Thank you for all the reviews and for sharing your thoughts with me. I would love to reply to each and everyone of you but I don't really want to give the story away (agreeing or disagreeing with any points would probably spoil the story). But do keep those insights coming, I'm always happy to know what you thought of the chapter(s).

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! =)

Unbeta-ed

WARNINGS : NONE.

"My brother has arrived," Loki announced as he looked out the window.

Steve let go of Loki's hands and looked up at the ceiling to address the AI, "Jarvis, is Thor here, in the building?"

"Yes, Captain. He is currently on the rooftop," the AI replied.

Steve nodded, "Tell him to meet us here, would you?"

"Right away, Captain," Jarvis said.

The two of them looked at each other awkwardly when Steve cleared his throat and said, "I guess you will have your answers, now that Thor is here."

Loki blushed and then softly said, "Steve, I'm... I'm sorry... and thank you, for everything that you have done for me."

"Don't be sorry. I would do it for any friend of mine," Steve smiled and said.

Both of them jumped when they heard the 'ding' from the elevator. When the door opened, Thor entered the living room. He stopped short when he saw the two occupants in the room. Before he could greet them, Loki ran to his brother and wrapped his arms around the thunder god.

The hug took Thor by surprise. The last time his brother hugged him willingly was the moment before his screwed-up coronation feast. His brother had been lost to him since then. He relished the embrace before he asked with a frown, "Loki, brother? Is everything alright?"

"You came for me," came the muffled reply.

Thor frowned. Had his brother thought that he wouldn't? Thor nodded and then rest his cheek on his brother's raven crown and softly said, "Of course. I will always come for you, brother."

"I have missed you," Loki muttered as he burrowed into his brother's chest.

Thor looked over to Steve, puzzled but he tightened his hold on Loki and whispered, "I have missed you too, my dear brother. And I am very grateful to see that you are well."

"Uh, Thor, Loki lost most of his memories," Steve interjected before Thor could say more.

"What?" a bewildered Thor looked at Steve.

Steve raised his eyebrows and explained, "He doesn't remember what happened. Not the invasion or anything after that." Steve really hoped Thor get the hint.

"Loki?" Thor pulled away and looked at the younger prince with a frown.

"Please, brother. I need to know what happened. Why am I here? Why did you left me here?" Loki begged.

Thor nodded, pondered about Loki's question and then said, "You had a fight with your husband, Hogun. It was violent and you were... hurt. He was beyond furious over some petty misunderstanding but he had no right to hurt you. I was too upset with him, so I sent you to Midgard, for your own protection."

Loki frowned, "I am married? To Hogun? One of the Warriors Three?"

"Yes."

It was a few moments before a hopeful Loki asked, "Are you here to take me home then, brother? Can I come home now?"

Thor sighed and announced, "Alas, no. I came bearing bad news."

"About Hogun? Was he hurt?" Loki gripped his brother's arm in panic.

"No, he's fine. I came because the Chitauris have made threats against Asgard, and Midgard," Thor responded with a grave look.

"The Chitauris? What do they have against Midgard? Or Asgard?" Loki asked with puzzled frown.

"They do not want Midgard or Asgard. They are coming for you, brother. Somehow, they knew of your presence here. We suspect a spy in our realm," Thor warned.

Loki shook his head and wondered, "I don't understand, why would they want me?"

Thor shared a look with the Captain. He sighed, put his palms on his brother's shoulders and said, "You allied yourself with them for the invasion of Midgard. And when you failed, they have sworn to exact their revenge on you. Now that they know you're here, they will tear this realm apart and stop at nothing to get their hands on you."

Loki frowned and shook his head in disbelief, "I allied with those monsters? Willingly?"

Silence met his answers.

Loki's head snapped back, as if he realized something, and demanded, "Was that why my magic was taken away from me? Because I had an alliance with the Chitauris?"

Thor nodded slowly. The three of them sat in silence as Loki digested the information.

"Did I love my husband?" Loki softly asked next. Thor's heart nearly stopped at the question. There was a reason why his brother was the God of Mischief and Lies and he wasn't.

"Father gave your hand to him in marriage to, errmm, tame your behaviour, so to speak," Thor offered reluctantly.

Loki plopped down on the love seat and shook his head disbelievingly, "Because I helped the Chitauris to invade Midgard?"

Thor gave him another reluctant nod.

"But did I love him? And did he love me?" Loki persisted.

But Thor shook his head and offered, "I do not think I am the best person to answer that question, Loki. I still ire at him for hurting you. Perhaps you can ask him yourself when you see him next."

"You didn't come here alone, did you, Thor?" Steve asked.

Thor gave Steve a small smile and shook his head, "No, Sif and the Warriors Three are making their way here. I think Jane is driving them here. I was anxious to know the well-being of my brother, so I thought it is best to come here first." 'And to warn my brother about Hogun coming to see him but apparently that warning was not needed,' Thor thought.

"Hogun is here?" Loki asked with a hopeful expression on his face.

Thor's face hardened at his brother's expression and commented, "I would have you understand one thing, Loki. I do not approve of how Hogun treated you during your fight and I have not forgiven him yet. If he mistreats you again, I will hold him severely responsible."

"What did I do?" Loki asked with a frown.

Thor opened his mouth to answer, then closed it as he pondered upon his answer. When it was obvious that Loki was still waiting for his answer, he settled with, "It was a petty misunderstanding. Worry no more about it."

Loki nodded slowly, as if he was satisfied with the answer. Or perhaps his subconscious alerted him that this was better than the truth. He embraced his brother again, "I am glad you are here, Thor."

"So am I, little brother. Do not worry, I will not let anymore harm befell upon you." Loki nodded and let himself be content in his brother's arms as Steve looked on with a worried frown on his forehead.

Loki was feeling nauseous, so he excused himself from the room with the excuse to freshen himself. He did not know how to broach the subject of his pregnancy with his brother yet, he figured he should wait for the right time to tell Thor. 'Will there ever be a right time?' he asked himself.

Steve was relieved to have some time alone with the thunder god. There were too many questions on his mind, ones that he couldn't have asked in front of the younger prince.

"So, Sif never said anything about your brother being married to Hogun when they first stopped by," Steve started nonchalantly.

"Aye," was the one-word answer he got from Thor.

'That's alright, I can be persistent if I wanted to,' Steve thought to himself and pressed, "So, why did you lie to him?"

"Should I tell him that he was given to Hogun as part of his punishment? That Hogun was meant to break him and control him? How do think my brother would take it?" Thor countered as he turned and faced the Captain.

"But husband, Thor? Hogun's gonna be here tomorrow and Loki's gonna meet him," Steve argued as he gestured towards the elevator.

"But Hogun is his husband. I did not lie. I merely omitted some parts of the truth," Thor insisted.

"Excuse me, what do you mean you did not lie? Are you telling me that your brother is actually married to Hogun? Is that what you're saying?" Steve asked as he stepped into Thor's personal space.

Thor sighed, "Unfortunately, yes. After Loki went missing from Asgard, Hogun brought the matter to the All-Father. He accused Loki of manipulating Fandral and Volstagg for his own escape plans. And that his punishments were just. And then he accused me of interfering when he punished Loki. He tried to blame his escape on me and Sif, but Sif was able to deflect all questions and said that Loki went off on his own."

"And your father believed him?" Steve asked with accusation in his tone.

Thor let out another sigh, "Father was furious that Loki had escaped his punishment. By his decree, and in Loki's absence, he married him off to Hogun. My mother and I tried to reason with him but he was adamant. By our law, Hogun has the right to demand punishment if he deemed that Loki wronged him. And I cannot interfere, unless Loki specifically asked for my help."

Steve shook his head and stressed, "That's not right, and you know it, Thor. Loki's so called husband raped him and then beat him half to death. And we are supposed to let Loki go back to that beast?"

And Thor wailed, "What would you have me do, friend Steve? I am bound by the law of Asgard and I can no longer keep Hogun away, not with the threat of Chitauri invasion looming over our head, we need the help of the Warriors Three. Where would you have me send Loki next, to keep him safe?"

And Steve had no answer for that.

Thor continued, "I would rather lie to him and keep him close, and safe. Then to send him off to another realm without any form of protection."

"Can't you at least keep Hogun away from your brother?" Steve insisted.

Thor shook his head and sighed, "They are married, friend Steve. What reason would I have to keep him away from Loki? Even if I don't tell him about the marriage, Hogun would made certain that he knows. If I can spare my brother from the knowledge of what happened that led him here, then I would. Unless Hogun threatened Loki's life, there is not much that I can do to keep him away."

Steve let out another sigh and then said, "Very well. I don't like it and I'll definitely keep a close eye on your warrior. Come on, we should go find Bruce and tell him about this threat of yours."

"The Chitauris," Thor corrected but Steve ignored him as he led the thunder god to the elevator.

Thor looked around and noticed the absence of the tower's namesake, "Where is friend Anthony? Is he in his lab again?"

Steve stopped in his tracks and then said, "Ah, well, Tony is currently indisposed. He's in a rehab so that he'd cure his alcoholism."

Thor gasped, "Friend Anthony is ill? What ails him, Captain?"

"Alcohol, Thor," Steve said as he slapped Thor's back, "The alcohol was making him ill."

When the entourage from Asgard arrived at the tower, Jarvis informed the tower's occupants of their arrival and then directed the new guests to the living room, where they had gathered.

And when Sif and the Warriors Three got out from the elevator, Thor quickly went to Hogun and took him aside to speak to him in a hushed tone, "Loki doesn't remember what happened. But I told him that you are his husband, and that you two had a fight prior to his disappearance. If you want to start anew with him, I suggest that you let the past be bygones. Hurt him again, father's decree or not, I will end you."

When he saw the newcomers, Loki went straight for Sif with a puzzled look on his face, "Sif? What happened to your hair?"

Sif gave him a puzzled look and then a chuckle, and then enveloped the stunned younger prince in a big hug. The last time that Sif saw the young prince, he was near-death so she was happy to see him whole and well again. In the embrace, Sif whispered into Loki's ear, "My heart is gladdened to see that you are well again, Loki."

Loki raised his eyebrows at her words. The Sif he remembered would never say those words to him. 'Perhaps things do get better after all,' Loki thought as he returned the hug awkwardly.

As they pulled away, Loki caught the doubtful gazes of Volstagg and Fandral and he felt the uneasiness in his stomach but he blamed it on the nausea. Loki certainly knew of the Warriors Three (they were very much older than he was) but he did not remember if they managed to be close friends. He did not want to be rude, so he settled with a nod to each of them.

And then he met Hogun's gaze as the warrior walked towards Loki. He could see his brother made his way towards Sif and the other two warriors, possibly to update them about Loki's memory loss. The younger prince held his breath as Hogun's steps brought him closer to Loki.

'He's my husband, he's my husband, he's my husband,' Loki repeated the mantra in his head. He had hoped that the mantra would help him with any awkwardness that he'd felt with his husband. When the warrior stood in front of him, Loki almost stopped breathing and his breath hitched in his throat as Hogun caressed his cheek with the back of his finger.

"Thor said that we are married," Loki whispered shyly as he looked up at the warrior.

Hogun nodded and continued with his soft caresses. Even though he knew that all eyes were on him and the younger prince, Hogun slowly tipped Loki's chin and then pressed a soft kiss on the prince's lips.

"I have missed you, Loki," Hogun whispered as he nuzzled Loki's nose.

'Anything to see you smile, Loki,' the voice in his head whispered.

And as he tried to make sense of that, the same whispered voice said, 'Miss me while I'm away.'

"I think... I think I may have missed you too," Loki said as a tear fell on his cheek when he closed his eyes.

Does Loki truly love Hogun? Or is he still confused? Fueled by his previous memories of Hogun?

How do you think Thor, Hogun (as the husband) and/or the father of the child would react to Loki's pregnancy?

More surprises in later chapters so do stay tuned... =)