More time passes in the Void and soon, Loki, Mobius, Hunter B-15, and the archivists have been there for a month. Their lives have fallen into patterns and they've learned how to live together, taking time for storytelling and even short excursions in small groups or pairs into nearby areas to have conversations not for other ears.

Mobius and Loki go walking one day to talk about what to do next, neither of them sure where their lives are leading.

"So...what are we going to do now that we're here?" Mobius asks, "We didn't come here just to live in the Void, though that's not to say I'm not enjoying myself here. So long as we stay out of Alioth's way, we seem to have a pretty good life together. I'd hate to break up the family."

Loki sighs, "I know. And I'm afraid that's what we'll face if we try to get to the Citadel. I can't enchant Alioth by myself. We'd have to use the Tesseract. I think I can do it, take us all there, but...what would we do after? Return here? Keep hiding from Alioth? Find a barren rock on which to try to start over? Take over the Citadel and become the next keepers of the Sacred Timeline? I just...I can't think of what we'd do and yet...I need to know if she's still there."

"Maybe we should ask everybody else what we should do. Do you think it's the right time?"

"I don't know. I've considered just going myself and hoping I can get back here. I could get my answer and leave."

"Do you think you'd be allowed to just leave?" Mobius asks.

"Possibly. But also possibly not."

Mobius chooses his next word cautiously, "And what would Cyd think about you just disappearing."

Loki stares at the ground, "You've noticed."

Mobius smiles, trying to peer at his friend's downcast face, "It would be hard not to. It's pretty clear he's something special to you."

Loki sighs, "I...I'm not sure."

"You're not sure what he is to you or your not sure what he'd think about you disappearing?" Mobius asks.

"I...I don't really want to talk about this."

Mobius stops and turns toward him, "Hey...look up for a minute." Loki reluctantly does. "You're acting like there's something to be ashamed of in this. There's not. Cyd brings out something in you I didn't ever see much of when we were at the TVA. You play, Loki. Both of you. And it's really great to see. Do you want to know what I think he'd say?"

Loki shrugs, "I suppose."

"I think he'd be devastated if you just left. I think if you told him, he'd either insist on coming with you or just stop sleeping so you couldn't leave when he wasn't awake. And I've watched enough lives to know that whatever you call each other, you make one another happy in a way that's really special."

"He couldn't come with me," Loki says.

"Why not?"

"Because it's too dangerous. If I have to confront He Who Remains..."

Mobius knows this isn't Loki's only concern, "Or if you had to confront Sylvie."

Loki covers his face with his hands, "I don't even want to think about what would happen then. Or what either of them would do."

Mobius gently eases Loki's hands away from his face, "I'm sorry, I'm pushing you too much. But...talk this through with Cyd. The Sylvie part, at least. We're going to get to the Citadel. We're going to have to at some point and it'll probably be all of us. You two are going to have to have a plan for handling your hearts." He gives Loki's hands a squeeze, then offers a hug, "Come here. You're going to be OK. Even if you don't know it yet."

Loki steps into his friend's embrace and lets himself rest with his head on Mobius' shoulder for a moment before stepping back, "Thank you." He sniffles and then draws a steadying breath, "We've talked a little about her, but...I think there's more to talk about."

"If there's one thing I know about people who care about each other, it's this- if it runs deep, they can talk through hard things. And you two run deep."

Loki nods, "Yes, that we do."

"Ready to go back home?" Mobius asks.

Loki laughs softly, "Ah, home. A ramshackle cobbled together hovel in the Void beyond time."

Mobius smiles, "Yeah, but it's our hovel, so that's got to count for something."

"Yes, yes it does," Loki replies.

They walk back to their shelter to find Ayshi dancing around the cooking fire while Tam hums a tune and Iris' fingers drum out a keyboard pattern on their knees. Cyd and young Loki are playing a betting game they've created in a corner while the alligator rests at his feet. Hunter B-15 tends to the foraged plants and the birdlike creature turning on the spit. Mobius and Loki sit down together and it isn't long before Loki dozes off on his friend's shoulder. Mobius doesn't mind.

That night, it is once again Cyd and Loki's turn to keep watch. Tam goes through their nightly ritual, tucking everyone in before laying down themself. After everyone is asleep, Loki turns on his side and rests under Cyd's arm.

"Hey...what's on your mind?" Cyd asks, "You've been really quiet."

"I know."

"So...what's got you troubled?"

Loki sighs, "I've been thinking about what we do next. Do we try to get to the Citadel? And what do we do when we get there? Do we just ask questions? Do we confront He Who Remains? Do we take over and manage the Sacred Timeline ourselves in the security of the Citadel? And what do we do after? Do we come back here to live like this until we die? Can we die in a place where time no longer matters? Or do we try to find out if he can place us on the timeline in a place where we can all be together?"

Cyd nods, "That's a lot to think about. And I know you're thinking about Sylvie, too."

Loki feels his heart drop and he cuddles a little closer, "Yes. I am."

Cyd turns on his side and draws Loki close so they're noses are nearly touching, "Talk to me."

"I think I loved her. At least in some way. I don't know. But if I did...what happens when I see her again? What if...what if she loved me in some way, too?" Loki asks, refusing to meet Cyd's eyes.

"Hey," Cyd says, "That's not something you need to really worry about, is it? Why can't you have feelings for more than one person?"

Loki looks up, "What?"

"Why can't you love more than one person? Maybe in different ways, maybe in the same way, but...what's the problem with that?" Cyd asks.

"I don't understand," Loki says, "That's not how things were ever done."

Cyd shrugs, "And? Why can't it be the way we do things, if we need to? I'm not going to tell you to choose. If she does, then you've got to decide what to do about that. But me? I'm OK with you letting your heart lead you. I just hope a part of it stays with me."

Loki reaches over and rests his hand against Cyd's neck, "It will."

He smiles, "Yeah, I kinda figured." He sighs, "You know you're really pretty? And just watching you makes my heart happy."

Loki slips his hand off Cyd's neck and takes his hand, clutching it to his chest, "I don't know what to say, Cyd. But I feel more like myself when I'm beside you."

"Awww, you're sweet." Cyd brings his face closer to Loki's their noses touching as Cyd leans into Loki, "Can I kiss you?" Loki's lips part, his eyes fluttering closed. Cyd gently brushes his lips against Loki's, waiting to see if he draws away. When he doesn't, he very softly kisses him, his lips lingering before he pulls back, lightly kisses the corner of Loki's mouth, and lays back down, wrapping his arms around Loki.

Loki holds Cyd tightly, "That was lovely. Thank you."

Cyd smiles, "Yeah, it really was. Thank you. I know how big a step this is."

"I don't really want to stay awake tonight," Loki says, drawing back from the hug, "I want to curl up with you and fall asleep in your arms. Maybe even kiss you again."

Cyd giggles, "That sounds fantastic. But since we both have to be up for the watch...I guess it'll have to wait."

Loki nods, "And speaking of keeping watch...I need to go check on our unfriendly neighbourhood angry cloud monster." He disentangles from Cyd and walks over to the ridge, his heart light, almost skipping. Alioth is descending on a new pruned reality, its roar loud, but also now something most of the family sleeps through. The mysterious lightning crackles above Alioth and Loki stares, waiting to see what happens. Alioth thrashes as the lightning surges through its body. It rushes to the new reality, consuming all life before trying to shake away from the lightning.

And that is when Loki sees something that stuns him. The shape of a figure illuminated in the lightning, a cape fluttering behind it. The figure is small and difficult to make out, but Loki stares, not daring to hope it's who he needs it to be.

Cyd approaches him from behind, "Hey...is everything OK?"

Loki shakes his head, "There's a person in the lightning."

Cyd squints, trying to see what Loki does; the next intense crash of light causes his jaw to drop, "You're right. What...?"

Loki swallows a lump in his throat, "Thor. I think it's Thor."

"But which variant of him?" Cyd asks, taking Loki's hand.

"I don't know. But hopefully one who still knows me. And doesn't want to kill me."

They stand watching the lightning, looking to see where the figure is on the angry cloud or flying above it. It is only when the lightning subsides that they walk back to their shelter. Loki sits down, wraps his blanket around his shoulders, tucks his knees to his chest, and rests his chin on his knees. Cyd sits beside him and rests his hand on Loki's back.

"That just made things feel a lot more complicated," Loki says.

Cyd nods, "I know. But don't worry. We're here for you. And if we have to fight a god to keep you safe...you know we'd do it. Every last one of us."

"You'd lose."

"Don't care," Cyd says, "We'd fight anyway. Because nobody messes with this family and gets away with it."

"Even if you'd all be killed?"

"Yep. If he's going to take you out, he's going to have to get through all of us first."

Loki leans against Cyd and sighs, "Well...as much as I admire the sentiment, try not to die because of me. I'd feel terrible if you did."

Cyd kisses Loki's temple, "I know. But you need to understand just how much you mean to us. To me. And if that means I die fighting for you...well, might as well go for a good reason instead of just being eaten by a grouchy cloud." Loki nods, cuddled against Cyd. It isn't long before Cyd feels Loki's muscles slacken and he knows his companion is falling asleep. He gently shifts Loki so he rests more comfortably and takes a deep breath, thinking about everything on Loki's heart. He knows he should wake Loki so the both of them can keep the watch together, but instead, he lets Loki rest and holds vigil by himself.