"What happened to him?" asks Clint. The six Avengers stood directly across Snow, in Tony's tower, where she sat near Loki on her knees.
"I made him unconscious," she replies, placing her hands on the God of Mischief's bruised, cold face, Thor eyeing her warily, still unsure what to make of what had happened.
"I didn't know you could do that," says Tony.

It wasn't something she could do. At least,

that wasn't really what she would call it.

XXXXX

"Beautiful,

isn't it?"

a soft voice utters, Loki turns from near the tree to see Snow approaching him calmly, back in her casual outfit, like a war had never taken place.

"What is it?" he asks back as she walks to stand by him, a gentle smile decorating her graceful features,

the setting sun lighting her warm, brown eyes.

"I don't really know…Will,

my…foster parent,"

he watched her expression fall, "and I, called it the

Valley of Peace,"

she looks back at him, smiling once more. He nods slowly, looking on, still confused.

"Loki…

I…"

he turns to see why her tone had changed. She eyes him painfully, like she loathed every word she would have say. "I have to take you back now," she explains.

Realization crosses his face. He should have known such a place would only exist out of reality,

for reality itself was not as kind as

for this to be his end.

He wasn't dead.

That was a fate he could no longer have it seemed.

Fate was out of his control, and what it would bring, he would accept helplessly.

"I know," he nods slowly. Snow could see the hurt in his eyes, and it killed her. It was even worse, how she felt that there was nothing she could do to help, this untamable urge to save him.

From what?

Himself?

His future?

What could she do?

And for him to accept it, so hopelessly, it broke her heart.

Without thinking, and seeing no risks, Snow takes hold of Loki's face gently. He eyes her questionably as she pulled him into her arms, resting his head on her shoulder.

He froze.

Loki felt a wound inside of him tear open.

It had been so long since someone had shown him kindness.

It was overwhelming, bearing tears to his sad eyes.

"I'm so sorry,"

she whispered.

And it was then that he placed his own arms around her smaller form, exhaling heartedly, holding tightly,

like he needed to,

like he was afraid she would vanish.

Still,

soon enough,

they both did.

XXXXX

The Avengers watched in silence as Snow worked just as silently. They witnessed in confusion as her face scrunched as if in pain, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. They assumed it was part of the process, though it still worried them.

Soon enough, she opened her eyes, and rose to her feet as Loki fluttered his own eyes open in confusion. He pushed up with an elbow, and eyed around.

Spotting her first, he was calm, then he felt the breaths breathing down his neck, and he turned.

Feeling quite threatened, the God of Mischief pushed to his feet, leaning on the counter behind for support. He listened closely.

No explosions.

No battle-cries.

It was over.

The war had ended.

They won,

just like he'd sought.

Still, he knew what they saw in him. It did not matter. He would rather be condemned to the humans, or his brother,

than back to him.

He'd won too.

Loki smirks slightly. "If it's all the same to you," he turns to Tony, "I'll have that drink now," he says, causing the Stark to smirk back.
"Alright, come on green-bean," he said as Thor went to grab his sibling untrustingly from the arm. He went without quarrel,

only turning

to lock eyes

with her unsatisfied ones

one more time.

XXXXX

Alas, it was done. S.H.I.E.L.D held onto Loki for the few coming hours, till the Avengers were back in shape, and Thor would take him, and the Tesseract back to Asgard.

In the meantime, the Avengers took the Stark's suggestion. Seeing as how exhausted, and hungry, they were, the teammates sat in a distressed shawarma joint, the staff servicing them gratefully as the friends conversed casually, sharing moments of madness, and checking up on one another.

"So, how did you guys find out about the scepter?" Nat asks Steve, Tony, and Snow, taking another bite out of her shawarma sandwich.
"Loki told us," Snow replies nonchalantly.
"He told you," Tony notes from beside her. She rolls her eyes at him.
"He did?" asks Banner from next to him as Thor grows wary, fairly interested in finding out what in the world hid between his brother and the woman across him.
"Sheesh, I wonder why," Clint smirks suspiciously.

He then places his face on both his fists, pushing his cheeks up like a five-year-old as he stared at the White intently.

Her face grows slightly red, like she'd been exposed. "Am I missing something?" she asks him perplexedly.
"I…

saw

…everything," he says, smiling happily.

Realization hits her as the others grow suspicious. She laughs out. "This is ridiculous," she says.
"She kissed Loki!" the Barton exclaims suddenly. Everyone's eyes go wide.
"That was…subtle," says Thor, grabbing his drink tiredly.
"Oh my god!" Banner exclaims.
"You did what?!" Steve questions furiously.
"Okay! Calm!" she tells. "I'll explain."
"Better hurry, princess. You're about to be overthrown," Tony smirks.
"I was trying to distract him. Long enough to make him unconscious. It doesn't work if he keeps fighting me. He was so close; it was the only thing I could think of!"

They don't buy it.

Nat does though. She'd use very similar tactics on missions. Clint too,

but the kiss

wasn't all Clint saw.

"Why didn't you just turn him to dust? Get it over with?" asks Tony seriously. Thor glares at him, as if subconsciously still defending his sibling.

She could have said a number of things to that. That it didn't work that way. That he was too powerful.

And they weren't false answers. But, a part of the White, felt that, somehow, she owed it to him, to defend him.

"Because it wasn't right," she utters.

A lot show signs of protest against that. She explains quickly. "I don't expect you guys to understand. Loki's been through a lot, more than any of us have."
"It's no excuse to start a war, Snow," Banner notes irritably.
"He wasn't fully aware what he was doing!"
"Why, did someone super-power his brain with a glow-stick too?" Clint offers sarcastically. She turns to him seriously.
"No. No. Brainwashed. Isn't that what you first said?" says Tony disbelievingly.
"And I still say so…If he was all bad, and pure evil, why would he have told us about the scepter?" Snow asks.
"Why would he tell Selvig to put in a failsafe in the first place?" Nat offers. Snow turns to her in gratitude.
"Exactly. Like it or not, guys. We never could have ended this, if he hadn't insured a way to end it," she stresses.

They don't like it.

But, still,

they consider it.

"Well, he sure as hell didn't make it easy," says Steve.

XXXXX

Back on the Helicarrier, the teammates wash up, change, patch up, and make ready to fly to Central Park, where they would see Thor and his sibling off.

And it was finally time.

They stood tall, the Avengers, together.

Then, and whenever else needed.

Thor stood in the middle of the quart, his brother, cuffed and muzzled across him, like a wild animal, the others stationed around them.

Doctor Selvig handed Thor the Tesseract to use as transportation back to Asgard, then bid him goodbye. Thor readied as Loki eyed around at them plainly, pushing past locking eyes with hers.

He was leaving, probably for good. He shouldn't get attached to anyone on earth, or elsewhere.

Shouldn't.

But could he?

Snow was barely able to hold her ground, wanting to leave before she'd do something stupid, like set him free.

It was beyond difficult, seeing him this way, so tired, exhausted, locked up, yet again.

The sight was chilling, that even Tony caught it.

He too, couldn't help the small urge to help the God of Mischief somehow. But there was nothing he could do. However, the Stark held a silver tongue. Maybe There was something he could say, to break the ice.

"Any last words, green-bean?" he asks, softly smirking. The others eye him warily. Loki turns to him for a moment, cocking a curious eyebrow. His eyes immediately avert to the raven-head next to the Stark.

Her heart jumps.

He debates a decision.

What should and shouldn't mattered little to him in that very moment.

Having made the choice, Loki slowly nods at her, shocking them slightly.

Slightly.

Snow inhales sharply, stepping forward confidently. As Thor removes the muzzle worriedly, the others tense,

and Tony amused.

Snow turns from Loki to his brother. "Thor, give us a minute please," she says.

Hesitantly, Thor complies, going to stand next to Tony.

She looks at Loki, who was observing her, smiling as if proudly at her.

"I suppose I should thank you," he says calmly.
"For what?" she asks, as if wondering what she'd actually done to help him.
"For…

understanding."

At that, her heart clenches.

The others couldn't hear them from that distance, but Thor could,

and he was smiling.

Loki then looks down, pulls something with his cuffed hands out of his attire.

The others tense, taking a step or two towards him. He smirks, as if teasingly, at them.

Loki turns to Snow once more, as she eyed his hand warily. Once out completely, he holds it out for her.

The dagger.

Snow's eyes widen slightly.

"Take it," he said. She turns to him in disbelief.

Having noted that he was being serious, Snow takes it from his hand, her fingers accidently brushing his, washing warmth inside him as she shivered internally.

Snow eyed the dagger knowingly, smiling at the amount of times they'd stabbed each other with it. She turns to him once more. He was eyeing her in a way she couldn't quite comprehend.

"Farewell, Snow of Midgard," he utters.

…

"Goodbye, Loki."

XXXXXXXXXX