Natalie Rushman:

Chapter 7- I was always sad about Coulson, even though he lived.

Chapter 8 - Yes, treason only seems to bother Heimdall some of the time.

Chapter 9 - I can see Loki being quite ruthless when training someone.

Chapter 10 - Frigga is formidable on her own. Sigyn and her together would be quite the force.

Hinatauryusen: I would have loved to see that moment after Thor, where Odin had to tell Frigga what happened. I somehow don't think she took it well.

Chapter 11

The fire crackled and danced in the soft moonlight, an outline of green seidr ensuring it did not jump it boundaries. The night was magnificently bright and clear, not a cloud hiding the cosmos from Loki's sight. He wondered briefly if Heimdall set his gaze upon all there was to be seen with such clarity.

Thor let out a loud snore, and Loki turned his head, glancing past the flames to where his brother seemed to have no trouble sleeping. Why had he agreed to this? Frigga had been so pleased to hear about the hunt - just her boys out together. Truthfully, he had been excited at first. Between married life and increased responsibilities in the palace, Loki had not spent as much time with his brother lately.

The hunt had started out pleasant enough. Thor, of course, spent most of his time talking about his newest antics with Sif and The Warriors Three, his constant companions. Loki had spoken of Sigyn and her progress in training as a healer, but Thor had seemed to glaze over at Loki's words, especially as he talked about a new spell he was intently trying to master. It was as they settled for the night that Loki wondered when he had grown so far from his brother.

Loki now longed to be home, in his soft bed with the warmth of his wife's body pressed against him. He sighed,realizing how much he actually missed her. It was thoughts of her that finally lured him off to sleep..

If the cacophony of snores drifting from the other room was any indication, Thor was not having difficulty sleeping. Loki now regretted declining Eir's offer of another sleeping spell or potion. Perhaps he was afraid to dream - afraid to lose the tentative grip on reality, which had been twisted so often in the titan's care. The only thing he had been certain of was his cell. How sad that he now mistrusted the slightest comfort of a soft bed and clean linens. While the warm broth Eir had allowed was far from the meal he desired, it had been welcome and was likely all he could tolerate at the moment. Loki sighed. Sleep would never find him here, but he knew where it might.

"JARVIS," he called softly - that was the name, wasn't it?

"Yes, Mr. Odinson?"

"Are you able to tell me where I might find my wife?"

"Certainly," the voice responded, almost as though it was glad to be of service.

With a nod of his head, Loki pushed back the blankets and planted his feet on the floor. Feeling much stronger than he had even hours ago and with his unimpeded seidr surging through his body, he easily pushed himself up to standing and slowly made his way out the door. Under JARVIS's guidance, he found himself standing in front of a door that thrummed strongly with his wife's seidr. The protection wards exceeded what Sigyn had been capable of only a year ago. She had learned much, and he felt a pang of guilt that she had felt the need to expand her knowledge - it was his responsibility to protect her and Nari. Fortunately, her wards allowed him admittance, so he slipped through the door, but not before he added his own seidr to enhance the the protective energies even more.

There were two rooms in the small suite. From the hallway, Loki could see the bundled form of his wife, sleeping peacefully. She had looked incredibly exhausted when he saw her last, and he was glad she was getting much needed rest. But what drew his complete and undivided attention was the small crib in the other room. A ball of floating seidr provided soft illumination. Careful steps led him to stand beside his sleeping son, and he took just a moment to admire the perfection of the small boy's face - chubby cheeks, dark curls, long eyelashes.

The titan had made him live the fight he had with Sigyn before his fall over so many times it was committed to his memory. His words now haunted him - "the only children I could ever give you would be monsters." Loki took a deep breath - he had to know.

Reaching out, Loki gently stroked his son's hand, releasing the glamor that hid his true self. As his pale skin darkened to blue, Loki watched as his son's skin changed at his touch, though a lighter shade of blue. No doubt, if the boy were to look up at him now it would be with eyes of bright crimson. And Loki found, surprisingly, that he didn't care at all. Nari was the most beautiful thing in the Nine Realms and beyond. He could never - would never - believe him a monster.

A rustle sounded across the room, and Loki startled, seidr already dancing on his fingertips to defend his son. He was surprised to find a raven, head cocked to the side as it stared at him.

"Mugin," he murmured. The bird drifted over to him and perched on the edge of the crib. Loki reached out his hand and the elegant bird nuzzled it with his head before peering down at the baby.

"I wondered when you would show," the bird said, but Loki realized it was speaking Odin's words.

"You were waiting for me?" Loki asked.

"No… I was simply watching over my grandson while he sleeps. I do not entirely trust the mortals." The bird tilted its head to better peer at Nari from one of its dark eyes. "Nothing quite changes a man like seeing and holding his own child for the first time."

Loki sighed, the Silvertongue recognizing the bait. "There is so much I understand now that I did not before," he murmured. "Forgive me … Father."

"Always … you are my son," the bird replied, Odin's conviction strong and persistent in its voice.

"We have much to discuss- matters which are both personal and which threaten Asgard and all the realms. It will not be an easy conversation." Loki hesitated. "I know not if I have it in me right now …"

"I sense we have time. You are weary and must rest and heal first. When you are ready, come home and tell me what you must." The raven stretching its wings, preparing to take flight. "And now I can leave. I know my grandson is safe, because his father is with him," Mugin stated before slipping from sight.

A disgruntled whine from the crib drew Loki's attention. Brilliant green eyes looked up at him as Nari's face scrunched up like he was going to wail. Loki quickly cast a spell to block the sound so that Sigyn could continue to sleep as he reached into the crib and took his son into his arms, trying not to think about how much less comfortable he was with this than his brother.

Thor had bounced and swayed to calm the boy, and Loki began to mimic those movements to no avail. Not wanting to cause his son distress, he was about to concede and take the boy to his wife. Instead, unwilling to accept defeat, he sat back onto a nearby sofa and cast a soft illusion of butterflies. Nari squealed in delight, reaching out one chubby hand to try to grab the treasures. Yes, it was cheating, but he found he could care less as the boy's giggles continued. Loki smiled, growing more comfortable with his son by the moment. He leaned back against the sofa and begin to speak.

"I can imagine it feels quite different here. You are on Midgard." Loki allowed his seidr to flow, a small blue world rising to spin. "This world is one of the Nine Realms of the cosmos, linked to each other by the branches of Yggdrasil." Loki produced a phantom drawing of the great world tree he had once seen in an old book, Midgard taking its place. "There's also Niflheim, Muspelheim, Svartalvheim, Helheim, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Jotunheim, and Asgard, our home." As he said each name, small versions of the realms rose up to join their place on the tree. Nari seemed enraptured by his father's voice. His small legs bounced, eyes bright as he watched the parade of illusions. Loki grew silent as his story came to an end, aware that Sigyn lingered in the doorway.

"I see you found your way here,"she said softly.

As soon as he heard Sigyn's voice, Nari began to fuss again, reaching out chubby arms towards his mother. Sigyn plucked the baby out of Loki's arms.

"I wanted to allow you to sleep," Loki protested.

"There are some things you simply cannot do," she replied as she pulled a change of clothes from the bag Frigga had packed and dressed the baby in dry cloths. She settled back down on the couch next to Loki, loosening her gown so that she could nurse her son. As Nari happily gorged himself on milk, Sigyn leaned back against her husband, and he pressed a gentle kiss to her head.

"You still look exhausted," she murmured. "Go climb into bed. I will be along shortly."

"I can wait," Loki said, stroking his fingers along one chubby foot. "I've missed too much already."

Both sat as the baby nursed and then drifted back to sleep. Loki felt his eyes grow heavy and struggled to stay awake. Sigyn stood and gently placed Nari back in the crib. Grabbing Loki's hand, she pulled him to his feet and led him to the adjoining room. Both slipped beneath the covers of the bed. Loki pulled her against him, gently stroking her hair as his breathing evened and he drifted into a deep sleep.