It's not Thanksgiving for me, but I'm writing this on my break week which is coincidental to the first part. (As I'm publishing this chapter, I had to think back to when I wrote this and, holy shit, it was November 2020).

Year Three: Asgardian Grant

Edison Residence - 14:23 PM

It's Daniel's first day back on campus following Thanksgiving break and he's feeling productive. Since Camp SHIELD ending early extended his holiday, he got more free time. He and his parents worked on his second dissertation which was beneficial since his parents were knowledgeable on nuclear physics (it's one of his dad's PhDs) and that's what they did his whole time off.

His second dissertation is off to a good start, he went to his morning classes and labs, and survived his sci-ops training.

He's feeling great.

Daniel is on the phone with James as he walks down the hallway towards his dorm. He listens to James vent about one of his profs giving him shit for wearing his AirPods while running laps. It's nothing new and if it happened on any other day, Daniel would be bothered since James has been told that one rule since freshman year and always acts as if he's hearing it for the first time, even when he's told multiple times on one day. James' argument was that his prof should've been happy that he at least showed up to class and actually ran his laps.

Daniel's half-listening as he fumbles with his keycard to open the door. Once it unlocks he turns around as he walks in to close it. Daniel drops his bag nearby and looks up to see Emily sitting at his desk. The chair faces him and Emily sits with one leg crossed over the other.

"Is that James complaining about his AirPods?" Emily asks, grinning wildly.

It takes Daniel a second to process his fiancée's presence in his dorm with James yapping about how much he hates Operations in his ear. He didn't catch her over Thanksgiving since he was doing his second dissertation and she was handling an emergency at Stark Industries that ended up taking her to California.

But now she's here and she now has caramel highlights in her hair. He's seen photos when she sent them but it's different when they're right there with a smile aimed at him and not a camera. Daniel notices that she's wearing less makeup now. Her skin is natural and she only has mascara and lipstick. Her hands are folded on her lap and she's wearing her emerald engagement ring with a simple nude manicure. She's really a woman whom he didn't think he could get more attracted to.

"I'll call you back, something better is happening now," Daniel says, hanging up on James.

Daniel puts his phone on his desk and stands in front of Emily, looking down at her as if he still couldn't believe she was here. He looks at her for a moment longer, hearing a small laugh come out of her smile as she takes his hand.

"You haven't said anything," Emily says, referring to her hair, "do you like it? It's partially a disguise but it's also a really cute look."

"I could eat you alive," Daniel whispers to her.

Emily lets go of his hand, dropping her to her lap. Her lips part a little and she looks at him intrigued since he isn't like that at all.

"So you took care of the Academy's money?" Daniel asks. He remembers his SO saying how the Academy was expecting her some time after Thanksgiving to redistribute her scholarship with Apollo's and Britney's.

"I did," Emily responds, "pissed off the Academy when I signed and dated the paperwork. Babe, you should've seen their faces."

"Oh my god, I love you."

Immediately, Daniel bends down and cups her face before kissing her.

-o-

Hudson Residence - 15:38 PM

Xavier jumps when Ashton bursts into their dorm cheering. He turns around and sees Ashton pumping his fists in the air and jumping around like he was at Concrete Beach. He knows Xavier is in the room and saw his confused expression wanting to know what the excitement was about, but needed to get his energy out first.

Xavier took a seat and Ashton took another ten minutes to settle. If he didn't run out of breath, he could've gone all day.

"Okay," Ashton starts, "so I went to the financial aid office to pay the next instalment of tuition. I knew the cost and was prepared to give away all my money, but when I got there, it was cheaper. I thought I heard it wrong or somehow had the wrong instalment total. I'm not one to complain about cheaper things, especially since it was only by a hundred bucks, but I asked since I was curious. The lady was smiling and said a lot of kids are happier for the small decrease."

"What was it for?" Xavier asks.

"A grant was given to each student."

"Is it new?"

Ashton nods. "Asgardian Grant. It was only given this morning and should be on our financial transcripts tomorrow."

Xavier pauses on the name. Asgardian Grant. He knows Emily was in charge of giving away her scholarship along with Apollo's and Britney's since they didn't attend the Academy. He always forgot about that until now. Xavier didn't think she would do that but now that it's real, he isn't surprised she pulled that off. Only Emily Stark could. He's grateful. It makes Apollo and Britney seem here when they're not.

Xavier and Ashton turn to their opened door when they hear knocking.

"I walked into the wrong residence building and heard your voice," Emily says as she steps inside their dorm, taking off her sunglasses. "Some boy held the door opened for me and I don't even remember how I got from the front door to your dorm but I'm glad I did. It's freaky here."

"Which one were you looking for?" Ashton asks her.

Xavier scoffs. "She's looking for Atlantic or Edison."

"Hello to you too, Xavier." Emily walks over and hugs him.

Ashton glances at them. "I'm sorry, you know each other?"

Xavier wraps his arm around Emily. "Emily, this is my roommate, Ashton. Ashton, this is -"

"Wait!" Ashton exclaims. "Future Mrs. Banner!"

"I like him," Emily says as she shakes his hand.

"How are you roaming around campus without being trampled by Sci-Tech?"

Emily flaunts her hair. "Caramel highlights and distributing the Asgardian Grant. They're distracted by a couple of bucks saved."

Ashton pauses, staring at Emily, processing that she's the reason his tuition was a little cheaper.

"He's thrilled about that," Xavier tells her.

-o-

Academy Courtyard - 16:05 PM

After Emily found her way to Atlantic Residence thanks to Xavier's directions, Angela and Merida screamed like teenage girls upon seeing her friends before smothering them in a hug. Emily jumped into their arms, getting crushed like a soda can since Angela and Merida's academic journey consists of building muscle and constantly working said muscle.

Still, Emily survived their hug and now they were walking around campus. Emily informed them about the Asgardian Grant, explaining everything down to pissing off the Director of the Academy and all the Sci-Tech faculty heads who wanted the money for their research projects or materials. Emily explained that she gave Apollo and Britney's scholarships back to the student body because Emily saw it as the Asgardians being there for everyone, saving them, in a dramatic sense. Everyone got a couple of good bucks but she contributed from her wallet so it'd round it to a solid hundred.

Angela and Merida were entertained, especially at the image of Sci-Tech being let-down.

"Operations smells so tense," Emily comments, pushing up her sunglasses. "Tension infused with body spray and sweat."

"How did you go from the Asgardian grant to summarizing our program?" Merida asks, not sure if she's offended because it's true.

"You are a goddess," Angela says, "Sci-Tech's freaking goddess, my god-dess."

Merida punches Angela's arm. "Don't inflate her ego."

Before Angela or Emily could comment, the three of them turn to see Orchid and Brody cheering through the courtyard, a sight they've seen all over campus. They're hugging and swinging in each other's arms, chanting to the sky. They stop in from of the three of them who are smiling.

"You must've heard," Orchid says, "Brody and I just came from paying tuition and we're a hundred dollars richer!"

"Everyone's screaming about it!" Brody yells.

"Wait…" Orchid mutters.

Orchid holds Brody's arm, leaning close to him as she whispers something still loud enough for everyone to hear. It's asking about Emily without directly asking, and as if she wasn't right there and not hearing all this. To answer their questions, Emily takes off her sunglasses and hangs them on her neckline. Once Orchid and Brody recognize her, they fold their hands together and bow their heads. Emily laughs as Angela gives Merida a face (to which Merida rolls her eyes).

"So, extra hundred dollars," Emily states. "What are your plans for it?"

"Cider," Brody responds, sighing happily at the thought of it. "Lots of cider."

"Oh!" Emily exclaims. "Do you want to make the best hard cider? You take regular cider and freeze it while it ferments. You see, water has a lower freezing point than alcohol so once the water freezes, it creates ice crystals above the alcohol, separating the two liquids. So you remove the ice and then you're left with the hardest cider you could make from scratch."

Orchid and Brody stare at her in pure fascination (making Merida roll her eyes again).

"If you weren't engaged I'd marry you now," Brody says.

"Honestly, same," Orchid adds.

-o-

Concrete Beach - 18:44 PM

Emily sits excitedly at the bar with James while students party around them. She was happy to hear people paying for each other's drinks which is what she had in mind when she made the grant. They're in university. Let the cadets in a stressful militant environment be university kids for a minute. The Academy owes that to them.

Also, the bar had magazines with her on the cover which she signed when nobody except James was looking.

"It's crazy to be me and see myself everywhere," Emily comments.

"Okay, what did you want to show me?" James asks.

"Something I learned when I spent a week in England."

At her request, the bartender gave them two empty highball glasses with ice cubes in them. Then she was given a bottle of ginger beer, gin-based liquor, sparkling lemonade, a fruit medley, and mint leaves. Using a drink mixer, she combines all the ingredients and pours the concoction into their glasses.

"You learned how to be a bartender?" James asks.

"Amongst many things," Emily responds as she slides James a glass. "This, my friend, is called the Pimm's Cup. P-I-M-M. It was invented by a James Pimm in 1823."

James's jaw drops. A drink loosely named like him. If anyone asks, that's where his name came from. "I fucking love your brain. First this and then the Asgardian Grant, and in that order."

Emily laughs a little as she sips her drinks. "Speaking of Asgard, can I ask you how often you think about Apollo and Britney?"

James's smile fades a little. He looks at his glass for a second before meeting Emily's eyes again. "They're not my immediate thoughts but I drift back to them from time to time. There isn't much to think when you don't know what to put your mind on."

"I feel the same. That's why I made the grant as the Asgardian Grant. I miss them." She sighs. "No matter how much you care about someone, things change when they used to be around all the time and now they're suddenly not. I mean, look at what you guys did without me. It's too often that we appreciate people after they're gone."

"The most loyal hearts are broken by betrayal."

Emily cocks a brow. "You think they betrayed us?"

"I don't … at least, not yet. I don't know what to think."

"If they come back, we'll find out."

"If indeed."

Emily and James click their glasses and drink silently. They knew times have changed because when turned into if when discussing Apollo and Britney's return after, what's almost three years. Their certitude became doubt right before their eyes and they didn't even notice.

-o-

Two Years Ago - Asgard

Freya wasn't sure when she last slept. She's starting to lose track of the days since they're all blending. Every day, she'd wake up to find Apollo already awake next to her. He wouldn't have been asleep because his mind is too plagued with his cursed fate. Freya's been scared she's lost him to madness but Apollo promised her that she's keeping him tethered to reality. She isn't sure she believes him but she goes with the notion because they need each other, him more than her now.

Then she'd train with the other warriors until the sunset. Sometimes, she'd see Sigyn but knows she's in her own world. Always is. She's not talking to Apollo since they'll only argue.

And then Freya would end the day being back in bed with Apollo who likely spent the day with his parents as they figure things out. Freya knows they haven't made progress since the days are still progressing the same.

She knows she'd have been sleeping since she remembers waking up, but she's so drained and exhausted that she might as well have been awake with him. Thor and Jane notice when they're talking to her but they don't comment since they feel and look the same.

"I don't know what we can grant him," Freya tells Thor and Jane, both of whom she hasn't seen smile since this burden entered their lives. She isn't even sure when she was last happy. "His dreams, when he does close his eyes, are vivid. I only know that because f I wake up in the night, it's because he talks and screams when living through them. I know it hasn't been long and this is the worst we've seen him, but we know he won't recover from this."

The scholarship was some unintentional foreshadowing on my part and I love it.

Also, shoutout again to my Earth Science course. My prof gave me the cider tip. One of the few things I took from his classes.

Emily's Counterpart - Chapter 222: Thanks, But No Thanks