Authors Note: Can you tell who wrote what chapters yet? If you've read my other work then you should but if this is all you've read then no, no you should not because my sister wrote all of these up to this point. My turn! Please read and review!

Chapter 4

Why does this always happen to me, Niki thought as she drove once more back to her home from SHIELD HQ. Oh yeah, that was defiantly a killer headache that was pounding right above her temples. I was actually looking forward to this dinner.

Pulling up in the driveway, she sighed and took a few moments of silence to herself. Then, taking a deep, calming breath she exited her car and went to check on her sister and the errant Norse deity who was to take up residence in Niki's house.

Absolutely perfect.

Cautiously she opened the door, prepared for all heck to be breaking loose in her living room. Instead, she found a sulking Ember curled up in a chair and Loki calmly reading one of Niki's books.

"Wow, I was really expecting Chitari Invasion take two in going down in here but I'm not complaining," Niki said with a smile as she closed the front door behind her.

"No, because grumpy gills over there is in a rotten mood," Ember yelled.

"It is not my fault that you cannot grasp a simple math equation," Loki said, not looking up from his (Niki's) book.

"Two more seconds and I would have!"

"Two more seconds and I would have become exceedingly bored and you refused to assist me in finding some form of entertainment until after you were done with you 'homework'. So I merely assisted you. You should be thanking me."

"Thanking you? Why you…"

Niki swatted her sister's head. "Watch it. It's going to be a miserable time for you if you start arguing with him now. I told Fury he was staying here and that I was responsible for him so don't provoke him. And you," she said spinning to face the god on her couch. "We're gonna have some guidelines if you're going to be staying here. One…are you even listening to me?"

"Not really," he said turning the page.

Maybe this is actually a migraine, Niki thought. Walking over, she snatched her book out of Loki's hands and discreetly marked his place with her finger. She was annoyed, not heartless.

"What?" Bounding off the couch he towered over her, hands sparking with magic. "Mortal wench! You have five seconds to return that to me or…"

"Stow it," Niki yelled back, hitting him on the back of the head with her book. She really wasn't that much shorter than him. "I don't care if you're immortal or not. Apparently you can't grow up enough to not cause problems so now you're my problem and so you're going to have to obey my rules or go sit in time out with Nick Fury for the rest of your miserable existence." She glared at him and placed her hands on her hips. "Rule one, no magic unless you're being helpful. Rule two, no foul language under my roof. Rule three, I have the final say. No if ands or buts. Now somehow my sister has become friends with the offspring of the Avengers and as such, I have become friends with the Avengers themselves, including but not limited to, your older step-brother. Plus, I have S.H.I.E.L.D. at my beck and call because of this. So, should you make one false move or tick me off in any way, every single one of your worst nightmares are going to come raining down on you. Got it?"

Loki glared at her but Niki held his glare and poor Ember was clutching a pillow on the chair, terrified of and for her sister.

"Do you realize I could end you're pointless existence right now, mortal," he spat. "What makes you think I care if your precious Avengers come to your rescue?"

"I think you're more scared of them than you let on. And I have a feeling Odin won't be too happy if you kill me. You were put in my house for a reason and I'm gonna try to live up to that reason. So," she handed him the book back still opened to the page the agitated magician left off on. "You can either follow my rules and we can have a wonderful time, or you can follow my rules and be miserable. You're choice but I would prefer it if you chose the first."

Spinning on her heels, Niki walked off towards the kitchen. "I'm hungry. Em, what pizza should we order? Dear Mister Fury gave me babysitting money so we can have delivery."

Distracted from the fuming Jotun in front of her, Ember jumped up and followed her sister.

"Oh! Can we have stuffed crust?!"

"What else? Hey, Princeling, do you like pepperoni?"

Loki had been glaring at the book that had been roughly shoved into his hands. He was startled out of his brooding and turned to glare at Niki and Ember.

"I have no idea what stupidity you're spouting mortal, but it does not matter. I am not hungry."

He turned to leave but Ember ran up to him and grabbed his hand.

"But we have to eat together! It's tradition! Plus, who doesn't like pizza?"

Loki glared at Ember for a moment before sighing and settling on the couch again.

"Fine, I will humor you and remain out here while you eat. But do not expect me to take part in your dining habits from now on."

"Oh don't be such a sour puss," Niki said, putting a hand over her cellphone. "We really can be fun if you give us a chance. Em, why don't you pick out a movie and we'll eat in the living room when the pizza gets here."

"Sweet! Def gonna watch Lord of the Rings!"

"Not all of them! You have school in the morning," Niki yelled from the kitchen before returning to the poor pizza guy on the other end.

Loki watched the exchange between the sisters with a slight pang before berating himself for feeling any type of sentiment. He is not your brother. None of that matters anymore. Giving a huff, he returned to his book. That is, he returned to his book until Ember began an onslaught of questions.

"So what did you really do this time to get banished? Was it as bad as what you did last time you were here? I wasn't in New York or even born yet so I don't know what it was like. Niki said the news made it look really really bad so it must have been really bad. What happened after you went back to Asgard? How long were you in prison? Why did Odin pick us and our house for you to come to? Not that I'm complaining. Arithina's gonna be so excited to know that her uncle is staying at my house now! Matt won't be happy but he's always grouchy so don't worry about him. Shadow's dad's gonna want to run experiments on you I bet but I don't think Niki will let him. Tony really makes her mad sometimes cuz he doesn't knock when he comes over. He just walks right in. Oh! Clint's gonna be soooooo upset that you're back! He really really hates you! So does Natasha for that…."

"Do you ever breathe," Loki finally interrupted setting his book aside.

"Oh, sorry. You're reading Niki's favorite book by the way so you better take care of it. She loves Lord of the Rings. If you like it you should pay attention to the movie when it starts."

"What do you mean by 'movie'?"

"Oh, it's a motion picture of a story that rich Hollywood producers think other not-so-rich people might want to see. So are you going to watch?"

"…I suppose since I must remain here until you are done eating."

Ember spit her tongue out at him. "Don't be that way! We're trying to have fun here!"

"What makes you think I find this fun?"

"Well you're still here for one…"

"You really aren't giving me much of a choice."

"AND, I'm having fun so you must be at least amused if not having fun exactly."

Loki sighed. "Why did the Allfather think it was a good idea to send me here? For all he knows, I'll lose my patience with you and kill you both."

"Oh please." Ember rolled her eyes. "We haven't done anything to you and you wouldn't get anything out of it so what would be the point?"

"I would get peace and quiet."

"No you wouldn't cuz then the Avengers would come and kick your butt from here to Helheim."

"How do you know about Helheim?"

"Niki's a Norse mythology nut and when she gets really excited about something she tells anyone who'll listen so I've heard a lot about most of it."

"Really? What is her occupation?"

"Her job? She works at a publishing company and deals a lot with anything that has to do with mythology or the supernatural. She makes sure the authors get their facts straight."

The opening lines of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring where just starting and Ember shushed Loki before he could even begin to reply. Niki came in from the kitchen and curled up in the chair Ember was in earlier. Ember sat on the floor next to Loki's feet with a pillow gripped in her arms and a huge grin on her face. Before long, even Loki was intrigued by the plight of the hobbit Frodo and the doings of the wizard Gandalf. He was so enraptured by the movie that he even took a few of the offered slices of pizza.