Sigyn woke up to a hushed murmuring, that morning. Her eyes fluttered open, darting around to find the source of the noise, when she noticed Loki's blood-red eyes were open, again, and staring directly at her.

With a wide smile, she sat up, and brushed a lock of stray hair from his face. "Loki." She beamed, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Hello." Loki greeted her, then promptly shut up, for it had been him who was talking.

To himself.

Well, that was… interesting. To say the least.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. "Want any breakfast?"

A strange gleam leapt into his features. "You mean… food?" he breathed in disbelief.

Sigyn's heart shattered inside her. How long had he been starving, awake, in there, before succumbing to unconsciousness? "Yes, food." She nodded, blinking back tears. "Probably just something light to start you off. We don't want you to throw up, or anything. How does some soup sound?"

Loki blinked in surprise, and furrowed his brow. "Soup…" He echoed. "Please."

"Okay." Sigyn patted his hand comfortingly. "Just a moment."

"Wait." He cried, as Sigyn stood up. "Please…" His feeble fingers gripped hers desperately.

"Yes?"

Suddenly hesitant, Loki glanced away. "Don't leave me all alone, again," he begged.

That did it. Tears streaked down the princess' face, as she gathered her husband's skeletal frame into a hug. She had no words, nothing at all.

"This is nice." Loki noticed, and she could feel his fingers in the ends of her unbrushed hair, just like the night before. "I like hugs."

There it was, again, that innocent, child-like demeanor in his words. Sigyn wiped her eyes, and pulled back, regarding him with a quizzical air.

"What?" He breathed nervously. "Am I ugly?"

Sigyn had to crack a smile at that. "No." She corrected, touching his nose lightly. "You're the handsomest being to ever live in this universe."

Loki blushed, and with a small smile, began muttering under his breath, again. "She's so sweet to you…" Sigyn caught the edges of his sentence. "What'd you do to deserve her?"

"I won't leave you, okay?" She assured him, cupping his sunken cheek in her palm.

"Really?" His cerulean face split into a wide, hopeful grin, as his fingers tightened, ever so slightly, on hers. "No fooling?"

"Course not."

Loki seemed overwhelmed with exuberant joy for a few seconds, before he suddenly frowned in confusion. "Then how're you gonna get my soup?"

Sigyn chuckled lightly, and reached for her phone. A quick text to Vali would hopefully do the trick, and if he wasn't here in ten minutes, she'd ask Sleipnir. "It'll be here soon." She assured him. "I texted Thor, last night."

Loki blinked, a shadow crossing his face, but Sigyn went on. "He's got some business to attend to with the Guardians, but he'll be here in a few weeks. Sound good?"

"No." Loki blurted. "It sounds not-good. Very not-good. In fact, it sounds awful."

"Why?" Sigyn tilted her head.

"Thor hates me!" Loki squeaked, wrapping his arms around his ribcage. "He said so. 'You really are the worst brother,' that's just what he said, and he's not a liar like me…" He broke off in a fit of coughing.

Sigyn propped him up on the pillows, and offered him another cup of water. "Thank you." He smiled, once he'd recovered. "I love you."

"I love you too, Thalionen." She smiled. How long had it been since he'd heard those words? She decided not to dwell on that. "When did Thor say that?"

"Just after…" Loki stopped, lost in thought. "I don't know, but he said it."

"It's not true." Sigyn informed. "You're an amazing brother. You've saved his life, Melleth, dozens of times."

"Oh." Loki seemed thoughtful. "Then why did he say it?"

"I'm sure he didn't mean it..." She was cut off by a soft knock on the door. "Come in."

Loki shrunk against the pillows a bit, his eyes widening in fear, as Vali came in, bearing a bowl of soup. His face was pale, eyes wide, and he stared nervously at his father.

Loki didn't recognize him.

"Loki?" Sigyn prompted. "You remember Vali, don't you?"

"Vali?" The Trickster's voice was full of skepticism. "But he's only eight…"

"I got bigger." Vali admitted nervously, and set the bowl on the table beside the bed. "I'm… I'm thirteen, now."

"Oh." Loki blinked in surprise, and weakly held out a hand.

Tentatively, Vali took it, and crouched down next to the bed, eyes filled with tears. "I missed you, Father."

"Did you?" Loki's eyes lit up, and a small smile crawled over his face. "You really did get big; I think you're as tall as me."

Sigyn cringed, knowing Vali was self-conscious about his size, but the young boy only gave a half-grin. "Father?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Why didn't you let me help you?" He demanded, the cheerfulness falling from his face. "If I had stayed, maybe you wouldn't have died, again! I could've helped! Why didn't you let me?" A single tear slipped down Vali's cheek as he clung to his father's hand, sobbing. Loki had no idea what to make of this situation, and turned in confusion, back to Sigyn.

"Hey, Vali…" Sigyn soothed, rubbing his shoulders comfortingly. "Sweetie, it's okay."

"It's not." He countered, sniffling. "Look at him. He's an idiot."

"That's Sigyn's name for me." Loki noticed, before she could say anything. "For special occasions. You can't use it, Va."

There was a moment of dead silence in the room. Of course, Sigyn knew what Vali had meant. But she hadn't even considered that on that afternoon, so many years ago, when she'd decided to use the name in a positive, endearing light. Now Loki was, actually… an idiot.

How had it come to this?

"Loki…" She started, but she had no idea what to say.

"Father, I'm sorry, I meant…" Vali tried. "I just meant that…"

"Your mind isn't working correctly." Sigyn finished for him.

Loki's eyes widened in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Vali and Sigyn glanced at each other. "Well, you know you were under Thanos' cottage-"

Loki flinched violently at the name, and Sigyn hurried to back track. "I mean, when you were in the… the basement?"

"The Dark Place?" Loki supplied timidly, and Sigyn nodded.

"Being alone and sensory deprived for too long will do strange things to a person's mind." Vali whispered miserably.

"So, I'm broken."

They turned back to Loki, whose hands were fisted in the sheets, tears threatening to spill over any second. "I was in the Dark Place too long, wasn't I?" He whimpered. "It broke me. I'm busted. I'm not even a man, anymore, I…"

"Loki, Melleth." Sigyn placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look at me." Meekly, he obeyed. "You're powerful." She stated. "You're not totally gone, you're not broken. Maybe a little cracked, but we can fix you. Okay? We can fix you."

Vali nodded, a tiny smile forced onto his face. "Jotun minds are notoriously sound, and likely to recover from basically anything. They've been known to recover from vegetable states at the drop of a hat. There's no way it's going to be permanent."

"You really think so?" Loki sniffled.

"I know it."

Gratefully, Loki smiled at the both of them. "I love you…" He whispered. "I love you both."

"I love you, too, father." Vali smiled, forcing back tears, and shakily, he stood up. "This is all my fault," he stated. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." With that, he turned and fled the room.

"Where's he going?" Loki wondered sleepily, as Sigyn began spooning up a bit of broth.

"I don't know." Sigyn admitted, as Loki eagerly sipped at his sustenance, all the while purring contentedly.

There was a moment of silence, while Sigyn sorted out her thoughts. She'd assumed that after Loki woke, everything would be back to normal. She'd been counting on it, actually. Looking back, that was a ridiculous thing to assume. Being alone, in the dark, for as long as he had, there was bound to be a serious toll on his mind. Besides, he was little more than skin and bones. He was too weak to even sit up by himself. For all her wishing he was awake, it wasn't so great now that she had it. Of course, he was here, he was (sort of) okay, he was alive, and he could talk to her… but how much did he even remember? Could he process being the father of five children, or would Sigyn still be alone in her parenting, only having to care for her husband, too? Vali had seemed rather confident that he'd recover, but how long would that take? Would she ever really have her husband back?

She looked down to find that the bowl was half-empty, and Loki had fallen asleep, again, his peaceful, content face mirroring Sigyn's inner turmoil.

Setting the soup on the nightstand, again, Sigyn got up, and began picking out her clothes for the day. If he was asleep, and didn't need her to be near, she could take a shower, brush her hair, and get ready for the day in the time he rested. Perhaps she could check in with the children, make sure they were started on their schoolwork, and were safe, and not breaking each other's noses.

Humming softly to herself, as she stepped out of the shower, and deftly braided her wet hair out of her face. As she clothed herself, and brushed on a bit of simple makeup, she could swear she heard… snuffling, just outside the bathroom door.

Abruptly, she threw it open, to find Loki lying on the ground, staring up at her with panicked, frightened eyes, tears streaming down his face. He was muttering to himself about… her. "Melleth!" She exclaimed, and crouched to gather him into her arms. "How did you get over here?"

He didn't answer, only clung to her like a life preserver in a stormy sea, weak, obviously exhausted, but the grip he had on her shirt was certainly not loosening any time soon. Gently, she scooped him up (he was so light, almost like a child) and carried him to their bed, laying him against the pillows. "What happened, dearest?"

"I woke up…" He sniffled, "And you weren't here, and I thought… I thought you'd left me, all alone, and…" He coughed, "I was afraid. I heard you singing, so I…"

"You got out of bed?" Sigyn interrupted in incredulity. "And crawled all the way across the floor?"

Tentatively, he nodded. "Are you cross?"

"No." She assured. "No, I'm not cross. I just didn't think you would… wake up that quickly." She admitted. "Or be able to get all the way across the floor."

"Oh." Loki blinked in confusion. "I can do many things."

"Apparently so." Sigyn smiled softly, and patted his hand. "Remind me not to underestimate you, again."

Loki smiled impishly, and glanced down at his hands. Sigyn clasped them in her own, and stared into his eyes. "Loki."

"Uh-huh?"

"Look at me."

Crimson eyes met fawn-brown. "I will never leave you again."

Loki's face softened slightly, and he sadly shook his head. "Don't promise things you can't keep."

Sigyn felt like she'd been punched. "Loki, you have to believe me."

"It's what you said when I fell off the bridge." Loki innocently went on. "And when I was under the snake."

"But I mean it, this time." Sigyn insisted, her eyes brimming with tears.

"You meant it the other times, too." Loki smiled sadly. "Sometimes things just don't work out. But…" He fumbled, noticing the tears about to spill over. "If you promise me you don't want to leave… that will be enough for me."

Sigyn nodded miserably. "I don't. I promise. I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep you with me."

"I'm sorry I got out of bed…" Loki hung his head. "You didn't tell me not to…"

"That's quite alright." Sigyn was quick to reassure him. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"Get me?" Loki echoed in amazement. "Oh, I wouldn't want you to trouble yourself."

"It's no trouble, really."

Loki furrowed his brow for a moment, before brightening a bit. "If it really is no bother… I'd like to speak to Mother."

"Loki…" Sigyn was at a loss. How was she supposed to say this? How could he have forgotten? "Loki, your Mother… she's…"

"Dead." He cut her off, his eyes screwing shut. "I… I'd forgotten. I'm sorry."

Sigyn only nodded, and squeezed Loki's hand in comfort.

"The children, then?" He asked in a small voice. "They… they yet live, yes?"

"Yes." Sigyn nodded, quick to jump to a new topic of conversation. "But they're causing me no end of trouble."

A tiny smirk flitted over Loki's features, before he forced himself to look sympathetic. "Tell me?"

So Sigyn did. She poured out all the events of the past two days, telling him of Vali, and how he basically refused to eat, Narfi and his "berserker tendencies", Sleepy and her overall difficult-ness, Fenris' general timidity, and Gandhi… well, overall, Gandhi was actually the least of her worries. He seemed to be adjusting well, and he was more mild-tempered than his siblings, save Fen, so she really had no complaint, there.

"Have you talked to them about it?" Loki asked, after she'd finished, almost frustrated to tears.

Full of discouragement, she nodded. "Va and Narf, I have… but I don't even know where to begin with Sleipnir, and Fenris… I think talking to him would actually make the problem worse."

Loki glanced down, and fiddled with the covers. "Perhaps… well, I can't speak if I haven't seen them in action…"

"You know Vali and Narfi better than me." Sigyn insisted. "Have you any suggestions at all?"

Loki hummed slightly. "Not yet. I have a few theories, nothing more. I'd have to spend more time with them, to try to help."

With a groan, Sigyn dropped her head into her hands. "Parenting is hard." She understated.

Please note that while I've done extensive research into the effects of solitary confinement and sensory deprivation, I am not an expert.

TheOnlyHuman.