"D-Dad?" Maisy winced as her father dropped his bags and sprinted over to her, pulling her into a hug that she could have sworn crushed a bone or two. And she'd thought Thor's hugs were bad. She could scarcely breathe, so her father's exclamation of "you're alive" might not be true for much longer.

"Maisy! I thought they'd killed you after the wedding!"

"Why-" she wheezed, "Why would you think that?"

"Because I haven't heard from you for so long! Are you okay?" He stopped hugging her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking her over.

"I'm fine, Dad," she laughed, "I haven't contacted you because, well, I guess there isn't really cell service in Asgard. And there isn't an intergalactic postal service yet-"

"Actually," Thor interrupted, "There is, but earth is not somewhere they deliver or pick up from."

"Really?" Tony asked.

"That's no excuse," Mr. Sichore snapped, "That Odin character said that you could go whenever you felt like it and you haven't even visited!"

"I've been kind of busy," Maisy said, "I mean, there's a lot to do in Asgard and I had a cold and there was the whole honeymoon too-"

"Honeymoon?!"

"Blast," Loki rolled his eyes, "You weren't supposed to tell him about that."

"Dad, I mean, c'mon! I'm a married woman!"

"Alright, alright, I know," he grumbled, looking at Loki with such hatred in his eyes that Maisy could have slapped him, "I just can't believe you two have lasted this long."

"It's only been two months!"

"Actually, we've technically been married for nine months," Loki commented, "The ceremony was only two months ago."

"Not helping," Maisy said and then turned back to her dad, "Are you really going to make us have seperate rooms?"

"Yes! There will be no hanky panky on my watch!"

"Oh my gosh, Dad," Maisy pinched the bridge of her nose, "We. Are. Married!"

"You know," Loki commented smoothly, "If we are forced apart it will only make us want to be together more. It will cause me to come with creative ways to sneak around this tower and give me motive to figure out how to bypass the security measures."

"The man's got a point," Tony said, looking worried about his security measures.

"But-"

"Dad," Maisy glared at her father. She loved him, but she'd put up with this for long enough, "Get it into your head that I am married. To Loki. For better or for worse. And nothing you say is going to change that. Nothing you do is going to change that," she paused and looked at the few Avengers that were in her presence, "Nothing any of you do is going to change that! Okay? Let's stop talking about it!"

"Fine! But don't blame me when the alien STDs roll around!" He glared at Loki again and then went to pick up his bags.

Maisy breathed a sigh of relief, she hated confrontation with the people she loved. She jumped when Thor put a hand on her shoulder.

"Excellent! I shall show you two to your room and Mr. Sichore to his!" The thunderer declared, "And then perhaps the holiday festivities can really get started!"

As soon as Thor left them alone Maisy closed the door. Loki raised an eyebrow tauntingly when she turned to face him. He smirked at her, but her face remained emotionless.

"Eager to start going against your father's wishes?" He teased, stepping closer to her and brushing her hair out of her face. He didn't know how it had happened or when, but at some point that face had become the most beautiful sight in all the realms. His heart was beating crazily even though they'd been in love for a decent amount of time now.

"Loki," she crossed her arms.

"Mmm?" He stroked her cheek with his thumb and her sour expression softened slightly. It hardened again just as quickly.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" He leaned down and purred in her ear, "What are you talking about?"

"Stop trying to distract me!"

"Are you distracted?" he chuckled against her ear, "Terribly sorry about that."

"Loki, if you don't stop-"

"Then you'll join me?" He pulled her closer to him and nuzzled his nose against her neck.

"S-stop it, right now," she gasped slightly and he grinned against her neck.

"I don't think so."

She finally seemed to gather her thoughts about her and pulled away from him. He sighed and sat down on the bed, watching her curiously. Even if he didn't want to hear whatever she had to say he knew better than to push her.

"Alright, what is it?"

"Why," she winced slightly and he felt a twinge of guilt, "Why do you smell like Muspelheim?"

"I do?"

"Don't play games with me, Loki," she said sternly, "After my dream last night I am not in the mood to be toyed with."

"Very well," he sighed and quickly thought up an edited version of the truth, "Surtur summoned me. He said that someone had killed Egil and he wanted me to see so I would not question it. I know all about faking deaths and Surtur wanted to prove to me that Egil is well and truly deceased."

"Egil is," Maisy stared in disbelief and her eyes were wide, "Egil is dead?"

"Yes, I went to make sure. He will never bother us again."

"How did, when, but he was…" she closed her eyes and clenched her fists, "How?"

"My guess is that Blaze killed him since she tried to kill you and he probably hated her for it. Knife through the eye," Loki pointed at his own eye, "Right into the brain."

She cringed and wrapped her arms around herself. Loki wasn't sure if the look she was wearing was grief, relief, or just confusion. She looked hurt, for one thing, and he wasn't sure how to interpret that.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," she had tears brimming in her eyes and quickly shook her head, "I shouldn't be upset. Not after what he did to me."

"I wouldn't think so," Loki said, "But you did spend a great deal of time loving him. Even if he was horrid in the end."

"Do you think it was quick and painless?" Maisy bit her lip and looked at him imploringly. Loki did not think it had been painless, considering he'd cut off his ear, crushed his ribs, and stabbed his heart and stomach before doing him in, but he only nodded.

"I'm sure he didn't suffer long - even if he might have deserved it."

She nodded and covered her face, her body shook with silent tears and Loki got up and pulled her into a hug. If she knew what he'd really done in Muspelheim she would push him away, but that was why she'd never know. The only witness had been Surtur and it wasn't as if Maisy would be talking to him anytime soon. And Heimdall would know well enough to keep it to himself.

"I'm sorry," she wiped her nose on her sleeve, "I know I shouldn't be crying for him, but… I didn't want him to die!"

"I know, I know," he whispered into her hair, "But now it is truly over. He will never bother you again."

"You're right," she took a deep breath and dried her eyes, "Now he can't hurt me."

"Yes," he sighed, "You are safe."

She leaned into him and pressed her face against his chest, ignoring the sulfur smell. Loki tried to push away any guilt that he felt about killing Egil. He didn't want to feel guilty about disposing of that criminal abomination. Egil Bellison got exactly what he deserved. Loki could just never tell Maisy that he'd been the one to deliver the punishment.

A note from the author: Ugh, I'm so sorry that it has been two weeks since the last update! I had the opportunity to post a few days ago but, uh, I took a nap instead. :P Regardless, I am posting now and I hope you enjoyed it! I shall try to post another chapter tomorrow, but... you know how good I am at keeping promises.

THANK YOU ALL SO, SO, SO, SO MUCH FOR BEING PATIENT AND FOR CONTINUING TO READ. YOU ARE THE BESTEST EVER.

Special thanks to my reviewers:

Ninja Squirrel: *pops out of cake* STILL ALIVE! Sorta. I'm glad you looked up NaNoWriMo! It's a lot of fun and I'm really excited about my novel for it this year! I may post it under my Fiction Press account when I finish it. Also, if Maisy put on a fashion show and she and Pepper modeled in it I think Tony and Loki would lose their freaking minds. XD

Lwolf: Her father is seriously a pain. But I think Maisy's figured out how to handle him! Though, he might have some more anti-love shenanigans in him yet!

nina del carmen: Loki is probably going to be very stressed out, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

CheetahLover: He still doesn't believe that food tastes better when made with love, imagine how he will feel about mistletoe! Though maybe he'll enchant every doorway to grow mistletoe whenever he and Maisy walk under it... just a thought.

ferbette: That might be the only issue Maisy would ever black mail someone over. XD

Thank you all so much! I really appreciate your patience and your sweet reviews! Until next time which is hopefully not too far off! :)