Rated: M
Warning(s): Slash, Pseudo-Incest, Past Lpreg, Lpreg, Major Character Death, Major Spoilers for TDW, etc.

A/N: A special thank you to all those who took the time to review the last section! Your comments are much appreciated!

Death is not the End

Róta had cried herself to sleep. The rapid fluctuations of her emotions had done little for the once beautiful Great Hall, as various sections had been reduced to little more than piles of dust. But as she slumbered now, her dolly clutched in her little arms, she looked about as dangerous as a church mouse. Carefully, Thor rose to his feet, taking care not to jostle the tiny body too much. Her head rested on his shoulder, black curls fawning over his still-wet armor. The dolly tumbled from her arms, hitting the floor with a soft thud. Thor noted with dismay that the doll didn't move, didn't speak. The magic was gone... just like Loki.

He couldn't bring himself to turn around and pick up the doll. Clutching the little one closer, he made his way down the otherwise abandoned corridor, heading in the direction of the Royal Bedchambers. The bedchamber that he should be sharing with Loki, celebrating a valiant victory with a good tumble in the sheets. Now, everything had changed. Pushing open the heavy oak doors with his free hand, he entered the spacious chamber. The room, marked by the rich emerald décor that filled it, had never felt more unwelcoming. Slowly, he made his way across the room, feet sinking into the plush emerald carpet, to place Róta on the soft, warm bed.

The room had certainly been Loki's safe haven. Beneath an awe-inspiring picture window, which overlooked the Royal Gardens, stood an equally commanding four-poster bed. Hanging from the rich oak pillars were heavy velvet curtains, which were currently pulled aside to reveal a goose-feather stuffed mattress, covered in a green satin sheet and fleece blanket. Off to the right was a desk, which held various magical items, including Loki's favorite book of spells. Beside that, the door to Róta's nursery. Next to the door, there were various shelves lined with different magical items Loki had yet to finish, and now, never would.

It was no longer the safe haven that it had once been. Now, all it was, was a constant reminder of what he had once had, and had now lost. He slowly undressed, letting his blood-stained armor fall to the floor. Dressing in a simple night-shirt, he lazily made his way toward the bed, feeling in no way inclined to climb in. But he forced himself to sit down on the mattress, to climb beneath the blankets, and to pull little Róta closer, so that her tiny head rested on his chest. Memories of himself and Loki lying in bed, Róta cuddled between them, plagued his mind. Sleep did not come easily that night.

Planning the funeral for the most hated man in all of Asgard proved to be a rather difficult task. Thor was met with conflict from all sides - for political reasons, the funeral couldn't be held in the palace; for economic reasons (and, secretly, to further the hidden political agenda), he would be denied the benefits of a royal funeral; and just out of plain distaste for him, he would not be allowed to be buried in the family cemetery. Not that they had a body to bury, anyhow. Thor had returned to the scene of the battle to find the body missing, which, in and of itself, was quite insulting. What did he have for the funeral? Unlikely comrades: Jane and Darcy.

They would meet in the abandoned Mess Hall after supper to discuss the plans. Róta sat on Thor's knee, reading a children's book on Asgardian history. "It will be difficult, without a body." Jane pointed out, her voice soft, so as not to disturb the small child. "You can't bury him or scatter the ashes."

Thor raised an eyebrow. "What ashes? He is not ash, but -,"

Here, Darcy interjected, explaining, "It's a human thing. Sometimes, humans prefer to be cremated, or have their bodies burned."

Before Thor could respond, Jane continued, "Which can't be done, because we don't have a body. You could always do a memorial plaque. Erect it on the battlefield where he died, in his honor." Thor did not seem pleased with the idea. "Or, instead of a funeral, have a memorial service."

At this, Thor sighed. "It is not the type of service that woes me, or even the fact that Loki's body has vanished. Death in battle is most noble, and regarded with highest honor in Asgard. Many times, warriors sacrifice their physical beings in battle - or their bodies are placed on a boat, and flaming arrows are fired at it."

"Like a Viking funeral?" Darcy inquired. Róta continued with her little book, quickly taking in the language which was unfamiliar to Jane and Darcy.

"What is a 'Viking'?" Was Thor's eloquent response.

"Never mind." Darcy quickly brushed it off. Instead, she continued, "If it's not the type of service or Loki's absent body, what is it?"

"As I said, death in battle is most noble, and regarded with highest honor in Asgard." Thor brushed a hand through Róta's curls. "Loki died defending you, Jane," at this, Róta's head snapped up, "in an act of compassion we originally though him incapable of. But that does not matter. Still, he is despised."

Róta's manic green eyes met Jane's brown, and the woman was suddenly filled with an unexplainable fear. "You're the reason that my Daddy can't come home?" Her voice was like nails on a chalk board, and the very foundation of the room started to tremble. "He's dead because of you?"

"Róta!" Thor's arm tightened around her middle. "That's enough!"

A tense silence followed. For a moment, Jane was sure that Róta would defy Thor's orders and continue her temper tantrum. But instead, she just... caved. Tears bubbling in her pretty green eyes, she broke out of Thor's arms and raced out of the Mess Hall, the heavy doors slamming closed behind her. Thor watched her leave, his face an unreadable mask. Silently, Jane wondered how often such outbursts occurred - all the while, knowing deep down that this could not be the only time something like this had occurred. Thor stared after her a few moments longer, before slowly returning his attention to a still-stunned Jane and Darcy.

Jane offered a soft, huffy, "I don't think that she likes me very much..."

Thor shook his head. "No, I do not believe that. She's just... she and Loki shared a very special connection. When she was a babe, and I would try to hold her, she would cry. And her cry... it could bring the very palace we now sit in down to the ground. But when Loki would hold her... she would fall silent almost immediately."

"This must be like a knife in the heart for her, poor little thing." Darcy looked after her, feeling for the temperamental six-year-old.

Thor looked down at the table. "The first year of life for a royal baby is crucial to their development. If they are to develop abilities, it would be in this time period. It was also during this time that Loki foolishly cut off the warrior, Sif's, hair. His screams of anguish as his mouth was stitched closed could be heard everywhere."

"You mean that she developed such destructive power... defending him?" Jane was more than slightly skeptical.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Thor countered, totally serious.

"With all of the stuff that I've been exposed to in the last three days, I'd believe that the sun was blue." Darcy said.

"She'll go and blow off some steam... perhaps destroy half of the palace while she's at it... and I will find her in the Royal Bedchambers, curled up in Loki's cape." Thor said. "It's not that she does not favor you, Jane. It is that her father died and, right now, she associates that with you."

Jane flinched at Thor's harsh tone. In all the time that she had known him - which, admittedly, wasn't all that long - he had never been anything less than cordial, if not a little out-of-touch with reality. But now that she saw his world, she could understand how it was possible for him to be so out-of-touch with reality. But this... this was an entirely different situation. The brother that she had once been so sure Thor hated, was now dead. And now, she was discovering that the relationship between Thor and Loki was much deeper than mere brotherhood, and that there was a child in the mix - a child that clearly disliked her.

"Now, about this... 'memorial service'." Thor attempted to speak the unfamiliar words, which sounded strange with his heavy accent. "It is pointless, if his sacrifice is not honored. Everyone hates him, is terrified of him, because they do not know. And, what is worse, they do not want to know."

"Then we'll have to take the memorial service to somewhere where they have to care." Darcy proposed, earning odd looks from the others at the table. "Loki is despised by the Frost Giants, right?" An uneasy nod from Thor. "Then we have the memorial service on Jotunheim."

"Do you have any idea what you are proposing?" Thor asked, clearly thinking her to be absolutely out of her head.

She nodded enthusiastically, continuing, "Yes, and it's just crazy enough to work."

The idea was crazy. When Odin took Loki from Jotunheim and raised him as an Asgardian, he officially named him a traitor of the Frost Giants. If he were to return to the realm, they would probably murder him upon first realizing who he was. But Róta... she was a different story. A key to the diplomacy that both realms craved. Loki was supposed to bring it about, and maybe, in a way, he did. Róta, a child of both realms, was unbelievably valuable to both races. The Frost Giants, who were slowly dying out, held onto her for her bloodline. The Asgardian warriors, who were craving peace with the Frost Giants, held onto her for her political relevance.

Because of her, Loki became relevant to the Frost Giants once again. Loki might have been virtually meaningless to the Asgardians, who seemed almost thankful that he would no longer haunt their streets, but his death meant an end of creatures like Róta. If anything happened to that child, both sides would lose their perceived political advantage. Darcy proposed that they take the case to the Frost Giants, and ask if they could bury him on Jotunheim. A crazy proposition, and a dangerous one as well. But it was just crazy enough to work... and Thor was up to the challenge.

"He's... gone." Róta whispered softly, clutching Thor's hand tightly as she tried to battle back the tears.

"He's in a better place, darling." Thor assured her. He couldn't tell her about the way Loki's body had looked on the scorched earth, or how Loki had been so convinced that she would forget him, like he was meaningless. "You don't have to watch. Just close your eyes."

"N-No. I have to... have to watch. Because Daddy isn't on the boat. He's not... He's not..." and then she broke down, tears streaking down her chubby little cheeks. Suddenly overcome, she turned and buried her face in Thor's tunic.

Jane and Darcy stood a few feet away, watching the scene unfold. It was a small memorial-esque Viking funeral. They had successfully managed to convince the Frost Giants to host it, and they stood around now, keeping considerable distance from the vulnerable humans. A boat floated on half-frozen water, the wood burning with a brilliant, orange fire. It was almost as if his body was in that boat, floating away into oblivion upon serene waters. When the boat finally floated out of sight, Thor picked the little girl up and cradled her close, making his way back toward Jane and Darcy.

Struggling with his own emotions, he simply managed a bleak, "It's over." And it truly was.