Hela had observed the pranks pulled on Thor, and for some reason they made her feel warm and happy inside. Now that oaf would finally know what it felt like to be ridiculed for his looks… When she had seen Thor that fateful morning in full armor, with a pink coat, a pink hammer and ridiculously flashy pink hair, she had bent her head and giggled to herself about it. Hela hoped that the house ghost, JARVIS, would have made plenty of pictures of Thor's new look. The thunder god himself was everything but pleased with it, so it didn't need mention that the weather around the tower was abominable for days. Peter and Justin found the hilarious newspaper articles worth the awful weather though. The fact they had used permanent dye on Thor's hair –technically he had done it himself, they had just helped him a hand- gave rise to serious conversation though. The two pranksters were called to the living room where Steve was waiting for them with a very stern look on his face.

"I suppose you two know what this is about?"

Peter and Justin tried not to grin, but failed miserably. Steve nodded.

"I thought so. Do you realize that this is unacceptable behavior?"

Peter scowled at Steve, feeling uncharacteristically courageous.

"Please, it's not as if you didn't think it funny either."

Steve sighed.

"It was funny with the cape, and the hammer was funny too, but the hair really was over the top. You have to know when to stop, boys."

Now it was Justin's turn for bravery.

"If you want to know, it was retribution."

"Retribution?"

"Yeah, for Hela."

Steve looked surprised.

"What do you mean with that? Did Thor do something to Hela, or did she just pump you guys up to go annoy him?"

Peter frowned angrily at Steve.

"That is exactly what the retribution is about! Hela has had a totally shitty childhood and Thor never did anything about it, moreover he even spread the lie that she has no feelings and stuff so that people wouldn't feel bad for hurting her! Even you think Hela is always up to evil and that is exactly the attitude that ruined her childhood!"

Steve held up his hands.

"Okay, okay, so you had a reason to take it out on Thor. I believe you, and I'm sorry if I insulted your friend that was not my intention. Just… stop it from now on, okay? Thor is a part of our team, and there is only so much a person can take."

Peter wanted to protest, but Justin nodded.

"Of course."

"Fine, I'm happy we got this arranged."

When Steve left, Peter looked inquiring at his friend.

"Why did you agree to that, I thought…"

"Have you forgotten what we put in Thor's pants last night? –"

Peter remembered all too well.

"Of course… But…"

"I don't want to be associated with the effects of THAT, really… Do you remember where he is at this moment?"

"The… press conference…"

Peter's grin cracked open to devious proportions.

"Justin, remind me never to underestimate your genius again."

The smaller boy punched his friend and laughed.

"I won't give you the chance, spider!"

(Pagebreak)

The sense of understanding had in the end been so overwhelming that Loki had fallen asleep, calm and dreamless for the first time in days. Now he was waking up to the real world again, slowly blinking and trying to understand what had happened to him. He was lying in a hospital bed, in a strange room, and he couldn't exactly remember how he had gotten there. There was no panic though, the remnants of that unnatural calm kept it at bay for the moment. He turned his head to the side, and saw the unconscious figure of Anthony Stark, hanging limply in a chair, looking as if he hadn't slept for days. Loki's first response was… not fear. He was weak and powerless and at mercy of one of his enemies, but he didn't feel any fear. Instead, there was… affection.

Loki felt he was safe with this man, and simply the fact Tony was there made him relax for unknown reasons. Then the memories returned, and the calm fleeted. He remembered what had happened now, and it caused him an instant panic attack. Tony woke up from the sound of Loki's ragged breathing, and immediately took the trickster's hand, and as if he had done it a thousand times already he knew exactly what to say.

"Sssh… Calm down. You're safe. Sssh…"

Simply the feeling of the other man's hand holding his, the calming sound of his voice and the fact he was there, that he was really there, was enough to make Loki calm down. He couldn't speak though; it was as if the words refused to form intelligible sentences in his head. Tony smiled at him.

"You're awake huh?"

Awake? Had he been asleep then? The memories were still fuddled. Tony brushed the god's hair from his face with a gentle caress.

"There is someone here who I think really wants to see you. Just nod if you're okay with that, good?"

Loki actually didn't want to see anyone, anyone except for the man of iron whom he didn't feel safe without, but despite his state he was curious. So he nodded. Tony turned his head and said to someone on the other side of the room.

"It's okay, you can come."

It had to be a dream. It was another one of those horrible images They stuck in his head. It had to be, because there was no way Frigga, his not-mother, no his mother, would be there as she was, with her white golden braids framing a face seemingly aged by worry and her lips folded in a hesitant smile.

"Oh Loki… My dear Loki…"

Loki didn't want to see, he didn't even want to look at her because he knew what would happen if he showed weakness. They had taught him that if he showed weakness, sentiment, he would be punished. He had to hate, hate, hate… he couldn't. He was too tired to resist and the reassuring pinch in his hand was enough to make him look at his mother, silently crying.

Frigga sat down next to him and wiped his tears away. She softly said.

"I am so, so sorry. For everything we did to you, for all the time we didn't know. I am so terribly sorry."

Loki wanted to speak, but he couldn't. He didn't know what to say anyway.

"I just… I want you to know that no matter what I will always consider you my son. I, we all, have wronged you, and… I would do anything in my power to make it right. Anything…"

Frigga cried as well now, and Tony turned his head from the scene. He knew he couldn't leave Loki now, but he didn't want to give the god the feeling he was being watched while submitting to "sentiment". The mother goddess wrapped her arms around her son, and Loki gave in, resting his head against her shoulder.

"M-Mama…"

Frigga held him and cradled him, and Loki cried, not out of irrational fear for once but because he finally got what he had been longing for all along…

(Pagebreak)

The press conference was a simple one of those Avengers duties that they all dreaded but never could escape. The whole group was grumpy that Tony was escaping it this time, especially since the guy was like, the only person who enjoyed the attention even a little bit. Bruce always got nervous from all those people ogling him as to see whether or not he would turn into a raging angry green giant, Steve felt awkward in his suit among all those cameras, Thor was usually confused by it all and Natasha and Clint tried the best they could to dissolve stealthily into the background. This time however, it was Thor and not Steve who drew the attention to him. Clint nudged the god in his side.

"Dude, seriously. Stop scratching your groin. People are watching."

Thor looked helplessly at the archer.

"But it itches!"

"You don't scratch. It's common courtesy really. Just bite your teeth and keep your hands away from your crotch!"

Thor tried to hold his hands on his back or fuddle with Mjolnir instead (who still carried some traces of pink spray-paint) but it didn't avail. Now not only Clint but also Natasha noticed the fevered scratching of the god's privates.

"Thor, stop it! This is ridiculous!"

There were more and more people in the public who filmed or photographed the thunder god, who was bright red with embarrassment now.

"I can't stop it! It gets worse and worse and I can't stop scratching it itches!"

Steve was holding a speech, but now most cameras were pointed at Thor's unusual state. Back at the Tower Justin and Peter were watching the live broadcast of the press conference, giggling at the close-ups of Thor's sensitive area.

"So, the more he scratches, the more it will itch?"

Justin nodded laughingly.

"Oh yes. The microcapsules get activated by friction, so the more he scratches, the more of the chemical he releases!"

"And…"

"Trust me, there is only so much a person can take."

Justin quoted the words Steve had used in his reprimand, which made Peter crack up even more. In the conference room Thor had reached the point he simply couldn't take no more. He let out an animalistic sound of frustration and simply pulled down his pants in front of the cameras. This caused a general gasp among both the press and the other Avengers. Even in his uncovered state the god couldn't stop scratching.

"IT ITCHEEEEES!"

Eventually, Clint and Natasha dragged him away from the public, followed by an embarrassed Steve and an annoyed Bruce. Justin and Peter were close to fainting from laughter.

"This… was… the best… prank… EVER!"

"Wholeheartedly agree, my friend, wholeheartedly agree!"

"JARVIS, have you recorded that?"

"Of course, Mr. Parker."

They both knew there would be consequences when the Avengers got home, but for now they just relished in the knowledge they had managed to embarrass Thor for the whole of the world to see.

(Pagebreak)

Frigga had comforted Loki until he had stopped crying. Then Tony told him they had found his daughter as well, and that she lived in the Tower too. The trickster god looked both completely dumbstruck and elated at that news.

"Hela…"

"She didn't complete your "abolish humanity" plan, so you don't have to worry."

Loki wanted to see her, more than anything. Tony suggested he would call Hela down to the sickbay, but Loki didn't want her to see him as weak as he was. He shook his head violently at the option so Tony could only take it that he didn't want to her to see him like this. It didn't seem right to tell him she already had seen him in an even worse condition. In the end Loki just stayed in bed, protected on both sides by his mother and Tony. Something inside him felt angry and disgusted at his own weakness, but it was small in comparison to the relief he felt from knowing he wasn't alone anymore. When he was finally asleep Tony looked at Frigga. The goddess softly asked him.

"Do you think he really doesn't want to see his daughter?"

"I think he just needs time."

"Then I shall give him time. I… I am so glad he didn't deny me…"

"From what I've heard you never really harmed him like the others did. If there was anyone with a chance of reconciling it would have been you."

"Thank you man of iron, I mean, Tony."

Tony friendly smiled at the Allmother. It was so odd, for two weeks he had been stuck in the same room with two gods, and in that time they had shared so much that it almost felt as if they were family too. It was a really odd feeling. He had come to terms with the fact that he loved Loki, no matter how bizarre that was given his experiences with the trickster, and much to his surprise –weren't Asgardians more old-fashioned? - Frigga had not only correctly seen this but also accepted it completely.

"You're welcome, Frigga."

(Pagebreak)

"There is no use in denying, we all know it was you."

Steve, Clint and Natasha had the prankster's duo cornered in the living room, staring sternly at them.

"Maybe he's allergic to the laundry detergent?"

Justin tried to talk himself out of it.

Steve shook his head.

"Peter, Justin, Bruce has identified a chemical agent in Thor's clothes that only could have been placed there deliberately. You better admit now before I make JARVIS show me the footage."

The two friends felt the ground heat up under their feet, but they didn't budge. They were in this together, and none of them wanted to be the one to rat out the other one. Steve sighed.

"JARVIS, have the boys done any pranking since I asked them to stop?"

"No, sir."

"So you can't show me the footage of them adding itching power to Thor's clothes?"

"There is no footage meeting your requested properties, sir."

Peter and Justin looked at each other in surprise. Steve huffed and walked away. Clint bent to them.

"I don't know how you got JARVIS on your team, but you two are guilty as fuck."

The archer could be very threatening if he wanted to, and the twosome grew a little pale. Then he grinned.

"But the sight of Thor's "I heart Mjolnir" boxers was hilarious, so you're free to go."

Peter and Justin grinned as well. Natasha had –of course- heard the conversation and sighed.

"There are things no one should ever see."

Clint turned and flashed a grin at his colleague.

"There, my dear Natasha, we differ in opinion!"

The Russian spy rolled her eyes and left the room. Peter laughed at Clint.

"If I were you, I would check my trousers before putting them on tomorrow…"

When the two spies were gone, Peter looked at the ceiling.

"JARVIS, you're awesome."

"Thank you, I know."

Sometimes that smug British accent was completely deserved…

(Pagebreak)

Days passed, and Loki got out of bed. Unsteady on his feet and dressed in simple black clothes he followed Tony around like a wide-eyed shadow. Tony was worried about him, but he knew that whatever dignity the god had left he would definitely want to keep. So he pretended as if everything as normal and he didn't have someone constantly tailing him, as if Loki just always happened to be in the vicinity by accident. From the occasional thankful smile Loki sent him Tony could tell it was appreciated. The other Avengers however didn't appreciate it so much. Clint had the most trouble with it.

"That guy is getting on my nerves!"

"It's not as if he's doing anything wrong. If we have to believe Tony he's been through hell lately and you know as much as I do how that changes a person."

"It's not that Tasha, it's what he did to me! How can I possibly hold a decent grudge against someone who hides behind a door when I enter somewhere?"

"Maybe it's time to let go of the grudge then."

"But… but… You know I can't, Tasha."

Tasha patted her friend on the back. She knew it was hard on the man, that the mind-control had left traces in Clint's mind that still caused him nightmares.

"He did his time. You hold a grudge against the Loki who ran around with a ridiculous helmet yelling at people they had to kneel before him, not against… Tony's barely-there shadow."

"I know… it's just that I have trouble convincing my mind that he's not going to jump up and be all evil again all of a sudden."

"We all have that feeling, I think. After all he's the god of lies. But I'm trying to give him a second chance. I believe in them, after all… you gave me one too."

"That was different."

"Not so much, Clint. Actually it wasn't so different at all."

A good side of Loki leaving the sickbay was that Frigga also left the sickbay. She had given the team one look, and immediately decided to mentally adopt them all. Three meals a day and waffles for breakfast –which tasted really divine-, tea and cookies for Bruce when he was meditating, and hot cocoa for the spies when they returned from missions were only a few of the Frigga-based improvements. The kitchen now was always warm and homely, and the Avengers found themselves almost instinctively drawn to it, even Bruce who normally stayed away from crowds.

Loki liked to sit in the kitchen and help his mother with simple tasks like peeling potatoes or mixing cookie dough. As soon as Tony noticed that, he took his laptop from the workshop and made the kitchen his new base of action. Again it was one of the actions that earned him an almost loving smile from Loki…

The engineer didn't really know what Loki thought of him, or if he even remembered the kisses they had shared in the dream dimension… he didn't want to jinx possible progress in the god's condition by pressing the matter, so he just tried to be a reassuring presence. It wasn't something he was used to doing –he was known for his sarcasm, rude comments and overly boisterous behavior after all- and the others noticed it as well.

"So, Loki the evil god of lies has turned to stalking."

Justin looked a lot like Tony in many ways, one being that he never turned around an issue. Peter shrugged.

"Apparently he's been through something really, really bad. I mean, I've seen him before Frigga came here, and he looked like a breathing corpse. I suppose a little codependency was to be expected."

"Still. It's awkward. Actually it scares the hell out of me because he sneaks around so you never hear him coming. I'm looking behind my back all the time!"

"Avoid Tony and you should remain safe."

Justin grinned.

"Always the practical solution, huh? By the way, are you in trouble with Creepy? You were so inseparable and now I never see her anymore!"

Hela had retreated in the library. She read and listened to music and played the piano, and was mostly so deeply absorbed in thought that Peter just left her alone. He had promised her not to fence her in in any way, so he wasn't going to be possessive or demanding on her all of a sudden. Especially now, with Loki somewhat avoiding his own daughter, he imagined Hela had it hard.

"She needs time to adjust to what has happened to her father. I think Loki doesn't dare to face her, and she thinks he's angry with her for not completing her mission. Or something like that. It's complicated."

"You can say that… Man, you've thrown yourself in the most dysfunctional family since the Kardashians! Or Octomom!"

For some reason it didn't surprise Peter that his friend knew said horrible reality series. He grinned, but not wholeheartedly.

"Just look around, Justin… This team is my family and we beat all your ridiculous soap series with our dysfunctionality! I think I can handle some family trouble, really…"

"I read up on some mythology, and trust me when I say you're headed for trouble. Did you know Hela has siblings?"

"Err…"

"I thought so. One is a giant snake; the other one is a giant wolf. And she also has a half-brother who is an eight-legged horse and to make it even more incredibly, Loki is its mother."

Peter stared at Justin.

"You're joking, right?"

"Nope."

"Not all myths are true!"

"And denial is a river in Egypt, I get it."

Peter punched his friend. He didn't really care what siblings Hela might have, or how they looked or what they did. If they were her family and she loved them, he vowed to himself he would try to love them as well.

(Author's Notes)

you didn't think I was done torturing Thor already, did you? Public humiliation, and it's completely deserved. Also, we once again get confirmation that JARVIS is indeed awesome. Not that there was any doubt, but still. Then, improvement in Loki's case (it was about time), and Hela being depressed because he doesn't come see her. Family trouble, tssss...

Let me know what you think! Please, please, please review, I live on reviews, they are what sunshine is to plants, what meatballs are to tomato soup, I can't go without them! Over 50 reviews and I will write you a gift that includes both cross dressing, reindeers and sick!Loki...