"We can't…"

"I don't know why I did that…"

We both spoke at the same time.

Loki's eyes were wild as he met mine, we had both retreated to opposite sides of the room. Loki with his back against the wall, me in the door opening.

My heart was beating a mile a minute. We couldn't. We shouldn't. Not with Loki wearing that collar and me wearing that awful bracelet.

"I know."

His breathing was ragged and he closed his eyes for a second as if to compose himself. "I know."

I wanted to take him in my arms and kiss him until we both forgot.

"Want a cup of tea?" I asked instead.

I stumbled down the stairs, not waiting for an answer. 'Want a cup of tea?' What the hell was wrong with me? Loki must have thought I was an idiot!

My hands were still shaking as I poured water into the kettle, my eyes burning with tears.

I had to fix this somehow. I'd promised he wouldn't have to go back. But I had no idea how. No idea what to say to make that happen.

The familiar ritual of making tea should have steadied my nerves, but it did nothing to calm me this time.

The doorbell rang just as the kettle stopped boiling.

"Hello love, what the problem then?"

Cedric was tall, although not as tall as Loki was. His blonde hair was tousled, his handsome face with its carefully groomed three-day stubble breaking into a smile as I opened the door. He was wearing a perfectly tailored cream coloured suit and designer sunglasses were perched on top of his head.

I practically burst out in tears at the sight of him.

"Oh dear, you really are in a spot of bother aren't you?"

Cedric gave me a big hug, pulling the door closed behind him at the same time.

"Your new partner giving you trouble?"

The news of my partnership with Loki had spread through the Secret World like wildfire.

I sniffed and blew my nose on the handkerchief Cedric thoughtfully offered me.

"In a way."

Loki was coming down the stairs behind me, his shirt neatly buttoned up again. "Cedric, this is Loki. Loki, meet Cedric, he's a friend of mine."

I had thought the two of them would get on, but they were staring at each other like two tomcats that unexpectedly met in an alleyway.

"Undead," Loki stated as fact. There was nothing about Cedric that gave away his true nature, but Loki somehow sensed it.

"Yes," Cedric said dryly, "it can't be helped, unfortunately. There's no cure yet." His eyes were going from my tear-streaked face to Loki, who had just come from my bedroom upstairs. Before Cedric could jump to any conclusions I quickly said:

"The Templars beat the crap out of him."

"Hey!", Loki sounded more than a little annoyed.

"Well, they did. I don't have time to protect your pride, sorry. I'm worried a magical SWAT team of Templars will come bursting through my windows any second to take you back."

I turned to Cedric, who wasn't looking as surprised as I thought he'd be.

"You Templars are quick to talk of justice and righteousness," he said with a frown, "and yet you are the cruellest to any you consider 'not your kind'."

There were rumours Cedric had tried to join us years ago but had been rejected on account of his nature, forcing him to join the Illuminati instead.

"Are you still using living demons for target practice?"

I nodded. "I hate it. I never practice there," I admitted.

"Yes, well, you're one of the good ones, everyone knows that." Cedric nodded.

"Loki can't go back to them," I told Cedric.

Loki cleared his throat. "Ehem. Standing right here."

"No, of course not. What's your plan?"

"I have no idea yet," I said to Cedric, "but I need someone to wear the bracelet and stay with him while I'm dealing with this."

"Sure, whatever I can do to help."

"Or feel free to ignore me, that is fine too," Loki muttered darkly.

I handed Cedric the bracelet. He took it as if I handed him a poisonous snake, but put it on anyway.

"Sorry about this, mate." Cedric apologised to Loki. Loki just glared at him.

"The kettle has been boiled, feel free to help yourself to a cup of tea!"

I ran out of the door, hoping the house would still be standing when I got back.

"And how do we know you have not been compromised?"

"There is no way we are letting him out from our sight!"

"This is sheer insubordination!"

I had no idea who most of the people in the room were, but all of them were yelling. Richard was in here with me, but he hadn't said much to help.

I had tried making my case, that it was wrong to treat a prisoner like that, that I could keep an eye on Loki if he stayed with me, but I hadn't been very eloquent and now everyone that was sitting at the large wooden table was yelling at me.

"Enough." I recognised the woman who spoke as Dame Julia Beatrix Tyburn, one of the higher-ranking members of the Templars. She looked at me.

"Your concern for your partner is commendable if perhaps a tad misguided.

If Loki was indeed treated badly while in our care, appropriate measures will be taken to deal with those involved. But you, of all people in this room, know best how truly dangerous he is. He can not stay in your home, it would endanger your family."

"Loki can not stay here," I repeated stubbornly, "it is only a matter of time before this happens again. In my experience, Loki responds far better to kindness than punishment. We've been working together for quite some time now, I don't believe he would be a danger to me or to my daughter. I would never have suggested this if I believed he was."

"Sorcha's work with Loki has been exceptional," Richard spoke suddenly.

"No other agent has fared as well in dealing with the Trickster god, and their work together has been of the highest standard."

"Are you suggesting…" Before Dame Tyburn could finish her sentence, the doors to the meeting room opened with a bang. Loki came in, looking as arrogant as only he could manage, Cedric hot on his heels.

"Sorry," Cedric mouthed at me.

I groaned and hid my head in my hands.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dame Tyburn asked angrily.

Loki pulled one of the empty chairs back, the annoying sound of metal scraping on the hard wooden floor loudly reverberating. I looked down. The chairs were wood, and a red carpet lined the floors. Was it one of Loki's illusions? Loki winked at me. The little shit. What was he up to?

Loki sat down, the chair tilting backwards as he put his feet on the table, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he smiled belligerently.

"Be a darling, and get me a cup of tea?" he said to Dame Tyburn's assistant who was present to take notes. She jumped up and was making tea before anyone could stop her.

Cedric quietly backed out of the room, closing the doors behind him.

"My apologies for barging in like that," Loki said, not sounding very apologetic at all, "but I merely figured it would only be just if I had a say in the matter of my future here in your wonderful institution."

What was he up to? I covered my eyes with my fingers, I couldn't watch.

"We can all agree that my partner's idea of offering me a room in her wonderful but humble abode is kind, but a terrible idea. The dear girl should be allowed some privacy away from her work partner, don't you say?"

I peeked through my fingers. The people around the table nodded reluctantly. What was happening?

Loki accepted the cup of tea from the assistant, but before anyone could say a word he continued pleasantly:

"And we all can agree that my staying here would be an equally terrible idea. Your guards and I simply can't seem to get along with each other. So far I have been tolerant of the way they've treated me, but I am afraid I can be tolerant no longer. A line was crossed."

They were all hanging on every word he said. Was he using magic? There were wards and the people in this room knew how to protect themselves from mind-controlling magic. His voice and sheer presence seem to have a power of their own though. It was magic of a far more mundane kind; he simply projected such an aura of confidence, of power, of authority, that they listened to him despite themselves.

It was, without doubt, the sexiest thing I'd ever witnessed.

"Sure, you can put me in another one of your cells, but I probably won't find myself in the mood to cooperate with your organisation any longer. And wouldn't that be a shame, since Sorcha and I have been doing so well solving all your little problems?"

"Mister…. Mister Loki," Dame Tyburn began. We still weren't sure what his last name was.

"Madam," Loki interrupted her quickly, "I believe I was not quite done yet. Surely we all agree it would be far better if I were to continue my cooperation with your organisation. And I have a suggestion that might please everyone in the room today."

Loki took a sip of his tea, and I could see they were all waiting to hear what this suggestion could be.

"There is a small apartment available here in Ealdwic. We recently stumbled upon it while hunting down a man possessed by an incubus. It is vacant now. A bit humble for my taste, but it will do. I take up residence there and you track my collar from here. I will not leave Ealdwic without supervision, if I do, you hold the power in your hand to terminate my life at will. I get a little freedom, you get my continued cooperation, and Sorcha gets some peace and quiet in her spare time." Loki's smile beamed around the room.

I looked around. Was this going to work? Would they actually agree to this? There was doubt on the faces around me, they weren't sure. If I let them think for too long he'd be stuffed into the deepest, darkest cell they could find.

"If Loki is locked back up, I'll quit my job." I was shocked myself to hear the words coming out of my mouth, did I really just say that? "I'm certain one of the other organisations would be delighted to have me."

Even Loki looked surprised at my words.

It seemed to have the desired effect though, as my superiors all reluctantly agreed.

A short while later we stepped outside of the room. Cedric was leaning against the wall, waiting for us.

"Everything okay?"

"It seems to have worked," Loki grinned back at him. "Thank you for your help." The two of them shook hands. I had no idea what happened after I left them alone, but they seemed to get along great now.

"Any time, mate."

Cedric winked at me and gave me the bracelet. "I'll be heading home if you don't need me anymore. Good luck with that one," he motioned at Loki, "You'll have your hands full with him."

And with a quick wave, he walked away. "You owe me a drink!"

Loki and I waited for a Templar to bring us the keys to the apartment.

"Sorry, the cleaning crew has not been around to the apartment yet." it was Richard who brought Loki the keys himself. "It might still be a bit of a mess. The landlord has been let know you are moving in and the rent has been taken care of. You'll receive a small allowance to provide yourself with the basic necessities, and a phone will be provided as well."

Loki took the keys without saying a word of thanks.

"And watch yourself," Richard added, "one step wrong and you'll be nothing but a smear on the pavement."

We walked outside together, Loki and I. Neither of us said anything until we were out of Templar earshot.

"I didn't think that was going to work!" I said, not caring about the dorky grin that was beaming on my face.

"I'll admit I didn't think it would either, Loki grinned back. "I was rather convinced you'd lose your job and I'd be back in the basement!"

He suddenly whooped, startling a flock of pigeons perched nearby.

"You were magnificent, by the way."Loki smiled at me. "I'm not certain if I could have done that without you."

"You weren't so bad yourself," I grinned back. There was no way I was ever going to admit to him that it was the hottest thing I'd ever seen.

"Now, let's see if that apartment is as small and as awful as I remember," Loki's smile turned into a frown as he lead me towards the seedier part of Ealdwic.