A/N: Since I haven't spent much quality time with my laptop, I haven't had an opportunity to update my story. I still appreciate those who are still reading this story though. I know it keeps going, but I'm glad you're sticking around!

Chapter Eleven

Casually tossing Mjolnir in the air back and forth between his hands, Thor continued to stand guard outside Freyja's room. When several hours had passed, he found it rathr unusual that Loki had not yet emerged from her room. After giving Mjolnir one more toss, Thor caught it with his left hand and cracked the door open to find his brother sitting at the bed with his back against the headboard and his head slumped over to the side; he was fast asleep just like Freyja. Amused by the sight, Thor let out a soft chuckle as he pushed open the door quietly, but as he began to walk inside, he noticed another set of footsteps lingering in from behind him. Frigga had been passing through after attending to Freyja's family down the hall, but when she noticed Thor had returned, she decided to see what Thor was staring at. Though because she walked into the room with very low expectations, she had not anticipated to find Loki was sitting by Freyja's side.

"Thor!" Frigga cried out, tugging at Thor's arm as she frantically looked between her two sons. "How is he here?"

"I brought him here." Thor replied, following his mother's gaze.

Frigga's brow furrowed slightly as she glanced back at Loki. "But why?"

"He was concerned for Freyja." He replied with a gentle smile. "That's all. You have no need to worry about him."

"And he hasn't done anything else since he got here?"

Thor shook his head. "He's been here since we've arrived."

"No additional invasions?"

"None."

Frigga bit her lip as she quietly observed her other son sleeping in peace beside his dear friend. It had been far too long since she had last seen Loki, but since his temporary reign over Asgard, she could tell there was something wrong. She only assumed that giving him the position, even for a moment, would be enough to soothe the anger that could erupt out of him. Inside, it all backfired and the results turned into an ugly disaster. While she was thrilled to have her family back together, she was slightly hesitant to see what kind of person Loki had become. "I'm certain Odin will not be pleased about his return..."

"I'm aware of that." Thor mumbled. "I will handle Father when the moment comes."

Frigga sighed. "Make sure you handle it outside Freyja's room. She doesn't need to sustain any more injuries."

Thor merely nodded, stepping closer to his mother as he gave her a pat upon the shoulder. "Yes, mother, I shall. Now you should-"

"Hold on," Frigga muttered, slipping away from Thor's grasp. "Let me see my son." With a blank expression, Thor watched his mother as she prompted Loki awake. As soon as he began moving, he reached up to rub his eyes when he realized who was standing before him. His face drooped into a solemn look for he not expected to confront his mother so soon. His mouth then gaped open and a wave of guilt fell over him, but without a single word, Frigga pulled Loki into her arms. Giving him a tight squeeze, Loki's gaze softened as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. While a distinct pain erupted from his chest, he still found it somewhat comforting to be in the arms of someone he once had called his mother. As he leaned his head upon her shoulder, he noticed Thor was eagerly heading their way and pulled the two into a reunited family hug.

Loki groaned quietly. "Thor, you're... hurting me."

Thor laughed joyously, giving his family another squeeze. "It's not often we have the family back together, Loki."

"We have missed you." Frigga told him quietly, her hand softly grazing through his dark locks of hair.

"Did you mourn?" Loki questioned, glancing back at the two of them with rather sad eyes.

"We all did." Thor replied.

Loki pursed his lips, nodding as he weakly smiled back at the family he once knew. He was rather uncomfortable knowing what he had left behind, but it was such a relief to see they didn't look at him with any contempt. In fact, this was never how he imagined his homecoming would be like. He expected to be tricked by Thor and be punished immediately by Odin, leaving the rest of Asgard to look at him with disapproval. Instead, his family merely kept him in their arms, letting out joyous laughter as they shared bits and pieces of their former lives, leaving Loki reminiscing about what seemed like a far off land.

"I'm glad you're back, Loki." Frigga told him, beaming his way. Loki gave her a thin smile, just as if he felt all the pain and hurt inside him disintegrate.

Though, in one swift moment, all that pain returned as soon as a set of thunderous footsteps entered the room and Odin came striding in, exclaiming, "LOKI?!"

Frigga and Thor flinched, reluctantly removing their hold of Loki as he rose to his feet, standing before Odin who looked back at his family with a furious stare.

"Father." Loki murmured, slightly bowing his head.

"You are not my so-" Odin was striding madly towards Loki, but Loki did not flinch as he anticipate the wave of anger coming forth from the King of Asgard.

"FATHER!" Thor yelled, swiftly moving before Loki.

"Thor, move on." Odin snarled.

"I will not." Thor muttered.

"MOVE NOW!" Odin ordered, but Thor did not budge. He stood his ground with his arm stretched out before Loki who looked back at Odin with an expressionless stare. Just like the rest of his family, this was the first he had seen of them for quite some time, but the look on his father's face was the exact same when he decided to let go and fall into the dark abyss below.

"Thor, you best move now!" Odin snapped. "How dare you defend that bastard child behind you."

"How can you say that?!" Thor exclaimed, still refusing to move away. "You mourned over Loki just like the rest of us. He's still part our family. Why can't you just fix what you have ruined?!"

"Because there is no need to!" Odin cried out.

"This is all your doing." Thor replied bitterly. "If it was not for-"

Though before Thor could say anything further, Odin lost patience with his son and shoved him aside, forcing Thor to crash into the opposite wall of the room. As Thor collapsed onto the ground and rubble from the cracked wall fell upon him, Odin then plucked Loki off the ground, his hand clasped tightly around his neck as he violently shook him in the air. Loki was frantically trying to free himself, but to no avail.

"You have done enough damage to Asgard, Loki. We cannot allow you to do anything further!" Odin cried out.

"Father, stop this!" Thor cried out, rushing towards his father. "Don't kill Loki!"

Odin huffed, dropping Loki to the ground. "On what grounds?"

"Just tell me why you lied to me." Loki muttered, rubbing at his neck. "Tell me why you said I could rule alongside Thor when that was never meant to happen. Tell me why you never mentioned that I was a frost giant and fooled me to believe I was just like the rest of you. Tell me the truth and you are free to kill me if you wish."

Thor glanced down at his brother, frowning. "Loki, no."

"I had only longed for the truth, brother." Loki muttered, rising to his feet. He glanced sadly at Freyja and sighed.

"And what will become of Freyja?" Thor questioned.

"She will be better off without me." He replied, looking up at Odin. "So in exchange for the truth, you can be rid of me however you wish."

Odin glanced over at Frigga who was staring at him sternly, so in response, he merely nodded. "I had assumed it would be better for you." He started, clearing his throat a bit. "When I had found you, you were not... wanted in Jotunheim. You were far too small and you were far too different to be a frost giant. So, I took you to Asgard and raised you as my own. You became part of our family. Thor grew attached to you since your arrival and Frigga grew fond of you just as much as she was of Thor... I just... never knew how to tell you."

"So you left me to live a life of lies all these years?" Loki looked at him angrily.

"What choice did I have?" Odin frowned. "I never anticipated for you to react so violently to such news. I was not willing to tell a child that they were the monster that every other Asgardian child feared. I tried to give you a proper living... I truly tried."

"You couldn't have tried harder?"

"Oh, Loki." Frigga murmured, joining his side as she wrapped an arm around his. "We did try. We just wanted you to live a regular life without the accusation that you're a frost giant. Imagine the pain a child could go through if we had told you so soon?"

"Do you even know of the pain I've lived with since I fell?!" Loki exclaimed, looking back between his parents. "I do not belong here. I do not belong in Jotunheim. Where is my place? Where do I belong?!"

"You do belong here." Thor frowned.

"I had only wanted to give you a proper home, Loki. In Jotunheim, you wouldn't have that." Odin told him. "I cannot apologize enough..."

Loki stood there silently as tears began to well up in his eyes. "You can't."

"I know."

"And I can't stay here."

"Loki." Thor was devestated. He was not willing to lose his brother again. "Please stay."

"No." Loki shook his head. "I... I appreciate your apology... and I appreciate your offer, but I just can't."

Odin looked down at his son and took a few steps towards him, placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder. "You didn't have to act so childish, Loki."

"I know." He replied quietly. "But neither did you."

Odin sighed, merely nodding to acknowledge that he, too, acted rather unfairly. "We still want you to stay."

Loki weakly smiled. "I have no reason to stay. Punish me, please. I would have asked Thor to have done the same, but I know I cannot expect him to do so."

"But what about Freyja?" Thor asked, glancing back sadly at their dear friend still fast asleep.

"I will personally tell her what will become of me." Loki answered.

Thor sighed, realizing there was no way he could talk him out of this. "If that is what you want, brother."

"It is."

"Then if this is what you want, Loki," Odin stated. "Once Freyja is awake, you will be banished to Midgard. There you must live among the mortals, but there you will not be allowed to attempt to rule over them."

"I would have no need to." Loki murmured. "That is fine."

"Then so be it." Odin nodded. "Frigga."

Frigga looked at her son, clasping her hands around his cheeks as she met his stare. "I do wish you would change your mind."

Loki merely shook his head. "If only I could."

"We still love you, Loki." Frigga whispered, wrapping her arms around him once more. "Please remember that."

"I'll try to."

Once their parents had left the room, Loki had turned towards Freyja and Thor looked back at his brother sadly. He was already unhappy that he was going to lose his brother again, but now Loki was more than willing to part with the only one he loves.

"She will not be pleased when you tell her." Thor stated quietly.

"I have no reason to stay here."

"Not even for Freyja?"

"As I said, she is far better off without me."

"Do you not love her?"

"I love her enough to leave." Loki sighed. "She has so much going for her. She's a proper warrior. She's bound to capture the heart of a regular Asgardian warrior. One that will not leave her waiting with a tethered heart..."

"She never gave up hope on you, Loki."

"And I very much wish she had."

Thor looked at him sadly. "I had told her not to."

"Why?"

"Because..." Thor just let his sentence drift off.

Loki slightly smirked, aware of what Thor spoke of. "It's that mortal, am I correct?"

"Yes." Thor muttered.

"You can see her now." Loki stated. "The Bifrost is fixed."

"Yes, but while I may live happily as I had hoped, what about Freyja? Will you reject her happiness that she so rightfully deserves? With you?"

Loki sighed as he looked at Thor. "I never ancitipated to have this conversation with you."

"And I had not expected to lose my brother. Again."

"Are you that concerned for me?"

"I'm concerned for both of you." Thor frowned. "I cannot see you lose your way again."

"I won't." Loki chuckled. "I will ask of father to have you watch over me."

Thor looked at him, slightly surprised. "You would want that?"

"I have the truth. That was all I needed."

"Not all."

"What?"

"Your heart is still cold. You're pushing away the one thing you truly need."

Loki glanced back at Freyja and shook his head. "It doesn't matter what I need..." Loki proceeded to walk out of the room, not willing to live up to the feelings that were now burdening his heart. Thor sighed and shook his head, taking one glimpse at Freyja before he ran off to join his brother. Both of them knew this was not going to be easy, but things were only going to become more difficult as soon as Freyja was awake.