Thanks to Warrior-Maid-of-the-Shadows, Maia2, Cartlin, Ynath Esrith, NatheRiver, Marvel-Tolkien Fangirl, Guest, Sandy-wmd, Aruyn, ArainaHaldthin, Myth Princess, thestralrider, Hiddleslover, Tsukiau, Lack-toast-and-tolerance, Daku-DarkNess316, doesthatmakemepokey, Ms. Jynesis, Like it Random, SoulMore, livelaughlove, TimeLady945, cutelittlepuppy15, Vamp-Fledging, no-MY name's Anonymous, addicted2sasunaru, Smiley, Yaraslava Rada, and Potkanka for their reviews!

And Thanks to my wonderful betaer, Artifical Life Creator, who I shamefully forgot to thank last chapter.

...

In the next few days, Loki's room underwent another transformation. The hospital bed and medical equipment were all taken out, replaced by a plastic toddler-sized bed. A new TV was mounted on the wall, and a bookshelf was added for Loki's new collection of children's cartoons, his library from under the theatre stage (minus Twilight, which Stark had gleefully set on fire within reach of Dummy and Dummy's fire extinguisher), and especially his black-leather book. Stark had then filled the remaining space with toys (including a turtle nightlight that projected stars onto the ceiling) and Robert Munch books.

Thor entered the room to find Frigga half-leaning over Loki as he clung to her hands, shakily putting one foot in front of the other. Frigga was softly encouraging him, but he was obviously frustrated.

"Mother, Miss Potts would like to show you around the tower, since you have not had the opportunity yet," he told her.

"Now?" Frigga asked, a little surprised.

Thor nodded. Truthfully he had convinced Miss Potts that now would be a good time for the tour. He wanted to talk to Loki alone.

Loki puddled himself on the floor, sucking in deep breaths, and nodded. She kissed his hair, touched her forehead to Thor's, and slipped from the room. Thor was left standing awkwardly, wanting desperately to comfort his little brother but previous experience warned him not to push his luck.

Loki rolled his eyes. He didn't quite have the air to speak, nor, apparently, the strength to gesture with his arm. Instead of a clear 'at ease', 'you can sit', or 'this piece of floor's for you, you oaf', Thor was left with a half-heartedly flopping limb. Thankfully, Thor interpreted it correctly.

"Are you comfortable?"

"Very."

"How is it coming?" Thor asked.

"I was bedridden too long," Loki replied. "I can hardly walk the length of this room without getting tired."

"But you can walk. That's something."

Loki nodded. "I can walk."

The brothers sat in awkward silence for a moment longer. Eventually Loki sighed. "Thor, what you promised me-"

"I do not want to speak of it," Thor interrupted.

"Thor."

He shifted uncomfortably and reluctantly nodded. "What were you going to say?"

"Did you tell Mother?"

Thor stared at him. "Of course not."

"Do you think Heimdall told her?"

Thor thought for a moment, frowning. "I cannot say. I would not think so, but..."

"But she arrived when she did," Loki finished. "Any later and... It would have been too late. But maybe he didn't tell her; maybe he just urged haste..."

"I suppose we will have to ask him when-"

"No, Thor. You will have to ask him. When we are summoned back to Asgard, I will be put in a cell. You know that."

Thor was reluctant, but it was true. "I suppose."

Loki nodded and was silent.

"What you said – that it wasn't my fault – you only said that because you thought you were going to die."

"Yes," Loki admitted softly. "But it's still true."

"No, it's not. I was never there when you needed me."

"I never admitted that I needed your help." Loki sighed. "You can't blame yourself, Thor. Not about this, at least. I am too good a liar. There was no way for you to see what I did not want you to see. Because, well, let's be honest; I'm a lot smarter than you."

Thor chuckled.

Loki's smile was short lived. "And what you said... you only said that because I was going to die."

"I should have told you long ago."

Loki's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure it would have made a difference."

Thor sighed.

"What's going to happen to me now?" Loki asked quietly. The slightest tremble in his voice betrayed his anxiety.

"The others have decided that you are no longer a significant threat."

"I'm not?" Loki replied somewhat sarcastically.

"You have not regained your magic and you can't leave the tower without arousing suspicion. And... you can hardly walk right now."

"My mind has always been my greatest weapon. I still have that."

"The Chitauri remain the greater threat."

Loki frowned. "Be that as it may, I still brought ruin on this world. I senselessly murdered dozens of people. Including your friend."

Thor looked away, remembering. It still made him angry and sorrowful. "He died with honor."

"He still died." Loki pulled his thin knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them. "Was he a good man?"

"Yes. He was a very good man."

Loki nodded once. "I went to his grave. I met a woman there – his lover. I didn't regret killing him then. I do now. I feel like he's haunting me. I was watching TV yesterday – it was some show called "Supernanny" – and I thought of him. I don't know why."

"Loki-"

"You did not answer my question. How have the Avengers decided to punish me?"

Thor dug his knuckles into his eyes. "You ask a difficult question."

"How is it difficult?"

Thor's lips twisted into a wry smile. "We have not decided. For now, we wait to see what effects Yggdrasill's nectar has on the spell Father put on you."

"You mean whether I regain my magic faster than before or not at all. Mother explained it to me." Loki frowned as he flexed his hands. "Would the council kill a child's body if it housed a soul such as mine, or will they wait until I am grown again?"

"Father will never allow the council to dictate death as your fate," Thor said firmly. "You must see that by now."

"I'm not sure what I see, Thor." Loki leaned his head back against the wall, his emerald eyes dark with confusion and sorrow. "I'm not even certain that this is real. Perhaps Mother did not come with the nectar of Yggdrasill. Perhaps I am dead and this is my hell."

"Why will you not just believe?"

"The last thing I 'just believed' was an entire millennia of living which unraveled in less than a day. I scarcely know what's real anymore. Why should I risk another such pitfall when I already know I'm a lie?"

"No," Thor grabbed hold of Loki's shoulders and stared firmly into his eyes. "You are my brother."

"Even if the council does not get their wish, what punishment will suffice for the sins I have committed? Can you tell me that, Thor? How can I ever walk the halls of the palace again? How can I watch the sunrise? How can I be your brother? I have done too much. There is no forgiveness that can erase what I've done. I am stained with blood, Thor. There is no washing it off. I can never be free."

"You can, brother." Thor tried to tell him. Loki stared up at him, eyes full of guilt. Thor pulled him into an embrace. "Somehow, you can."

#

If only Pepper's wonderful gift of Lego could use more of his brain! Loki tried to fit two pieces together without much success. He should be improving faster! Banner had suggested the children's toy to help Loki's coordination, but so far...

Loki was aware instantly when Barton entered his room. The hair on the back of his neck prickled and his body tensed with apprehension. His hands became even more clumsy. Any hopes Barton wouldn't notice were dashed with a near-silent snort which did nothing for the hostility radiating through the room.

"You going to keep pretending I'm not here?" Barton asked after a moment.

A wry smile twitched Loki's lips. "If it will make you leave, yes."

"Didn't work the last time, now did it?"

Loki set down the red pieces of plastic and turned around and knelt in the chair. Barton was expressionless, his arms folded across his chest. Loki mimicked the pose, except using the back of the chair as a handy arm rest. His two-year-old stance was bound to be more adorable than intimidating – curse Stark for introducing that word!

Would the appearance of youth keep the assassin from killing him if Thor hadn't still been in the tower? Probably not.

"What is it you want, Agent Barton?"

"Your mother is a nice woman."

Loki tried to keep the foreboding off his face. "She is the queen of Asgard."

Barton contemplated him for a moment. "You should take a look at this."

He pulled a cellphone from his pocket and did something on it. Loki did not stand. His limbs had not regained their strength, and though he knew he would be able to walk the few steps to Barton, he also knew that the effort would show just how weak he had become. So he waited for Barton to approach him.

His sense of foreboding increased. What could possibly be on that phone? Of course, Barton wouldn't physically harm him, not now, not with both Thor and Frigga in the tower. So what was this? What new revenge had he thought of? Barton held out the phone so that Loki could see it.

Loki's heart leapt to his throat. It was a video of his room. He was lying in the hospital bed, hooked up to IVs and machines. Dr Banner leaned over him. Loki was shocked at his own appearance in the video. He was pale and thin and trembling. He went cold, knowing what his video self would say before he said it.

"I couldn't see a way to escape from it... and so I started to take stuff, so I wouldn't have to think, wouldn't have to feel."

Barton paused the video. Loki stared at the screen, his fists clenched and trembling. Blood pulsed in his ears and he felt cold all the way through. Had this spying been just Barton or had all the Avengers been in on it? Had Thor?

"This," Barton said, putting the phone back into his pocket, "would break your mother's heart. Or would it?"

Loki shifted his gaze to the assassin's emotionless face. No. Thor would not know about this. If he did, he would have made sure that the video was destroyed to ensure that Frigga would never see it. It would break her heart. Wouldn't it? Or was Barton's veiled implications true, that Frigga did not love him so much-

No. It was not true.

"What do you want?"

"What do you think I want?"

"Justice. Revenge," Loki said after a moment. "A reason to kill me without incurring the wrath of Thor. But that video won't get you any of it."

"True."

"Then why?"

"I wanted you to know that I know."

Loki fought to keep his own face as expressionless as Barton's. The memory of that day ran through his mind. If his mother ever knew even that small part of what he had done after falling into the abyss… "Are you going to show my mother?"

"Haven't decided yet."

"She has done nothing against you. Hurting her will gain you nothing."

"Except that it will hurt you," Barton replied, "because it will hurt her."

"It will hurt her more than it will hurt me."

"Then ask me not to show her."

Ah. So that was Barton's play. Loki took a deep breath and attempted to keep his voice even. "I ask you not to show my mother."

Barton raised his eyebrow. "Can't you do better than that?"

Loki knew that Barton wanted him to beg. He studied the assassin for a moment. Would he actually show Frigga that video? Yes, Loki decided, he would. He would think of an excuse that would be reasonable to everybody, avoiding any potential anger from his fellow Avengers. Thor would still be angry, if he found out, but his anger would be more directed at himself for not protecting Loki from the dangers of the universe and at Loki himself for not telling his big brother about it.

"Please don't show my mother."

"Try it again."

Loki clenched his fists. "Please."

Barton was still impassive. "I'll have to give it some thought."

Loki briefly wondered if he could snatch the phone away and smash it, but decided that it was too risky. Barton could have backup files. And even if he didn't, he could just tell Frigga. The actual video wasn't necessary. Just the knowledge. Loki clenched his jaw and fists, dropping his gaze to the floor until Barton had left.

After the assassin was gone, Loki dug deep inside of himself for some flicker of magic, but felt nothing but the familiar frustration, fear, and despair well inside of him. Magic had always been a huge part of him. Without it, he felt like nothing. Had this been Odin's plan all along? To take his magic from him, reduce him to a near-mortal child so that the council would take pity on him?

"Magic is all I have," Loki whispered. "Without it, what am I?"

#

Reviewers get to club Clint over the head with Rafiki's stick. (For those of you who don't want to club Clint over the head, you can hug him instead. Unless you don't want to do that either, in which case you can have a disco ball.)