Selvig was about to make real progress. He had been granted access to the deepest levels of SHIELD headquarters, and rumor had it that Nick Fury himself wanted to meet with him. The scientist, still completely oblivious to Loki's hold on him, was giddy with excitement. He needed no intervention from the prince to know that this was extraordinary; this had to mean they were closer to the cube than ever before or even better that they finally had it in their possession. Jane's research, her theories, their work for so long had not been in vain, it was all about to come to beautiful fruition. Loki could not let him go at this alone, and left the cold and barren Chitaurian landscape for the hustle and bustle of Earth. The humans, he decided as he walked unseen through the corridors of SHIELD headquarters with Selvig, were far more resilient than he had given them credit for and had a flare for the theatrical and the extravagant that he could respect. As they walked deeper inside the building escorted by guards, Selvig began to become nervous. Perhaps he had been too eager or stumbled upon information that SHIELD did not intend for him to find, and was now being led to his doom. The guards were not at all apt for conversation, and ignored the kind scientist's attempts to make small talk with them. They were stoic and serious, intent on bringing him where he needed to go, and nothing else. He was simply a mission to them, not a colleague and certainly not a friend. He placed his hands into his pockets and smiled at the ground, for if they were going to kill him, at least they had the decency to make a mission out of it; he would have hated to be killed in some insignificant and tidy way. Suddenly the guards halted, and one of them nodded his head for Selvig to continue on without them. He figured their clearance levels would not allow them to continue on any further, and as he thanked them he sighed a little sigh of relief to be rid of them, small talk was torture on another level when it was one sided. He walked slowly down a flight of stairs, turned into another hallway and then rounded another corner, lined with bright rectangular lights, yet still somehow dim, and a bit dank.

It felt very industrial here, with concrete walls and exposed pipes and wires all around the narrow walkway, but Selvig took little time to take in his surroundings. A commanding figure stood before him, a tall black man with a shiny bald head, long black jacket, and an eye patch started towards him. Selvig felt disarmed and a bit proud that the rumors had been true. Nick Fury had asked to speak with him; Nick Fury knew who he was.

Loki meanwhile, was just as thrilled from his state of complete invisibility. A grin spread broadly across his face. This was the Fury he had heard so much about, standing before him at long last. He wondered if he could or should try to bend the man's mind to further his cause, but suddenly thought better of it; surely that would make things too easy. Fury seemed to be a worthy opponent, a welcome adversary, capable of presenting the prince with an actual challenge to his cause.

Fury stepped back behind the pedestal upon which the case sat. Loki stood with bated breath, waiting as the two men engaged in conversation. He had been so patient, if this was truly what he had been waiting for he could finally move on to the next phase of the plan, and perhaps even go to Sigyn before she moved on as well. Fury opened the case looked Selvig in the eye and described the cube which glowed bright blue between them as a source of power, potentially unlimited power. It was then that Loki made himself known to Selvig via his reflection in the glass beside which he stood. The scientist glanced over to his master, immediately recognized him, and yet was completely at ease in regards to his presence. It was as though he was there and had always been there, as common and constant as the shadow that had trailed him his whole life. He smiled and whispered words to Selvig that entered into his mind and out of his mouth as smoothly and organically as if he had thought them himself.

"Well I guess that's worth a look."

Selvig examined the cube, listened to Fury further explain the history of it and why the humans were so interested in it. Loki's ears perked up at the mention of the so called Super Soldier program and the development of Hydra weapons all from energy harnessed from the cube. He leaned casually against the wall as the two men exchanged knowledge in this cold and deserted basement that could change their planet forever. His thoughts wandered to Odin, wondering how the old man could have let a relic like this slip so completely out of his grasp. Was he that confident in his infinite power and wisdom, that he did not worry about the cube falling into the wrong hands? Loki shrugged and refocused his attention on the two men before him. Selvig stood as close as he dared to the cube, which glowed a dim blue in the case before him. He looked to be trying to memorize the shape and size of it.

"Would it be dangerous for you to touch it?"

Fury asked, trying to be helpful

"I have no idea. The closest we have come to replicating the power of the cube thus far is gamma radiation. I only know of one case so far of direct exposure to gamma radiation, and it is not a happy tale."

"Bruce Banner."

Selvig nodded solemnly, they had all seen the horrifying video of the brilliant doctor's transformation into an overgrown mutated beast like creature. Selvig knew all too well what could drive a scientist or a researcher to go to seemingly insane lengths to prove a theory; he admired the noble ambition behind Dr. Banner's experiment, and was very saddened that his efforts had gone so terribly and irrevocably wrong.

Loki had no idea who or what they were talking about, though he concluded from the looks on both of their faces that something had gone spectacularly wrong for this Bruce Banner person. The gamma radiation was the humans attempt to replicate the energy of the cube, and apparently they had failed miserably at it, but Loki now understood beyond a doubt that these humans were more aware of the other realms than he had previously thought, even if they were incapable of traveling to them. They were looking for a way to protect themselves from a threat they had no idea how to comprehend or anticipate. It was charming, almost noble.

"Indeed. Dr. Banner's gamma rays were extremely powerful, but I dare say this cube must be many, many times more powerful than that, and so to answer your question, I am incredibly reluctant to touch it with my bare hands."

"What must we do to accommodate you in your work?"

"My work?"

He was perplexed at the question, as far as he knew he had already been doing his work. He figured Fury had to have a team in place of world renowned scientists, physicists, astrologists, biochemists, and others to examine the tesseract, and that his invitation to see the cube tonight was simply a courtesy, since he had been researching it for so long.

"Yes, Dr. Selvig, I intend for you to spear head our investigation of this cube. We have very little idea of its capabilities; let alone how to wield them for our purposes. And you have more than proven yourself to be an authority on the subject of the science surrounding this type of device."

"An authority….I think that is quite a stretch, Mr. Fury, I have a hard time believing anyone could be an authority on this subject, it so…undeveloped."

"Well, Dr, we would have you develop it for us." Fury clapped a hand on the shoulder of the scientist and gave him a look of the utmost sincerity. "I am a man interested only in having the best of the best that the world has to offer. Therefore you can rest assured, you are here because there is no one more qualified or better able to fulfill this task than you."

Selvig nodded, grateful for the confidence the man seemed to have in him.

"I will do my best to understand this thing, first thing in the morning I'll get you a list of what I need for my work."

They left SHIELD headquarters together that night, Loki observing the demeanor of the man as they traveled together to his apartment. He was astonished by the humility of the man, who had just been given a task of monumental importance and yet drove his car home quietly through the streets of the town, just as he would have any other night. He seemed pleasantly surprised and fully aware of the importance of what had just occurred, but he did not seem to be pleased with himself at all. Loki found this terribly odd. He had accomplished something of great importance himself that day, and he found it hard to contain his excitement. He breathed more easily than he had in a long time as he lounged on the couch in Selvig's modest and minimalist apartment. He actually smiled a smile of happiness and excitement, which he had not done for quite some time. He had found the cube and not only located it, but actually laid eyes upon it. He could have stolen it then and there if he wished. But he did not wish to do so. He had a much more elaborate plan in mind. The workers of SHEILD, especially the Fury character, were intent on harnessing the power of the cube to create weapons and now Selvig was going to be the leader of their attempt to understand the cube and its intricacies. Loki had always known the cube was the key to control, and held power in that sense, but he never imagined, that it could be used to forge and power weapons, and if he was ignorant of its capabilities in that sense, he wondered what else it could do that he was unaware of.

He moved quickly as Selvig came and sat on the couch next to him, sighing as he sat and looking very content. He pulled out his little phone and called Jane…the one Thor had been so infatuated with during his time on Earth. Loki rolled his eyes at the very thought of his brother, and began to scowl. His dislike for Thor had grown considerably over the course of his stay on Chitauri. He distinctly remembered the fierce and bitter battle Thor had started with him on that fateful night. He had been trying to rid Asgard of its most pressing threat once and for all and Thor had stopped him and thrown him off the Bifrost with their father's approval.

Then he realized he had done it again, it was maddening to him when he did it, but he had done it; he had thought of Odin as his father. In spite of himself, he still lapsed into that line of thinking from time to time, but not as often as he once had and not with fondness towards the memories of their bond anymore. Now it was simply a slip of the tongue, a mistake linked to semantics; he had after all been calling the man Father for many, many years.

It was of little consequence, especially now that the cube was practically in his hands. He was filled with a new determination, not that he wanted to possess the cube for himself, but he wanted power. He wanted to be as powerful as the cube; he wanted that kind of power to reside within him, he wanted to know where that kind of power came from and what all it could do. He decided he would trail Selvig a little more closely and learn along with him what the cube was, how it worked, and what all it could be used for.

"The tesseract intact, before my very eyes, Jane, it is astonishing. I will be in touch with you daily I expect, the magnitude of this work is….gargantuan really."

He laughed and walked into the kitchen to continue his conversation and prepare his dinner. Loki decided to leave him to it; his brilliant pawn had done more than enough for the day.

The prince was relieved, as he traveled unseen through the night with the aid of his trusty device, to have finally made the kind of progress that would quell The Other for a moment and allow him the chance to see Sigyn and finally let her know that he was alright after all. He knew she would be angry and that she would not immediately understand why he had kept his distance for so long, but he could handle her wrath for a little while; he knew that eventually her happiness at having him back would cause it to subside.

He materialized in the bathroom of a restaurant near her apartment building. The slender face before him in the light of the mirror of this thing the humans called a bathroom, which really only housed a toilet and sink, was a bit shocking to him and instantly made the purpose of his trip in vain; he could not go to her looking like this. His face was gaunt, his skin looked gray, and his teeth and eyes were dark and dull. He seemed to have neglected his appearance in the chaos of his efforts to locate the tesseract and keep an eye on Sigyn. The weight and difficulty of his tasks, coupled with the distance he had to travel to complete them and the exhausting amount of magic he had to perform to remain invisible among other things, had clearly taken a toll on him. He was aware for the first time of how far he had fallen, and almost lost confidence that he could get back anything even close to the life he had known.

But he knew that Sigyn was near, and his spirits lifted. His face almost lit up at the thought of her. He ran a hand over it, wishing he could be the handsome prince she no doubt remembered him as, but knowing that he could not, at least not that night, and so he once again traveled through space and time with the aid of his device, and resolved to begin instead his quest to find the great ally of the Chitaurians, for he believed this being knew the source and scope of the power of the tesseract better than anyone else.

Thor stood before the reflecting pool and sighed, hoping desperately that his moments alone would not be disturbed. It was difficult not to miss his brother everyday; he had been with him every day of his life before that. Now that the shock and speculation of Loki's death had worn off and the people had time to absorb that the younger prince, the regal and mischievous one with the sly smile, was truly gone and not coming back he was hailed in many circles as a hero and worship to his deity had grown with more people praying to and for his memory than ever. A large part of this was due to the absence of their beloved Goddess Sigyn, who rumor had it had pleaded with the Allfather to be allowed to die, for she did not wish to live without her love, fearing that she would descend into madness. The bond they shared had captured the hearts and imaginations of the people of Asgard, and so the realm was deeply in mourning for them. Although on the surface life had seemed to return to the norm, at night two candles sat in the window of nearly every home in Asgard in remembrance of the fallen Gods. In fact, there were so many that Thor could see them flickering off in the distance as he looked past the edge of the pool and out over the landscape of Asgard. It warmed his heart a little to know he was not alone in his sadness. Frigga looked out of her window to see the silhouette of the remaining prince and fought back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Nothing, not time, not parties, not her duties as Queen had helped her grief to subside; Loki had been her child, she had loved him deeply and personally, and when she lost him, she lost a large part of herself. Most times she felt that she would have rathered to have actually lost a part of herself than to know that her son was dead; gone forever. It was a grief she had never expected to face, and she could not imagine that it would be deeper if she had physically birthed Loki.

Her mind wandered to the night he found out his true heritage, and how broken he had seemed. Even in his brokenness and resentment, he came to her, and confided in her, and even called her 'mother'. He had loved her too, she had never been unsure of it, yet in that moment she knew for certain. Loki was her son in her heart and she was his mother in his.

Sigyn was the thing she could not think of without bursting into tears, for she was mortal now and Frigga knew that meant she was constantly in danger of dying and/or being in pain. It was heartbreaking and Frigga was determined not to let her mind wander there. Thor needed her now, for Odin, despite his infinite wisdom and power, was little more than inept at these matters.

Her lady, Liv, dressed in all black and saddened to see her queen still sitting and staring out of the window, bowed deeply to her as she entered the room, then placed a very familiar hand of comfort on the shoulder of her mistress and friend; she had been with Frigga since they were both young and Frigga was still just a noble young lady who had not even met Odin yet. Thousands of years of unwavering loyalty and friendship, which made the losses Frigga had suffered Liv's losses as well. She reluctantly relayed the message that had been given to her by a guard.

"Your majesty, one of the guards has asked me to give you a message from one of the women who came today to pray at the shrine of Prince Loki and Princess Sigyn."

"Another one...They all leave messages, Liv, and I have asked you to write them a note of thanks in my hand, you know this." She said mater of factly as she stared out of the window. "Leave me."

"Your majesty, this message is rather different than the others. This citizen says she has news regarding the fugitive, Yordis."

Frigga started at these words, and turned to look into the face of her lady.

"Summon her here at once."

Liv instructed the guards to fetch the woman who had left the note although they had very little means of identifying her, she had signed the message with only her first name: Hyrna.

Frigga paced the length of her tea parlor, alone after having cast her ladies out, her nerves on edge. She realized of course that she could be getting worked up over nothing, that the woman could be simply lying or have false information, but this was the first she had heard mention of Yordis since the night of her disappearance. The royal guard had searched every inch of the realm and found not a trace of her. She was very interested in hearing the woman out, no matter what she had to say.

Suddenly the door opened and in came Liv, followed closely by a woman cloaked in a beautifully patterned black scarf with emerald and royal blue embroidery, a trademark of the women who had devoted themselves to the newly formed religion devoted to worship of Loki and Sigyn; Logynism.

Hyrna lifted the edges of her scarf from her face and bowed deeply before the queen. The light of the torches illuminated her face and Frigga found it to be vaguely familiar. She looked at Liv, hoping she could provide the woman with a proper introduction.

"This is the Hyrna, High Priestess of the first organized house of Logynism in Asgard."

"You may rise, faithful holy woman."

Hyrna stood slowly and resisted the urge to grasp Frigga's hands in an effort to comfort her. Devoting her life to the creation and practice of Logynism had seemed natural to her after hearing of the fall of both the prince and princess. She built the doctrine of the religion on the principles she knew were important to the deities; loyalty, love, devotion, sorcery, cunning, perseverance, and resilience. She of course knew firsthand of Sigyn's ability to punish and yet show mercy, she had not forgotten her promise to the princess and was very grieved to hear of her death. However, she was more than sure that Frigga had forgotten the incident, and certain that being the head of a religion did not give her the right to behave with any sort of familiarity towards the queen. She instead stood before her and waited to be asked to sit.

"I feel as though I know you, however I apologize for I do not remember where from."

"I am the daughter of one of the more distinguished Navigators of the Realm, Your Majesty….Wilhelm Arriisonn-"

"Yes….you are distant relatives of our beloved Tyr…the god of war."

"Yes, your majesty. I was therefore raised as a noble and am roughly the same age as you, so you have no doubt seen me many times at social events."

Frigga nodded her understanding and poured the woman a glass of tea.

"Yes, Saga, Tyr's mother was your father's cousin, and sister to Gaea, Odin's first love…he was devastated by their loss to Hela's murderous behemoth."

"Indeed your majesty. My father often speaks of them, and of how the family grieved them deeply."

"We all did. It was a terrible time, a time that helped shape Odin into the king he would become, much as I think this time will shape Thor. Actually, cousin Thor, to you."

"Your majesty?"

"It is a little known fact that I am Thor's second mother. Your cousin Gaea birthed him."

"Honestly?"

"Indeed. We are a rather complicated and entangled family, many of the details of our relationships are forgotten or dismissed. I am the only mother Thor has ever known, but I did not birth him. Not that it ever mattered much to him…" she smiled a little thinking of her son, then remembered the matter at hand. "I find myself rambling, when we should get to the point of why you are here. Mother Hyrna I have been informed that you have information regarding the fugitive, Yordis."

"Indeed, your majesty. She came to worship at the house of the Logynists. She asked to speak directly with me, which I found odd, but I obliged. She told me who she was and tried to black mail me into doing her bidding, she believes me to have caved in, but I am thoroughly out from under her thumb. I have nothing to lose, she cannot control me."

"Wonderful of you, Priestess, thank you for your loyalty. But she murdered the last person she tried to blackmail and she tried to have my daughter raped and ravaged by a brute….she is rather dangerous."

"All the more reason for me to do my part to see her brought to justice, your majesty. Logynism is based on the strength and courage the prince and princess possessed; all its followers are encouraged to strive towards those characteristics themselves. What kind of leader would I be if I did not strive for that ideal myself."

Frigga nodded and smiled, listening as the woman spoke a bit more.

"I do appreciate this, but it seems you know far more than I am capable of doing anything about without help. Will you return to the palace tomorrow, when I have informed the King and Prince of this matter?"

"Of course your majesty."

Hyrna stood to leave and bowed again before exiting, giving Liv a small smile as she did so. Liv thought the smile a bit odd, perhaps she was simply nervous, but if she had not known better, she would have thought it was a smirk.

"She is a rather wonderful woman, is she not? Very brave…."

Liv tuned out the voice of her mistress as she watched the woman walk further and further down the hall. She distinctly remembered Hyrna as soon as she heard her voice. She would never forget the image of the woman pleading for her life and being dragged away by guards. She had been on her way to the dungeons for her words of treason, Frigga had ended up banishing her from the castle and she left in utter disgrace.

"Liv?" Frigga asked, as her maid turned to look at her. "Are you all right?"

"Of course, your majesty…I simply let my mind wander for a moment…I was remembering the last time we saw Hyrna and how changed she is since then."

"Was she at the ball to welcome Thor back?"

Liv shook her head, and chose her next words carefully.

"Your majesty will remember she was once banished from the palace, she last attended one of your tea parties. She spoke to Princess Sigyn of…well…things regarding treason and she –"

"Was almost sent to the dungeons for the rest of her life….until Sigyn intervened." Liv was surprised to see her mistress laugh loudly. "I suppose I had rather hoped to forget that rather unpleasant exchange….It was indeed her, wasn't it?!"

"Yes, indeed, your majesty," She said as they walked to Frigga and Odin's bedroom. "Do you not find it odd that she would not mention it at all?"

"No, I imagine she was too embarrassed to bring it up."

"I imagine so, but the proper thing to do would have been to acknowledge it, and thank your majesty for allowing her back into the palace. And why would the fugitive Yordis go to her of all people-"

"Liv, faithful, wise, intelligent, Liv," Frigga said, holding her maid's hands and looking into her eyes "we are grateful for your concern, but I do not honestly care what the motives of this woman are if she can lead me to Yordis. Besides, she did go to the trouble of helping to establish Logynism, which is a great length to go for a lie. But if you are right in your suspicions and her intentions are not honorable, she will be exposed eventually and she will pay dearly. Rest assured my love." She kissed her maids hands and yawned. "I am greatly fatigued and shall retire now, but do send word to both my husband and son that I have an urgent matter to discuss with them both at breakfast in the morning."

"Yes of course, your majesty."

Christmas day afforded Sigyn the rare opportunity to sleep in, she had no shift at the diner, and had cleaned the gym a few days before, and so she could stay in bed for as long as she wanted that morning. Anna had invited her to come to dinner at her place, but other than that, she had no plans for the day.

She had taken every shift she could get at the diner in order to afford the gift she had settled on buying for Steve. She could not believe her luck in spotting it in the window of an antiques shop, and went in eagerly to ask for it. She hoped he would like it, that he would know she wasn't teasing him with it, and that she appreciated his friendship and kindness. She personally thought it was wonderful, but Steve was much more modest than she was.

She was abnormally exhausted, for in addition to working the extra shifts at the diner, she had taken every free moment she had, especially while alone at the gym, to try and discover if her ability to appropriate was indeed still there. She was amazed to see herself breathe fire again and watch as the tiny droplets of water in the air surrounding her turned to ice and fell to the ground at her feet. She grinned at the revelation. It felt surprisingly wonderful to know that she was still somewhat extraordinary, for those stories of in those books had shaken her confidence in herself considerably. She had no idea how this effected her life, she rather assumed that it would have no bearing on her day to day life what so ever, but she was amused at the thought of being able to pummel the next man who grabbed at her, or at the very least singe him.

But the practice of such extreme capabilities took a toll on her mortal form. She was extremely tired and as such very glad to have the time to sleep. Mylo's barks of hunger and anxiousness woke her at midday, which Sigyn saw as still entirely too early. But she could not ignore the helpless little puppy, who was obedient enough to have never once had an 'accident' in the apartment, and who she loved dearly. She pulled on her boots and a coat and grabbed his leash and took him for a walk just long enough to satisfy his boredom and allow him to 'go to the bathroom'. They returned to the apartment and Sigyn showered and dressed for the day in an oversized sweater and leggings, which lately had become her outfit of choice. It was a far cry from the gowns she had worn in Asgard, but she reasoned that she was a far cry from who she had been in Asgard. In all honesty she did not miss her duties or the pomp and circumstance and rigid formalities that came with nobility, but on this day when everyone seemed to be concerned with their friends and family and she could not help but miss Thor and Frigga, Syn and Sif, Rona and Hugo, and even her Father. Even in the depths of her heart she missed Odin and Lofn though she could not admit that. She thought of all of them with a smile as she cleaned Mylo's bowl.

Heimdall if you can hear me, tell them I said Merry Christmas….Although now that I think of it they do not know what Christmas is do they?

She was sure he had not heard her, and she shrugged her shoulders once she finished the thought and put the bowl back in its place before washing her hands. Just then a knock came at the door. She recognized it immediately, and the shuffling feet of the shadow she saw through the crack in the door. Steve always seemed a bit nervous when he waited outside the door, as though he were strongly fighting the urge to go back into his apartment. She smiled again and opened the door. There he stood, in a t-shirt and khakis, looking completely comfortable although it was rather cold in the hall.

"Merry Christmas."

He said, handing her a small rectangular box. She smiled and moved so he could come in.

"I got you a gift too, and I'm dying for you to open it so sit down." Steve sat on the red leather sofa. Sigyn took a small flat package from under the tree and handed it to him as she sat next to him. "Be careful, it is rather delicate."

He smiled at the way she spoke, and the way she said rather. She was the most polished and proper woman he had ever met, she had the manners and mannerisms of a princess, or so he assumed from what he had seen in movies. He undid the wrapping paper and saw the brightly colored cover of the comic book, covered in cellophane and looking brand new in spite of the fact that it was 71 years old. The man in the stars and stripes bared an uncanny resemblance to him, and how could he not, he remembered being in the same position, punching a Hitler like character in the face. He could smile now at the absurdity of it. He smiled even more at the thoughtfulness of her gift.

"Thank you. I never got a chance to get my hands on one of these before."

"Oh you like it! And so it is real, then? I didn't get duped?"

"No, it looks very authentic…I remember this cover." He smiled again as he read the title aloud "Captain America number one, 45 thrilling pages of Captain America, Sentinel of our shores…."

His voice trailed off, she noticed his quietness and hoped she hadn't drudged up too many painful memories.

"Steve, I only meant to remind you of how much the people admired you. How much you meant to them… sometimes, I think, you forget that."

"I don't forget it; I just didn't deserve their admiration. I didn't really do anything; I saved a few friends and shot a few Nazi's."

"Nonsense, I saw the newspaper clippings. You oversimplify things, you were obviously a hero. Their hero." She pointed to the cover and continued. "I gather that this Hitler was a terrifying figure, and that the world was in turmoil because of him…They were afraid, and you were their champion. The people put their faith in you and you gave them hope. You should be proud of that, among many other things."

Steve nodded and put the comic book aside before asking her to open her gift. She tore the paper off of it, never having had much patience for opening her gifts carefully. She opened the jewelry box to reveal a bracelet made of princess cut sapphires. Her mouth hung open and she gazed at it. It was one of the most beautiful things she could imagine. She turned to him and tried to speak.

"I take it that you like it then."

Before the words were completely out of his mouth she had thrown her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"I love it. It reminds me of…home. How did you know about the sapphires?"

"I guessed. You wear a lot of blue; I figured it was your favorite color."

She nodded, letting go of him as she held out her wrist for him to put it on her. She watched it sparkle against her for a moment before looking up; she met his eyes and stared into them, before remembering the guilt of the moments she had shared with him in the snow. Her mind had wandered to the moment that he kissed her often in the time that had passed since. She supposed that she had been too excited and surprised to really feel it then, but now she could remember and she liked what she remembered and she felt just terrible about that. Her sense of virtue had remained with her just as her ability to appropriate had and so she was not at all afraid that she would fall into bed with Steve. She was instead afraid of the emotional attachment she felt herself forming with him, it concerned her a great deal to think that she could love again, and moreover that she could possibly love someone a much as she had loved Loki. If that were possible, then she had completely overreacted to his death, and maybe their love was not as special or unique as she'd thought.

That was a reality she could not bear to imagine and so no matter how much she knew she liked Steve, she would never allow herself to fall completely in love with him; it would be a betrayal to herself and to Loki's memory.

But it was difficult to imagine how she would be able to stop herself from feeling what she desperately denied she had already begun to feel. She wanted it to be true that her heart was gone, that it had fallen with Loki off the Bifrost, but she could not deny the presence of it right inside of her chest whenever she was with Steve. Loki's memory was beginning to feel like a weight for the first time since his death; it was a self imposed burden attached to her all of the time, and one that she could not and would not let go of. She did not resent it either, he deserved to be remembered, he deserved to be in her heart, she found it impossible to believe that if the tables were turned and she had died, he would ever recover let alone move on with someone else. Therefore she resolved to keep her distance emotionally from Steve, closing her eyes and turning her head away from him, towards the television.

"So where are Anna and the baby, I figured you'd be spending Christmas with them."

"Anna invited me to dinner, but the rest of the day is my own."

She sighed and tried to smile about it, although he could tell she wished she had more people to spend this time with. As odd and out of place as she sometimes seemed, she clearly understood that Christmas was a time to be with those you love, and clearly those she loved were nowhere near her. Steve sat back on the couch and put his arm around her, surprising himself with the boldness of the action and very relieved that she did not move or push him away. She smiled at him, looking grateful.

"I'll stick around if you want."

They came across a marathon of Charlie Chaplin films on TV, and upon Steve's discovery that Sigyn had no idea who Charlie Chaplin was, spent the afternoon watching him and laughing. It wasn't until she came wandering into the living room that Sigyn remembered her dinner date with Anna, and realized the time.

"Anna!"

"Hey! I was worried about you; you were supposed to come over an hour ago. I was knocking at the door for a few minutes, but I guess you guys were laughing so loud you didn't hear me."

She stood there with the baby in her arms, Sigyn looking at her over the arm of the couch, Steve on the floor in front of the couch with his back against it. Both looking happy, if a little surprised, to see her and the baby. Sigyn smiled and stood up.

"I'm sorry, I lost track of the time. I hope you went ahead and ate without me."

"No. I wanted to make sure you were all right, besides we wouldn't have a Christmas dinner if it weren't for you."

"Nonsense."

"Its true, besides it's my gift to you. You spend so much time serving others to help me; I figured it was my turn to serve you."

"Believe me; I've been served enough in my life….but thank you all the same. I'm starving; I'll be over in a minute."

"Steve can come too…that is if you don't mind eating on the couch, I don't have a table."

He nodded, Sigyn looked at the blush that came across Anna's face and smiled a little. She really had a big crush on Steve.

"All right, then, we'll be over in a minute."

Anna painted on a smile and left them alone in the apartment. It wasn't until she was back in her own place and had laid Phillip safely in his crib that she began to feel a twinge of jealousy. She had thought she had gotten past the image of them riding off on his motorcycle early in the morning and coming back late that night. She had actually believed Sigyn when she said nothing was happening between them and they were just friends, but her gut told her something different. Sigyn knew she liked Steve, and Sigyn played the devastated widow very well, so it made sense that she would lie about their relationship.

As she made the plates of food in the kitchen, she looked out into the sparsely furnished living room, lit by the light of her small table top Christmas tree, which sat on the floor in a corner. She laughed to herself and shook her head at how absurd it looked, remembering when Steve lugged the huge box containing Sigyn's tree home from the store, and how Sigyn had offered to trade with her. It was obvious that she pitied her and why shouldn't she when she was beautiful and alluring, cool and lovable, and everything she wanted and things she claimed not to want, she got. She had the world at her feet, and Anna had nothing, and since she was so perfect and sweet she took pity on the poor little jobless single mother.

Anna figured she could not rightfully be angry with Sigyn, who had been kind to her Phillip since the day they met. But she could not ignore the resentment she was beginning to feel either and concluded that she would no longer accept the charity Sigyn offered. She would make her own way and pay her own rent, although she could think of only one way to keep Mr. Roberts off her back.

Steve came in with a large box in his hands, as Sigyn hugged her properly and wished her a merry Christmas. She unwrapped the box gingerly and gasped at the gift. Sigyn beamed and Steve looked amused. The black circular table had been on sale at the furniture store for months, but Anna could never do anything but admire it from afar; even things on sale cost money. She had mentioned it to Sigyn as they passed it in the window once months ago, right after they first met; she could not believe she remembered.

"You remembered…"

"Of course! I know how much you like to cook, and not having a table is no help with that. So, I bought it…The chairs are in my closet, we can get them while Steve puts the table together."

She nudged Steve; apparently she hadn't asked him before volunteering his services. He looked at her face and smiled, nodding that he would. Anna tried desperately to suppress an eye roll. They were both so attractive, and right now she could think of nothing more sickening than two impossibly attractive people sharing an adorable moment. Steve sat on the couch and opened the box, spreading the pieces of the table out and getting to work, Sigyn patted him on the shoulder as he tinkered away.

"Thanks Captain."

"No problem."

He winked at her, Anna cleared her throat and Sigyn turned away from Steve, but not before she could completely wipe the silly grin off her face. They walked into the apartment and Anna followed Sigyn to her closet. As Sigyn handed her one of the four chairs, Anna snatched it away from her. Sigyn decided to ignore it, figuring it was a mistake, but when it happened again on the second and third chair, she was a little annoyed and had to speak.

"Is there a problem Anna?"

"Should there be?"

"I don't know, you tell me, you are the one trying to rip my arm out of its socket with each chair. What's wrong?"

She knew how foolish she would sound to say anything about Steve, who had not shown one bit of interest in her, and so she tried her best to muster up some tears and lie.

"It's just….I appreciate all you've done for me, but I feel like I'm just taking and taking from you. I can never repay you for all you've done. I'm a failure as a mother…as an adult. I have to take charity to do everything…pay rent, by food, pay bills…I couldn't even buy gifts, because no one gave me money for that. I'm a grown person, I should have money of my own! I shouldn't have to depend on others, I should be able to provide for myself and my child! I'm a waste, I'm so tired of living like this."

She finished by covering her face and pretending to sob, astonished at the warm tears that ran down her face. Sigyn placed her arms around Anna, who rested her weeping head upon her shoulder and sniffed, rambling incoherently as Sigyn held her head and soothed her.

"There, there, Darling…you are not a failure, times are hard, that is all. You will be able to provide for yourself one day, until then its up to people who care about you, to care for you. It is no trouble. Oh sweet heart, I wish you would not cry. I hate to see you cry."

She hugged Sigyn back, and actually felt comforted by her words, although her jealousy was still very much there. She could not get past the fact that Sigyn was so obviously lying about her relationship with Steve. She had a pet name for him and everything and still would not admit that they were together. She wondered why she felt so compelled to lie…she wondered what it meant she was hiding.

She pushed Sigyn away suddenly and dried her eyes on the tissue she gave her. She tried not to notice how genuine the concern in her eyes was.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Sweetheart, I understand. Steve and I can leave if you don't feel up to having company."

"Steve and I?" she asked, feigning curiosity "Are you finally a couple?"

"No of course not."

She smiled and grabbed a chair in each hand. Anna watched her, trying to read her body language.

"You look pretty cozy together….you and 'Captain'."

Sigyn looked a little startled to hear Anna repeat the nickname, and although she recovered quickly from the initial shock, Anna read the look well. She had not meant for her to hear her call him that. Sigyn hurried the conversation along before she could ask any more questions.

"Well, I am comfortable with him, it's hard not to be; he is a perfect gentleman. But we are and all ways will be friends and nothing more."

"Never say always."

She mumbled, although Sigyn heard nothing as she carried the chairs out of the door and across the hall.

They enjoyed their dinner, and Anna decided not to ruin the evening by being in a bad mood. She actually felt like a carefree young woman again, Phillip was sound asleep in his crib and she had adult company there to speak to. She could curse and make crude jokes and best of all, turn off that insipid Sesame Street DVD her son watched over and over all day long. By the time they left Anna had flirted unsuccessfully with Steve, whose eyes seemed to always wander back to Sigyn. It was maddening. She thought about it as she washed the dishes, long after they had gone. She sat at her new kitchen table and sighed, the Christmas tree lights now the only lights in the room. Envy crept into her heart slowly but surely, and she began to plan just how she would be able to rid herself of ever needing Sigyn's charity again.

The cold and desolate landscape of Chitauri welcomed a reluctant yet satisfied Loki upon his return. The terrain was mountainous, with large planes of grey sand like earth between ranges. The citizens built their homes in the mountains or below the earth; the cities of Chitauri completely hidden from view of potential invaders. These warmongers were obsessed with defensive strategies, for war was all they knew; they were not inventive or creative creatures, any technological advances they had obtained they got from civilizations far more innovative than theirs. They were the scavengers of the realms, Loki presumed, feeding off the accomplishments of others like parasites. He entered his room within the chambers of The Other and immediately used his magic to line the walls of the room with mirrors which enabled him to see himself from every angle no matter where he stood. He also brightened the orbs of light which hovered near the ceiling of the room, so that he could see himself clearly. A knock at the door came and a Chitaurian servant entered with a message from the other and a tray of food. The food was the Chitaurians attempt to cook things he could eat, for these monstrous beings ate humans and other creatures they 'conquered', animals that inhabited their planet and - more often than not – each other. Their diet could be described in short as carnivorous and cannibalistic.

Loki had protested loudly and thrown his plate across the room, narrowly missing the head of The Other, upon the discovery that the meal they placed before him consisted of various parts of an elder statesman whose dying wish was to be served at the table of The Other. None of the Chitaurians present that day would ever forget the stream of expletives that flew from the mouth of the prince, and they all were grateful indeed that he had not eaten any of it before finding out what it was.

Since then, they did their utmost to research the cuisine of Asgard and feed Loki food he was accustomed to. They never quite got it right, everything they served him was the wrong color, the wrong texture, and smelled absolutely horrible. He did not trust these Chitaurian creatures; he was disgusted by them, and could not bring himself to eat their food. Therefore he would hold his hand over any meal they prepared for him until it disappeared, then with a wave of the very same hand replace it with something he could stomach. He was not often hungry, but understood that he needed to make himself eat; reasoning now that it could improve his appearance. He had been worried in the dim light of that earthly bathroom, but now in his brightly lit room taking in his full appearance he was a bit less worried. There was a wound on his forehead that had not yet fully healed, and he looked very tired, older than he had on Asgard. The bags under his eyes had grown as well. He looked thinner, if that were possible, and now that he thought about it, he didn't feel very well.

He wondered if he had ever fully recovered from what the council had done to bring him back from the dead. He knew the Chitauri were inept at magic, but he had faith in the council's abilities. He also knew it would be pointless to ask them about what had occurred; their loyalty to The Other would never allow them to give him a straight answer. So he wondered as he ate, coming to the conclusion that he needed to rest, and as he lay down he opened the note from The Other, which asked him to meet him the next morning at the summit of the council. Loki threw the card to the ground and closed his eyes, dismissing the request. He intended to sleep until he felt like waking, he had accomplished more than enough in regards to the cube and now intended to restore himself physically; he did not know how much longer he could stand for his reunion with Sigyn to be delayed.