IV

Hope wasn't sure if she should hug the Doctor half to death or to smash his head in with a frying pan. Sure, she was still head over heels for Loki, but no girl would be quick to see her hunk of mischief after he leveled a major American city. No amount of sexy accent or smirking could make up for that. She needed time to recover from the heart-battering and formulate a plan to save Loki from his own stupidity.

So stepping out of the Tardis and into Loki's bedroom in Asgard was a huge surprise. While she was certain the Doctor meant for it to be a good surprise to cheer her up, her first instinct was to hightail back into the Tardis and knock his lights out. Although… it was kinda nice to see Asgard again. It appeared as if she had never left. However, that wasn't going to save the friendly neighborhood Timelord from her wrath.

As usual though, the Doctor was three steps ahead of her. When she turned to go back into the Tardis, it was already fading away with the familiar VWROOP VWROOP! Hope glared as the Tardis disappeared… and revealed Loki standing in the doorway. "Loki?" Like the room, he looked exactly as he did in the garden, ridiculous horns and all.

"Hope!" Before another word could be said, the girl practically pounced on the god, kissing him. He stumbled back a bit, surprised, but quickly regained his footing, hugging the girl tightly. Mmm…Peppermint scented and flavored, Hope thought.

"You came back…" He said when the girl finally broke the kiss for breath. Hope couldn't help herself. Tears began to race down her cheeks seeing her Loki again. Her mischievous knight in golden armor.

"Of course I did…" She yanked the offending horns off, kissing his forehead. "Why wouldn't I?"

"It's been two years. I was starting to wor- Hope, are you crying?" He began to wipe her tears away with his thumbs, worry painted on his face. She smiled, shaking her head. "Love, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, worrywart. I just…" She smiled at him. "I missed you so much…" More than you can probably guess… Loki returned her smile, only about a trillion watts brighter.

"That's nothing to cry about… But I certainly missed you too." The god hugged the girl tightly to him, his fingers tunneling deep into her hair. "And with such perfect timing…" He said it so softly she had a feeling she wasn't supposed to hear it.

"What was that about timing?"

"Do not worry, my love. How long are you staying?"

"Uh… Good question." Thanks a lot, Doc. "The Doctor just sorta dropped me off here… So I don't really know…" That special God-of-Mischief smirk crept onto his face.

"Well then I'd best take advantage of my time." With that, he scooped her into his arms, dropping whatever he had previously been holding with a clang. Hope squealed in shock initially but began to giggle as he carried her to his bed.

"Why, Loki, one might suspect you plan to take advantage of the poor defenseless mortal."

"My dear, you are hardly defenseless. And I would never do anything to ruin your honor. And certainly not with a broken wrist." Hope gave him a confused look. "Do you think I would not notice?" He asked as he set her on the familiar emerald satin. The god gingerly lifted her bandaged wrist for examination. "What did you do to yourself this time?"

"This time?! I'll have you know I don't make a habit of breaking my bones, good sir." She was beginning to see why the Doctor had brought her to this time. "I am insulted you would insinuate such a thing!" She yanked her wrist away in mock affront, turning away from him. Loki chuckled.

"I merely suggested you are clumsy, my love."

"I am not!" She countered as he took her wrist again.

"You most certainly are! Now hold still." She winced as he unwrapped her wrist. "Does it hurt?"

"Like hell…" She admitted, squirming a little. Now that the shock and rush of New York had worn off, she felt the pounding throb in her wrist and the dull ache of bruises on her arms and lips. Loki must have noticed it for his brows furrowed in concern as he studied the other bruises.

"Hope…Who did this to you…" Hope bit her lip with a wince. How could she possibly tell him? "Hope, tell me who did this." His voice was soft, barely above an anger lace whisper. "Was it him? The Doctor?" She sighed.

"No… Um, spoilers…" She answered, unable to say anything else. The god frowned at her answer, but seemed to accept it.

"I see. Well. Let's see what we can do…" Now for the hard part, Hope had no talent for sitting still. Luckily, Loki was too focused on his task to notice. "Whoever tended your wrist before me did an appalling job."

"So much for him being called 'the Doctor' eh?" The only indication he made of hearing her was a quirk of his lips. Obviously, he was too concerned about her injuries. You'd think someone with the moniker Silvertongue would have a better bedside manner. Hope shivered as his fingers did their little magic dance, easing the throbbing in her wrist. Was she crazy or did his skin actually feel like ice? They were always cold but never this cold. "Thanks… That feels much better…"

"If the Doctor's going to return you in such poor condition, I am not letting you travel with him again."

"It's not his fault. And your father wouldn't let me stay anyway." The girl was surprised to see the god flinch at the mention of his father. "I… I want to stay though…" Sod what the Doctor said. If there was a chance to save Loki, then by the stars she was going to take it. Loki looked up at her at that.

"What? You… You want to stay? With me? What about your Doctor?"

"Again, not my Doctor. But yes… I'm staying with you this time." The smile that came to the god's face nearly blinded her. Such a shame he didn't enjoy the idea. "We just gotta figure a way around Daddy Dearest."

"Odin… will not be a concern…" Something in his tone was very disconcerting.

"Loki? Is he ok?" He was far too quiet for far too long. "Is something wrong, love?" In a somewhat un-Loki gesture, the God of Mischief wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her stomach. He was acting more like a lost child than a powerful Norse deity.

"Many things are wrong here, my love…" He answered in a small voice. Now Hope was very worried. She held the god close to her, her good hand finding its way into his raven hair. "Your arrival could not have been more perfectly timed, Little Pixie."

"Tell me what's happened," she asked when he grew too silent. He released a sigh.

"I've made some mistakes."

"Little cryptic there, love."

"Thor was banished." That silenced Hope's snarks real quick. "Father has fallen into the Odinsleep. And Asgard is on the brink of war with Jotunhiem." Hope had an extremely vague idea of what that was, but at the moment she was far more concerned with the first two parts of Loki's confession.

"What the hell did Thor do to get banished?" Thor was hot headed but still! A girl leaves for a few years and everything goes to pot!

"…He wasn't ready to be king so…I helped a few Jotuns sneak into Asgard to ruin the coronation. The fool, as expected, decided the best thing to do was to attack Jotunhiem." Loki shook his head in a classic younger brother fashion. "Which led to Father banishing him to Midgard."

"My poor planet," Hope joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. "They have no idea what's hit them." The god chuckled in agreement. "So what happened to your father? Did all this cause the Odinsleep?" When she first landed in Asgard, Loki had explained the All-nap's, as she had nicknamed them, restorative effects but the causes had been somewhat lost on her.

"Odin is not my father." The girl stilled at the coldness in his confession. "Hope… would you still want me… if I…" His voice trailed off, another trait that was not typical of Loki. He always had the right words. She was beginning to think something was seriously wrong with him.

"Loki, I'd love you no matter what." Seriously, you tried to take over my planet and I still love you, you little turd. "There isn't anything that could drive me anyway."

"I wouldn't be so certain," he countered, standing up and facing away from her. "You have never faced the monsters of this world. I worked very hard to protect you from them when you were – or are – in my care." Hope shivered at the sudden temperature drop in the room. "But I didn't think…" He began to turn towards her. "That I would be one of the monsters…" The girl's jaw dropped as he finally faced her again.

Loki's typically alabaster skin had turned an azure color with strange markings on his forehead, chin, and hands. He could probably outblue the Tardis right now. The emerald orbs she had so loved were now red as rubies. It was… strangely beautiful. He was still Loki though. She really didn't see what the fuss was about it. "This is who I really am… Would you still have me like this…"

The girl slid off the bed, approaching the god. "You don't have a sudden urge to kill me do you?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Then I really don't see a problem, my love," she comforted as she reached out to touch him. Loki flinched away from her touch, however, as if her touch burned.

"Don't."

"Loki, I'm not afraid."

"I'll hurt you."

"No you won't."

"Hope, you don't understand."

"Loki, don't be a weenie." She gently cupped his cheek, despite how much she wanted to give him a good whack up the back of his head. It was like touching a chunk of raw ice. Her hand glimmered gold a little as their temperatures evened out, either cooling her or warming him she didn't know. "See. Nothing happened."

"So it would seem…" He seemed shocked that she could touch him. Why, she didn't know but she was too fascinated by this new form to ask. His skin was a little rougher than in his normal form but not by much, like touching snow before it melted. She smiled as he nuzzled into her palm, his icy breath tickling her skin. "You would still have me like this then, my love?" Gah, this boy had a thick skull.

"How many times do I have to say it? No, I am not leaving you because you're a giant smurf." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his currently frosty tallness to her level. "It just makes you my giant smurf. But Loki, you have to fix everything that's happened. You need to tell at least Odin the truth of what happened when he wakes." The god shook his head.

"It's too late, Hope. Odin may not wake at all. I have to see this through." The blue began to fade from his skin, returning to its alabaster complexion. "I do this and I can prove to Father that I am a worth son."

"By convincing your brother he can never come home?' Loki gave her a surprised look. Thanks to the Tardis's telepathic and psychic abilities, Hope was able to pick up on a few details Loki wasn't telling her. "Loki, this isn't right. There are better ways."

"By being second in command to that oaf? The fool will figure out my lie eventually."

"That doesn't make it right." What would it take to make him see past his jealousy? Perhaps something Thor didn't have. "…Love… If you start making amends, I'll marry you." That caught his attention.

"What?"

"You heard me." Hope smirked. "I'll marry you. But you need to fix this mess. I won't marry you until then."

"Consider it done, my love." He kissed the girl, swooping her into a spin. The Tardis Daughter squealed with laughter. The Mischief God's excitement was infectious. "We can be married once this mess is blown over."

"Well, considering that's the terms of the agreement, I'd say that's a duh," she snarked as he finally set her feet back onto the ground. "Your dad will be pissed."

"Perhaps but that does not matter." She yawned despite her best efforts. While she was excited, it had been an exhausting past few days. Trying to save the man one loved from himself would do that to a person. She leaned into him tiredly and felt the dark chuckle rise from his chest. "You need sleep."

"Nah… I'm a regular Energizer Bunny."

"A what?"

"Never mind, love." She was vaguely aware of her feet leaving the floor again and being carried to the large bed. The girl cocooned herself into the silky streets, not really caring that she was still fully dressed, complete with sneakers. "Mmm… Snuggly…" She heard Loki chuckle again.

"Sleep, little love. I have a few matters to tend to then I'll join you." She murmered some form of agreement, much too concerned with the bed's comfort. She felt a cold, tender kiss on her cheek before sleep finally claimed her.

When Hope finally awoke, two questions crossed her mind. The first was the obvious Where the heck am I? While she did remember seeing Loki, it wouldn't have been the first time she had visited Asgard in her dreams. A stretch and familiar feel of silky green sheets told her she hadn't dreamed it up. She was indeed in Asgard once again. Rubbing her aching less broken wrist, she smiled as she thought of her conversation with her God of Mischief last night. Which led to her next question smacking her in the face.

"What the hell have I done?" The next time she saw Loki, he would be seeing them as engaged. She still wasn't ready to be someone's wife yet. Sure, she totally wanted to keep Loki from catching a ride on the crazy train but marriage! That does no good if she's not ready. "I'm so stupid!"

"I wouldn't say that." Hope jumped at the familiar voice. The Doctor was lounging in the doorway of the Tardis, watching her with a disappointed scowl. "A bit impulsive maybe." Hope sighed, sitting up. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I could save Loki," Hope answered flatly. She had anticipated this argument with the Doctor, but didn't expect to be so upset with herself as well.

"You can't rewrite this story, Hope! No one can!"

"Well, I think I just did."

"No, you didn't." She shot him a confused look. Obviously he was eavesdropping last night, didn't he hear what Loki agreed to? "Loki is lost. He fell from the broken Bifrost last night while you slept."

"No…" Hope shook her head in denial.

"He's not dead. You and I both know that. But it proves my point."

"Doctor, I had to try. I love him."

"And what good did it do?" Hope glared at him. "You promised to marry him if he changed his ways and he still attempted to steal Asgard."

"It was worth a try! You'd do the same damn thing for River!" How dare he lecture her on this?

"Hope, Loki looked you in the eye and lied to your face. Now you may love him but I doubt he even loved you."

"Don't! Don't even start that, Doctor!" She clenched her burning fists, glaring daggers at the Timelord. "I know Loki lies, that is his nature! And I wouldn't have him any other way!" She stalked towards him, fury swirling the sands of time in her eyes. "But you will not stand here calling him out as a liar when you are no better!"

"I've never hurt anyone with my lies, Hope. I protect people."

"I don't need protection, Doctor! I can save myself I'm not glass!" Hope knew Loki had played her. And as much as it hurt she knew the Doctor was right. But pride sure as hell wasn't going to let her admit it. "Why the hell did you even bring me here if it was going to end like this! To prove your point?!"

"I didn't think-"

"No! You didn't think! You never think!" She knew she was being harder than he deserved, but the words just somewhat came out on their own. "You acted without thinking, made a mistake and for once I absolutely hate you for it!" Before the flabbergasted Doctor could respond, Hope ran into the Tardis and straight for her room, slamming the door and flopping onto her bed sobbing.