A.N. – CHAT SESSION –
AE: WOW… It has been a really long time since I've last written anything for this one.
All: You're telling us!
AE: Sorry everybody.
Percy Blakeney: Odds Fish m'dear, of course we can forgive you for such a crime you were occupied.
Jareth: And here we are again. -_-
Pippin: And obviously that'd be his reaction.
AE: There's Jareth. -_- A joy to behold as always.
Wembley: AE!
AE: And there's my favorite fraggle.
(Fraggle runs up and hugs the ankle of the author)
9th Doctor: Well at least nothing has gone up in flames yet.
Gandalf: That Remains to be seen.
Erik-the Phantom: Be grateful you have seen me angry.
Loki: Trust my rage.
AE: I never want to be stuck here with any of you when you're angry. The only thing I could possibly compare be stuck here with all of you angry is –
(Sound of a hurricane, loud roar heard from above)
Smaug: I am fire, I am death. (Dragon nose-dives and then flies off right above the spectators)
AE: Yeah, that sums it up pretty well.
Dean Winchester: It could've been worse.
10th Doctor: There could've been Daleks…
Dalek: EXTERMINATE!
AE: Everyone RUN! (Runs off then comes back) Someone do the disclaimer! (Runs off again with the fraggle attached to her ankle alongside the hobbit)
(Dragon reenters the scene)
Smaug: The one known as the AuthoressExtraordinaire owns no characters but her own. And that will be her undoing.
A week and a half later
Gallifrey was perfectly content, nothing was wrong and she had nothing to fear or worry about. She and Alaya were in the garden, and the Time Lady sat on the bench of stone under a large tree and watched the Silurian child play with K-9 as she read a book. Alaya had improved greatly and was no longer as shy as she had been. She had even taken well, after some time, to the royal family of Asgard.
Thor was especially taken with her and very much loved to slip the child goodies whenever he saw her, Thor may often be ignorant but he held no prejudice unless a race had wronged him.
The younger Odinson was also taken with the child, but never in the presence of his brother or Gallifrey herself. Though she had, unbeknownst to him, spotted how he would sit down and Alaya would run up to him, he would smile and then Loki would pick her up and set the child on his lap. Then he would create funny little illusions that would make Alaya giggle and smile.
Gallifrey would quietly watch them spend their moments together and it brought a smile to her face. She could tell Loki was especially fond of children, because of the equivalence of mischief both parties seem to posses, and Gallifrey knew that if it hadn't been for Loki and his bond with Alaya that the child would've never come out of her shell. Granted she was very much loved by them all but often the boisterousness of Thor was rather overwhelming for little Alaya at first. So the quietness with which Loki approached her was most effective, along with the nurturing natures of both Gallifrey and Frigga.
It was nearing lunchtime and earlier at breakfast with the royals gathered, with the exception of Odin who was spending the day on official business, Frigga suggested to her sons and Gallifrey, Alaya and K-9, who was also present, that they should picnic together at lunchtime in the garden. Right where Gallifrey, Alaya and K-9 were relaxing now.
No servants and simply them, Frigga said she would bring a basket and her sons both agreed to it after they were done in the practice yard. Of course, though, after they got washed up, Frigga had made an emphasis on.
Alaya walked over to Gallifrey with K-9 puttering behind her. "I'm hungry." She said.
Gallifrey smiled and looked up from the book she was reading and was about to say something when Frigga came into the garden.
"Well it is nice to meet you Hungry, I'm queen Frigga." Said the queen and she curtseyed.
Lifting her skirts a tad with one hand and on her other arm she had large picnic basket. Alaya ran up to her giggling, curtseyed back and smiled.
"I'm not Hungry, I'm Alaya." Frigga smiled down at the child.
"There you are Alaya! Would you like to help me put down the blanket we shall sit on to eat?" The queen asked.
The child nodded vigorously. And so the two walked further into the garden together, hand in hand, toward the tree beneath which sat Gallifrey, who smiled and nodded at the queen who in turn nodded back.
When the two had finished placing the blanket upon the ground Gallifrey closed the book she was reading and walked over to the blanket and sat down with Alaya and the queen to wait for Thor and Loki. There were a few white clouds, all big and fluffy, crossing the blue sky and the sun was shining.
"How has your day been so far you too?" The queen asked both Gallifrey and Alaya. Gallifrey smiled as she leaned on K-9 with her arm.
"It has been very nice. Alaya, why don't you tell Frigga what we've done today?" And with that the child's words sped off at a mile a minute as she told the queen all that they had done in the hours that lead up to lunch.
No sooner than when Alaya finished recounting all the events of the morning did Thor and Loki enter the garden. Jumping up and smiling, Alaya ran out of the shade of the tree to the two men and grabbing a hand of each of them she began to pull them over to the blanket.
"Wonderful, my two favorite sons are clean and here at last." Frigga smiled as at last Thor and Loki stepped beneath the shade of the tree and Alaya sat both brothers down on either side of the place where she would sit. Loki sat on her left and ended up next to Gallifrey who was still leaning on K-9 and Thor sat on the right of Alaya next to Frigga and together they all formed a large circle and the basket sat in the middle but closer to Frigga.
The blanket was set close to the tree, so close Gallifrey could very easily lean back against it if she wished to, as could Loki.
"Now that we're all settled we can eat." And with that said Frigga proceeded to take out all the foods and once everything was set they began to eat and talk with each other.
Alaya being a child was bound to get her face full of smudges and thankfully Frigga had brought extra napkins. Gallifrey ate slowly and chose to lean against the tree behind her as she did. Alaya ate fairly quick but just quick enough to be done first besides Thor of course. The child saw he was done and then pulled him up by the hand asking him to come and play with her, laughing as he stood up Thor obliged her and they went into the sunlight. Frigga laughed and smiled and then she turned to her other son who was now also leaning against the trunk of the tree as he ate a biscuit.
"You and your brother will become very good fathers someday, though there are times when I do wish that day would come sooner rather than later." The queen said. Loki smirked.
"Perhaps in time mother." At this Frigga smiled gently and nodded and then moved to lay down on her back and with her magic, conjured a small pillow, which she placed under her head. And then she began to doze off.
Thor and Alaya were now playing far enough away so as to not cause any noise but Loki and Gallifrey could still see them. As she ate some apple slices and cheese, Gallifrey watched as Alaya played with Thor and saw them laughing, a smile grew on her lips and she chuckled lightly at the two as Thor picked her up and spun her around. And then Gallifrey turned her head to look at Loki who sat beside her. She then looked down at the white napkin full of apple slices and cheese in her lap, the white very contrast to her Marigold yellow Gallifreyan style dress. Then back to him.
"Thank you." And that was all she said. Loki then turned to her with an inquisitive look.
"What do you mean?" He asked her and she smiled and chuckled a little more. Gallifrey looked him in the eye.
"Alaya would never have progressed as quickly out of her shyness as she did without the kindness you showed her. For the time you spent with her. And you thought no one noticed, that no one saw, but I did and I am very grateful." She said and she took his hand and gently grasped it.
Loki looked down at her hand that held his and then he looked back up to her eyes. Her gratitude for his good deed, that he had hoped had gone unseen, seeped and overflowed in such a torrent that he thought he could almost feel the emotion she conveyed to him with just her eyes, her dark green-blue eyes. He took his hand away and looked forward.
"There is no need to thank me. My actions were my own and I would kindly ask you to not speak of the events you have seen with anyone else."
"Very well then Loki, I won't say anything. But I simply wanted you to know." Gallifrey said to him and then she moved her napkin onto the blanket and got up to walk into the sunlight and get warm. Loki watched her go, the train of her dress gliding behind her as she went and the signature high collar that stood up, her orange hair put in a bun at the top of the back her head with a few stands framing her face. Then he saw Alaya notice Gallifrey walking near and the child ran up ran up to the Time Lady, who gladly picked her up and spun about with the child in her arms. He watched Gallifrey's face, he saw how care-free she was and how content she was, a great burden that had weighed upon her for a long time seemed to fade away with the presence of the child and the burden seemed to lessen everyday she was in Asgard.
'She notices much and takes joy in such simple things.' Loki thought to himself. K-9 puttered closer to the mischief-maker.
"You seem to be in a contemplative state Master Loki." K-9 said in his little electronic voice.
"And you are a very perceptive creation. Tell me why your mistress has such a burden weighing upon her, what is it from? That 'Time War' she had mentioned perhaps?" Loki inquired of the technological being.
"Among other contributing factors, Master Loki." And with that K-9, uncomprehending of the consequences of his actions began to inform Loki of all the things that had, with brutal force, mentally and emotionally impacted Gallifrey. And she herself was totally unaware of the change in the way Loki judged Gallifrey, as she was being merry in the sunlight with Alaya and Thor.
A.N. – Well here you have it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter since I had been away from this particular story for far too long. I encourage you all to review and read some of my other stories, as well as some by the secondary author of Storytellers Inc., Imagineer. She has some fantastic stories. Check it out and I love hearing from you! ~ AuthoressExtraordinaire