The next few weeks seemed to pass at an alarming rate, for Freya spent much of her time catching up on work and organising the Yuletide celebrations. She had known that it would be a large job when she had volunteered herself, but it was proving to be an even bigger task than expected. Not only did the Asgardians celebrate for twelve days, but there was also the entertainment to be sorted, supplies to be sourced, and then they actually had to decorate too. Freya had therefore been very grateful when Hilda and Ragnar had roped some of the other Asgardians into helping them, and there was now a committee of eight people to sort everything out. This did make things a little easier, but it also appeared that everyone celebrated in different ways, and Freya was also aware that the Sakaarians would probably have their own form of Midwinter festival too. However, she was determined to give everyone a fantastic celebration, and so she poured all of her energy into sorting everything out.

She was also kind of grateful for the time she gained when she could not sleep, for she could focus on researching Yuletide and Midgardian alternatives. Freya had found that while work kept her distracted during the day, the night was the hardest time for dealing with her anxiety. The nightmares were constant, and they only continued to get worse. Though she had tried everything to get rid of them, she had eventually given up on the idea of a full night's sleep and had taken advantage of the extra hours. The palace was almost tranquil in the early hours of the morning, and she had often padded from her room in her pyjamas, hoping that a walk would tire her out. When that had failed, she had taken to sitting in her office, getting ahead of her tasks and trying to get as much done for her own Christmas as possible. She knew that she would not get the chance to go Christmas shopping properly this year, for her schedule simply didn't allow her time to visit London or Oslo properly, and so she had been forced to do much of her ordering online. She still was not sure if she would even make it home for Christmas either, for though she had submitted a request for the evening of the 24th and all of the 25th off, Thor had not responded to it. Freya was starting to get the distinct feeling that she might not be able to see her family for Christmas, especially as she had volunteered to organise Yule, but this was the one year where she really wanted to be with them. After all, the past six months or so had seen her family turn to ash, and then she had nearly died. Was it really of any surprise that she wanted to spend the festive period with the ones she loved the most?

Sighing deeply, Freya stared at her phone with bleary eyes and decided to give up on the idea of sleep. She had been trying to drift off for the best part of two hours, but it seemed that her brain had other ideas. With there only being a few days before December began, she knew she had to make the most of every spare minute she had. Therefore she pulled on her dressing gown and slippers and headed to the library, for Thyra had mentioned something about decorations and mistletoe. Freya had originally intended on checking it out in the morning, for she was not sure if mistletoe would count as an offensive plant due to its part in Baldur's death in the Norse legends, but she did not want to miss it out if it was important to the Asgardian celebrations. She smiled a little as she wandered through the corridors, for she rather enjoyed the solitude that the early hours gave her. Once everyone else was awake, she barely caught a minute to herself, and she wished that she could get a full night's sleep at some point so she could actually feel more herself, rather than surviving on tea and sugar. Turning down towards the library, Freya hesitated as she saw the door was already ajar, and she wondered who else would be up so late. Her mind jumped straight to one person, and she sighed, for though they had managed to remain civil towards one another in a work capacity, he had ignored her otherwise. She had done her best to move on from him, but his actions after the attack still bothered her, and no one else had the answers for her.

Peeking around the door, she found her suspicions confirmed as the raven-haired Trickster was lounging on one of the armchairs, flicking through a copy of Asgard's history, and she knew she would have to be quick. She had no wish to disturb him, nor was she sure that she would be able to cope being in the same room as him for long without talking, but she did really need to check out the reference Thyra had made. Clutching her dressing gown tightly around her, she took a deep breath and walked inside, hoping that the Prince was too engrossed in his book to notice her.

"It's a bit late to be working, is it not?" He asked as she reached the shelf she needed, and Freya silently cursed, for she was not in the mood for a conversation either. She knew she should at least be grateful that he had acknowledged her though, and so she could not ignore him.

"It is." She agreed, hoping he would leave her be.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Something like that." She shrugged as she searched for the book she needed.

"You must be busy, what with organising the Yuletide festivities." He said after a moment, and she wondered what was going on, for this was the most they had spoken outside of work in months, and he had never instigated the conversation otherwise.

"I barely get a moment to myself." Freya admitted as she found what she was looking for, and then swore, for it was just out of reach on the top shelf. She wandered back in search of a step stool, while Loki regarded her curiously. "In truth, I find the early hours are when I get most of my work done."

"That will be because no one else is awake to bother you." He pointed out as he got to his feet. "What is it you are looking for? I find there are some particularly dull histories that will certainly send you to sleep."

"And it would help if I could read them." She told him. "I had every intention of learning your written language, but am not doing so well at it currently."

"You lack the time?"

"And a tutor." She admitted as he stood next to her. Truly it stung to have him so close by when she longed to be held in his arms and yet knew that it was impossible. After all, he thought of her only as a mere mortal girl. How could he think of her in any other way? "I have found the book, but I cannot reach it."

"Allow me." He offered.

"I do not want to trouble you, sire." Freya said, although she was almost grateful for these few minutes together. They were far from prying eyes and ears, and it was almost like they were friends again. She knew that this moment would not last for long, and that pained her, for she wished that things could be like this between them all the time, and yet this did give her some hope that, perhaps, one day they may be able to be friends once more.

"There you go." He handed the book to her, and then frowned as he read the title. "Is this for the Yuletide plans?"

"It is. I volunteered to organise them, and it is only now that I have realised the size of the task I have taken on." She explained. "Although I am grateful that my research appears to be fruitful."

"Should you need anything, you only have to ask." He assured her, and Freya smiled at him.

"Thank you sire." She held the book closely and wandered towards the door, for she knew she would not be able to concentrate if she remained in the library. "I shall not disturb you any longer."

"Good night Freya." He wished. Freya bowed her head and wandered to the door, suddenly unsure if she wanted to leave. What if she never got this moment again? But as she turned, she found the Prince had resumed lounging in his chair, and he acted as if the past few minutes had not happened. Shaking her head, she left.

The following morning found her surviving on a large cup of tea and she prayed that there would not be anything too strenuous today considering they were decorating the Great Hall. However, as she reached her office, she was more than a little intrigued at the pile of books that had mysteriously appeared on her desk. Her curiosity only grew as she saw pieces of paper sticking out from them, and she opened one of the books to find a passage with the English translation next to it. All of them appeared to be relevant to Yuletide traditions, and Freya was more than a little confused, for she recognised the writing too. The Prince had all but ignored her until last night, and yet it appeared he had gone to some effort to help her despite their differences. She stared at the wall that joined their offices, wanting to thank him and yet not knowing whether this was some form of trick or a peace offering. The only way to find out would be to translate the passages herself, and she did not have the time for that.

"Is everything alright Freya?" Hilda asked as she appeared in the doorway, a number of boxes balanced in her arms. "Just you seem rather puzzled."

"I will be fine." Freya assured her as she took some of the parcels from her. "Is everything ready for today?"

"It appears to be. Ragnar is just checking we have all the tools and supplies we need, while Thyra is busy cooking in the kitchen."

"Good." Freya smiled, for they were decorating the palace today. Most of the boxes of decorations were already waiting for them in the Great Hall, and two magnificent fir trees had been brought in ready for the occasion. "Then I suppose we'd best go join the others."

Ten minutes later found a number of the Asgardians wrapped up warm against the cold as they worked their way through the settlement in search of evergreens for the garlands. Freya happily wandered with Hilda and Ragnar in search of holly and mistletoe, and she was grateful for the company as it kept her distracted. Of course, they were more than a little curious about Midgardian Christmas, and though it did hurt a little to talk of them, Freya did her best to explain them.

"From the sounds of things, your Christmas is not that much different from our Yule." Ragnar commented a little while later.

"Well, most of our traditions do stem from the Norse celebrations." She explained as she finished cutting some holly off a bush. "It is still a time to be with loved ones, feast, and look forward to longer days."

"Will you still have that this year?" He asked, while Hilda glared at him. Freya gave a sad smile, for she truly had no idea.

"Most of it. I mean I do get to spend the season with friends, and I will celebrate with my family the next time I see them. Is this enough do you think?" She asked, trying to change the conversation.

"I would say so." Hilda said as she finished gathering some mistletoe from nearby.

"Good, because my hands are freezing!" Freya exclaimed, and the Asgardians smiled.

"Then it's just as well that there is hot wine and spiced mead waiting inside for us." Ragnar pointed out, and none of them needed telling twice.

It was not long before the Great Hall was taken over and every surface was covered in greenery. The fir trees were sat either side of the top table, while piles of boxes were nearby, and everyone was happy to help. Many of the Asgardians had been more than happy to help assemble the garlands, and Freya smiled as she listened to them talk of previous Yuletide festivities while she sipped her mead. She had decided to leave the garland making to the others, while she and Hilda would be tackling the trees. That was once she had feeling back in her hands of course.

"The edible decorations should be with us soon." Hilda explained as they opened the first few boxes.

"Will they last until the Solstice?" Freya asked curiously, for she knew full well that in the past her gingerbread decorations had barely lasted a few days before they were all eaten.

"Probably not, but the trees in Asgard never went empty." Hilda faltered at this, and Freya realised that the Asgardians would be feeling far more homesick than she was. After all, as much as Freya missed her family, they were at least alive and she had the option of going home whenever she wished. These people didn't have that choice.

"I'm sure we can always make more." Freya assured her, unable to see her friend upset when it should be a joyful occasion. "Do we have the children's decorations?"

"We do." Hilda placed the box of handmade ornaments between them, and Freya smiled at the efforts that had been made. She easily recognised what many of them were meant to be, and though it felt odd decorating a tree with images of the Norse Gods, she knew her own tree would be full of dinosaurs, dragons and other random baubles she had gained over the years.

"Have you decided what you are going to do about this one?" Hilda asked after a few moments.

"Hm?" Freya peered around to find Hilda holding a miniature felt version of Loki, and she instantly groaned. Ever since she had told Hilda what had happened, the Asgardian woman had been determined to get Freya to admit everything to the Trickster.

"He'll look good in this spot." The human gestured to an empty branch near the top, while Hilda shook her head.

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

"I am sticking a pin in dealing with it, for I have more than enough to do at the moment." Freya explained as she hung the decoration. She had a distinct feeling that one of the older children must have made it, for it was truly a good likeness of the Trickster, and Freya's heart sank at the thought of him. There had been something in the way he had been with her last night that had given her hope that not all was lost, and yet… Yet she could not allow herself to get burned again.

"You will have to tell him at some point you know. You can't keep it hidden forever."

"I don't have to do anything Hilda. He's already made it very clear that I am nothing special, and that he only wanted me here because I am useful."

"Are you really so sure of that?" Hilda asked, but she did not respond as she focused on the task at hand. "Freya, I know he's hurt you, but he did save your life."

"Only because I made him." She pointed out. "Besides, he has barely spoken or even acknowledged me since August. He's had every opportunity to talk to me, and yet…" Freya gave a heartfelt sigh before composing herself. "No. I refuse to get upset today. Decorating has always been one of my favourite things about this time of year."

"I didn't mean to…."

"I know Hilda. It's all from a good place, and I appreciate that, but I am still hurting from what has happened. It will take time to deal with it, and at the minute, time is a commodity I don't have a lot of."

"Then I will not ask any more." The blonde woman said. "But I do think you should at least give him the chance to explain."

"Maybe…" Freya sighed, not wanting to continue the conversation. "Right then, next tree."

The Great Hall was a hive of activity as Thor wandered inside, and he smiled as he saw the garlands hanging above the fireplace and on the walls. A large pile of firewood sat next to the hearth, while the smell of evergreens and spices filled the air. It truly looked festive and he could not help but join in as he heard some of the others sing traditional Midwinter songs. Yule was one of his favourite times of year, for it meant lots of feasting and spending time with family, and he truly hoped that this year would not be much different. As much as they had all lost people and lost their home, everyone was starting to settle in to their new lives here, and there was still much to celebrate.

"I am very glad you found someone else to organise this." His brother stated as he appeared in the doorway with a box of biscuits. He had a half-eaten one in his hand, and Thor just rolled his eyes, for the Trickster would never change.

"I take it you persuaded Thyra to let you bring those here?"

"And it would be rude not to taste one, just to make sure they meet our standards." The Prince shrugged, causing Thor to chuckle.

"Then surely I should be the one to try them?" The God of Thunder queried as he reached for the box, but Thyra had caught up to them. She glared at Loki and snatched the box back, before taking it to Hilda to be put on the trees.

"You may have to wait." Loki shrugged as he finished eating. "It is certainly looking festive in here."

"Freya has done a very good job so far."

"Good." The Prince said as he glanced around the hall for the woman. His eyes then fell on the trees, where Freya was stood on a ladder and trying to get a star to sit correctly at the top. She wore a festive red jumper covered in robins, and there was such a sparkle in her eye that he could not help but smile. He knew just how much the Midgardian loved this time of year, and he hoped that she would enjoy the Yuletide celebrations considering how much effort she was putting into them.

"You should just tell her." Thor said after a moment, having noticed what had caught Loki's attention.

"There is nothing to be told."

"You can keep lying to yourself brother, but it is plain to see..."

"And what do you know of lies?" Loki quipped as he tore his gaze away.

"Little." Thor admitted. "But I just want you to be happy. If she is what does that, then…" But Loki was already gone, and the God of Thunder sighed before heading towards the top of the hall. He had wanted to see how things were getting on, but he also needed to have words with Freya.

"Good afternoon sire. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Freya asked as she came back down the ladder.

"Can I have a word?"

"Of course." Freya smiled as they headed towards an empty corner, away from prying ears. She truly looked happier than she had in a while, and Thor knew just how much humans loved Christmas, for his time with the Avengers had taught him that. It had also been one of Jane's favourite times of year, and he idly wondered what had happened to the scientist he had once loved. "Sire?" Freya prompted after a moment.

"Sorry. I have realised there is another celebration that comes before the Yuletide festivities, and I feel it is important it is not missed."

"Of course. What is it?"

"It is Loki's birthday." Thor stated, and Freya's smile faltered. "With everything that has happened in recent years, it has not been celebrated. We thought he was dead, and then he was disguised as Odin, and well… I think it must be about ten years since we did anything for it."

"That is a long time to go without a birthday." Freya paused, her reluctance evident. "When is it?"

"The 17th. It does fall on a Monday, so I will ensure we dedicate the weekend's feast to it, but I thought that something could be done for the day itself."

"I suppose it makes sense if I am organising everything else…."

"Exactly." He paused. "I know why you are hesitant, and I do not blame you for it. I can keep your involvement quiet if needs be, but based on everything else you have done here, I thought…"

"I understand." Freya sighed. "I will see what can be done."

"Thank you Freya." With that, the Midgardian woman returned to decorating, and Thor wondered just how much the consultant was lying to herself about the Prince. Truly they were well suited for one another, and it pained him to see them both suffering when they could be happy. But as he left the hall, he knew it would take a miracle for either of them to admit it to themselves, let alone each other.