Chapter 11

Chiara rushed toward her room to find Jace but when she reached there she only found an empty room. Bewildered she looked around and called for him but no one answered. She rushed out again and called for Thor but half ways through the hall she found Jace standing by one of the room with big eyes and the mouth opened. She rushed toward him and hugged him dearly as she said, 'Where were you?'

'He is here, Amma. Dad is here.'

'I know. He will stay here.'

Jace smiled but Chiara hurried to not let him hope for too much, 'But Jace I don't think that we should stay anymore.'

'I don't want to go.'

'Jace, listen to me. It is not safe here anymore. You are in danger.'

'You should have thought about that before you brought him here.' A voice stunned them both. Chiara turned around and stared into the eyes of Loki, who stood by the door. 'He was safer on earth but now he is not safe anywhere. I told you.'

'Is that why you did it? To prove that you were right? Is that why you told him?'

'I did not say anything to him.'

'You are lying. This is a plan of your, isn't it? So you could gain your freedom again. Now, you can stay here.'

He stepped closer to her and repeated, 'I did not say anything to him.'

'Then why are you here? Why didn't you just run away? They will put you back, so why not just run away.'

Loki laughed briefly, 'what do you want to hear? What do you think?'

'I told you'

'But you are horrible liar, remember? I have always seen right through you. You want to believe that I am here for a good reason.' He glanced at Jace, 'maybe you think that I am here for you and…'

There was only silence for a moment and then she closed her eyes, 'would it be wrong to think so?' she stared at him deeply, 'would be stupid to think that you could care about somebody else? Would it wrong to think that you would let a kid take the fall? Would it be wrong to think that the Loki I knew still exists?'

Loki just stared into her eyes for a long time and then quitly replied, 'yes, it would.' He did not smile or look away. On the other hand, Chiara did smile briefly and bitterly as she calmly, 'that is what I thought.' She held Jace's hand and walked away with him. However, Jace looked back and saw that Loki turned around to look at them. Jace smiled even though he knew that Loki would never do it. But he smiled and then looked at his mother, who had a tear on her cheek.

When they reached their room, Jace jumped on the bed and asked his mother to come closer to him. He then wiped her tear away and said, 'you are not wrong, Amma. Dad does care.'

'How have you become so forgiving, Jace? You know everything, and yet you are not afraid of him.'

'We call it the heart of gold.' Frigga entered the room and looked at Jace with broad smile. 'The heart of gold can find kindness in every corner. No matter how dark or bright. They believe and they succeed in finding kindness. It is a precious gift.'

'I am not sure that everybody deserves forgiveness.'

'And yet, you always grand it.' Frigga said.

'I don't know what you are talking about.'

'I can see your heart too. Your forgiveness is harder to get but in the end, you do dare to forgive. You are warrior that never gives up. You have the heart of a Lion. Not always forgiving and kind but always ready to take a chance. I see why Loki was drawn to you.'

'He never talked about me, did he?'

'Not to me, but Heimdall knew. Loki asked about you. Heimdall could see you.'

'Then why didn't he tell you?'

'He was never quite sure about you.'

'I don't understand.'

'Well either do we, but you are here now.'

'I shouldn't have come.'

'Perhaps you have saved Loki's life by being here. Zogo might have killed him today.'

Chiara looked at Jace but did not say anything. 'Why do you care about him now?'

'I have always loved him.'

'Loki said that he did not belong among you. He always knew that he was entirely one of you, so maybe you did not love him as much as you think. Maybe you are not as innocent as you like to believe.'

Frigga stared at her with widened eyes, Chiara continued, 'I knew Loki too once. And now, I can barely recognize him. How can he become like this if you and everybody else have always loved him? I am sorry, but I just don't think that Loki became like this by himself only.'

'He is and always has been my son. I loved him and I still do.'

Chiara looked away and the silence cause Frigga to walk away. Jace hugged his mother dearly but did not say anything. Tears fell from her eyes but she was not sure why. She hugged him back so tightly that he laughed, 'you are going to break me Amma.' She smiled briefly as Jace again wiped her tears away and hugged her. 'I love you.'

'I love you more.' She whispered.

Sun had risen but Chiara had not moved from this embrace. However, Loki's silence made her move uncomfortable. She glanced at him and asked, 'what is it?'

'I have to go.' Loki said without looking at her.

'You mean home.'

'Yes. Father will be waiting. He probably expected me to be home with the guards.'

'I see.' She said shortly.

'I can't return.'

'I didn't expect you could.'

He turned his gaze toward her but did not say anything.

'Can I keep the shirt?'

'I think I will need.'

'I have another you can wear.'

'Why do you want it?' he asked calmly but there was something in his gaze that made Chiara move again.

'It is comfortable.'

He smiled, 'you can keep it. I won't need at home.'

'When will you leave?'

Chiara often tried to forget the rest of the day. She had tried to pretend that he merely said goodbye and then left, but he didn't. After hours of fighting, he finally said goodbye and then walked out of her door. She had merely returned to her room. Thinking that she could stay in her bed the rest of the day, but she quickly noticed that something was missing. Something was supposed to be there but it wasn't. It took only a few second before she realized that the shirt was gone. He had taken it. She ran out of the door and all the way down the hall but Loki was gone. She looked around on the streets to see if she could find him but she couldn't.