broken pieces."

Isabella nods, making a choked sound as she brings Samantha into a much needed hug, her shoulders shaking as she cries her doubts and fears into a more manageable state. "I-I will do this. Let him go and move on. I will!"

"Yes, you will, and then you'll be happy again. Just like before, don't worry, you'll be fine." Samantha coos, rubbing and patting Isa's back comfortingly.

"You'll be fine."

Loki finishes the last car he was working on that day, Bobby having allowed him to close up by himself as Loki was working overtime. Worrying his lip, he looks again at the text he had received at lunch time from Isabella.

I need to talk with you. It's urgent. Meet me at the bakery Friday at 7:30 please. -IB

I wonder what's wrong, he thinks to himself as he check to make sure that everything is shut down, We weren't planning to meet until Wednesday for lunch. What brought this on?

He sighs softly, locking up the garage. He feels the small ball of anxiety grow as he thinks that maybe Isabella doesn't want to see him anymore.

Sigyn never made me feel like this... All she made me feel was guilt and like I owed her something for her sparing me when I was poisoned and creating a family when I was released. That's why I divorced her and tried so hard to get control of out children. Sleipnir, Jörmungandr, and little Narvi do not deserve to be raised with a mother who only does things to gain favors for blackmail. But with Isabella, it's not the same thing. Loki shakes his head and swallows roughly at the thought of his beloved children he hasn't seen since Narvi was two years old.

Isabella respects me and actually listens to me. She doesn't care about my lack of large muscles, the fact that I hate how my "father" and brother treated me and thus them, and how angry I am about everything. She understands me and is a great balm for my anger. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, she has a great sense of humor and a way of knowing how to make me feel like I am safe from anything that can hurt me and strong enough to protect her as well. Although, it would be nice to understand her nightmares and fears...

Loki sighs and shakes his head again, trying to clear out the traitorous voice in his head trying to seed doubt in their relationship. We have only been seeing each other for three months, and I haven't been the most open with her either, just told her a few memories about Thor, the Warriors Three, Lady Sif, and my Mother. She has been very forthright when it comes to letting me know where her boundaries are and for once, I want to respect them. But why?

He stops at the red light and thinks back to their daytime dates when her curly brown hair turned a lighter brown when in the sunlight, her only slightly tanned skin helping to highlight the freckles on her face which frame her green and gold eyes and stretch out across her face so you notice her petite ears. Her thin, long-fingered hands fit her frame perfectly and move excitedly whenever she gets particularly passionate about something.

Then you have her wonderful laugh that makes you want to smile and join her, removing all traces of darkness or discontent out. It is almost as if she is an elven maiden that serves the Sun in all Its brightness, like the mystical ones on the mysterious Alfheim...

A honk breaks Loki out his reverie. Looking up sharply, he goes when he sees the green light, coming to a sudden realization as he parks outside of the Winchester's, well he could say it is his home now that he is officially unofficially part of their family, that stops him in his tracks.

I might be in danger of falling in love with Isabella Bane... And I don't care to stop it now that I've begun.

How strange.

This is the last chapter before the information chapter that should be AT LEAST 3,000 words excluding the authors note and "previously" section. Please try and tell me what you think will happen, if you are confused, and what you would like to see in future chapters.