((Please forgive the amount of time since the last update. My laptop was broken in a freak kitten accident, and I just recently got it back. Thank you all for reading, and as always, I appreciate any and all feedback.))

"You want us to do WHAT," Bersi roared as the other council members speared me with horrified looks.

"Send him to Earth," I repeated in a firm tone.

"Return Loki to the very realm he tried to claim as his own," the elder sputtered. "Why? What madness possesses you to think this is a proper answer?"

"Well," I began slowly. "When Thor was being a self-centered dick, Odin banished him to Earth to learn humility. That worked out pretty well for him, so why not Loki?"

Thor voiced a low growl at my side, and I shot him a look. "What," I asked. "You told me the story yourself, Goldilocks, and YOU admitted to being a spoiled jerk. Don't get all cranky about it now that I'm agreeing with you."

Thor huffed and turned back to the council. "He speaks the truth," the blonde god admitted. "My time on Midgard taught me much. Perhaps the same will hold true for my brother."

Bersi rose from his seat, pacing the length of the table as he muttered to himself. "This seems like folly. Have we become blinded to past events? Forgotten Loki's ambition to rule the mortals?"

"We have not," Lady Valgerd answered calmly. "But we have just learned that it was never Loki's intention to rule. That was Thanos' reward to Loki for obtaining the Tesseract."

"Still," the elder ground out. "I cannot help but feel as if this may not be the best plan."

"Then what do you suggest," I snapped. "You can't send him back to wherever you were keeping him before! And it looks to me like at least half of you agree that his former sentence no longer fits the actual crime. So what're you gonna do with him?"

I stood my ground, hands fisted at my sides and holding on to my anger as tightly as I could manage. It wouldn't help the council see things my way if I flew off the handle, so I bit back the caustic words that bubbled in my throat and waited.

Lady Valgerd's eyes found mine, and she searched my gaze for a long moment before she spoke. "You realize that we cannot simply turn him loose in your realm, yes? He will have to monitored."

"Of course," I answered. "Heimdall seems pretty good at what he does, so no worries there."

"You misunderstand, archer," she said gently. "Thor was under the watchful eye of Heimdall as well as the mortals that befriended him, and yet he still managed to find trouble. Loki will require the same constant companionship, if not more so. I cannot claim to know much of the ruling council of Midgard, but are you authorized to speak for them? Can you ensure that the rest of your world will welcome Loki as warmly as you?"

Damn. I hadn't considered that at all.

Fury's face rose in my mind, and I imagined the expansive anger my boss was sure to voice in his oh so colorful way when I informed him of Loki's return. I suppressed a slight shudder and steeled my spine before I spoke.

"Ma'am," I replied. "You just leave that to me. Once my council has a chance to hear the whole story, well, there's gonna be a few hold outs, but I'm sure that for the most part they'll accept him."

"And what of Loki's need for companionship? Who will monitor him? Who will help him make sense of your realm?"

"I will," I answered quickly.

"You will bind yourself to him, then? Help to teach him the lessons he must still learn?"

"It would be my absolute pleasure," I stated firmly.

The council's mutterings were so loud that I almost missed the quiet intake of breath from behind me. Not quite a gasp of surprise, or a choked sob of thankfulness, but a mixture of the two…and it brought that ache up into my throat yet again. It was going to take a good long while to convince Loki that he was worthy of redemption; that there were people who would happily make sacrifices on his behalf. But if this day played out the way I thought it might, then I'd have all the coming days to work on making him see the light.

Bersi took his seat once more, and scrubbed one large hand over his face before asking, "Does the council have any further questions before we retire to discuss the matter at hand?"

The rest of the elders shook their heads, and Bersi murmured, "So be it. The prisoner and witnesses may be excused. We will call for you once a decision has been reached."

Thor clapped his hand on my shoulder and drew me into a tight hug, whispering, "Thank you, Clint. You have no idea what you have just done."

"Yeah, yeah," I grunted, giving him a slight shove. "Now get off me, big guy. Can't breathe when you get all lovey-dovey."

The Thunder God barked laughter, but quickly released me, his face split by the widest grin I'd ever seen. He crossed to the dais and threw his arms around Loki, lifting the slighter man off his feet and shaking him in glee.

The dark god gave a surprised squawk before stating fondly, "Let me go, you great oaf. My release is not guaranteed as of yet."

"Nay," Thor agreed happily. "But the odds seem to be in your favor, brother. And I will hold that hope until told otherwise."

I stood back, watching the exchange between them, thinking of how much had changed in so short a time; even just from this morning, when the two had been at one another's throats. I felt a grin tug at the corner of my mouth as Loki turned to face me, his face far less drawn than when we had entered the throne room. Even though he might deny it, there was a glimmer of hope hidden in those bright green eyes.

"And you," Loki said with a slight smile. "Offering yourself up to be my chaperone? What were you thinking?"

"Dunno," I shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time. You're not gonna make me regret it, are you?"

"Never," Loki breathed. "I shall be the very picture of obedience."

"Why does that make me nervous," I asked slowly, giving him a look dripping in suspicion.

"I have no idea," he answered loftily, widening his eyes in mock innocence. "Surely you aren't questioning my honor, are you?"

Thor laughed heartily and herded us toward the door as I muttered, "What have I gotten myself into?"