Chapter twenty-one: to be complete

Thor paced back and forth in the throne chambers. He didn't know what to do. It was only two hours ago now when Heimdall had told him Loki was going to be exposed. He didn't know when or how, but he told Thor he needn't interfere. He had protested, telling that anyone would kill him by the sight of his little brother alive. Heimdall had said that he wouldn't die.

He wanted to go to Midgard to ask Sarah what had occurred but he couldn't put himself to it. From that moment he decided that a servant had to wait by Heimdall, might he pick up new information. He boy only entered the castle once to tell him Heimdall saw nothing new. Just that it was critical he had to show himself.

That was an hour ago now. He waited for the boy to enter the castle again. He was already five minutes late. In his time of waiting his friends tried to calm him or trick him for pleasantries while he waited. Thor wanted none of it. All he wanted was the update on his brother.

He had said to Sarah that he wanted Loki dead. That he didn't deserve another chance. That idea had only been in his mind because the humans brought it there. These agents had said his time was over. Thor had listened to them, but in his heart he could never have knocked the last breath out of his brother. At the battlefield he was glad that Sarah was in the position to do it. If his brother had died there, it was only fair it was by her hand. But she decided different. She decided to let him live. She wanted to change him back to the brother he had lost a long time ago. Thor wanted that too. He wanted so much to believe in the abilities of the gorgeous frost giant. He hoped for her to succeed.

But his mind told him not to rely on that too much. There was a huge chance it wouldn't work. And either she would kill him nevertheless, or he would break free and continue to spread misery. He wanted none of that to happen, but it was very likely.

Yet he had noticed something odd. The servant that always had been very close to Loki in the past was very cheerful the days since the visit of Sarah. Thor had asked him what he felt jolly about, but all he would say was 'I bet you already know, my king.' Thor could only guess Sarah told him that Loki was alive. But why was he happy about that? Didn't the poor man loose a hand because of his brother? Unless Sarah would have given him hope that Loki could change back.

Thor could only hope. And wait. He waited another ten minutes.

'Thor?'

The sudden voice so close startled him a little. He turned around to see Lady Sif standing in the shade of a massive pillar. Thor sighed. 'I told you before I'm not interested in pleasantries, Sif. I need to hear more about this…issue.'

He hadn't told anyone that his brother was still alive. Not even his closest friends. It was simply not safe. Sif looked down and played with the fabric if her tunic. 'The council asked when they could expect you in. You need to decide in the question of the marriage.'

Thor grunted. 'How do they dare ask my opinion, again? Isn't it clear I would want my own wedding to happen? You can tell them it will happen, with or without their approval.'

'You know I can't,' she simply answered. He knew. They would only want to hear it from him, to tell him for the thousands of times that no Midgardians were allowed in Asgard. Let alone becoming the queen.

He became more and more frustrated. The council was annoying him more than ever and the servant didn't return for a new update. What could possibly hold him up? He had ordered to come back every hour. The Bifrost wasn't that long. With his mind full he didn't even notice how down Sif was. She felt terrible about the marriage. Secretly she had still hoped he would choose for an Asgardian wife. Her. But he didn't. He wanted a Midgardian instead. That idea was not only ridiculous in the ears of the council, but also in hers and in every other Asgardians. But Thor wouldn't listen to any of that. She knew he wouldn't. When he wanted something, he wouldn't change his mind simply.

'I will go investigate,' Thor said after a minute. 'Something must be up.'

'Thor wait. What is so important that you need an hourly update?'

Thor turned around. He looked at Sif, trying to find fitting words. 'It is of great importance to me. Something personal.'

'You've changed,' Sif murmured when he wanted to walk away again. Thor raised an eyebrow. 'How do you mean?'

'Since you're king you feel like you have to do everything by yourself. But you have friends and family…' Thor looked down at that word. Sif held her hands up. 'I'm sorry I didn't mean it.'

Thor walked back at Sif. She watched with nearly watering eyes. Thor placed his hand on her shoulder while watching her with truthful eyes. 'I'm not mad. If only I still had my family. But I don't. This, what Heimdall have seen, could give me a piece of family back. That's why it is so important.'

Sif looked at him with confusion. 'How?' she asked. Thor shook his head. 'I can't start to explain-,' He started.

He stopped talking by the sound of the great gate to open. He turned his head, searching for the servant. But it wasn't the servant that walked through the door. It were two persons instead.

Both of them were covered in blood. Cuts were all over their bodies. Their clothing was torn to tatters. The girl was missing one shoe. But despite a clear story of battle and pain their faces didn't show any of it. The girl only showed clear happiness. She was at a point of breaking into a waterfall of tears. The boy, on the other side, looked difficult. He didn't dare to look up at the king of Asgard. There was pain in his eyes, but it wasn't as from battle. No physical, but mental pain.

But the first thing Thor noticed, was that they were holding hands. It didn't take him longer than two seconds to run towards the two of them. He stopped just in front of the two, who stopped as well. Thor couldn't speak. He couldn't believe what he saw in front of him. With his own eyes.

Loki still didn't look at him. He swallowed deeply and looked up, tears standing in his eyes. 'Thor…I-,'

He didn't need to finish. Thor grabbed his brother in a bear hug. The tears streamed down his and Loki's face. He knew Loki had changed. He needn't apologize. He already knew how his brother felt. Loki breathed uneven. 'How…how can you forgive me so easy?' His brother said through his sobs.

Thor placed his hands on Loki's shoulders to face him. The smile couldn't leave his face anymore. 'I have forgiven you a long time ago, Loki. You are, no matter where you come from, and will always be my brother. And I love you unconditionally.'

Loki couldn't stand the sight without breaking out in an uncontrollable cry of tears. He reached for his brother to hug him once more. 'I love you too,' he said with a broken voice. The stream of tears from Thor's eyes thickened at that moment. Never had he felt so happy. He truly had his brother back.

Thor opened his eyes to see the girl still watching the beautiful scene with an even wet face. The smile on her face told enough. She chuckled when she saw Thor looking at her. He broke free from the hug to give her one. 'I know all of this wouldn't have happened without you. I'm eternally grateful, my lady Frostblossom.' She held him even tighter than he held her. 'He did it himself in the end,' she whispered.

Thor opened one arm to pull in Loki in the group hug. The sight was so odd: three totally different persons from different realms cut open from battle and crying hugging each other. But there existed no better moment for the three of them. They released each other to wipe their tears away.

'You should probably see the healers,' Thor said while coughing his unsteady voice away. Sarah waved his concern away. 'That can wait. We are immortals, not to forget.'

Thor smiled. 'You should tell me anything that occurred,' he insisted.

Loki chuckled. 'We will. But all of that can wait over dinner. Now, before we ask you any other favor, we need to start with the most important one.'

Thor crossed his arms over his chest. A smile on his face. 'Tell me.'

Loki pulled Sarah to his side with an arm over her shoulders. 'My intended and me would want nothing more than to live back in the castle with our brother.'

Thor's face dropped in surprise. He laughed out loud at the hearing of his brother to get married. 'I wouldn't want anything more as well! Feel welcome, brother and sister!'

Once more they ended up in a group hug. It would take time to heal all the scars from the past, but slowly, this would be the start of a new family. And it would never break again.