Author's note: SPOILERS PRESENT IN THIS CHAPTER! READ AT OWN RISK!
V
It was several hours before Hope could reappear from her room. Her approach to the Tardis console was certainly a walk of shame, which half influenced the long period of hiding in her room. She had no doubt the Doctor would still be upset over her outburst in Asgard and rightfully so. She had acted like a toddler. It wasn't the Doctor's fault Loki had lost his marbles. He had only tried to help her deal with the situation and she had thrown it back in his face without thanks. That wasn't right.
"Doctor? Are you there?" The Timelord in question was nowhere to be seen. "Doctor?" A rustle of movement and a sleeping bag worm crawled it's was to her feet.
"'Ello, Hope!" The worm greeted as it popped up to reveal the Doctor. "Feeling better then?" Of course the Doctor would act like nothing happened.
"A little," she admitted, chuckling at the Doctor's goofiness. It was rather tricky to be depressed in the presence of a thousand year old time worm. "I'm not so much mad anymore… but I owe you an apology."
"For what?"
"For yelling at you while we were in Asgard. It wasn't right…" Hope hung her head. "And I don't hate you…"
"Oh I know that." The girl shot the Doctor a confused look. The hyperactive time worm was wearing a smug grin. "You were upset. Funny thing about humans: you like to say things you don't mean when you're mad."
"Yeah… That's true…" This wasn't working out the way she had hoped. But it wasn't going bad either. "You…" Hope swallowed a thick glob of pride. "You were right about Loki…"
"Not completely." She stared at the Doctor in shock for several moments. He was still wearing that smirk as he wriggled, trying to escape the sleeping bag. "Give me a hand? This is too small for me to get my hands out."
"Oh… Sure. How did you get stuck anyway?"
"It's your sleeping bag." Hope chuckled as she unzipped the bag. What a goofball.
"What do you mean 'not completely?'"
"He does love you, Hope. I have no doubt of that," The Doctor explained as he climbed out of the sleeping bag. "However, that doesn't stop him from lying to you. Or hurting you whether he means to or not. Trust me, I would know."
"Lying is in his nature. I can't change that."
"Do you want to?"
"I can't. It's part of Loki." Hope leaned against the Tardis console crossing her arms. "Like the Tardis is part of me now. I have to accept it whether I like it or not." A wise smirk crept onto the Doctor's lips.
"Believe it or not, that's a very good answer, Hope. So!" The Doctor began to push buttons of the console excitedly. "Would you like to see your fiancé again? Probably best to stick to the cell. Easier to find and safer for you."
"Actually… No…" The Timelord looked up at the girl, surprised. "I need time to think. My heart took a hell of a battering from him and I need to recover and strategize. If I'm going to commit to him as much as I say I do then I need to figure out how to handle his flaws. Cause this 'taking over the Earth' bull hockey ain't gonna fly."
"I was so hoping you'd say that. Otherwise I would have had no choice but to try and break you two up." Hope giggled.
"You wouldn't have been able to beat Loki. You're too shrimpy." Hope gripped onto the console as the Tardis took off, destination unknown.
"Shrimpy!? Loki's not exactly Mr. Universe. Besides I've got a sonic screwdriver!"
"What are you going to do with it? Build a cabinet at him?"
"Nope! A closet!" Both Hope and the Doctor laughed as the Tardis landed, jolting the pair forward. "A nice big closet with a lock. We'll call it 'Loki's time out closet!'"
"At least give it a window, Doc," the giggling girl requested as the Doctor bounced to the doors. "And you'd better make it magic proof."
"Well obviously. Now get your purse we're going shopping!"
"Shopping?"
"Yes, shopping! Isn't that how a lot of girls your age make themselves feel better?"
"I should be offended by that stereotype. But shopping sounds awesome right now too. Where we going then? Ancient Greece? Zuto? Oh, oh, Agrabah?"
"I told you that only exists in Disney. Lovely man. Still owes me for the mouse idea."
"You created Mickey Mouse?" She asked as she grabbed her bag off the console railing.
"Well yes and no but I did help come up with him. Accidentally set a mouse running across his desk. Interesting tidbit, Walt was actually afraid… of mice?" As Hope followed the Doctor out she quickly realized why he was so stunned.
The shopping bazaar The Doctor had chosen looked suspiciously like the throne room of Asgard. It even came complete with a confused Odin and Thor. "I think you landed in the wrong place, Doc. You should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque."
"Shut up, Hope. Thor! Odin! How lovely to see you again!" The girl shook her head as the Doctor sauntered to the huge throne. "Thor, did you grow your hair out? It's absolutely lovely!"
"Doctor! It's good to see you again, my friend!" Hope watched as the god of thunder swooped the Doctor into a bone crushing hug. She wasn't sure whether to make her presence know or just hide herself back inside the Tardis. She really wanted nothing to do with the Realm Eternal after the recent emotional roller coaster. But there was still a corner of her heart and mind that was curious as to Loki's fate. Judging by Thor's long hair, she'd guess that Loki was still in prison.
"There is no need for you to hide, Little One." The girl jumped in surprise. Odin rarely acknowledged Hope's existence once he discovered she was merely human. To have the king of Asgard actually welcome her was quite a shock. She couldn't even think of retort. "Join us."
Hope half-stumbled out of the Tardis, thrown off by the alarms bells going off at the back of her mind. "Sorry, I… I, uh…"
"She wasn't expecting us to visit. Happy accident really," the Doctor quickly explained.
"Yeah what he said." False face… False face… "Is Loki still here? I'd like to see him…" False face…
"Loki is dead." It was like someone put the world on mute. All the winds ceased, even the sounds of the Tardis seemed to go silent. "He was killed in a recent battle…" Thor continued softly.
False face… "W-what…"
"I am sorry, Hope…" Even the Doctor seemed stunned speechless.
"Well… that is… Unfortunate…" Hope couldn't think of what to say. Her mouth just hung from her skull. Loki couldn't possibly be dead. He just couldn't. Loki always had an ace up his sleeve. There had to be a way… Her thoughts faded a little as a gentle hand found her shoulder.
"Hope…" She turned to meet the Doctor's consoling gaze. "We don't have to stay here…"
"Actually." All eyes fell on the Allfather. "I would like to speak with your companion alone, Doctor."
"With all due respect, Odin, I don't think that's a good idea after hearing her fiancée's dead."
"Doctor!" As far as Hope knew, no one in Asgard knew of her and Loki's engagement.
"Should I have not said that?" The Doctor asked as he gave the girl an apologetic confused look.
"We know about your engagement, Hope. And this concerns her fiancée, Doctor." The Timelord didn't look as though he liked the idea but he did back away. The hyperactive Doctor followed Thor out of the throne room, leaving the shell-shocked Tardis daughter alone with the king of Asgard. Hope just stared at the steps to Odin's throne. "You've proven very brave, little one."
"No… I'm not…"
"You've yet to shed a tear for your fallen lover."
"Just hasn't sunk in…"
"That may be a good thing… We wouldn't want you to waste your precious tears." Hope's eyes grew wide as the wise tone of Odin's voice morphed into a more silky timbre of a very familiar voice. "Especially over someone who is not dead."
Is it… The girl looked up and met Loki's signature smirk. The Mischief God sauntered down the steps towards her.
"You seem so surprised to see me, my love. Surely you didn't believe I was actually dead." His fingers gently pressed her jaw shut, his smirk never fading. "I would hope you'd have more fa-" SMACK! It was an automatic reaction. Hope didn't want to hurt him (as if she could), her hand just sort of moved on its own. Loki didn't seem far too phased as he rubbed his smarting cheek. "I take it you are caught up then."
"You could say that." Hope then threw her arms around the god's neck, knocking him into the steps. The Trickster began to laugh as he hugged the girl to him.
"You're giving me some rather mixed signals, Little Pixie."
"Shut up."
"That's exactly what I mean, love."
"Shut up."
"Why should…" SMACK!
"That's for breaking my wrist and trying to take over my planet."
"Alright. I deserved that," he groaned.
"No duh you deserved that! What were you thinking?!"
"I was not exactly in my right mind then, my love. Besides I still got what I went there for." That tripped her alarm bells.
"And what were you there for?" A smirk crept onto Loki's face, but he didn't answer her question. Instead, he sat up, trapping the girl in his arms.
"We have much to discuss, my love. My new position presents some challenges to our relationship." How did that Silvertongue always manage to dance around the question? "To start, no one but you can know I'm still alive."
"You know I'm a terrible liar right?"
"I have faith in you. Also… we cannot see each other after this." The mute button was hit again.
"W-what… You… don't want me?" Not that Hope condoned Loki's current position – what happened to Odin anyway – but she didn't expect Loki to reject her. She couldn't necessarily stay anyway but still…
"Hope, of course I want you. I would not have asked for your hand if I didn't. However, you are the only one who knows I'm still alive."
"So?" The young girl pouted like an overgrown two-year-old, letting her pride get the best of her. Loki chuckled, gently catching her chin and tilting her gaze to his.
"My current plan requires I stay in disguise, my queen. And there is no way in all the Nine Realms Odin could possibly deserve a beauty like yourself." The girl's face scrunched up in disgust at the thought.
"He's not exactly my type."
"My point." The Trickster's hand found its way into her hair, weaving through the mass of auburn silk. Hope swayed her head in an attempt to deter the annoying habit with no success. "Besides there are still so many stars for you to see."
"You should see them with me." Loki chuckled, shaking his head. "The Doctor wouldn't mind. Although he may invade your personal space a lot."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, my love. Thor has abdicated the throne of Asgard to be with his woman on Earth."
"So the Asgardian brothers have similar taste in women, I see," Hope teased.
"Oh, please. I have much better taste. You have a stronger hand." The girl opened her mouth to make a sarcastic quip but Loki's finger silenced her. "Back to my point. Since I have taken over Odin's role, I cannot just run off with you on a whim. That would be a ridiculous tarnish to your character."
"Okay… Can I still visit you… If I'm careful…?"
"The Doctor can't…"
"The Doctor won't have to know. I can somewhat control my ability now. I can travel without the Tardis if I wish."
"Mmm…" Hope bit her lip as she watched the piercing emerald thoughts pass through Loki's eyes. Her time traveling ability was more controlled but it still was physically exhausting on her body. She knew she still wore dark circles under her eyes from her last jump through time. "I would not suggest you do it too frequently. That ditzy Timelord may discover us."
"Is that a yes?"
"Vary sparingly."
"So that's a yes." Hope really did appreciate her Silvertongue god but she adored teasing him into being very unpoetic. Loki's eyebrows knit together in frustration.
"From time to time, provided you practice extreme discretion."
"I'm hearing a y-" Before the girl could finish her teasing, the Asgardian pressed his lips to hers. She couldn't help but giggle as he pulled away.
"Yes! You can visit you exasperating woman!"
"Good!"
"But! You have to wait for my word. I think I can contact the Doctor's psychic paper."
"I can handle that." Hope's arms snaked under Loki's jacket and around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "I'm not sure this is a good idea for you, Love. You'll get caught eventually."
"Not if I'm careful enough. And I need only carry on this charade for a while. Soon I can completely take over the rule of Asgard or it won't matter anyway."
"'Won't matter'? What do you mean?" The girl took this moment to clamber off the god, ignoring the banging on the doors no doubt coming from the Doctor.
"Do not worry, my dear. It is not for you to concern yourself with." Loki stood, his appearance morphing back into his disowned father. "Now. Return to the stars with your Doctor, Little One." The False Odin dismissed as the Doctor bounced in, darting towards the Tardis with a babble about Mars. "Just be ready should I call on your."
"Of course… Milord." Hope curtsied to the Asgardian, backing towards the Tardis. As she stepped through the familiar doors, she shot a playful wink in Odin's direction, insuring his secret was safe with her.
However, no one saw the witness tucked behind the looming pillars. "The pow-er source has been i-den-ti-fied! A weak-ness has been de-ter-mined!"