Such Fragile Creatures Chapter 3: Mortal Healing, an avengers fanfic

*Avengers Fan-fiction by Kemurikat*

Such Fragile Creatures: Act 03 - Mortal Healing

Inside the enormous structure of Asgard's Repository of Knowledge, an adolescent boy with wavy, waist-length black hair escorted a giggling young girl through the edifice's many shelves. The pair were headed directly toward a section containing a collection of stories, a majority of which were gathered from the different civilizations that inhabited the Realm of Midgard.

The adolescent boy's young charge was seated securely around his shoulders, her little hands held in his, her tiny chin resting on his head. His raven hair curtained the sides of his face as the little girl's feet twirled in his long strands playfully. They'd walked this way all morning since her arrival and Loki was more than happy to parade the little girl around in this fashion.

"Which volume shall we read from today?" Loki asked with a wide smile, stopping alongside a colossal bookshelf.

Maintaining a firm but gentle grip on her ankles, he felt the little girl stretch out her body to look up at the many books of the section in front of her.

"That one," she said, pointing to a codex with purple velvet binding.

Of course, it has to be a book at the very top, Loki grinned to himself. "Hold onto me. I shall fly us up there."

Squealing with delight, the little girl tightened her grip on his head. Grinning, Loki whispered a few words and they were surrounded by a greenish glow. They floated up slowly to the topmost shelf of books as the little girl guided him toward the one she'd specifically chosen.

He pulled out the codex bound in purple velvet and read the title, "Children's and Household Tales by The Brothers Grimm." Hmm. It was a book from Earth he hadn't read before and he was just as excited to read it as the bouncing little girl seated on his shoulders. "Where would you like us to sit today?" he asked, floating them back down to the stone floor.

There was long pause as the little girl thought about his question.

"Himinbjorg!"

Oh, gods, I knew she'd say that, Loki thought in dismay. Ever since the day he'd decided to sneak them atop the roof of Heimdall's hall to marvel at the magnificent vista of stars that surrounded the Realm of Asgard, she'd been insisting they returned. He had truly meant it to be a single trip. Getting past Asgard's Gatekeeper amused him to no end but he knew when not to push his luck. Today was one of those days.

He shifted the little girl from his shoulders to carry her on his hip so that he could look at her when he spoke.

"I regret that we cannot, Sigyn. Heimdall will be very cross with us if he finds us up there again," Loki said. He deliberately left out the part about a prank he'd inflicted upon the Gatekeeper yesterday. 'Sharp-Eye' wasn't too amused when he discovered that the image of a miniature goat was placed floating above his helmet that drunkenly danced to his every syllable whenever he spoke. It had irked the Golden Gladiator even more when no one had felt the need to tell him about it.

At Loki's gentle refusal, the little girl's face fell.

"Petal, don't be sad," Loki pleaded, addressing Sigyn by a pet name he'd fondly given her. She wasn't deliberately trying to pout, instead, she was looking away to hide her disappointment from him...which was exactly why he couldn't refuse her anything. "Very well, we shall go to Himinbjorg, but this time, it shall be you asking Heimdall for permission." He knew how shy the little girl was and the suggestion would deter her for sure.

As expected, Sigyn's bright violet-blue eyes widened in fear.

"Come then, let us visit Freya's hall and sit in her garden," Loki said gently. Sigyn shrugged slightly, lacking enthusiasm. Sighing, he started walking toward the nearest exit of the Repository that was closest to Folkvang where Freya's perpetual springtime gardens were located.

With the book in his right hand and Sigyn cradled quietly against his left hip, Loki strolled out of the Repository and down a spacious corridor, one of many that interconnected the great halls of Asgard.

About halfway toward Folkvang, Loki felt a tug on his black leather doublet.

"Himinbjorg," Sigyn said, a determined gleam in her eyes.

Loki stopped rather clumsily mid-stride, staring in stunned disbelief at his little ward. "Are you absolutely certain?" When she nodded, the look of determination had spread to her face as well.

Valhalla help me, Loki lamented to himself.

Wanting to get the ordeal over with, Loki decided to teleport them there before he lost his nerve. "Then I shall pop us to Himinbjorg faster than you can blink. Would you like that?"

"Yes, please!" Sigyn said excitedly. She'd 'popped' with Loki to different places before and it was one of her favorite ways of traveling with him. Her second favorite was riding seated in front of him on Odin All-Father's eight-legged steed, Sleipnir.

"Here we go," Loki said, holding Sigyn tightly against his side.

The pair stepped forth from a mist of green a few paces away from Himinbjorg's entrance at the tip of the Bifrost. Loki swallowed nervously as he walked the remaining steps toward Heimdall's hall.

"Trickster," Heimdall's booming voice was heard past the hall's sealed gate, startling both Loki and little Sigyn who'd buried her face into his side.

Clearing his throat, Loki fidgeted but found courage in the closeness of Sigyn's company, her small body now anchored protectively behind him. "We wish but a moment to speak with you, Heimdall."

"What is it you want of me, Trickster?" Heimdall asked with underlying anger.

"It is not, I, but the Lady Sigyn who wishes to speak with you," Loki stated with a slight bow as he carefully kneeled down to allow the little girl to slide off his back. Turning his head, he smiled encouragingly at her when she remained hidden.

The sealed doors of Himinbjorg spun open and out stepped the intimidating form of Asgard's powerful Gatekeeper clad in his majestic golden armor.

"Come forth, young one. I will not harm you," Heimdall spoke in the gentlest tone Loki had ever heard from the formidable Gatekeeper.

Tentatively, Sigyn walked out from behind Loki, all the while keeping a vice-like grip on his hand. She stood beside her raven-haired friend, looking up nervously toward the Golden Giant towering over her.

Kneeling down to seem less frightening to the child, Heimdall softened his features as he gazed at the radiant little girl, delighted by her expressive sparkling violet-blue eyes and braided, bright platinum-blonde hair. Purple blossoms like clover adorned her head and were tucked into every one of the eight braids that hung down her back. Her long-sleeved, lavender silk dress was light, simple and comfortable to just above her knees. She had leggings of the same color and lavender sandals were on her feet. "You wished to speak with me, little Sigyn?"

"Heimdall, may Lulu and I sit on the roof of your hall?" Sigyn asked the Golden Giant respectfully, her voice clear and sweet as birdsong.

"Lulu?" Heimdall repeated in amusement, looking with raised eyebrows at Loki who'd frozen rigid where he stood, his face flaming red. Though the Trickster remained silent, his fiery green eyes spoke volumes: 'breathe a word of this to anyone and I shall plague you with mischief for an eternity,' they seemed to say.

Turning back to address the little girl, Heimdall said, "Why do wish to sit on the roof of my hall?"

"Because it's beautiful up there," little Sigyn replied. "I have a book of stories I want Lulu to read to me."

Loki held out a thick codex bound in purple velvet.

"Very well, little Sigyn, you may sit on the roof of my hall, but before you do, may I make one request of you?" Heimdall asked gently. Loki fidgeted uneasily beside his young ward, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "Would you like to see my home?"

"Yes, please!" Sigyn replied, her face beaming a wide, excited smile.

"I take it this invitation doesn't extend to me," Loki remarked, crossing his arms. Sigyn immediately looked worried.

"You are the Lady Sigyn's escort and cannot be left behind," Heimdall replied evenly, not too pleased with letting the Trickster into his home. "You are both welcome."

The Golden Giant stood to his full height and turned around to face the open doorway of his hall. From where they stood, Loki saw nothing except the circular dais of steps that lead to the Gate Lock, a solitary golden pedestal where Hofud, Heimdall's sword was placed, acting as the Gate Key for traveling to other Realms.

After quick, complicated gestures with his hands and fingers - Loki only managing to see half of them - the interior of Heimdall's hall changed drastically from what most Asgardians were accustomed to seeing.

Squeals of joyful laughter filled the transformed hall as Loki looked around, his eyes slightly widening in surprise. Rather than golden walls and empty space, the interior was cozy and filled with furniture, furs, a fireplace, paintings, sculptures and book shelves. Most startling was the hall's roof which was now the color of the sky on a sunny, spring day and even included fluffy clouds that lazily floated by, complementing the elaborate illusion. In a corner sat Gjallarhorn, an enormous golden horn that signaled the arrival of honored guests when blown softly. When blown loudly to signal impeding danger, its deep, resonant sound was heard throughout the Nine Realms.

"This is your home?" Loki said with admiration. Smiling, he watched Sigyn spin in place as she stared in awe at her surroundings. "Careful, we mustn't touch anything." Strong magic flowed throughout every object in the hall as he warily kept his distance. "I must say, Gatekeeper, I'm impressed." He saw the Golden Giant subtly nod.

Wandering over to give Gjallarhorn a closer inspection, Loki felt Heimdall's gaze boring into the back of his head. "Gatekeeper, I will attempt no mischief as an invited guest within your hall."

"You may try, Trickster, but I do not think you will enjoy the consequences," was Heimdall's smug reply, grinning when Loki muttered to himself.

In a sweeping glance toward the hall's fireplace, Loki noticed the absence of Sigyn. Thinking that she'd wandered off to play near the bookshelves, he walked over to find her but the little girl wasn't there.

"Where's Sigyn?" Loki said in alarm. He stretched out his senses and instantly flew into a panic when he couldn't sense her...anywhere. When Heimdall seemed unconcerned, his body crackled with a green fire of barely contained rage. "Where is she?"

"Calm yourself, Trickster," Heimdall sighed. He stood still for a long moment, looking outward from his hall toward the expanse of celestial stars at the edge of the Bifrost, which was framed neatly by an open, shutter-less window. "The little one has somehow brought herself to the Realm of Midgard."

"What? HOW?" Loki thundered.

"It appears the Lady Sigyn has a rather interesting ability...that was accidentally amplified a thousandfold when she touched Hofud," Heimdall explained calmly.

"You knew this was happening, yet you did nothing?" Loki yelled in outrage and distress. "Take me to her at once, Gatekeeper! You're good for that, at least!"

"I was unaware of what would happen to the little one," Heimdall replied flatly, offended by what Loki had implied. "I would not let harm befall the Lady Sigyn in my own home, willingly."

Without warning, Loki fell to his hands and knees as the air around him felt heavy and oppressively hot, the images of Heimdall's cozy hall shifting and spinning around him violently. He closed his eyes against the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Rise, Trickster, your little friend needs you. Go to her," Heimdall called out, sheathing Hofud halfway into the pedestal Gate Lock and partly opening the doorway to Midgard.

Groaning, Loki fought past his blurry vision and saw that the Gatekeeper's hall had returned to its familiar empty interior. Shakily, he stood to his feet and wobbled unsteadily toward the Bifrost's partly opened pathway.

"I'll have words with you when I return, Gatekeeper," Loki griped with a frown.

"No need. My grievance of the dancing goat with you is settled, Trickster," Heimdall declared with a sneer, pushing Hofud completely into its pedestal.

"Wait! I'm not - "

Glowing shards of multicolored light erupted from the open doorway, engulfing Loki completely, his body disappearing into the bright glow of the Bifrost.

Unprepared for the trip, Loki landed hard and skidded straight into a murky bog. Covered head to toe in sticky mud, he quickly clawed his way out, coughing and sputtering as he went, his backside aching painfully from the impact. Once his feet touched stable ground away from the squishy, disgusting brown ooze, Loki considered paying the Gatekeeper in kind for his vicious, disrespectful treatment of a Son of Odin.

Heimdall can wait. The sky is darkening. I must find Sigyn, Loki reasoned with himself.

Knotting his dirty, mud-caked hair into a rough bun behind his head, Loki ran swiftly along a path through the trees, his magically enhanced senses hinting at the location of his little friend.

Praise Odin, she's unharmed but she's frightened, Loki said to himself. Curse it, this is my fault. Had I been watching her more closely this would never have happened!

When he reached the end of the tree line he stopped abruptly and dove onto his stomach, flattening his body against the forest floor.

Humans! There must be hundreds of them, Loki thought worriedly. From his adequately concealed hiding place among the piles of dead leaves, the young Trickster carefully searched the many faces of assembled humans, among them children, for a glimpse of little Sigyn.

Must be a celebration of sorts, Loki thought with a guess.

Every human present was dressed in impeccable finery. The women had towering curly wigs of different colors, their bodies decorated with jewels, small hats, feathers or small animals. Their gowns were wide, ruffled, frilly and frivolous, a majority exhibiting an enticing amount of cleavage. In their hands they carried canes that when 'opened' resembled skinny, towering mushrooms which they held above their heads. The males in turn were just as finely dressed, their wigs tied with ribbons, their flowing jackets and shirts ruffled with lace, decorated with elaborate embroidery or studded with jewels. Square-cut pieces of cloth were held or dangled from almost every hand. Cosmetics were painted heavily on both men's and women's faces. As for the children, they nearly mimicked the appearances of the adults but in a more conservative fashion reflective of their tender ages.

Behind the multitude of humans gathered was a largish structure more finely constructed than Loki remembered seeing on his last visit to Midgard with his older brother, Thor. Apparently the humans had moved past crude dwellings made from logs and sod. Earth's culture had hardly been of much interest to him, too primitive and savage by his standards based on the many journals he'd read. However, in this particular instance, he wished he'd read more recent reports to better navigate his way around.

Where are you, Petal? I know you're near. Please, don't be afraid. I'm here, Loki implored almost desperately, hoping that Sigyn would hear his mental cry. Wanting to find her faster so they could leave the wretched world, he impulsively transformed himself into a yellow songbird, darting high into the air and circling the crowd below him. In his new, small form, he was at least able to shed his muddied clothing.

There! Loki thought triumphantly, sighting his little ward's familiar blossom-covered platinum-blonde braids. A very elaborately dressed young woman was carrying Sigyn in her arms, surrounded by a giggling cluster of adolescent girls.

Damn. I can't do anything until they put her down, Loki thought irritably as he followed the gaggle of females into the sprawling, pale-painted dwelling. He knew the danger of confining himself inside a human structure but now that he'd found Sigyn, he wasn't allowing her to slip his sight.

"Oh, regardez! Il y a un oiseau dans ici," 1 one of the adolescent girls exclaimed excitedly, gesturing with her fan to where Loki sat perched on a tall shelf.

When Sigyn's tear-streaked face turned in the direction of where the human girl was pointing, she immediately brightened with joy and relief.

Just as happy to have found her, Loki trilled jubilantly, ignoring the peals of captivated laughter from the humans below him.

Unexpectedly, Sigyn whistled in a perfect imitation of Loki's birdsong, reaching her hands out to him eagerly, blissfully unaware of the stunned reactions around her. Loki sang back quickly, hoping to ease the fearful faces of the human females in the room.

Such silly, superstitious creatures, Loki grumbled. Soon, however, fear turned into amusement as he and Sigyn sang to one another.

The woman who carried her finally put her down, placing her on a small, oval-shaped table as they gathered around her. Freed from the stranger's grasp, Sigyn promptly climbed off the low table and ran toward the shelf where Loki sat peering down at her. As they continued singing to each other, he tried to devise the best way for the two of them to escape, but at the moment, with every human eye in the room staring at them, it turned into a difficult challenge.

Grinning to himself, Loki was never one to back down in the face of overwhelming adversity, instead, he accepted and relished it. As he continued singing in reply to Sigyn's talented whistling, he flew from his perch and landed on another piece of furniture, wanting to lure them away from the watching group of humans.

That's a good girl, we're almost outside, Loki thought with a smile.

Approaching the wide open panel doors to the expansive gardens behind the dwelling, Loki fluttered near the threshold as Sigyn followed him. We're nearly there, little one. He hovered briefly before darting outside...and flew straight into a finely woven net. No! Cursing, Loki heard Sigyn's distressed cries as he struggled to free himself.

The net that imprisoned him was carefully lowered to the ground, effectively pinning him in place while an attendant arrived with a golden cage. Loki thrashed wildly, refusing to be manhandled by human hands that tried to catch him. Sigyn's frantic cries continued as she was held back by the woman that had carried her earlier.

He tried pecking at the servant whose fingers got too close, angering the boy, who then roughly gathered the portion of netting that enclosed him, stuffing him quickly inside the cage. It was a clever maneuver, the boy-servant grinning proudly as he cut away the excess netting with a sharp knife.

"Là vous allez, peu un. Maintenant vous pouvez avoir votre nouvel ami près et vous pouvez chanter l'un à l'autre chaque fois que vous aimez," 2 the woman who carried Sigyn cooed mollifyingly. She then signaled a servant to bring Loki's cage back inside the dwelling and toward the table.

Untangling himself from the piece of fine netting left in his cage, Loki hopped up to the topmost perch inside it. From outside the thin bars he saw Sigyn stretching out her body trying to reach for him. The woman who carried her obliged with an impatient smile and placed her on the table.

"Enfants. De telles petites bêtes demandantes, n'est-ce pas?" 3 a woman dressed in the most elaborate gown exclaimed as the young women laughed around her.

Sigyn crept closer to Loki's cage and sat beside it, leaning her little forehead against the thin, gilded bars, her bright violet-blue eyes staring straight at him with a sad expression.

Sidestepping on his perch till he reached his little friend, Loki sat himself down next to her with scarcely a millimeter of space to spare. Fluffing his feathers with a sigh, he turned his head and looked back at her, chirping softy to comfort her.

"L'enfant est une sorcière!" 4 an elderly maidservant said in fright when she entered the room.

"Recevez cette femme d'ici!" 5 the woman with the elaborate blue gown barked imperiously, obviously the female of authority in the dwelling. The elderly maidservant was quickly ushered out of the room. "Paysans stupides." 6

Composing herself, the elaborately dressed young woman neared the table where Sigyn sat, who was staring mournfully at the birdcage.

"Eh bien, peu un. Permettez-nous de trouver vos parents," 7 the young woman of authority crooned tolerantly and tried to lift the little girl from where she sat.

Sigyn whimpered and shook her head slowly, her little fingers gripping the bars of the birdcage so tightly that when the woman tugged, the cage went with her. As the woman continued to pull her away, Loki chirped madly in loud protest against it and when anyone approached to pry Sigyn's fingers free from her strong grip on the cage, Loki pecked relentlessly at them.

Exasperated, the woman of authority let Sigyn go but her little fingers remained wrapped around the thin bars. Loki feared she might hurt herself from how strongly she held on.

"Parfait. Séjour ici alors. J'ai des invités pour m'occuper," 8 the woman of authority said in a huff, signaling for her entourage of adolescent women to follow her.

Loki heard the swish of heavy fabric as the human females departed the room, the boy-servant who'd caught him remaining behind to watch them. He chirped soothingly as he nuzzled Sigyn's pale fingers with his feathery head hoping she'd calm herself enough to loosen them.

We're in quite a mess, aren't we, Petal? Loki sighed, looking around the room. He didn't like the way the boy-servant was staring at them. How do we free ourselves from this place now?

As Loki tried to devise another plan of escape, a beautiful, bejeweled woman in a green and gold gown with long, wavy sun-kissed hair entered (more like danced) into the room. The boy-servant in attendance was immediately smitten and stood absolutely still as she bent over to whisper in his ear, kisseing him gently on the forehead, magically putting him to sleep. Another maiden appeared in a formfitting red gown, her long, black hair artfully twirled and decorated with shiny red ribbons.

Freya! Sif! Loki twittered and fluttered happily in his golden cage just as Freya scooped Sigyn up into her arms, embracing her tightly.

"You've had an interesting adventure today, haven't you?" Freya said warmly to her fosterling sister. "I wish to hear all about it when we return home," she added, looking pointedly at Loki who'd dipped his feathered head apologetically. "Come, let us hasten back to the others."

Others? Loki thought in surprise, chirping sharply when Sif gripped him too tightly as she reached into the cage to take him. The young warrior maiden grinned as she brought him close to her face, just shy of pecking distance.

"You're in a world of trouble, brat," Sif said ominously, expecting Loki's angry reaction. When he did nothing, her eyebrows rose in surprise.

Under normal circumstances, Loki would have given Sif a sharp tongue-lashing - or in his present form a series of ear-piercing screeches - but today he chose to remain quiet. He knew he was at fault. His inattentiveness had placed Sigyn in great danger and he resolved to humbly accept the punishment for his failing.

The four of them slipped out of the large dwelling, walking casually through the gathered throng of frolicking humans, visible yet invisible as they passed without incident except for the occasional polite greeting. There was no doubt that Freya's magic had a hand in it.

"You look good in a dress. My eyes are honored to see you in one," Thor teased happily, sidling up to Sif from the fringes of the crowd. Like Sif and Freya, he wore a full costume that blended well with the other fashionable humans. "Where's Loki?"

"Here, take him," Sif said with a frown and took Thor's right hand, roughly shoving a little yellow songbird into his palm which trilled loudly in distress. She then gathered up her skirts uncomfortably, stomping a few steps ahead.

"Loki?" Thor addressed the pitiful-looking bird in his cupped palms with uncertainty. The bird stared at him and chirped weakly, then tipped over in his hands. Alarmed and cradling the mangled-looking songbird as gently as he could, he caught up to Freya, stretching out his arms beside her. "What's the matter with Loki? Is he hurt?"

"Oh, my," Freya replied worriedly and shook her head. She tried to explain to Thor in terms he could grasp as she quickened her pace. "Your brother has recklessly attempted a magical transformation without properly attuning himself to this world's energies. Very dangerous and potentially fatal." When Thor and Sigyn gasped, Freya sent them a warm, reassuring smile. "Loki will be fine." She then looked at Thor. "Once we reach the Bifrost marker I must first help your brother return to his proper shape. He can't travel that way."

Freya smiled when Thor ran faster, taking long, even strides ahead of her.

Once the entire rescue party arrived at the circular runic marker located deep into the forest and away from prying human eyes, Freya passed Sigyn into Sif's waiting arms. She then turned to Thor who gave her the songbird he held as gently as he could into her palms.

"Are you ready, Loki? This will hurt," Freya warned him. At his weak chirp of acknowledgment, she bent her lips close and blew on him gently.

Everyone watched in fascination as the yellow songbird in Freya's hands began convulsing and tossing wildly, Loki's body expanding and reconstructing itself from the inside out. She lowered her hands to the ground, silently observing as Loki's body mass grew to a more familiar size, his yellow feathers falling away and leaving bare, smooth skin. Also, Loki appeared to be screaming but Freya's magic had blotted out all sound. When the ordeal of his transformation was done, Loki lay naked and unconscious. Quickly conjuring a soft cloak, Freya, with Thor's help, swaddled Loki within it.

"Heimdall, we are ready," Freya called softly, cradling Loki's slender, sleeping form on her lap. She caressed his pale cheek gently, sighing as she gazed at Loki's slack features just before the glow of the Bifrost swept them away.

It was some time later in Asgard when Loki stirred from his unconscious state.

"Welcome back, Brother," Thor said with a wide smile as he sat cross-legged on the bed nearby.

"Nnngh...even the roots of my hair hurt," Loki groaned weakly.

"That's because I'm sitting on you," Thor declared proudly as he peered at his younger brother from above his head. "Your lovely hair makes a fine nest for me to rest in."

"As always, Brother, you graciousness astounds me," Loki replied dryly, returning his brother's gaze which was upside down as he hovered above him. "How long was I..?"

"Three days," Thor said, his voice more serious. "Little Sigyn refused to leave your bedside." He reached over and stroked the little girl's curly, platinum-blonde head as she slept.

Turning his head slowly to the left, Loki fondly regarded Sigyn's adorably peaceful sleeping face beside him. She was tethered to him by a strand of his hair, her little fingers purposefully tangled in them. Staring at her pensively, he became visibly upset as tears filled his eyes when he remembered the danger his negligence had brought her.

"What troubles you, Brother?" Thor asked with concern.

"I...I was so stupid...I should have been watching her more closely...it was only a moment that I looked away..." Loki's throat choked back a sob.

"Why do you weep? Sigyn is here, safe and sleeping beside you," Thor remarked, bounding off from the bed where he sat on his brother's hair so that he could look him in the eyes, right-side up. Crossing his arms, his mouth formed a lopsided smile as he shook his blond head. "You're overreacting."

"By Gungnir's Aim, I could have killed her!" Loki hissed sharply, ignoring the pain that the sudden movement of his head caused. "Imagine yourself at her tender age, alone, lost in Midgard and surrounded by a multitude of strange human faces! What those animals could have done to her..."

He bit back his anger fearing he'd wake her.

Thor remained silent, allowing his brother to ramble, knowing that he'd never get a word in while Loki was in a snit.

"Ah! Praise the Nine Waves you're awake," Frigga exclaimed when she stepped into her gentle son's bedchamber. Reaching Loki's bedside, a glimpse of his face sent her brow furrowing. "What has happened?" She feared her sons were in the midst of another of their violent arguments.

Her eldest simply rolled his eyes. "Loki's in one of his moods again. I swear, he acts more like a sister to me than a brother sometimes." His mother sent him a withering look. Scratching his head, he sighed and said, "He's in the throes of remorse for what happened to Sigyn."

Sitting by the edge of the bed, Frigga cupped her hands on either side of Loki's fair face, forcing him to meet her gaze. When renewed tears flowed down his cheeks, she bent down to kiss him on the forehead. "There, there, my son. There is no more need to fret. All is well."

"I deserve...whatever punishment is fitting," Loki whispered between hitched breaths. "I'm quite sure...Sigyn's family is...very displeased with me right now."

"Hush," Frigga admonished tenderly, carefully gathering her son's tangled raven hair and combing her fingers through them. She glanced affectionately at little Sigyn who slept peacefully nearby, curled into a ball around a strand of Loki's long hair. "She's so tired. She hasn't left your side since that night, did you know that?"

Surprised, Loki gazed at the little girl beside him. "What she must think of me," he whispered.

"She loves you dearly. It frightened her that you wouldn't wake when she shook you. She shook you hard," Frigga recalled, smiling at the memory.

"Yes, she would have," Loki whispered with a small smile.

"Mother, excuse me for a moment," Thor said, who'd stood quietly to one side listening to their conversation. He walked away briskly then sprinted out of the bedchamber.

"What's Thor doing now?" Loki observed wearily, frowning slightly.

"Your brother hasn't left your side, either," Frigga replied with a knowing look.

"He was sitting on my hair," Loki answered irritably and his mother laughed.

When Thor returned, he was pulling along a reluctant Sif who clearly wasn't pleased to be present. "Loki, Sif would like to tell you something." He then guided her closer to his younger brother's bedside.

Curious, Loki turned his gaze on Sif, who had some difficulty meeting his. "What is it that you wish to tell me?" he asked mildly.

Seeing how weak and helpless he looked, Sif bit her lip and fidgeted nervously.

"I'm...I'm here to ask for your forgiveness," she whispered.

Confused, Loki said, "Forgivness for what, Sif? You've done me no wrong."

"Yes, I have," Sif replied, nodding her head slowly. "When...you were in the form a yellow songbird...I may have...injured you during your rescue."

"Injured...?" Loki replied in confusion, recalling the events of that fearful night when Sif and Freya had appeared in Midgard to free them. "Oh. Was it when you held me so tightly in your hand that I couldn't breathe?" There was no anger in his tone.

"I'm sorry," Sif said as she went down on one knee with her head bowed and remained there.

Loki smiled. She seemd genuinely apologetic and he felt no need to prolong her contrition despite his temptation to do so.

"You're forgiven, Sif. Please, rise," Loki said. When she did, she was visibly relieved, sheepishly glancing at his mother.

"There you go! That wasn't so bad, was it?" Thor replied happily, grabbing Sif in a headlock while both Loki and his mother genially laughed at their antics.

Turning to glance at her gentle son, Frigga saw the uniquely tender gaze that Loki held only for Sigyn, but there was a hidden sadness to her smile.

Loki tossed his head as he slept, unaware that he mumbled words in the Aesir dialect. He was dreaming of the life he'd once had in the Realm of Asgard but the images were centered on someone in particular. Someone he hadn't thought about in a very long time.

"...Sigyn..."

His fitful sleep continued well into the night, his body emitting a strangely faint, greenish glow.

"Rise and shine, Boss Divine," Darcy Lewis called out, shaking Jane roughly on the shoulder.

"Mmmhmm. Few more minutes," Jane mumbled sluggishly.

"I'm. Not. Your. Mommy," Darcy said, emphasizing each word with a hard poke to Jane's ribs. "Wakey! I wanna go shopey!"

"Shopping...for what?" Jane said, rubbing her eyes.

"Cocktail gowns, lingerie, I don't fucking know. Whatever the hell it is you wear to a dinner hosted by Tony Stark."

Jane's eyes popped open. She looked around frantically, suddenly remembering where she was. "Holy shit. We're not in New Mexico anymore!"

"You know, Dorothy, I really doubt that bed back in your trailer's that comfortable," Darcy said with a smirk. "Seriously, Toto says, get the fuck up. It's like almost noon."

Yawning widely, Jane glanced around and as if on cue, the LCD screen in her room sprang to life, displaying the time and weather in large, digital numbers.

"Thanks, Jarv," Darcy called out with a grin. She'd been up for almost two hours and spent most of that time chatting with the supercomputer in Stark's basement.

"Jarv?" Jane said in disbelief.

"You know, the really cool A.I. dude downstairs in the Bat Cave. We've been hanging out since I woke up. Did you know that Jarvis can turn into a giant Playstation?"

Climbing out of bed, Jane ambled over to her en-suite bathroom. Darcy leaned against the threshold of the door.

"Where's Stark?" Jane asked as she examined her morning face in the mirror.

"He flew out to a meeting. His two EA's picked him up just after I woke up."

"Two? I thought he only had the one."

"Technically, yeah. Officially, it's the blonde woman, Pepper Potts. She was intimidating at first but she's pretty cool once we got talking," Darcy supplied. "Not too sure about the redhead though. I think her name was Natalie Rush...more...Rush...man. Anyway, that one screamed Dragon Bitch."

"Okay, lemme get showered and dressed so we can go shopping," Jane said. "Dunno about you, but I'm starving."

"I can eat. I've just been snacking," Darcy replied, turning to leave.

"Wait! I totally forgot, we don't have a car," Jane lamented.

"We're rockin' in that department," Darcy said with an excited grin. "Tony said we could use whichever car in the basement we're brave enough to drive."

Whirling to face her friend and colleague, Jane's mouth hung open. "Are you serious? He gave us permission to drive his collection of exotic sports cars?"

"Yup," Darcy said with a grin, a loud pop to her 'P.'

Grinning impishly, Jane replied, "I better hurry getting ready then."

Loki's eyes drifted open and he looked around the dimness of his surroundings, momentarily disoriented. The furniture in his bedchamber was crude and dull, and it took a full minute for him to realize where he was.

"Oh...I'm on Earth," he mumbled disappointedly, staring at the light fixture on the roof of his bedchamber. At least my accommodations have improved. The female's dwelling had been so cramped and miserable compared to where he was now. So it begins. He wasn't the least bit enthusiastic about living his life as a mortal human...

Of the many planets in the Realm of Midgard, why was he exiled to Earth? Why wasn't he stranded with the Kree or plodding the Shi'ar Empire? Odin's Eye! He would've even settled for wandering the stars with the detestably dull Galactus!

I wonder if that pedantic Living Tribunal has anything to do with my current quandary, Loki thought angrily. In my present form, however...I've now been made...ordinary. Irrelevant. His anger turned to sadness. There's no use for further thoughts on the matter.

Moving his fingers reflexively before he could stop himself, Loki realized that the digits of his left hand seemed whole. He felt less pain from them and some strength had returned. Raising his left arm, he examined his fingers that were bound tightly in a single, formfitting splint.

Before he was tempted to free his bandaged fingers with his teeth, he heard footsteps approaching his door. That must be the female.

True to his prediction, Bryn entered the bedchamber with a bright smile.

"Hey, you. Figured you'd be awake," she greeted, walking straight to the curtains of his windows. "Sunshine coming up. You might wanna look the other way."

The instant Loki turned his head, his bedchamber was flooded with bright light. He was grateful that this time, Bryn had given him some warning.

"You feeling hungry?"

"Not at the moment," Loki replied. "Would you help me sit up?"

"Sure." Bryn walked over and eased him upright. "You're looking a lot better today." Her eyes scanned his body's injures with interest. "It's amazing how fast you're healing."

"Am I?" Loki said skeptically. His human body's rate of healing was immensely slow compared to his Asgardian form. "I rather doubt that."

"Hey, I was studying to become a doctor, remember? It takes months to heal broken bones. You're doing it in weeks," Bryn pointed out. "I almost called the Guinness Book of World Records on you."

"Are you implying that I'm not considered...ordinary?"

"You? 'Ordinary?' Maybe in your hometown. Don't know what they feed you in Iceland but you're not exactly what I call an average guy," Bryn replied. 'Freak' would be a better word. I'm not saying that to your face though. She noticed that Adam was somehow pleased with the idea of being...abnormal. Peachy. "So, what do wanna do?"

"Presently, I dearly crave a bath," Loki replied eagerly.

"We can do that," Bryn said. "It'll give me the chance to change your bandages anyway. I'll go run the water."

Before she entered the en-suite bathroom, the female took out the pitcher of 'lemonade' from the night-stand table and poured him a fresh glass.

"Don't think you'll be needing that straw for much longer," Bryn remarked with a smile. She returned the pitcher then left for the bathroom.

Discovering that he wasn't entirely 'ordinary' in his human body gave Loki a sliver of hope. Perhaps the terms of his exile were conditional upon irrefutable proof of his 'good behavior.' If that was true, he had a very long road ahead of him.

"Hello, there," Mars greeted as he walked in cautiously.

"Hello, Marius."

"Just call me, Mars. I insist. We're all friends here. Besides, unless you have any objection to it, we've decided to officially adopt you," Mars said proudly. When Adam's brows furrowed in confusion, he reworded. "What I meant was that you're welcome to stay here with us indefinitely."

"That is...most generous of you and Alvis. I...don't know what to say...other than...I am sincerely grateful," Loki replied, taken aback by his immediate acceptance from the humans. Also, had he wanted to stay with them? In truth, he had nowhere else to go. His goal was to find Thor's human female, Jane...but where to start looking?

I only know the woman's first name. It will be exceedingly difficult for me to find her without more information. I'd best stay here and learn all I can.

"Hey, Mars," Bryn greeted as she emerged from Adam's bathroom en-suite.

"What're we up to today?" Mars asked with a smile.

"Adam says he's strong enough for a soak in the tub. I think it's a good idea."

Loki looked toward Mars curiously, a question foremost on his mind.

"Mars, last night...I heard music on a piano," Loki remarked. "Who was playing it?"

"That would be me," Mars said shyly. "I hope I wasn't too loud."

"No, no. I'm...grateful that you played. The song was soothing. You play well," Loki complimented.

Blushing slightly, Mars fidgeted bashfully. "Thank you. That's really sweet of you to say. I haven't played in a while since this place got renovated. Had to put my poor baby into storage."

'Baby?' What's the relevancy of an infant here?

Bryn noted Adam's confused expression. He seemed to be doing that a lot.

"Mars here's being too modest. If he didn't go Vegas, he would've been a classical concert pianist. He's a kind of prodigy," Bryn grinned.

"Don't listen to her, it's just a hobby," Mars denied humbly. "Anyway, I hear water running. You need help taking him in there?"

"You strong enough to stand?" Bryn asked her unusual patient.

"I think so," Loki replied, slowly sliding off the bed and onto his feet. When he tried to stand, he wobbled unsteadily.

"That would be a no," Bryn said as she and Mars darted to assist him.

The three of them hobbled to the en-suite bathroom where a dark, rectangular tub was set three steps above the main stoned floor against large, mildly tinted panel windows. The overall design of Adam's en-suite was modern, minimalist and masculine. Dark stone with thin veins of white and silver ran from the floor to the walls, a tempered glass shower stall was in a corner beside the vanity table and in the middle of the room was a soft, shaggy rug. All the fixtures were simple, clean, geometric and angled. There was the smell of sandalwood from the bubble bath solution.

They sat him carefully on the edge of the tub, Loki staring curiously at the frothy mass that covered the churning water of his bath. The bubbling noise sounded similar to what he'd heard when he'd stayed at the female's tiny dwelling, except not as loudly.

"Would you kindly remove these splints? I prefer to bathe without them," Loki requested, nodding toward his right shoulder and holding out his left arm.

"It's too soon for your hand but I can do your shoulder," Bryn advised.

"I'll be fine. Please?" Loki asked, softening his features.

Does he have any idea what that face can do? Bryn grumbled to herself. "Fine, Superman. Why not?" She reluctantly walked over to him and tugged on the bandages that secured his shoulder in place.

"Here, just cut the lot," Mars suggested, handing Bryn a pair of scissors.

Loki waited patiently while Bryn freed him of the bandages around his shoulder.

"He still looks bruised though," Mars commented.

Last night, when the three of them seriously discussed Adam's fate, Mars agreed with Bryn's assessment that their new guest was a certifiable Freak Of Nature...and an amazingly hot one! Also, the guy had impeccable posture as he sat elegantly on the tub's edge like a professional ballet dancer. Moving off to one side, Mars gathered up the discarded bandages and placed them in the trash.

"Okay, how's your shoulder feel?" Bryn asked, carefully tracing the line of his collar bone with her fingers. Nothing bent out of shape, that's good.

Gingerly rotating his shoulder, Loki tested to see how much movement he was allowed. He winced when it stung as he tried to lift his arm higher.

"Don't push it or you'll re-break it," Bryn warned. "I need to figure out how to get you x-rayed. Don't wanna take any chances."

"Alvi's taking care of that," Mars replied. "He knows someone who can get Adam here some, uh, permanent identification."

"Really? I didn't know Alvi was so James Bond," Bryn laughed.

"I wonder about him sometimes, y'know? Even after a decade living with him, that man can still shock the living shit out of me," Mars chuckled.

"You complain a lot about it, but I know you love his whole Man of Mystery thing," Bryn replied with a grin.

"Too true, too true," Mars agreed with a coy smile.

Listening to their conversation, Loki found their use of words entertaining even if he only understood a quarter of what they spoke about. He had to find a way to remedy that. They began to notice how often he stared at them in bewilderment.

When Bryn released the fingers of his left hand from the form-fitted splint, Loki slowly moved each digit. His joints ached and stung like his shoulder but the pain was manageable.

"Like your shoulder, I don't advise lifting anything with those fingers yet," Bryn said, inspecting the bruised, torn flesh of his hand. What a shame, that's probably gonna scar. She recalled images of Adam's berserker episode in her basement apartment and it made her shudder, her fingers absently scratching at the healing wounds on her arms under her long-sleeved shirt.

Turning toward the inviting water in his tub, Loki wiggled out of his pajama bottoms as he sat on the edge, glancing at Bryn and Mars who both quickly turned around.

"Okay, I'm outta here," Bryn said briskly, walking out of the bathroom before either of the men saw her blush.

Mars remained behind in case Adam needed assistance, taking a deep, meditative breath before he gamely turned around. He bit his lip when he saw the perfectly sculpted flesh that was Adam's rear profile as the gorgeous man twisted away from him, testing the temperature of the water. I'm going to faint! Clearing his throat and praying his face wasn't embarrassingly flushed, Mars wrung his hands nervously as he stepped closer to the tub. "Need any help?" His voice sounded squeaky.

"Perhaps a little, getting in?" Loki said, not trusting his still weakened body to properly support him. When he reached out to take Mars's hand he saw that the man was trembling. "Are you well?"

"Hmnh?" Mars asked, a little too sharply. "What do you mean?"

"You're shaking," Loki observed.

Oh, Dear God. "I'm fine. I just don't want to break you," Mars lied smoothly as he assisted Adam into the tub. Don't look, Mars, for fucks sake, don't look!

Once inside the frothy liquid, the hot, bubbling water felt glorious as it splashed and lapped against his naked body. Loki smiled and released a (sexy) moan of contentment as he leaned back into the comfortable seat molded inside the tub, closing his eyes.

Mars quickly stumbled out of the en-suite bathroom, his skin and lower extremities felt like they were on fire. Bastard just had to make that sound, he mentally muttered as he hastily beelined for the master bedroom and straight into a cold shower.

"I love this car!" Jane Foster screamed into the wind with glee. Her friend Darcy sat beside her in the passenger's seat grinning like a madwoman and holding on for dear life. The wind buffeted their hair as they sped along Pacific Coast Hwy. 1 toward Santa Monica.

"Jane, you're a maniac!" Darcy laughed as she danced in her seat to the music blaring loudly from the Audi R8 Spyder's custom speakers. Nothing spikes adrenaline levels like a super-fast exotic topdown, good tunes, a roaring engine and a crazy driver.

A blinking prompt on the dashboard's Navi read 'incoming call' as Darcy shrugged and pressed the on-screen's virtual button.

"Hello, ladies, having fun?" Stark's grinning face showed up on the monitor.

The R8 swerved dangerously into the opposite lane, Jane startled by the unexpected appearance of the car's owner.

"Mr. Stark!" Jane exclaimed in surprise.

"Tony."

"Uh..."

"Like your ride?"

"Yes! Yes, this car's amazing," Jane replied, slightly flushed.

"Not too much for you to handle, I hope?" Stark goaded.

"This thing? Purrs like a kitten," Jane answered, rising to the challenge. "Don't worry, I'll bring it back in one piece."

"Do whatever you want to it. It's on the house," Stark grinned. "Hold on a sec," He moved off-camera for a moment. "Sorry, ladies, gotta go, business calls. Feel free to use the credit card in the glove box. You girls have a blast." Winking, he blipped off the Navi monitor.

The two women looked at each other briefly with stunned expressions before Darcy dove into the car's glove box and pulled out a red and gold envelope addressed to Jane. When Darcy opened the envelope, there was a folded square-shaped greeting card. Inside the greeting card was a completely black carbon fiber credit card with a bluish-silver sheen on both sides.

"Fuck. Me. Sideways," Darcy blurted before she could stop herself. "Jane," her voice in a higher octave as she held the card in her hand like a precious relic. "This is like...the Holy Grail of credit cards."

"Lemme see that," Jane said, snatching the card from Darcy to examine it while trying to mind the road. Her eyes widened when she recognized what she held from pictures posted on Forbes dot com. "No way..."

They exchanged loaded glances as the smiles broadened on their faces.

"Let's go spend some money," Darcy said diabolically.

Almost drifting off to sleep, Loki opened his eyes as he sat relaxed and contented inside the bubbling water of his bath. Glancing at his surroundings, he found the bathing room's adornments comfortable and pleasant, the large windows providing a generous amount of sunshine. Perhaps among the humans, Alvis and Marius were men of some wealth and status which benefitted him perfectly. He'd rather spend his days adjusting to his human body in relative comfort.

To his right, placed in a line on the ledge of his tub by the panel windows were three large bottles. He read the words in big, bold letters: 'Shampoo', 'Conditioner' and 'Body Wash.' Picking up each of the bottles, he read the smaller words imprinted on them. Much of what was written was nonsense to him but he recognized some of the herbs, fruits and vegetables listed under 'ingredients.' Much of his knowledge on herbs and plants was taught to him by Frigga and Freya or gleaned from Eir the Healer, who kept the most extensive collection of flora in Asgard - a golden hoard he'd occasionally 'borrowed' from whenever he needed something in particular.

Why are there two different potions to for hair? Wouldn't it be more efficient to simply have one?

Shaking his head, he slowly lifted himself to his knees and using his left forearm, partially pressed down on the Shampoo bottle's spout that instructed him to 'push.' Out poured a thick, clear liquid that smelled of stronger sandalwood that pooled in his right palm. Dipping his head so he wouldn't have to lift his right arm, he lathered the substance into his hair. He did it slowly, the fingers of his left hand aching painfully while he struggled with the strain on his right shoulder. Frustrated, he stopped momentarily to ease the throbbing that made him wince.

There was a soft knock to the open door of his bathing room. Oddly enough, the female, Brynhild had a delightful talent for timely appearances.

"Yes, I require your assistance," Loki replied before she could ask.

"Um...you read minds too?" Bryn said warily, hesitating at the door.

"Not...to my knowledge," Loki answered haltingly.

Although, that ability would be of great use to me.

"Figured you might need help with your hair," Bryn said with a shrug as she entered the bathroom.

She'd originally went to find Mars, asking him to check up on Adam but after he'd left in a hurry earlier, he'd politely refused further contact with their guest for the rest of the day. She suspected that Adam had no sense of modesty, probably something cultural from his part of the world, and may have done something 'inappropriate' that went beyond what even Mars could handle. Not that Mars had anything against nudity, but he obviously had a major crush on Adam and he'd rather avoid embarrassment.

Concerning herself, as long as Adam stayed under the thick bubbles, she'd have no problems either. She wasn't blind. For a man, Adam was an ideal fucking work of art! His body was perfectly muscled and proportioned, his face handsome and expressive. He even had an immaculate English accent (for a native of Iceland) in the smoothest, most well-enunciated speaking voice she'd ever heard in her life! Then there were his other (bonus) characteristics like super-soft skin, impossibly silky hair and Hollywood hairless. In other words, yeah, the guy was totally fucking hot...and, just her luck, probably gay. Knowing her poor track record with men, there was a high possibility. Whatever.

Bryn fished an elastic tucked in the low waistband of her gray Yoga pants, tying her hair in a loose ponytail at the top of her head. She tugged briefly at her white spaghetti strap tee which had a tendency to ride up her waist. Glancing at the clock on the vanity, she had time to do some Yoga before her stage performance downstairs.

"Can you scoot over here for me?" Bryn suggested, walking to the dark tub and kneeling on the top step opposite the bath products.

Using his legs to maneuver himself to the female, Loki leaned against the side of the tub with his back to her, his head within easy reach. Brynhild's fingers were strong and soothing as they glided over his skull in steady, even circles. Having his head scrubbed in this manner made him feel like a child again.

Staring pensively at the bubbling water, Loki remembered the echoing fits of innocent, joyous laughter as he and Thor, both very energetic toddlers, splashed about rambunctiously in the mineral hot springs of Fensalir, their mother's hall. Frigga had long since given up trying to catch them and sat to one side patiently, smiling tenderly as she watched them play. It was a warm and happy memory that brought tears to his eyes.

Frigga had known from the beginning what he was...and yet she'd loved him just as dearly, just as fiercely as her own flesh and blood: her first-born, his older brother Thor. Although he didn't have the same relationship that Thor shared with the All-Father, he had always been very fond of Frigga and she of him.

I miss you, Mother, and I hope that you're well. Please, forgive me. I may never see you again, Loki thought solemnly as he swallowed back the rising lump in his throat.

"All done," Bryn announced, effectively breaking the spell of sadness that had veiled over him. "Lemme give you a rinse."

Turning his head slightly, Loki watched Brynhild from the periphery of his vision as she fiddled with the metal attachments of his tub, checking the temperature of the flowing water with her fingers. When she was satisfied, she pulled the top half of the main spout free with a soft click, the flowing water continuing uninterrupted.

A sensible invention, Loki thought absently, moving away from the side of the tub and tipping his head back when Brynhild began rinsing his hair. Closing his eyes, he surrendered to the simple pleasure of being washed.

This is nice, Bryn thought as she carefully rinsed away the last of the shampoo and taking a little longer than necessary. She'd never bathed anyone before, least of all a full-grown man and she glanced at the conditioner bottle just before she finished. "You probably don't need any conditioner, your hair's super-soft already...but do want some anyway?" What am I doing?

"If it means that I get more of your wonderful fingers kneading my head, then certainly do so," Loki answered, wishing to remain distracted from the dark thoughts encroaching on him. When Brynhild hesitated, his lips drew up in a coltish little smile as he sensed her ruse. The female had enjoyed bathing him and wanted to prolong her actions. Since he'd felt the same way, he permitted it.

With Adam's back turned, Bryn had the freedom to blush. Hot Guy had just given her a compliment and she didn't stop the flattered smile that erupted on her face. Reattaching the faucet fixture, she reached for the Conditioner bottle and squeezed a generous dollop of the stuff onto her palm, determined to pay Adam back with the best head massage she could muster. I knew those Reflexology classes would come in handy, Bryn grinned proudly to herself.

"I dunno, Darcy, it's a bit expensive, I think," Jane said, staring at the price tag of a designer dress in the women's section of Bloomingdales inside the Santa Monica Place Shopping Center.

"The guy's loaded, Jay-Jay. I don't think he'll mind," Darcy insisted.

"It's a twelve-hundred dollar dress," Jane said, glaring at her friend. She balked at the impracticality of it. Granted, the dress was gorgeous, comfortable and it made her look like a movie star walking the red carpet but she wasn't comfortable abusing Stark's generosity. "I know he's a gazillionaire, Dare...I just don't know."

"Well, I want mine. Besides, I've seen the way Stark looks at you. When he sees you in that thing, it'll seal the deal," Darcy replied with a wide grin. Knowing Jane had the chance for a relationship that was happening now and located here on planet Earth, she couldn't resist pushing the idea of her with Stark. The guy was funny, playful, on the same intellectual wavelength as Jane, mega-rich and sending her clear signals. Well, Jane currently hadn't noticed those signals but she definitely did. Sorry, Thor. You ain't here.

"What look? Stark gave me a look?" Jane asked, confused. "When?"

"Last night, genius," Darcy said, rolling her eyes. "He's like totally into you." She watched as Jane seemed thoughtful for a minute, then she shook her head, her face serious.

"I'm not giving up on Thor until I know for sure that he's given up on me," Jane said stubbornly.

Shit. Now I've done it. "Jane...I know Thor promised you he'd come back...but we haven't heard from him in months," Darcy argued softly. "He's not even human, Jay-Jay."

"I'm not listening to this," Jane frowned, walking away in a huff.

Darcy hated herself right now. She knew that whatever Jane felt for Thor was real. Anyway, wasn't Jane supposed to be the practical one here? Cursing, she quickly chased after her. "Jane! Listen, I'm sorry. Forget whatever the hell I said. I know you love Thor but you've just been so miserable lately, I guess I wasn't thinking straight. I just worry about you. Okay?"

Stopping her angry strides, Jane took a deep breath and turned around. There were tears in her eyes and her lips were quivering.

"What's wrong with me, Darcy...am I being stupid?" Jane said, her voice wavering. "I can't help it...I wish I could...but I've never felt like this before." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I miss Thor."

Fucking hell, she's having a nervous breakdown in the middle of Bloomingdales, Darcy thought in dismay, going straight to Jane and hugging her tightly. "Come on, let's go someplace quiet and get you cleaned up."

Looking around, Darcy saw a sign that pointed them to the nearest women's public restroom. Rubbing her sobbing friend's shoulders consolingly, she began walking in that direction, ignoring the curious stares of strangers around them.

Mmm...that feels good, Loki admitted to himself. The human female's fingers were more talented than he anticipated. Leaning back contentedly, he felt completely relaxed and if not for his arms that were spread along the ledge of the tub or his legs that were propped to keep him upright, he would've easily slid under the bubbling water.

He wasn't adverse to being pampered - most Asgardians were in excess of it - but he had only ever indulged himself for his visiting Alfar playmates during a period in his life when he wore his hair in the Alfar fashion: ridiculously long, especially for an Asgardian male. The Alfar were notorious for latching onto anything aesthetically pleasing and he entertained their flattery. He remembered their disappointment when he'd decided to cut his hair short and noted that his Alfar playmates' visits lessened in frequency over time. It was just as well. He'd grown tired of them and their superficial doting.

Oh...oh...I like that...

The female's fingers had applied more pressure and were drifting lower to the back of his neck. His Asgardian body rarely ached unless he'd been injured in battle or after prolonged physical exertion during training or sex, so there wasn't any real need for massage as a necessity, rather, it was more of a luxury. In his present human form, however, he found that his mortal body with its diminished resilience - requiring him to do more maintenance in general - responded surprisingly beyond his usual sensitivity. It was an intriguing observation and one that required further study...some other time...

Loki's velvety moans of satisfaction made Bryn gape and blush, her fingers almost stopping in their tracks.

So that's what got Mars all worked up, Bryn thought as she bit her lip. This guy sounds like a porn star!

"You, uh, doing okay there, Adam?"

"...hmnh?" Loki responded distractedly, his eyes half-open.

"I'm ready to rinse you off now," Bryn replied from behind him.

"No need," Loki drawled lazily and slowly sunk down into the tub.

Peering at the churning water with some concern, Bryn was tempted to haul Adam up when he stayed submerged far longer than she would've liked. It's like I caught a merman and he's living in my bathtub, Bryn thought with a laugh. Adam's jet black hair was splayed out and floated just above the surface of the swirling water. How long's he gonna stay under there? When Adam finally surfaced, his hair covered his face completely like a miniature Cousin It from The Addams Family.

Loki parted the hair from his face and caught Brynhild smiling at him. She then stood up and took some clean, dry towels, placing them within easy reach near the tub.

"I've got work to do. You gonna be fine by yourself for a while?"

"Where do you...work?" Loki said curiously.

"Downstairs, ground floor. Alvi and Mars own a club."

"What...kind of...club?"

"Just your basic adult bar. It's got a great dance floor too," Bryn replied generally. She wasn't ready to go into too much detail about her line of work yet. Most men acted weird after they found out what she did. Also, she wasn't exactly a 'stripper.' Her stage performances were more artistic than just a full-on naked slut-fest; her routines carefully choreographed and costumed by Mars's bottomless creativity. Many of their patrons even suggested that Mars should've ran off to Vegas, an opinion she also shared.

There was a big part of her that hoped Adam would react more positively to her 'exotic dancing' when he eventually found out. She only did it to pay the bills and she couldn't resist the enormous paychecks she received every week.

Okay, maybe the money wasn't her sole motivation.

When she'd first gone up on stage, she thought she'd cry from extreme nervousness and embarrassment. It wasn't exactly a career she ever pictured herself remotely doing, especially if her parents were still alive. In time, with gentle encouragement from Alvi and Mars, her stage performances boosted her confidence to a level she'd never thought possible. She felt beautiful, powerful and desired. When she danced onstage in full make-up, mask and costume, she lost herself in the moment, thrilling to the music and the energy of the people watching her. It was a total rush and it made her, for lack of a better word, happy.

Today, she was supposed to do a double shift and bar-tend as well as dance, but her two male 'mothers' had argued that she needed to mind their guest. In other words, they didn't want Adam potentially running amok in their condo unsupervised for too long.

"I...see." To Loki, most of what Brynhild had told him made absolutely no sense. He had no idea what manner of 'club' the female was referring to. She'd explained that the 'club' where she worked was an 'adult bar with a great dance floor.' For him, a 'club' was a formidable weapon used in battle. As for the dancing, he supposed that one needed an ideal space in which to do this. "You may leave me."

"You sure? I can try finding Mars again to..."

"There's no need to fuss. I'll be fine...unless...you have a desire to bathe the rest of me?"

Bryn did a double-take. At first, she wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly but the look on Adam's face spoke volumes. His eyes twinkled and his mouth was quirked in a mischievous smile. Cheeky bastard, aren't you? She was usually 'game on' when it came to harmless flirting, she'd had more than her fair share of practice at the club, but she wasn't too sure about Adam yet. "Maybe next time," she replied with a smile, shaking her head.

Grinning, Loki watched Brynhild exit the bathing room and took an appreciative note of how tightly her leggings clung to her firm backside.

Now there's a bit of clothing I wouldn't mind seeing more of in Asgard.

Once Jane calmed down, she and Darcy headed over to the nearest restaurant for a bite to eat. A place called Café Crepe called to them from across the road.

"Can't believe I acted like such a crybaby in the middle of a mall," Jane said, embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it. I'd probably be just as messed up if I fell for a guy from another universe," Darcy said in a teasing tone. Jane couldn't help but laugh.

"Sounds really stupid, doesn't it?" Jane said, swishing her fork around her plate.

"If it makes you feel any better...I kinda have a crush on Jarvis," Darcy said, nibbling her lower lip.

"Stark's computer? You have a crush on Stark's computer?" Jane replied incredulously.

"Geez, you make Jarv sound like a calculator, so lemme set the record straight here. Jarvis is a supercomputer with Artificial Intelligence," Darcy explained. "Besides, he sounds kinda sexy." Jane gave her a disbelieving look.

"You know what? That does make me feel better," Jane replied and flinched with a laugh when Darcy threw a strawberry at her.

After a span of companionable silence while they ate, Darcy bit her lip and said,"We should go back for those dresses. Let's live it up a little and have a some fun. I'm sure that's what Stark had in mind. Why else would he let us play with his stuff?"

"I guess," Jane said, still feeling uncomfortable about what Darcy had told her. Suddenly, a random thought occurred to her. Did Stark have a more personal motive for inviting her to his home? That possibility was more frightening to her than never seeing Thor again!

Loki draped the washcloth he'd used on his body on the ledge of the tub. He decided that he liked the bottle of 'Body Wash' which had a relaxing scent of sandalwood and a pleasant, grainy feel to it against his skin. The bath water he sat in no longer felt hot and he managed to quiet the mechanism for the churning water. Sliding to the tub's water spout he looked down and saw a metallic circle with the words 'push' engraved on it. As the water in the tub drained itself, Loki slid to the opposite side of the tub where Brynhild had left him clean towels. Carefully, he bent over and dried his hair, his injured right shoulder and left hand twinging painfully with the effort. He waited till the draining water was at its lowest point before he began drying his body. He didn't want his towel sopping wet.

Now, how to leave this tub without further injuring myself.

The steps of the dais weren't very high but the smooth stone made the surface slippery for his damp feet. It was beneficial for him that Brynhild left behind more than one dry towel.

Draping the damp towel he'd used across the low steps, Loki partially stood on top of the washcloth he placed at his feet in the tub. Using his left arm for leverage, he grunted as he sat himself on the tub's ledge. Drying the soles of his feet on the clean towel he'd spread on the floor, he used his legs to lift himself up to his full height. Patiently, he eased his way toward the vanity table in the bathing room and sat down on the soft bench.

In the mirror, Loki examined his appearance and was somewhat relieved that he looked greatly improved compared to the last time he saw his reflection. His pallor was still a bit too pale and he was rather thin from lack of proper nourishment, but most of the gashes and bruising of his injuries had faded to dull spots of purple and yellow, except for the uglier ones that remained on his left hand and an area of his right shoulder.

Taking a comb from the table, Loki untangled his damp hair which he normally kept enchanted so that most of the strands stayed away from his eyes during combat. Since he wasn't under any kind of danger at the moment and uncertain whether he'd retained any of his magical ability in his new body, he left his hair in a loose, wavy mass to air dry. He briefly browsed the various bottles and containers in front of him and found them frivolous. Grunting as he stood up, he carefully left the bathing room.

On his bed, he saw that new garments were laid out for him: loose gray trousers, a shirt of the same color and other items that specifically covered his body's genitalia. Ignoring the undergarments, Loki, with some difficulty, wore the very comfortable, low-waisted trousers made from a wonderfully light, breathable cloth.

I'm hungry, Loki thought, prompted by an uncomfortable ache in his stomach. He glanced at the small cabinet that Brynhild used to store the pitcher of lemonade. Leaning against the edge of his mattress, he reached over with his foot and pulled open the night-stand door, feeling the breeze of crisp, cold air that spilled from its interior.

An ice box to keep perishable food cold, Loki thought with interest.

In Asgard, food was always prepared fresh and there were never any leftovers since Andhrimmer, The Cook, intuitively knew the precise portions to serve them with the help of his enchanted, tremendous golden kettle, Eldhrimmer. Common drinks at supper or at a feast were ale, wine or honeyed milk from either Heidrun, (a white alpha-nanny goat) or Eikthrynir (a large reindeer), both of which grazed from the leaves of the giant tree, Laerad, that hung over the tops of the glittering golden thatched roofs of the halls of Gladsheim and Valhalla. Food consisted of a selection or combination of poultry, goat, lamb, vegetables and fruit. (Enchanted livestock were well-cared for in pens at Fensalir and most of the fruits and vegetables were imported from the agricultural capital of the Nine Worlds: Vanaheim) Reserved for certain occasions were special sweets and a strong cider made from the golden apples that grew in Iduna's orchard. Every meal was different, flavorsome and immensely satisfying.

I'll have to make do with feeding this body on the native agriculture of Earth.

He was still relatively weak to move around but he'd grown tired of his chamber, craving liberation from being bedridden for so long. Using the furniture in his room and the walls to lean against to steady himself, Loki slowly made it to his door.

Now, let's see what lies beyond this chamber.

A few thousand dollars later, Jane and Darcy sped their way back to Stark's mansion loaded with shopping bags and boxes, the pair exhilarated by their Audi R8 Spyder joyride and by the freedom of unlimited credit.

"I can't believe we spent five-thousand dollars in one afternoon!" Jane exclaimed, dismayed as a gray cloud of guilt crept up on her.

"Chump change to a gazillionaire," Darcy replied with a grin, unloading her bags from the Audi R8 in the underground garage of Stark's mansion. "Right, Jarvis?"

"It's an inaccurate description of Mr. Stark's finances but allegorically acceptable," Jarvis answered dryly.

"See?" Darcy beamed. Jane laughed and shook her head. "Anyway, you'll forget how much that stuff costs after you put the whole thing on tonight."

"I guess." Jane sounded distant.

"Come on, let's get you all dolled up," Darcy coaxed, nudging Jane toward the Plexiglas door out of the garage to the upstairs living area. "Unlock, please, Jarvis."

"Okay, okay, I'm moving," Jane grinned when her friend kept nudging her from behind as they stomped up the stairs. "You're really serious about trying to set me up with Stark, aren't you?"

"Well, the guy already kinda opened the door. I'm just trying to shove you through it," Darcy replied determinedly.

"I still think you're imagining things. Stark and I barely even know each other."

"Never underestimate the power of hormones," Darcy stated confidently. "For all we know, he's already done the whole stalker private detective thing on you. He doesn't even need to hire one, he probably just used Jarvis. Satellite imaging and hacking databases, crap like that. Besides, if you two hook up, I'm so gonna be your bridesmaid."

"That's a little overboard," Jane replied.

"Well, wherever Thor is, if the dude's watching," Darcy looked up toward the ceiling. "If you can hear us, O god of thunder, you're gonna need to get your Barbie-blond, muscled ass down here pronto or I'm setting Jane up with Tony! I'm sick and tired of seeing her so miserable. She deserves better. Someone here, someone now! You listening, big guy?"

"Hey, calm down," Jane said a bit worriedly. Her friend looked angry.

"I'm officially throwing down the gauntlet," Darcy kept calling out, spinning in place with her purchases in her hands. Then she stopped and shrugged, staring pointedly at her boss-lady, adding, "Ya can't keep waiting for the phone to ring."

"Part of me knows you're right," Jane confessed. "It's trying to convince the other half of me that wants to wait till my face turns blue." She pouted, flopping down onto the nearest couch in a boneless heap, closing her eyes and pressing her knuckles to her temples.

"Listen, don't sweat it. We'll get all sexy, have a nice dinner, chitchat with Mr. Iron Man...feel him out, roll with the punches."

"Great, now I feel like a gold-digger," Jane lamented.

"You overanalyze stuff too much. Do it with your work but keep it out of your love-life. Love doesn't have an equation, Jane, coz it's just way too unpredictable and chaotic. Like you and Thor or me and..." Darcy stopped short and bit her lip.

Jane's eyes flashed to Darcy. "You keeping a secret boyfriend from me?"

"Uh, nope. I...forget I said anything," Darcy replied quickly, looking elsewhere but her friend's face. Fuck. I'm so screwed.

Leaning forward from where she sat, Jane narrowed her eyes and studied her friend's strange, uncomfortable expression. She can't be. "Darcy...you're not...'in love' with Jarvis...are you?"

Scratching her head and laughing in a self-deprecating manner, Darcy wrinkled a corner of her lip. "You think you and Thor are messed up? At least Thor's flesh and blood - that we know of. I'm falling for an advanced super-computer...which I totally blame on my infatuation with Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, by the way."

"Come on. You're right. Let's go get fabulous and have fun tonight," Jane replied as she stood up, sat beside Darcy and gave her a tight hug.

In the large, modern kitchen of his male hosts' dwelling, Loki went about exploring every cabinet and corner that he had access to. He familiarized himself with the location of every useful item, like cooking and eating utensils, food storage, spices and pantry contents. A mechanical device substituted an open-flamed hearth for cooking, something that he preferred to learn how to use himself rather than ask the humans. Since it was a device that served a basic, everyday function, the humans would certainly find it strange if they discovered that he had no knowledge of how to operate it.

Devices had manuals, that much he knew. From his brief visits to other more advanced cultures in Midgard, he saw some fundamental similarities. Earth's population had moved forward far faster with their technologies than he'd thought possible. Then again, he hadn't exactly kept up with any of the exploration journals concerning the humans of Earth since his first visit with Thor which had left a very unfavorable impression on him.

If only I had a book that told me what all these devices are and what they do, Loki thought with mild irritation. All he found were a large collection of cookbooks - that made his mouth water - but nothing on how to operate the mechanical hearth. Shrugging, he approached the device and studied the various glyphs on a slanted panel that appeared to be the main console, noticing the prominent circular dials. There were smaller symbols beside the dials that seemed to correspond to...location.

Let's give it a try, then.

Twisting one of the dials to 'Max', Loki was momentarily stunned when a plume of flame erupted from one of the exposed metallic 'crowns' on the surface of the device. He quickly returned the dial to the 'Off' position.

Well, that solves that. Which would mean that these little notches on the dials...

He twisted one of the dials again but this time began at 'Min' and observed that the size of the flame progressed in ferocity toward 'Max.'

Grinning proudly to himself, Loki then went about the kitchen to make himself a meal. Pulling free a random cookbook from a selection on the counter, he flipped through the 'Breakfast' section and found the recipe for an 'Omelet.' When he found the contents of a combination to his liking, he scoured the kitchen for all the listed ingredients. Ignoring the twinges of pain from his left hand and right shoulder, Loki set a pan on one of the burners, finely chopped all the ingredients, added spices and soon enough as the instructions had stated, he'd made an 'Omelet.'

Smirking, he recalled how his brother Thor had ridiculed him constantly about spending too much time in Fensalir (Frigga's hall) with their mother's helpers and handmaidens doing 'domestic' work instead of combat training with him, Sif and his Warriors Three like a proper Asgardian champion. He'd tried Thor's way for a while, honing his physical prowess on the battlefield with various weapons and tactics for killing or disarming an opponent individually or in groups. They'd always paired him with Sif who disliked the bias more than he did and as a result, she took her immense frustrations out on him. It was for the best, however, he felt that the competitive camaraderie he'd developed with Sif benefitted them both. She was guaranteed to be his most lethal and cunning opponent during training and, in his opinion, simulated the best conditions in an actual fight. He remembered on more than several occasions when their sparring had turned morbidly intense and it took Thor and The Warriors Three all they had to pry them apart.

Memories of home, Loki thought sadly before he returned to making his meal.

The most difficult maneuver for him was reaching a plate, having to grit his teeth from the sharp jab of his protesting shoulder as he stretched to take one from an overhead cabinet.

Now that Loki had his meal ready to eat on a plate, he searched the area for something to read. Browsing the shelf in the living room, his eyes focused on two thick books that read 'Thesaurus' and 'Dictionary' in big, bold letters on their spines. When he took both books down and flipped through their pages, his face lit up in delight.

Perfect! Lexicons! These books should provide me with the words I need to sound...human.

Loki balked in disgust at having to use the designation for his current condition.

Both books had a fair amount of weight and in his weakened state, he nearly dropped them trying to transport them to the kitchen.

Pushing his stool closer to the stone counter, Loki sat down with his omelet and began reading, starting with the Dictionary.

Marius Casen sat comfortably in a designated VIP booth reserved for him and his husband, Alvis Werner at the popular Bourgeoisie night club they owned and managed. He smiled, sighing contentedly as he watched Bryn dancing the latest routine that they collaborated on for the past month. As always, she looked stunning in her sheer, white, Geisha costume and make-up, captivating the crowd of both men and women alike with her lovely body and alluring face. Bryn was the perfect fantasy girl onstage and Mars stifled a grin when he caught the tense, pouty stare of Bryn's direct competitor, Jessica Layden, from where she stood at the bar. The busty, curvy blonde had her own set of dedicated patrons but they weren't nearly as numerous as Bryn's. (Jessica's act was different from Bryn's. Even if the blonde could sing, her dancing wasn't nearly as expressive or seductive as Bryn's)

Strong applause exploded all around him when Bryn executed a complicated set of acrobatic twists on her glittering dance pole. A good scan of the crowd told Mars that their new routine was a hit. He then brought out his touch-screen cellphone and modified the club's dance schedule for the next three months, highlighting Bryn's routine as the main attraction. Mars knew he and Alvi were favoring Bryn but until Jessica or any of the other girls showed promise and produced good profits on paper, they'd continue lavishing attention on their beloved brunette.

A ping alerted Mars of a text message from Alvi.

'Got Adam's ID. Be home soon. Luv u.'

Always short and to the point. That's my Vivi, Mars smiled to himself. He'd long since given up speculating on Alvi's 'shady' activities and connections. Constantly reassured that what his life-partner did was nothing remotely illegal, Mars learned to take Alvi on his word. I wonder how our new guest is getting on upstairs, he wondered. Better get Bryn to check up on him soon.

"You can open your eyes now."

Jane partially peeked with a narrow squint. "Is it safe?" she teased. "Where's my red, button nose?"

"I didn't make you look like a clown, Jane. Really, that hurts," Darcy laughed. "I was aiming for Porn Queen."

Immediately, Jane's eyes popped open wide in alarm and she carefully stared at herself in the mirror. The person reflected back at her wasn't someone she expected to see. "Is...is that me?"

"Yep. Who else? Told you so."

"Wow," Jane said in disbelief as she kept staring at herself. "Where'd you learn to do make-up?"

"It's a knack. I took theatre classes as an elective in college but I majored in political science instead. Wasn't interested in the acting so much but the backstage magic...couldn't get enough of how it all came together."

Darcy watched Jane twirl in front of a full-length mirror. "I take it you don't go to parties much?"

"Not really. Never wore anything this fancy before, either," Jane confessed.

"Not even prom?"

"Oh, I went to prom. I didn't have a date though, just went with a couple of friends. I was too much of a geek back then. Well, I still am."

"You don't look remotely geeky now," Darcy said in admiration. "You look like a movie star! Thanks to my skills, of course."

"You're looking amazing yourself. I love that dress," Jane replied. She liked how the pattern on Darcy's dress matched her personality: colorful, playful, with underlying sophistication. The dress itself was a simple design, rounded neck, square cut and slightly tapered at the waist. Like her, Darcy wore her hair loose around her shoulders. On her feet were simple, black satin shoes with thick three inch heels and her only jewelry was a thick, ivory bangle with a black geometric pattern that complemented the dress.

"Thanks. Yours makes you look like a princess," Darcy said with a wide smile. The subtle, shimmery flesh-tone color of Jane's dress against her body was elegant and stunning. There was intricate beadwork on the entire strapless top half of her dress all the way to the back, with an empire waist at the front. It was a bit longer than her own dress, because the layers of thin material went slightly past the opaque skirt underneath. At the hem of the sheer material was more beadwork in flowery, abstract shapes. On her feet were a pair of open-toed satin shoes the same color as her dress and at the base of her neck, with a quarter carat diamond every inch and a half, rested a thin-chained platinum necklace.

"I guess we're all set," Jane said and glanced at the digital clock on her LCD screen that blinked at five minutes to seven. "We should head downstairs."

"Hey, Jarv, is Tony here yet?" Darcy asked, looking in the direction of the screen.

"Mr. Stark's helicopter's is on it's way. ETA twenty minutes," Jarvis answered.

Darcy giggled delightedly when three red bars appeared on the monitor, oscillating vertically in both directions to Jarvis's spoken words.

"What's up with you?"

"I told Jarv about episodes of Knight Rider - y'know, that hilarious show from the 80s - and how K.I.T.T., Michael Knight's black Pontiac Trans Am, had these really neat lights that came on whenever he talked, so I asked Jarv if he could maybe do one for me...and he did!"

"Judging by your reaction, Ms. Lewis - "

"Darcy."

"...Darcy, that you liked my demonstration?"

"It was perfect! You're awesome, Jarv," Darcy said with a big grin.

"I appreciate the compliment," Jarvis replied and blipped off the screen. Jane's mouth was partly open when she stared at Darcy's reactions.

"You weren't kidding. You're really into...into," Jane tried to say.

"Told ya it's fucked up," Darcy replied with a shrug. "Anyway, let's get down there, I'm starving!"

Bryn wiped the last of the heavy stage make-up off her face and glanced at her watch. Seven o'clock. We've left Adam alone in the condo for nearly four hours! Hope he's doing all right and not abusing his injuries.

A melodic pinging from her cellphone told her of incoming text messages. The first was from Mars:

'U should check up on Adam.'

The second was from Alvi and she laughed out loud when she read the exact same thing. Those two crack me up, Bryn grinned, shaking her head as she put her touch-screen phone away. One last look in the mirror and she rummaged through her bag, retrieving her 'Clark Kent' glasses out of habit. Wait a sec, I don't have to drive home anymore, she thought excitedly. Her room was now an elevator ride away! She had time to relax and enjoy a drink at the bar if she wanted to! Punch-drunk with glee, she tossed her glasses back into her bottomless handbag.

Grabbing her phone, she replied to Mars's text. She waited a moment and within minutes, she had an answer:

'Alvi's home. Drinks. 3 of us. =D'

Grinning, Bryn packed her stuff and got up to change before entering the club's bar.

Outside in a VIP booth reserved for the Bourgeoisie's owners, Alvis Werner marched up to his better half with a content expression. He tossed a heavy-looking brown manila envelope on the table and sat down, giving Mars a quick kiss on the lips.

"Good hunting?" Mars asked, curious to know details. His other half had been gone since six o'clock this morning.

"Successful," Alvi replied, leaning back against the plush, cushioned upholstery of their booth. "I was able to get all the I.D. Adam needs to start his new life here in the city of jolly ole' San Francisco in the United States of America."

"In one day?" Mars said skeptically. Alvi smiled and held his life-partner's hand tightly.

"Someone owed me a favor. I went to collect it. Everything in that envelope's legal and Immigration won't come beating down our door," Alvi reassured him, accustomed to his companion's paranoia. "Don't fret, love."

"You'd think that after all this time, I'd get used to...whatever it is you do outside the club," Mars sighed. "I just worry because I don't know who you're dealing with and where you go." He pouted when Alvi simply squeezed his hand and smiled cryptically. "Fine. Don't expect me to stay single for long when you come home in a body bag."

"Who's dead?" Bryn asked when she overheard Mars's last word.

"Me apparently," Alvi said with a laugh.

"Huh?"

"Ignore him," Mars replied curtly, glancing at his companion irritably. "Anyway, Brynnie, you were marvelous up there today," he beamed. "How did you like your costume?"

"It's good. The material's really light and it doesn't get in my way," Bryn reported. "We should go ahead and get two more made in red and black."

Mars nodded and made a note on his cellphone's planner software. "Gratian's free this weekend, he can squeeze us in for a fitting."

"I went ahead and ordered some drinks. I even told Davin to personally deliver them," Bryn stated with a sly smile. She decided on something nice for the club and wore a backless, glittery dark-green dress with a slightly layered skirt that fell to half-way down her thighs and held up by a black clasp at the back of her neck.

"Cheeky pixie," Mars remarked in mock reprimand. He knew Bryn enjoyed teasing him with Davin and he'd never admit out loud that he really didn't mind. He even tried his best to conceal his enthusiasm when he spied the shirtless, blonde Narcissus heading toward their booth.

"Hello, gentle men, lady," Davin expressed smoothly, setting down a tray with a 'Bourbon Sidecar', Martini with a twist of lemon and a 'Monte Cristo.' "Your drinks," he said, winking at Mars who hid bashfully behind his hands as the rest of them laughed. "Like my new jeans?"

Davin was referring to his tight, skinny red-leather jeans that rode ridiculously low on his waist, exposing a generous view of his muscled abdominal area. What Davin lacked in modesty he totally made up for in...exposure.

"Keep staring at Mars like that and I'll make you wear a tiger-print bow-tie with a matching tiger-head thong along with ears and a tail for work tomorrow," Alvi smirked with a devilish arc of his eyebrow.

"That a promise, boss?" Davin answered, matching Alvi's leer. Bryn was in stitches, clutching her stomach.

"Get out of here," Alvi exclaimed as he partially rose from his seat 'threatening' Davin with a smack. He watched as their young bartender retreat to the safety of their fully-stocked bar, grinning madly like a Cheshire Cat. "I worry about that boy."

"Nah, he's just a crazy flirt," Bryn laughed, wiping away the tears from her eyes. She sipped her Monte Cristo and sighed with satisfaction. "Damn. He makes the best drinks though. You guys better hold onto him." Alvi and Mars laughed out loud. "Crap, I walked right into that one, didn't I? Stupid English language. You can't say anything anymore without sexual innuendo."

"Speaking of sex and innuendo, what was our personal Eros doing upstairs when you left him?" Mars asked as Alvi leaned in with interest.

"Well, Mr. Freak of Nature's in full swing. I warned Adam that it's still too soon for his hand but he wanted me to remove all his bandages anyway," Bryn explained. "He also insisted that he was strong enough to look after himself, so I left him in the bath tub."

"He can already move his broken left hand?" Alvi said in disbelief.

"Not without pain but it's still incredible how he's healing so fast," Bryn said.

"We should book him an appointment with Alicia soon," Alvi suggested.

"I think we should ask him first. Adam hasn't taken a single painkiller since I took him in. He could be part of some religion that doesn't like hospitals," Bryn said with a shrug.

"Fine. At any rate, we best get going upstairs. No telling what he's done with himself for the last four hours," Alvi remarked.

"Ms. Foster and Darcy are waiting patiently for you in the living room," Jarvis informed Stark the minute his helicopter touched down on his backyard helipad.

"Okay, good. Don't tell them I'm here yet. I need to get ready first," Stark instructed. "Shit. I'm late for my own dinner date, it's embarrassing," he muttered as he disembarked and jogged hurriedly toward the main entrance to his home.

Inside, he skidded to a halt at the top of a short flight of steps when he saw his two female guests laughing loudly as they played a game of competitive Tetris on one of the glass window panels in his Cliffside-view living room. They were using their fingers to furiously twirl and rearrange the colorful puzzle blocks as they fell quickly to the bottom of the screen. Glancing at his low, multilevel polished driftwood table, he saw the diminished platters of gourmet hors d'oeuvres he'd ordered earlier, discreetly delivered by his personal favored catering company. Not wanting to interrupt them, Stark took a detour to his room to get ready for dinner.

Gilded elevator doors parted with a ping as it reached the top floor of the Bourgeoisie club building's penthouse suite belonging to Bryn's self-proclaimed guardians. In the short hallway to the double-door entrance, there was the unmistakable lingering smell of cooked food.

Mars and Bryn shared a nervous glance behind Alvi's back.

"Fuck," Alvi mumbled to himself as he quickly fumbled with the keys to their suite. The kitchen was his domain and the idea of having a complete stranger messing around in it exasperated him. He just hoped Adam hadn't burnt the newly renovated place down.

When the double-doors parted, the trio spilled inside, Alvis briskly walking toward the kitchen. After a brief inspection, he was very surprised to find his kitchen spotless. Every item that was used had been washed and placed back where it belonged. Well, I'll be damned.

"Where's Adam? He's not in his room," Bryn said a bit worriedly and jogged over to check the living room couch. Did he leave? The thought twisted her stomach into knots.

"You don't suppose he's..." Mars said before he and Alvi ran toward their master bedroom, Bryn following in confusion after them. Through their master bedroom en-suite bathroom was a door that led to the building's roof which Bryn had never seen before.

Turning around, Mars blocked Bryn's way and said, "Alvi and I meant for this to be a surprise but it seems Adam beat us to it." He then stepped aside, allowing Bryn to pass and shadowed her around the corner.

"No way! You guys built a pool!" Bryn exclaimed in amazement.

The rectangular, infinity-style pool (it stretched out to the very edge of the building's rooftop) was a decent size, enough to comfortably fit fifty people in a party if they all decided to jump in.

As Bryn made a mental note to update her swim-wear, a startled, high-pitched yelp made her turn her head. One of the loungers was turned away from them to face the sun, a small stack of books beside it.

"Found him," Mars replied unevenly, walking stiffly toward Bryn and stopping beside her with his face beet red as he fidgeted where he stood. Puzzled, Alvi went to glance at their guest on the lounger and he produced nearly the same reaction that Mars had. The two of them began giggling and whispering to each other.

Good. He's still here and not wandering the streets of San Francisco, Bryn thought with relief as she approached her 'missing' Science Experiment. When she had a full view of Adam...she blushed instantly and covered her mouth with a squeak.

Adam was in a deep asleep - judging by his slow, even breathing - the gray lounge pants she'd laid out for him to wear folded neatly in a strip over his eyes, his gracefully sculpted naked body exposed unashamedly on the lounger in the late afternoon sunshine. The thought of Adam wandering downtown San Francisco naked made the color of her blush deepen.

"Well, at least we know what he's been up to since we left him. Personally, I'd leave him be and take plenty of pictures but I think we should wake him before the neighbors start complaining. Oh, wait. I don't think the neighbors mind at all. I think they are taking pictures," Alvi stated, peering at the windows of the taller buildings around them with a laugh, Mars along with him.

"Perfect. Adam's the kind of guy with a zero sense of modesty," Bryn remarked with a quirk of her lip. Comes with the territory, I guess.

"Maybe we should plan a trip to Iceland for our next vacation," Mars said, elbowing Alvi who began laughing again.

"Screw it, I'm waking him up," Bryn huffed, stomping toward Adam's lounger. Forcing her gaze to stay on his face, she removed the folded strip of clothing that covered his eyes and tossed it over his...thing. "Yo, Tarzan, wake up." When Adam still hadn't stirred, she nudged his forehead with her fingers. "Earth to the next cover of Playgirl magazine...Adam wake up!"

"Mmmnnnghhh..." he protested, his left arm draping over his eyes.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Bryn said, pinching the bridge of her nose. She glared at Alvi and Mars who were laughing at her. She was tempted to tip the lounger over, tossing Adam into the pool. She settled instead for giving the lounger a few hard kicks.

"Curse it...Brother...I'm resting..." Adam mumbled distantly.

"I'm not your brother, it's Bryn," she replied, the annoyance in her voice evaporating. Adam's family may have disowned him but at least they were alive! Feeling depressed, she shook her flip-flops off her feet and sat down heavily on the ledge of the pool.

Dipping her feet into the water, she pensively stared at the rippling liquid that lapped against her skin and the distorted image of her red, pedicured toes. Good thing I didn't wear open-toed shoes tonight. My pedicure doesn't exactly match my dress, she thought casually, trying to think of something else other than the parents she recently lost.

She smiled to herself when Alvi and Mars sat down on either side of her. These two never miss a beat.

"I'm okay. Just got a bit sad."

"We know," Mars replied softly, nudging Bryn gently. Moving over to sit cross-legged behind her, he started combing his fingers carefully through her long, reddish-brown hair.

Shutting her eyes, Bryn was reminded by another memory of the parents she'd recently lost. "My mom used to play with my hair like that...whenever I was upset," she said faintly.

"Oh, darling," Alvi sighed in sympathy. He and Mars exchanged sad glances.

"Tell you what. To cheer you up, how about we all have dinner by the pool?" Mars suggested.

"I'd like that," Bryn nodded with a smile, fiendishly glancing toward Adam's lounger. "Know what would really cheer me up, though?" She leaned in closer to her guardians with a conspiratorial grin and whispered her plan to both of them, the pair chortling agreeably.

Directly behind them, the sound of someone clearing their throat sharply made Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis squeal.

"Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack," Jane scolded, glaring at Stark who was grinning widely with mirth.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You were both having so much fun I got a little jealous," he replied. "Don't think I've ever seen my windows used as a game screen before."

"You've never played video games like this with Jarvis before?" Darcy said in disbelief.

"Not recreationally," Stark admitted. "I get too distracted and I end up fiddling with stuff in my workshop or taking apart my cars," he chuckled.

"When I'm restless, I start building some silly gadget I end up using for my research," Jane piped in shyly. Geez, that sounded geeky.

"Really?" Stark said with interest. "Hold on, let me rewind and get this night started properly." He backed up and bowed low with a theatrical flourish. "Good evening, ladies. First, I'd like to say how ravishing you both look and I apologize for being so late." He tried not to stare at Jane whose appearance nearly made him blush. Damn...she's...beautiful.

Clearing his throat a second time, he added more casually, "I hope you're both hungry coz, frankly, I'm starving. Pepper, who I'll be introducing to both of you when we get to the restaurant, had me running ragged all day in meeting after meeting. If I knew how full my stupid schedule was I would've cancelled some of them."

"You're here now. Besides, between Darcy and Jarvis here, they can keep me entertained for weeks," Jane replied with a smile.

"Okay," Stark said, clapping this hands together loudly. "Let's get going." He stood aside, extending his arm toward the stairs that led to his garage. "I'm driving this time. Ladies first."

He watched momentarily as both of them filed past him, catching up to Jane and walking beside her. "You look beautiful, by the way. Thought, I'd...tell you that," he said shyly, wondering why he felt like an awkward teenager around her.

"Thank you," Jane said timidly, a slight blush to her cheeks. (which Stark found endearing) "You look handsome yourself." Stark's Prada-designed evening wear looked stylish, comfortable and tailored nicely to his body. I did not just go there.

Swallowing nervously, Jane distracted herself by speculating on where Stark intended to take them for dinner.

"You think it's cold enough?" Bryn whispered with a grin. She couldn't believe she was about to douse Adam awake with a bucket full of ice water. I guess I'll just deal with the consequences later.

Mars and Alvi stayed back, watching her from a short distance away as she neared Adam's sleeping form on the lounger and dumped the freezing contents of her large Tupperware container square on his head. She grinned when Adam sputtered and spoke something - which sounded suspiciously like cursing - in a language that she guessed was Icelandic. He was thoroughly soaking wet even if his reaction was more subdued than she thought possible. Not even a single goose-bump on his skin!

"Was that meant to be funny?" Loki spoke icily, not the least bit amused by being rudely awakened with a cascade of cold water, even if the temperature hadn't bothered him. If I'm human...shouldn't extreme hot or cold affect me more? Hmm.

He removed the strips of black hair that had plastered themselves to his face. "Wait, I had books..." He searched quickly beside his lounger and saw that the books he'd borrowed were nowhere to be found.

"Looking for these?" Alvi remarked, sidestepping into view and holding up his rare, collectible leather-bound First Edition novels of 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky and 'Beyond Good and Evil' by Friedrich Nietzsche. "I'm touched you were worried about them."

"Indeed, I was troubled," Loki replied in his unusually archaic, formal manner of speaking. "I borrowed your books briefly to read and I intended to return them in the exact condition they were found. I feared they were ruined by Bryn's...prank."

Having studied the entire contents of both the Dictionary and the Thesaurus, Loki was eager to use the flurry of new words he'd stockpiled in his head.

"Not exactly 'light' reading, either," Alvi muttered with a quirk of his brow. "Good thing you had these handy then." Pointing to his thick copies of the Cambridge Dictionary and Rogets Thesaurus. "I'm sure there were words in these novels you've never used or read before."

"Yes. The Dictionary and Thesaurus were excellent sources," Loki replied with a smile. "I can't believe the sheer volume of words you hu - people use."

"You didn't actually read them, right?" Mars remarked jokingly, sidling up to Alvi. "Nobody reads a Dictionary or Thesaurus." When Adam just tilted his head in mild confusion, his eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

"Okay, you can get me back for dumping cold water on you. Whatever," Bryn said with a shrug, disappointed that her attempted joke on Adam was unsuccessful. "Just a bit of advice though, you're not living in Iceland anymore. Here in America, you can't go prancing around naked in public whenever you feel like it. There are laws in some states against that kind of behavior. You can get arrested." With the way you look, Adam, you won't last ten seconds in a prison.

"Very well, then. When I'm in public view, I'll refrain from exposing myself, as you put it," Loki replied with obvious amusement. "In the privacy of my...bedroom, I'll behave however I like. Is that acceptable?"

Smartass. "Here, cover up," Bryn said, tossing a clean, black towel at his head which he quickly ducked with a wince. "Hey, take it easy. You can do your flashy reflexes when you've completely healed."

Flipping through the Roget's Thesaurus, Mars glanced at Adam then back at the page he'd chosen. There was only one way to stop his nagging feeling of curiosity. "Effulgent," he spoke out, staring at their weird guest expectantly.

Looking toward Mars, Loki grinned. "You doubt me?"

"Like I said before, nobody reads a Dictionary or Thesaurus. It's impossible," Mars stated determinedly.

"Effulgent: adjective; glowing, luminous. Synonyms: beaming, blazing, bright, brilliant, dazzling, and so forth. Page 292," Loki answered smugly.

"Oh, my God. He's...he's absolutely right," Mars said in shock, nearly dropping the Thesaurus he held as pins and needles traveled up his spine. Alvi and Bryn zipped over to him and checked the book he held.

Brows crunching together, Alvi chose another page over his spouse's shoulder and said, "Verisimilitude."

Silly mortals. "Verisimilitude: noun; authenticity. Synonyms: color, credibility, genuineness, likeliness, plausibility, to name a few. Second word near the top of page 888," Loki replied easily with a wide smile. This is fun. "Ask me another."

"I'm good," Mars squeaked, slamming the Thesaurus closed.

"A Photographic Memory," Alvi said in awe. "That's incredible. I never thought I'd live to meet someone with such a gift."

Awesome, maybe he can fly too, Bryn thought sarcastically. "Is everyone in your family like you?" she said in consternation.

"No. Not like me," Loki replied tightly. The amusement had drained from his face and was replaced by a brooding, almost angry expression.

"I'm sorry. I guess...whatever happened between you and your family...it's still a bit of a sore spot," Bryn said calmly.

Oh, much bigger than a mere 'spot.' More like an astronomically wide and fetid, turbulent chasm. "I'd rather not speak of it," was Loki's terse reply.

"Guess we'll know better than to play a game of Scrabble with you then," Alvi spoke, trying to lighten the uncomfortably tense climate.

"I adore games! Teach me that one," Loki replied excitedly, his mood immediately brightening with the enthusiasm of a little boy.

"What's the point if you've memorized every word in the English language?" Mars answered back. "You'll have to settle for playing against a computer."

A computer! "Do you have one here? May I see it?" Loki asked intently.

"Well, I've got a laptop...but I don't have any games on it," Alvi said slowly, confused by their weird guest's reactions. "You didn't own a computer where you come from?"

"Technology isn't available where my family lives," Loki said simply. What use do Asgardians have for the absurd technologies of mortals?

"You're painting quite a bizarre picture of yourself there, Adam," Alvi replied, who constantly updated his mental notes on their weird and beautiful guest.

"I believe the term you're searching for, Alvis, regarding my family and myself, which also includes my upbringing, is eccentric," Loki stated, delighted at having to use his new vocabulary in conversation. He then noticed that Bryn had withdrawn herself to staring at the water as she sat away fro them on the ledge of the pool. When Alvi and Mars followed his gaze, they exchanged sad glances. "What's the matter with Bryn?"

"Uh...I think it's best we leave that up to her to tell you," Mars replied.

"Have I offended her with anything I've said?" Loki asked again, curious.

"Whatever she's feeling has nothing to do with our present conversation," Alvi answered.

"If not the present...then the past?" Loki said, looking toward Bryn.

"It's a delicate matter, Adam. I would advise using extreme caution when you ask her," Alvi suggested sternly, feeling protective.

"I see," Loki said. Best left for another time then.

"Well, I'd better get dinner started," Alvi said, glancing at his watch. "We're eating out here, Adam, and you're welcome to join us."

"I would like that," Loki said with a smile. "I prefer to stay outdoors for as long as I can."

"In that case, you stay here and relax, Mars and I will be out shortly," Alvi said cordially.

"Wait for me, I'll go help," Bryn said as she stood up, Adam ambling to stand beside her, the knee-length black towel wrapped securely around his waist.

"Allow me," he said with a grin. Using his right hand, he gave Bryn a good shove as she was putting on her flip-flops.

With a loud shriek, Bryn lost her balance and instantly fell into the pool with a big splash.

"Now, that is funny," Adam Laoki grinned triumphantly.

to be continued

Author's Note:

1 Oh, look! There's a bird in here.

2 There you go, little one. Now you can have your new friend close by and you can sing to each other whenever you like.

3 Children. Such demanding little beasts, aren't they?

4 The child is a witch!

5 Get that woman out of here!

6 Stupid peasants.

7 Come, little one. Let us find your parents.

8 Fine. Stay here then. I have guests to attend to.

Loki is age '15' while Sigyn is age '5' in the flashback. I'm assuming that Thor and Loki are only days apart. (between Thor's birth and when Loki was found) Besides, age designation is insignificant to immortals. LOL.

The nickname 'Petal' Loki gave to Sigyn because she reminds him of an 'exquisitely delicate blossom.' Sigyn's nickname to Loki is 'Lulu' which means 'pearl' in Arabic.

Loki and Sigyn's untimely visit to Earth occurred in 1661 France during the rule of Louis XIV, also known as the 'Sun King.' The woman who found Sigyn was Louise de La Vallière, Louis XIV's mistress.

Also, since both Loki and Thor are adolescents in the flashback their voices are a few octaves higher than how they sound in the movie. ROFL. With Loki's black hair grown long and wavy down to his waist, from behind, many Asgardians mistake him for a young maiden! ;D Loki wanted to be a distinctly separate entity from his brother in every way possible while staying true to himself despite obvious...concerns. (Ain't sibling rivalry grand?)

Though Loki's been 'banned' from Ljossalfheim, many of the Alfar visited him periodically and because he was so 'pretty', they encouraged him to grow his hair.

FYI the Kree, the Shi'ar Empire, Galactus and the Living Tribunal all come from the Marvel Comic Universe. *glances at personal Quasar comic section*

Hmm. I wonder what underwear Loki would choose? Boxers or briefs? I get this funny impression that they don't bother wearing underwear in Asgard. ROFL. (Similar to what George Lucas told Carrie Fisher in all seriousness on the set of Star Wars, that they 'didn't have underwear in space' xD) I'm a silly girl. *does Scooby dance*

Like my Loki/Sif hint? I think I might be inspired enough to write an interlude chapter about them. I've sussed out Loki's relationship between each member of The Warriors Three and I'll include them too. My next fave is Loki/Fandral, only coz these two have way too much fun together. LOL.

My story banner's up! Download on my ffnet profile! :D

Song Selection: (for the story)

Loki & Bryn -

'This Love (Will Be Your Downfall), Ellie Goulding, Lights album

'Set Fire to the Rain', Adele, 21 album

'Venus as a Boy', Bjork, Debut album

'What Else is There', Royksopp, The Understanding album

'This Love,' Craig Armstrong, Cruel Intentions soundtrack

Loki & Sigyn -

'Frosti', Bjork, Vespertine album

Bryn:

The Kills, Blood Pressures (entire album)