A/N - Some might hang me, but those slow chapters have some purpose and this is the last chapter where they mostly talk and do stuff. Though there are few interesting bits scattered among those masses of text. Also someone's animagus form is revealed and is quite predatory and dangerous.

o-0-o

Beta - eri1551

o-0-o

Harry stirred as he felt Atalanta move by his side, he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. "What hour is it?" He asked, noticing that the room was covered in various shades of reds and oranges.

"An hour or two after dawn," she said and looked at him. "Sorry for waking you up, but I wanted to take a better look at the scars on the back of your neck."

He nodded and shifted his weight so that she was able to see his neck. "These?" He asked, his fingers trailing over the faint, yet easily to felt and visible lines on the back of his neck.

"Yes," she said and looked at him. "They weren't caused by any fight or accident, so how did you get them?"

He sighed and paused, thinking how to explain what he wanted to say. He finally gathered his thoughts and looked at her. "I don't like talking about this, but I think that you deserve to be one of the few that should know about it," he said and placed his hand on hers. "But I want you not to talk about this without my explicit permission, only Ulf, Jarl, Hrolf and my mutant friends can know, the rest need my permission."

"I understand," she said. "I won't betray your trust."

"I know that you won't," he said and took off his shirt, revealing more perfectly straight and even scars, this time on his chest. "Those on the neck are the most visible," he said and saw her eyes widen. "But they're not the only ones."

"How many of them do you have?"

"Too many," he said very quietly and she looked at him. "They used them to see how I look inside and to implant various things into me."

"What?" she asked. "They did what?"

"Implant various things and treated me as a guinea pig," he said, his voice devoid of emotions. "At, you will never understand what they have done to me or the rest of their captives," he said softly, after a moment.

"Then show me," she said and moved closer to him. "I want to understand what's the reason of the nightmares you're having."

"Are you sure you want to see it?" He asked. "It isn't pretty," he said and looked into her eyes. "It might hurt you."

"I am sure," she said, placed her hand on his forehead and he almost immediately felt her presence in his mind, one that dived straight into his memories and feelings, searching and looking for those that were of interest now.

Harry looked at her in worry as she closed her eyes and beads of sweat appeared on her brow, he could feel her gently search his memories. Every second of it felt like an hour for him. When she finally removed her hand and opened her eyes, he could see tears swell in the corners of her eyes.

"How did you survive it?" she quietly asked. "I saw those memories, from all the therapy sessions, and those that did that to you, and all the other captives, shouldn't be called humans."

"I don't know," he murmured as she embraced him, her head nuzzled against the side of his head. "I just want to forget about it."

"Or find solace," she whispered. "To find some peace and comfort, that's why you want me to sleep with you, so that your mind can find peace and comfort."

He only nodded and held her in the embrace, his hands on her back and trying to keep her and the warmth she provided as close to him as possible. "I want to," he whispered. "And I feel I'm close to it, closer than I ever was before."

"You will find it," she said as she looked into his eyes. "You will find it, and I will help you on your way to it."

He nodded in thanks and simply held her close to his body for a long time, keeping her warmth and comfort as close to himself as he could. Not moving and simply cherishing their closeness and intimacy. Finally he looked at her and whispered. "Thank you, At, for all of this."

She only smiled. "I did what I needed to," she said and pushed him onto the bed. "Now," she said and yawned. "I think we can catch up on some sleep."

He smiled and embraced her bringing her closer to him, she only smirked at this and placed her hand on his side. It was in this position that sleep took them, their minds lulled by their physical closeness and warmth.

o-0-o

"You know that Harry has been sleeping with Atalanta?" Loki asked as he entered into Thor's private rooms. "And the two of them have been growing closer to each other."

Thor only smiled and glanced at his brother. "It is kind of obvious to see, only someone blind wouldn't see it as the two of them grew up together, and were always close anyway."

"Indeed," Loki agreed with a smile as he came to a stop at his brother's side on the balcony of his chambers. "They will make a good combination, but I have a feeling there is a third piece to this puzzle."

Thor only smiled and looked at the city sprawled below them. "He is still young and discovering who he is," he finally said. "So as long as he doesn't end up having bastard children, he can sleep with whomever he wants and I don't plan on interfering."

"And in less than a year he goes to Hogwarts," Loki said. "Unless he settles with Atalanta, he will have lover after lover. You had them in your youth and father was even better. Or worse, it depends on how you see it."

Thor smiled knowingly and nodded. "I wonder when our long lost brother will return," he finally said. "We haven't seen him for over a millennium."

"Father sent for him and he should be back in a few months or years," Loki said. "Probably years, but nobody is sure as traveling over these distances without the use of the Bifrost takes ages and nobody is sure how long it will take for him."

Thor nodded and looked at Loki. "Why do you think he was summoned to return?"

"The Nevernever is getting unstable and the Red Court had been wiped out so we might go to a war on Midgard in an attempt to bring stability and peace," Loki said and added after a moment. "Mab is playing her game and trying to bring peace, but she lacks the assets to step in more forcefully and bring peace. If we do not do something the world will tumble into darkness and chaos, ripped apart by various banished groups and beings. The White Council is stretched too thin and tries to keep peace and order as well, but they, too, lack the resources to do more than keep it close to their base of operations, large nexuses of Ways or large cities."

Thor slowly nodded. "So we need to step in and bring some semblance of order to the whole thing," he said. "Midgard is the central world of the Nine Realms and if we lose control of it, we lose control of the lower worlds, and will be unable to exercise our power outside of this dimension."

"Indeed," Loki agreed. "Also we have our uncle scheming and trying to gain some of his previous power back, his network here was ripped apart, but I have a feeling that he is all too happy to side himself with those groups that cause chaos on Midgard. So we need to take a bigger interest in it and help them deal with the mess and our brother is almost as powerful as you or I am."

"I normally like the smash and murder approach, but wouldn't the organization of some peace talks help?" Thor asked and Loki looked at him. "It will stall them, and give us time to prepare, as well as give our allies time to catch their breath and gather their forces."

Loki focused his gaze on Thor, then he slowly nodded. "I don't know when and how you matured, but, sometimes, you are surprisingly able to think logically and reasonably," he said. "A summit would work; I will speak with Mab and our father as I'm just a Prince and someone with more power needs to support it."

"It will also give our brother time to return to Asgard," Thor added. "He is one of the most powerful sorcerers and warriors in our family, not to mention, a great diplomat whose talents might be more needed than his proficiency with a sword or magic."

Loki bobbed his head in agreement and walked away, leaving Thor to his musings and thoughts about Harry.

o-0-o

Harry looked weirdly at Hrolf as he followed him through the city, something was off, but he couldn't tell what. "Can't you tell me what your father wants that I need to get to him?" he finally asked.

"I know what he wants, but I cannot tell you," Hrolf smirked. "I can tell you that it is nothing bad and that you should enjoy it, maybe even quite a lot."

Harry sighed and eyed his friend, while playing with the pommel of his sword. "Tell me why shouldn't I demand him to come to me? Technically speaking I'm third when it comes to importance and I could demand from my uncle to meet me when and where I want to."

"Because you like me and respect him too much to do something like that," Hrolf said. "Also the first lesson you got was to stay on as good relations with the nobles as possible and to avoid angering them."

Harry only nodded in agreement. "You are right," he said and sighed. "I'm a Prince of Asgard, but I cannot really exercise my power."

"We all have that feeling," Hrolf said, and Harry glanced at him. "You know that my father is one of the most powerful nobles and I should enjoy some of his power."

"Yes."

"Until I was fourteen or fifteen I was almost powerless," Hrolf said quietly and Harry looked at him in shock. "I hid it, but it burned me, now I have much more power; it will be the same with you. Wait half a year, which will pass sooner than you think and you will enjoy more power, but also more responsibilities."

Harry nodded and sighed. "Why do I have a feeling that I will miss these past years?"

"Because you will," Hrolf said as they approached the gates leading into Volstagg's manor, he pushed them open and they stepped into a massive garden. "But there are also some things you should enjoy and like then, even if they come with some responsibilities."

"Huh?" Harry asked as he followed his friend into the manor. "What do you mean?"

"You will see," Hrolf said with a smirk. "But I can promise you that it's nothing bad or dangerous or anything else that would be against the laws of hospitality."

Harry nodded and relaxed knowing that nothing untoward would happen to him. Those words meant that Volstagg would personally guarantee his safety and would ensure that nobody did something against him. He looked at Hrolf who just pushed the doors open, leading him into the manor. Harry followed him and together they walked across the manor and entered Volstagg's study.

Inside they found Volstagg who stood in front of a window and the light entering the room created a halo around his massive body. They stood silently and waited until he snapped out of his musings and noticed their arrival. Finally Volstagg shook his head and looked at them. "Good, you are here," he said and waved at them. "Take seats, and don't look at me as if I am about to murder you, if you please."

Harry nodded and sat down in one of the chairs placed around a small table, waited patiently for a servant to pour him ale before looking at Volstagg. "So what do you want from me and why was Hrolf so mysterious about this whole thing?" He finally asked.

"He was so mysterious because I didn't allow him to tell you anything, he was just supposed to get you here," Volstagg said and added apologetically. "I did that as it was the safest course of action and it is also part of a tradition."

At the word tradition Harry perked up and focused on Volstagg. "Could you explain what you mean by tradition?"

"Every child usually has two guardians chosen from extended family or friends, one female and one male, being chosen is usually a sign of trust and respect and it bears some responsibilities," Volstagg patiently explained and Harry nodded. "They are there to support the parents of the child in taking care of its needs and education. ln case of the unfortunate demise of one or both parents, they are supposed to fill the void left, or at least try to. So far clear?"

Harry slowly sipped the ale and considered those words. "Yes, but I have a couple of questions." he said.

"Go on."

"I know that it is a two-way agreement, while guardians have those responsibilities, the child also needs to have some to even the scales."

Volstagg smiled and nodded. "It is supposed to treat those guardians with the same respect it would have for the eldest sibling and when the parents are away, it is supposed to obey those guardians."

Harry whistled quietly and looked at Volstagg. "I think that this answers all of my questions in a sufficient manner."

Volstagg nodded and looked at Harry. "Since everything is clear, I think we can get to the main point," Volstagg said and Harry nodded. "I asked you to come here as I want to name you one of the guardians for my youngest child."

Harry's jaw dropped and he looked at Volstagg unsure of what was going on.

"I'm not joking," Volstagg quietly said. "I spoke with your father about it and he said that you should be ready and you are a person that I trust, your age though important, is less so, since you will be an adult soon enough."

Harry shook his head and gathered his scattered thoughts. "I understand and it will be an honor to be a guardian of your child," he said.

"Good," Volstagg said and nodded. "Once he is born and all of the ceremonies take place I will send for you, but for a few days you have free time."

"Free time?" Harry asked with a roll of his eyes. "My uncle kept me studying various subjects."

Volstagg laughed, his laughter loud and rumbling. "You are free to go," he said. "In five or six days I will send for you and I expect you to be in the best clothes you have."

Harry nodded, finished his ale and getting up looked pointedly at Hrolf who just smiled and guided him out of the manor. "Whose idea was it?" Harry asked as they were outside.

"Might be mine," Hrolf said and Harry looked at him. "It is a nice position and it won't bite you in the behind, so I suggested you to father, but it was his decision and I didn't know that he had decided to choose you."

Harry nodded and stepping away from the manor unfolded his massive wings and before jumping into the air, and looking at Hrolf. "This evening, be at the gates of the Citadel, I plan to have some fun."

Hrolf grinned and nodded in understanding and approval. Harry jumped into the air and soared towards the Citadel.

o-0-o

Rahne walked through the halls of the Citadel, Danielle by her side when they almost walked into something she thought she would only see in textbooks and museums. A large feline was walking towards them, its coat beige and spotted with black, brown, and red dots, and streaks, but it wasn't the coat nor nor its long tail, or its striking golden eyes, not even the grace with which it was moving. Its steps light, almost soundless and predatory, her shock was caused by the two saber-like teeth growing from its mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Rahne asked as she tensed, her nails changing into claws and her canines extending.

"It looks like a smilodon," Danielle said and shook her head. "But they are supposed to be extinct, at least on Earth."

"A better question would be why is nobody reacting to its presence?" Rahne said, seeing that nobody seemed to pay any attention to the tiger in front of them. "Those fangs can rip your throat open, yet it is allowed to walk freely."

Danielle nodded, reaching for a dagger. "I think it is a shapeshifter, Harry is doing it all the time," she said and glanced at Rahne. "You are one, as well."

Rahne nodded and at the same time the tiger started to change, from an animal into a humanoid being, until in front of them was standing Atalanta. "So smilodons are gone from Midgard?" she asked as she walked towards them.

"Yes," Rahne nodded as her claws turned back into nails. "For something like ten thousand years, so seeing one there alive is highly improbable."

"So if you change into it, you will cause a lot of noise," Danielle added. "Not that mutant powers or magic won't."

Atalanta nodded and looked at them. "What were you doing?"

"Talking," Rahne said. "And wandering around the place."

"Not the worst thing to do," Atalanta said and smiled, her elongated canines flashing. "I might join you and show you some places."

"Sounds nice," Danielle said.

Rahne nodded and they followed Atalanta into the gardens behind the Citadel, with an orchard in the middle of it all, an orchard full of apple trees that looked ancient, their branches thick and twisted, yet bearing hundreds of apples. Apples that were golden and completely perfect, large and without a single stain on them, just asking to be picked and eaten. As they walked between the trees Rahne could feel a nagging feeling that she should recognize these apples from somewhere, yet she couldn't guess what they were.

She finally gave them one long look and then looked at Atalanta. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a myth about certain apples of the Norse gods?"

"There was," she grinned. "It was about these apples."

"Apples of Idunn?" Danielle asked. "They give a youthful look and strength to anybody that eats them, don't they?"

Atalanta nodded. "They are known as the apples of Idunn, as you said, who is a handmaiden of my aunt," she said and explained. "They won't give you a youthful look, but they can heal almost any injury or illness our body cannot heal on its own, and if need, be can provide us with energy for a couple more hours."

"What about the Apples of Immortality that Zeus is supposed to have?" Rahne asked.

"I think it is obvious," Atalanta said with a grin. "Look around."

Rahne frowned and looking around saw only more and more apples and apple trees, she then glanced at Atalanta. "Those apples of immortality, both of them refer to the same orchard?"

"Not orchard," Atalanta corrected her. "A full orchard is here, on Mount Tamalpais there is just one tree, but they are the same breed of apples."

"Not on Olympus?" Danielle asked. "I thought that Zeus received those apples and an apple tree as a gift."

"He did," Atalanta nodded. "But they were planted in the Garden of Hesperides where they are guarded by Ladon and there was just one person who managed to get in, steal them and get out."

Rahne frowned and then her eyes widened in surprise. "Your dad did it, one of his twelve tasks, he was supposed to get apples from the garden and get them to his cousin."

"Indeed," Atlanta nodded and added more viciously. "Thanks to my stupid grandmother since she couldn't stand another child of my grandfather and decided that revenge was good."

"Anyway, are there any other interesting places to see?" Danielle asked, as if seeing Atalanta's discomfort.

"A few," Atalanta said, quickly composing herself. "I will show you."

Rahne nodded and with a smile they followed Atalanta through the narrow, twisting paths, that were almost impossible to notice if not careful.

o-0-o

Tony Stark walked into the office of his godfather and took a seat in one of armchairs scattered around the room, easily noticing the Christmas decorations hanging around. "I see that I managed to get in here the right time," he said.

"Oh?" Xavier asked and then looked at him. "Tony, what do you mean?"

"A small gift Warren and I are putting together," he smiled. "A new Institute, some toys for the X-Men and some new planes."

Xavier looked at him. "Then you indeed got here right in time," he said. "How soon will they be ready?"

"The new Institute in a year or two. The planes sooner, Jarvis is assembling them and he knows his job quite well," Tony said and smirked. "They will be top of the line, custom built and designed to suit your needs, I did most of the work and you know of my skills."

"They are as good as your arrogance is big," Xavier said and shook his head. "I don't want to say anything, but I hoped that you would be less arrogant, two arrogant people at the Institute were enough for me to deal with."

"Who is the second one?" Tony frowned. "One of them is to be Warren's brat and heir."

"The son of Thor is the second one," Xavier said. "He is a lot like you."

"It seems that I am good influence on the kid," Tony said with a smile and got up. "I need to get going as Warren was supposed to send the layouts and designs of the new Institute and I want to ensure they are good."

o-0-o

Harry smiled as he felt an air of anticipation around as his friends gathered at the entrance of the Citadel, while his Asgardian friends and Illyana knew what was coming, the X-Men seemed oblivious. He looked around and nodded, content, when he saw that everybody was here and nobody was missing. "Since everybody is here, we can go," he said.

"Go where?" Bobby asked. "You didn't say anything about where we're."

"To have some fun," Hrolf said with a smile and indicated at Harry. "Or for him to celebrate. The first is more likely to happen."

"To have fun," Harry said with a look at Hrolf. "Nothing else, so drop the topic if you can, and think about a good place where we can enjoy our time."

"I guess that you want avoid brawls, crashing into a building and want some peace," Hrolf said and Harry could see looks of shock and confusion on the faces of his friends. "So you want a place where we can enjoy ourselves and have fun quitely."

"Pretty much, yes."

"Hold on," Warren said and Harry looked at him. "How real are these brawls?"

"From time to time," Hrolf said, before Harry could even open his mouth. "It isn't as bad as you think, so we should be fine."

Harry nodded in agreement and followed Hrolf, the rest of his friends following suit. They quickly walked into the entertainment district and entered one of the taverns that were the closest to the wall separating the district from the rest of the city.

"Mead or ale?" Hrolf asked, looking at them.

"I would say ale," Harry said and shrugged. "On Midgard alcohol is harder to get, so while we are used to it, they might be in shock."

"Hold on," Warren said and Harry looked at him. "You can drink ale and mead here?"

"Ale, cider, mead, wine and a few other things," Harry said with a smile.

"So there is no drinking age?" Kitty asked.

"Hrolf?" Harry asked, looking at the son of Volstagg. "You always know the law and you are the oldest one here."

"There is no set drinking age," Hrolf said. "The usual approach is that once you are old enough to have your first weapon, you are old enough to drink ale. For mead or anything stronger, it is usually around their age, but it isn't set in stone."

"I like Asgard," Warren smiled. "On Earth, at least where we live, you need to be twenty-one to be allowed to buy alcohol. So I'm kind of jealous of you."

"There are some advantages to living on Asgard," Harry said with a smirk. "I like being on Earth, but Asgard is much better, at least in my opinion."

"I can see that," Warren said. "I can also see why you wanted to get here so much."

Harry only nodded and felt his stomach grumble as the smell of food waffled towards them, followed by the trays with it and pitchers full of ale and mead.

"How are we supposed to eat all of this?" Kitty asked, looking at the mountains of food.

"I'm hungry," Harry said and smiled. "Which means that I will eat quite a lot, At, Ulf, Jarl and Hrolf even more."

"Less talking, more eating," Hrolf said, moments later it was followed by the sounds of meat being torn and ripped.

Harry only smiled and joined his friend, before long all of the meat was devoured and there was nothing left for him to eat.

o-0-o

Warren blinked and looked at the plates. He saw only bones on them, some of them even splintered to get to the marrow hidden inside. He shook his head and reached out for his goblet. "How is this even possible?" He asked after a moment, slowly sipping his ale.

"We were hungry," Harry said and smiled. "Read myths and you will see even better examples of our appetite, also we are still growing and need energy.

Warren rolled his eyes. "You are as tall as I am and you are still growing?"

"Yes."

"Be happy that he won't be as big as his father is," Hrolf added. "He will be tall, but not a hulking mountain like his father."

"Why?" Warren asked.

"My wings," Harry said. "And a few other avian traits that come with them, but in short I need to be able to lift myself, and useless pounds of weight and muscles don't help with that."

"Anyway," Warren said and looked at Atalanta. "Are you two dating each other or is my sight being mislead by someone or something."

He laughed when he saw Harry blush and much to his surprise Laura did, too, but Atalanta kept her mask and didn't reveal any feelings or emotions. She just looked at Harry and it told him more than her words would tell.

"Maybe," Harry said, hiding his face behind a goblet. "But I don't have any idea about how you came up with this idea."

Warren sighed and chuckled. "Cousin, you would need someone who is completely blind not to see the fact that you are dating her," he said and glanced at Laura. "At the Institute she was your constant shadow, following you wherever you went and you two shared a room, something many would kill for."

"No," Harry said as he controlled the blush. "I'm not dating her, we are just friends."

Warren laughed loudly, followed by almost everybody around the table, he finished his goblet and looked at Harry. "Then why are you blushing?"

"You enjoy teasing him, don't you?" Hrolf asked quietly.

"I like him and he needs to have some embarrassing moments in life," Warren said and shrugged. "Besides, he is the only relative of mine that is around my age that I like."

Hrolf nodded and Warren focused back on Harry who looked as if he wanted to dig himself a nice hole, hide there and stay out of sight. "So what is your answer, cousin dear?" Warren asked after a moment.

Harry blushed even more and hid his face behind a goblet, which made Warren laugh even more.

"So should I take it as yes?" He asked after a moment. "Or should I just pick an answer I fancy?"

Harry finished the goblet, placed it on the table with a bit of noise and looked at him. "If I give you an answer, will you stay silent and stop badgering me about it?"

"I will consider it."

"I want a yes or no," Harry said. "You will say yes and I will tell you."

"I will," Warren said and smiled. "Now speak."

"There might be something going on between us," Harry said, a blush creeping up his cheeks. "Happy?"

"It will do," Warren said, knowing well that more could have bad consequences for him. "So how long are we going to stay here?"

"On Asgard?"

"Yup."

"Until the end of the break," Harry said and poured himself some ale. "So enjoy yourself as we will have time to do everything we want to."

Warren nodded and with a smile emptied his goblet, if he could enjoy this, he was going to use it as much as he could.

o-0-o

Harry slowly sipped his ale, looking contently at the table between them, a few dozen of plates covered with remnants of his and Atalanta's breakfast. "When do you think Laura will give us an answer?" He finally asked.

"When she is ready," Atalanta said with a shrug. "You won't force her to give an answer sooner than she is willing to and she is still confused by emotions and feelings, so she needs time."

"So she might give it in a week or in a couple of hours," he said and looked at Atalanta. "How is it that you are so comfortable with me liking her?"

Atalanta was silent for a long moment, her gaze focused on him. "Harry, I want to have you on my own, but if need be I prefer to share you with people that I know and can tolerate, than have you have lovers that I won't know about," she finally said. "Also Laura isn't the worst looking girl and I'm attracted to her, not as strongly as I'm to you, but still pretty strongly, so if I can kill two birds with one stone..."

"I get it," he said with a faint blush. "If you can keep me happy and have some fun, you will take the chance."

"Exactly," she nodded. "I don't want to turn into another Hera when it comes to treating family."

"You won't," he softly said and made her smile.

"Thank you, Harry."

"No problem," he said and looked at her. "So will you come to Hogwarts with me when I go there?"

"I said that I will, so I will," she said. "I'm not one to twist words around or break promises."

"No, you're not," he nodded, sighed contently, and finishing his ale got up. "I'm going to take a bath, as I don't want to wait hours for you to finish yours."

"Fine," Atalanta nodded and he walked into his room to get fresh clothes and take a long, lazy bath, starting yet another day on Asgard.

o-0-o

Harry leaned against the railing and looked at the deep blue ocean and the hundreds of buildings spreading from the shore to the Citadel. At first, he was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer scale and scope of it all, but as he looked at it now, he felt pride for what his race had achieved, and he liked the city too.

It was both massive and beautiful. It spread from the shore and covered almost every single available space in the streets, alleys, buildings and open areas in greenery. There were hundreds of various buildings rising to the sky, some of them easily reaching the clouds, while others were stout but not as tall. For one last time he looked at the city and shook his head.

"What's wrong, mon chéri?" someone asked and Harry nearly jumped.

He slowly turned around, only to see Jean stand behind him, looking as relaxed as if he was in his own home, not on Asgard, even some cockiness was visible in his eyes. "Nothing," Harry said and sighed. "Just thinking about things."

"If it's nothing, then why did you almost jump at the noise behind you?" Jean asked. "For me that's a reaction of someone who is a bundle of nerves."

Harry sighed and looked at Jean. "Can you be kind and leave me alone?"

"There is definitely something wrong with you," Jean said and Harry's eyes narrowed. "I've never seen you behave in such way and something is troubling you."

"Jean...," Harry sighed.

"Won't you admit that something doesn't sit well with you?"

Harry growled and looked at Jean with some annoyance. "You won't stop until you have an answer, will you?"

"No, I won't," Jean said as he moved closer to Harry and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I care about you and I'm worried; you seem weirdly broody and silent."

"Jean," Harry said. "I have reasons to be broody. I'm just thinking about some things, there is nothing wrong with me."

Jean chuckled and Harry looked at him. "Learn how to lie better soon, mon chéri," he said. "You are obvious to read now, and I can't help but wonder how you can hide things from Atalanta."

Harry sighed. "Jean, can you leave her and me alone?"

"I will leave her alone once you give me an answer," Jean said. "It is nothing hard and you are dancing around the problem."

"Fine, some stuff relating to one of the customs in Asgard," Harry finally said. "It just worries me and I'm a bit nervous about it."

"What is it?" Jean asked and quickly added. "Not that I'm forcing you to tell me, if you don't want to, you don't need to tell me."

"If I won't tell you, you will annoy me until I tell you and you are content with the answer I give," Harry said with a faint smile.

"No," Jean said. "I will just convince you to open up."

Harry rolled his eyes and looking at Jean asked, "Still, it means the same, so will you stop annoying me if I tell you?"

"I will," Jean said and smiled. "I'm your friend and I won't do something you won't like, unnecessarily."

Harry smiled and looked at Jean. "I was chosen as a guardian for Volstagg's newest child, he is Hrolf's father, and it just surprised me."

"Guardian?" Jean frowned.

"Godparent," Harry said and frowned. "It is a bit different, I have more power over that child and a few other things when it comes to magic."

"And you are worried that you will fail?" Jean asked and Harry looked at him. "Mon chéri, it isn't hard to read you, especially when I know you so well."

"Really?" Harry asked, some shock and surprise in his voice.

"Yes, really," Jean said. "You can hide things, but when you know what to look for, it is obvious what you are attempting to hide. Anyways, mon chéri, you won't fail, have some confidence in you. How come when you are with Atalanta you are confident and arrogant, yet now you seem weak and fragile?"

"Jean," Harry said with a sigh. "I believe that I will be the same kind of a person my uncle and aunt were."

"Do you believe that you will be the same kind of person?" Jean asked. "Or do you fear it?"

Harry didn't say a word and instead looked at the city bustling with activity and energy, bathed in long sun rays. He finally sighed and looked at Jean. "I fear it," he quietly said.

"So you don't need to become one, since you just fear but not believe it," Jean said and Harry looked at him. "Be whoever you want to be and enjoy life."

Harry smiled and looked at Jean. "Enjoy life, that's your motto?" He asked. "If so, I have an idea you should like."

"Oh?"

"Going swimming," Harry said. "Ulf will probably join us and there are a few nice lakes not far from here."

Jean only smiled and nodded in approval.

"Meet me by the entry into my rooms in few moments," Harry said. "I will get the message to Ulf and get a few other things and we can go."

"Okay," Jean said and Harry rushed into the palace to get what they would need.

o-0-o

Atalanta smiled as she walked out of the Citadel, Laura by her side. This girl was an interesting and complicated one; she had a bright mind and was deadly in combat, yet she was also struggling with emotions and feelings that every sentient being had.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice faint as her eyes scanned the faces of people around them.

"To have fun," Atalanta smiled. "Asgard is a beautiful place and now is a good time to explore it, whilst you have the opportunity to do so."

Laura looked at her, her body tense and eyes scanning the crowd around them.

"You have nothing to worry about," Atalanta said, adding magic to her voice. "You are among friends and nobody will harm you here."

Laura relaxed a bit, releasing some tension from her muscles, she was still tense, but she was also more calm and relaxed.

"That's better," Atalanta said with approval and Laura looked at her. "You relaxed a bit, before you were all tense and nervous. Which would probably spoil all the fun for you."

"What fun?"

"Shopping and some other pleasant activities," Atalanta said with a smile. "There is no point in sitting for a whole day inside the palace."

Laura looked at her as if she was crazy.

Atalanta walked into one of the more quiet and empty streets before stopping and looking at Laura, her golden eyes meeting with Laura's green ones. "I know what they did to you," she quietly said. "But it doesn't mean that you cannot be a normal person and have some fun and enjoy yourself. The fact that you didn't have all this before, doesn't mean a single thing here and I think that you will like it."

"Thank you," Laura said weakly. "It's just so overwhelming."

"You will be fine, you are a big girl," Atalanta said, lightly hugging Laura and getting her closer to herself and the comfort that she provided. "So how does that sound?" she asked softly, looking into Laura's eyes.

"Quite nice," Laura said as she hold onto the hug. "It's just that I'm scared of everything and unsure of what is going on," she whispered.

"That's why I'm with you," Atalanta said with a smile. "So that you have someone who knows their way around the city and is familiar to you."

"Thank you," Laura said.

"No problem," Atalanta said, releasing her. "Can we go?"

"Yes."

Atalanta nodded and with a smile they walked back onto the main street where they headed towards the market district. It occupied a significant part of the Capitol, where was everything from food to slaves, from simple jewellery to pieces of art was sold. One was able to buy anything he wished and wanted to, the only question was how much he was willing to pay.

"Any wishes on where we should go?" Atalanta asked and Laura looked at her. "Treat this like a giant birthday gift, I know that you didn't have an opportunity to celebrate, but now you can indulge."

"Really?" Laura asked, shock, surprise and something else mixing in her voice.

"Yes, Laura," Atalanta said with a smile, "So choose what you want, or do you want me to choose first?"

"Go on," Laura said, small trickles of tears running down her cheeks.

Atalanta nodded, smiled reassuringly and walked into the district and its less used paths, walking towards fashion and jewellery stores and stands. They should have a lot of fun there.

o-0-o

Harry walked through the forests of Nordmark, his eyes focused on a trail ahead of them and hoping not to lose it; one step in the wrong direction and they could end in the wrong place. If he was alone or with Ulf, he wouldn't care about it, but not when Jean-Paul was with them, since he didn't know those forests.

"Where are we going?" Jean asked from behind. "You didn't say anything about the exact location and you are being weirdly mysterious, even for your usual broody self."

"The Five Bright Lakes," Harry said. "One of the best places to swim and have fun, easy to miss and hard to find if you are not careful, but otherwise a perfect place."

"How do you know about if?" Jean inquired.

"Ulf's father, we are in his domain and he was and technically still is my tutor, so I had time to discover nice places or nag Ulf's siblings to show them to me."

"Or me," Ulf grumbled. "Which wasn't fun at all."

Harry rolled his eyes and ignored that remark. They walked in comfortable silence for a few more moments and finally a large lake appeared in front of them; its waters a crystal blue, the beach was covered in perfect white sand and hundreds of trees were providing enjoyable shade. "So how does it look?" Harry asked as he stopped in a place where the grass turned into sand and looked at Jean. "Good enough or do you want something better?"

Jean looked at the lake and later at Harry. "It will do," he said and frowned. "In what are you going to swim?"

"Naked," Harry said, laughing and starting to undress. "That's normal here."

Jean blushed a bit and looked at them, as they easily and quickly shed their clothes. "I think that I like Asgard," he said with a smile, overcoming his embarrassment. "I think that I like it a lot."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Harry asked as he dropped his underwear onto the ground and, completely naked, ran into the lake, the water splashing around him. "We won't wait for you, so you better join us."

"You wouldn't do that, would you?" Jean asked, mock horror in his voice, before he undressed and joined them in the water.

"Maybe," Harry said with a mischievous smile as he sent a bit of water flying towards Jean's face.

Jean dodged and in a blur moved through the water. "Won't work on me, mon chéri," he said, coming to a stop by Harry's side.

"Right," Harry sighed and dived, he easily cut through the water, each move of his limbs pushing him further and further away from Jean, when he emerged back onto the surface he looked around.

"This also won't work," Jean said as he appeared in front of Harry, his hand accidentally brushing Harry's shoulder. "I'm too fast for you to run away from me."

"Too fast or just wanting to be close to him?" Ulf asked as he joined them. "I mean, you focus on him, try to kiss him whenever you know that Atalanta won't rip your balls and stuff them into your mouth, and attempt to flirt all the time."

Jean arched an eyebrow and looked at Ulf. "What can I do? He is a very desirable person and if I won't get to him, someone else will."

"I'm not saying that it is bad or good," Ulf said with a shrug. "I'm just stating the facts and that you might find yourself ballless and in pain if you cross the line."

"We will see," Jean said with a smirk and passed in a blur by Harry's sids.

Harry felt something touch his hips for a moment and when he looked at Jean, he saw him grinning. "What's so funny?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, I just think that I'm a lucky person."

"Because?"

"Because you and Ulf are highly appealing examples of Æsir teens," Jean said and Harry blushed a bit. "Both of you are muscular, tall and good looking, with a nice personality. I'm shocked that nobody has snatched you from me yet."

"I see," Harry said and smirked. "I'm off-limits to most potential interested lovers and I have Atalanta, so that's how."

"Who might not murder me if I manage to convince her not to," Jean said.

"Possibly," Harry nodded. "The qestion is how you are going to approach her and when; sometimes her mood is not safe."

"I see."

"Flirt later," Ulf cut in, almost tackling Harry and pushing him below the surface of the water. "We came here to have fun."

Harry tensed his muscles when he felt Ulf slam into him, his hands trying to limit his moves. Holding his breath Harry kicked Ulf and freed himself from the iron grip of his friend's hands, one that almost managed to get him. "Nice try," he said, emerging away from Ulf. "But you need to work harder."

"What was that?" Jean asked, confused by their behavior.

"Wrestling in the water," Harry said with a smile. "Everything is allowed and you try to submerge the other person"

"Sounds amusing and fun," Jean said, moments before Harry slammed into him, trying to do the same thing that Ulf did. However Jean managed to slip from his grip and lightly pushed him. Jean's fingers brushed against Harry's shoulders and arms before they parted from each other.

"It seems that you know the rules," Harry grinned and moved out of the way of a charging Ulf, he smiled and lightly kicked Ulf in the ass. He watched with some satisfaction as his friend landed face down , splashing water and growling furiously.

"They're not hard to learn," Jean said and moved towards Harry.

Harry smiled and looking out for Ulf's attempts to drown him focused on Jean, he missed the days when they could spend whole days in the water, emerging out of it only to get something to eat.

o-0-o

Atalanta smiled as she looked at Laura who now was wearing a tightly fitting deep red shirt that underlined her curves and breasts with a subtle embroidery pattern in silver and gold along the shoulder and breast area. This embroidery took the form of various flames, waves and ripples which flickered with every single move, creating the impression that they were alive. "It fits you and underlines your beauty," she said.

"Thanks," Laura said with a blush.

"No problem," Atalanta said and looked at her. "You deserve something from life, and besides, aren't you enjoying this?"

"I am," Laura said, stripping off the shirt and placing it on the already massive pile of things they had bought. "It's just that when I was with Weapon X this didn't happen."

"Forget about them and be yourself," Atalanta said and her eyes flickered to the pile of boxes and bags. "Well, carrying that with us will not be pleasant," she said and snapped her fingers, summoning one of the shop assistants.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Take all of those boxes and bags plus the bill, to my chambers in the Citadel," she said, a commanding edge to her voice.

"Of course, Your Highness," the shop assistant said with a deep bow.

Atalanta smiled and looked at Laura. "Lunch and then some more of this?"

"Why not," Laura nodded.

"I know a couple of good spots, you should also enjoy them," Atalanta said. "Also there is a jeweller on the way there and he is a good one."

Laura nodded and they walked out of the shop and towards the area where the jewellers resided. Atalanta looked at their workshops and stalls full of wonders of metalworking and jewellery, wonders that few knew how to make. However she ignored them and instead entered into the workshop that touched the wall of the district.

The inside was purely utilitarian with no fancy artworks covering the walls or sculptures anywhere, but it was tidy and there were many shelves full of various stones, cut gems and finished products. She let her gaze linger over them before she looked at the dwarf that was behind the counter, his beard was black, braided and held in place by many rings of various metals.

"Your Highness, how may I help you today?" He asked.

"Is what I ordered the last time ready?" she asked

"Indeed," dwarf said before disappearing through a door placed beyond the counter. When he emerged he was holding a small wooden box,which he placed on the counter and looked at her. "Making it was a nice break from boredom, Your Highness."

She nodded and opened the box, inside was a ring made out of pewter with a small citrine placed in the middle and held by four small claws or fangs of pewter. She carefully picked it up and slipping it onto her ring finger, she took a better look at it and she could see hundreds of reflections sent in every direction by the gem. It looked truly beautiful on her finger, like a miniature sun. "Thank you, it is perfect," she said and added after a moment. "Could you find or make something for my friend?"

"It was an honor to make a piece of jewellery for you, Your Highness," jeweller said with a bow and looked at Laura. "Her?"

"Indeed," Atalanta said and with a smile looked at Laura. "Choose what you want, I have more than enough cash to spend."

Laura smiled weakly, and Atalanta watched as the jeweller went over various metals and gems, showing examples and thousands of possible combinations. She was commented, from time to time, on how well they matched Laura's eyes or how well she would look with one of them. A long time passed before they finally reached a conclusion with which Laura agreed, they settled onto a pair of peridot tear-shaped earrings, held by filigree golden wires.

They spent several more moments mindlessly roaming the district before finally walking out of it. Then Atalanta took Laura to a small, cosy tavern located by one of major plazas of the city. A place where they could eat a good meal and talk in relative peace, while enjoying a glass of wine or some ale.

Atlanta blew a strand of hair out of her eyes and looked over the mostly empty dishes at Laura. "So what do you think about the day so far?"

"Not the worst one, I quite like ld it actually," Laura said and then added after a brief pause. "I never expected to have so much fun."

"And there is even more of this waiting for you in the future," Atalanta said with a mischievous smile. "So much fun you probably didn't think could even exist, yet is real."

"Oh?"

"You will see, and you will like it," Atalanta said. "So you have nothing to worry about."

"I know," Laura said and sighed. "Yet what they did to me is still there and haunts me."

Atalanta reached over the table and gently grabbed Laura's hand. "Harry showed me his memories of the time in their hands," she said. "While I don't know what they did to you, I can imagine, yet I will never be close to understanding it. I can only show you that the world is a lot different than what you remember and know."

Laura looked at her, their eyes met for the briefest period of time and Atalanta could see a huge gaping void inside of them, one of someone beyond their age that had seen too much. Yet there was also joy, friendship and warmth slowly filling it, along with good memories and experiences.

"So what do you say about some more fun?" Atalanta asked after a moment. "I want you to enjoy your time here and this is something that you should love."

Laura nodded and smiled.

"Than let's go," Atalanta said as she finished her wine. Laura got up and followed her out of the tavern.

They quickly walked through the city, Laura following Atalanta, a bit unsure about where they were going, however they quickly arrived where they wanted to. Atlanta smiled when she stopped in front of a large building, its front entrace lined with columns and several trees.

"Here we are," she said looking at Laura. "Lavender Water, one of the best places to relax in this city, you should love it."

"Oh?"

"Gym, large swimming pool, bathhouse, spa and a few other things," Atalanta said with a smile. "Harry and Ulf tend to spend a lot of time inside here after the longer training sessions, to relax and let their sore muscles rest."

"I like it," Laura said. "I like it a lot," she added after a moment.

"I thought so," Atalanta said with a smile as they walked inside.

o-0-o

Harry emerged from the lake and reached for one of the towels they had brought with them. As he was drying himself he could see Ulf and Jean-Paul walk towards him, water dripping from their naked bodies. "So did you like it?" Harry asked, throwing a towel at Jean.

"It was certainly interesting," the older boy said, snatching the towel from the air. "Fun too, but mostly interesting."

"Because you had the opportunity to see us naked?" Harry asked with a cheeky grin.

Jean smirked. "Maybe," he said. "But mainly because I haven't had many opportunities to have fun and swim recently."

"Not you only," Harry said, tying his hair into his usual ponytail. "Also I wanted to get away from the Capitol and the Citadel, too much noise and stiff atmosphere when you want to rest and relax."

"You don't like it?"

"It's not that," Harry said, shaking his head. "It's nice and I love it, but there are times when I want to be away from all that. Here I can be whoever I wish to be and I'm almost out of the reach of anyone who can tell me what I can or cannot do."

"My father could," Ulf pointed out.

"We both know that he usually allows us to have fun," Harry said. "So he probably knows that we are here, but he doesn't care."

"True," Ulf nodded. "As long as we did what we were supposed to, he allowed us to do whatever we wanted to."

Jean whistled loudly. "Laid back father."

"And knows how to teach," Harry commented as he finished dressing himself and rolled his towel into an easy to carry bundle. "Can we go?"

"Sure," Ulf said and Jean nodded in agreement.

o-0-o

Laura let out a sigh of approval as she slipped into a pool full of comfortably warm water. All of her muscles relaxing and releasing all of the tension they had. She saw Atalanta join her in the water moments later. "I can see why you love this."

"Yeah," Atalanta agreed with a smile. "You let the water deal with your aches and do nothing, it was one of the things I missed the most on Midgard."

"So you do that all the time after training?"

"Most of the time," Atalanta smiled. "The boys do it all the time, but if they didn't they would get kicked out of every room."

Laura laughed at her words. "They would stink so badly that you couldn't breathe, wouldn't they?" she asked, trying to contain her laughter.

"They won't admit it, but yes."

Laura smiled and relaxed completely. For the first time in a long, long time she was able to forget about everything; what Weapon X had done to her and all of her normal, mundane worries were washed away by the water.

o-0-o

Harry, Ulf and Jean-Paul walked into the Citadel when someone behind them said, "Just the two people I wanted to see."

Harry slowly turned around and came face to face with Hrolf, who was briskly walking towards them. "Yes?"

"We have a few things to talk about," Hrolf said with a shrug and glanced at Jean-Paul. "Go where you were going, they will join you after I talk with them."

Jean looked at Hrolf and later at Harry. "Should I listen to him?"

"Yes," Harry said and focused on Hrolf. "It won't be long, will it?"

"No," Hrolf said. "Just a few words between friends, nothing major."

Jean nodded and disappeared in a blur, leaving the three of them alone.

Hrolf didn't say a word, and instead motioned for them to follow him, they walked through the maze of corridors before Hrolf pulled then into a small room. "Now we can talk," he said and they looked at him.

"About what?" Ulf asked. "You don't give off a good vibe."

"About you," Hrolf smirked. "Or to be more specific, your smell. In short you stink, and badly at that," he stated bluntly and their eyes narrowed. "Don't pounce on me, I'm stating the truth and it's certainly better if you learn about it from me, than from your fathers, right?"

Harry shuffled his feet, trying to control the urge to beat Hrolf. "I guess so, so what do you want from us?"

"Keep your hairiness to a decent level, trim or shave every single hair that is in your armpits or the pubic area," Hrolf said. "How you do it, nobody will care, though I suggest razors. Just do it, since lovers tend to pay a lot of attention to how you look and how you smell. I know what I'm talking about from my own experience, so don't treat it as a command, more like a good advice."

Harry flushed at the word 'lovers', but nonetheless nodded in understanding, so that Hrolf would leave them alone and stop embarrassing them so badly.

"Will you do it?" He asked. "Or should I mention this fact to your fathers?"

"We will do it," they chorused.

"Good, you're free to go."

Harry didn't wait for Hrolf to finish, instead he vanished before Hrolf could say his very last word. Even with this small bit of embarrassment the holidays were going quite well and would be better, no matter the amount of embarrassment they suffered.

o-0-o

Reviews:

Coru 32 - he doesn't say that because he is Harry who is one of denser beings when it comes to feelings and because he wants to mostly have fun and enjoy his life.

WhiteElfElder - in the same way as if you took a sledgehammer and introduced it to an eggshell, those wards would be shattered and FAE are one of my choices, though at the moment my favorite is whole lot of napalm mixed with normal explosives.