Pepper hummed as she set a plate of toast on the kitchen counter. It was three days since Tony brought Ariana Devonshire, Jamie's "doppelganger", with him back to Stark Towers, but Pepper felt as if things had finally gotten back to normal.

For seven years, Tony was more fixed on running the company that he failed to be there for Edward. It was as if he was slowly turning into his father, Howard, with the way he treated his own son. Three days ago, however, Tony attended Howard's parent-teacher conference for the first time. It wasn't a lot of change, but Pepper knew why.

Ariana.

Whether she was Jamie or not, the woman certainly looked like her. She didn't have Jamie's sarcastic and witty streak, but she was nice. She preferred reading in one corner and taking pictures, but she helped out. Pepper didn't know if Ariana had Jamie's intelligence as well, but she doubted it.

Pepper didn't realize how much Tony counted on Jamie when she was alive, but it was the latter's death that brought that dependency to the surface. Tony was admittedly a wreck the first two years of his sister's death, and Pepper, along with Bruce Banner, was forced to take control of the company to keep it from going under.

They'd barely managed it, and that was when Pepper brought to Tony's attention the state of Stark Industries. Tony seemed to find running the business as a personal therapy and threw himself back into the game.

This helped Tony forget, at least for a while. He'd had an unresolved conflict with Jamie before she died, and it was the main reason why Tony had been so hard on himself those first two years. Now it seemed as if Tony was trying to make up for it by doing something good for Ariana.

It was only recently that things took a quick turnaround, which Pepper knew was because of this woman. The perky blonde could only imagine what Loki and Alessia went through during those seven years. In fact, Pepper wouldn't be surprised if the God of Mischief showed up on their doorstep soon. Alessia had met Ariana the first day the latter arrived in Stark Towers; it was possible that the little girl had already told her father about it.

"Thanks Pepper," Ariana said with a smile. Edward was sitting beside her, reading one of the books on medieval England that she had in her luggage. "I'll help you wash the dishes afterwards."

Pepper nodded and sat down across Ariana, who was now spreading peanut butter on one of the bread slices. For a moment the three ate in silence, save for the occasional noise that was Edward turning a page in the book.

Tony joined them halfway through breakfast. At first Pepper thought that he would discuss business with her, but it turned out to be an impromptu interview with Ariana. They'd learned she was born and raised in England, and that she only moved to the United States to escape the pain that came with losing her parents. She loved photography and was best working behind the camera.

"Her tastes are completely opposite of Jamie's," Tony had observed when he and Pepper were alone. "Jamie was never into the creative side, but Ariana's all over it. Plus she's not very…"

"Sarcastic?" Pepper had guessed.

"Exactly," Tony had agreed. "I keep expecting to hear her make some wiseass crack about whatever we're talking about, but she's so damn prim and proper."

That didn't deter Tony, however. He seemed determined to find out what happened to Jamie, but Pepper warned him about alarming Ariana.

"You told me she barely came here as it was," she reminded him gently. "If you continue pressuring her to remember something she obviously has no memory of, you might scare her off."

"I won't be asking her," Tony informed her with a grimace. "I'm going to ask Point Break."

Pepper knew better than to ask why Tony wouldn't ask Loki instead, considering the God of Mischief was more knowledgeable about Ares and the other Olympians. Their little fight had only intensified Tony's hatred for the god, and Pepper hoped that the two would never meet unsupervised.

Not that anyone would be able to stop Tony once he set his mind on something (such as beating Loki to a pulp), but Pepper knew that she'd feel so much better if there were others to watch over her husband. The other Avengers still were unaware that Ariana was living with Tony and Pepper, considering most of them were confined in the underground facility.

"So when are you going to your interview, Ari?" Tony asked. Ariana, who was discussing the Dark Ages with Edward, looked up.

"They haven't called me yet," she admitted. "I was expecting one a few days after I submitted the pictures, but they seem busy."

Tony snorted. "Busy my foot. Don't worry, kiddo. I'll handle this."

"Are you sure, Mr. Sta- I mean, Tony? I can go to them today and ask for an update."

"I'm sure," Tony reassured her. "Just sit back, relax, and let me handle it."

Tony met Pepper's gaze and knew what his wife was thinking: that he was living the life he could have had if Jamie were still alive. They both knew that they were using Ariana, but right now, Tony didn't care.

While Ariana helped Pepper clear the dishes, Tony arranged for a meeting with the editor of the magazine Ariana had sent her photographs to. Although she'd sent a batch of pictures to the magazine that he owned, he overheard her talking to her bitch of a roommate that she preferred the other magazine.

If that's where she wants to end up, then so be it, he thought. He didn't feel insulted that his "sister" preferred another publication over his; he just wanted her to be happy.

"Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" Pepper asked him softly as he went back out into the main area. "I know you miss Jamie a lot, but…"

"There are no 'buts' about this, Pepper," Tony told her. "She is my sister. I can feel it."

"And the fact that she has a complete set of memories doesn't matter one bit? Tony, it's obvious that she doesn't remember any of us."

"But she told me she felt close to me," Tony argued, stepping into the elevator. "She couldn't explain it. I know I can't, but one of those gods certainly can!"

Pepper sighed but said nothing. Finally, she nodded. "If you think she really is Jamie and that Thor or Loki can explain what happened, then go ahead. But please, don't do something that would scare her away."

"She's my sister, Peps. I wouldn't do anything that would hurt her," Tony said, just before the elevator doors slid shut.

"I know," Pepper murmured.

Loki strode into the living room, his Midgardian clothes taking the place of his Asgardian armor. Alessia was in the living room, still going through the tome she was reading when they arrived from the fast food restaurant.

After learning that Ariana was now living with Tony Stark, Loki had made up his mind to go visit her. He knew that Tony would most likely throw him out, but the God of Mischief didn't care. He wanted to see his wife again, and he wouldn't let anyone else stand in their way.

"Are we going now Daddy?" Alessia asked, looking up from the tome.

Loki nodded. He knew that he'd come on too strong the first time he'd seen Jamie, but that was because he wasn't expecting her to arrive on his doorstep. Now he knew that he should try a different tack, albeit a more subtle one.

Alessia closed the tome and walked up to him, her small hand slipping inside his much larger one. Loki didn't plan on walking to Stark Towers; rather, he teleported himself inside the rooftop suite.

Someone screamed and Loki saw Edward fall over in his chair.

"Loki!"

Pepper hurried over to her son, who was struggling to get up. Loki flicked his wrist and the chair righted itself, taking the seven year old with it. Alessia giggled at the expression on Edward's face, who scowled at her.

"Loki, what are you doing here?" Pepper hissed, just as Jarvis asked her if she wanted to have the god removed from the building. "And no, Jarvis. Not until I find out why he's here."

A slight movement from the corner of his eye caught Loki's attention, and he turned to see Ariana step into view.

"Loki? What…how…Alessia, you didn't."

Alessia grinned impishly at the older woman, who sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I should have known."

Pepper's eyes widened and she looked from Ariana to Loki. "Wait, you two know each other?"

A flush appeared on Ariana's cheeks; Loki knew she was remembering the kiss they'd shared in the hallway.

"We've met," Loki answered, while Ariana struggled to compose herself. Alessia had slipped free from her grasp and was talking to Edward, but every so often her eyes landed on Ariana's.

Pepper nodded, now understanding why the God of Mischief was there. "Tony's meeting your brother. I don't think he'll be gone long."

"Just long enough. I need to talk to Ja- Ariana for a while." Loki turned to Ariana, raising his eyebrows slowly.

Ariana glanced at Pepper and then looked back at Loki. "Sure."

Pepper understood their need for privacy, so she herded the two children towards the ring of couches, while Loki, having lived inside the suite for more than a year, led Ariana into their old room. Tony hadn't touched any of Jamie's things; her clothes and other possessions were still there.

The room smelled faintly of jasmine and Ariana inhaled deeply, finding it strange that Tony's dead sister liked the same scent she did. She'd been staying in another room for the past few days, and this was the first time she had gone inside this one.

Once Loki had closed the door behind him, Ariana turned to face him. This gesture reminded him of when Jamie first asked to see his Jotunn form.

Jamie is impervious to my Jotunn form, Loki remembers with a jolt. But dare I risk harming her for the sake of finding out the truth?

Loki was about to grasp Ariana's wrist when she spoke.

"I'm sorry about what I said when we last met," she said. "I know you miss your wife, and it was wrong for me to scream at you."

The sudden apology took Loki by surprise, but he took it all in stride. "I should be the one to apologize. I shouldn't have kissed you; that was rude of me."

"No, it's fine," Ariana said before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened and she became a deeper shade of red. "I'm…I'm sorry."

Loki smirked despite himself. "So you're saying you don't regret kissing me?"

"I don't…I didn't…what were you going to tell me, anyway?"

He chuckled. "I just said it. That I'm sorry for kissing you and trying to make you into someone you're not. But now it seems as if you didn't mind being kissed by a tall stranger."

No, I didn't, Ariana admitted. The kiss she shared with Loki was wonderful, but she didn't feel like telling him that. The man was already looking smug, and she knew it was because she admitted that he was a good kisser.

"Well your apology is accepted," Ariana said. "Was there anything else?"

"No, nothing. I hope our first meeting doesn't ruin any chances we have at being friends."

Ariana smiled a little. Despite Loki's apparent arrogance, she felt annoyance mixed with a sense of giddiness. It was as if she hated his arrogant guts, but loved him for it at the same time.

These emotions are driving me mad, she thought.

"No it won't." Ariana looked at Loki, who was looking at her strangely. It was the same way Xavier looked at her when she told him that she was moving in with Tony Stark. "Loki?"

The mention of his name brought Loki back to his senses. "Yes?"

"I think we should go back and join the others."

"If you wish." Loki would have wanted to spend more time with her, but he didn't want to force himself on her again. If there was one way he could get back into her good graces, it was to be subtle.

Ariana and Loki left the room and returned to the main area, only to find Tony and Thor standing near the fireplace, discussing something with Pepper.

Tony spotted Loki first, and his expression darkened. Ariana saw Tony's reaction as well, and she reacted instinctively.

"Tony, it's not what you think," she began. "Loki was just here because he wanted to bring Alessia."

"He could have just dropped her off at the lobby," Tony replied through clenched teeth. Behind Ariana Loki stared at his former brother-in-law, while Thor had placed a restraining hand on Tony's shoulder.

"He just wanted to make sure Alessia got here safely. Tony, please." Ariana took one step forward. "Don't."

Tony looked at Loki to Ariana for several tense seconds before grunting. "She just saved you from another brutal beating, Reindeer Games."

Loki smirked and crossed his arms, while Alessia ran up to Ariana and hugged her.

"Thank you for protecting my daddy," she whispered, which Loki heard. "My mom would have done the same."

Ariana's cheeks flushed but she smiled at the little girl. "You're welcome. I'm sure he would have done the same for me."

Tony snorted loudly at this, but said nothing. Ariana turned towards Loki, whose green eyes met hers. His gaze was intense that she felt herself blush even more.

"I'm all for this goddamn family reunion, but can we get down to business?" Tony griped. Thor had removed his hand from the billionaire's shoulder and was now pacing around the floor.

"What business is that?" Pepper asked, while Edward looked up with interest. Alessia and Ariana were still discussing Barbie and a host of other topics, while Loki watched over them.

"The one concerning Ares," Thor answered.

That caught Loki's attention. He snapped his head up and looked directly at his brother, who met his gaze steadily.

"How is Ares involved?" Loki asked in a low voice. Ariana was looking at him now, but Loki wanted to hear what his brother had to say. "Have you seen Father?"

Thor shook his head. "I did not need to. Someone visited."

Before Loki could ask who, someone stepped out from behind the glass panel.

Pluto.

A few hours ago…

"A DNA test would prove that it is her," Tony muttered. He'd been able to retrieve a hair sample from the brush Ariana used and was now about to conduct a DNA test that would prove that Ariana was, indeed, Jamie.

He'd become fed up with becoming too dependent on the gods for answers, when he knew that science could determine a simple truth.

"I hope so Sir," Jarvis agreed, as the mechanism lowered so that it was level with Tony's hands.

He inserted the hair sample inside and pressed a few buttons on the control panel. The process would take an hour or so, which gave Tony enough time to talk to the publication and look for the God of Thunder.

"Send me updates Jarvis," he instructed as he left the room. The computer replied the affirmative and Tony rode the elevator down to the lobby.

As expected, he'd had no trouble with the publication company; once they learned that Tony served as Ariana's personal reference, they agreed to hire her on the spot.

"Just make sure she gets the call within the day," he told the receptionist before he left.

It was finding Thor that was difficult. Jane Foster said that the god had gone out early that morning for a short walk, but he may have gotten lost.

"Don't worry, I'll find him," Tony assured the astrophysicist. "He'll be back before dinner."

Jane smiled wryly at him before closing the door. Tony had had to use the satellite system via his mobile phone to find the God of Thunder, who was walking somewhere in Tribeca.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded, getting out of his car. "I've had to use my goddamn satellite system to hunt you down!"

"I was preoccupied," Thor replied, although it was obvious that he'd gotten lost again. "Why are you looking for me, son of Stark?"

"Just get in," Tony told him, rolling his eyes. "Look, I normally wouldn't consult someone else for information, but this is a different matter entirely."

"Is it about Jamie?" Thor asked.

"How the hell did you know?"

Thor smiled. "It's quite obvious. You've heard about Jamie's doppelganger, so naturally you want to know if there is a higher cause."

Tony grumbled as he turned the ignition on his car, speeding away from Tribeca and towards Stark Towers. On the way, Thor filled Tony in on the rift between him and Ares, which started with Adrestia's death. It was this act, Thor explained, that gave Ares the right to claim the life of Alessia.

"But of course he didn't," Tony mused. "Because he got Jamie's. But how does that explain why she's here?"

"Ares is sick and twisted, as you would call him."

"Just like your brother. You know, I don't know why the two of them didn't get along."

Thor ignored the jibe against Loki. "It is possible he decided to bring Jamie back to further torment my brother. He knows how much Loki loves your sister."

"Yeah well he's tormenting me too," Tony muttered. "And he should know better than to do that."

"Yes, but Ares was never one for subtlety," someone said from the backseat.

Tony was caught off guard; he slammed on the brakes and the car screeched to a halt.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed, twisting around to see Pluto, the current god of the Underworld, leaning back against the plush leather seat. "How did you-?"

"I'm a god, my dear boy," Pluto said, as if that explained everything. "I thought you knew that. But it seems there are a lot of things you don't know, which is why I've come. Your sister, for instance."

"So she really is Jamie?" Tony's eyes widened and a sense of euphoria came over him.

"Of course she is! It's impossible for two people to look exactly alike."

"And how do you know she is Jamie?" Thor asked.

Pluto turned towards the God of Thunder, and for one fleeting moment, Thor thought he saw a shadow of Hades pass across the older god's face.

"Because I was the one who kept her from entering my realm."

Author's Note: I bet you've all noticed the significant gap between chapters, and I'm sorry. It's just that my schedule's getting really hectic. I'll do my best to update (been making some massive changes to the plot, so it can take some time), but rest assured that this one is getting finished. I love the story far too much to leave it hanging. :) Thoughts so far?