Eleanor Laufeyson

A/N hello again! For those of you who have read Miss Fantastic, this chapter won't come as much of a surprise to you, but it doesn't matter if you haven't! Anyways, I'm going off on a tangent again, and thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Loki storms out, taking no notice of the girl who trails after him, even though she tries to capture his attention several times. He doesn't look at the smug courtiers, or the sympathetic look of Sif, as the turns and walks away from his father.

Well, Loki thinks sullenly, he's not his actual father. He always preferred Thor.

The courtroom seems suddenly longer, quieter, and he can hear every thud of his shoes on the polished cold floor. It breaks his heart, several times over, when he hears the second thud of feet behind him, which are more frantic, and realises he's not alone. But, not in a good way.

Lena has to walk quickly to keep up with Loki, and even then she's still behind him, almost tripping over his long green cape. She has much shorter legs than he does. She frowns as she follows him, ignoring the glances she receives from the many people standing around this vast hall.

She allows herself once glance over her shoulder at Odin. The king is unmoved by his son's rage, and is just sitting there, exactly as they found him. Un moved and indifferent. She wonders what he truly thinks of her. She was too terrified to read his mind. The mind of the others in the hall though, were practically screaming their thoughts at her. Odin laughs at something a tall lady with flowing brown hair and a frown on her face says, and Lena bites back a sarcastic remark. She wants to slap Odin, and tell him exactly what she thinks. That he has no right to boss her or Loki around, or judge her, and tell him that even if he thinks he's all mighty and powerful, he's just a bully. But Asgardian customs appear to be a lot stricter than Earth, and this court and realm seems very different from the relaxed environment she grew up in. Asgard is one of those place where words are the most powerful weapons, words can assure your death or bring you glory. It's all about obeying what you've been told, or pretending to, and manipulation, and she's pretty sure slapping the king wouldn't get her into anyone's good books. For one, they'd just laugh.

They'd probably just view it as a sign of her weakness. That she was reckless, and stupid enough to defy a King of Asgard. What a weak mortal, who thought Loki loved her, ha, who thought she could make a difference. What a laugh they would have.

So Lena keeps her mouth shut, which is generally not something she is prone to doing.

"Loki!" She whispers, as soon as they are outside of the hall, and the golden doors close behind them. She doesn't look back at the painting, even though she wants to. Loki doesn't reply, so she repeats her words. No answer.

Loki ignores her for a reason. He doesn't want to make himself feel even more guilty. He dragged her into this, perhaps tricked her one could argue, into thinking that they could have the perfect, happy life together, when instead, he always knew a part of him was going to let her down. So he just keeps walking until he gets to the place where he can think.

Ignoring her is hard though. Even if she can't keep up with him, she's still shouting his name, either out loud, or in his head when people pass them. Also, even if she can't use her stretchy mutation to walk faster, she can certainly use it to grab his arm. He shakes her off though, and after a few minutes she gets, or accepts, the none to subtle hint.

Lena isn't too pleased that Loki is ignoring her. They have to sort this out together, and if Loki thinks that she is just going to settle for Odin's decision, then he has another thing coming.

Loki stops when he reaches the balcony overlooking the choppy sea, and sags as the weight of all the worries seems to evaporate into the fresh air, and is blown away by the breeze. He leans his forearms on the cool, carved stone of the balcony, and puts his head in his hands.

Lena doesn't know what to do at first, when she sees Loki like this. He's stressed obviously, but she doesn't know what to do now. She's always been bad at comforting people. That's why she's an assassin.

Loki finds himself crying. Not harsh, screaming tears, as he thought he would, just soft drops, which hiss when they trickle of his cheeks and land on the stone. Lena dips into his mind, and is hit with the wave of desperation currently drowning Loki. She cries too, and walks the few paces the stand by his side.

After a few minutes, he lifts his head up, and turns to look at her. She glances at his sad, sad face, before looking down at the stone, tracing her fingers through the grooves carved.

Loki smiles slightly.

"Hey." He whispers. "Don't cry."

Lena laughs softly.

"You're one to talk." She looks up at him, then blushes when he reaches up to wipe the tears away from her face. He ignores her comment, and looks out over the sea, and down at the waters, cliffs and rocks below.

"Lena, I'm sorry. I thought he would..."

Lena raises her eyebrows as he trails off. He bends down slightly, and rests his forearms completely on the balcony, clasping his hands together. The breeze whips through his hair, pushing it back.

"Thought he would... What? Not see me for what he thinks I am?"

Loki frowns at her.

"What does he think you are?"

Lean rolls her eyes, and sighs, letting out a deep breath.

"What everyone here sees me as, a pathetic mortal who thinks she's high enough to play with the might of Asgard."

"I don't see you like that."

Lena rolls her eyes again. Boys are just so bloody useless sometimes! Don't they notice anything?

"Yes, one out of thousands. Anyway, I know you don't."

"How do you know they do then?" Loki asks, perplexed.

"Loki, I am a telepath."

Loki bangs his head slowly on the balcony. Of course. No wonder she's so pissed off. Odin may be a great king, but he's certainly judgemental when it came to non Asgardians. As are the rest of the courtiers.

"Lena, I'm sorry." Loki tries, pathetically. He blanches at the determination in her eyes.

"Sorry for what?" She folds her arms.

"Sorry for dragging you into this mess. Sorry for making you think we could be happy together."

That is the final straw that broke the donkey's back. Lena slaps him, across the cheek. She points her finger at him.

"Don't you dare say sorry, Loki Laufeyson! As if falling in love was something you could apologise for. I am not sorry that I am in love with you, and you didn't make me think we could be happy together, I thought that of my own accord. And I don't just think that, I know that. I love you, Loki, and there is no way I am letting you go just because your father sticks his nose up at me!" Lena snaps angrily. Her cheeks go red, and a fire lights in her eyes.

Loki is moved by this speech. Part of him, deep down, knew she wouldn't give up. That's one of the things he loves about her. He smiles. Then laughs.

"Oh, Lena." He turns to her and smiles again. "How could I ever think you would?" He laughs, and throw his head back. "Of course we have a future together. I was stupid to think it could be any other way."

Lena frowns, confused, her arms still folded.

"Yes, you were stupid."

"Thank you." Loki says drily, but he smiles anyway. "As long as you love me, because I love you, I'm happy."

Lena smiles now. She sticks her tongue out at him.

"What's stopping us from getting married anyway?" She asks. Loki's smile falters slightly.

"Well, we don't have Odin's blessing." He takes both her hands, and holds them in his. He looks at their hands as he speaks. He sneaks a glance at her face, and sees the frown is now back on her face.

"And?" She asks, her eyebrows raised. She's not impressed.

"Well, it wouldn't be right to get married without his permission." Loki tries to explain.

"Yeah, that happens all the time on Earth. Who cares?"

"Um.. Well my father is the king." Loki is still uncertain about Lena's certainty, and why she thinks this will work. The Odin he knows won't take something like this lightly.

Lena smiles slightly at the man before her. He's grown up now, but still afraid of what his father will think, say and do. Although, she supposes, she probably would if her father was a king, or even just older than her. Rather than the teenager she met when she was a teenager.

Loki takes a deep breath, and thinks about what he knows he has to do if this is to work. But he is will to do it. He will do anything for her, and anything to be with her.

"Let me ask you something. If a boy fell in love with an amazing, beautiful, and caring girl, but his father disapproved, should the boy marry her anyway? Say she sacrificed her best friend, life and world, all for him, should he also sacrifice his father for her."

Lena looks up at Loki, tears in her eyes. For his sake, she wishes that there was another way to be happy. But deep down, she knows that there isn't. Besides, she tells herself firmly, if Loki wasn't one hundred percent sure, he wouldn't do it, would he? No, she doesn't think he would.

"Yes." She says quietly. "Yes, I think he probably should."

Loki smiles sadly.

"Then that's what I will do." Loki murmurs. He rests his forehead on hers, and feels weirdly calm. He's doing this for a reason, he thinks. The best reason he's ever heard. Anyway, maybe through time, Odin will see what he sees. A caring and intelligent girl, who has done more for him than anyone else in the world. Odin will see that Loki really loves Lena, and will accept that.

Or he might just sneer at Loki too, but Loki will think about that when it happens. Which he hopes it never does.

But he's never going to stop loving Lena, so Odin may as well get used to it. Lena has as much right to be in Asgard as anyone. Loki smiles. Everything is going to be fine.

"Thank you." Lena says. "Thank you.". True relief spreads through her, from her diggers to her toes, creating hope for the future.

"So will you do it then?" Loki asks slowly. Lena's brow furrows.

"Do what?" She asks.

Loki sighs, then builds up the courage.

"Be Eleanor Laufeyson. My wife." He closes his eyes, and feels his heart stop before he hears the answer. He prays silently, waitng for what seems like years, but in reality is only seconds.

Lena takes a deep breath before answering. It feels like that this is the final step to leaving Earth and her old life, and becoming a new person. She lets out the breath.

"Yes."