Deirfiúr

by Lalaith Quetzalli

-AU to Nightingale.- During his exile Thor realizes something is terribly wrong with his brother, which prompts him to look up the one person he believes can help, someone no one but him and Loki himself know exists: his sister, his brother's wife... The two of them together just might be able to save the one they care for most. (X-Men movies and AoS cameos) LN, TJ, PD and others.

3. Monsters

Since I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, and I realized you probably wouldn't like it if I waited until after the weekend to update this, I decided to do so tonight. I hope you'll excuse any possible mistakes. I just finished writing the ending this very morning and didn't get much time to check it over.

Still, I hope you'll enjoy.

---

Monsters

What makes a monster and what makes a man? Is it what's on the outside or what is inside?

xXx 3rd Person POV xXx

That particular morning wasn't like Jane ever imagined spending a morning after finally being reunited with her beloved; and she had imagined it plenty of times, in many different ways. Of course, none of those scenarios ever included there being an attack on Asgard, from outsiders, on the very day of said reunion.

It was awful. Especially as it was that very situation that made Jane realize how much she was not a fighter. She wasn't like Sif, or Silbhé, or Natasha or Darcy... she was just not a fighter. She was a woman of science, by the spirits! And yet... after finally realizing the full-scope of the future that awaited her having passed her test, she just couldn't abandon the people, her future people, either. Whether they knew or not who she would be someday in the future, she had to find a way of helping them. And she did...

She stayed in the palace with Lady Frigg and her handmaidens during the actual battle. The moment the end of it was confirmed and victory for the Aesir announced the Queen was on the move, looking for her husband and son, Jane right behind her.

Odin had not a scratch on him (though that was probably because he had never been truly in the thick of the fight, leading from the behind). Thor was a different matter entirely, as he'd been at the front of the armies. Jane had arrived right as a healer was trying to see to his wounds, not being very effective as Thor kept insisting that she should see to his men first.

"Could you leave a med-kit for me here?" Jane asked as she approached them.

"My lady?" The healer was obviously confused.

"Excuse me." Jane smiled. "My name is Jane, Daughter of Foster. I know some first-aid. If I can have the materials I can treat this stubborn-ass's wounds while you go handle those of his men."

"But the Prince..." She obviously wasn't sure, especially not knowing Jane.

"It's alright Caoimhe." Thor assured the healer. "Lady Jane is my betrothed, and I trust her."

"Of course." She nodded immediately, handing Jane the bag with the supplies. "Please forgive my doubts, Lady Jane..."

"I have nothing to forgive, Lady Healer." Jane said in return, smiling kindly to the woman. "You are just trying to do what's best for him, and I am very grateful for that. I know how stubborn Thor can be, and this way everyone wins."

The woman nodded, smiling at the kindness of the girl (at least compared to her) before her. Caoimhe had heard that the Prince intended to marry a much younger lady, a human woman of science; just like she'd also heard of Prince Loki binding himself to a Midgardian himself. Unlike some Aesir she held no contempt for humans or mortals in general, she simply did not know them. However, seeing the girl in that moment, the worry she held for her beloved, Caoimhe couldn't help but believe her prince might have made a good choice...

Very little was said while Jane treated Thor's wounds. She had been truthful when saying she had training in first-aid. It was an idea Silbhé and Darcy had at some point years before, for them to get certified as paramedics, so if something ever happened and they were around they could actually help. Jane was all for it, and some others had joined as well. Phil had eventually passed a proposal, with Fury's backing, that at least one person in every area in S.H.I.E.L.D. had to be a certified paramedic, more if possible, in case of an emergency (he himself had gotten certified to make an example).

And Jane did not stop there, after she was done with Thor some soldiers arrived, telling them Odin wished to see him so they could go over the battle. Thor agreed, though not before getting a couple of guards to look after her. The two men expected their new princess to retire for the palace right away, but she had a very different plan in mind. Instead they ended following her around where the wounded had been laid. She joined the Asgardian healers, helping wherever she could. Even though Jane was no 'goddess of healing' that only meant she couldn't heal with magic, she was pretty good with everything else (Loki had taught her a lot not just about the history and politics of Asgard, but other things too, included how healing might be different in the Realm Eternal from what it was on Earth).

She didn't stop until she was too tired to stay on her feet. And then Sif found her (Thor worried when he went looking for her after the long talk with his father and the war council and couldn't find her anywhere).

The guards had left her with a 'Good night, princess...' and everyone who saw her that morning addressed her with the same title and deference.

"I don't understand..." Jane murmured as she sat for breakfast.

"What don't you understand, my lady?" Fandral asked as he sat beside her.

"That!" Jane replied sharply, pointing at him with the hand she wasn't using to mix the Asgardian equivalent of coffee. "The way you address me, the way everyone addresses me. My betrothal with Thor hasn't even been made official, yet everyone is calling me princess this morning."

"It actually started last night." Volstagg offered, unhelpfully.

"A lot of people saw you yesterday, walking around, helping the wounded." Sif explained after taking a sip of her own drink, a tea of some kind. "And those that did not see you, have since heard about it. The soldiers that escorted you around also made sure to tell anyone who asked that you were Thor's intended."

"But I am... well, not a goddess." Jane didn't even know how to explain it. "Shouldn't they want one of their own as Queen?"

"I know that's the impression the King has given you, but to be perfectly honest, most Aesir don't care for the most part." Sif admitted with a small shrug. "They already see the Royal Family as different from them. They care instead about other things, the things that show you care, about them and about Asgard as a whole. Like Thor leading the army from the front-lines rather than the back, fighting and taking wounds just like any other soldier. Or you, making rounds by the beds of those injured, healing those you can, asking them if they're alright. Making sure they get good food. That's the things they care about..."

"That's the things that make a good king, or queen." Hogun added from the other side.

"You just won over your future subjects, and like you yourself said, your betrothal hasn't even been made official yet." Fandral declared in an impish tone. "Congratulations princess, you've imposed a record!"

They weren't joking. It had taken one evening for the people to love Jane. Even Odin had to admit that there was simply no way he could force his son to marry another after what had happened, not when the people were already calling Jane, princess. It made the scientist happy, knowing that at least some actually liked the idea of her marrying Thor... However, that didn't meant that Odin was just about to give up, not in everything.

xXx

At dinner Jane joined Thor and his friends when they chose to share the meal with the soldiers recovering from the battle. Everyone recognized her, addressed her respectfully, as princess and milady and such. At some point she'd stopped feeling embarrassed and self-conscious and instead put Loki's teachings into practice, nodding her head at people as she passed, and answering greetings in the best way possible, she also did her best to talk the way they did, the way she'd been hearing Loki (and Silbhé, in her own way) talk for years, even Rose spoke like that most times! It wasn't as easy for her as it was for them, but it wasn't as strange as she'd once thought it would be either, a part of her already half used to it, after five years listening to three people talking like that all the time. Also, there was something about the old-style speech-patterns and the cadence in the voices that made Asgard seem more tangible, more real rather than less.

It was when Jane was hearing someone describe the enemies for the umpteenth time or so (always in a slightly different way) that she noticed something:

"Grey skinned humanoid monsters on flying chariots..." She repeated with a gasp.

"Lady Jane?" Fandral asked, worriedly, being the first to hear her.

"Thor, I think there's a problem with your bride." Volstagg added, somewhat quietly.

Thor grew alarmed instantly as he noticed how fast Jane had paled, and he didn't understand why. Jane hadn't reacted like that when the battle began, or when she'd seen Thor at the end of it, not even to all the gruesome wounds some of the soldiers had had.

"Grey skinned humanoid monsters on flying chariots." The woman of science repeated. "That's how that soldier just described your enemies."

"It's one way of describing them." Thor nodded.

"And lets not forget their armor, including that awful thing on their heads..." Fandral added.

"Like a golden circlet..." Jane finished for him in a half-absentminded tone.

"Exactly!" Fandral nodded enthusiastically, before realizing something. "Wait, how do you know that? You weren't in the battle, were you?"

"Jane...?" Thor was wondering the very same thing.

"No, I wasn't, I was in the palace..." Jane murmured, not fully paying attention.

"Then how..." Fandral insisted.

"Rose dreamt them..." And it was when she said those very words, that Jane fully realized the magnitude of everything. "Oh Spirits!"

"What?!" No one was expecting that. "Rose? Who's Rose?"

"Little Rosie?" Thor was the only one who knew exactly who Rose was. "How could that be?"

"I don't know, not even they know..." Jane began babbling.

"How can Rose possibly be dreaming of the chitauri, Jane?" Thor insisted. "Even here in Asgard there were believed extinct until yesterday!"

"I don't know!" Jane was on the edge of being hysterical by that point. "I don't know how, but she's been dreaming about them, for months! She... she's been dreaming an attack on Earth..."

"What?!" Yet again there was shock.

"We need to go talk to Mother and Father." Thor announced instantly.

The blonde took her hand and lead her away, not even stopping to offer apologies to the men they had been sharing a meal with, Thor's friends making rushed excuses and following them as fast as they possibly could.

The group were practically running by the time they reached the War Room.

"Father!" Thor called loudly, not even stopping for pleasantries.

"Thor!" Even Queen Frigg seemed surprised by the sudden arrival of the group.

"What is the meaning of this Thor?" Odin demanded.

"Excuse me Father, but something of great importance has come up." Thor answered.

"What is it?" Queen Frigg worried instantly.

"We must prepare a legion of Warriors." Thor stated right away. "There is reason to believe that the chitauri will be attacking Midgard."

"What?!" Everyone in the room was shocked by that.

"Where does this information come from?" One of the council members wanted to know.

"That is irrelevant." Thor stated evasively.

"It is not." Odin stated. "We must know if this source is to be trusted."

"A precog has been dreaming an invasion from the chitauri for months now, the visions becoming progressively longer and coming more often." Jane answered, spinning things so she could hide the identity of the person.

"Precog?" A woman inquired.

"A mutant with precognitive abilities." Jane clarified, remembering what she'd heard and read in some papers in recent years. "There are several in my world. The most powerful known is called Destiny, she hasn't failed a prediction since she first manifested decades ago."

"A human?!" Odin's derisiveness was obvious. "You are coming to me demanding for a legion of soldiers to be prepared on the word of a human fortune-teller?"

For long seconds no one replied to that, truth be told, no one was expecting such a response.

"I know who the young ladies she speaks of, are, husband." Queen Frigg intervened. "Both the mutant Destiny, and the Gifted she spoke of before. In fac, I also know that they both have received the same warnings. The attack is coming to Midgard."

Thor nodded, thankful for his mother's backing, before turning back to his father.

"It cannot be done." Odin shook his head.

"What...?" Once again, no one was expecting that.

"But Father..." Thor specially couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The Warriors must be prepared in case the chitauri choose to attack our home again." Odin supposedly explained his reasoning. "We cannot afford to weaken ourselves at this time."

"And you would leave Midgard alone when they need us most?" Thor asked in disbelief.

"If they wish to survive they must be able to fight for themselves." The King said simply.

"We are supposed to protect them, I have sworn to protect them!" Thor practically yelled. "We are supposed to guard over the Nine Realms. How can you tell us we must leave one of those realms now to fend for themselves? Against an enemy they cannot possibly defeat on their own? It's insanity father!"

"Have care how you speak!" Odin hissed at him.

Thor looked as if he'd been slapped.

Jane had been fighting, with all her will, to keep her composure, to follow the rules of etiquette Loki had taken such care teaching her. But in that moment, something inside her snapped.

"You are a coward, Odin Allfather!" She snapped at him. "You claim to be all-powerful, king of the gods, but when there is someone out there who truly needs you, you would ignore them, simply because you consider them non-important, simply because they're mortals and not gods!"

"Be careful of your words, girl!" Odin snarled at her. "The peasants may call you princess, but right now you're nothing more than a mortal girl... you're nothing..."

"Neither are you." Jane spat back, refusing to back down. "Not where it really counts."

Something seemed to snap in Odin right then as he got on his feet, everyone too close to him flinching at the aura of power forming around him. Thor's friends couldn't help but tremble themselves, while they would always stand by Thor and the woman he'd chosen to bestow his love upon, the idea of having to stand against the king of the gods for them was not a prospect either of them would ever find even remotely enjoyable.

"She is right..." Thor's murmur broke the tension as surely as one of his lightning bolts cutting down an enemy... "You are no longer the man I used to know, the father I loved, the warrior I respected... or the king our people need..."

Odin was completely silent at that, obviously not having expected that, at all; though, on the other hand, if one had turned to look at Frigg, had been able to read into the look in her eyes, they would have seen, would have realized... she knew, she had always known.

"I, Thor Odinson, Friggson, call on the Right of Succession to be approved, by this Council and the Higher Powers." Thor began reciting in a very official manner. "I offer myself, wholly and unreservedly, to take on my birthright, to serve the Peoples and the Powers as the next King of Asgard, the Realm Eternal and Guardian of the Nine Realms of Yggdrassil. So mote it be."

The next surprise came in the form of Jane who, in a move never before seen, or imagined, went to take her betrothed's hand and, after a nod from him, added her own vow:

"I, Jane, Daughter of Foster, of Midgard, as Betrothed of Thor, offer myself to the Peoples and the Powers to serve and rule by the side of the next King of Asgard, the Realm Eternal and Guardian of the Nine Realms of Yggdrassil, as his equal, his match. So mote it be."

Such a vow had never been pronounced before, never before had a Queen stood by her match as he took the throne, never as an equal, and never one not Aesir-born... it did not matter. The Higher Powers still reacted to the vows pronounced:

It all happened suddenly, fast and slow in a way that couldn't fully be explained. A sort of cocoon of light and power enveloped Odin abruptly but briefly; and once it was gone the changes were obvious: the Allfather was missing the markings of power on his armor, his cape, and Gungnir; he also sagged quite visibly. That same light then enveloped not only Thor but Jane as well. When the light fully cleared Thor was in full battle regalia, which somehow looked more magnificent than ever before, runes on that same armor had changed, showing his status; his winged helmet sat on his head and he was holding Mjolnir on one hand, Gungnir suspended on its own beside him; while with his other hand he was holding one of Jane's... a very changed Jane. The 'Woman of Science' was wearing a floor-length beautiful dark-azure raw-silk gown with an elbow-length, loose left sleeve and no sleeve on the right, instead a loose strip of cloth fell softly down that side; she was also wearing beautiful polished-steel and platinum armor around her chest, on her shoulders and forearms; platinum slippers were on her feet with armor guards around her calves; and a platinum crown with a big, teardrop-shaped blue diamond and half a dozen star-sapphires at the sides in various shades of blue ran across her forehead. In the hand not entwined with her match's she held a beautiful polished-steel round shield the length of her forearm with a platinum swan with wings spread in the center, elaborate ancient runic script around its edge; and one word in particular engraved right bellow the swan: 'Svanhvit'... It meant 'swan-white', it seemed the Valkyries had chosen who would lead them in Ragnarok...

The reaction of every council-member, war-leader and Eihenjar the moment the new Thor and Jane were revealed was immediate: they dropped on one knee, left arms crossed over their chests, right hands in fists, pressed against the floor, heads down. Sif, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg went next, bowing to the two deeply before dropping on one knee respectfully. Lady Frigg (Queen no more), did not have to kneel, though she did bow deeply to the two, a bright, knowing smile on her face. Odin did not react at all, but no one paid him any mind, he had no power anymore...

"Hail Thor Krighammer and Jane Svanhvit!" Sif called in a loud, strong voice. "Hail the King and Queen of Asgard!"

"Hail!" The response was immediate and from every single individual in the room.

Odin allowed himself to pretty much drop into his chair in defeat, knowing he'd just lost any and all power and authority he might have once possessed; and it hadn't been in due time, amidst great celebration, a passing of the torch, as he'd always imagined. No, instead his son had called on the Higher Powers to pass the throne to him, because he recognized in a way Odin himself had not (or at least had not wanted to) that Odin was no longer what was best for Asgard... maybe he hadn't been for a while...

"Messengers will be sent across the realm with the announcement." The Head of the Council announced. "A huge feast shall take place tonight."

"Feasts and announcements can wait, councilman." Thor informed him in a tone that allowed for no reply. "We have a war to win." He turned to General Tyr. "General, I need you to assemble a group comprised by your best, most trusted and open minded soldiers. Have them ready to depart for Midgard at first light."

He understood that it was night already, and those who weren't still recovering from the most recent battle were most likely still celebrating the victory (or nursing a hangover, by that point). Still, some things couldn't be postponed, especially when a realm was at risk.

"I understand why the first two specifications your majesty, but why the third?" One of the few women in the council inquired, intrigued.

"I need to know that those who will march with me in this battle not only will be able to fight by my side, but also by the side of the Midgardian Warriors who shall be joining us." Thor explained in simple words.

"Midgardian... warriors..." The mere idea was foreign to them.

"He is not wrong." Jane offered kindly. "Midgardians might not live for the 'glory of battle' the way Aesir people do, but there are some who are well-versed in war, some that either thanks to training, powers, high-tech, or a mix of those, have chosen to devote themselves to the protection of those who do not have the means to protect themselves. They will fight for their home, when the chitauri arrive, they will fight with all they have."

"Shouldn't we tell them to stand down when we arrive?" Another voice inquired.

"Would you stand down if you were told to?" Jane asked with a brow arched. "Would you stop doing all you can to protect your own home, because a foreigner told you they can do a better job of it?" She shook her head. "I mean no insult ladies and gentlemen, so please, do not insult those I consider my people as well. Earth is home to the humans, and humans will fight for it, they might not have the means to win on their own, but that won't stop them from trying."

"We're not going to Midgard to take over the defense of the Realm, but to aid those already willing to fight for it." Thor added in further clarification.

"As you wish, my liege." Tyr finally nodded, bowing respectfully to his new King and Queen. "I shall have our best warriors ready by first light."

Tyr left then, followed by most of the soldiers who had been present, each already offering names of those they thought would do well in the task appointed by their King.

"What about your formal coronation?" The same curious councilwoman from before asked. "And your wedding to the Lady Svanhvit?"

"Those details we can settle upon our return." Thor answered immediately.

"Our?" There were several shocked by that detail.

"My bride shall accompany me, of course." Thor said as if it should be obvious. "Midgard is as much her home as Asgard is now."

It was not unprecedented for Queens to march to war with their Kings (some said it helped boost morale for the troops, even) but not exactly common either. It had been centuries, millennia even since anyone had last seen Queen Frigg in battle regalia. Still, Thor was right, Earth was still Jane's home, and even without being a fighter, she would do what she could to protect it... she had a feeling the shiny shield granted to her by the Higher Powers would be useful at some point... or at least she hoped so.

"We shall be married and crowned upon our return." Thor continued with his declaration. "With m... our brother, Loki, his match: Nightingale, and their child: Rose Alfdis. My brother and I shall look over Asgard together, as it was always meant to be..."

Whatever secret Machiavellian plot Odin might have had in mind when first taking baby Loki in all those years before, whatever plan he might have concocted as he repeatedly told his sons they were both born to be Kings (which he had later pushed aside for whatever the reason), Thor's mind had been long since made up. He would fulfill the word his father had once given (even if Odin himself never intended to fulfill it, or at least not like that), Loki and he would rule together. Maybe they couldn't both ascend to the throne, but they could sure still rule together. Thor would see to it, he vowed to himself.

No more words were said, they simply weren't necessary. Everyone retired to their chambers for the night. They would need rest as the next morning promised to be quite eventful... and that was without counting whatever might happen once they arrived to Midgard...

xXx

That morning was supposed to be like any other... except it wasn't. It was obvious from the moment Luka opened his apartment's door after hearing the doorbell ring, all the while still fixing up his tie, smoke-grey vest unbuttoned over his perfectly ironed white shirt; his smoke-grey slacks are perfectly pressed as well, though still missing the belt. Still, all those little details stop mattering the moment his eyes lay on the woman standing at the apartment door: alabaster skin, with enough marks to show some age, though it's impossible to specify the age; hair so devoid of color one would expect it to belong to someone very old, except for how smooth and strong it is, falling down the visitor's back in a long, tight braid; the eyes are covered by dark sunglasses even indoors, but he knows already they make no difference, she cannot see... not the way most people see anyway; she's short (though not as much as his wife) and wearing a high-necked ankle-length pale-blue dress with off-white gloves and a long scarf of the same off-white color, with random designs in the most vibrant shade of blue covering her head.

"Good morning Maverick..." The woman greeted him kindly.

The spell of her serenity was broken by the next voice to be heard from beside the door:

"Hey Lokes! Are we interrupting breakfast?" A second newcomer asked.

As if the first-woman on her own hadn't been enough, her companion was a beautiful, statuesque woman with curly blonde hair arranged to fall stylishly down her shoulders, peach skin and wide 'innocent' bright-blue eyes. She was dressed in a pale-blue ¾ sleeved, crisp blouse, a tanned-leather knee-length skirt, with vest and low boots to match, as well as white stockings.

Loki just blinked, surprised enough at their presence he didn't really know what to say.

"You don't mind if we come in, do you?" The blonde asked, not really waiting for an answer before letting herself in. "Irene and I have come all the way here to meet you and the least you could do is offer us coffee..."

"Do we even have time for coffee?" Loki finally managed to ask, closing the door behind them. "Things must be serious enough if you've decided to come all the way here... from wherever it is you were last..."

"Westchester." The blonde answered only the second comment. "It was Irene's idea, after the dreams started, said we needed to be closer... Charles and Erik of course did not mind. Even if some of the students don't like me much... it's not like I really care..."

They both knew she did, just like he still cared about certain things related to his not-fathers (both of them) even though he knew it was an exercise in futility; some things apparently just couldn't be helped, good or bad.

"So things really are as bad as we feared?" He asked next, wanting yet dreading a direct answer at the same time.

Because when a precog decided to drop their usual mysterious and word-twisting, mind-numbing act to actually be direct about something, you knew something was terribly wrong. Either the world was screwed, or you were... and considering recent events, the possibilities for it actually being both were awfully high.

"You were supposed to visit us yesterday..." Irene whispered, a strange (though not for her) cadence in her voice as she spoke. "You, and the Nightingale and the little Child of Chaos... you were supposed to come visit, come talk to me... but then, there was an unexpected event. The kind of thing that can never be planned for, happened, and you dropped your other plans. I waited, and you did not come."

"So you chose to come here instead?" Loki guessed yet again. "That cannot be good."

"You know what is to come." Irene said in return. "The Little Rose has seen it, repeatedly, just as clearly as I have..."

"She has, I know." Loki admitted grimly. "That was the reason for our visit. We want... need to know if those dreams are just dreams, or portents..."

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to?" Irene inquired, her head tilted to a side.

"I don't understand how something like that could be!" Loki began babbling as he got nervous. "I have no such gift. Neither does Nightingale, so how..."

"Your Mother... the Queen..." The precog reminded him.

"I...She's not..." He couldn't even bring himself to say it.

"Blood matters not, she remains your mother." The white-haired ageless woman pointed out. "Sometimes magic can form ties stronger than those of name or even blood..."

He knew that, of course he did, it was why he still called Frigg mother, even after learning about his adoption, it was why he still saw Thor as a brother, and why Thor had begun calling Silbhé sister even before anyone other than the two of them knew about her. Bonds so tight blood and name mattered little when compared to them.

"We need to focus." The blonde reminded them all. "The visions."

"You have anything to add about those?" Loki inquired, anxious.

"Just one thing..." Irene went dead-serious when she spoke again. "What the child and I have seen... it is not of a possible future to come, it's not possibility but a fact... and it's not coming, it's already here..."

As if on cue a building-wide alarm began blaring from hidden speakers inside and outside of the apartment, a loud attention grabbing noise, which only stopped to allow the same phrase to repeat over and over again:

"Level 7, Defcon 2! Level 7, Defcon 2!"

Silbhé rushed out of Rose's bedroom but a second later, fully dressed in a long-sleeved, round-necked, slightly translucent black blouse, ankle-length dark blue skirt and black low boots, her auburn hair falling in loose waves down her shoulders; the young woman was also holding her daughter tight against her, in a forest green sleeveless dress with an off-white high-necked, long sleeves shirt underneath and tanned-leather booties.

Before either woman or child could ask any question regarding the newcomers, or the alarm still ringing all around, a voice they recognized as belonging to Maria Hill: Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. took over the speakers, giving more specific instructions.

"All Agents and Consultants Level 7 and above report to your posts; Agents and Consultants Level 6 and below as well as support personal, follow the evacuation protocols in order. This is not a drill. We are under a Level 7, Defcon 2 situation... I repeat..."

"What does Level 7, Defcon 2 situation mean?" The blonde woman inquired, curious.

Loki turned to look at the precog, knowing the already had that information but she stayed quiet, she wanted to hear him say it in reality and not just her visions:

"Level 7 means that the situation involves all personnel Level 7 and above, which happens to include Nightingale and I." Loki elaborated. "It also means that the problem is likely supernatural in nature, as those are the ones that tend to involve the highest ranking agents. Defcon 2..." He let out a breath as he allows himself to accept that part. "It means we... S.H.I.E.L.D. is at war..." And it was then, right as he said the last word, that he fully processed the connection with what Irene had said just before: "The invasion!"

Silbhé's eyes grew wide in shock as she turned to look at her daughter for the shortest fraction of time before she was in a rush once again.

In seconds she was standing once again in the foyer with the other three, having added a tanned leather jacket to Rose's attire, a dark-leather duster to her own ensemble; she was also holding a knapsack with some clothes, money, first-aid kit and other essentials in case of an emergency; the usual small, semi-translucent cloth-bag as always was hanging from her waist. She also had a small whistle hanging from a leather-cord around her neck, so she could use it to call for help or send messages in Morse code in case of an emergency (a gift from Darcy, which had been used a handful of times throughout the years) and, unknown to anyone but her husband (and perhaps Irene), she had her crystal dagger secured in the small of her back; as well as a set of a dozen knives hidden in various parts of her body.

"What about you?" Loki asked half-absently the two women as they all exited the apartment.

"You mean you want us to leave just when the fun is starting?" The blonde asked coyly.

Loki would have snapped at her, tell her an alien invasion was no fun... but he was pretty sure she already knew that; it's not like she'd never been in a battle for her life. That was just how she was... he was reminded of Anthony Stark right then...

"We're coming with you." Irene stated quickly in a confident tone.

Loki didn't try to change her mind, knew there was no point, he just hoped they were choosing to go because they had something that might be helpful... an invasion, from thousands of monsters come straight out of the abyss was something not even S.H.I.E.L.D. was prepared to, and unless they got a miracle, or a dozen, Loki seriously doubted they could all make it out of the mess alive, much less unscathed.

Unknown to him, there were, in fact, miracles on the way, more than one even.

xXx

It took all of Nightingale's and Loki's will to let Rose go, but it was necessary. They left her with Kathryn, who would be joining other agents (mostly half-retired ones) who would be in charge of keeping the families of the remaining active assets, safe. They felt a little bit better when Irene assured them the X-Men were on high alert themselves and, if things got really bad, they could get a team to take the civilians to the manor, where the security measures had been upped since Stryker's and his military team's invasion and kidnapping of around half a dozen children. That hadn't ended well... though then again, not many people knew something like that had ever happened. The people in the school because they guarded their secrets very carefully, and the military because the last thing they needed was to admit they had an insane, racist bastard who was willing to hurt children to prove his own superiority. The only reason any of them knew was because Darcy had connections to the mutant community (though she'd strictly refused to explain how that was) and had told them about the things that had happened, really happened in the early 2000's.

Silbhé and Loki entered the main conference room on the helicarrier (supposedly the best place to lead a possible war from), closely followed by Irene and her blonde-haired partner. In the room were already the highest ranking SHIELD members: Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Jasper Sitwell, Victoria Hand and Anne Weaver; the last three attending through video-conferences, as they were in charge of keeping three of SHIELD's most important bases secure (The Fridge, the Hub and the Academy). Aside from them were also those Fury called the 'Avengers Initiative'. The group had never been activated as such, but were still considered a last resource in case of an emergency (which most had believed would come to pass when the mutants declared war on baseline humans); the group was comprised by Tony Stark (Iron-Man), Bruce Banner (Hulk), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Peter Parker, Harry Osborn, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. Finally, the group was rounded up with the addition of some other high-ranking Agents, like: Agent 13 (Sharon Carter), John Garrett, Darcy Lewis-Coulson, and three of Phil's own team: Melinda May, Grant Ward and Skye Coulson (recently 'adopted').

"Who are these people?" Maria Hill demanded the moment he saw the two unknown women. "Why have you brought unknown into a top-secret meeting?"

As if to answer the question the blonde woman gave a step forward, except instead of speaking it was as if her whole self rippled, clothes and pink skin alike disappearing, being replaced by blue skin seemingly decorated by scales in darker shades of blue; her hair was blood red and her eyes a flashing gold color.

"Why the hell have you brought a mutant on board?!" Jasper Sitwell demanded hotly.

"I'll give you a one-time-only pass for insulting one of our most valuable allies, Agent Sitwell." Surprisingly, it was Darcy who spoke in defense of the older woman, her voice cold as ice and hard as steel. "We are fortunate to have the X-Men on our side, and you would do well to remember that. Everyone here who believe themselves to be better than mutants for whatever the reason, would do well to keep that in mind."

It looked like Sitwell was about to reply, probably not liking getting orders from someone much younger than him, when Fury did so first.

"Agent Shadow is right." The Director stated, showing his support by giving Darcy the place and authority she deserved. "After the mess that was former General Stryker's actions back in '03, we were, indeed, fortunate, that Professor X and his people did not hold it against us, and were willing to work with SHIELD to ensure the protection of humans and metas alike."

"Nah, Charles has always been that nice to everyone, even those undeserving of his kindness and compassion; you were lucky Magneto did not turn his fury on you all, like he did on those idiots who dared use one of our own against us with that thrice-damned cure!" The blue-woman commented flippantly.

Indeed, Alcatraz in '06 was another mess that was better not to mention, especially considering how much of a failure the so-called 'cure' turned out to be.

"So, what brings you here then, Mystique?" Hill inquired stiffly.

It was obvious the Deputy Director wasn't fully comfortable with the woman there, with either of them but especially Mystique. It was to be expected, after all, everyone in the room knew well enough what Mystique was capable of. After her escape from jail in California, there was a time when no one knew where she'd gone, until she'd resurfaced, years later, in Westchester, NY, of all places and, to everyone's surprise, the recently revealed Professor X, aka Dr. Charles Francis Xavier, had presented papers declaring her as his sister, which allowed him to grant her sanctuary in his school. The place had been given such status after the 'purity war' that had followed the mess in Alcatraz, which had caused a continent-wide hysteria as individuals armed themselves with the 'cure' and practically hunted down anyone they so much as suspected of being mutants. When it turned out the cure wasn't permanent, which was showcased by Magneto's return and protection of a couple of mutant girls who had been running from a group of hunters in a small forest. Then, when one of the 'hunters' had shot himself accidentally and died, things finally began changing (humans were less quick to use a weapon that could hurt them too, and worse even). In 2009 the President had finally declared any and all 'hunters' as criminals, the 'cure' as an illegal weapon, and the use of it on unwilling subjects (whether they be children or adults, meta or not) as unconstitutional, same with the so-called MRA.

It had been after all that, that SHIELD had approached Professor X looking for an alliance, a move that might stop something like the 'war' of the last three years from repeating itself. Phil Coulson himself had lead the group willing to negotiate, and had gotten the surprise of his life upon seeing Professor X flanked by none other than Magneto. The surprise had only grown when learning that it wasn't actually the first time they worked together, they had before, in 1962, among other dates that wouldn't mean as much to most people. Also, most mutants seemed to believe that those two leaders working together was how things were supposed to be (not that Phil was blind and couldn't see that the men were more than just allies, there was an ease in their interactions, a closeness... it was quite obvious they were partners in every sense of the word).

"Destiny said we had to visit the Little Rose... so we did." Mystique stated with a shrug.

Everyone turned eyes to Loki and his wife at that, wondering what exactly was going on.

"Recently Rose has been having dreams, of monsters and battles..." He shook his head. "At first we thought it was normal, you know? She's a child, with a great imagination and... she actually knows the kind of beings that exist in the universe. However, it continued for so long, weeks, that we began to worry. We were planning on driving to Westchester to visit Charles and consult with him on the possibility of Rose having precognitive abilities."

"And does she?" Ward asked, unsure.

He, like Garrett and Sitwell, did not like mutants; though he seemed to be better at keeping his distaste from others.

"We never went." Loki continued. "Jane had that moment of inspiration and we accompanied her to finally finish the Foster-window..."

"Which then became the Foster looking-glass..." Darcy quipped.

"Yes, something like that." Loki nodded absent-mindedly. "By the time we were finished with all the paperwork it was too late to make the trip to North-west New York, so we had decided to leave it for later. And then this morning, they showed up..."

"The little Rose is, indeed, a precog." Destiny interfered right then. "She's seen what I've seen, even if she couldn't understand it."

"And what have the two of you seen?" Fury wanted to know.

"An attack." Destiny answered, once again adopting her deeper voice and the strange cadence. "An army of creatures long believed lost in the darkness shall resurface, they are an army bred for a single purpose: invasion, in favor of one who desires nothing but power, who creates nothing but destroys everything. He fancies himself in love with death, and that's exactly what he will bring, to this world, and every other one, unless he's stopped, once and for all. The only way to stop him, is for all powers to stand together..."

"All powers..." Darcy, Phil and Loki murmured at the same time.

"We need to begin making calls." Sitwell stated.

"Phones are not going to be enough." Skye dared step into the argument that seemed to be about to break out right then and there.

"No one asked your opinion girl..." Sitwell snapped in disdain.

He really held against the young woman the fact that she'd once been Rising Tide, many not from her team did... which was ironic considering she'd hurt no one more than those from her own team, and yet they'd long since forgiven her...

"We did." Darcy, Phil and Loki stated in unison.

It took a couple of seconds for Skye to regain her confidence, but the look in her 'adopted parents' eyes helped, so with a sharp nod she pulled out her own laptop, placed it on the interactive table (which made what was on her screen, appear in all the screens) and began typing like crazy, bringing up things.

"Phones won't be enough, but we can place a call to all our allies, through the web, using SHIELD code so they know who is calling and how serious the situation is." Skye explained as a program popped up for that very purpose.

"Do it." Hill ordered.

"You don't need to call the X-Men." Mystique clarified.

"And why not?" Hand asked, eyes narrowed. "Will they not help?"

Mystique actually had the gall to laugh at that (or at least that was how they saw it).

"That's not it at all." She stated after what seemed like forever. "You don't need to call them, as they're already here."

As if on cue the intercom rang and they could all hear the voice of Agent Triplett, calling from the bridge:

"Director, sir." He said, half awed, half unsure. "There is a blackbird out there, signaling us. We have visual confirmation that it sports the symbol of the X-Men. Incoming communications state that their leaders which to speak to you at your earliest convenience."

For a second no one answered, it was as if Fury was taking a moment to fully process what had just been said, then he finally spoke.

"Allow them in."

Nothing more needed to be said, or done. Just a second later, in a flash of dark light, blue smoke and the smell of sulfur an odd-looking figure materialized just briefly before disappearing again, though it/he left behind not one but two individuals: Professor X, on his elegant but sturdy and practical vibranium chair, and standing beside him: Magneto. The truly shocking thing, however, was the fact that they were, both, in uniform in that moment.

xXx

They made it to New Mexico (on Destiny's instructions) in a matter of hours, right as something that looked like lightning yet had no storm-clouds to be originating from, began appearing on the sky, and on its converging point, a swirling, crackling hole began to open.

Quinjets filled with SHIELD Agents and assets landed beside the Blackbird that carried the X-Men. There was no time for introductions, but very specific orders were given by everyone in SHIELD gear that the X-Men were allies, as were the metas in their company, and whoever else might be on their way.

The X-Men, used already to fighting, split up in two teams rather easily. On one were: Rogue, Wolverine, Iceman, Pyro, Shadowcat, Colossus, Archangel and Blink; the other was formed by: Cyclops, Phoenix, Storm, Nightcrawler, Beast, Havok, Quicksilver and Scarlet-Witch.

Destiny would be staying with Fury and some others who'd descended from the helicarrier, yet were not actually warriors; while Mystique chose to stay close to Professor X and Magneto, who planned on helping, though without actually getting in the middle of the fight. Loki and Silbhé would be with them too, as the later wasn't ready for that level of confrontation, and the former relied on his magic to fight most of the time, and he didn't have it in that moment.

After a few more minutes the attack began. What were probably a hundred or so ashen creatures wearing armor and riding flying chariots; their weapons were like spears, except they could not only pierce, but also shoot very powerful energy charges, the kind that only supersoldiers (like Captain America), individuals with very advanced armor (Iron Man and Colossus), and self-healing metas (Spider-Man, the Goblin, Mystique, Wolverine and Rogue) could recover from after being shot.

The fight was hard, and it seemed to be lasting for a lot longer than it actually was. Magneto was having trouble controlling either the chariots or the weapons from the enemies, making others think that either the metal couldn't be magnetized, or it wasn't metal at all. Also, the Professor had been strictly forbidden by his partner and sister to attempt any more telepathic contact after the first two seemingly caused great pain to the mutant. It appeared that the alien's minds worked so differently from a human's that the professor couldn't comprehend it, couldn't fully grasp it, and his efforts caused him pain.

A moment came when a number of Chitauri in their chariots crashed above them, the remains falling like a meteor. There was no way Magneto could do anything, busy as he was keeping a number of aliens already on the round at bay, same with Loki. So Nightingale closed her eyes briefly, prayed to whatever Higher Power there might be, and then through her arms out and up, mentally calling the one word she couldn't pronounce.

The whole area shook at the force of the impact. It was that which finally called both Magneto's and Loki's attention, and they could see the young auburn-haired woman, trembling, arms up, as if she were physically holding the flaming debris above them; and it was the same in the end, as it was her magic and will that had formed and was holding the dome-like shield protecting them.

"Stark!" Darcy barked an order into her comm.

She, Phil, the rest of his team, as well as Agent 13 were in charge of leading the SHIELD Agents fighting (mainly to make sure they worked well with the metas, did not get killed, or in the way of an attack). Darcy was the first to notice what was going on with her friends, and called someone she hoped would be able to help.

In the end, Spider-Man and the Goblin were closer; with some team-work they managed to get the remains of the aliens and their transports off the dome before it completely flickered off. Neither of them asked what it had been, where it had come from, nothing at all, they just went back to the fight. Which had just been made worse by the appearance of a huge, flying whale-like creature going their way. It was actually what had kept Iron-Man's and War-Machine's attention, who, together, managed to take it down.

Around the place, the rest of the Agents and metas had just managed to take down the rest of their enemies, when a cackle of the portal above became dark omen.

"This isn't over yet..." Professor X stated almost blankly.

One did not need to be a genius to know he was channeling Destiny in that moment. Fury himself had begun screaming orders into his comm, which were being either adapted or simple echoed by others until they reached everyone on the field.

"That was just the advance party..." Magneto muttered grimly as he went back to his partner's side. "More will come... a lot more."

Doubt came them, not of his words, everyone knew instinctively he was right; the doubt was in how they would survive... and then, as if in answer to those questions, and their accompanying prayers, there was a flash of light. Sand flew up violently, almost forming a cylinder around a point where everyone with supernatural senses knew power was growing.

"What the...?" They were all in shock.

"Asgard..." Loki breathed out, eyes wide in surprise.

"What?" Everyone close turned in his direction immediately.

"The power coming from there, it's Asgardian... and royal..." He elaborated.

What he didn't dare say (he couldn't be sure, as he was getting the sense second-hand from his match and she had never used those senses while in Asgard), was that he believed the royal power was coming from his brother, from Thor and... there was something else, a hint of another power, but he couldn't pin-point it. It felt royal as well, yet like nothing he'd ever known; he did not have any other siblings, and his father would never get involved in a Midgardian battle so... his mother? Or was the royalty of some other realm getting involved? The Trickster God hadn't the slightest idea, and that bothered him. Even if he wasn't a True Warrior, not the way most Asgardians were, at least; he was still one in his own way, and a strategist above all. To be able to create the best strategy it was necessary to have all the information, know all the variables, be prepared for any possible outcome... in that moment he was obviously missing something, something huge, and that was never good. He couldn't plan if he didn't know what he had to work with from the start!

Finally, the sand settled again. The first thing all the human fighters became aware off was enough to make them do a double-take: Warriors: two dozen Asgardian warriors in full armor and carrying weapons; they were being lead by Lady Sif and the Warriors Three.

"What is going on?!" Fury demanded loudly as he went to face the Asgardians.

"By Orders of Their Majesties, the King and Queen of Asgard, we present our weapons to aid in the defense of Midgard and its people." Fandral announced in his most formal tone.

"King and Queen?" Phil blurted out, he had a feeling they were missing something. "And can we speak to them?"

"Of course you can, Son of Coul..." A voice called.

A part of Phil, and of everyone else in the know, was already expecting for Thor to be King, what none of them were expecting (even though, in hindsight, it was only logical) was the woman walking by his side, one hand on his arm, the other on the beautiful metal shield, decorated by the regal swan, she looked so much like a goddess and a Warrior-Queen, it took a second or two for those who knew her to realize it was, indeed, her.

"Jane!" Darcy practically screeched in her shock.

It looked like several of the Asgardian Warriors were going to stop Darcy from reaching Jane when the taller brunette began running in that direction but a raised hand from the shorter woman in the elegant battle dress was enough to stop them.

"She's my sister in all but blood, and I love her as I would someone I'd grown with." Jane stated calmly but with an undercurrent of authority.

Darcy did not notice it, busy as she was embracing Jane and marveling at her attire; but other people did. Jane was Queen, and not only in name, the Asgardians truly followed her...

Loki and Nightingale joined the group then. The Trickster god couldn't help his surprise when seeing none of the usual disdain or dislike from the Aesir around them, instead there was respect, loyalty, even some admiration... Loki had no idea what was going on.

"Brother! Sister!" Thor called boisterously, embracing them both instantly.

"It would seem there has been an unexpected change in the status quo..." Loki commented, looking around them. "If you are King now..."

"It's complicated..." Thor murmured.

It wasn't, not really; but he didn't want to explain what had really happened, what Odin had said and done that pushed him into taking fate in his own hands... even though his wasn't the most tactical mind, Thor just knew the Midgardians wouldn't take it well if they knew how little the 'former' Allfather actually cared.

"We are in charge now." Jane said helpfully. "And that's all that really matters right now. We're here to help in this battle."

Loki nodded, understanding that the matter was to remain private. So he made to step back, return to his post, a corner of his mind screaming at his own uselessness in the battle.

"Where are you going now brother?" Thor called, stopping him in his tracks.

"More Chitauri will come at any moment, we must return to our posts, do our duty." Loki told him calmly, taking his wife's hand in his.

"I believe there are other duties you should take." Jane declared easily.

Loki and Nightingale just looked at her, not truly understanding.

"I made you a promise brother, five years ago, remember?" Thor asked solemnly.

There was no answer, nor time for one, not really. Thor reached for Loki's neck, or more precisely, the band around it, with one hand (the one Jane wasn't touching), while Jane used her own free hand to pull free Silbhé's scarf and touch the band around her own neck. The sound of metal seemingly breaking apart was loud enough to echo in the desert, even though such a thing shouldn't have been possible. A sound akin to a long, melodic note being hummed rose around the couple, at the same time a rush of golden power enveloped them, while they couldn't help but reach to their now bare necks in unison...

"Nightingale!" Loki cried out, she being the first thing on his mind as soon as his mind cleared and the implication of things registered...

"My Maverick... my love... my Loki..." Were the auburn haired's first words since her voice had been sealed five years prior.

"My Nightingale..." Loki repeated, tears shining in the corner of his eyes.

It had been so long... that even with all the challenges made and taken, with all the promises, there had been moments when he'd feared he might never hear that voice again. It didn't mean he loved his match any less, such a thing would be impossible, still, it had hurt. Which was precisely the point, of course. And yet, in that moment, hearing his name from her lips once again, the endearments meant just for him... no moment could have been more perfect, even the threat of the upcoming battle couldn't sour it.

As if the enemy had granted them a moment to breath, and it was finally over, chitauri began coming out of the portal like insects right then.

"Well, time to have some fun!" Loki announced, obviously thrilled at his change in situation.

With a snap of his fingers the well-worn human clothes he'd been wearing changed into his usual green and black Asgardian attire, along with golden armor; another snap of his fingers changed his match's clothes into something better suited to who they were meant to be, than who they'd been the previous five years: a short, violet battle-dress, high boots and golden armor; in his personal opinion she looked absolutely stunning. Then again, she was his wife, so most would probably consider him biased.

The battle should have been far more violent, bloody, tragic... the loses, the chaos, the pain. There were so many more enemies... and yet, the number of allies had also grown, with individuals who were each worth their weight in precious metals and jewels; and then there was the change in Loki and Nightingale with the restoration of what Odin had once taken from them.

So while the battle was, in many ways, worse, it was also better. From the very start Darcy had no doubt that they were going to win.

xXx

Indeed, they won. The greatest surprise, especially for the Asgardians, came in the aftermath, when they watched the petite girl they knew to be the wife of one of their princes, kneel beside one of their own, who was holding some bandages given to them by the human medics, trying not to bleed out right then and there. They watched the girl kneel beside him, place both her hands less than an inch above the man's wound, and a white-gold glow come from them. Then, as she got back on her feet and moved away, the Warriors could only watch their brother-in-arms pull the bandage away in shock, revealing blood-stained skin, yet no wound at all. Nothing was left of what, just seconds before, had been a near-fatal injury, not even a scar...

The shock was almost more than what they could take. They loved their new Queen, there was no doubt about that. No lady, aside from Sif, had marched with the Asgardian Armies to battle in more than two thousand years, yet she had done it. She was no Warrior-Lady, as she herself had stated as the trops were readied early that morning, but she was still more than willing to march with them, and with her intended. Then there was what she had done the other night, for men she didn't know, had never met, she just wanted to help, and she had. It was why they'd all begun calling her princess. And then, to learn that the wife of their other prince, of Loki... one they'd so long treated either with disdain or indifference; to learn that as small and human as she might be, she carried inside a power Asgard had rarely seen: the power of a blessed healer. They couldn't help but think that maybe the Allfather had been wrong in standing against those unions, those matches, maybe that was how things were meant to be. Asgard could certainly only benefit from it all, not just in the power the princesses had, but their hearts... and if on the way they managed to pull all the realms together? All the better.

After the battle was done, the portal was sealed by the joint efforts of Loki, Nightingale, the Scarlet-Witch and a group of young adults that called themselves the 'Secret Circle' (they refused to give their names or their address, stating that if they were ever really needed Phil knew how to find them, though they did show interest in seeing Loki and Nightingale again).

By the afternoon, teams were working on disposing of the alien remains; on specific instructions of Thor, no remains would be kept for study, it was simply too dangerous. It was the same reason why the studies of and experiments on the Tesseract had been cancelled years prior. Loki at some point even commented that, had they continued, they might have ended calling the chitauri's attention earlier, which wouldn't have been good. They hadn't had the same allies back in 2011, and Thor definitely would have been in no position to help.

When evening came Stark insisted on celebrating. After all, they'd just saved the world! Probably the universe considering that, according to what Thor had revealed, the Titan wouldn't have stopped with Earth... so the families had been flown to New Mexico, where Stark somehow managed to get everything to make a party (they couldn't really leave the area until the mission was officially over, even though Loki had insisted there would be no more enemies).

In the end even Phil and Darcy thought it was a good idea. What better chance would there be for so completely different individuals as the SHIELD Agents and the X-Men to hang out together and get the chance to strike up friendships?

And so the families were reunited. Soon there were a lot of introductions being made, hands being shaken, cheeks kissed, that sort of thing. Rose and Kathryn were at the back of the group, and the moment the four-year-old laid eyes on her parents she let go of her aunt's hand to rush to them, like any little girl is expected to do.

"Mama! Papa!" She cried out in obvious delight at seeing them again. "I saw you!"

That made them stop short, silently praying their little one did not mean what they thought she did, yet already knowing it was a useless hope.

"You're a Warrior papa!" Rose went on, not noticing her parent's shock. "A valiant Warrior who fights monsters, just like uncle Phil!"

The God of Mischief was deeply horrified by the fact that his little daughter, his baby as he still saw her, had seen all that; what she might have felt if the battle had ended in any other way than it actually did. And yet, his Rose was so joyful, and so proud of him! How could he do anything but respond in kind? There would be time later to consider the implications of her seeing that battle, the things she might end up seeing in the future; in that moment all that mattered was making sure Rose had no reason to be anything other than absolutely happy.

"A valiant warrior indeed..." He agreed, pulling her into his arms, kissing her hair. "And what about your Mama!"

"Mama is a beautiful princess!" Rose announced, as if there were no other possible answer. "I want to be just like my mama someday..."

"You already are, sweetheart." Loki assured her with another kiss.

"Really?" The girl seemed absolutely thrilled by that fact.

"Really." Loki nodded with a big smile.

Right then, Nightingale joined them, she'd been helping a few individuals who were still injured and whom she'd somehow missed earlier. But she was finally done.

"Hey... my Little Rose..." She whispered, voice barely above a whisper, as she was still getting used to hearing her own voice again.

"Mama, you can talk!" Rose crowed with joyful laughter.

It seemed that, somehow, even with whatever she had seen, the child had missed that detail. Hopefully that meant she wouldn't always have to see everything that happened, she might be spared the worst parts of what may yet come in the future.

"I can talk, lovely love." Nightingale agreed.

She took her daughter from her father's arms, holding her tightly against her chest, before spinning around. The laughter of the two rose, entwined together like the most perfect harmony. And as others heard it, heard them, they couldn't help but add their own laughter to it, or at least smile... it seemed like that night, joy was contagious.

Eventually the two had to stop spinning, and even then the laughter went on for a while. Such was the joy they were feeling in that moment. At being together, alive, and whole...

"Sing mama!" Rose called brightly. "Sing, sing, sing!"

"Sing my Nightingale..." Loki agreed, holding her from behind. "It's been so long since I last had the joy of listening to your songs... not since our wedding night..."

Nightingale smiled serenely at him, placing a short but intense kiss on his mouth, another on her daughter's brow, before the perfect song entered her mind. She began singing there, with no music, and no plans; but they weren't needed either:

"I'll give my all or not at all

There's no in-between

I'll give my best, won't second guess

This feelin' deep in me…"

"You make me want to love you

With every breath I'll love you, (oh) endlessly

I'll give my heart, give my soul

I won't hold back, I'll give you everything

All of me, completely…"

At some point, shortly after Nightingale began singing, conversations began dying down, until the only sound was that of her voice, her song. The auburn-haired did not notice; she could feel her beloved's joy at hearing her sing again and that, joined to her own joy at once again being able to express herself in the way she knew best... it caused what felt like a neverending loop of love, joy and something else she couldn't describe... it was perfection.

And all that emotion filled her voice her music, and from that, it touched every single individual present, sharing all that perfection, completeness, with everyone present.

"You fill me up with your love

Oh I just overflow

When we touch, can't get enough

And I want you to know…"

"You make me want to love you

With every breath I'll love you, (oh) endlessly

I'll give my heart, give my soul

I won't hold back, I'll give you everything

All of me, completely…"

It was the perfect song, because every single word was true. She lived, breathed by that song, it was a deep seated part of her and, unknown to her, it was also a part of most of the people in that place: men and women who lived to protect others from threats, whether they were human, meta or even of individuals from worlds most did not even know existed; individuals who had been hurt, betrayed, rejected, time and again, and yet they never gave up, they never stopped trying. Each of them knew their story, each of them felt the song.

"You make me want to love you

With every breath I'll love you, (oh) endlessly

I'll give my heart, give my soul

I won't hold back, I'll give you everything

All of me, completely…"

Light humming marked the end of the song; at which point the auburn-haired young woman let out a sigh, laying against her husband's chest, deeply exhausted for reasons she could not fully comprehend. The last time she'd sung (like Loki said, on their wedding night... not counting the few verses she'd whispered to him right before her voice was sealed by Odin), she hadn't been able to infuse her voice with magic. She wasn't even conscious of having done it in that moment, but she had, and the effects were clear, in the soothing energy, the peace that could be felt all around. To such a point one would believe they were all a big family reuniting after a long time to celebrate some anniversary, rather than several dozens of Warriors who had just survived a battle for the well-being of the universe.

"Lady Nightingale, indeed..." Volstagg declared, approaching the singer.

Loki arched a brow at his brother's friend, wondering what he intended; while his match was almost in a haze, her eyes barely open; though at the same time she was hyper-aware of every single person around, as she began realizing that there had been more to that song that simply the words coming out of her mouth.

"Your voice surpasses by far that of any elven songstress I might have heard in centuries, my lady." Volstagg told her, bowing in respect to her. "I could almost declare your voice as beautiful as that of the fair Lady Tinúviel herself..."

There was a murmur in the background, individuals who knew who Volstagg spoke of (though Nightingale herself did not, and Loki felt as if he should but couldn't place his finger on it).

"Asgard is indeed fortunate, to be able to welcome such beautiful and talented ladies as its new princesses." Hogun offered his own praise from a side. "Princess Jane Foster, Lady of Science; and Princess Nightingale, the Lady Songstress..."

"Hail!" Several voices called in unison, turning the praise into a toast.

The night went on from there, a celebration that lasted until the sun began rising into the sky once again; and might have gone on even more; but most of those present were human and needed a minimum amount of sleep (Stark's craziness notwithstanding...).

xXx

The group were back on Asgard after lunch, the following day (or more like brunch... considering the time they all went to sleep). A benefit of having fought in the dessert was that there were no material or civilian loses to worry about. There had been casualties, both to injury and even a handful to death, but they were much, much lower than if the battle had been fought, for example, in the middle of Manhattan!

The royals were riding horses, with Rose riding with her father. The little girl was very excited by the new place, especially when hearing in was her dad's 'other home' (he, as well as Nightingale, would always see Salani Manor as their first home).

The Aesir gathered on the streets to received both their royals and the valiant warriors who were the first to fight a battle in another realm in a very long time, centuries even! Stories were going around almost right away, and the family was especially delighted that the talk wasn't just about the Asgardians themselves, but also about the humans who had fought with them, their ability, and the gifts some of them possess. Asgard would come to learn that Midgard wasn't beneath them, and after them, the rest of the universe, and that was a good thing.

When the procession made it to the courtyard before the Asgardian palace a number of stable-boys approached them, helping the royals get off their mounts. It was in that moment that most people became aware of Rose, as Loki had kept her half-covered with his cape for most of the ride (and she'd loved the whole thing because it was her papa, he was a prince, and had a cape!). The murmurs began all over again. There were few Aesir-children, and there hadn't been one in the palace since Loki had left his childhood behind, centuries before.

Lady Frigg, General Tyr and the Council of Elders were in the Throne Room to receive them.

"We have returned, safe and victorious." Thor called ceremoniously. "The battle is won, the enemy defeated, Midgard is secure and all the Realms will now know that it has good, strong warriors protecting it, and that Asgard takes very seriously its duty to watch over and protect all who might need us."

"All those are, indeed, good news, Your Majesty." The Head of the Council nodded.

"News of victories in battle are not all we've brought." Jane did her best to imitate the style the Asgardians had when talking, but it wasn't exactly her forte. "This is a victory as well, in ways, I believe, far more important than any battle. For on this day a family has been reunited, and that's how it shall stay, from this day forward."

"Those are, indeed, good news, my lady." The Councilman repeated, only hesitating for a fraction of a second before speaking.

Done with the ceremonial stuff, Lady Frigg seemed to decide she no longer needed to keep protocol and rushed down the steps from the throne to embrace her children, one by one, holding them tightly for a moment and kissing their cheeks; their wives as well.

"I'm so glad to see you again, Nightingale..." The Queen mother said, voice full of emotion. "I know your last visit wasn't the best..."

"I too, am happy to be back, my lady." Nightingale assured her softly but just as emotively. "I could never hold against you what happened in may last visit. I said it then, and I say it now, it was my choice, to stand by my match, and take whatever the Allfather chose to deliver. It was painful, to spend the last five years deprived of my voice; I never realized how much I would miss it and need it. It wasn't just about the singing, though I definitely missed that, but things as simple as greeting someone, telling my family I love them, laughing... And yet, regardless any of that, I have no regrets. Because the love I have for my match goes beyond any of that." She smiled brightly. "I told Loki that day that we would prove that we loved each other for more than my voice and his magic. And we did..."

"You did..." Frigg agreed, still holding his youngest daughter-in-law. "Few times have I seen a love so pure, so absolute, as the one yo and my son share. May your joy only grow as time passes, and your reasons for happiness multiply."

They all knew that in most cases that meant a wish for children, but those same people also knew Nightingale would never have any more children; Rose's birth had been miraculous enough, still, that would not stop the joy from coming.

"Now, I would like to meet my granddaughter properly." The Queen announced. "I haven't seen her since she was but a day old."

"Of course, Mother." Loki nodded.

It was the truth. Lady Frigg had visited Midgard one last time the day after Rose Alfdis had been born, to make sure that both mother and child were alright, she'd also given her blessing to both, for which they were all thankful.

Loki was actually surprised when Rose did not fight to stay behind her mother's skirts (he had conjured a beautiful light lilac gown, goddess-style, with a white sash, for his beloved). It had never been easy, when she had to meet new people; her parents did not know if it was shyness, or something else, but she always needed to be convinced to meet anyone new. Except in that moment. In that moment the four-year-old practically jumped from behind her mom and straight into the Queen mother's arms.

"Grandma!" She cried out in delight.

And then her parents realized, Rose had no reason to treat Frigg as a stranger, because she wasn't, the girl had 'known' the older woman, they probably had known each other, in a way, for a while.

"I'm so happy to finally have you here, Rose Alfdis..." Lady Frigg said with a bright smile.

"Will I get to meet Grandpa too?" The child asked next.

No one answered her, truth was, no one knew how to.

And yet, somehow, Rose seemed to see that as an answer as she jumped out of her grandmother's arms and to a side of the Throne Room, where no one had noticed Odin standing in the shadow of one of the majestic columns.

For several seconds no one moved, or talked. All eyes were on the four-year-old child with thick red curls to her shoulders and big eyes that were a mix of red, orange and black. It was precisely those eyes that made her parents worry, they were so much like Loki's Jotun ones, and it was no secret how much Odin despised those creatures...

It was those eyes that won. For a few seconds Rose said nothing, just standing in front of the old man in her cream and dark red dress; she looked at the former King with an intensity that belied her age, as if she could look right through him, or into him... and maybe she could. Then, after what felt almost like forever, she raised her arms.

"Up." She said simply, in a way she hadn't, not even to her own parents, in over a year.

Odin looked at the girl for a couple of seconds more, before he reacted practically instinctively, bending down and scooping the child into his arms. Rose smiled brightly at him before locking her small but strong arms around his neck, holding him as tight as her small body was capable of. As if she were afraid he would bolt.

"What is your name, little one?" Odin asked quietly.

He still seemed more than a bit confused by the love and acceptance the girl was showing, made him wonder if perhaps she did not know the things he had said and done, to her own family even... his own family...

"Rose Alfdis Salani Hveðrungr." The girl announced proudly, before thinking it over a bit and correcting herself. "Rose Alfdis Lokidottir!" She laughed musically. "My mama is a beautiful princess and papa is a valiant warrior!"

"They are, indeed..." Odin agreed quietly.

"Are you gonna be my Grandpa?" Rose asked, then began babbling. "Papa told me years ago that we had to stay with Auntie Kathryn and Auntie Jane and Auntie Darcy and Uncle Phil for a while, until Uncle Thor said we could come here. It was nice, I have a big family. I love my family! And now the family is bigger! And I'm gonna have lots and lots of friends! And the magic! I love to see mama and papa doing magic!" She stopped her tirade abruptly, looking at the man still holding her up, straight in the eye. "So are you gonna be my family too? You are papa's papa, right? Are you gonna be my Grandpa?"

"Do you want me to be your Grandpa?" He asked, not quite believing what was happening.

"Oh yes!" Rose nodded repeatedly almost hyped up. "I've never had a grandpa, you know? Mama's papa died when I was really little. And I really, really want to have a grandpa!"

"Then I will be your grandpa little one." Odin finally agreed.

"Yay!" Rose embraced him tightly again, before motioning for him to put her down.

As soon as Rose was on her feet again she was running to her mom. Nightingale got on her knees immediately, taking her daughter into her arms.

"Mama, mama... I have a grandpa!" The four-year-old announced with obvious delight.

"That you do, sweetheart, that you do..." Nightingale whispered lovingly.

She didn't exactly trust Odin, she probably never would, not after what he'd done both to her and to her husband; but she was willing to give him a chance, one more, for her daughter. She didn't say a word, but she was quite sure that the looks not only she, but her match, their siblings and even the Queen Mother were directing to the former King was enough of a warning.

"Sing for me, mama?" Rose asked suddenly.

It was an unexpected request, and for a few moments Nightingale could only look at her child, confused as to why she was asking.

"Grandma and Grandpa have never heard you sing, and I want them to." The girl explained as if it were only obvious. "I want everyone to know my mama can sing real pretty!"

Nightingale had never been able to deny her daughter anything, and that certainly wasn't going to be the first time. So the young woman got comfortable right where she was, sitting on the floor, with her little girl on her lap and family around her before she began singing. It wasn't one of her old songs, the ones she'd created before losing her voice; no, it was a new one, one she'd created in recent years and thus, had never been heard. Perhaps it was only right for her to sing it right then, when Rose had been the one to ask her to.

"In my daughter's eyes I am a hero,

I am strong and wise and I know no fear,

But the truth is plain to see,

She was sent to rescue me,

I see who I wanna be,

In my daughter's eyes…"

"In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal,

Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace,

This miracle God gave to me,

Gives me strength when I am weak,

I find reason to believe,

In my daughter's eyes…"

"And when she wraps her hand around my finger,

Oh, it puts a smile in my heart,

Everything becomes a little clearer,

I realize what life is all about,

It's hanging on when your heart has had enough,

It's giving more when you feel like giving up,

I've seen the light,

It's in my daughter's eyes…"

"In my daughter's eyes I can see the future,

A reflection of who I am and what will be,

And though she'll grow and someday leave,

Maybe raise a family,

When I'm gone I hope you'll see

How happy she made me,

For I'll be there,

In my daughter's eyes…"

Nightingale ended her song with a long hummed note, as she always did when she was singing with no music in the background.

At some point during her singing Rose had turned to her mother's chest, holding onto her tightly. She'd heard her little girl half-whisper half-squeal that her mama had made a song about her, her delight obvious to everyone in the room. Then she'd quieted and settled to listen.

"I love you mama..." Rose whispered quietly, kissing her mom's cheek before burying her face in her mom's neck.

"I love you too baby, very much..." Nightingale whispered back, placing a lingering kiss on her daughter's forehead.

Loki reacted to the moment, kneeling beside two of the most important women in his life (the other two being his mother and his oldest daughter, Hel), kissing each of them tenderly before embracing both.

At some point the Council and General Tyr had abandoned the room, as had most of the Eihenjar, recognizing that the moment was a very intimate one, and only meant for family. Still, most had stayed just outside; they'd heard their youngest princess sing, heard the words she spoke, sensed the feelings behind those words.

For more years that could be counted, Asgard had followed Odin's ideals. Including those about mortals (especially Midgardians) being lesser beings, not fully evolved, living in the dark ages, incapable of truly comprehending that the universe was much bigger than just them. And yet, in the last handful of years, all those notions had been taken down, one by one. For if those two young ladies who had earned their places as their newest Queen and Princess Consort were an example of what Midgardians truly were... then the universe was in for a serious wake-up call, and that probably was a good thing.

They had heard the gossip coming from the Warriors that had fought on Midgard recently, of the Humans who'd fought side by side with them. Some had been normal humans and yet, there were stories running around about others; some called themselves Avengers, others X-Men, but they all seemed to have something that made them more than human, some kind of power that allowed them to rise above the rest, and they all used that power to fight, to protect...

Maybe keeping themselves away from that realm had caused them to miss the moment when such individuals first appeared, maybe they had always been there and they just hadn't noticed. In any case, Midgard was ready to stand on its own, as one of the Nine Realms, and with their new King and Queen there was no doubt Asgard would back them up every step of the way.

Eventually the family moment passed. The Council and Eihenjar went back in and after some talk it was decided that, since the people were already in the courtyard, why not make the official announcements already?

So, with that in mind, the group made their way to the main terrace, with view to the Main Courtyard, where the number of people waiting had grown since their arrival. They were all expectant; most knew already there were new Royals, but were still waiting for the official announcement, and for the celebration they knew would follow.

Traditionally it would have been the King stepping down who would announce his successor (pretty much like was intended in Thor's almost-coronation, before all the madness began). But such a thing wasn't possible, since Thor already was King, and technically Odin hadn't named him, he had taken the power for himself, or the Higher Powers had granted it to him, depending on how one chose to see the situation. So Odin couldn't announce him. The Head of the Council of Elders could have, but Jane believed that would mean giving them a bit too much power, and Loki had agreed with that, so Thor had decided to throw protocol out the window and caution to the wind as he stepped forward himself.

"People of Asgard! My People!" He called in his booming voice, yet somehow softer and at the same time stronger than usual. "You know who I am. I am Thor, son of Odin Allfather, son of your Lady Frigg. And now, if you will allow it, I want to be your King..."

The cheers that followed that statement were enough of an answer.

Deciding to take advantage of the obvious happiness of the people, Thor continued with the next part of his announcement. He motioned for Jane to join him and she did, no nervousness, no hesitation, and with the same boldness she'd used when offering herself to rule by her beloved's side, he stepped by her side and introduced herself:

"I am Jane, Daughter of Foster, I am mortal and hail from Midgard." She made a pause before continuing, in a softer voice. "I know I am not what most of you would expect of a future Queen. But I love your King with all my heart, and what little I've had the chance to get to see of this Realm, of its people, I've come to love as well. So I hope you will give me a chance to be one of you, to be your Queen."

Another round of cheers was the answer, and Jane smiled brightly.

There was only one thing left to address, and they all knew it, Thor also realized he had the perfect way to do so. So he waited until the crowd quieted again, and began talking.

"Years ago, when I was but a child, a wise man told my brother and I one thing." The blonde declared. "He said: 'Only one of you can ascend to the throne, but both of you were born to be king'..." He let out a breath. "I might not have always followed the message implied, but I never forgot those words. Which is why I would like to ask my brother to join me now. For I wish nothing more than for the spirit of those words to become true now, for him to be stand by my side as I rule, as my regent, my most trusted advisor, as the brother he is and always will be."

Loki couldn't hide the shock he felt as he heard those words (neither could Odin, but he was on the back, out of sight, and therefore his reaction didn't matter as much). Nightingale's and Rose's laughter tinkled as they pulled Loki to stand by Thor's free side; only to grow even more when he refused to let them back down afterwards; holding each of them with one arm.

"People of Asgard!" Thor called, smiling at what was happening. "My brother, Loki Odinsson, his wife: Lady Nightingale Sebastiandottir of Midgard, and their youngest daughter: Rose Alfdis Lokidotttir, Princess of Midgard and Asgard!"

Even if Hel couldn't be there, she was as much a Lokidottir as Rose was, and no one from the Royal Family would ever forget it. Hopefully a day would come when she would be able to stand by them too.

The cheering went on for a long while. Eventually Lady Frigg joined them in standing by the railing, waving at her subjects, cries of 'Queen Mother' celebrating her presence. It was obvious Asgard wouldn't be forgetting her any time soon.

It took a while, but eventually Odin joined them as well, unsurprisingly prompted by Rose, who got him to scoop her up again.

They made quite a picture. The Queen Mother and the former Allfather, with their sons, the King and Prince-Regent, as well as their wives and even a little princess, all standing in between them. The Ruling Family of Asgard, the Protectors of the Nine Realms.

"Asgard!" The Head Elder stepped forward to speak then. "I give you your Royal Family!"

---

In case you don't know it, the songs sung by Nightingale in this chapter are: "Completely", originally performed by Jennifer Day and "In My Daughter's Eyes" from Martina McBride.

If anyone's wondering what the hell happened with Odin in this one... I honestly don't know. I was writing the scene where Rose meets Frigg and suddenly that came out. I actually like it. I don't like Odin, not really, but I don't think he's as hopeless as some of my fics might make it seem (at least not in this universe). Others have seen before that I give him a chance (like in Kinship), that's all this is, no promise that he's good, just a chance at redemption.

I hope you liked everything else I did with this particular AU (like the new King and Queen...).

Now, like I promised, this will be the last AU for the time being. The next story up will be the actual sequel to Nightingale. Though, for the purpose of the story, ignore the last paragraph of the Encore, everything else will have happened precisely.

"Nexus" tentative title for Nightingale's sequel, will be up in one month exactly (or four weeks from this Friday, if you prefer to see it like that). This is because I need time to work it to my satisfaction. And as at least some of you must know, I'm also working on another series of fics "Menel", which is currently a higher priority because I'm trying very hard to write and post as much of it as I can before the second season begins (since I will be ignoring it completely). Still, that's when I'll begin with that. I'll be posting a notice at the end of Nightingale sometime during the week before that particular Friday.

So that's that for now. If you haven't yet my Menel series, please do!

Also, as always, don't forget to tell me what you like, what you didn't, and what you would like to see. Since I'm still in the process of writing the sequel I may just add things you ask for. Also, while right now I'm going back to the main timeline, there will be more AUs later on (I have in mind at least three, possibly more).

Thank you so much for your continued support. See ya around!