Ch. 11

As soon as I heard his voice, I immediately relaxed. Before I knew what I was doing, my body had moved forward. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him harder than I ever had. His long arms wrapped themselves around my waist in return, pulling me closer. I pulled away and looked at him.

"Loki, I- I don't know what to say."

"How about I start then?" His silky voice sounded sure, meaning this would be an apology or.. I didn't want to think about what else he could want to say to me, but I knew there was a possibility that this could be the end of Loki and I. I nodded at Loki and made a gesture with my hands, before I wrapped my hands around my arms, bracing myself for the worst. Loki took step away from me and looked away. Would this be the end?

"I want to apologize. I am not sorry that I did the things I did, but I am sorry that it also hurt you. I hope that someday you will find it within yourself to forgive me?"

"Oh, Loki. I'm the one who should apologize. I should've given you the chance to explain- should've let you explain yourself. Instead, I left without even talking about it. I don't ever want to do that again."

"I let you down. You had every right to do that."

"You could never let me down, I love you."

Loki looked down, ashamed. "There's more, Sigyn. I've done more." Loki took a deep breath. "I sent the destroyer after him. Just now. That's where I came from. Sif and the Warriors 3 were there too. He got his powers back."

I took a deep breath, not sure how to respond. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"You aren't upset with me?" He sounded surprised.

I shook my head, "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told my mother." Loki looked shocked for a second, before concern took over his face.

"What? You're mother? You saw her? Are you alright?"

I smiled faintly, knowing he'd react like this. "I'm fine Loki, I'll tell you about it later. But I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her about five minutes ago. You have always been there for me when nobody else was. You've loved me through everything. I'm going to do the same thing for you. I love you. I will always love you and be here for you, no matter what happens. I will always be here for you. Always."

Loki's face lit up in a smile as he gazed down at me lovingly. "I promised myself that if you still accepted me, I'd do something."

I smiled back, "Oh yeah? And what's that?'

Loki grinned mischievously, his green eyes sparkling. He reached toward me and gently picked up my left hand in his. He ran his long fingers over my hand slowly, his cool skin calming. "Sigyn, I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I've loved you so much that I didn't dare let myself hope you would love me back."

"How could I not?" I blurted out.

Loki raised one long finger to cover my mouth. "Sh," He whispered. "You'll get your chance to talk. Let me speak for now."

"Okay. I'm sorry, continue."

His voice was low when he spoke again, his green eyes captured mine. The mischief was gone and in it's place was love. "That day I came to you, unsure of what to do with myself… You loved me even then. I will never forget that day. I don't know what I was thinking when I came to you that night. I knew that if you rejected me- If you though that I was a monster- I.. I knew I would not be able to go on in life if you were afraid of me. Yet I went. I went because I loved you and I knew that you were the one person in my life that had always been completely honest with me. You tell me when you're disappointed in me, you tell me when I'm being ridiculous or silly or mean. You've been there with me through all of it. I'd like to be there for you as well."

"You are." I said, forgetting the no-talking rule. He gave me an amused look, raising his eyebrows, waiting for me to remember is request. "Right. Sorry, again. You can go."

"Thank you." he mocked. "After you left me in the throne room, upset with me, I began to think. I tried to picture my life where you weren't there and I couldn't. I can't imagine a life without you." Loki took one hand away from my left hand and brought it up to my face to caress my face. "I need you in my life, Sigyn. The thought of you mad at me forever was terrifying. So I began to think. I thought of you forgiving me and I thought of you staying angry. I decided that if you forgave me, I would show you how much I love you. Well you forgave me, so here goes nothing." He removed his hand from my cheek and placed it around my left hand again.

His eyes didn't leave mine as he slowly lowered himself onto one knee. I furrowed my brows in confusion- he couldn't be? Loki wouldn't. He took his hand and reached into his pocket and just like that time slowed down. Loki's hand came back with a black box. The world slowly faded until it was just us. My breathing slowed down to the point where I thought I'd die from lack of oxygen. My heart raced to where I thought it would burst. The hallway we were in slowly became darkness as I focused on him. Loki.

He took his other hand from mine and opened the lid of the box to reveal a beautiful ring. The gold glowed brightly in the dimly lit hall, the light green stone on the top sparkling magically. Tears filled my eyes as the words I'd been dreaming he'd say to me since I was sixteen were said. "Sigyn, I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side as my queen. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

I smiled, tears streaming down my face steadily. This is all I'd ever wanted. Loki, this, us. I'd been in love with him for years, hoping that one day he might return my affections. Finally that day had come. This was his promise to stay with me. To chose me over everything. Over his jealousy, over his new want for power. I would be it for him. Someone that would love him no matter what decisions he made. I nodded my head slowly, "Yes. I will marry you."

Loki slowly took the ring out of the box and slid it on my ring finger. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. "How did I get so lucky?" He had a pleasant smile on his face as he carefully put the box back into his pocket.

I pulled Loki to his feet. "I love you so much." I leaned forward and kissed him, my lips moving slowly over his. He responded gently, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. I placed my hand over his, feeling his smooth, cool skin. Our lips danced lovingly, before the kiss became urgent. His hand moved from my cheek and down my body, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer. My hands got tangled in his hair as we continued to kiss. Loki pulled away slightly, his warm breath tickled my face. A shiver ran through my body, causing Loki to chuckle.

"I love you, Sigyn." Loki's breath was on my neck now. He lightly kissed me, tickling my skin. His mouth moved up my neck as his hands caressed my back. When his lips reached my face, I turned to catch his lips with mine. "I have stuff to do. I have to go stop Laufey." He murmered against my lips.

I moaned, disspointed. "Alright." I pecked him one last time. "I love you."

"I love you, too." We heard Frigga's scream and a crashing coming from the room Odin was in and Loki rushed forward. "Stay here!" He turned back to me for a second before sprinting into the room. I thought about it for a second, unsure whether I should let him go in there all by himself or not. I decided not to listen and followed him into the room.

"Your death came by the Son of Odin." Loki's voice held no emotion as he blasted Laufey backwards and onto the ground. With another blast from his sceptor, Loki killed his father.

"Loki you saved him!" Frigga gushed, standing up and rushing over to hug him.

"I swear to you Mother, they will pay for what they have done today."

"Loki!" Thor's voice boomed deeply from behind me. I shivered, knowing this was not going to be good.

"Thor," said Frigga. "I knew you'd return to us." Frigga hugged Thor.

Thor looked at Loki and spoke in an accusing voice, "Why don't you tell her how you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends- to kill me?" Thor began to walk down the steps leading into the room, and moved closer to Loki. With every step Thor took, Loki took one backwards.

"What?" Frigga gasped.

Loki's face was a mixture of confusion and nonchalance, "Why, it must have been enforcing Father's last command."

Thor was having none of it, "You're a talented liar brother, always have been."

"It's good to have you back. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to destroy Jotunheim." Loki blasted Thor backwards and took off towards the rainbow bridge.

"Thor!" I ran over to him and helped him up.

"Sigyn." Thor smiled.

I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go stop him." Thor ran out of the room.

I turned and looked at Frigga, "Are you alright?"

Frigga smiled at me slightly and nodded. "Yes, I am fine, thank you. Go after them, we both know you want to."

I smiled gratefully, "Thank you."

Frigga nodded, "Go." That's all it took. I was out the door and down the hall without a second thought. It took me about a second before I realized that they were both at the Rainbow Bridge and that I would most likely have to stop them from fighting. I stopped and leaned agasint a wall, not sure if I should think of a plan first or just show up and totally improvise. I thought about the fact that none of my plans had ever actually worked and decided to wing it. I moved forward again, determined not to make a fool of myself when my wrist was grabbed and I was pulled back.

"Sigyn, don't." It was Freya.

I turned around, struggling to get out of her grip. "Let go of me!" My voice was harsh but she didn't even flinch.

"I can't do that."

"I have to stop them from hurting each other."

"I can't let you do that, Sigyn."

"Why not?" She was getting on my nerves.

"Because you might get hurt too."

I scoffed, "Since when do you care what happens to me? You haven't been here my whole life."

"I know that, but that doesn't change the fact that you are my daughter. I have a right to want to make sure you're alright."

"Then let me go to them," I pleaded. "Let me go make sure my fiance doesn't get himself or his brother killed."

Freya's face froze in schock. "Fiance?" She gasped.

I nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes. Now, please, let me go to him. I promise, I will give you a chance to make things better between us if you just let me go." I allowed every ounce of desperation in my body to make it's way into those words, trying my hardest to communicate to Freya just how much Loki meant to me. "Please let me go to him. Mom." The word felt foreign coming from my mouth and I'm pretty sure we both knew the only reason I called her that was because I wanted to get to Loki.

For a second, Freya's face fell and I thought she'd let me go. But a second later it was replaced by an impassive mask. "No, I'm sorry."

Soemthing inside of me snapped. This woman had no right to tell me what I could and couldn't do. With a growl, I wrenched my hand free from her grip and took off in the direction of the rainbow bridge. I heard her gasp behind me and call my name but I kep t on running. A second later, I heard her following me.

I heard Loki's voice, "If you destroy the bridge you'll never see her again!" He sounded desperate.

I heard Thor's soft, "Forgive me Jane." And I turned the corner just in time to see Loki jump at Thor. At the same moment, Thor's hammer had finally done it's job, send both men back. Fear seeped into my heart at the thought of them both not making it. I tried moving faster, not exactly sure what I planned to do, when Odin caught Thor's foot. Thor and Loki were both holding onto Loki's sceptor.

Loki's voice pierced the quiet, night air. "I could've done it, Father. I could've done it!" I heard his voice break and covered my face, tears coming into my eyes."For you! For all of us!" The tears rolled down my face slowly. I'd never seen him so vulnerable. He was laying everything down for Odin. Finally allowing him to see how he had affected him all these years. And then Odin said the one thing that could crush Loki into a million tiny pieces.

"No, Loki." My heart broke for him.

I saw Loki's face relax. It completely smoothed over into a peaceful expression. "No." I whispered.

"Loki, no." said Thor.

Loki let go of the sceptor and fell into the starry abyss.

"NO!" I moved forward, only to be held back by Freya's arms. I collapsed onto the ground, unable to breathe. I felt like something heavy was pressing down on my chest.. I gasped for air, clutching at the arms that held me down. I looked over at Thor and Odin who were now standing and facing me, their faces heartbroken as well. It had really happened.

Tears flowed down my face endlessly, the sobs loud and painful. I pulled away from Freya and pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening. There was no way he was dead. Loki wouldn't leave me here. He wouldn't be willing to die, not when he knew I was here waiting for him. Not when, only a few moments before, he'd just proposed. Loki wouldn't leave me here. It must've been magic. Something clicked in my head and the tears stopped flowing. That's it! The Loki that fell of the rainbow bridge had to have been a clone.

I sat up quickly. "Sigyn?" Thor spoke, moving forward.

"He's not dead, Thor! It had to have been a clone!"

"Sigyn." His voice was pleading.

I ignored him, instead turning and running straight to Loki's room. "Loki!" I burst into the room. What was I expecting exactly? Loki. I whole heartedly expected to see him sitting on his bed, a book in hi shands. I imagined him looking up at me slowly, a lazy grin toaking over his face. Then, he'd say, "You didn't really think I was dead did you?" And I would smile, tears running down my face as I would rush to his side and kiss him passionately. None of that happened, though. When I entered the room, nobody was there. It was completely empty.

"Sigyn?" Thor's voice came from the hallway behind me.

I turned around as he came into Loki's bedroom. His face was heartbroken, tears staining it. "He's not here." I whispered, my voice weak.

Thor's voice was thick with emotion when he responded, "No, he isn't."

I felt a lump rise in my throat, my chest tightening till I couldn't breathe. I moved toward Thor and wrapped my arms around his waist, my face pressed into his chest. Sob after sob escaped my mouth, the tears never-ending. "He's really gone." My voice cracked. "Loki really isn't coming back." My crying got louder and I let go of Thor, collapsing onto the groun like I had earlier. "He really left me!" I looked up at Thor pitifully, not sure what I expected him to do . I could barely see him as I sat there wailing like a baby.

Thor, too, dropped to the ground next to me, the tears slowly beginning. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, pulling me into a hug.