For the rest of the day, I linger in the palace gardens. My heart is heavy for Loki, for his lies, for his pain, and for his fear. He thinks he's got this all figured out, but he doesn't. The next year is going to be mental torture for him.

Actually, it'll probably be mental torture for both of us.

I'm on Asgard now, and am much safer here than I would ever have been if I stayed on Earth. As a huge bonus, I am being cared for personally by the Queen herself, and will soon have a home to call my own. But I can't stop thinking about the things to come—specifically, the fall of SHIELD, the coming of the Dark Elves, and Ultron. And all this will happen in the next couple of years. Not to mention that I only have six years until Thanos will come and destroy half of all life.

And that's not even the worst problem I have. I don't actually know for sure that there really is hope in this timeline, like I've been telling everyone. I, like an idiot, got myself stuck in the MCU without having seen Endgame. It wasn't even supposed to come out for another month yet when I stepped through that blasted door. So, all my hope is riding on what a dying wizard said right after Thanos snapped his fingers, six years from now. That's literally it.

I stand up from the edge of the water fountain where I've been sitting, clenching my fists in agitation. Why did I ever step foot in that stupid garage?! I could have avoided all this trouble if I had simply stayed away! I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. It's wrong to do nothing, when you have the power to prevent a disaster. But if I prevent the disaster, something much worse will come!

I sit back down, head in my hands. God, what am I supposed to do? I can feel myself growing more and more agitated, so I take several deep breaths, not wanting to have a panic attack in the middle Asgard's beautiful gardens. Calm down, Vikki. Everything's going to be alright. You're stuck here, anyway. So just forget about it. Just forget...

"Victoria?"

A deep masculine voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and I jump, my eyes flying to the form of the crown prince of Asgard. He is striding toward me, a concerned look on his face. I quickly stand, curtsying and bowing my head. "My prince."

"There is no need for such formality, Victoria. Please call me Thor," he says with a slight smile. I smile somewhat hesitantly back, and rise from my curtsy.

"Alright, Thor. Thank you."

He nods. "Are you alright?" His concern returns. I look away.

"I will be, thank you."

Thor nods again. "My mother told me of your talk with her this morning."

My eyes widen, my heartbeat speeding up. If he knew about the discussion, he knew I'd basically lied to him. But he continues before I can say anything.

"Why did you not tell me you have no home here? I would gladly have assisted you."

I barely bite back a sigh of relief at his gentle tone. He's not upset with me. "I apologize, Thor. I didn't want to impose; you were busy with Loki, and I didn't want to distract you." I stop myself there before I start rambling out of nervousness.

Thor smiles slightly, a sad look in his eyes. "It's alright. Thank you for the consideration."

I nod, then study him for a moment. I know he misses his brother. My heart aches for the pain he must be going through right now. And I know that his pain will only multiply as over the next few years, as he will see his mother, father, and brother die before his eyes, unable to prevent a single death. "Thor...your brother..." I fumble for words, wanting to give him hope, but unable to say what I want tell him. Thor's eyes meet mine, and I can see that he's wary, knowing that I was held captive by Loki, but also longing for hope for the brother that he lost.

"You told my mother that he treated you well," Thor interrupts my fumbling, saving me from embarrassing myself. "Is that true?"

I purse my lips. "He...he was cold at first, and wanted to use me for his own personal gain. He actually almost strangled me at one point, trying to get the truth about the future out of me." I smirk. "I fooled him, of course. But after that, he was actually civil toward me, and began training me in magic. He was never exactly open with me, but he...he wasn't the cold villain I was expecting. He was just..." I shake my head, remembering how different he was from how I had thought him to be. "He was just another person. A person who was trying to take over the world with an army of aliens, yes, but still a person. He was conflicted, troubled...he lacked conviction." I pause, remembering Phil Coulson's assessment of him. He was right. "I could tell there was something driving him to do what he did, but there was also something holding him back. Something very strong, deep within him." I look up into Thor's eyes. "Don't give up on him yet, Thor. There is still some good in him, I know it! He is not beyond reason, not yet."

Thor gazes at me for a moment, a look of surprise on his face and a mixture of emotions in his eyes. But the most prominent emotion I see is hope. "You truly believe this?" he asks quietly.

"No, Thor. I know it!" I say determinedly. "You can't give up on him, not yet."

Thor studies me. "I know that you know the future. Are you telling me this because of what you have seen in my brother's future, or because of what you have seen in his past?"

That takes me by surprise. He's more intuitive than he lets on. I think for a moment. "I suppose, both. I've only known him for a short while, and I know him to be a very complicated person. His motives are usually hard even for me to discern, but I know he wasn't always that way. And...while I cannot promise that he will ever be the same as he was before, I can promise that there is still hope for him." I meet the young prince's eyes. "Your brother is still in there somewhere. He just needs time to figure himself out."

A thoughtful expression crosses Thor's face. Then he looks up at me. "You visited him today, didn't you?"

My eyes widen a bit, my cheeks reddening slightly. "Yes, by accident. I was exploring the palace and happened upon the dungeons."

Amusement flashes in his eyes. "And curiosity overcame you when you saw the large metal doors and guards standing outside it, I assume?"

My face burns, and I can't meet his teasing eyes. "Well..."

Thor chuckles. "I understand. When I was young, I explored them often enough. Loki always found a way around the guards to get us in." His eyes fill with the memory, but he quickly pushes it away. "When you visited him today, what did you see?"

I know he is asking after more than Loki's physical appearance. He wants to know the state of Loki's heart. I pause, remembering our talk earlier today. I know I can't tell Thor anything but the truth. "I saw a broken, bitter man," I say quietly. "He lies to himself, trying to do away with the guilt of taking innocent lives on Midgard. He is too prideful to admit the truth." I purse my lips. "He is hard to read, but I can see that there is a war going on inside him. He needs time to figure it out."

Thor gazes at me. "You are very intuitive, Victoria."

I smile. "As are you. Most people may not see it, but you are observant. It suits you well."

Thor smiles a little uncomfortably. "Thank you." He pauses, searching my eyes. "You care for my brother, don't you?"

For some reason, my heart skips a beat, and my cheeks warm slightly. Ugh, why does this keep happening to me?! I try not to let my thoughts show on my face, and decide to answer truthfully. "Yes, I do. He's a broken man, locked away from the light. It hurts to see him like that...I know he could be so much more. You know what I mean?"

Thor nods. "Yes...yes, I do." After a moment of thought, he takes my hand and places a light kiss on my knuckles. "Thank you, Victoria."

I smile graciously, trying not to show my surprise. I know his thanks is for more than my analyzation of Loki's character. "Of course, Thor."

He smiles slightly, then turns and walks away. I sit back down on the fountain and watch him go. He walks with his back straight, but there is weight on his shoulders. Now my heart is heavy for two men.

Author's Note: So I was wrong. It wasn't a few days, it's been weeks. I'm sorry! I've had a very rough few weeks. I had some plans for the future and they fell apart, so I've been trying to get back on my feet. I'm on vacation right now, though, and that is really helping me. Thank you for sticking with this story!

I love you all so very much! I pray God bless you all!

Signing off, AuthorsDream.