Lovely Mishap: Sorry I made you cry! I should have posted a warning or something!

TheDeductionist: I actually quite enjoy reading rambles. It helps me understand what's happening in your mind:) Sorry (again!) that I made you cry! You'll figure all that stuff out and more!

sakiko of soleana: *hands you a tissue and pats your back* There, there, friend.

Ynath Esrith: Yeah I feel ya there pal. Odin did far too little too late. The nice thing about Loki is that he forgives him. That's my favorite quality about Loki is that he's so loving and so forgiving.

PenguinBandit523: I'm sorry! Well, yes the story is wrapping up (I'll get to that in my notes at the end of the chapter). I hope you've been enjoying it and continue to enjoy it!

randomKittyX3: Here is the update my dear! :D


ONE STEP FORWARD, FOUR STEPS BACK

A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE: Moving On

The day following elder-Loki's death found Thor and Jane buying a plot of land to bury him in. There wasn't anything fancy about it. It was just a ten foot long, six foot deep hole in the ground. Just what elder-Loki wanted. Jane asked about a tombstone and Thor said elder-Loki wouldn't have wanted one. When she insisted, Thor said that there should be no name, but an engraving.

"What should we have engraved on it?" Jane asked.

"Put on it, 'We do not have history, but stories'." Thor told her.

"Are you sure you don't want to put anything about gods on it?" Jane questioned. Thor nodded.

"Aye. This is a public place. People wouldn't fully understand. My brother would have wanted people to understand." Thor explained. Jane nodded.

"You got it," she said, continuing to fill out paper work.

Once elder-Loki had been buried, things seemed as normal as they could get. Tony had surprised Thor and Loki with a plot of land that he had bought for them. He wanted to build a house for them there and Thor agreed. After he had presented him with the deed and the plans were agreed on, Tony and Pepper left for New York. Bruce went to S.H.I.E.L.D. to see if there was any work to be done there (so long as Fury wasn't his supervisor). If that didn't work out, Bruce planned on living nearby so that he could visit Loki whenever he wanted. Loki's tutoring had continued, but the boy had a real desire to go to public school. Thor contacted Odin and Odin was going to visit to talk about it the Friday, a mere three days, after elder-Loki had passed.

Friday came and Loki was giddy with excitement. After talking about "adult things" Odin had promised to spend the afternoon with him. Loki couldn't wait to see his father again. He had so much catching up to do and Loki couldn't wait to get started. The little boy was fumbling with his clothes, acting like a teenage girl before a date. He wanted to look…well, he really didn't know how he wanted to look. He only knew he was nervous and excited at the same time and the nerves were preventing him from doing anything semi-productive. Thor came in to check on him and found clothes scattered everywhere, little shirts flying through the air.

"Loki? What is going on?" Thor asked. Loki grabbed a shirt and turned around, holding it to his chest.

"D'you think this is okay? I don' know what t' wear." Loki said. Thor rolled his eyes playfully at him.

"Didn't Jane lay your clothes out for you?" Thor asked. Loki shrugged.

"I can' 'member. I made a real big mess now." Loki replied.

"Loki, I can assure that whatever you wear shall be fine. Now, let's get dressed. I'm sure I can coordinate and outfit just as well as Jane can." Thor said. Loki giggled.

"I dunno Thor. E'ery time you pick out my clothes they ne'er match." Loki teased. Thor scowled playfully at him.

"That's not true," Thor said, digging through the piles of clothes. Loki shook his head.

"Uh-huh," Loki replied. He began to pick up the clothes he had scattered across the room. Meanwhile Thor was busy picking out something for the boy to wear. He was determined to prove to Loki that he could in fact pick out a decent outfit for him to wear. What Thor failed to see was that Loki would think the outfit to be decent no matter what it was because Thor had picked it.

After Loki was dressed, he and Thor left the room and went to eat breakfast. It would just be Jane, Thor and Loki this morning. Jane had given Erik and Darcy the day off so they could rest after all that madness. They took it graciously of course, Darcy exclaiming something about Tumblr when she heard the good news. Loki was slightly depressed that Bruce wasn't around anymore. He had grown very close to Bruce during their time in prison together and he hated to see Bruce go. Loki knew it was probably selfish of him to think this way, but Loki hoped that Fury would be his supervisor at S.H.I.E.L.D. so Bruce would come back. Loki loved the idea of Bruce living near enough to visit whenever he could. The boy sighed as Thor brought him his little sippy-cup full of apple juice (Loki had been spilling lately so he had to endure the sippy-cup for a while just in case) and sat it on the table. Thor knew something was troubling him and was worried that it was due to Odin's visit.

"Is all well?" Thor asked. Loki shrugged.

"I miss Uncle Bruce. I wan' him t' live here fore'er." Loki replied, his fork poking his pancake.

"I know you miss him, but it would be selfish of us to force him to stay. We must allow him to follow his own path in life." Thor told him gently.

"Yeah I guess," Loki said softly.

"Want me to cut your pancake up for you? We can put peanut butter on it." Thor asked. Loki smiled and nodded eagerly.

"Yes please! I love peanut butter on my pancakes Thor!" Loki exclaimed as Thor leaned over and took his plate. Thor smiled at the bouncing little boy and patted Loki's head with his free hand.

"I know you do," Thor laughed. Jane came in as Thor was preparing Loki's pancake and sat down at the table.

"Good morning buddy," Jane said happily.

"G' mornin' Miss Foster," Loki replied eagerly. Jane smiled at the boy's enthusiasm, though she didn't know what he was so excited about.

"What are you so happy about this morning?" she asked. Loki giggled.

"Well, Thor's cuttin' up my pancake an' puttin' peanut butter on it for me. Then daddy's comin' t' talk t' Thor an' he's gonna play with me after!" Loki told her excitedly, bouncing slightly in his seat. Jane laughed at him lightly. Loki could be so cheerful and funny sometimes.

"You sure are excited," she commented. Loki nodded eagerly.

"Uh-huh. I don' get t' see daddy tha' much!" Loki said. Thor placed the food in front of Loki, the boy squealing when he saw it.

"Thank you Thor!" Loki cried happily, picking his fork up and stabbing a little piece of pancake with it. Thor chuckled at him.

"You are very welcome little brother," Thor said, beginning to eat himself. Loki hummed as he ate, peanut butter smearing everywhere as he did so.

After breakfast, Jane was keeping an eye on Loki while Thor prepared for Odin's arrival. Though this visit was much less formal and nerve-wracking than the last, Thor still found it important to be prepared for anything. Loki wanted to help of course, but Thor suggested gently that Loki should play instead. The boy pouted of course, but reluctantly agreed. He took his favorites to Jane's lab and sat on the floor in front of his desk. He grabbed the plastic lion and snake and without thinking reached out to hand the snake to someone.

"Bjarte, you're gonna be the snake," Loki said offhandedly, his memory failing him. He still didn't fully understand death at five and he couldn't grasp the fact that elder-Loki wasn't coming back. This was the first time, however, that Loki had spoken out loud to his now deceased friend since his death. Loki sighed.

"Bjarte," Loki repeated, turning to look his friend in the face. He couldn't see him. Loki stood up and toddled to Jane, patting her leg.

"What's up Loki," she said not looking at him.

"I can' find Bjarte. Where is he?" Loki asked. Jane sighed and looked down sadly at him. She had hoped that since Loki hadn't asked about elder-Loki the past three days that he had accepted that he was dead. Clearly she was wrong. She had warned Thor against not letting Loki come to elder-Loki's burial. Jane told him that watching elder-Loki go into the ground in a coffin might help him understand that he wasn't coming back. But Thor had insisted that Loki stay with someone when the burial occurred. He didn't want Loki to be as upset as he was the night he had died. It wasn't lying or keeping things from him by any means. Thor never said where elder-Loki went and Loki never asked. The boy must have assumed that his Bjarte was coming back. Jane hauled Loki on to her lap and began stroking his hair.

"Loki, do you know what dying means?" she asked gently. She could feel Loki tense up a bit.

"Not really, Miss Foster," Loki admitted after some time. He paused and then continued, "Is it like a real long nap?"

"Sort of; death is when you go to sleep and you never wake up again." Jane explained.

"Really? Ne'er again?" Loki asked.

"Never again. Dead means they will never wake up. It means they are gone forever. When a person dies, you will never talk to them again, never see them again and you'll never play with them again. They're dead. Do you understand?" Jane told him gently. Loki sniffled loudly.

"So where's Bjarte?" Loki whispered.

"Oh baby," Jane said softly, "he died. I'm sure you remember. He got sick and then one day he didn't wake up. Thor and I went out after that day to buy a place to bury him. The day after that Thor, Bruce, Tony, Pepper and I all left and you spent the day with my parents. Remember?" Loki's bottom lip trembled, tears forming in his eyes.

"So he's ne'er comin' back?" Loki asked. Jane nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry buddy," she replied. Loki let out a sob and Jane pulled him in closer.

"I don' wan' him t' be dead! Who's gonna play with me?" Loki cried miserably.

"Baby nobody ever wants people to die but it happens. It's a part of life, Loki. It hurts for a little while, but it'll be okay." Jane cooed.

"But he was my first friend!" Loki wailed. Jane sighed and began to rub his back soothingly.

"I know honey, I know. You'll make more friends. It's okay to miss Bjarte and to be sad, though." Jane told him.

"I am sad," Loki sniffled.

"I know. Just sit on my lap. Maybe it'll make you less sad." Jane said. Loki sniffled again. He couldn't believe elder-Loki was gone forever. He knew he would probably see elder-Loki again in either Valhalla or Hel when he died, but that was a long, long time. Loki didn't want to wait that long to see elder-Loki again.

"I wan' Thor," Loki hiccupped.

"He's busy right now, remember?" Jane asked gently.

"I wan' Thor!" Loki cried. Jane sighed.

"Loki, don't yell at me or I'll put you in time out," Jane threatened, though she hated doing so. Loki was upset, but he needed to learn that yelling at others wasn't a good way to tell people that you were upset.

"I wan' Thor now!" Loki demanded. Jane stood up and carried Loki to the corner. She placed him on the floor and made him face the corner.

"Loki, stand here for five minutes and calm down. You aren't supposed to yell." Jane scolded lightly. Loki quit crying for a moment. Jane began walking away and Loki began whimpering. She glanced back and saw him shaking slightly. This was what she was afraid of; Loki hadn't been punished at all since his transformation. She knew he probably wouldn't understand discipline after what he had been through. The poor boy was probably scared out of his wits right now, with Odin being in the house. To Loki, there was no telling what his father would do if he knew he was in trouble since Odin was the one that sent him to prison in the first place.

"Loki," Jane called softly. Loki flinched violently and began crying again. Jane sighed and walked over. She squatted down to his level and saw numerous tears pouring from his eyes.

"'M s'rry," Loki cried softly, not meeting her eyes.

"I know you are. Loki, you can't yell and expect to get what you want. That's all I'm trying to teach you. I'm not trying to be mean or hurt you. Do you understand?" Jane explained gently. Loki shook his head.

"No," he replied.

"Loki, no one will ever hurt you again. If you get in trouble, we will not hit you, beat you or call you names. We will not punish you for the fun of it, nor will we do it to be mean to you. If you get in trouble it's because you broke a rule or you did something that could get you or someone else hurt. We will not change the rules randomly on you. You are safe here." Jane told him.

"I don' believe you. I wan' Thor!" Loki cried. Jane picked him up and rubbed his back.

"Please don't cry. You'll see Thor soon, I promise. He's talking with your daddy, remember?" Jane told the boy, who wasn't really listening.

"I wan' Thor!" Loki repeated. Jane knew that this time she'd have to give in.

When Jane reached the kitchenette, she saw that the discussion was going peacefully which was a good sign. She cautiously walked, Loki in her arms. Neither man noticed them enter; they were too engrossed by their conversation. From Jane caught of it, they were trying to find a way to grant Thor and Loki citizenship and they were working out whether or not their real names could be used. She really hated to interrupt, but Loki was reaching hysterics and she couldn't calm him.

"Excuse me?" she said. They both looked up and saw Loki in her arms.

"Is all well?" Odin questioned. Before Jane could answer, Thor was standing in front of her.

"Hand him to me," Thor said. Jane did so and handed Loki to Thor.

"Thor," Loki cried softly.

"Shh…it's alright Loki. I'm here now." Thor cooed. Odin gave Jane a look and Jane quickly explained what was going on. The man sighed and put his face in his hands.

"I now see how badly I have wronged Loki," Odin admitted. Jane sat next to him.

"It can be fixed, sir," Jane encouraged. A dark chuckle emitted from Odin's throat.

"I suppose," he mused, "but the road to that life is narrow and difficult. I fear for Loki's sanity." Jane blinked.

"Sanity? Are you still afraid that he'll end up like elder-Loki?" There was a pause.

"I fear that I have ruined the second chance given to him so graciously by the Norns. I fear that one day he will fall down the same path because of how I have done him wrong." Odin told her. Jane glanced over to Thor, who was slowly calming Loki down. A small giggle sounded and Jane smiled.

"I don't think so, sir. I think Loki will turn out fine this time around." Jane said.

"And why do you think so lass?" Odin inquired. Jane shrugged.

"I just know. I can't explain it. He's different, changed. Things will be different, I know it." Jane explained poorly.

The conversation died after that. Odin had no more to say to her. He doubted her words highly. Guilt like he had never felt was very present and active in his life. He had wounded the boy, possibly beyond repair. It was clear that Loki was broken and that brokenness was Odin's fault. He had never felt such guilt for he had never wronged one of his sons like this. The only thing that gave Odin hope was Loki's temperament. Loki didn't seem to hold a grudge against Odin. The boy only seemed to feel hurt by it, but not anger or hatred. He only wanted to be a family. Odin was willing to try if it meant saving Loki from a path of destruction. "Daddy?"

Odin blinked. His thoughts were broken by Loki's voice. He swung his head around and saw Loki standing before him, his hands hidden behind his back. "Yes Loki?" Loki raised and lowered his shoulders, his gaze on his feet.

"Um, well, are you done talkin' t' Thor? 'M real 'cited 'bout spendin' the day with you. I got lots t' tell you." Loki said softly, never meeting Odin's eye. Odin smiled sadly and placed his fingers under Loki's chin. He raised Loki's face slowly and saw fear shinning in the boy's eyes. Fear of rejection. Fear of abandonment. Fear of never being good enough.

"Of course we are done talking," Odin said. Thor gave him a look, but Odin kept speaking. "I was just about to tell you to put your shoes on." Loki's face shone brightly and he darted away.

"Father, we never reached an agreement on the boy's schooling," Thor said. Odin waved his hand.

"Yes I know. We shall talk more about it later. I have kept Loki waiting long enough." Odin said. Thor raised a brow but said nothing. That didn't sound like something Odin would say. The old man had always put duty first. But now it seemed Loki was more of a priority. It was extremely odd.

Loki came running in after that, carrying his shoes in his hands. He climbed on to Odin's lap and shoved his shoes in Odin's face. Odin took the shoes in confusion and glanced down to see a foot in his face. He scowled at the foot and said, "I thought I told you to put your shoes on. Who said I would do it for you?" Loki flashed a grin.

"I can' tie my shoes, daddy. I need you t' do it." Loki explained.

"Oh," Odin said, "in that case I would be honored to tie your shoes for you princeling if you put them on your feet by yourself." Loki nodded and took the shoes. One by one, the shoes slipped on the boy's tiny feet. Odin hunched over and began tying the shoes, Loki watching the whole time.

"Maybe you coul' teach me 'ow t' tie shoes," Loki said as Odin finished the last knot.

Nodding Odin replied, "Perhaps I could." Loki squirmed.

"Where are we goin' daddy?" he asked. Odin grinned.

"I want that to be a surprise," Odin said with a wink. Loki groaned, but a smile was playing on his face.

"'Kay," he said, sliding off of Odin's lap. He toddled over to Thor and gave him a hug. "Bye-bye Thor." Thor kissed the boy's head.

"Good bye Loki. Have fun with father." Thor said. Loki giggled.

"'Kay," he said happily, darting over to the door to wait. Jane walked over to Odin and attempted to hand him a backpack. With a raised brow Odin stared at it.

"What is this for?" Odin asked.

"It's a bag for anything you might need while you're out with Loki. There's money, bus passes, his little goat, and extra clothes just in case." Jane explained. Odin let out a mighty laugh.

"I will not be needing that lass! Loki is a son of Odin! We do not need Midgardian money, or the passes of entry to what you call a bus." Odin said. Without thinking, Jane rolled her eyes.

"Sir with all due respect, Loki is a five year old boy and a traumatized one at that. If you want to go anywhere, you'll need to ride a bus since you can't drive. Believe me when I say you'll need this stuff." Jane said, shoving the backpack into Odin's arms. Thor was just watching the interaction and fighting the urge to laugh. They both were too stubborn. Much to Thor's surprise, Odin slung the bag around his back with a scowl on his face.

"I shall bring it, but we will not need it. No trouble shall arise while Loki is with me." Odin declared walking away. Once he was out of ear shot, both Thor and Jane burst out laughing.

Loki was practically bursting with excitement by the time he and Odin left Jane's laboratory. He couldn't stop chattering, not that Odin really cared. It had been far too long since he and Loki had talked without tension or arguing. That aside, he really didn't want to risk not only ruining this day, but ruining his relationship with Loki a second time over. He had made that mistake once and he wasn't about to make it again. Loki of course was putting little effort into the relationship at all, seeing as he thought all was well just the way that it was. It wasn't of course, but Odin didn't want to crush Loki's overly optimistic spirit. The boy was happy and that was good enough for Odin. For now anyway.

Loki was gripping Odin's hand as he led the boy through the streets. Odin was determined to prove to Jane that he didn't need the services Midgard had to offer. They had been walking for quite some time, Loki's feet beginning to ache. He didn't want to complain, but the urge was growing stronger and stronger. The road seemed endless to a boy so small and Odin had showed no inclination of stopping anytime soon. Finally Loki had the courage to ask, "Where are we goin'?" Odin glanced downward at him.

"I told you that it was a surprise," Odin replied. Loki huffed a little and crossed his arms in an obvious pout.

"I don' mean t' be rude, but my feet hurt," Loki informed him sourly.

"We shall be arriving soon, Loki. Patience is key." Odin scolded lightly. Loki groaned.

"Daddy!"

"Loki! Do not complain or we will go back to the laboratory!" Odin chided. Loki's bottom lip trembled.

"S'rry daddy," he whimpered. Odin sighed in regret and scooped the boy up.

"If your feet hurt, I shall carry you the rest of the way," Odin said gently. Loki sighed contently and surrendered to Odin's embrace for the first time since his transformation so many months ago.

The destination Odin had picked out was on Asgard. Loki was ecstatic to return, having not been home in months. Frigga greeted them as did Heimdall, the gate keeper commenting how he was certain that the boy had grown at least three inches since the last time he saw him. Loki giggled in response and denied all claims of growth. Deep down of course Loki would have loved to have grown, but he knew that he had remained the same height his entire existence. Odin finally revealed that he and Loki were going horseback riding. When Loki heard he squealed in excitement, thanking Odin over and over again. Horseback riding was one of his favorite activities.

Odin took Loki to the stables and they looked at the horses for a while. Loki loved looking at the horses and was delighted when Odin picked him up so he could pet the snout of the horses in each stall. Once every snout had been petted, they picked out horses to ride. Loki picked a young stallion named Anvindr. Anvindr was a black horse with few white patches on his flank. The only considerable white patch was on his left flank. This patch faced the ground and Loki swore it looked like a cat. Odin helped Loki to guide Anvindr out of the stable and lifted Loki on to the horse before mounting his own.

"Now," Odin said while making sure Loki had a good grip on the saddle and reigns, "remember to stay calm at all times as to not spook your horse. Hold on with both hands at all times and always stay near me. If you fall off, try not to move until I tell you it is safe to do so. Don't try anything that you think you may not be able to do. Understand?" Loki nodded.

"Uh-huh," Loki replied, "Thor tol' me the same stuff when I wen' with him b'fore."

"That's good. You are thoroughly prepared to ride. Remember to stay close to me." Odin said. Loki nodded and grabbed the reigns tighter. Odin kicked the horse into motion and began slowly trotting away. Loki rubbed Anvindr's neck and glanced up.

"'Kay An'indr, you can go now. I don' wan' t' kick you 'cause I think tha's mean." Loki told the horse. Anvindr whinnied and shook his ears. Loki sat silently for a moment. Finally, Anvindr began to move, trotting slowly behind Odin's horse. Loki squealed a little and commanded Anvindr to speed up so that he could catch up to Odin.

"Not too fast Loki," Odin warned gently. Loki nodded and commanded Anvindr to slow in order to match Odin's pace.

"'Kay daddy," Loki replied. Odin smiled at him and they continued down the trail.

The afternoon went splendidly. They rode horseback until four thirty, only stopping when Loki mentioned being hungry. Odin asked if Loki would like to eat on Asgard and Loki eagerly answered yes. It had been far too long since Loki had a decent meal on Asgard. So they stabled their horses, Loki saying good-bye and kissing Anvindr on the nose before leaving. Loki took Odin's hand and walked beside him. Loki had chattered incessantly during the afternoon, informing Odin of all he had missed in the past few months. The boy's favorite thing to talk about was how he lost a tooth. He made sure that Odin got a good look at it and talked about how he lost it a dozen times. Learning to read was also a big conversation piece for Loki. He was so proud of himself and Odin seemed proud too. Loki was absolutely thrilled when Odin offered to let Loki ride on his shoulders. Once Loki was settled, Odin patted the boy's leg and Loki responded with a swift kiss on the cheek.

"I love you daddy," Loki said, resting his head on Odin's. Odin was stunned to silence for a moment, unsure of what to do or say. This simple statement from Loki had stunned him like this twice now. It was hard for him to comprehend that Loki still loved him despite all he put the boy through.

"I love you too," Odin finally replied. He could only hope Loki believed him.

Dinner was a long, noisy affair that Loki disliked greatly. It wasn't what Loki had hoped for. Loki wanted to eat with just Frigga and Odin but instead found himself on Odin's lap in the great hall. It was the most crowded place Loki had been in and it was making him nervous. Everyone was staring right at him, hate or distrust in their gaze; sometimes both. Loki squirmed on Odin's lap, not eating at all. He really hated the look Sif was giving him. Frigga noticed Loki's distress and gestured for Odin to hand him to her. Odin did so and Loki quickly crawled on to Frigga's lap, his back facing the rest of the hall. With a hand near his mouth, Loki strained his neck so his lips were near Frigga's ear and whispered, "They keep starin' at me mummy." There was obvious strain in the boy's voice as the words left his mouth. Frigga sighed and began to run fingers through his hair.

"I know love," she replied softly. Loki glanced backward then quickly hid his face again.

"I wanna go home," Loki sniffled, tears filling his eyes, "I wanna see Thor. I don' like it here." Frigga glanced over to Odin, but Odin seemed too preoccupied to deal with Loki.

"Loki, be a good boy and try to eat something," Frigga prompted, turning him around. Loki didn't like that one bit.

"No!" Loki screamed, his legs kicking furiously. "I wan' t' go home!"

"You are home," Frigga replied calmly.

"No 'm not!" Loki yelled back, tears spilling over. "Home is where Thor is! Home is where I don' get h'rt! I got h'rt here! This isn' home!" Odin had taken notice of Loki now. Everyone had. There wasn't an eye that was looking away from Loki. The gazes still burned with hatred and anger. And Loki knew it.

"Son, I am sorry," Odin started. The boy began to sob, Frigga trying her best to soothe him.

"It's alright. No one will hurt you again, Loki. I will not allow it." Frigga told him.

"I don' belie'e you!" Loki sobbed. "I heard tha' from Thor an' Jane an' all sorts of grown-ups an' I still got h'rt! Nobody likes me! 'M always gonna not be liked 'cause of my old self! 'M always gonna get h'rt!" The room was quiet save Loki's ragged breathing and sobs. So much hurt, so many broken promises and so much resentment. Loki had a valid point. Not a logical one, but to him it made perfect sense. He never understood S.H.I.E.L.D. or agreements or treaties. Loki never really understood the inner workings of what was going on around him. All he knew was pain and hatred. And it was all Odin's fault.

"Enough, Loki. We are going back to Midgard. You obviously cannot handle this right now." Odin said, taking Loki away from Frigga. Loki latched on to him tightly and Odin turned to face the other people. "Don't you all have something better to do?" He snapped, Loki sobbing into his shoulder.

Heimdall brought them back to Midgard nearby Jane's laboratory. Loki had fallen asleep during the journey and was snoring loudly. The day had gone so well up until dinner. Dinner was when it all came crashing down like a tidal wave. Odin thought that progress had been made, that Loki would be better sooner than later. He was wrong. It was painfully obvious that Loki had a long hard road to travel before he was better. That Odin had hurt him more than Odin thought he had. That justice scarred the innocent. That Odin made a mistake. Odin hated to admit that, but the evidence was staring him in the face. It was his fault Loki didn't trust anyone including his mother. It was his fault that Loki had nightmares. His fault that Loki was constantly looking over his shoulders. That he feared rejection. It was all Odin's fault. The old man felt terribly guilt for it all. Sure, a debt had been paid and wrong doings corrected, but at what cost? Loki's sanity? A decent childhood? His second chance? Odin hoped that none of those would be permanently damaged. Loki shifted slightly and Odin felt himself smile. Of course Loki would get better. So long as no one gave up on him, he would get better. And Odin knew that no one had any plans of doing so.


As I hinted at before, the story is actually wrapping up. Quite quickly, actually, considering chapter 30 is the last chapter. But fear not! Thor and Loki's journey is far from over. I'm planning on doing a sequel where this one leaves off. I just didn't want one huge monster story so I split it into two. Anyway, I try to update soon but I don't know when that will be. Being a pre-med major is very time consuming, haha. Anyways, see you guys next time! :D