Tears streamed streamed down her face as Freya desperately tried to get away from the Trickster. His words were ringing in her ears, and more than anything she wanted the safety of her room, for no one could hurt her there. However, she had barely made it to the stairs when her strength ran out, and she cursed as she hit the floor, for she had done exactly what Eir had warned her not to. Pain radiated from her newly healed wound, and she swore in frustration at the whole situation, for she had no wish to return to the medical centre so soon after escaping it.

"Freya?" The cry came from Hilda, who had followed her out of the hall, and Freya did her best to stop her tears. "What happened?"

"I…" Freya tried to speak, but she just shook her head and took her friend's offered hand. The pair then sat on one of the steps, and Freya just looked at the Asgardian with such sad eyes…

"Oh Freya… Perhaps tonight was not such a good idea." Hilda sighed as she instinctively knew what had happened.

"Why does he hate me so much?" Freya asked, and Hilda just shook her head as she pulled her friend into a hug.

"I do not know." Hilda told her. "But I can tell you that he is an idiot to treat you this way." Freya could not help but smile slightly at that. "Come on. Let's get you home."

The next morning found a rather drained Freya waking later than usual. She had eventually passed out from exhaustion last night, and she sighed heavily at the memory of the feast. She knew that she should not let Loki's words bother her, and yet they kept repeating themselves in her head. Did he truly regret saving her life? Because that was not the impression she had gotten from the others. His actions towards her were really confusing, and she had no idea what to make of them. Either way, she almost wished that he had used his daggers to pierce her heart rather than his words, for the physical wounds would have been far less painful. She had not been so naïve as to believe that he would forgive her for what she had done, but to wish that she had died… Well, that truly stung.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Freya dragged herself out of bed and set about her day, for she was determined not to let him defeat her. A hot shower helped to ease her aching body, and she dressed in a comfy jumper and jeans before settling down on the sofa with a book and a cup of tea. Sif was very quickly curled up at her feet, and she smiled slightly, for she had not had this for quite some time. She certainly had not been alone since before the attack, and she knew that there was much that she needed to deal with. Mainly she had to figure out if she was remaining in New Asgard, for though Hilda wished her to stay, it was clear that Loki wanted her gone. Still, that was a decision that could wait a little longer, and so she lost herself in her book for a while.

The knock on the door came a few hours later, and Freya was half expecting to find Hilda when she opened it. She had no doubt that her friends would come to check up on her at some point today, although Freya was not exactly pleased with Ragnar after last night.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you Freya." The God of Thunder said as he stood by the door, and Freya was rather surprised for she had not expected to see him. "Can I come in?"

"If this is about…" She trailed off, for she had no wish to listen to any pleas about the Trickster, but Thor offered her a sympathetic smile.

"I wondered if you had a few minutes to talk?"

"Oh…" She paused as she stepped aside. "Then by all means, come on through." He gave her an appreciative smile as he took a seat in her armchair.

"Would you like a drink or a bite to eat?" She offered, very unused to having the Allfather as a visitor.

"I'm okay." He smiled as she resumed her spot on the sofa.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked after a moment.

"Well, for a start, you haven't been answering your emails." He stated, and Freya gave a heartfelt sigh.

"I was dismissed, so I thought…"

"You can remain our consultant should you wish to." He explained, but Freya frowned.

"The Prince clearly stated that I was to leave."

"He doesn't have the authority to fire you." Thor pointed out, but this was news to Freya.

"Oh…"

"Do you want to leave?" She was silent as she focused on her mug of tea. "It is understandable if you want to go. I know these past few weeks will have made you reconsider your post."

"Yet who would replace me?" She asked curiously, for she knew that Hilda had been doing her best to fill in for the consultant, and yet there was still much that she did not know.

"I don't know." Thor admitted. "You can have some time to think about it, but I will need an answer by the end of the week."

"So soon?"

"If I am to seek a replacement, then it needs to be done quickly for Yule will soon be upon us."

"Of course! Your celebration is longer than our Christmas." She realised.

"Exactly, and after the hassle of organising yesterday, there are not many who are willing to do the same again."

"I can't say I blame them." She shrugged, for she knew personally how much effort organising such events took.

"If you do decide to return to work, then please let me know. Otherwise you are more than welcome to stay here in New Asgard, or to visit at any time."

"Your brother would disagree." She pointed out, and Thor sighed.

"I heard about what happened last night." He admitted, while Freya prayed that he was not about to plead for his brother.

"He hates me."

"Hate is a very strong word." He paused. "I know Loki, and based on what I have seen, it is more complex than you think."

"He dismissed me without reason, and last night he wished he had left me to die." Freya pointed out.

"His words are regrettable." Thor agreed. "But for what it's worth, I know he does not regret saving your life, even though he has suffered greatly for doing so."

"You cannot know that." She stated, gripping her mug tightly.

"You did not see him when he held your dying form, nor when he visited you. I never believed that he was still capable of such concern until that day."

"The night I was wounded, we were bound. That sorrow was mine." Freya explained, for she had no wish to hear his excuses.

"Yet by the time he was released, the bond was broken, was it not?"

"I made him risk everything here."

"Not the second time." Thor pointed out, while Freya was very confused.

"Second time?"

"He finished his spells, and I believe he has done all that he can to speed up your recovery process."

"Because he wants me gone." She stated, but Thor shook his head.

"Or maybe he did not want you to suffer any more than was absolutely necessary?" Freya was silent for a moment as she absorbed this information.

"If what you are saying is true, then why am I unaware of such a visit?"

"Visits, plural." He corrected, and Freya frowned even more. "He had no wish to cause any arguments while you were recovering."

"Last night proves otherwise." She stated, while Thor gave a frustrated sigh.

"I will not defend his actions, but I do know that he wishes to make amends." Thor paused as he let her take in this information. "And I am aware that he has not heard the end of it regarding you. Some people are angry at the fact he risked their home in order to save you, but many more are furious that he dismissed you."

"Oh…" She hesitated, for she had no doubt that it would not have been easy to deal with such things. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"If you decide to leave, then nothing. But if you decide to stay, then you should find a way for you both to be at least civil towards one another." At this, he got to his feet, and Freya was somewhat relieved that he was leaving, for he was only causing her more heartache. "For what it is worth, you have been dearly missed while you have been recovering."

"I will bear that in mind." She assured him, and with that, he left.

Try as she might, Freya could not settle after her conversation with Thor. She lost all interest in her book, and though she attempted to distract herself with a film, she could not stop thinking about what the Asgardian had said. He had only created more questions for her, and Freya knew that he had Loki's best interests at heart, for that was what siblings did. Yet she could not help but wonder if what Thor had said was true. Had Loki actually meant to make amends last night before it had devolved into an argument? Was that why he had sought her out on the balcony? And had he really visited her more than once during her recovery? Was there another reason why he risked everything to save her during the attack other than the fact they were bound? She had no idea, and the worst part of all this was that it was causing her to hope that their friendship could be rekindled, even though she was about to close the door on it. She knew that she could just walk away now, and no one would think any less of her for doing so. After all, she had nearly died purely because she was helping the Asgardians, and she could so easily return home to her parents. She did not need to stay, and yet… Yet she was unsure if she could leave her friends behind, because she knew that once she left New Asgard, it was unlikely that she would ever return. Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, Freya knew that she could at least get the answer to one of her questions without having to face the Prince, and so she grabbed her coat before walking down to the medical centre.

"Freya? What are you doing back here so soon? I thought you would want to stay away for as long as possible." A surprised Eir asked as the Midgardian walked inside.

"I am looking for answers." She explained, before asking about the Prince's visits. The Goddess of Healing was exceedingly reluctant to give anything away at first, but she eventually relented after some gentle persuasion, especially when Freya explained the anguish it was causing. The Midgardian was very confused as Eir explained that Loki had visited every night without fail, and had done everything in his power to ensure that she had all that she needed. He had sped up her recovery and tried to ease her nightmares, but had never visited during the daytime. Freya almost could not believe what she was hearing, for these actions did not match to those in the lead up to her injuries or last night, and yet she knew that Eir would not lie to her.

"He swore me to secrecy, otherwise I would have mentioned it earlier. I knew you had realised that something was amiss, and I did not enjoy seeing your struggle to piece everything together, but he is the Prince."

"I understand." Freya paused, for she had been sat in Eir's office for about an hour at this point. "Thank you for helping put my mind at ease."

"You are quite welcome Freya. If ever there is anything you need, you only need to ask." Eir told her as they headed back to the entrance.

"Thank you."

Freya's mind was still racing as she left the medical centre, for she wished to know just why Loki had not visited her during the day, and why he had acted so poorly towards her given what he had done for her. She pondered these questions and more as she headed back towards the palace, though she knew that only one person held the answers. However, if last night was anything to go by, then it was highly unlikely that he would be willing to give them. Sighing, she considered going for a walk by the sea, but she was feeling rather tired now, and the grey clouds in the sky threatened rain. Therefore she decided to head back to her room, for she knew she could sit and figure out some plan of action. However, as she walked she quickly realised her mistake, for she had subconsciously brought herself to the gardens. Her heart raced and her breath hitched in her throat as she knew she was not ready to face them yet. Memories of the attack flooded back, and though she knew she should turn back and head the other way, she cursed and ran for her office.

She reached the safety of her desk just a minute later, and she sank into her chair as she caught her breath back. She had known that she would have to face the gardens at some point, and yet she had not intended on doing so today. Doing her best to quell the memories, she reminded herself that she was safe here, for Derek could no longer hurt her, and waited for the anxiety to pass. After what felt like an eternity, she managed to regain her composure, and she sighed as she focused on her desk. Pretty much everything was just as she had left it, and she felt her heart sink as she thought about Thor's comments. Though she was a little easier knowing that she could stay, she had no idea if it would be the right thing to do. She needed time to think about it, and yet, deep down, she knew she did not want to leave. But how could she stay when she was being ignored by the one person she loved?

Freya spent the following days focusing on building up her strength and moving forwards. She had spoken to her family and Hilda at length about her options, and eventually they had come up with a plan between them. Freya then spent another day finalising details, before she went in search of Thor. The Allfather was to be found in his office, and she hesitated as she realised he was not alone. Loki was sat with his back to the door as the pair discussed something between them, and Freya felt her heart sink, for she had no wish to face the Prince just yet. She was still very confused as to his actions and behaviour towards her, and yet she knew that she owed him an apology as much as he owed her one. After all, she had used the sceptre and so caused him no end of grief because of it.

Not knowing how long the brothers would be, Freya decided to try again later, but she had barely made it down the corridor before she heard the door open. She looked back just in time to see Loki heading towards his office, and so she hurried to Thor's office, hoping that the Trickster would not notice her. Once upon a time she would have called out and chatted with him, but now it was as if they were strangers, and this was the hardest thing for Freya to deal with. She had lost friends before, but never like this.

"Hello Freya. What can I do for you?" Thor asked as she stepped inside.

"I have made my decision." She told him as she sat down, trying to ignore the fact that Loki had been sat here just a minute ago. The seat was still warm, and the familiar scent of old books and leather still hung in the air. She did her best not to react to them, although she longed to have her friend back.

"And?"

"I'll stay." She told him. "That's if you will still have me."

"We will." Thor smiled. "When will you start back?"

"Monday morning. I will try and catch up on my emails over the weekend, and get started on the Yule festivities."

"If there's anything you need, then you just have to ask." He told her.

"Well I did think it might be worth setting up a committee to sort out the preparations considering how long the festivities go on for and how little time we have to prepare."

"Of course."

"And I will ask if I can have less duties just while I ease myself back into things. I may be physically healed, but…"

"I will see that it is sorted Freya." He assured her. "I am glad you decided to stay."

"I don't think anyone would have wanted me to leave." She paused.

"You have been thinking on what I told you?"

"You were right. Things are a lot more complicated than I believed." She sighed. "But I will do what I can to work with your brother in a professional capacity."

"You miss him, don't you?" He guessed, while she bowed her head.

"I would have classed him as one of my closest friends up until a few months ago." Freya admitted. "If it were not for Hilda and Ragnar, then I probably would have left then."

"You are staying because of them?"

"They are part of the reason." She told him. "But there is still much to be done here, and I cannot in good conscience walk away without ensuring you are all settled here with everything you need."

"So long as you are doing the right thing for you and not out of obligation, then I will not try to talk you out of it."

"Well, there is one caveat to my staying."

"Which is?"

"If this does not work out, then I can leave without giving notice."

"Agreed." He told her. "Though I do hope you stay."

"Me too." She agreed.