Darcy sleepily reached her hands out for her glasses on the nightstand only find that there was no nightstand, just more mattress, and she didn't need her glasses as she cracked open her eyes. A heavy sigh laced with mixed feelings escaped her as she felt an arm curl around her middle. A smile spread across her lips as she brought her fingers up to run them down his forearm. Everything about where she was suddenly felt wonderful and right, a warm swell of contentment filled her chest despite the chaos swirling around in her mind, and she debated on whether or not to go back to sleep. They had already taken long enough to rest. She looked up at the window. Even the curtains seemed to be moving in slow motion. Thor and Odin would be waiting for them soon. She wanted time to just slow down. To give her a few more hours to try to gather what was left of her courage. Her new lifestyle would apparently grant no such luxury.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any to warn you," Loki said softly behind her. "Mammoth is here, in the palace." She made no move to answer for several long moments as she curled her small hand around his larger one on her stomach.

"I know," she said. "Why else would I be here?" The rhetorical question sounded foreign on her lips, though Loki said nothing in reply. "Is he going to help us?"

"We are his smartest option," he said matter-of-factly. Darcy smiled.

"A point of view I'm sure you were able to help him seem," she replied with quiet mirth in her voice. "My silver-tongued prince." She turned around in his arm to face him, letting her head rest against the incredibly soft pillow. She liked seeing him smile at the one nickname she had for him.

"A trait you did not seem to mind mere hours ago," he said, a wicked grin playing across his lips as he pulled her atop him. He watched as she smiled at first, but it slowly faded as the weight of what would greet them outside of his room suddenly shifted onto her shoulders. He lifted up his hand, brushing his finger against her cheek as she let her eyes drift closed. "You have power in your veins now," he said. "More than you could ever imagine." Her brows furrowed together, eyes remaining shut as she tried to take comfort in the touch.

"So does Shaw," she replied, her voice strained. "I don't know how we could ever get him. Thor or Hulk's strength would just give him more power. So would Tony's suit. If you hit him, he just breaks apart and comes back together."

"Where the arm fails, the mind succeeds," Loki replied. "Your powers will be like mine, of the intellect, for that was your strength in your mortal life. I am not certain exactly of it's nature yet. Fa-" Loki stopped himself while Darcy watched uncertainty on his face. "Odin will explain to you today, I am sure, what gift comes with your immortality, and it will no doubt help us, even if you do not have time to practice full control over it. If we cannot defeat Shaw physically, we must find a way to have him defeat himself." It pained her to hear him still struggle to call Odin 'father.' He no longer corrected himself in anger, but it hesitation. Even then, he feared rejection from the man he feared the most. It was so obvious to her now how much Odin and Frigga loved Loki. She had felt their longing when Frigga touched the Tesseract, trying to comfort her in her mind. She also knew it was not something easily pointed out to him.

"Never fight on ground you know you can't win?" she questioned, the words of his imprint echoing in her mind. She opened her eyes, briefly wondering if she would meet Frigga.

"'Tis always been a philosophy of mine," he replied.

"That's what you told me," she said. She looked at him as he waited patiently for her to continue, curiosity shining in his eyes. "When Shaw had me. When he was trying to break into my mind. You, or some version of you, told me to let it go and just hide part of myself so I could still come back when I was safe."

"Yes, I saw your construct when I received the scepter," he said. "Very impressive, actually. Creating a representation of the Tesseract for you to understand and control, even just a fraction of it, took no small amount of willpower. The scepter helped, no doubt, but impressive all the same. I believe there was some promise you made me, or yourself, whatever it was, to rub the Tesseract over me, or something to that effect?" Darcy smiled in a mixture of fondness and discomfort. Revisiting her time trapped in her mind was not so pleasant. She shrugged.

"I didn't need your attitude at the time," she said arrogantly, leaning down to kiss him soundly. His hand tried sneaking down her leg and she smiled against his lips, catching his fingers in hers. She lazily rolled off of him, wrapping herself up in one of the sheets of his bed as she stood. "What did you do with my weird clothes? I doubt Thor will be very pleased if I show up to a meeting with Odin in a nightie." Loki smiled as he came to stand next to her, requiring no security of a sheet. She arched an eyebrow at him as he smirked, coming to stand before her and pulling her covering down. Purposefully, he wrapped his long fingers around her sides. She froze as she felt her armor given to her by Odin slowly molded onto her skin, the weight of it returning to her. Loki's green and black leather slowly returned as well. A hint of disappointment sprung up in her mind as she saw his bare chest disappear. He laughed at her pout.

"The feeling is mutual, my dear," he said, leaning down to kiss her lips tenderly as she twined her arms around his neck, pulling him down and closer so she could rest her chin on his shoulder. He had to hunch down quite a bit. Apparently, height didn't come with the godly package.

"I thought I would never be able to kiss you again," she said quietly. "Or hold you like this. I was afraid to let go, because I thought I'd never find a way back. You were still there for me, even then. I would never have made it if part of you hadn't been there."

"You'd survive anything, I'm quite certain, with or without my help," he said, cupping the back of her head as he pulled her close. "But you will never have to do without it again."

"I guess we have a super-villain to stop now," she said against his shoulder, an uneasy sigh escaping her lungs. "Tony said Shaw is making his final move, but I didn't bother getting the details. I figured Heimgar would know."

"Heimdall, my dear," he said as she pulled back to look at him. "Will it forever be your plight to be one syllable away from pronouncing something properly?"

"It's a good thing I will have you around to correct me," she said easily. Loki smiled a large, genuine grin, as far as she could tell, and turned to stand in line with her, holding his arm out elegantly.

"Shall we?" he asked. She took his arm awkwardly as he guided her to his bedroom door.

"Are we playing a gentleman and a lady now after you just had your tongue in my-"

"Sh, darling, we mustn't disturb the hall. Our guards must remain vigilant to their duties," he said smoothly as he guided them out of the room. Darcy forced herself to bite back a laugh, letting the comment go, even at the sight of a virtually empty hallway.

"What, not teleporting this time?" she said as he guided her through the tall golden halls of the palace. In spite of her comment, she could not take her eyes off of everything. Loki watched with no small amount of satisfaction as she gazed in amazement at the walls of his home, even though a small twinge went off in his stomach as the word "home" rang in his mind.

"My father's study is not far," he said, leading her down the hall. "I thought you might enjoy seeing the walk there. I do occasionally choose to use travel the old-fashioned way."

"No kidding," Darcy said quietly, her attention clearly elsewhere. Loki let himself be pleased as she remained surprisingly silent in her wonder. Their path eventually took them out into the palace courtyard, the fall blooms assaulting Loki's senses with a ferocious tenderness. His chest tightened at the sight of the gardens, his favorite place to dwell. "If I did stay an Asgardian," Darcy asked, drawing him away from his own thoughts, "would I have to leave Earth?" Loki paused, immediately wondering where the line of questioning was going.

"It is customary for the Aesir to reside here in the Eternal City," he replied carefully, "but I doubt your access to the Bifrost would be any more limited than anyone else, especially as a member of Thor's court."

"What does that mean: Thor's court? I'm not very courtly. Why wouldn't I just be a normal Aesir out polishing the Rainbow Bridge or something?" Loki smiled again as he placed his hand over hers on his arm. It was so strange for Darcy to see him so... princely. He of course had an arrogant quality about him on Earth that gave him away as some kind of nobility. He even had a strand of the chivalry Thor displayed, though it was more subtle. A polite pulling out of the chair here. A holding open the door there, though he wasn't a ginger-kiss-on-the-hand type. Loki had always painted himself as such an outcast, but here he just seemed to fit.

"To earn immortality is no small thing," Loki said. "You were chosen by the All-Father specifically for a task, at which you succeeded. You are friend to Thor, the future king, and my-" He paused, turning to look at her. She met his eyes with an amused but curious smirk. "You are mine," he finished.

"A bit patriarchal," Darcy mumbled, tilting her head to the side, as if to herself, though amusement twinkled in her eyes.

"Odin has told me several times you would be a part of this household," Loki continued easily. "Your role here would not be a small one, and would extended far beyond our relationship, whatever it does or does not become. It is the way Odin wanted it."

"What do you mean?"

"It means if you decide to remain and Aesir, it will be for you and you alone. You have been of greatest aid to Thor in your mortal life and will continue in the role of closely serving your king in your immortal one. Even if we were to-" he hesitated, "part ways, that would not change. Choosing immortality will not mean choosing me forever, just as staying immortal did not mean we could not be together. It just means, different options for our situation."

"So, if I decided to stay here? What would happen? Between us I mean." Loki paused to look at her, his green eyes burning so brightly, she almost gasped a bit. As quickly as it had happened, his face shifted back to his characteristically cool demeanor, and she began doubting he had ever looked any different as they continued their easy stride. He, of course, had to take smaller steps to match her pace.

"Then one day I'm going to offer you worlds," Loki replied his eyes remaining focused ahead, as if he were announcing his plans to buy a rug. Darcy smiled easily and also kept her eyes directed forward.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"More or less."

"One day? Not today?"

"Not today."

"Shame. I could use a few worlds right now."

"I suppose it is my plight that you must joke on the few occasions that I am sincere."

"Cosmic comeuppance," Darcy said, amused. "You can't expect to trick your way through the last several centuries with no question marks on your character. You changed your mind about taking over my world on a whim in the middle of the war you started. You turned on your brother whose loved you for fifty times as long as I've been alive. Am I suppose to assume I am worth some higher commitment because we happen to have awesome sex?"

"It does count considerably in your favor," he said thoughtfully.

"If only Thor had known." Loki eyed her darkly, though the brunette made no attempt to hide her barely suppressed amusement.

"You may jest if it pleases you, dearest, but I am being as earnest as you will ever find me with my plans. If you remain in Asgard, I will ask you to stay by my side permanently, when I think your Earthly sensibilities allow it. It shall not be taken lightly, like your Midgardian unions so easily broken with a few pieces of paper. We are contrast steeped in likeness, you and I. I would have fought the bowels of Helheim for you, and no one has made me want anything that much, not even Odin for his approval. All was ash when I thought you dead, and I do not fancy a repeat of that particularly dark part of my memory. If you choose not to take what I offer, I shall not begrudge you, for I am not ignorant of what is required of one bound to me. I am treacherous, Darcy, but to you, I will remain loyal. Maybe I will be so to Thor one day, perhaps. I tell you this now, so that you are not confused about my intentions, so that your decisions regarding our association may be as well informed as possible."

Darcy observed him carefully for several seconds as they came upon what she assumed was the entrance to the meeting place of Odin and Thor. She hoped beyond hope that Mammoth would not be there. She had seen him only a few times during her captivity, but that was enough.

"You couldn't just meet a nice girl from Asgard like a normal demi-god, could you?" she asked, though the humor in her voice fell short. "Had to go make one out of a mortal." Before Loki could respond, Thor, in all his red-robed glory, opened the giant doors before them, his heart-melting smile upon his face. The grin couldn't hide itself as Darcy let go of Loki's hand and ran to him, her armor heavier, but body stronger as she leapt into his arms, squeezing as tightly as she could around his neck. She was surprised there was no bone-breaking outcry of greeting from the sometimes overzealous God of Thunder. He was as quiet as she had ever heard him as he squeezed her tightly in his giant arms. She was pretty sure she was not gasping for air only because of some reinforced unearthly bone structure. She could feel her feet swinging as he had picked her up off the floor, and she knew that never before had she been so happy to see the giant blonde.

"Thank you," she whispered, the memory of Thor using his giant body, his skin burning from contact with hers, to keep her from attacking anyone when they found her on Jotunheim surfacing from her memories. He squeezed tightly once more before setting her on her feet.

"No finer addition to the House of Odin has there ever been made," Thor said grandly, turning the two of them back to Loki, who had a strange, but content smile on his face. "At my side, Darcy shall help me conquer the dangerous world of Midgardian technology."

"Truly, never have I seen such a glorious rescue from a coffeemaker as that between you two," Loki replied cooly. In spite of the heaviness in her heart, Darcy could not help her happiness unfurling. They would be facing a war again soon, but for now they were together.

"Darcy," Thor said. "The King and Queen of Asgard wait for you. Worry not. Hold your head high, and you will be fine." Darcy looked pensively at the door.

"Should I bow or something?"

"Approach them confidently. When you are about twenty feet away, fall to your right knee, resting your left forearm on your left knee, and bow your head for about five seconds before looking up to receive their greeting," Loki instructed with absolutely no irony in his voice. Darcy nodded, grateful as ever for him knowing the exact instruction she required. She waited as Loki approached her, placing a brief kiss on her forehead. One of their more chaste actions, she mused. Gently as a breeze, she heard his voice echo in her head. It had long since stopped bothering her. I love you. Do you believe me yet?

She took a breath as she turned. Thor easily pulled the massive door open for her and she slowly walked in. The heavy slam of the doors shutting left the two brothers in silence, an easy air falling between them as Thor crossed his arms, giving Loki an annoying smirk. Loki wished to permanently remove it from his face. Surely he could develop a spell to remove lips?

Darcy tried to keep her curiosity in check as she rounded the corner of the hall to where Thor had directed her. It clearly wasn't a huge, grand throne room, but it was the size of a small house. When she finally rounded the corner to see the two monarchs waiting for her, her breath caught in the back of her throat, and she thought she would struggle for air. Frigga stood, gleaming and regal and beautiful, her elegant golden curls cascading down her side along with her golden dress. Odin stood, even more foreboding in his armor this time, though no helmet, at least. She trembled a bit and she forced herself not to stare at the ground as she came before them, gently lowering herself on her knees exactly as Loki had instructed, bowing her head for five long seconds. When she looked up, she saw Frigga approaching her, with Odin not too far behind.

"Rise, Darcy Lewis of Midgard." Darcy slowly stood to her feet, her balance of her own body uncharacteristically steady. Her eyes went back and forth between the two of them, unsure of herself from there on out.

"You needn't be nervous, my dear," Frigga said, still not far away. "We have anxiously awaited your recovery from afar, and rejoice at your reunion with our sons, your friends." Darcy stared at Frigga, her voice bleeding into her mind like a long lost memory, soothing its way in as she spoke.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I remember you. You're the woman from the dance club. And you were in my head, when Shaw had me." Frigga nodded. "You said very nice things," she continued. "It made it easier, for a while." Darcy paused, looking to Odin. "I'm sorry, I'm still not sure what to make of all this yet," she continued, looking down at her outfit, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"You have been given a gift," Odin replied, his strong tenor echoing through the hall as he approached. "For your service to both of my sons during their stay in your realm. You may do with it as you wish. You may take the healing power I have given you with it, and return the immortality to live as you were, or you may live here as part of my house until Thor's coronation, at which you will be part of his court."

"Part of your house? So, you'd like, adopt me?" she questioned. Odin looked her over for a moment.

"It is customary for one made Aesir to be made part of a house of Asgard. It just so happens that your ties to our realm happen to be to the two princes of it. So, in a manner of speaking, yes, you would become part of our house. However your relationship with Loki would not suddenly become inappropriate; it is still a name to us."

"Is Loki here for good?" she asked. "Is his standing temporary?"

"Loki's reinstatement is secure," Odin replied. "Until such a day comes that his treachery becomes unmanageable and he requires another lesson of some sort. This was not the first time he has gotten himself into trouble, and I doubt it will be the last. However, I am relieved that the secrets between us have been revealed and that we can begin healing from that as a family. I have you to thank in no small part for that. The distance did him well. I know Thor insisted on staying at Loki's side, but I fear my younger has trouble receiving that devotion from my older." Darcy smirked, thoughts of the bickering between the two of them when they first lived together fresh in her mind.

"They love each other very much," she said. "Even though I think Loki sometimes wishes he didn't, he can't stop caring about Thor."

"They have both been causing trouble together for a thousand years. Loki could do no more without Thor than Thor without him. Loki has been the voice of reason while Thor has been the beating of the heart. I am glad to know Loki will be there for Thor when he takes the crown of Asgard, which will be soon." Darcy stared at Odin, not missing the purposeful tone behind his words. "Your decision to stay here will not be rushed, but it will need to be made. When Thor takes the crown of Asgard, you may choose to stay among his council, or return to Midgard as a human. You can make your decision before, but you need not. Until then you will be entrusted with the powers granted to you by my house."

"The strength and lack of need for Pearle Vision?" she asked. Odin blinked.

"Every member of the house of Odin carries certain responsibilities. Thor, the thunder. Loki, mischief."

"Oooooooh," Darcy said. "So I would be Darcy, Goddess of...? Please say tasers."

"Patience."

"Sorry," she said quickly, somewhat concerned. Odin looked at her confusedly while the faintest look of amusement crossed over Frigga's elegant features, though it was missed by the two other occupants of the room.

"Patience will be the force for which you will be responsible in Thor's court, as both he and Loki will need that tremendously. Your test as a mortal helped you garner it. In Asgard, you may master it." Darcy's shoulders dropped ever so slightly as she tossed a quick look to Frigga before back at Odin.

"So... my job would be to... wait? Thor calls down the lighting, Loki tricks everyone to be where he wants... and I wait really hard?"

"Your title troubles you, child?" Darcy frowned to herself, afraid she was going to sound ungrateful.

"I'm still not that patient. I don't see how I would actually be of any use to anyone."

"The power granted to you, Darcy Lewis, will give you dominion over the flow of time, to a small extent. You have learned to wait on action, and you will learn to have others now wait on you." Darcy's eyes slowly widened, not quite sure she was hearing him right. Running too quickly to Loki on the bridge. The curtains swaying too slowly in his room. It hadn't just been her imagination. She had been doing that. Good god, she thought, she didn't need that much power. What was she thinking?

"Okay," she replied, almost inaudibly, her wide eyes examining the patterns on the floor as her mind whirred through everything at once. She could slow time? For how long? Should she not do it ever? Only when necessary? What if she did it on accident?

"Do not let your mind be troubled Darcy," Frigga said, coming to wrap an arm around her. Darcy was shocked at how familiar the queen was with her, though the memory of Frigga's voice in her mind during her capture came flooding in, and she thought she might burst into tears. Darcy watched distractedly as looks that she could not read passed between the king and queen. Odin nodded regally.

"You have my leave, Darcy. For the duration of your stay with us, you are welcome in my home." Darcy felt overwhelmed, like a tightness in her chest was gathering and then releasing.

Frigga gently guided her out of the back into another courtyard on the other side from where Loki had led her in. It looked very similar, but she could tell they were in a different part of the palace. "Do not worry, my dear," the woman soothed, her gentle voice feeling as if silk was wrapping around her. "Your powers are at their infancy. It will take much discipline for you to exercise full control over them. This is in addition to the strength and vitality you will feel, compared to your mortal form. Even though you are young yet in your power, you will be very helpful in the battle against your world's current enemy." Darcy looked over at her, feeling gentle warmth around her from the slender arm on her shoulders.

"I've never even been in a fight before," Darcy said absently, looking out over the balcony to the courtyard down below. "What good will I be in a battle? I'm not like the Avengers. They save the world. I'm just the girl who makes them coffee or gives them a band-aid." Frigga smiled gently.

"Never underestimate the power of a gentle hand, Darcy," she said. "You were completely defenseless under Loki's power when he plotted against your allies, and yet it was your friendship and Thor's love that saved him, and turned him to his current path. I heard much of the conversation Thor held with Mammoth. Even he was moved to not let someone innocent suffer, as you did, and he was turned from Shaw because of you. You needn't be a hardened warrior. It is your kindness that is your weapon. That is why your powers in your new life would be nothing like that of Thor and Loki. Asgard has enough warriors. It is time for a new element."

Darcy thought she would cry. She was silent for many long minutes as she stared out into grass, afraid to speak.

"I know we have not spoken much," Frigga said, letting each of her hands rest on the younger woman's shoulders. "But... your dedication to Loki... I do not want to say thank you, as if he were some burden to be lifted..." Darcy looked up at the older woman, who seemed close to tears. "He's such a complex son. If I am grateful, it is for him to find someone whom he could trust and who could... handle his nature. I know he can be difficult to understand, but I also know he has found that gentler side with you." Gentler side, Darcy thought, trying incredibly hard not to laugh as her thoughts drifted to that morning. The emotion in the older woman's voice moved something strange inside of Darcy. Everything around her seemed to radiate comfort and... mom. Or what she imagined a mom would be like. Darcy stared back down at the courtyard.

"You must love him very much," Darcy said. "If you came to check me out, even when he was banished." Frigga nodded, smiling gently.

"Thor told me he had formed some sort of fondness for you when you were under his influence. That it was even you who might have brought him back from madness."

"Might have," Darcy said. "I think he wanted to come back more than he let on, but he had given up hope, and that is never good, especially with someone who has so much power. And there were things that happened to him. When he fell," Darcy paused. "I didn't think it right to look when I had the Tesseract, but they were not good. I know he has done a lot of wrong, including killing Coulson, but," she paused, "I think he truly wants to be better. Not exactly like Thor or even what could be called heroic. But he is noble and honorable when you need him, and that's what Thor needs."

"And you?" Frigga asked. "Is he what you need?" Darcy looked back up to Frigga, feeling the bigger question behind her words.

"Things are so different in Midgard. We don't... make big decision really fast. We only admitted that we loved each other the day before Shaw got me. And now the world is under attack, and we haven't even had enough time to just..."

"Of course not, dear, of course not," Frigga said, coming to stand in front of Darcy, removing her hands from her shoulders. "I know you are in a gap between a mortal life and an immortal one. I understand the difference between Midgardians and Aesir. That is why I tell you this, so that you may understand. In a thousand years, I have never seen Loki care as deeply about a lover as he has you. Not to say he has ever treated a woman poorly, but he has always reserved the secret depth of his heart for only his family. Until you. I know my son, and I know what he wants from you. The longer you stay immortal, or if you choose to stay an immortal, he will expect that you will want to bind yourself to him." She paused. "And he will be heartbroken if you do not. I do not wish to encourage or discourage you one way or another, but Loki's heart runs deep, even if he wishes to hide it. I do not want to see him hurt again. I wish for you to be wise in your dealings with him, no more or less, and I wish to help you in any way I can." Darcy stared at Frigga, feelings as if her secrets would pour out of her. She felt like she knew this woman both incredibly well and not at all.

"I wish I could feel as confident as you are," Darcy finally replied. "I know Loki loves me, but I'm from Midgard. He's had affairs with elf goddesses. There is nothing special about me, compared to him. I feel like one day he's going to change his mind, and I don't want to hope for more than he can give." Frigga, again, smiled gently.

"He is capable of more than you think, though I know he does not project that image for himself. But you have time," Frigga said. "Though, with you taking on the mantle of the House of Odin, there are greater things at stake now." Darcy nodded. "Come now. Heimdall and Mammoth have created a report of what is and will happen on Midgard. You must make yourselves ready." Darcy remained still for a moment.

"Your... majesty?" she said hesitantly, thinking a moment. "What would be best to call you?"

"In public, here, my queen or what you said is acceptable," Frigga replied. "In private, my name will do, until such a time that our relationship changes so that you should call me by a more intimate address." Darcy had to piece that together to figure out that she meant calling her mom one day. That would be... strange. Her throat felt like it would close for a second.

"Frigga," she said, testing it out. "Thank you."