Chapter 11: All the Mistakes

Fenrir POV:

"Are you aware that in civilised society we find it polite to ask permission to enter the private space of others?" Tetra asked sarcastically as he swaggered brazenly through her doorway and sat himself down on one of the few pieces of furniture not covered in paper and electronics. It happened to be the side of her table and he stared down at the blue haired woman in amusement as she tried, unsuccessfully, to push him off. Most people refused to be in the same square metre of space as him yet Tetra seemed entirely unaffected by his presence and at times took great pleasure in annoying the sacred Norns out of him. He grinned and brought his right leg up to rest his chin upon his knee, folding himself into a comfortable half-stooped sitting position.

"Ah, please forgive the intrusion my sweetest and most delicate of flowers however there is a manner of great import of which I need your aid." He said playfully and her sparkling grey eyes darkened in annoyance.

"Call me a flower, one more time?" She demanded, her odd accent thickening slightly. Fenrir cocked his head teasingly and opened his mouth. She held up a hand and glared at him.

"Bloody hell Fenrir, I was joking… what do you want?" She asked snappily and he rolled his eyes.

"You are good with these computers yes?" He asked tiredly and a slim blue eyebrow rose to her hairline.

"Mate, I need to drop about 40 IQ points to qualify as just 'good' with computers… refrain from insulting me I beg of you." Tetra said proudly and turned back to the open lap top on the desk. Fenrir's grin broadened.

"Are you able to find people?" He asked and she smiled sideways at him through the sharp fringe of her odd coloured hair.

"But of course, what's their name?" She asked and Fenrir cursed under his breath. Damn the Dökkálfar and their incessant cryptic revelations!

"I do not know, however it is a woman and she has a child… she would have appeared almost out of thin air perhaps a decade ago." He said and refused to meet her incredulous gaze.

"You don't know? What do you need this nameless woman for?" She asked and Fenrir snarled.

"What I do is none of your concern Tetra. I hired you for a purpose so do as you're told." He commanded and she drew herself up, affronted. Turning away from him stiffly she began to type into the small machine before her, her steady gaze unwavering as she worked.

"Fortunately there are a few women who meet your description…" Tetra said after about a minute's heavy silence. Fenrir quirked a quizzical brow and leaned in to peered over her shoulder. She frowned and tilted the screen away, lifting her chin slightly. His blood boiled at the deliberate challenge to his authority and at the same time he felt himself grow excited at her spirit.

"I am sensing that is not all." He asked and she smirked.

"Unfortunately, at least for you, there are over 200 names here." She said and he groaned. Throwing himself off the table in disgust he stood and began to pace the small room, his mind churning over the impossibility of his task.

"Fen, perhaps if I had more information I could…"

"There is no more information, this was all I was given." He spat angrily and felt his teeth lengthen as his temper built itself up to a breaking point. Turning away from her hurriedly he brought a hand up and leant against the wall, trying to control his breathing and the overpowering instinct to shift. No matter how much he liked Tetra he felt it important she didn't know just how dangerous he was to be around. The fact of the matter was that he needed her help in navigating this strange world and the less she knew about him, the safer and better off she would be. To his surprise he felt a small hand touch his shoulder gently. Instinctively he flinched and her hand retracted almost immediately. Fenrir felt slightly bereft at its absence but pushed the feeling aside as he would a bothersome fly.

"Fen? What is it exactly that you're planning on doing? I'd feel much better knowing exactly what it was that I was helping you do." She said after the tense moment had passed. More in control of his faculties he turned to face her and grimaced.

"Do you have any family?" He asked quietly and she frowned.

"I have a sister back in Australia, why?" Tetra asked and he sighed.

"Older or younger?" He asked and she grimaced.

"A pain in the ass kid sister." She remarked dryly and he nodded, smiling slightly. At the old, painful memories the smile slipped off his face and he moved to sit down on the very edge of the table, arms folded across his chest as he glared at the floor.

"So you know what is like, to be the eldest, to protect your siblings?" He asked and she nodded.

"Countless hours of babysitting, endless spoilt-rotten temper tantrums and years of countless favouritism from my parents kind of makes me hate her but she's my little sister, I'd do anything to protect her." Tetra said firmly and Fenrir nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

"I am the oldest of three. When we were but children we were taken from our parents and thrown to the very edges of the worlds. I was ten, my brother eight and my sister only five years of age… she was just a baby really and those bastards took all of us away from the only family, the only home any of us had ever known." He said and heard her soft gasp. He looked up briefly and saw her eyes were wide with shock.

"Oh my god Fen, I'm so sorry." She said and he felt his lip twitch in an irritated tick.

"I don't need or want your pity Tetra." He muttered and she frowned.

"Then don't think of it as pity." She snapped and moved to leaned against the table, her own arms crossed over her slim chest. For a moment they were silent again and Fenrir bit his lip.

"I'm… sorry." He said tightly, wrenching the words out as if they burned him. She smiled and turned to face him.

"What happened to your brother and sister?" She asked and Fenrir swallowed.

"I haven't seen my siblings for almost 7 years, my father for even longer." He said and Tetra cocked her head curiously.

"Your father?" She repeated and he nodded.

"He's the reason they took us away… they were afraid that his nature would lead us astray." Fenrir explained rapidly and met Tetra's stern gaze with his own.

"Why would they think that?" She asked and he grimaced. Although outwardly Loki was not the perfect man the happiest times of Fenrir's life had been when all four of them had been together, back before the banishment when they'd lived together as a family with Nafi and skifhnapdda all those years ago.

"You have to understand Tetra, my father is not a bad man however he is a flawed one and those flaws made many hate and fear him." Fenrir tried to explain and chewed the nail of his thumb.

"He has lied, cheated, manipulated and stolen from powerful people and that put a target on not only his head but those of his children. I want to prove to those bastards that they cannot win; they cannot just waltz in and destroy whatever they wish whenever they wish… I just want to see my little sister smile again. She doesn't even remember what her father looks like." He said coldly and felt his voice falter slightly at the last conversation he'd had with Hel. Suddenly he remembered where he was and who he was talking too. Straightening he brushed himself off and raised his chin.

"I trust you have enough common sense to be silent about what I have just told you?" He asked murderously and she nodded timidly at the furious look in his eyes. Immediately contrite he sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Try again for me please. Try whatever you think is necessary; perhaps tie in strange sightings, weather patterns or unexplained incidences." He said and she nodded. He turned to leave and was half way to the door when a slim hand fell into his. He looked back to see Tetra standing before him, her thin body wrapped in an old pair of pants and a shirt that was at least three sizes too big for her 5 ft. 2 frame. Her bright blue hair was piled messily atop her head and her strange tattoos slinked down into the collar of the shirt, which had slipped off one of her shoulders to reveal creamy, winter-white flesh. His heart rate sped up and he felt his breath catch slightly at the base of his throat.

"Fen, I won't let you down… I promise." She said and, rising up onto the very tips of her toes, pressed a small kiss to his cheek. Stepping back he was her own cheeks were a flaming red and she hurriedly turned away to fling herself into the chair and type madly onto the laptop. Dazedly he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. When he was sure no one was around he brought two fingers up to the exact spot where her lips had made contact with his skin, a place that felt as though it were burned with a white hot branding iron. Gingerly he prodded the spot and smiled. Whatever happened in the next few weeks one thing was for sue, the next time he and Tetra were alone together he'd get damn more than a kiss on the cheek.

Loki POV:

To his surprise and disappointment he awoke alone, his arms empty and the house strangely silent. He sat up abruptly and cocked his head slightly, straining to hear anything that might alert him to Ida's presence. Unnerved by the continuing silence he rolled off the couch and stood up, feeling the tendons around his joints pop and stretch wonderfully after the awkward position he'd been lying in. He walked into the kitchen to see breakfast waiting upon the table, pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice, but still no Ida. Quietly he mounted the stairs and walked past his room to cautiously open the door at the end of the corridor. A small, black haired figure lay sprawled under the covers, her mouth slightly open and soft snores echoing throughout the room. Smiling he retreated and retraced his steps back down the stairs. As he walked past the door once more he heard a sound originating from outside. He pulled on the boots by the door, idly remembering a time when unnecessary dressing would have annoyed him. Loki walked outside and looked around to see, with no small amusement, several white sheets on their washing lines, fluttering in the slight breeze of the early morning, a slim figure moving through them like a dark haired phantom. With a smirk he approached her and leant against the fence, arms folded. Ida had her back to him, steadily bending and stretching as she pegged clothes and sheets to the lines, waltzing through them with a calm smile on her lips. He recognised them from Siggy's devastated room and realised she must have been up for a long time. She hadn't seen or heard him; her attention was fixed entirely on her task. He cleared his throat and she jumped, whirling to face him. To his surprise the colour seemed to drain from her face and she stepped back, her enormous blue eyes wide with alarm.

"Ida?" He asked warily and she inhaled sharply. Her chin rose and she fixed him with a frank, unyieldingly cold gaze.

"Good morning Loki, I set breakfast out. Their pancakes because I remember that you liked them… are you not hungry?" She asked worriedly and he frowned. He stepped closer and his eyebrow rose as she stepped away. That was odd. She looked away and grabbed at another towel, snapping it out and pegging it to the line without looking at him. He took in her body language, which screamed at him to leave her alone, and felt his heart sink slightly.

"Ida!" The tone was harsh and she flinched visibly. With purpose Loki stepped forwards and touched her shoulder. Beneath his hand the muscles tensed and she had paled to a shade of grey he'd only thought possible on corpses. He gentled his tone, knowing he had to tread carefully.

"I should have known you'd be as skittish as a mouse after last night…" He murmured regretfully and tried to pull her back into his chest. She whirled around and bestowed a baleful glare worthy of Frigg upon him.

"I'm not skittish Loki. What happened last night was just a mistake and I'm sorry for letting it go on." She said firmly. If she'd grabbed a rock and knocked it clean against his skull he wouldn't have been more surprised (or hurt). Staring at her with his mouth slightly open he felt the first stirrings of anger begin to rise. It was one thing to be skittish, for her to be nervous, but it was another thing entirely to lie blatantly to his face. Loki scowled darkly at her and drew himself up to his full height.

"Is that what you want to call it? A mistake? Forgive me Miss Harris if my feelings and memories of the situation are rather different." Loki snapped and she flinched. Her eyes were filling with tears but he just sneered.

"You kissed me last night Ida." He reminded her harshly and she swallowed, moving away and wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Don't you try to deny it either. You let me kiss you back and I heard it when you moaned, felt it when you wanted me to touch you…" He trailed off and wrapped a hand around her throat forcefully enough that she couldn't move but gentle enough that he was in no way hurting her. He tugged her head to the side and nipped at the tender spot at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Under his lips he felt her gasp and sneered.

"Was that a mistake too Ida?" Loki taunted and immediately withdrew from her, stepping away and meeting her wide eyed gaze with his own contemptuous one.

"Loki please, I am sorry. It's was just..." She began hoarsely but he'd had enough. Apologies didn't work, they never had. They were just empty words that people used to clear their own consciences.

"A mistake. That's a new one to be called I suppose. I've been called just about everything else, why not a mistake too. Well at least I'm your mistake Ida Harris because I'll be damned if I make the same 'mistake' twice." He spat viciously and, turning abruptly on his heel, marched across the yard and into the house. No longer being careful of the still sleeping Siggy he thundered up the stairs and all but kicked his door in. He threw on a large jacket and a new shirt before moving back out into the hallway. He paused briefly as Ida's door opened and a bleary eyed Siggy poked her head out from behind it. Her eyes brightened when she saw him but he was too angry to do anything other than sneer at her and stalk away. He heard her footsteps run after him.

"Loki! Loki wait! What's wrong? I'm sorry for what I did, please don't go!" She called after him as he strode out of the front door and down the driveway. He whirled around to see her, clad in only her socks, undergarments and a tee shirt, standing some three or four metres behind him. She shivered in the early morning air and her eyes were now overflowing with tears, eyes so much like her mother's it caught at his already bruised heart. He sighed and went to crouch before her. Meeting her gaze he leaned in closely.

"I'm sorry Siggy but I need to go right now… I might be back later or I might not be. This is not your fault." He said seriously and she hiccupped, trying to control her ragged breathing.

"But… why?" She asked and he smiled thinly, peering over her shoulder to stare at Ida sardonically.

"I need some time away from here. I made a mistake but I'm going to fix it now." Loki told her softly and stiffened as her arms threw themselves around his neck. She clung to him tightly and carefully he brought his own up to cradle her gently against him. He sighed and withdrew firmly from her grasp.

"Don't cause any more trouble alright?" He ordered and she nodded tearfully. Her tear stained face fore at him and he strode away before his lost the will to leave. At the very end of the drive way he turned back to see Siggy, standing in the centre of the yard in her rag-tag pyjamas, staring after him. His lifted his hand and she waved before her face buried itself in her hands and she pelted back into the house. Ida went after her, pausing only once to look at him before entering the house and pulling the closing he door firmly behind her. He nodded tersely and stalked away. It took him about half an hour to walk down the laneway into town and his mood was far from improved by the scenery. He scowled at almost everyone he crossed paths with, taking savage pleasure from seeing them scurry away like bugs beneath his feet. Pathetic creatures really, so easily frightened. He swaggered down the main street and decided to take refuge in the one place that was remotely familiar in this backwater town… the local tavern. The sun was only really just up, the clock on the wall announced the hour to be about 9 o'clock in the morning and to his great pleasure the early hour meant that there was only a scattering of people in the establishment. Two men sat in the room, one strewn across a table in a drunken stupor and the other carefully nursing his half-drunk beer between his knees, his eyes fixed at the wall across from him. The barman looked over at him and nodded a terse greeting. Loki notched his chin slightly and walked over. The man was wiping glasses and gave him an appraising look as he approached. He was a shorter than Loki by several inches but broad around the shoulders as most men in the town seemed to be. He had dull brown hair that, when not tied half-heartedly behind his head, hung in greasy tendrils beside his cheeks and a small squinted brown eyes. Loki sat down on one of the vacant seats.

"Well now my good man, what's your poison of choice?" He asked and Loki chuckled darkly.

"Whatever you have flowing right now will be perfectly adequate." He returned smoothly and earned a raised eyebrow for his troubles.

"I don't know about perfectly adequate but a bourbon might do you some good." The barman said cheerfully and went to pour out the rich smelling amber liquid into a spare glass. Loki sniffed it contemptuously before throwing his head back and downing the whole thing in a single swallow. It was smooth yet burned distinctly as it travelled to his gullet and looking up he saw admiration and amusement in the barman's face.

"It appears I require another." Loki said sardonically and the man laughed, his shoulders shaking slightly as he turned to pour yet another glass full of the bourbon into Loki's glass.

"Well now stranger, I don't know what you're running from but it's gotta be a good one." He teased and Loki scowled at him.

"What makes you think I'm running?" He snapped and the man grinned.

"There are two reasons men come to a bar one, for a laugh with their mates, two their running from something they don't want to face and, sorry if it offends, but you are alone and swinging back bourbon like it's going out of fashion, I simple drew experienced conclusions." He said and Loki stared at him in amusement.

"Terry Bardson's name." Terry said and held out his hand over the smooth counter of the bar. Loki stared at it for a moment before reaching out and grasping it firmly. It was rough and calloused, much like his own, but far brawnier.

"Erik Silverton." He lied and the man nodded. Loki looked back at the bourbon in his glass and swallowed it down in a single swill. Terry rubbed his face bemusedly.

"And I thought my mornings were bad, what the hell's making a man like you drink like a sailor whose ship just sunk?" He asked and Loki sneered into the counter top.

"A woman." He muttered and Terry roared with laughter. The sleeping man awoke with a start and the other man stared over at them with bleared rheumy eyes. Clapping Loki on the shoulder, in a way that Thor had often done when they'd been younger, and Loki couldn't help but grin slightly.

"Isn't it always… bloody creatures, can't live with 'em but we'd sure as hell never be able to live without 'em." Terry muttered and Loki raised his empty glass to that. Unfortunately the bourbon was not having the effect he desired and he frowned as the picture of Ida's stoic face swam before him. She had kissed him, had felt what he'd felt between them and responded to it with great passion yet she so callously, so easily, labelled it as a mistake. A mistake. The words felt bitter even in his mind and he scowled up at Terry and banged the glass down on the counter top.

"Got anything stronger?" He muttered and Terry chuckled.

"It's good to see a man who can take his liquor, pays me rent and proves there's more than just fruit-drinking sissy boys out there in the world." He crowed and the two other men in the bar raised there half-finished glasses in agreement.

"Here, here." The chorused and Loki smirked as Terry returned with a bottle of what appeared to be stronger spirits. He topped up Loki's glass generously and Loki sighed, swilling it around once before downing the whole thing as fast as possible. This time he had to stifle a cough as the liquid roasted his throat on its descent. He blinked and looked up at Terry who was stifling his own laughter. Loki stared at the glass and back at Terry in awe.

"What in all the Nine Worlds was that?" He demanded and Terry nodded sagely.

"My own premium brand spirit, powerful enough to make a cannon fire." He announced proudly and Loki chuckled. He pushed the glass back across the counter expectantly and Terry obliged him. Three more glasses in and finally the gods sent buzz made itself known in his head. He felt himself relax and moved from the bar to one of the more private booths in a corner as the day wore on, watching as the tiny tavern steadily filled with more and more people. Comfortable and only slightly dunk he sat back and allowed himself to drift off into his thoughts, which he stubbornly forced away from beautiful dark haired women of questionable origins.

Ida POV:

"Siggy please come down here… now!" Ida shouted and waited at the foot of the stairs until her daughter appeared, face glumly downcast.

"Yes." She said expectantly and moved down the stairs to perch a few rungs above her mother.

"I have to talk to you." Ida said and Siggy nodded, her gloomy expression deepening. She trailed after her mother and plonked herself down into one of the chairs, ignoring the still warm pancakes on the table. Ida sat opposite her and reached across the table to clasp one of her daughter's hands.

"I'm not really that angry with you." She said and Siggy sighed with relief.

"I'm still angry but not enough to kill you… so instead I'm grounding you for a month." Ida announced and waited for the whine of despair. She watched her daughter's blank face and grew worried when it never came. Instead Siggy just nodded and slumped forward to rest her elbows on the table.

"I'm sorry Mummy, I really am and I promise I won't ever run away again." She said sincerely and Ida smiled.

"I know kiddo, I'm just so glad you're okay. Did anything happen while you were there?" She asked and Siggy shrugged.

"Yeah but I got away." She said simply and Ida's heart stopped. She gripped her daughter's hand tightly and peered closer to her face. Siggy refused to look at her and Ida realised it wasn't shame that was making her shy, it was anger. Siggy's eyes were full of it.

"I don't know anything about you." She said crossly and Ida frowned.

"What's there to know, I say live in the present and screw the past." She said perkily but Siggy's face remained stoic and cold as she finally met her mother's gaze.

"The person I ran into, she knew who I was and who you were… she said things that made me wonder." Siggy said and Ida swallowed. Leaning back in the chair she gazed around the kitchen, trying to gather her thoughts. She never got the chance.

"Not to mention the fact that you've successfully driven off the only guy worth spending time with in this whole town." Siggy continued and Ida gasped.

"Sigrun Titania Harris, how dare you say that! I don't know why I'm suddenly the bad guy since I have done nothing but protect you from the day I brought you screaming into this world right up until now. You choose to run away and you are acting as though I'm the only adult in the whole world who's ever made a mistake." Ida fumed quietly and fixed her daughter with a piercing glare. Siggy opened her mouth but Ida had finally had enough.

"No! You will listen to me." She said seriously and moved swiftly round the table to crouch by Siggy's chair. Her eyes burned and she bit her lip hard to stop the tears from flowing.

"Siggy, you are the most precious thing to me in this whole world. I love you and I never want to be the source of your pain." She said softly and reached up to stroke her daughter's ruffled hair back from her face. Siggy looked unsure and her eyes still bore into her mother's like tiny drills.

"You still haven't answered my questions, why did that woman know about me?" She asked and Ida sighed.

"Give me more time Siggy, I promise… no, I swear on anything you want me to that I will tell you one day but for now I just need you to trust me." Ida begged and for a moment her daughter weighed up the decision. Finally she nodded and Ida sighed with relief.

"Thank you kiddo." She said and kissed her on the top of her head. Siggy grumbled but wrapped her arms around her, burying her face into Ida's chest.

"I missed you Mummy." She whispered and Ida choked on her sobs.

"I missed you too kiddo, you gave me such a fright."

"I know and I'm sorry, I just…"

"You wanted to grow up, I understand Siggy, really I do but you're only ten years old… plenty of time for growing up later." Ida consoled gently and Siggy nodded into her stomach. Ida kissed her head again before standing and moving to the kitchen sink. Peering out across the yard she bit her lip; remembering that morning, her nervousness and most of all Loki's look of absolute betrayal when she'd rejected him.

"What about Loki?" Siggy asked and Ida sighed, a single tear slipping out from the corner of her eye.

"Sometimes kiddo, adults fight, and even when you think you're doing something for all the right reasons it ends up blowing up in your face." She said finally and felt two small arms wrap around her middle from behind. She smiled and looked down to see Siggy staring up at her sadly.

"But you can fix it can't you? You and Loki are so good together." She said and Ida let out a shaky laugh.

"I was stupid Siggy, I said something that hurt him very badly and I don't know if I can make that ever go away." She said and Siggy frowned.

"Nothing's ever truly broken Mummy… at least try to get him back." She begged and Ida swallowed heavily. The thought of finding Loki in his current state terrified her. What would she say? How could she ever explain what she'd said? That morning she's awoken in his arms and found that her whole world had suddenly set itself aright. She'd felt warm, protected and truly happy for the first time in many, many years. It had felt so right to wake up beside him, even if it had been on the old couch of her living room, and she had realised in that moment just how lonely she'd been. As she had lain there beside him she'd imagined a lifetime of doing so then she remembered the reasons why she was alone. No matter how hard she tried, no matter what she did, the people she loved most in her life always left her. Her sister, her mother and eventually her father had all abandoned her and it terrified her to think that one day Loki would do that too. He was a good man, despite his carefree and arrogant exterior, she knew that. She also knew however that her heart would never live through round of pain like what she'd previously been through. She didn't think she could live with being abandoned again. Siggy was the only thing tying her to sanity, which is why she'd been so distraught when she'd run away. So in the end it had been easier to re-erect the barriers, to tell herself she didn't feel anything.

"Siggy do don't think this is one of those things that can be fixed." She said and bit her lip at Siggy's baleful glare. She rolled her eyes ad looked over at the barn. It still needed to be repaired, all the debris was gone and all the wood cut, now all that was needed was a ladder, some nails and a few tins of paint.

"Look we'll give him the day to himself. He probably needs a bit of time away from us as it is… if he doesn't come back tonight I'll go into town and look around." Ida promised and sighed as Siggy squealed loudly in her ear and squeezed her so tightly she thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head.

"Oh thank you Mummy, thank you." She cried and Ida smiled. Tugging Siggy's hand she pulled her to the door.

"A day's hard work never goes amiss; you can start working off that grounding by helping me out with the barn." She said and Siggy nodded as they both pulled on their boots. The sun was shining and in the distance the wind whistled through the endless rows of wheat, filling the air with the lazy sound of an inland sea. She clapped Siggy on the shoulder and went to retrieve the ancient ladder from the shed. Leaning it against the recently replaced frame she nodded and walked over to begin laying out the wood. Hands on hips the two women gazed at the pile of wood before catching each other's eye and chuckling loudly.

"Come on." Ida said bracingly and they moved as one to begin work. It was slow, back breaking work. The large 10 metre pieces of timber would be heaved upright and hauled against the side of the barn. Siggy would then have to scamper up the rickety wooden ladder and hold the top of each plank straight against the triangular framed wall. Nail gun in hand Ida would then nail the bottom of the planks securely to the barn wall, swap places with her daughter and do the same at the top. When one plant was done they'd then have to restart the process by locating the appropriate size plank and heaving it upright as well. It had been hard, and they only got about a quarter of the way through it by mid-afternoon. Sweat poured off both of them in great rivers and Ida could see her daughter was drooping with weariness as she scampered up the ladder for what must have been about the 30th time that day. She'd called it a day, knowing the job required at least two people to be completed, and together they gone back inside to shower, dress, tidy most of Siggy's room and have an afternoon tea of leftover pancakes and ice cream. Siggy had insisted they leave some for Loki and Ida hadn't the heart to refuse her. The clock was revealing the time to be about five o'clock as she washed up their plates, arms soapy to her elbows. Then the phone rang. Siggy was at the table with the History of the Nine Realms open on the table in front of her and immediately jumped up to answer it.

"Hello?" She asked and Ida frowned.

"I mean…hello you've reached the Harris residence; this is Siggy speaking. Oh, hi Jonesy how are you?" She asked and Ida smiled. She continued with the washing up.

"She's here but her arms are all soapy, hang on a second… Mummy?" She asked and Ida nodded. Smiling Siggy stretched the phone as far as it would go and Ida tucked it into the nook between her head and shoulder, holding it tightly.

"Hello Jonesy." She said cheerfully and Albert Jones' voice rang through the phone.

"Ida, ye best git down 'ere quick smart." He said and Ida snorted.

"Data Jonesy I need data." She said playfully and he chuckled.

"I'm down at Terry's. Looks like that Erik fellow's found himself a hidey hole… man looks about as happy as I was at me sister's third wedding announcement, please come and get 'im before his gloomy face puts me off me ale." He begged and Ida inhaled sharply.

"He's a fully grown man Jonesy, he can handle himself." She retorted shortly and heard her neighbour sigh.

"Ida, I've bin 'ere since 2 and accordin' to Terry he's been 'ere since abou 9. He's nearly cleared the entire liquor cabinet and refuses to slow down on the grog, he needs to get home safely lass and you're the one who's hired 'im." He pointed out and she sighed. She looked over at Siggy who turned away in an effort to appear nonchalant and uncaring about the conversation she could most likely hear over the phone. Rolling her eyes she sighed and nodded.

"Fine, I'll be down there in ten minutes… will you please keep him out of trouble?" She begged and Jonesy chuckled.

"Aye, see you later lass." He said and hung up. Siggy came and took the phone from her mother as Ida turned to dry her hands off on a nearby tea towel.

"Come on then kiddo, we've got us a passenger to collect." She said and Siggy smiled broadly. She closed the book and raced to the door, throwing the keys to her mother and pelting outside. Ida followed her bemusedly and clambered into the driver's seat. She pulled out of the drive way and Siggy smiled as her favourite song rolled onto the radio.

Daddy sits on the front porch swinging,

Looking out on a vacant field,

Use to be filled with barley and tabaco

Now he knows it never will.

Brother found work in Indiana,

Sister's a nurse at the old folks home,

Mum's still cooking too much for supper

And me I've been a long time gone...

Ida chuckled and turned it up until the cab was filled with the sound of classic country music. As she jived on the worn leather of her seat, Siggy sang along with Natalie Maines and they raced along Farmer's Laneway towards Banksea. The sun was setting to the west and Ida was glad most people were either at home or heading there because she knew the scene at Terry's was not going to be pretty. She pulled up outside the little pub and sighed. The engine died away and she sat at the wheel. She didn't have to be here. Loki was old enough to take care of himself and besides the fact that he probably did not want to see her right now she herself was not in the mood to relive the morning's events. A soft hand touched her arm and she looked over the gear box to see Siggy smiling at her.

"Go on Mum; better get it over with now." She said encouragingly and Ida nodded. She kissed her daughter on the cheek, warned her to stay in the car and go out. Shaking herself out Ida strode to the door of the bar and pulled it open. As usual the five o'clock crowd was in, all sitting at their regular tables, all turning to look at her as she entered. Terry waved at her from the bar and she smiled stiffly. Looking around she spotted Jonesy at his usual bar stool, his oldest son David seated beside him. She marched over to them and coughed. They turned and smiled at her in welcome. David was a spitting image of his father and shook her hand.

"So where is he?" She asked and they both pointed. She turned to see a group of men all crowded around something or someone. Cautiously she approached and rose up on the tips of her toes to see Loki right at their centre. He held in his hand three darts and in the other a small shot glass of what appeared to be moonshine. She rolled her eyes as the men cheered.

"Fifty bucks he won't do it." A man nearby said and she looked at him curiously. She turned back to see Loki taking careful aim and let fly each dart, sinking them all straight into the centre of the dart board. All around it were darts thrown by others and she guessed that he'd found an alternative outlet for his discontent.

"Bull's eye!" The group crowed and money was swapped and grumbled over. Loki took a sip of the liquor and turned around.

"Does anyone else wish to challenge me or are you all sufficiently bested enough to admit defeat and return home to your pathetic lives?" He asked and the crowd drew away slightly at the venom I his tone before laughing. Ida stepped forwards through the ring of men and cleared her throat.

"I'll give it a try." She said and the crowd whirl in astonishment.

"Well bless me, its Ida Harris… never thought I'd see you in this place." Bobby Jenkins sniggered and she smiled thinly.

"And I never thought you'd past 12th grade and yet here we stand. Now," She turned back to Loki and arched a brow.

"Does your challenge still stand or does it not?" She asked. His face had paled and he looked ready to either to laugh hysterically or murder someone. Finally he managed to gather his wits and smiled coldly.

"But of course Miss Harris." He said gallantly and walked over to wrench the darts violently from their places. She pursed her lips and thanks him when he handed them to her. He sneered and went to stand by the marked line.

"Wait! Let's make this a real challenge." Ida said and the group quietened. She cleared her throat.

"He's handicapped by being slightly intoxicated." She said and everyone chuckled.

"So therefore I must have a handicap as well." She said and the group deliberated over the next course of action. Finally an agreement was reached. Ida would have to take the shot from another five paces back whilst standing on one leg. She smiled graciously and moved to her position.

"Lady's first." Loki said and she smiled. He frowned and turned away, shoulders hunched. Ida felt her heart ache and knew she had to play this right. She got her balance and raised her left leg slightly. Carefully she lined up the dart board and, after a moment's pause, let fly one of her darts. It flew straight and true, right into the bull's eye. The crowd was stunned and Loki looked back towards her. He glowered and took aim. Letting fly his own dart he also struck the centre most point of the board, just a little higher on the board she smiled and waved away the glass someone offered her. Taking aim again she closed her eyes and let the dart fly. Another stunned silence made her open them to see the stem of her dart quivering in the centre of the board. Now she had everyone's attention. Angrily Loki tossed his own and it too flew into the bull's eye. They were now tied and the whole pub was quietly observing them.

"What do I get if I win this round?" Ida asked and Loki sneered.

"Whatever you want?" He said tartly and she smiled.

"Oh, the possibilities. What if I lose?" She asked and he smiled.

"Whatever I want?" He said and she grinned. Waggling her finger at him playfully she nodded.

"Seems fair… ready?" She asked and he nodded, the thrill of competition momentarily ridding his eyes of the hurt look she'd come to hate seeing there. She lined up her final shot and let it go. It whizzed through the air and landed just inside the bull's eye. She smiled and indicated for him to go. He drew himself up and let the dart fly, sinking it deep into the middle of the target. The crowd was confused. Six darts lay in the centre most ring of the board and no one knew how to call it.

"A draw?" Someone chorused and Ida smirked.

"Wait." She said and exhaled deeply. The last dart she'd thrown suddenly wiggled and fell to the ground with a deafening click. The crowd stared at it for a moment and she smiled at Loki.

"Looks like you won then." She said and walked over to take his arm. In the confusion she managed to drag him over to a secluded booth and forced him into the seat. He glared at her irritably and tried to push passed her but she merely knocked him back in his collapsed into the seat. She arched a brow and sat down beside him.

"Please Loki, you need to come home." She said and he frowned.

"I don't understand why. Mistakes are generally avoided after they're done, I would have thought you'd have enjoyed my absence." He muttered darkly and she closed her eyes. She sighed and looked over at him.

"It wasn't a mistake… I was stupid to ever let you think that I regretted it." She said and he looked at her darkly. She swallowed and raised her eyes to the ceiling.

"Ida, are you admitting that what you felt was real?" He asked and she chewed her lip.

"I cannot." She said and he quirked a brow.

"Cannot or will not?" Loki demanded and she flinched.

"Cannot, I cannot say because I am afraid alright?" She said and stood up from the table.

"I'm heading home now, Siggy's in the car and she desperately wants to see you so you can sit here and sulk or you can come with me now." She said and held out her hand to him. He remained seated, staring at her extended palm as though it were some rare species of flower he'd never seen before. He brought his eyes up to meet hers and slowly grasped it. She smiled and pulled him up. She led him out of the bar, after waving goodbye to Terry, David and Jonesy, and helped load him into the back of the ute. He lounged around the bottom of the tray and stared up at the stars as though seeing them for the first time. She smiled and climbed back into the cab. They took off and Siggy chatted through the now open window to the silent Loki how stared up into the sky as though contemplating the very vastness of space itself. When they reached home Ida ordered Siggy inside and the little girl raced across the yard to unlock the door and hold it open. The scene felt odd familiar as Ida moved to help Loki out of the tray and half escort/ half carry him into the house. Carefully she navigated the stairs for him and led him to his room where she folded back the covers and forced him into it. He smirked at her in the dimly lit room.

"I should extract my favour right here and now." He said and Ida froze. Paused by the door she stared back at him in shock. He was grinning at her with open intent clear on his handsome features. She drew herself up with great dignity and faced him.

"I suppose you could Loki, in fact you could ask me to do anything you wanted yet at the end of the day I don't think that's what you want. I wonder if you'd find it at all worth it forced or not." She mused and he frowned.

"Why do you do that?" He asked and it was her turn to frown.

"Do what?" She asked and he rolled his eyes.

"Belittle yourself? Can you not see what it is about you that make's a man mad for you?" He asked and she flushed.

"Not particularly, I'm a farmer Loki." She said and he sighed.

"But you're not just that are you?" He said quietly and she saw his eyes droop with exhaustion and moved into the room to pull the covers up over him. He smiled up at her and she leaned forwards to press and soft kiss to his cheek.

"I am truly, deeply sorry Loki. You are no one's mistake, especially not mine." She said and turned back to leave him. At the door she paused as his voice stopped her once again.

"Please stay?" He begged and her heart stopped. She turned half way and bit her lip. Dare she stay?

"When Siggy is in bed, I will stay." She said softly and moved out into the corridor and up to her daughter's room. Siggy was already in bed, which they'd rearranged only that afternoon. She smiled as her mother entered and threw her arms around her.

"See Mummy, nothings truly broken." She said and Ida smiled.

"Goodnight kiddo." She said and kissed her lovingly on the forehead. She walked out, switched off the light and closed the door. Grateful that everything was at least part way back to normalcy she walked into the bathroom brushed her teeth and pulled her hair into a messy bun. Yawning she looked over at the clock to see that it was only seven thirty. Sniggering at herself she moved into the corridor to see Loki leaning against his door jamb, staring at her.

"You were taking too long." He said and she smiled.

"Well excuse me but whose house is this?" She asked as she approached and he grinned down at her. Choosing not to answer he drew her close to him and rested his chin on the top her head.

"Come on." She said and tugged him into the room. She crawled up the bedspread and wriggled underneath it. He followed suit until they were lying down once more, facing each other in the dark. She felt his fingers ghostly over her hair and lace themselves between her own. She sighed happily and decided then and there that even if it didn't last, if he left just like everyone else, it was so much better to have tried it then to have run away from it.

"Loki?" She whispered and head him grunt. She giggled and moved closer, pressing her body down his firmer, colder one.

"I'm sorry." She said and he sighed.

"It is alright Ida." He said and she opened her mouth to say that it wasn't but his free hand came up and a single finger covered her lips, preventing her from saying a word.

"I said that it is alright Ida, just please never say it again." He said and she smiled. Snuggling into his chest she sighed and held him closer.

"I promise." She whispered and he smiled into her hair. Wrapped in each other's arms they drifted off to sleep, blissfully unaware of the trouble fate had lying in store for them.

Dun dun duuuuuuuhhh! OMG, so much fluff and nonsense. This chapter was kind of spur of the moment but I felt that it was necessary to cement the acceptance of their feelings with a small challenge; the course of true love never running smooth and all that jazz. Please review and let me know what you all think, plot is starting to thicker now and I wonder who will destroy the peace first Fenrir or Avengers. Review, wait and find out ( hopefully in that order :P ) NB: The song is called Long Time Gone by the Dixie Chicks.