**NOTICE: I will not be updating this weekend (February 23-24). I have a competition all day Saturday and a rather large amount of homework to do on Sunday, so I will not have time to write a new chapter. **

Sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. For some reason, I barely had any motivation to write over the weekend. This chapter is definitely not one of my favorites; I felt as though I had to force it out. But at least I posted something.

A few reviewers have pointed out to me that the Avengers in the last chapter seemed to know ahead of time that Loki had come back with Thanos. That was a mistake; I've gone back and fixed it.

Lastly, many people have wondered if the story is reaching an end. This chapter is definitely past the halfway point, but there is still a ways to go. I'm not finished tormenting you guys yet.

The moment Loki and Thanos disappeared, all hell broke loose on the battlefield. The combined forces of Asgard, Jotunheim, and Vanaheim surged forward, overwhelming the Chitauri. The fighting had barely recommenced before it was finished, with the last of the Chitauri surrendering out of sheer terror.

"Do not kill the prisoners," Frigga ordered, to the general disappointment of most of the Jotuns and a great deal of the Asgardians. "We will return them to their realm."

Helblindi, who had first asked the queen what was to be done with the surviving Chitauri, was shocked. "But they will only attack again!"

"No, they will not. They have no power, now that Thanos and the Mind Gem are taken from them."

Helblindi frowned. "You seem very sure of this."

"I have been queen for centuries. I may have learned a few things in my time. Besides, you have no cause to complain. You have had the Casket returned to you."

Helblindi glanced at the shimmering blue rectangle in his hand. "It should not have been taken in the first place."

"You should not have attacked Midgard, all those years ago," Frigga replied. "But enough of this. You have had your power restored, and we are allies. This is no time for petty bickering."

"Yes, Queen Frigga." Helblindi bowed and strode away, scowling darkly.

Frigga turned her attention to Odin, who was issuing orders to the uninjured Asgardian soldiers.

"-The Asgardians will be buried here. The Jotuns and soldiers of Vanaheim may care for their dead as they wish. As for the Chitauri, build a pyre. Their remains do not belong here."

The soldiers dispersed to carry out Odin's orders. The king sighed, exhaustion evident on his face. "Do you have news of Loki?" he asked as he followed his wife back toward the city.

"Heimdall told me that he returned to the abode of the mortal warriors, after Thanos took his own life."

"Thanos committed suicide?" Odin said, surprised.

Frigga frowned. "I believe Thanos was under the impression that Hela eagerly awaited his arrival."

"Does she?"

"Husband, do not think so low of Loki's children. I doubt Hela is pleased at Thanos' treatment of her father."

"You're right about that."

The king and queen turned to see a teenage girl - perhaps seventeen Midgardian years old - skipping toward them. Her clothing was predominantly black and leather; her hair and eyes bore an uncanny resemblance to Loki's.

"Who are you?" Odin asked, his grip on Gungnir tightening.

The girl bowed. "Hela Lokidaughter at your service, oh great and wise and benevolent Allfather. Do you like those adjectives or would you rather I use different ones?"

Frigga laughed and embraced Hela. "You are indeed very much like Loki. I am sorry we have not met before."

"Me too. You're a lot nicer than I expected. Although, the last time a met you," Hela nodded at Odin, "You did sort of take me from my father and threw me into Niflheim."

Odin's face reddened. "I am sorry for my actions."

"Thank you, that really helps. Now that we've taken care of the elephant in the room, this will be less awkward."

"What is it you wished to speak with us about?" Frigga asked.

"Oh, tons of things. How not to be racist towards Frost Giants, how to be good parents, how to decorate without using gold for everything, and so on. But we'll start with the important stuff. Odin, go down to Midgard and say sorry to Father."

Odin was taken aback at Hela's authoritative tone. "You cannot order me-"

"I just did," Hela said, unfazed. "Now get down there and apologize. I told Heimdall to have the Bifrost ready for you."

"Heimdall is not yours to command," Odin said curtly.

"Well, I just did that too."

Frigga smiled. "Go, husband. I think you and Loki have a great deal to discuss."

"Very well." Odin strode away towards the Bifrost, after giving Hela a somewhat indignant glare.

"I feel like Dr. Phil," Hela said brightly as she watched the king depart.

"Who is Doctor Phil?"

"Nevermind. You don't want to know. What I was going to say is that you will be pleased to hear that Thanos is settled in to his new home in Helheim."

Frigga raised her eyebrows. "His new 'home?'"

"Well... It's not exactly home sweet home. Let's just say he'll probably be spending the next few millenia chasing around what he thinks is the Tesseract."

"You have devised a punishment for him, then?"

"Several," Hela replied, grinning impishly. "I mean, he's literally going to be down there forever, and I wouldn't want him to get bored."

"I see." Frigga glanced over Hela's clothes. "I must admit, your appearance is not what I expected."

"Yours is exactly what I expected," Hela said. "No offense, but you guys really need some new fashion trends. You've been dressing like Ren fair geeks for thousands of years. At least the Midgardians like to change things up after a while."

"Like your father in every way," Frigga said with amusement. "Come with me. I will show you the palace."

"Oh, I've already been in there," Hela said brightly as she followed Frigga. "The realm of the dead does get pretty boring sometimes."

"You've been inside the palace?"

"And all around the city," Hela added. "I have quite a few disguises."

"Are you a shapeshifter?"

"Just like Father." Hela grinned. "Speaking of Loki, I have something to tell you. If he ever gets hurt like that again, I will burn Asgard to the ground."

Frigga raised her eyebrows. "Do not make a promise you cannot keep, child. Asgard is very powerful."

"Yeah, but I'm the goddess of death, so I'm pretty much invincible," Hela said lightly. "I do what I want. It's not like you can kill me."

"You would be a formidable enemy, I am sure," Frigga said with some amusement as they entered the palace. The guards hardly bothered to hide their staring as Hela strode through the golden halls.

"Famous last words," Hela said. "You don't want to see me angry. Believe me. I lost it once when Napoleon died and tried to take over Niflheim, and I haven't had any trouble with him since."

They had reached the throne room. Hela strode through the tall doors confidently, ignoring the shocked looks she received from the nobles and warriors inside.

"Queen Frigga," one of the council members said quickly, "who is she and what is her business here?"

"I'm the goddess of the dead," Hela said merrily. "Any questions?"

Stunned silence was the only response.

"Great." Hela rubbed her hands together. "First order of business. Do you guys have Wi-Fi?"

"Well," Tony said, glancing at the lifeless body of Thanos, "that's that. Anyone up for schawarma?"

Steve laughed and shook his head. "No, I think we should head back. Loki looks pretty tired."

Loki looked relieved. "Thank you, Steve."

"No problem. I'm just glad you're here." Steve gave Loki a small hug, careful not to hurt his back.

"I will admit, things got pretty boring without you," Clint said. He patted Loki on the shoulder. "Nice job standing up to Thanos."

"Ditto," Natasha added, giving Loki a short kiss on the cheek. The god of mischief blushed furiously, even more so when Tony snickered.

"Yeah, I - I'm glad you're alive..." Bruce said awkwardly. "I'm not very good at this, am I?"

Tony shook his head emphatically. "The Hulk is slightly more articulate. And Loki, is it okay if I kiss you too? I've been wanting to for weeks and-"

"No," Thor said quickly, raising Mjolnir.

"Hey, hey, just kidding."

"That's not what it looked like," Bruce replied, eyebrows raised. "Loki, we really should get you back to the tower. You look terrible."

"I'm fine," Loki muttered, though he shivered slightly.

"Yeah, right," Tony replied. "You look like - oh, crap." He scowled as a low hum in the sky announced the arrival of a SHIELD helicopter. Loki unconsciously moved closer to Thor as the aircraft descended and a tall man in a dark trench coat jumped to the ground.

"Well, I guess there isn't much left for me to do here," Fury said with a hint of amusement as he strode towards the group. "Who wants to fill out the incident report?"

"Nose goes," Tony said quickly, touching his nose with his armored finger.

"Why is your finger on your nose?" Thor asked in bewilderment. The others looked equally confused.

"Seriously, guys? You've never heard of 'nose goes?' When you say that, everyone has to touch their nose. The last person to do it is automatically volunteered for whatever unsavory task the others don't want to do."

Fury sighed. "Stark, this is no time for games. Write a report and have it to me by tomorrow morning." He turned to Loki, who involuntarily shrank back.

"It is all right, brother," Thor said quietly. "He has no ill intentions."

"That was quite an ordeal you went throught there." Fury said, his one eye regarding Loki with unexpected warmth. "Welcome back."

Loki's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly concealed it. "Thank you," he whispered shakily. His knees were trembling from the effort of standing.

"We should get you back to the tower," Steve said, frowning. "Are there any blankets on the Quinjet? You're shivering."

"No, no, I'm fine, I-" Loki winced as his burned feet throbbed angrily.

"Not buying it," Natasha said. "We'll take you back on the Quinjet."

"Good idea," Tony said, winking. "There's someone I want you to meet."

"Just a moment," Fury said. "What will you do with the body?" He pointed to the still form of Thanos.

Clint shrugged. "I'm sure SHIELD can find a good use for it."

"This is not our mess to clean up, Barton-"

"Yep, it is," Tony said quickly. "I write the report, you clean up. Bye-bye!"

Thor supported Loki as he limped to the Quinjet; when Loki cringed at a particularly sharp sting from his feet, the thunder god simply lifted him into his arms.

"Put me down, Thor - I can walk!" Loki cried indignantly.

"I am sorry; I did not hear you," Thor replied with a grin. Loki scowled, but allowed Thor to carry him onto the ship, where he was greeted with the unexpected sight of Steve holding a tiny kitten in his arms.

"What is that?" Loki asked in surprise as Thor set him down into one of the seats and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.

"It's a kitten we rescued," Steve said proudly as Tony rolled his eyes. "We named it Simba."

"Seriously?" Natasha muttered. Clint stifled a laugh.

"It is adorable!" Thor exclaimed, ignoring Tony's snort at his remark. "I do not think we have such creatures on Asgard."

Loki was watching the kitten with fascination. "Can I hold him?"

"Sure." Steve gently lowered the kitten onto Loki's lap. "Simba, this is Loki."

Simba purred loudly as Loki rubbed his neck. "I like him," Loki said, smiling.

"As do I," Thor declared. He extended a large hand toward Simba, only for the kitten to bite his finger rather hard. He jerked his hand back in surprise. "What a wicked, insolent creature-"

"I think he is very intelligent," Loki interrupted, scratching behind Simba's ears. The kitten purred even louder and nuzzled his arm.

"Whatever you say, brother," Thor huffed, sitting down next to Loki and keeping his hands away from Simba.

Tony grinned as he maneuvred the Quinjet onto the roof of Stark tower. "This is going to be interesting. Seriously, though, does anyone want schawarma?"

Pepper and Jane were nearly bursting with excitement when Thor helped Loki into the tower; Loki barely had time to recognize either before he was crushed in Pepper's tight embrace. She released him, sobbing, only for Jane to take her place.

"Yes - yes, I am glad to see you as well," Loki said breathlessly when Jane finally released him. "And my injuries are not bad. Do not allow me to impair your festivities."

The team didn't much encouragement to celebrate; Tony took the cue to announce that all alcohol in the tower was up for grabs and to order Jarvis to run through his playlist of 'party songs,' most of which contained lyrics that mortified Steve. Simba, who had been sniffing every inch of the sitting room with great interest, howled loudly when the music started and scampered away.

The joy of defeating Thanos was short-lived for Loki; he feigned cheerfulness, but was still gravely injured, and the strain was beginning to show, despite his best efforts to conceal it. Thor noticed, his smile disappearing as he caught sight of a grimace on his little brother's face.

"Loki?" he asked with concern. "Brother, are you all right?"

"Yes," Loki snapped, shifting so that his back was not pressed against the couch Thor had laid him on. "I'm fine, Thor."

"You may be the Liesmith, brother, but for now your talent seems to have deserted you," Thor said, hoping to see Loki smile. The god only winced as his back stung sharply.

"Hey, Reindeer Games, are you okay?" Tony asked, eyes slightly unfocused and a half-empty glass in his hand.

"There is no need to fuss," Loki said quickly. "I am well."

"No, you are not," Thor replied. "Stark, tell the others to continue their festivities. I will take Loki to your healing room."

"Whatever you say, Sparky." Tony hiccupped and walked away. "Who wants to play karaoke?"

Loki protested feebly as Thor lifted him up, careful not to aggravate the injuries on his back. "Really, Thor, there is no need-"

"Hush, brother," Thor interrupted as he climbed the stairs. "I can see that you are in pain."

They lapsed into a tense silence. The infirmary was dark and a little cold when they entered; Thor gently laid Loki down on one of the beds before turning on the lights and asking Jarvis to make the room warmer. He then found some towels, water, and a large supply of bandages.

"Let me see your back," Thor said as he lowered himself onto the bed next to Loki. The god of mischief grimaced.

"It's... not as bad as it looks," he said tensely as he rolled onto his side and pulled away the blanket. Loki cringed at Thor's cry of horror. "Thor, please..."

"Loki!" Thor choked, appalled by the sight of his brother's tattered back, his blood chilling in his veins.

The younger god gritted his teeth in frustration. "It's not as bad as you think, Thor, it hardly hurts-"

"Stop," Thor said shakily, cursing himself for being such an idiot. He'd known Loki was still hurt, but had forgotten it along with the others in the euphoria of defeating Thanos. And Loki, displaying his usual stubborn pride, had not said a word. "I am sorry, brother. I should have tended to your injuries earlier."

"I am not a child," Loki snapped. "I - ow!" he whined as Thor touched a wet towel to his back, gingerly wiping away the dried blood. "Norns, Thor, that hurts!"

Thor winced. "You know I have no great skill with healing."

"That is apparent," Loki said with obvious irritation, body stiff and tense as Thor dabbed at his back.

"Why are you so angry, brother? Are you not pleased that Thanos is dead?"

Loki closed his eyes, sighing. "I am glad that he is gone."

"Then what troubles you so?" Thor asked, carefully covering Loki's back with white bandages.

"Apart from the fact that I feel as though I have been flayed alive? Nothing," Loki said crossly. "Really, Thor, I thought your powers of deduction greater than this."

Thor knew that Loki was attempting to irritate him, but the joy at having his little brother back far outweighed any annoyance at his antics. "Loki, I do not know what is bothering you, but whatever it is, you can tell me."

Loki was quiet for several minutes before replying. Thor had bandaged the wounds from the whipping and had moved to applying a salve on his seared feet before Loki spoke. "Thor - do you think Odin is angry with me?"

Thor looked up in shock. "Of course not, brother! What a silly notion." Loki blinked and looked away, ashamed. Thor mentally kicked himself. "Forgive me. I should not have said that."

"It is nothing," Loki said in a small voice, still not meeting Thor's eyes.

Sighing, the god of thunder set down the bottle of salve, cleaned his hands on a towel, and pulled up a chair next to Loki. "I said that you could tell me what troubled you, and then I chided you for it. The fault is mine, and I apologize. Why are you worried about Father?"

Loki swallowed, eyes fixed on the ground. "He may not think my crimes fully punished-"

"That is impossible," Thor said firmly, gently turning Loki's face so that the younger god's eyes were forced to meet his. "Father may sometimes be misguided, but he is not cruel. He has forgiven you, I am sure of it. And even if he has not, he will have to contend with me before he can lay a hand on you."

Loki smiled weakly. "Thank you, brother."

"It is nothing," Thor replied, grinning. He reached over to pick up a towel and begin wiping the blood and grime from Loki's face, but was stopped by a stifled gasp from his brother. "Loki, what is it?"

The voice that answered trembled with fear. "Behind you..."

Thor turned to see Odin standing in the door of the infirmary. He rose to greet the king, but was stopped as Loki suddenly gripped his arm, pulling him closer.

"There is nothing to fear, my son," Odin said gently, his one eye regarding Loki kindly. "I come not to harm you."

Loki shook his head, shrinking back. "No, no, no - please, stay away from me - Thor, tell him not to come any closer-"

"Brother, he means you no ill," Thor said, perplexed. "Why are you afraid?"

Loki swallowed thickly as Odin walked towards the bed. "Thor..."

"All is well, Loki," Odin said softly. "Thor, if you could give us a moment...?"

Thor nodded, turning to leave.

"Thor, please!" Loki cried, his face white with terror. "Do not leave me!"

Thor stopped, torn between obeying his father's command and assuaging Loki's fear. "Brother, I will be right outside, but I assure you, Father only wishes to speak with you."

Loki hestitated, deliberately avoiding Odin's gaze. "Are you sure?"

Thor glanced at Odin. "That is your intention, is it not?"

The Allfather nodded, placing a comforting hand on Loki's shoulder. His face fell slightly when Loki cringed violently, moving to the far side of the bed and regarding him with terror. "Loki, I swear by the Nine Realms that I will do you no harm."

Loki felt for his magic. It was not fully replenished; there was not enough to fight Odin, or to heal all his wounds, but perhaps enough to hide himself and call for help, should the need arise... "Very well," he said tensely.

Thor smiled encouragingly before backing out of the room and shutting the doors. Loki winced a little at the sound, keeping his eyes on the ground as Odin sat in the chair next to the bed.

"To begin with," the king said softly, "I ask your forgiveness."

"Why?" Loki asked, taken aback. This was not what he had expected from the high and mighty Allfather.

"For being such a poor father," Odin replied, his voice heavy with sadness. "For abandoning you when you fell from the Bifrost. For handing you over to the Chitauri. For allowing you to suffer such agony for the sake of Asgard."

A great tide of emotion swelled in Loki. This was what he had wanted for so many years, was it not? What he had dreamed of after every injustice, after every time he had seen Thor praised and favored while he himself was ignored? Had he not dreamed of this moment for centuries? Blinking against the tears glistening in his eyes, Loki attempted to retreat behind his old mask of cold venom. "You cannot possibly atone for - for everything - you cannot know..." Loki wiped his eyes with a shaking hand, his voice catching in his throat.

Odin lowered his gaze. "I know, my son. You have suffered more than any being ever should. Most is through my thoughtless errors. I know that nothing I say can possibly atone for my mistakes, but I intend to repay you in every way possible for the wrongs you have endured. Let us start afresh, Loki."

Loki clenched his jaw, willing himself to remain calm. "Words will not undo what has already transpired, Allfather," he snarled. "Too much has happened to be simply washed away by an apology and an empty assurance."

"I know." Odin sighed. "All I ask of you, Loki, is a chance to redeem myself. I do not deserve it, but I wish to see you made whole again, without the burden of anger and hate."

Loki cursed his tears and his shaking hands. He gripped the sheets so hard that his knuckles turned white, rage and desperation fighting a fierce battle in his heart. "I - you do not know - what you ask."

"Yes, I do. I am asking that you, after centuries of pain and grief, allow the source of that suffering to be forgiven. I am well aware that such a favor from you is not deserved. But you have a good heart, Loki, and I trust that your decision, whatever it may be, will be right."

Loki could feel his control slipping. He stubbornly pushed the burning tears from his eyes, afraid that Odin would see his weakness.

"Do not be ashamed," Odin said gently. "You have done nothing wrong."

"You lie," Loki said hoarsely. "You know I am a criminal."

"You are my son." Odin pulled Loki in his arms, painstakingly careful not to aggravate his injuries. "Above all else, you are my son. And it was no criminal who stood before Thanos and defied him until the very end. You are brave, Loki; brave and noble and good. I am sorry that I never told you so; much pain might have been avoided if I had given you the same love and adoration that I did to Thor. But what is done, is done, and you have proved yourself to be far more enduring and courageous than any in Asgard."

Loki raised his eyes to see Odin looking down at him with more tenderness and affection than he had ever thought the Allfather capable of. An old hope stirred within him, a hope that had been suppressed and forgotten for centuries. "Do you love me?" he whispered, his voice hardly more than a breath.

The words broke the old king's heart. "I do, Loki. More than words can ever express."

"Then why?" Loki said pleadingly. "Why did you send me to the Chitauri?"

"I thought it was the lesser of two evils," Odin said wearily. "I thought I could placate Thanos by giving you to him, and thus save the Nine Realms from war. I was afraid, too, to face you. The destruction on Midgard was not a result of your failure, but mine. If you were out of my sight, I thought I could forget. I forced myself to believe that you were guilty and that it was a just punishment. How wrong I was... I cannot even begin to say how greatly I regret my actions."

"You would not have done the same to Thor."

Odin bowed his head. "You are right, Loki. I would not have."

"For all those years..." Loki said miserably. "You said you loved me, but Thor... Thor always... He was always your favorite. I never mattered."

"You did matter, my son. You always mattered."

"Then - then why did I think you hated me? Why was it Thor who received all of your praise? Why did you never notice me, when I tried so hard to please you? I never really wanted the throne..."

"Loki..." Odin felt the weight of his sins pressing on his shoulders; years of neglect and indifference manifesting themselves in a son who could not believe in his love. "I cannot explain my actions other than to say that I was a fool who did not know how to be a good father. I let myself be swayed by the customs of Asgard, the traditions that glorified Thor's prowess in battle and condemned your love of magic. I allowed myself to be persuaded that you were inferior, both because of your heritage and because you did not conform to the standards expected of Asgardian royalty. The fault is mine; it was never yours. I always loved you, but I was simply too prejudiced to see that my actions were harmful and that you were the one suffering. There is no excuse for what I have done."

Loki sniffed, drying his eyes as Odin stroked his hair. "I will try to forgive you," he said tiredly.

"Thank you," Odin replied warmly. "Thank you, Loki. It is more than I deserve."

"There's something else," Loki said tentatively, glancing at Odin.

"What is it, my son? You can ask me anything," Odin replied kindly.

"When you defeated Laufey, and you found me in the temple..." Loki paused for a moment. "Why? Why didn't you leave me to die?"

Odin's forehead creased. "You were an innocent baby. I could not leave you there in the cold."

"No Jotun is innocent," Loki said, though there was doubt in his voice. "I was - am - the son of your greatest enemy. No one would have thought twice if you had abandoned me as my father had."

"Loki, I want you to understand something. Asgard has been tainted by a hatred for the Jotuns for centuries, and I admit that I have only worsened the problem. There is no difference between an Asgardian and a Jotun other than the color of their skin and their preferred climate. No Jotun is inferior to any Asgardian by virtue of his race, you least of all. And while Laufey may be your father by blood, I am your father by deed. I raised you, even if I did so poorly. You are as much my son as Thor is. Never forget that."

"What about my children?" Loki whispered. "Are they not monsters?"

Odin bowed his head with regret at the memory of the harsh anger he had displayed towards Loki's children. "They will be free from their bonds," he said heavily.

"All of them?"

"Yes."

"I am sure Hela will be pleased to know," Loki replied. "Though she hasn't obeyed any of your rules for centuries now."

Odin smiled faintly. "You have been a better father than I, it seems."

"As if that was any great challenge."