A/N: I'm so sorry it took forever to update. What I lack in frequency, I make up for in length, though. I worked really hard on this chapter, and I hope that it brings you all a smile, a laugh, maybe even a tear. We're spending a little more time in Asgard in this chapter - originally I wanted them to be back on Earth, but their vacation didn't feel "complete" so I went back and added some more scenes there. Also, I've decided Odin is literally the worst character to try and write - he's humorless and I had to add some humor to him, which was not as easy as you might think. Please enjoy this chapter - I'm already working on the next one!

Song: "You're My Home" by Billy Joel

Loki was awakened by the sound of a child's laughter coming from the bathroom. He was unsure of the time, as he had against spent the evening in Grace and Amy's chambers, which, to his continued annoyance, had no windows. But he imagined it was sometime after 8:00 a.m, because that was generally when Amy awoke.

Stretching his long limbs from the top downward, he felt as though he had slept for years. The evening before had begun as a blur. Dinner had gone by in an instant, and for the most part, hadn't been particularly memorable, save for Grace extracting a story about Odin's father from Odin himself. But as to the rest, Loki had little memory. So preoccupied was he with proposing marriage that it was almost as though his mind would not allow anything else to imprint upon it.

Over and over, he had run through what he wanted to say and how and when to say it, all the while dealing with the nagging fear in his heart that he supposed any man proposing experienced—that she might say no. Even though he knew she loved him and considered them a family, he had the fleeting thought that she might not want to change things. But for him, simply being Grace's "boyfriend" wasn't what he wanted for the rest of his life. And, selfishly, he had to admit another motive: short of adopting her by Midgardian laws, he saw no better way to legitimize his status as Amy's father.

Just as he was getting out of bed, the bathroom door opened and Amy came out, wearing the towel that had an attached hood with cat ears on it, leaving a trail of footprints in her wake. He scooped her up and went back into the bathroom to find Grace cleaning out the tub, which was still covered in bubbles. He kissed her on the top of her head. "You know we have servants for that."

"I know, but I'm perfectly capable of cleaning up after myself—and extensions of myself."

"I realize that," he replied, drying Amy's hair with the hood of her towel, "but if you do it yourself, the servants will be out of a job."

Grace suddenly saw an opening. "Speaking of that, I wanted to mention something about Dagmar."

"I'm sorry, who?"

"You should get to know the people who clean your tub."

"Oh, yes. What about her?"

He carried Amy to the nursery, Grace trailing behind him. She got out a new diaper and proceeded to get Amy into it. He was good at many aspects of parenting—even better than Grace in some ways—but he simply couldn't get the hang of diapering. She couldn't wait for the day when Amy could dress herself. Once she managed to wrangle Amy into her diaper, she handed Loki the rest of the girl's clothes. "Well, last night, I was having a hell of a time with my hair, and I was so frustrated because it was an important night—"

"I do not think it was your hair that impressed my parents, my dear." Amy struggled against her tights as Loki pulled them on, but gladly allowed him to put on her yellow tutu.

Grace was slightly annoyed by his interruption. "Yes, but even still, I wanted to look my best, and I was frustrated, and she helped me."

"Helped you?"

"With my hair. She did an amazing job with it. And because I felt so beautiful outside, I felt more confident, and that is probably why I was so relaxed."

"Hm. So, you are saying…"

"I'm saying she should be more than just a servant." She lifted Amy from the changing table and put her down on the rug, handing her a picture book. "She has talent, Loki. She has passion. And she deserves a chance to do what she loves rather than what's expected of her."

Truthfully, he had never given a thought to the palace servants. They were taught to make themselves invisible, and so most of his life, he hadn't been concerned with them. But in the kingdom, there was a caste system, and it had existed since before Bor was king. These were all considerations that needed to be taken into account.

"Grace," he began, carefully choosing his words, "I do not know what I can do. While I realize on Midgard, birth does not necessarily determine one's station in life, things here are different."

She leaned against the door, crossing her arms. He knew this posture well, and it meant that she was unmovable. "Loki, you're a prince. I'm sure there's something you can do. I'm not asking you to change the whole system. Just this one woman's chance at a better life."

He lowered his eyes. He wanted to please the woman he loved, of course, but he also did not want her to be disappointed if he was unsuccessful. But then, he glanced down at Amy—the child he wasn't supposed to have. The only reason he had this life was because Grace had taken a chance on him. She wanted to give him a better life, despite the hardship she had endured. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "I shall speak to Mother. Perhaps she will be able to suggest a solution."

Grace smiled, both because he had agreed to try and help and because she knew that he knew it was the right thing to do. Then she came forward to embrace him. Although she suspected he would have eventually agreed to it just to please her, she was happy that he wanted to help. That did not, however, mean she had to refrain from teasing him.

"You know, if you'd just accept that I'm always right, our lives would be much easier," she smirked.

He laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Woman, the day I admit that is the day I admit Thor is the better looking of the two of us."

"Well, he is the strongest Avenger, anyway…"

She gave him a playful grin and turned to leave to take her own bath. But before she got even a half-step away, he caught her by the waist, pulling her back against his chest. He held one arm tightly around her, and with his other hand, pushed her chestnut hair away from her neck. She felt his breath warm against her ear, as he gave it a light nip.

"I may not be an Avenger, my sweet, and I may not have my brother's brawn, but I assure you, I am far more cunning and far more creative."

She blushed. "Amy's still here, you know."

"I shall ensure she is well tended this evening," he replied, his voice both soft and firm, "so that I may tend to you."

With that, he released her without another word, sat down on the floor with Amy, and proceeded to look at her book with her, while Grace was left breathless. As she headed to the bathroom, she smiled, realizing that although she had won the battle, Loki had definitely won the war.

"Sneaking off without me, are you?" Grace entered the main chamber still wearing a towel around her hair. Loki and Amy looked like they were just about to head out.

"Not sneaking." He motioned toward a piece of paper on the bed, which she picked up.

Darling, I thought perhaps you might enjoy some time to relax after yesterday. Expect a visitor in an hour's time. We shall return early this evening. If you need to reach me, you need only say my name three times. I love you.

"First, I get not one, but two bubble baths in the span of two days, and now an entire afternoon to enjoy?" she said, eyebrows raised in surprise.

He shrugged. "I know, it is a heavy load to bear. But I assure you, it will be worth it."

"I'm sure I will be able to survive."

He kissed her on the forehead before taking Amy by the hand and leading her out, leaving Grace in the quiet. In fact, it was too quiet. So, she picked up her phone to play some music; thankfully, Loki had been able to manipulate Asgardian technology to allow them to charge their phones.

The playlist she chose was one that she created during the early stages of her relationship with him—back when she knew him only as Luke. She had been making playlists that were meaningful to a certain time or event in her life ever since she'd been able to use a computer. She had one for her pregnancy, one for her high school years, one for the year she spent in France during college, and now, as the sound of "Kiss Me" by Ed Sheeran filled the room, she thought about the first time she and Loki made love. She had been so fearful, and he had responded with an unparalleled tenderness. That was the night she'd truly begun to heal from her ordeal with her rapist.

And then, it occurred to her that once again, something important had just happened, something that marked a new era. "Something," she said to no one in particular, "that deserves a playlist."

She finished dressing and making herself look somewhat presentable, but she was only able to start curating a list of potential songs when the visitor Loki promised knocked on the door. When she opened it, the blood drained from her face.

"Oh my God," was all she could say to Frigga, who was dressed as regally as she had been the night before. She wished Loki had told her who the mystery guest would be, since she was clearly not as prepared to be in the company of royalty.

"Hello Grace," Frigga said. "May I come in?" Grace, still quite unable to form coherent thoughts, stepped to the side and allowed Frigga past her. The queen looked around the room as if she were inspecting it. She motioned toward the wall where a balcony might have been. "I see my son's wishes were ignored."

"Oh, please don't worry about that. This is more beautiful than anything I could have imagined."

"You are too kind. I am glad you have enjoyed your time here thus far. Has Loki shown you much of the palace?"

"Honestly, not really," Grace said, almost apologetically. "It's been kind of a whirlwind."

The queen smiled softly. "So I see." It was then that Grace remembered the ring on her hand. She tried to hide it behind her back, but then felt silly; obviously, Frigga had already noticed it. Seeing the worry play across Grace's face, Frigga shook her head. "My dear, Loki already told us. How do you think he came by the emerald?"

Grace touched the ring. "I—well—thank you. It's incredibly beautiful."

"My son has excellent taste in jewelry. And, if I may say so, wives as well."

Grace blushed. "Thank you, your Maj—"

Frigga held up a hand. "Please, use my name."

"Now I know how Dagmar feels," Grace laughed.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh, the young woman who tends to the room. When I first got here, I asked her to just call me Grace instead of 'Lady Grace'."

"And she protested, I presume?"

"Eventually she agreed, but now, I think I understand why she felt so weird about it."

Frigga crossed the room. She stood close enough that Grace could see that, even though they weren't related by blood, Frigga and Loki shared the same piercing gaze. "My son tells me you have noticed a particular proficiency this girl exhibits."

Grace was pleased to know that Loki had already mentioned it to his mother, although she wondered when he had time between their discussion and Frigga's visit. "She is an amazing hairstylist. She was the one who did my hair last night. I just…" She hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I feel like she should be more than just a servant for the rest of her life."

Frigga didn't say anything but led Grace to the door. "Come. There's something I'd like to show you."

Grace followed the queen out of the room, down the long hallway, and around the same corner that she and Loki had turned the previous evening. "Loki didn't tell me you were coming," she said suddenly. "I apologize if I've been a little…weird."

"My son is full of surprises," Frigga replied with a knowing look. "He's always been mischievous, even as a boy."

Grace recognized this as an opportunity to find out about Loki's childhood outside of the stories Thor told or the bits and pieces Loki himself would occasionally volunteer. "When did he start doing magic?"

Frigga smiled wistfully. "Oh, he showed promise quite soon after Odin brought him to Asgard. I was raised by witches and I knew magical ability when I saw it. Loki could conjure his own milk when he was only a year old."

Grace hoped her next question wouldn't come across as insensitive. "When you saw him for the first time, was he—I mean, did he look—"

Frigga, like Loki, seemed to have an intuitive sense of what others were thinking before they could express it. "You want to know if he looked like us, or like his birth parents."

Grace nodded. "Yes."

"When my husband found him," Frigga continued, "he was as all Frost Giants are. However, as I said, Loki had inherent magical ability. He changed before Odin's eyes. Even then, he wanted to be accepted."

"When I first met him, he didn't seem to want anyone's approval," Grace said as they passed the doors to the Great Hall. She hadn't been any farther into the castle than this and wondered how anyone managed to not get lost.

Frigga placed a hand on Grace's arm. "Oh, he did. But anger, disappointment…they mask a great deal of one's true needs." Suddenly, the queen stopped and turned to face Grace, a brief flash of worry in her eyes. "I know you love my son. But with that love will come many trials."

"Your Maj—Frigga," Grace said, her voice shaky, "do you not want us to get married?"

"Forgive me. I don't wish to deprive you of the joy of this occasion. I only mean to suggest that it is quite unusual for a mortal to marry an Asgardian, or, in this case, a Jotun."

"Well, I realize the age difference is a bit unconventional." At that, the queen laughed. "I love him," Grace added, "and there's nothing in my world or this one that would change that."

Frigga studied Grace's face, and then her expression softened. "Come."

She walked on, Grace following her, still wondering what Frigga was concerned about. Soon, they came to a set of stairs in a stone tower, and once they climbed them, Grace was slightly winded. A few feet away was another balcony that stretched along the entire side of the palace and to her right was a set of elaborately carved double doors. Frigga motioned for her to follow and then pushed the doors open.

They stepped inside and Grace found herself surrounded by the most beautiful jewels she had ever seen. Gorgeous, delicate chains held jewels wrapped in silver bindings. Sapphire, ruby, and diamond earrings lay in trays along one wall, and all manner of bracelets lined another. She was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of it all, to say nothing of the spectrum of colors and textures and materials.

She turned to look back at Frigga, who was absently playing with her own delicate ring, which Grace assumed to be her wedding band. "I—I don't know what to say," she said, in awe of what lay before her. "What are we doing here?"

Frigga stepped further inside the room, shutting the door behind her. "Loki asked me to bring you here because only members of our family can enter this room. He thought it might be something I might like to do, as well."

"But—why, though?"

Frigga looked around the room as casually as if it were an art gallery. "As I mentioned earlier, the ring you now wear is fashioned from jewels owned by our family. But a proper bride—a royal bride—should have more than simply a ring."

Grace slowly turned in a circle, trying to decide if she should ask for something specific, and feeling quite uncomfortable with the concept of being a royal anything. It shouldn't have shocked her, really. Loki was a prince, after all. But she had fallen in love with the mortal he had become, not the Asgardian demigod prince he was, so she supposed she was still adjusting to that part of him. And being brought to a secret room of priceless family heirlooms was a shock to her system.

Seemingly reading Grace's mind again, Frigga cleared her throat. "May I suggest something?"

Grace nodded emphatically. "Please do. I'm out of my element here."

"Not to worry," said the queen, walking past Grace to a chandelier from which hung several necklaces of varying lengths and styles. Grace silently prayed that Frigga would pick something simple; she had never been one for elaborate jewelry and getting used to having her engagement ring was going to be enough of a challenge. After some thought, Frigga reached up and levitated one of the necklaces toward her. She breathed a sigh of relief. What Frigga had chosen was a thin, shimmery silver chain which held a small teardrop crystal that, at first glance, looked as though light was refracting off of it. However, when Frigga held it out, Grace realized it wasn't a play of the light after all. The crystal actually contained light, which glowed a bright, swirling gold.

Frigga looped the necklace around Grace's neck from behind. "This crystal is enchanted, as you probably suspect."

She secured the clasp, and Grace looked down at it, touching it gently, as though it might break. "I did kind of suspect that."

"The light you see within the crystal is the light you see before you." Frigga gestured to the window on the far wall of the room, through which the golden sun shone. "When the light shines in Asgard, so too will the light shine in it. And when nightfall comes, the crystal will be lit by the stars."

Grace's eyes widened. "I can't possibly take this. It's a lovely gesture, but I'm just a human, and I live in one of the biggest cities in the world. What happens if it gets stolen?"

"Shh," Frigga said, putting a finger to her lips. "You may be a mortal, but you are beloved by my son, and therefore beloved by me. It would be a great joy to me if you would accept this. And as for your fears, the crystal will always be under the protection of Asgard. If it is taken from you, it will return to our realm. It is yours and yours only otherwise."

That made Grace feel much less uneasy. "In that case, I'd be honored to accept it."

Frigga smiled in satisfaction. "I am glad to hear that. This way, you shall always have a piece of Asgard with you—with all of you."

The rest of the afternoon was a bit of a blur, but the kind of blur that comes from not having anything particularly pressing to do, so that your mind slows, relaxes, and allows you some quiet. After bidding farewell to Frigga, Grace had been on her way back to her chamber when she ran into Jane, who had returned to Asgard for a short visit with Thor.

The two spent a while catching up while taking a walk near the river. At some point, she asked if anyone had shown Grace the library. When Grace immediately lit up, Jane knew the answer, so she took Grace to it. It was overwhelming. It didn't seem possible that there was a library more magnificent than the one Loki worked in, but then, there were many things Grace hadn't thought possible that, in fact, were.

"I'm so glad I can make a reference to Beauty and the Beast and someone will understand it," she had said, to Jane's amusement.

And so it was that Grace found herself sitting on an enormous, stone pillar on the second level of the palace, legs tucked under her, the sunlight just starting to dip into the sea, reading a book about the history of Asgard. She had taken several books out, in fact; in addition to the one she was currently reading, she had selected a compendium of children's stories, a book about the other realms—she was, obviously, particularly curious about Jotunheim—and a selection of poetry from an author Loki had mentioned liking. It would take her months to get through just these books, and she wondered how many of them he had managed to read.

Suddenly, as though she had summoned him, Loki appeared, carrying a sleeping Amy over his shoulder. His shirt collar was pulled to one side, grasped in the child's fist, and his hair was falling over one eye since he was using both hands to steady her and couldn't push it away. It was in moments like this that Grace felt a rush, heat and chills at the same time. Like she was seeing him for the first time all over again.

His green eyes glittered in the last of the evening light as he saw her. "My darling, I am so sorry we are so late, but we had quite an adventurous day and time doesn't quite work the same way here as on Earth."

Grace gestured toward Amy, gently touching her hair as Loki sat down next to her. "I can see how exhausting it was. Where have you been all day?"

"Oh," he said, "well, my plan had been to go into the market and purchase some delicacies to take back with us, and then to come retrieve you so we could, at last, introduce my parents to our child. But then, we ran into some children in the square, and before I knew it…"

Grace laughed quietly. "It's good to know that no matter the realm, kids are just kids. Did they all play nicely?"

"They did. We stayed there for quite some time before we made it to the market. I picked up some spices for your mother and a few types of ale for your father."

"Oh, that was sweet of you!"

He kissed her on the cheek. "It was nothing, at least compared to the gift they have given me."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Do you just keep lines like that in reserve?"

"Would you have me any other way? Besides, your parents were so pleased when I discussed with them my plan to ask for your hand—"

Her eyebrows shot up. "You asked them for permission?"

"Of course not," he said with false indignation. "You are not a goat to be bartered for. I merely wanted them to be aware."

Grace brightened. She appreciated Loki's refusal to abide by social norms, particularly given that, from what she had read about Asgard's royal family, arranged marriages were the norm. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'm sure they did appreciate that."

"Shall we get her to bed then?" he asked, looking down at Amy, still asleep in his arms. "Perhaps you can tell me what you've been reading while we dine."

An hour later, after putting Amy to bed and summoning Dagmar to watch over her, Grace and Loki sat down to a late dinner in a quiet corner of the palace. A small table and two of the same type of chairs as had been in the great hall were in the room, which was open to the air—not exactly a balcony, but more like a sunroom without the windows. When they had sat down, a servant brought two wine goblets full of a smooth, smoky, red vintage, which warmed Grace through to her toes. The first course had been steamed artichokes with drawn butter, as well as warm, freshly baked bread. Now they had moved on to crisp roast duck with a citrus sauce, which was so tender it nearly melted in her mouth.

"How are you not eight thousand pounds, growing up with food like this?" she asked.

"Genetics," Loki said, and she laughed. Then she saw his gaze float slightly downward. "You selected quite an interesting piece of jewelry, love."

It was then that she realized she had been absently playing with the crystal. She looked at it, and sure enough, it was now a dark purple, with the slightest hint of white, glittering stars swirling inside. "Oh, yes. Actually, your mom—"

"Ah, I should have guessed. My mother always did have excellent taste. That is, of course, why I am her favorite son."

"I'm just glad she took pity on me and offered a suggestion. I was overwhelmed!"

"I imagine it would be somewhat difficult to select anything from our stores without at least a little guidance."

"It's not even just that." She took a bite of her food, almost distracted by how delicious it was. "I'm still getting used to having this ring on my hand. I never did wear much jewelry, and now I have two literally priceless pieces."

"Ah, but because you know they are priceless, you will treasure them that much more. On a somewhat related note, did you find the library to your liking?"

"I think I liked that even more than the jewelry. No wonder you love books so much. I've never seen so many in one place. Especially books about places I didn't even know existed until now."

As she launched into a rundown of all the books she had seen, including those she had checked out, Loki smiled into his wine glass. His love of reading was strong, yes—that was one of the things he most loved sharing with Amy—but Grace got downright giddy when she talked about what she was reading, what she had read, and what she wanted to read. As she was telling him about something she read about Odin's conquest of Surtur—a story he knew well, of course, but he didn't want to spoil her excitement—something occurred to him.

"Grace, have you read anything about Thanos in those books?"

"Thanos?" she repeated, in a tone that suggested she had not.

Loki had never really revealed anything to her about his experiences with Thanos or his minions. He wanted to spare her the details of how he had come to be what he was when he met her, and, more importantly, he didn't want to remind her of his complicity in her sexual assault. Moreover, on a selfish level, he was still deeply ashamed of his actions. But now that she was going to be part of Asgard's history, however tangentially, he had begun to think that perhaps she should know.

"It's just—"

Before he could finish, they were interrupted by the servant, who approached the table and bowed. "I am sorry to interrupt your meal, Highness, but Dagmar sends word that your daughter has awakened and has asked for you."

"So much for dessert," Grace said, rising from the table. He followed suit.

"What is it mortals say about parenting? Cherish these moments, because you'll miss them?"

"People who say that are past these moments," she replied, as they began the journey back to real life.

The next few days passed all too quickly for Grace. They were filled with walks along the river, a horseback ride—just her and Loki, as Amy was still too small—and another trip to the market, where she bought three gorgeous silk scarves for her friends, a handmade doll for Amy, and her most favorite find, a long, deep purple cloak. Not that she needed it, but the pattern of swirls and stars was too gorgeous to pass up. Before either she or Loki knew it, the last day of their trip was upon them.

She ran her hand over his stomach as they lay on her bed. "Do we really have to go back?" His breath was steady and slow, and she watched her hand rise and fall with the rhythm while Amy played quietly with a stuffed penguin on the floor next to the bed.

"Sadly, we must. I'm quite sure our respective employers would notice our absences." He looked down at her, only able to see the top of her head tucked under his arm. "Could you be happy here?"

"Living in a castle, with guaranteed childcare and an unbelievable library? Why do you think I asked if we had to go back?" Suddenly, she sat up, propping herself on one hand. "Why would you choose to live on Earth rather than here, anyway?"

"I do not choose to live on Earth," he said. "I choose to live with you. And your life is there, so mine is as well."

"Don't you ever miss this? Or your family? I mean, I've only been away from my apartment and my parents for a week and I already miss them."

"I will admit I am more given to pangs of sentiment now than I once was, but my family is also on Earth, in our home."

She squinted at him. "You still don't trust your father." It was more a statement than a question.

He stared off into the distance, focusing on the bedpost rather than look at her. "It is not that simple," he replied quietly. "Odin is a complicated man. We spent many years at odds. Even Thor admits our father made his share of mistakes. As did I. But such wounds are not so easily healed."

She put her hand on top of one of his. "If you don't want to go tonight, we don't have to."

He shook his head as if he were trying to shake something loose. "No, the Allfather and my mother have requested we come, and besides, don't you think"—he caught his words in the back of his throat—"that they ought to at least meet who would appear to be the only grandchild they will have anytime soon?"

She smiled, pleased that he hadn't taken her up on her offer. Truth be told, she was happy that Odin and Frigga wanted to meet Amy. Frigga had mentioned it at the dinner before Loki proposed, but Grace hadn't been sure it would really happen. But upon arriving back at the palace after their trip to his garden that day, they had received word that they were invited to the palace observatory that evening, and that they should bring Amy. Ordinarily, Grace wouldn't have wanted to keep her awake so late, but this was, to put it mildly, a special occasion. So, they gave her a late afternoon nap to head off any exhaustion-related tantrums and hoped for the best.

She suddenly looked at her watch. "Oh, shit. We should get her ready to go. You know how much she loves putting on layers."

He hopped off the bed and wandered off to the nursery to find appropriate clothing in which to dress Amy for what would almost surely be a rather crisp evening. Meanwhile, Grace gathered Amy into her arms and lifted her overhead to smell for any reason to change her diaper. She had never been so relieved to smell poop in her life. The last thing she wanted was to have to lug the diaper bag along to an evening with the royal family. Things I never expected to think about for $100, Alex…

Fifteen minutes later, they were shutting the door behind them and heading for the observatory. Grace held Amy as they walked; although she could walk steadily on her own, sometimes, efficiency took precedence. "You're absolutely sure they wanted all three of us to come?" she asked, not for the first time.

"Absolutely," he replied reassuringly. "As I said, they would like to meet their grandchild, although I realize Odin does not appear to be the grandfatherly type."

"Oh, come on now. He adopted you, after all."

"Yes, for a purpose."

"I understand that, but if he didn't love you, he wouldn't have let you bring us here," she reminded him. "Besides, being a grandpa is different than being a father. Rachel's dad was a literal drill sergeant, but when she had her kids, he totally changed."

"Do not take offense to this, but Odin has had centuries to become set in his ways."

"People change."

"Not always."

As they reached the winding staircase that would lead them to the observatory, she passed Amy off to him and smiled. "You did."

She was winded again after climbing what seemed like a skyscraper's worth of stairs. One would think chasing a toddler around would make this easier, she thought. She was glad to have had Loki climb the stairs holding Amy or else she might have passed out. But just when she managed to catch her breath, it was taken away again. The balcony here—did this palace have anywhere without a balcony?—wrapped all the way around the staircase, providing a 360-degree vantage point. In front of them was an unbelievably huge telescope that would make an astrophysicist's eyes water. Beyond that, she could see the Bifrost and briefly wondered what Heimdall could see that very minute. The sky seemed to have gotten bigger here, and so did the stars, lighting the tower enough that she was able to see Amy, to her left, grinning in delight.

Suddenly, a flash from the other side of the platform drew her attention. Although he was dressed slightly more casually in a white robe embroidered with delicate silver thread, Odin walked toward them with a king's authority. He carried his staff in one hand, and Frigga's hand was in the other. The queen took one look at Amy, who Loki had set down at his side, and immediately broke into a wide grin—the same smile Grace's own mother had when she first saw her grandchild. Some things were clearly universal. Odin was slightly harder to read, although both Grace and Loki had been prepared for that. He had the universe's best poker face.

"Mother. Father." Loki cleared his throat as he greeted his parents. Grace wondered if his addressing Frigga first was chivalry or a subtle dig at Odin.

Frigga kissed each of them on the cheek. Loki blushed slightly, as if he was suddenly a little boy again, both happy and embarrassed to receive his mother's affection. "Loki, Grace, thank you for joining us."

"Thank you for inviting us," Grace said. "All of us."

She felt Amy hanging onto the back of her leg, clearly shy and probably slightly scared. Sensing this, Frigga knelt and peered around Grace, catching Amy's eyes briefly.

"Hello, Amy. I'm Frigga. You must be Amy. Won't you come say hello?"

Grace appreciated that Frigga was being so gentle with her daughter, although she suspected it came quite naturally. Frigga stayed very still but held out her hand, and very slowly, Amy crept out from between her parents' legs. Her eyes were saucers, revealing fear but also curiosity. Loki wondered if perhaps he should give Amy some reassurance, but before he could, Frigga manifested a small light in the palm of her hand that grew into an ethereal, blue bird. Amy watched it, mesmerized, and gradually came close enough to Frigga's hand that she could have reached out and touched the bird.

"Birdy," she said, pointing to the light and looking up at Loki, as if she wanted to make sure she was using the right word.

He smiled encouragingly. "That's right, my darling. Would you like to see something else?"

Amy nodded enthusiastically. He looked at Frigga, who also nodded. Then, he bent down and before Amy and Grace's eyes produced a similar bird from his fingertips. This one, however, was red, and began to "dance" with the one in Frigga's palm, until they blended to create a bigger, purple bird—Amy's favorite color. The bird grew larger and larger until it was the size of an eagle and finally flew off into the clouds.

"Magic," Amy said to Frigga, who smiled back at her.

"Would you like to meet someone else who can perform magic?" Loki asked. He pointed toward Odin, who was still standing behind Frigga, impassive but not intimidating.

"Would you like to come and meet him?" Frigga asked.

Amy looked up at her mother. "How about if Daddy goes with you?" Grace suggested.

That seemed to soothe Amy, who took Loki's hand. They walked together toward Odin, Amy watching him carefully, as though she realized how powerful he was. Loki scanned his father's face for any sign that would betray his emotions, but was disappointed. When they were within arm's reach, he picked Amy up so that she was eye level with Odin.

Frigga, on the other hand, turned to Grace and motioned for her to come forward as well. "You are also our family," she whispered. "You belong at Loki's side."

In that instant, Grace loved Frigga as a daughter loves a mother.

Loki hoisted Amy higher onto his hip. "Father," he said, "I would like you to meet your grandchild, Amy Rose Lawson."

Odin took a moment before he said anything, almost as though he was studying the child. Then he glanced at Grace, who wasn't looking back at him. She was, in fact, looking at Loki and Amy.

And then, Loki saw it: Odin's mouth twitched at the corner. His eyes softened, and Loki could swear he almost saw a twinkle.

"Hello," he said to Amy, who curled back into Loki's shoulder. "It is an honor to meet the child who made my son a father."

When Amy continued to hide, Grace smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, she's not usually this shy."

Odin shook his head. "It is quite understandable. Alas, it is my queen who can conjure pretty birds and balls of light to coax children out of hiding. All I have to offer is this."

He thumped his staff on the ground and then pointed it at the sky. Suddenly, the darkness was illuminated as if fireworks were exploding, but instead of colored lights, it looked like a thousand stars crisscrossed each other and slowly began to fall into the atmosphere. Amy reached out a hand and watched with wonder as one of the stars landed on her palm and disintegrated.

"She actually caught a falling star," Grace said to Frigga, with almost childlike wonder in her voice. "It's too bad she's too young to remember this."

Frigga leaned over to Grace and whispered, "You would be surprised at what lingers in our minds, whether we know it or not."

By then, Amy had stopped hiding in Loki's shoulder, so he put her down on the ground next to him. Odin looked at her, then at Loki. "Have you been teaching her the constellations?"

Loki looked slightly embarrassed. "Not quite yet. I believe she is yet a bit too young to comprehend—"

"Then it is a good thing you have come here tonight," Odin said to Amy. "Would you like to learn about the stars?" The child nodded excitedly, and Odin extended his hand to her. She took it gingerly and walked off to the other side of the tower with her grandfather.

"Well," Loki said, once Odin was out of earshot, "there's something I never expected to see."

Frigga smiled and put her hand on one of his pale cheeks. "It was not so long ago that he was doing the same thing with you and your brother."

Grace smiled at the image of Loki as a child. It was too bad photography was not one of Asgard's technological advances. She wished she could see him as he was. Meanwhile, Loki could hear Odin explaining zodiac constellations to Amy, and knew instinctively that she would demand every astronomy book she could get her hands on when they got home. The truth was, he couldn't have been happier.

"Thank you, Mother," he said quietly. "It means a great deal to both of us that you and Father have given your blessings to us and accepted our child."

"As I told you many years ago: you are our son, and we your family. Who you love, so too do we."

"Thank you just the same," Grace said, taking Loki's hand. "I've never had a more wonderful vacation. I'm only sorry we can't stay longer."

He could see a slight change in Frigga's eyes. It was so quick and so subtle that he only saw it because he was her son and he knew her that well. Her smile stayed steady, however. "I'm certain we shall see each other again before you know it."

Suddenly, Amy came darting back around the balcony, waving her arms excitedly. "Mommy! Daddy! Come quick!"

"What's up, baby?" Grace asked.

"Grandpa made the stars move! I saw a lion and a fish!"

"Oh my God!"

"Finally!"

"Let's see the ring!"

Rachel, Leah, and Stacy were sitting in Grace's living room, a bottle of wine on the coffee table, and, by their reactions, Grace could tell they'd been expecting this for some time. "Well," she said, "it was after the banquet with his family and about half of Asgard."

"Please tell me he didn't do a public proposal," Rachel said.

"No, no, it was totally private. In fact, now that I think about it, I think he was trying all day to find a good time to do it. He was acting weird, like asking if I was happy with our life together."

"Wow," Leah said. "I'd have been thinking he was going to break up with me."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Well, thank God that didn't occur to me until this very moment."

"I'm just glad he did it in private," Rachel said. "I don't want to have to kill him."

"You mean you don't want to have to kill him anymore," Stacy corrected her.

"Well, it's way too hard to find a good librarian," Rachel replied.

Stacy turned back to Grace. "Anyway, now we need the story of your totally private proposal."

"Well..." she began, trying to remember the story exactly. She never wanted to forget a second of it, but she had been so stunned that she wasn't even sure she could remember his exact words. But boy, did she remember how she felt. "We were on the balcony of his room. We had finished dinner, and then used Amy as an excuse to escape. I was fine staying, but I think after two weeks of hanging out with his dad, being a public figure, he just wanted some downtime."

"Funny, spending time with a two-year-old isn't my idea of downtime," Leah said.

"Well, we only went to check on her," Grace said. "She was still asleep, so we went back to his chamber. He has that gorgeous view I told you about. Oh! I took pictures!" She went to pull her phone out to show them, but Stacy nearly slapped it out of her hand.

"No! Story now, photos later!"

Grace threw the phone aside and pulled her hair into a ponytail. "Okay, okay! Where was I?"

"You were on the balcony," the three women said in almost perfect unison.

"Geez, you'd think this was something exciting," Grace replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Anyway, so, we're on the balcony, and I got chilly, so he got a blanket for me. And I made some joke about his age, and some other small talk, and then he got really awkward again. And that's when he started talking to me about how he'd never seen his dad get so sentimental—"

"Wait, back up," Rachel said. Grace realized she hadn't told them about her conversation with Odin at dinner. So, she did, and then continued the story where she'd left off.

"So, he says that thing about sentiment, and then he started to tell me how he never felt like he fit in, and when he realized why, he became the monster he thought he should be."

"Hence his rebellious, I-want-to-be-king-so-I'll-destroy-the-world stage?" Rachel scoffed. Leah smacked her in the arm.

"Well—yes," Grace said, "in so many words."

"See?" Rachel said, smacking Leah in return.

"So then, he said when he met me, he had nothing but hatred in his heart, but he eventually realized that his true destiny was to be Amy's father and my husband, if I would have him." She choked up at the memory.

"That's unbelievably sweet, and yet…so unsurprising," Stacy said.

"Man, all I got from my husband was a standard, 'Want to get married?'" Leah added.

"So?" Stacy said. "Let's see it!"

Grace turned the silver band on her left ring finger so that the emerald was upright. She had taken to wearing it so that the jewel was inside her palm when she left the house, and since she wanted to surprise the girls, she'd left it that way when she came home from work.

"Oh my God," Rachel exclaimed, taking Grace's hand so they could all get a better look. "Where did he get this? Is this real?"

"Totally real," Grace said. "The emerald is from his family's collection. They've got a few that have been in the family for thousands of years. And he told me the band was made—get this—by dwarves on another planet. It's made from nearly indestructible silver. Apparently, the only thing that can destroy it is Thor's hammer."

"Well, that's good, since you are the only person I know who managed to destroy an iPhone while it was inside an Otterbox," said Stacy.

"Hey, that wasn't my fault," Grace said. "Amy threw it under the car, and I didn't know it until I heard the crunch!"

"Yeah, okay, we'll go with that."

Leah poured another glass of wine. "So, when's the wedding?"

"Uh, the more important question is, where is the wedding?" Rachel said. "Do we have to literally go to the ends of the earth?"

"That would be a hell of a destination wedding, wouldn't it?" Grace laughed. "To be honest, I haven't had time to think about it yet. We only got engaged a few days ago."

"And I guess you have to decide which side would travel better," Leah said. "How big would his side be?"

"You know, I get the idea that Loki is kind of a loner," Stacy said. "Does he have any friends out there?"

"Not that I know of. There are the people Thor hangs out with who Loki knows, but I wouldn't exactly call them friends, you know? I mean, he did kind of try to kill Thor."

"A couple of times, from what you've told us," Rachel said.

"So, when do you think you'll do this?" Leah asked again.

"Like I said, I don't know. I'll have to find out if he has any preferences."

"I'm gonna go with no," Rachel said. "I can barely get him to give me an opinion on the new book orders."

"He has opinions on weird things," Grace replied. "Like when I tried to redecorate, he insisted he didn't want red."

"Why?" Stacy asked.

Grace lowered her voice. "Believe it or not, we had a fight about it before I got it out of him."

"I can't imagine you two fighting," Leah said. "After everything you went through together, what's left to fight about?"

"The same things as other couples. Like interior decorating."

"So why is he against red?"

"Well, it's not even about red so much as red in the bedroom, specifically."

"Okay?"

Grace looked almost embarrassed. "Have you seen photos of his brother?"

"Yeah, sure," Leah said. "He was all over the news from the battle footage."

"And do you remember what he was wearing?"

"Of course. It'd be impossible to forget how insane that armor—"

The room went silent, and then Stacy burst out laughing. "Oh my God, the red cape! You gotta be shitting me, right?"

"Well, would you want to be reminded of your brother every time you had sex?" Grace asked.

"I'd like to be reminded of his brother every time I—"

"Okay, yeah, thanks for that," Grace replied. "I just wish it hadn't taken a huge fight to get him to admit it."

The front door swung open and in walked Loki, his right hand in Amy's left, holding a bag of groceries with the other. "Admit what?"

Grace got off the couch and took the grocery bag from him. "Oh, nothing. Just talking about how you finally admitted you were wrong about who makes the better coffee."

"Ah," he replied, while taking Amy's galoshes off. The girl kicked, trying to help, but that only succeeded in getting mud all over the floor. "Well, you may have won that argument, but I make the better breakfast, and what's coffee without breakfast?"

"Breakfast doesn't exist without coffee," she shot back. He stood and kissed her on the forehead.

"Oh, please," Rachel said with a roll of her eyes. "You can so tell you two just got engaged."

"And speaking of that," Leah said, rising to her feet along with Stacy, "congratulations! Grace just showed us the ring."

"Yeah, it's beautiful, Loki. Really perfect."

He smiled, bowing his head slightly. "Did you expect anything less?"

"You make all the other husbands look bad," Grace said, grabbing the wine glasses from the table.

"Yeah, really," Stacy agreed. "It's not enough that you have an accent and you're an above average cook, but you have to pick the best jewelry too?"

"And Grace deserves nothing less," Rachel said. That was surprising to Grace—not that Rachel thought it, but because she said it. Like Odin, it wasn't like Rachel at all to be sentimental. She was also never Loki's biggest fan, although she'd grown less cold toward him over the last six months. Even he was surprised at Rachel's remark, and very little shocked him.

"I know," he simply said, unpacking the groceries as if nothing significant had occurred. "I am glad to have earned your approval, however." Where this may have sounded snarky coming from anyone else, from him, it was a simple statement of gratitude, for he knew that it was partly due to these three women that Grace had forgiven him at all.

"And on that note, we will show ourselves out," Stacy said. She grabbed all three of their coats and doled them out. Everyone said their goodnights—Amy had, by then, run off to her room to play and could not be persuaded to come out, but yelled her I-love-yous from afar—and soon, Loki and Grace were alone in their kitchen, a half-empty bottle of wine between them.

"Did you have an enjoyable evening, my dear? And I hope you are hungry. My trip to the market was a rousing success."

"Oh yeah? What that usually means is that we're having breakfast for dinner." She poured a glass of wine and handed it to him.

"Have I become so predictable?"

"No. You aren't predictable. Only your meal planning is."

He grinned and took a sip of the wine. "Well, perhaps we should order in."

She raised an eyebrow. "And let the bacon just sit in the fridge? What kind of girl do you take me for?"

"Certainly not a kosher one."

She laughed. "So, what did you and Amy do, other than the market?"

"Well, we went to the playground down the street, but it was quite muddy from the rain," he said, "so instead, we went to an aquarium."

"Oh! She probably loved that. Did you teach her any new fish?"

"As it happens, she informs me that what I believed to be a clownfish is, in fact, something called Nemo." Grace burst out laughing and explained to him the Disney movie to which Amy had referred. He shook his head. "Midgardians certainly have active imaginations."

"Said the man who can cast an illusion of himself whenever he wants?"

"I don't recall you ever seeing me do that," he replied, putting the bacon into the oven.

Grace, meanwhile, cracked a few eggs into a bowl and whisked them briskly, adding some chives and cheddar cheese to the mix. "Do you not recall Thor telling that story about you faking out Fandral during a party and tying his bootlaces to a chair while he conversed with your illusion?"

He leaned back against the counter and took another sip of wine. "To be fair, I was only two hundred years old at the time." When Grace's expression didn't change, he clarified. "That's about eight human years."

She smiled. "Somehow, I feel like you'd do it again at a thousand years old."

He returned her smile but feigned innocence. "Becoming a parent has matured me." She merely raised an eyebrow at him, and he caved. "All right, I yield. It was indeed hilarious."

"There's my trickster God." Suddenly, as she poured the egg mixture into the hot pan, she inhaled sharply. He sensed something amiss—so attuned to her body was he that he could recognize a change in her breath as easily as he could when she colored her hair.

"Darling? What's the matter?"

She hesitated, holding her breath. "Um, nothing," she finally said. "I just—can you watch the eggs? I need to check on Amy."

"I can check—" he started, but Grace held up a hand.

"Loki, please!" she snapped, almost throwing the spatula at him as she ran past.

"Grace!" He wondered what was so urgent about checking on Amy that she would act that way. Had he inadvertently said something to upset her? Had she heard Amy cry out and he'd somehow missed it? Suddenly, he heard the water running in the bathroom. Ah, he thought. She must have wanted to clean Amy up for dinner. He didn't quite understand why she had snapped at him or been so suddenly overcome with the need to do it. But then, despite hundreds of years of experience, he still did not totally understand women, Midgardian or otherwise. The eggs were about finished when he heard the toilet flush, and Grace reappeared shortly thereafter.

"Is she ready for dinner, then?" he asked, removing the pan from the heat as the oven went off.

Grace gave him a quizzical look. "I—what?"

"Amy. You were checking on her, yes?"

"Oh. Yeah, she is." She called to Amy, who came walking down the hallway carrying the new doll Loki had given her. Grace picked her up. "Come on, baby, let's wash your hands."

At that, Loki stopped plating the food. If Grace hadn't been washing Amy's hands in the bathroom, what on earth had she gone off to do? Before he could ask, however, Amy knocked her sippy cup from the counter, spilling its contents onto the floor. Grace put her in her highchair and grabbed a handful of paper towels.

"We lead such a glamorous life, don't we?" she said with a grin as she cleaned up the mess.

He was so relieved to see her mood lift again that he completely forgot about her outburst. "I believe," he said, "that I have had enough excitement for a lifetime."