With Loki's disappearance, Sophie was able to focus on preparing the meal she decided on. Once it was finished, she found herself wishing she had Loki's skills with telekinesis, as she carefully hand carried a tray up to the control room. Hela praised Alfheim's technology and Sophie's cooking as they ate, while Sophie smiled and thanked her, playing the gracious host perfectly. While she despised Hela for hurting the Midgardians, Sophie was glad of the opportunity to cook something. It took her back to a simpler time, years ago, before she was Queen of Alfheim and had an army of staff to see to her every need, before she was even Loki's consultant. Maybe one day she'd shoo the staff out of the kitchens and make something for Loki...

But Sophie could only stall for so long before it started to get suspicious, so, with reluctance, she returned to steering the ship towards Asgard. It was too soon for her liking when they arrived. Still, as Sophie searched for a good place to land the vessel, she didn't see anyone rushing about, which was good. She eventually found a good spot close enough to the palace, and once on solid land, Sophie followed Hela off the ship. Sophie left the door open on purpose, so that the Asgardians, wherever they were hiding, could rush onboard as soon as they were out of sight.

"Ah, I've missed this place!" Hela sighed as they strode through courtyards and down boulevards.

Sophie trailed behind her, scanning their surroundings continuously. She saw no one, thank goodness, but tension was making her veins hum. She felt on edge to the point of paranoia, and fervently began praying to the blessed stars above that they got as many people out as quickly and quietly as possible. Hela, for all she was happy to be home again, did notice the absolute lack of any people.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

"Likely Heimdall saw you coming and scurried off to the mountains with as many people as he could," Sophie supplied, the lie falling easily from her lips.

The last place she wanted Hela to go was back the way they came, where she'd placed the ship, the place where the people were likely converging upon at this very moment.

"Do they not know? They've no reason to be afraid of me," Hela said as they entered the palace, "I am here to bring Asgard to a greatness it has not accomplished even before my banishment."

"Mmmm, change can be scary," Sophie commented, "They can't be expected to be okay with it overnight. Best to introduce it slowly. Especially when it comes in the form of an unknown ruler."

"But I'm not unknown," Hela said, staring around the throne room in disgust, "Do they not remember me? Does no one remember their history?"

Without warning, she hurled enormous spikes at the ceiling, conjured again from either no where, or her own person. Sophie froze at the sudden movement, and stood in place as the ceiling crashed down around her. Only when the dust settled did she release a slow breath.

Loki? How's it coming?

Mother requests a few more minutes.

Even though Hela wasn't looking at her or paying Sophie any attention now, she refrained from biting her lower lip. She gave no outward signs of stress or concern. Slowly, she looked up at the ceiling as Hela ranted about Odin and his lies. Privately Sophie agreed with everything she was saying about him. But voicing these agreements would come off as brown nosing, and therefore, would arouse suspicion. It was a careful line Sophie was walking here, one misstep would make Hela realize this was all a set up, and Sophie could end up with one of those spike things in her chest.

"So, what is your plan to bring about Asgard's glory?" Sophie asked instead.

Hela smiled, and launched into a description of conquering worlds that stretched even beyond Yggdrasil.

It's a good thing Hela doesn't know about this Midgardian cartoon cliché, Sophie thought to herself, I've literally got the villain monologuing to stall her. I can't believe this shit actually works.

Then again, maybe it shouldn't be so surprising. People did like to talk about themselves and how great they were, after all.

"Of course, Alfheim would be granted certain privileges, for it's aid in the conquest," Hela smirked at her, "Your father was stubborn. He refused to bend the knee to Asgard and the resulting battles were vicious. I'm glad his daughter has more sense."

Sophie almost laughed. Oh, if only Hela knew how obstinate she was. Perhaps that was something she'd inherited from Dáinn. But Sophie's father had never told her Asgard attempted to conquer their realm. Maybe he would have, if they'd had more time together. But what Hela said rang true to Sophie's ears, as it explained why Asgard had this "protector of the realms of Yggdrasil" vibe going on. They were the police force no one asked for or wanted. Or rather, Alfheim had no need of their services. This, Sophie realized, was the reason Vanaheim kowtowed to Asgard while Alfheim merely tolerated them, like an annoying fly that was more of a mild nuisance than serious problem, why there was a treaty in place between Asgard and Alfheim even before Sophie knew her heritage. Asgard had ceased it's attacks, and Alfheim agreed to continue trading with them, after heavy fines and restitution were paid, of course. That was why it drove Odin into a tizzy when Sophie brokered an alliance with Nornheim without his input at the end of 2012. It gave him flashbacks of her intransigent father refusing to give a fuck what he thought or wanted. Sophie smiled thinking about how Odin must have hated admitting he couldn't conquer Alfheim. She imagined him apologizing to her father through gritted teeth for Asgard's many failed attacks, the concessions Odin must have had to make.

Everyone is ready, Sophie, Loki's voice echoed through her mind, I'm prepared to drop Surtur's crown into the Eternal Flame. Once I do, we'll have only a few seconds to get out of the palace.

Do it.

Sophie smiled at Hela.

"There's only one problem with your scheme," Sophie said, "You're not the ruler of Asgard."

Loki appeared by her side in a flash of green light even as she spoke.

"I am," he said, a hardness about his tone that Sophie hadn't heard in years.

"You again," Hela said, surprised.

Loki smiled thinly.

"Me again," he agreed.

He grabbed Sophie's hand and spun her out of the path of an incoming necrosword, vanishing with her in the same instant.

"Woo!" Sophie exclaimed as they appeared in the control room aboard her ship, "That was close!"

She'd actually felt the air split an inch away from her skin when Hela threw that sword at her.

"Let's not thank the stars yet," Soeren warned, "We still have to get out of this realm."

"Too right," Sophie replied grimly, starting up the ship instantly.

She was engulfed in a sphere of cool light, one which allowed her to see a three dimensional image of the area around the ship and navigate without windows. Sophie gave a brief nod of greeting to Frigga and Heimdall, but that was all she had time for before her nimble hands were racing, darting back and forth between controls to get the ship into the air.

"Everyone is on board?" Sophie heard Loki ask.

"As many as we could manage," Heimdall answered gravely.

There was a beat of a pause. Sophie felt her insides wilt in that instant of silence. They couldn't get everyone. And Loki knew it too. They would be leaving people behind to die. How many? It was difficult to guess.

"I see," Loki said simply.

Sophie clenched her teeth as a wave of guilt slapped into her.

I should have stalled Hela longer.

A moment later, she shook her head and vehemently shoved those thoughts from her mind.

No. No survivor's guilt. Fuck that. I've done all I could. This was the best way for it to end.

"Has everyone secured themselves?" Sophie asked without turning her head to look at those behind her.

"They've been instructed to hang on for a rough ride," Frigga replied.

Good.

"Surtur has destroyed the palace," Loki reported, as if Sophie couldn't see that for herself in the projected 3D image around her, "Hela is no where in sight."

Sometimes Sophie wondered if Loki talked so much purely out of habit. Or stress, maybe. She imagined it wasn't easy to see his home being destroyed. Sophie was taking them out of Asgard as fast as she could while Surtur grew bigger and bigger with every passing moment. She noticed that was another difference between herself and Loki. When presented with stress, Loki babbled, while Sophie turned silent. She ignored him, for the most part, concentrating on flying. Only when they were a safe distance away from Asgard did she halt the ship and turn around to watch the holographic image of Surtur, grown now so big he could be seen rising up out of Asgard, destroy the entire realm, which exploded.

The silence following that moment was deafening.

"Soeren, go to Alfheim and bring Kaja back here so she can pilot the vessel. I'm going to show our guests to their quarters so that they may rest," Sophie said when she judged the silence had stretched far enough, "And fetch enough staff to man the galley. We're going to need food eventually and I don't know how to cook for this many people."

What she really meant was she was going to give them privacy to mourn. They could cry, throw things, or just lay in bed in a nest of blankets if they wished. Soeren bowed and dissolved into a puff of smoke before her eyes. The small group of Asgardians followed her through the passageways. She showed Frigga and Heimdall to their rooms first, then took Loki to her quarters.

"I'd hope you'd share my suite with me," Sophie told him, "But if you would prefer not to..."

"Actually... I don't want to be alone right now."

Sophie nodded several times.

"I can certainly accommodate that."

She put her back to a desk and half leaned against it, watching him. He was past babbling now. In fact, he wasn't saying anything, which was unusual for him. Shock was setting in, most likely.

"Have you thought about the relocation of your people? You're their king. They need you for guidance, to give them a new home."

"Can I not have a moment to mourn the old one?" Loki spat.

Sophie's nails bit into the wood of the desk, but she said nothing. She merely dropped her gaze and bit her tongue. She didn't feel she'd deserved that... Loki exhaled in a rush after a few moments.

"Midgard, of course," he said suddenly, "Ironic, my people will now be living amongst yours."

Sophie's eyes flicked upwards, their gazes clashed. A furrow appeared between her eyebrows and her lips parted as she noticed the anger in his eyes.

"You hate me now," she realized.

"I could never hate you, Sophie," Loki replied, "I'm just... I wish you had told me about this."

Her brows arched, but she kept her tone soft.

"I did tell you about it," she replied incredulously, "The second I woke up, I told you about the vision."

"What you did not inform me of was that you were going to see to it that it happened," Loki growled, "You failed to even consult me before you went to ensure Surtur's crown was in the exact place it needed to be to destroy my home!"

"It's a good thing I did, don't you think?" Sophie asked quietly, "Only think of how much worse this could have gone if I hadn't. Think of how many fewer Asgardians would be on this ship now if I didn't have this plan in place."

"You planned this!" Loki now shouted at her, "Not us! Not we! Damn it Sophie, we're supposed to be a team! You can't go off on your own making plans of destruction for entire realms which are not yours! You should have talked with me about your blessed plan before enacting it!"

She was now staring at him, her jaw dropped in shock.

I was wrong earlier, she realized, That wasn't our first fight. This is.

Loki finished his tirade and breathed heavily to get his breath back, glowering at her. Sophie closed her mouth and nodded slowly several times. She didn't immediately respond, but thought through his words, running them again and again through her mind. Then she gave herself a few moments to come up with something to say. After some consideration, there was only one thing she could say.

"You're right," Sophie said at last, "I should have told you what I was planning first. I suppose I didn't because I didn't want to hurt you. No. That's not right. I knew you would be hurt eventually by the loss of your homeland. I was trying to delay it as long as I could. Because I love you, and seeing you in pain in turn pains me. But I was wrong not to tell you what needed to happen. I was wrong for not communicating openly and honestly with you, as a partner should. And I'm sorry."

"Are you certain it was to spare us both heartache?" Loki sneered, "Are you sure it wasn't because you knew I would argue with you? Because I wouldn't agree? Because I would try to fight your vision and save Asgard?"

Sophie looked into his eyes and at that moment realized the truth. Some small part of her had kept it from Loki for that very reason.

"No," she whispered, "I'm not sure of that."

Loki spread his arms in a "there you have it" gesture.

"And you ask why I'm angry with you?" he said sardonically.

Sophie had to bite her lower lip, to physically stop herself from saying something she might regret later as she watched him storm out of the suite. She frowned as she watched him go.

Should I just let him go? Should I go after him, try to comfort him? Would that just make him more angry? Should I give him some time to cool off? I don't know.

Sophie sighed and felt all the tension in her body rush out along with the air she expelled. She needed a drink. She poured herself a glass of wine and sat down with a book, deciding to let Loki calm down for a while. After no more than an hour, a soft knock on the door made Sophie look up from her reading. That wasn't Loki, she already knew it from the way the person knocked. You could hear the authority in the way Loki knocked, as if he wasn't asking but demanding for permission to enter. This was definitely an "asking" knock.

"Enter," Sophie said.

When the door opened, Frigga was there, smiling serenely. Sophie immediately got to her feet.

"Frigga," she said, surprised, "Please, come in. Sit if you like. Would you care for a glass of wine?"

"No, thank you."

Sophie laid her book down on the little table next to her chair, the one her empty wine glass stood on.

"What can I do for you?" Sophie asked.

"You've done quite a bit already, I think," Frigga smiled.

Sophie grimaced and looked aside.

"Yes, well... Some would say too much."

"Loki won't be angry for long," Frigga said, making Sophie glance at her quickly, "He loves you, and knows you meant no harm. You've made a mistake. It won't be the first, if you're lucky enough to live a long life."

"If only someone would tell him that," Sophie said, still a bit stung by his anger.

"I already have," Frigga said.

Again, Sophie was surprised.

"You've spoken to him?"

"Of course. I heard him shouting at you."

"Ah... I expect the whole ship did," Sophie muttered, feeling her cheeks heat up, "I wonder if he will ever stop being angry with me."

She knew Loki's rage could burn hot and long, like a smoldering ember, while Sophie's temper was generally over in a quick burst.

"He has trouble staying angry with those he loves," Frigga replied, "He will come around, and sooner than you expect."

Sophie sighed.

"I don't know if he told you, but – we're in a relationship now."

A wicked glimmer shone in Frigga's eyes.

"I suspected as much."

Sophie fought to keep the blush from showing on her face. She was failing though, and she knew it.

"Yes, well. It's been..." she paused to think, "Almost four years now. Yet it feels as new to me as it did on the first day. And this is the first real argument we've ever had. I'm not very good with feelings and talking and stuff in the first place. It makes me feel awkward. So I don't know what to do here. I've said I'm sorry. But sometimes words aren't enough. And as much as I'd like to believe it, love does not conquer everything. There are some things it can't fix. And I worry neglecting to tell him of my plan for Ragnarok is one of those."

Frigga nodded slowly, and Sophie recognized the same pensive look on her face that she herself often wore when people asked her for advice. It was odd to be on the other end for once. Sophie liked to think of herself as the one with all the answers. But when it came to relationships, she was a novice.

"I'm sorry," Sophie said quickly, eager to backtrack, "I don't know where all that came from. I'm not usually so sappy and pathetic."

"He's not going to leave you, or cease loving you, if that is what you fear," Frigga said soothingly, "I've never seen him this way, the way he is with you. No other woman has brought out what I see in him now."

"I'll take that as a good sign," Sophie said nervously.

Frigga laughed, and the sound made Sophie breathe easier.

"That's because it is," Frigga said fondly.

"Well, if he will cool off eventually... I suppose I'll leave him alone."

"That's a good idea," Frigga said, "He's quite busy at the moment, taking a census of those that survived."

Sophie cringed at the word survived, fighting off another fresh wave of guilt. She wondered if some families were split now because some of them couldn't get to the ship. Seeing the look on her face, Frigga put a hand to Sophie's shoulder.

"Take heart," Frigga said softly, "Much more could have been lost. We could have all been lost."

Sophie nodded and forced a smile. Frigga bought the facade and left her alone. She stared at the door, imagining Loki walking among the Asgardians, talking with them, giving comfort where it was needed. They were his people, so she would leave him to it. She was just the chauffeur. Instead of going to Loki, she went to the control room, where she talked over a schedule with Kaja. They would both pilot the ship in twelve hour shifts, so Sophie excused the elven woman to get food or rest while Sophie took the first shift.

When she returned to her quarters twelve hours later, the bedroom was dark, and Loki was no where to be found. Sophie sighed. Did she really expect him to be here? No. Yet she couldn't help but be disappointed. She showered, fighting off yawns, and crawled into her bed naked as she always slept, but with a robe laid across the foot of the bed in case of an emergency in the middle of the night. She was nearly asleep when someone gently pulled the covers back behind her. Sophie almost moved, then she caught the faint scents of spices, smoke, and tonka bean. Loki.

She felt her muscles relax as he slid into bed next to her, his hard body cool against her heated skin. She shivered a bit and drew her legs up closer to her core. He would heat up eventually beside her, under the covers, but his temperature naturally ran a bit cooler, as a frost giant. Sophie suspected this was why he could tolerate how hot her skin got under the blankets at night when her previous partners couldn't stand it and often complained the next morning, or threw the covers off themselves in the middle of the night and onto her. One of his arms snaked around her middle and drew her against him. Sophie frowned, her lips parted, but Loki beat her to speaking.

"I don't like being angry with you," he whispered.

"I don't like it either," Sophie whispered back.

His arm tightened around her.

"Promise me you'll never do something like that again," he said, his voice soft but his tone stern.

"I promise," Sophie said immediately, "I promise the next time I do some crazy shit, I'll tell you first. I won't just go off on my own anymore."

"I never thought I'd understand Soeren's frustration with you," Loki complained, "I'm giving him an enormous bottle of booze for Yule this year. He's more than earned it, and can certainly use it."

"I love you," Sophie said meekly.

Loki sighed and kissed her head.

"I love you too," he said.

Sophie smiled, closing her eyes and settling more snugly against him. He had no idea how much it meant to her to hear him say that, even if he was still annoyed with her.