A/N: And because it's Olivia's birthday, I'm feeling rather generous and decided I wouldn't leave you all on a cliffhanger lol. Happy reading
The force of the vortex that normally made me ill instead seemed to rock me to sleep. I could hear the sounds of a thousand voices singing and I realized the universe was singing me to sleep. It was over. I would soon fade into the complex system of time. I had failed. I had lost.
Still, at least I had stopped Hel. That was something, right? Memories of my life seemed to fly far from me and it wasn't long before I completely forgot my name. Who was I? Where was I from? It didn't matter. I was part of the universe, a part of time. I felt the form I had gained in the vortex begin to dissolve and I welcomed the relief. I was so tired and so weak. I would become one with time and I would be free from the pain.
"The woman from my dream," A voice sounded from all around me. How odd. Time didn't speak like that. I chose to ignore it, drifting deeper into the system. "That woman, I saw so long ago. I can't quite..." The voice trailed off in thought and I questioned why it seemed to care. What did it matter?
"She spoke to me in this very spot. She was important. Why was she important?"
I realized that it wasn't a voice actually speaking so much as it was someone thinking. How fun! We had never heard thoughts before! We? Who was we? What was I? Such strange words. But what fun it was!
A flood of images flashed across our consciousness. My consciousness? Again with the strange words. A woman with a tangled mane of red hair was sitting across from a man, an intense expression in her eyes. Over and over I saw her, lying still in the snow, crying, laughing, screaming. One image in particular seemed especially significant. It wasn't particularly special, just of her lying on her side on a cave floor, her rosy lips moving furiously during sleep. A long curl cascaded across her face as she twitched. Her lips stopped moving and she let out a sigh. She seemed so defenseless, in need of love and protection. Hmm...why was she familiar.
"Olivia," The voice was barely a whisper and it was recognized as actual speech. "Olivia Grant, my wife." It stated a bit louder. We and I began to make sense again. But which one?
"If something can be remembered, it can come back." The voice recited, a hint of excitement in the tone. "I remember you, Olivia-the infuriating mortal who wrecked all my defenses and returned my sanity. I remember you and I want you to come back, return to me!"
Olivia, that was me. Me. I. I was an individual. Not part of the great consciousness but a single unit. One person. I was Olivia. And someone wanted me. My form began to re-emerge and I made use of my newly formed eyes. I could see ahead, a faint light ahead of me.
My body was still frail and the exhaustion remained, but I wasn't gone. I wouldn't fade. I just needed to break through the opening. I could die later. I fell through it hard and fast, my body landing painfully against a solid surface. The wind was knocked from my lungs and I gasped for air, the eerie sound of which echoed around me. My eyes crossed back and forth, and my brain tried to discern whether I was looking at two feet or four.
"Olivia," The voice breathed with relief and I felt my body pulled upward from under my arms. I still groped helplessly for air and my vision blacked in and out, the brief glimpses of the world dark and blurred. I was briefly aware of being enveloped by arms and carefully set against a body of heat on the ground. "Darling, look at me. I understand how fragile you are but I need you to look at me."
I struggled to keep my vision clear. At long last I found oxygen and a terrible ripping sound emerged from my throat as I sucked it in. I felt fingers cup my face but my vision still faded in and out. "Darling, focus. I know it is hard but focus. Listen to my voice." I tried to obey the voice as best I could, fighting to keep my eyes open. Yet I remained somewhat helpless, too weak to give it the attention it deserved.
Ever so slowly, my eyes began to adjust. The flickering of my vision began to fade and the blurriness gradually became clearer. After some time, I was finally able to see clearly, even though my lids still sought to close. I could see I was in the same cave I had been in earlier, though how long ago it was I was unsure. Time travel was disconcerting. The sun even shone through the trees, just as it had before. Even the boy was there, though he was no longer a boy. My memories returned in a rush and I shut my eyes tight from the force of them.
Then, as quickly as they had come, they settled and I found my sanity once more. Loki. I was with Loki and I had, by some miracle, managed to survive. There was an inner knowing, a feeling of confidence, that I was once again merely human. Mortal. I would age, I would bleed. I was vulnerable and fragile and frail. My face contorted at the thought of dying and leaving him alone. How terrible it would be. Still, I had some time with him. I hoped.
My gaze shifted directly above me and met his. "Took you long enough." I rasped weakly, the faintest smile on my lips. He smirked briefly before bowing to kiss my forehead.
"Are you quite finished playing the hero?"
"I don't know," I began quietly, placing my hands on his shoulders for support. Carefully, I pulled myself up to sitting, allowing my head to fall onto his chest. "I thought I might slay some dragons or something."
"I pity the dragons." He kissed my hair and I allowed myself to breathe heavily. I closed my eyes and savored his warmth. He had always been so pleasantly warm. Several moments passed in silence before I spoke again.
"H-how's Sarah?" I inquired, my eyes still shut.
"She's perfectly alright. I do believe Mother is rather fond of her." I felt him twirling a lock of my hair around his finger. I had never understood his fascination with my hair. From the start, he had always touched it, twirled it, stroked it. Whatever the reason, I allowed him to continue. It was far too commonplace to complain about it then.
"That's nice." A sudden thought gripped me and my eyes snapped open. I raised my head and clutched his chest. "What about Eithne? Is she alright? I know Hel-"
"Eithne, too, is more than fine. In fact, she and Hogan seem rather fascinated with one another."
Well that was surprising. "Oh, well that's good I suppose." My fingers slipped to the chain around my neck as I settled back into him. They fumbled with the latch but I was finally able to release it, quickly opening my hand to catch the ring. I clutched it in hand, my mind a-whir with how to say the words.
"Especially given that I can't take her back." The twirling of my hair stopped.
"What?"
I sighed and slid the ring onto my finger. "I can't take her back. In fact, I can never go anywhere in time again."
"But-"
"I'm mortal again. I'm just plain, old Olivia. Like before." I felt his muscles tense and I couldn't help but mutter, "Guess you married mortal swine, after all."
"Mortal?" He repeated and I nodded. I was too drained to go on. All I wanted was to sleep, long and hard. For weeks, if I could. I yawned and snuggled in closer.
"If you don't mind, could we continue this conversation later? I'm really tired." My lids closed and I began to drift to sleep.
"Certainly." He mumbled quietly raising my hand to his lips. He paused, holding my hand in his. "Olivia?"
"Hmmm?" I replied groggily, already half-way asleep.
"You're wearing it. On your hand."
"Mmm-hmm."
"You never wear it on your hand. You misplace it-"
"Decided I wouldn't lose it if I never took it off." I replied sleepily. I didn't know what was said or done after that because I instantly fell into the void of sleep. The last thing I remembered was having the distinct impression that he was smiling.