A/N: I did promise a new chapter today, did I not? Please review and let me know what you think. Enjoy!


Chapter 10

"May I ask what Thor and Loki were intended to learn during Thor's banishment?" Jane queried, her curiosity piqued as the tension level in the room lowered. "Aside from not to smash cups on the floor of restaurants, I mean," she added with a wry smile to Thor.

"I can answer some of that," Thor spoke up. "Manners aside," he said with a chuckle, "I learned to value life, whether Asgardian or Mortal or anything in between. Also that there are times when what I want and what is good for others are different things, and a King must put the needs of the people first. I was not ready to be King then, and I admit it. I am not sure if I am ready yet now."

"What we had intended to show them," Odin explained, "was that while there is only one King, Asgard truly needs them both. Many have the impression that I rule alone and that my word is law. The reality is that there is very little that I do unilaterally. Frigga and I discuss a great many things in advance of a decision, and I do have a council for a reason."

"Thor's banishment was an extreme reaction that we had not considered needing, but we knew we would have to teach him many things he would need as King," Frigga added. "When Odin sent Thor to Midgard, we took advantage of the situation to set in motion other events."

"So after giving me time to rule in Thor's absence and while Father slept, I was intended to realize that neither Thor nor I could rule without the help of the other?" Loki asked, his tone a little skeptical. "It would seem that I failed another test, then," he added with a trace of bitterness in his tone.

"Perhaps, but the added burden of discovering the truth of your past warped the events beyond repair," Odin confessed, regret tinging his tone. "More so than we could have anticipated. We knew that if you ever found out by chance that you would be hurt, but we did not know how deeply. Nor had we thought it would cause you to turn on yourself as well as on Jotunheim."

"The past cannot be undone," Frigga said quietly. "We must learn what we can from it and move forward. I hoped that you would see that we trusted you, that you are our son. That we saw you as no different than Thor when it comes to family."

"So what happens now?" Loki asked in a resigned tone. "I know there are many who will not forgive me for what I did while I was King, nevermind what happened on Midgard after."

"I have spoken with Sif, Hogun, Volstagg, and Fandral," Odin replied with a frown, his tone severe. "Though they did no harm in the long run, it is not their place to decide who is to be King. All you had done was to refuse to recall Thor, which was in fact the correct thing to do. Their lack of trust in you had no foundation at the time, and yet they went against both your orders and mine to retrieve Thor."

"They did not understand what was happening, but that does not excuse their actions," Frigga agreed, her tone less severe but still firm. "They are currently helping Heimdall repair the Bifrost, a task which is quite beyond them. But they, too, will learn something from the experience."

"And what of Heimdall?" Thor inquired. "They could not have gotten to Midgard without use of the Bifrost."

"He has every right to hate me," Loki said quietly. "Had I not had the Casket, I might have killed him. Even with it, I risked doing so. I still do not know how to fully control its power."

"We will work that out in time," Odin stated. "We will not resolve everything tonight, but we will make a beginning."

Jane listened quietly as the discussion continued. She was fairly confused, as they discussed things of which she had no knowledge. She knew that four of Thor's friends had come to Earth to find him, and that the giant robot thing had followed them. It had been an over-reaction on his part, but knowing that Loki had felt betrayed on all sides helped her to understand at least a little why he had done it.

As the discussion began to make less and less sense to her, Jane sat back in her chair and concentrated on the emotions simmering in the room instead. Odin was still mostly a blank to her; all she really got from him was determination and a sense of purpose. Frigga was easy to read; she was quite open with her emotions, at least in this private setting. From her Jane felt compassion and love, but also quiet assurance and a resolve to repair the bonds of both her family and her kingdom.

Likewise, Thor was easy to read. He looked at his family with obvious love, but also some confusion and uncertainty about the future. He was listening, trying to understand, but he felt somewhat out of his depth.

Loki, on the other hand, was both easy and more difficult to pin down. She kept getting flashes from him, both of emotion and of memory. He kept his expression mostly neutral, but she could sense his mind racing as the discussion raised questions and answered them.

Again, Jane wished for a way to block out what she was sensing. She felt more and more like an interloper as the conversation continued around her. What they were discussing was as much politics as it was relationships, and she had nothing to say so she kept silent. The shifting emotions in the room were giving her a headache, though.

Finally, while Thor and Odin were discussing something else for a moment, Jane leaned over towards Frigga. "Pardon me, ma'am, but may I be excused please?" she asked very softly. "I think perhaps I'd best leave the rest to your family."

"Of course. Are you quite well, Jane?" Frigga replied quietly as she caught faint traces of pain in Jane's expression.

"Just a headache," Jane answered quietly. "It's nothing serious."

"Very well. Go get some rest, my dear," Frigga instructed gently. "If you should need anything during the night, there are always guards stationed in the halls."

"Thank you," Jane answered. As she stood, Jane attracted attention from first Loki and then Thor. Odin glanced at her as well, but only nodded; Jane assumed he had managed to hear her speak with Frigga. Very little about Asgardians would surprise her.

"Are you all right, Jane?" Loki asked, a touch of concern tinging his tone.

She smiled and nodded. "I'm fine; I have a bit of a headache, is all. And really, what you're discussing really has nothing to do with me."

"Perhaps someone should escort you back to your room?" Thor offered, rising to his feet.

"No, please, I'll be fine. I don't want to interrupt," Jane demured. "You have plenty to work out here without worrying about me."

"Very well," Thor agreed. But instead of returning to his seat, he walked around the table to her side. "Have a safe night and I hope to see you tomorrow," he said softly. He took her hand and brushed a soft kiss against her skin as he bowed to her.

Loki also rose to his feet, and repeated Thor's gesture. As he held her hand, he sent a whisper of his magic into her body to ease her headache. He told himself it was simple courtesy and refused to acknowledge that he didn't wish her to leave any more than Thor did. "Good night, Lady Jane," he bid her. "Perhaps we can arrange for your visit to the observatory another night."

"I'd like that," Jane agreed. "Good night, everyone." She dipped in a curtsey to Odin and Frigga and left the room.

It wasn't until she was halfway back to her guest room that Jane realized her headache was gone. It wasn't just from leaving the room, either; she could still feel some odd, conflicting emotions from Loki as the family resumed their discussions. Still, she was glad to have escaped when she did. She had some pretty serious thinking to do on her own.


TBC...