Loki doesn't leave the cottage for weeks, nor does he shapeshift. One morning, over breakfast, Mobius addresses Loki as his prince and Loki quietly corrects him – no, not a prince. Not a princess, either, but more she than he. Mobius nods and asks how to refer to Loki when Thor inquires and Loki answers to refer to her as a woman, even though she will neither look it, nor does she entirely feel it. But this is only allowed within the family. To anyone else, Loki is a man, both in appearance and in how she wants to be called. Mobius doesn't push for any other details. This is Loki and this is how he will accept her in this moment.

Loki stays close to home, despite invitations to the palace. There are no overnights in his old quarters and when the children visit, Darcy comes to bring them to the bounce room and brings them back to the cottage after. They beg him to come along, but he always has a reason why he can't. He knows he is disappointing his young friends, but he can't bring himself to walk the halls near the bounce room.

And then come the nightmares. Loki sometimes wakes himself yelling and breathing heavily, sweat drenched as Mobius holds him close and tries to keep him from thrashing. The dreams are always one of two things – either what would have happened had Loki not found his magic in the hallway or what happened to him restrained against the rocky wall in Thanos' realm. Both leave Loki shuddering and sobbing as he wakes and Mobius takes to making Frigga's tea blend after Loki has quieted and allowed him to get out of bed. Loki rarely gives details about the dreams as they rest together, sipping from their mugs, hoping to fall back asleep.

One night, after Mobius asks, as usual, if Loki wants to talk about the nightmare, Loki stares at his tea and quietly says, "When I died."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. But maybe a little…. I was manacled to the wall. They tore me apart. And then they stitched me back together and breathed life back into me and I remember fading back into being to excruciating pain as they injected something that burned into the wounds. They would heal within a week and the agony would begin again with new tortures that would lead, eventually, to another death."

Mobius stares at him, "Holy shit, Loki...that's horrifying.

"I don't know if whatever they injected into me would still trace its way throughout my system."

"Is there any way to tell?"

Loki shakes his head, "Not that I'm aware of. I suppose I could let someone study my blood…."

"Not if you don't give absolute permission to," Mobius says. "Your body, your blood, your business."

Loki nods, "Thank you for allowing me to not go that direction right now."

"I'm not the one who can do any allowing or disallowing. But if you need somebody to reassure you...you're welcome. You don't have to, and that's OK."

Loki sets aside his mug and snuggles under Mobius' arm, "I think I'm ready to try to sleep again. I'm glad Mother left this blend for you."

"Actually...she didn't. She showed me how to make it myself and so I put it together fresh for each cup when we need it."

Loki smiles, "Then you've been granted a great honour, Mobius. She rarely shares her secrets, especially not those that come from her foremothers. And the art of her teas was theirs." As Loki makes himself comfortable, Mobius sets aside his own mug and turns over to face him. Loki tucks against his chest and Mobius strokes his hair as his eyes droop closed.

"Guess we know she really likes me," Mobius says, smiling.

Loki sleepily laughs, "I suppose we do."

The next morning, as he does every morning before they have left their bed, Mobius asks Loki what gender suits best and what Loki should be referred as for the day. Without shapeshifting, Loki tells him. When she is feeling womanly, she dresses as she did at the TVA and occasionally does her hair or pins the raven broach on her tunic. She sequesters from everyone but her family and she continues to request that they protect her and refer to her only as a man when they are in the company of anyone else.

It has been a few months since she was pinned in the hallway when Loki goes out to their garden after dressing for the day. She is in their quiet haven on the thyme, weaving the flowers of fragrant herbs in her hair, while Mobius makes the bed. Once he is done, he sits on the edge of the bed and watches her through the window. With the sunlight filtering through ancient waved glass, his beloved looks ethereal as she plaits a stalk of lavender into the end of a small braid draping down beside her ear. He sighs, wishing he knew how to help her find her joy again. He walks to the wardrobe and opens it, staring at the dresses and gowns he hasn't seen her wear in months. He brushes his fingers over the fabric and then pulls out a soft grey gown. His eyes linger on the brown dress she was wearing when they landed in Asgard, once one of her favourites, and wonders if he will ever see her in it again.

Mobius sits on the end of the bed with the grey dress draped across his lap, remembering how happy she was when she first changed her form and how beautiful her joy was when she first showed her feminine shape to him. He feels his eyes dampen as he mourns what she has lost. He doesn't hear Loki step in the room.

"Mobius? What are you doing?" she asks softly.

He shrugs, "I don't know. Just...thinking, I guess."

Loki sits beside him, "Oh? About what?"

"You, mainly." Loki waits for him to continue, "I remember when we first left the Citadel together. I remember how happy you were. I'd had an idea of what you'd look like as a woman in my head and it wasn't even close...but the minute I saw you, I knew how right it was that this was what you were like…. I remember when I saw you in that brown dress for the first time. And I guess I just miss everything about that part of you I don't get to see these days."

Loki brushes her hand on the grey dress in his lap, smoothing the fabric, "I know. I do, too. But I'm scared."

"Is there any chance I could convince you to wear this? Even for a few minutes, or just when it's me?" Mobius asks as he takes her hand.

Loki shakes her head, "Not yet. I don't feel safe in that body and we have the children in less than an hour."

"Then maybe after they've gone back with their moms?"

She sighs, "I don't know."

"OK," Mobius replies, "I don't want to push. I just...wish I could see you that happy. I know how much it meant to you to be able to share that part of yourself with the world and I miss seeing that part of you, too." He stands up and hangs the dress back up. "And I hope he didn't ruin that brown dress for you because my god, Loki, you were absolutely radiant when you first stepped out in it on Brunnhilde's ship. Took my breath away."

"And if he has?" Loki asks.

Mobius turns to face her, leaning against the wardrobe, "Well then I guess it's a good thing he's dead or I'd have to go find him and smack him with something heavy with a nail in the end for stealing away another sliver of your joy. And mine."

"Mother really did act quite efficiently…."

He laughs, "Yeah, she wasn't kidding around when she said she'd brutally defend her kids, was she?"

"Not at all. There were those who thought she would give up her ferocity when she became queen. Some thought she had when she sat patiently beside Odin. But...she just set it aside. It's never been out of reach," Loki says. "She was a warrior when she became the All-Mother and she still is."

"I think you inherited her protectiveness."

"Perhaps."

Mobius shakes his head, "Nah, I know you did. I've watched your life on the Sacred Timeline, remember? Even the Loki that ends up in the dungeon in Asgard breaks out for revenge and, in the process, protects Jane from the Dark Elves and the Aether. And he comes back to protect all of Asgard's people when he didn't have to – could have just sailed on off with the other ship and wiped his hands of the whole thing. And you...you wanted to protect Sylvie. I remember the look on your face when I was toying with you, making you think she was dead…. You would've beaten the shit out of me if you thought you could've gotten away with it and then run off to find her. I could see the wheels in your head turning. And the plan in the Void – you knew I'd be rubbish helping you and I'd just end up getting myself killed. Then when you ended up back with me...you wanted to make sure you weren't endangering me by staying in my apartment. You always asked if I was going to be safe on missions. I know you, Loki. Both the you in TVA files and the actual, right-here-in-my-bedroom you. You care about your family so deeply it hurts and you'd do just about anything to make sure they made it, even if you didn't. And your mom's the exact same way."

Loki blushes, "I'm flattered you see this nobility in me, Mobius."

He walks over to where she sits on the the edge of the bed and kneels in front of her, "Hey...you're an incredible person, Loki. I see that in you every day." He pauses, wondering if the timing is right for what he wants to do, something he's been considering for a few weeks. He decides that it is and slips a little quilted envelope from his pocket. "So...I want to do something...to give you something...I just…." He takes a deep breath, "Damn, this is harder than I thought."

Loki looks down at him, confused, "Mobius? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's actually really damned right. I've just lost my words."

She bends forward and kisses the top of his head, "Well then shall we wait a moment for you to find them?"

He nods and she waits while he thinks; he opens the little quilted envelope and reaches into it, hesitating before picking up what it contains, still hidden in the fabric, "Loki, I love you. I don't need any formal ceremony or statement or declaration to make that more real than it already is. But I've always kinda liked the Earth tradition of people who are committed to each other having matching rings…so I talked to your mom and she had this idea…." He pulls a ring from the bag, "This is the one from the little velvet bag you took from Ragnarok. Frigga placed a charm on it so it will resize itself so it fits you, no matter what body you're in. And this one," he pulls out the other ring, "is the same ring, but from this timeline." He holds up the ring she stole from the apocalypse, a braided silver band that twists around a piece of rounded black volcanic rock streaked with gold, and extends it to Loki, "Will you accept this token of my love?"

Loki has tears in her eyes as she stretches her hand toward him so he can slip it on her finger, "Without question, Mobius."

"Do you want to put the other one on my hand?" She nods. He hands her the other ring, "It's a little different. Yours has more gold veining and mine has a little more of the marbling."

She takes his hand, "Mobius...people are going to assume we're married."

"Let them," he answers, "You're my beloved. I've chosen you. And whatever they think has to happen between us is irrelevant."

She laughs as she slips the ring on his finger, "I love you, Mobius. And this is an incredible moment."

"I'd asked Frigga about what rings we could use and if there were any from the family I could do this with, and she suggested this one and maybe making one that was like it. But then I remembered you'd set aside the same ring from another timeline and I'd never seen you wear it, even when your fingers were more slender."

"It seemed awkward to wear a ring with such a story when it came from a world that no longer exists."

"Well, when I shared with Frigga that you had this one, she was over-the-moon thrilled that we had two of them and offered to charm yours so it would change with your hands. She made mine bigger and it should adjust a little throughout the day to stay the perfect size," Mobius says, "So yeah...kinda filched it from you to give it back to you…."

Loki laughs, "It's perfect." She cups Mobius' face in her hands and bends in to kiss him, a long, slow, lingering kiss that neither of them want to end, her hair falling around them, a curtain to shelter them from the outside world. It is the first kiss other than gentle pecks on the cheek that they have had since Loki was attacked.

"Wow," Mobius says, "Thank you so much."

They are interrupted by a knock on the front door and a young voice shouts, "Loki! Mobius! We're here to play!"

Mobius stands and kisses her forehead before he walks toward the door, "On my way, kiddos! Come on in!"

Loki stares at the ring on her hand and wonders if she should hide it to avoid questions from the children. Then she asks herself why she would want to hide this from her family. She decides she doesn't, so she walks into the other room with a wide smile on her face, ready to greet the children as Randi departs for the palace.

They spend part of the morning in the cottage and gardens and then Darcy skips across the grass and through the paths with a bright smile on her face, singing the kids' names as she approaches. Giggling, they run to her and tackle her when she is close. She laughs with them as they tug her to her feet and drag her to the cottage.

"Good morning, Loki! Mobius! What's the plan for today?"

"We want to bounce, Darcy!" Frode yells.

"Yeah, I get that, kiddo, but I want to make sure these two are on board with this plan." She turns to Loki and Mobius, "So...we going bouncing today?"

"You go ahead," Loki says. "The children wouldn't find me very lively today, I'm afraid. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Do you ever sleep well these days?" Darcy asks, "Because nearly every time I ask, that's the reason you give."

Loki sighs, "It's been rough."

Mobius gently nudges her arm, "Come on, Loki. Let's go with the kids today. I'll be right there with you."

"There are places I'd rather not see…."

"I know. And we'll take a different hall if we need to. But I'll be right next to you the whole time."

Loki looks at the sunny day, the giddy children, and Darcy's encouraging smile and she nods, "Alright. Let's go. Together." Arne, Frode, and Frida shriek with glee.

Darcy takes the lead through the palace and Loki is nervous they might go down the hallway she doesn't want to see. They avoid it, though the route they do take is a little longer. The children scramble to take off their shoes the minute they are in the bounce room and they launch themselves into the air.

Mobius sets his shoes aside and offers Loki a hand up onto the springy platform. Loki accepts, but when Mobius asks her to bounce with the children, she declines. She also declines when Mobius asks if he needs to sit with her. After a quick kiss on her cheek, Mobius bounds off as Frida yells his name, throwing a large ball nearly as tall as she is toward him. Mobius dodges, laughing, as Arne and Frode pelt him with other balls of various sizes until he threatens to tickle them into submission when he catches them.

Loki settles in on a squishy bench, her legs crossed in front of her, watching the chaos in which her lover and the children revel.

Darcy sits beside her, "Hey...so at one point, this kind of mayhem would have been your thing."

"I know. But things are different these days."

She nods, "I know. I mean, I know what happened. Jane told me. If Frigga hadn't taken care of things as fast as she did, and Thor had...I don't know, tripped on his way there, Jane was going to rip that jackass limb-from-limb. She's tiny, but holy shit, she's like a little feral chipmunk when she's pissed." Darcy pauses and looks over to Loki, whose eyes are cast down to the floor, "Jane needed somebody to talk to. Thor and Frigga were with you and she was so upset that somebody'd do that to you. She wants to be the protective sis – she kinda sees you like her little brother, too, even though you're like...way older. She told me everything she knew and we raged about it all night. Gotta say...I was ready to go find some cleavers and threaten anybody on the court who might not keep their damned mouths shut."

"I...thank you, Darcy. I appreciate the sentiment," Loki says.

"Look, I didn't sit down to tell you that Jane and I were ready to cut a guy into pieces for you – I mean, we will if we ever need to, but... I'm not really saying things in the right way. But...well, you're not alone."

"Ah. Well...thank you."

"Still...not quite there. I meant to say...well, I've been there, too. I knew my 'him.' He was a lot bigger than me. And yeah...up against a wall. I froze. There's some of it I remember. Some of it I don't," Darcy explains, "But I know what it feels like to be powerless and to know somebody else is going to use you however he wants. I know what it's like to want to hide and never come out when it's over. I know what it feels like to want to scrub every inch of your skin off because he touched you and then to want to hide under hoodies and sweatpants for months so nobody can think anything about your body other than that you probably have one and aren't likely to just be a couple of opossums in sweats." Loki's eyes meet hers as she looks over to her, "So yeah...I get it. But you can't hide forever. Because after a point...well, he's living rent-free in your head and he's still got control over you. I mean, take your time to heal, but also just remember that you're still you, your life is still yours, and you can't let that fucker win."

Loki stares at her a moment before she can answer, "I...I don't know what to say."

"I know. Kinda probably said too much...and I seem to have that effect on people in this world, anyway. But yeah. I just want you to know you can come talk to me if you need a sister who's been there," Darcy says. "Want a hug?"

Loki nods and Darcy holds her tightly, "I've felt so very alone, Darcy. Even though I've had my family around me. I just...didn't know if anyone else would understand this quite in the same way."

"I do. It's a shitty thing to have to have solidarity in, but...we do have each other."

"Can I ask you something?" Loki asks.

"Sure."

"Would you be willing to walk that hallway with me?"

"Absolutely. Do you want anybody else there when we do? And when?"

Loki shrugs, "What about now?"

"I probably shouldn't leave Mobius on his own with three kids, but he seems fine." She stands up and hollers, "Mobius! Kids are yours. We're going for a little walk."

"Everything alright?" he calls back.

"Yeah, we're good," Darcy replies. She and Loki leave the room together and Loki takes Darcy's hand as they head for the hallway. Loki tightens her grip as they get closer. "You OK?" Darcy asks.

"I don't know."

"That's fine. You don't have to be OK. It's actually fine to not be OK, especially when it comes to stuff like this," Darcy replies.

Loki doesn't say anything as they walk down the hallway to the spot where she was pinned against the wall. She lets go of Darcy's hand and walks to where he held her and leans her back against the wall in the spot. She sinks to the floor, her face crumpling as the memories flood back and his words echo in her ears. Darcy sits beside her and pulls Loki in for a hug. She doesn't offer any comforts or platitudes, just her company as Loki lets herself mourn for what she went through. After a while, they hear someone on the far end of the hall and Darcy looks up – Elsie crosses by with a cart headed for the bounce room. She nods and Darcy waves.

"Hey...how're you doing, Loki?" Darcy asks.

"Better," she says as she sits up and stretches. "I don't think this place will ever be the same for me. I will likely avoid being here for years, but...he didn't win. He can't win. He's dead. And I'm not, even though he said I likely would be."

"Hey! Progress!" Darcy smiles, "It's OK to avoid a place where something traumatic happened. It's fine to go back and forth on things, too, be alright one day, not the next. Grief's like that – sometimes, it never really goes away, it just changes. But just remember that you're not alone, 'K? Your sis Darcy's right here."

Loki nods, "Thank you." She pauses, "You've said that twice now, that you're my sister."

Darcy shrugs, "Well, yeah. Thor's your brother, he's married to Jane, and Jane's my 'sister from another mister.' So according to Darcy logic, you're absolutely my sibling."

"You do know I'm adopted?"

"Yep. Doesn't matter. Guess what else I also know?" Loki looks at her quizzically, "I know you're from a different timeline. Still doesn't matter, I'm still your sis."

Loki stares at her, shocked she knows, "How…?"

"Hon, Jane tells me everything. Like everything everything. When Thor told her, she was having a hard time wrapping her head around it at first. It just didn't make scientific sense and you know how my girl is – the science has to be solid or something just can't be real. She talked to Frigga, though, and that seemed to help a little. I didn't know at that point. I found out after she'd gone to your mom and still couldn't make sense of it. Jane was doing this thing she does when she can't figure something out – there's a lot of pacing and some frustrated grumbling and she's just really agitated. I just straight up told her to sit her ass down and tell me what was driving her to the point where she was going to wear an indent in the floor if she kept going back and forth. And she told me."

"And you just accepted this?" Loki asks.

"I mean, seemed a little far-fetched at first, but look at where I am, Loki. I'm in space on a planet that isn't round where water just kinda falls off the edge and never runs out and somehow there's an atmosphere where there really shouldn't be. Nothing about any of this makes any sense. Telling me there's another timeline and the Loki that was here before was dead and you came in because the timeline you're supposed to be in can't take you back? Sure, sounds strange, but whatever. Frigga and Thor don't think you're not their Loki because of it, so why shouldn't I? They're the experts here, not me," Darcy says, shrugging her shoulders.

"You're remarkably at-ease with the entire idea of there being multiple overlapping timelines."

Darcy laughs, "Well what else should I be? It's not like I can change it."

"Isn't it a bit unsettling?"

"I mean, yeah, it's weird to think about another Darcy out there doing whatever she's doing, but at the same time...it's not me. I'm me, and I'm right here. I'm never going to meet another Darcy Lewis. Just better get on with living, you know? If I spend time worrying, I'm going to end up dying miserable instead of having a crapton of fun between now and then."

Loki hears giggling from down the hall, "And speaking of fun...there are three children likely having far too much of it overrunning my beloved." She stands and offers Darcy her hand, "Thank you so very much, Darcy. I owe you so much for this moment."

Darcy joins her and gives her a quick hug, "Nah, you don't owe me a thing. We're family." They walk together back to the bounce room, Loki making sure to clear the tear streaks from her face with magic before they arrive.

They step into the room to find Elsie serving snacks in the space outside of the bounce floor. She sits down with them for cookies and warm, honeyed and spiced milky tea. As the children catch Darcy and Loki up on what they missed, Loki realizes that there is a weight lifted from her shoulders and she feels just a little lighter. After Elsie clears away the dishes and pushes her cart into the hall, Frida insists she come back in to bounce with them and she relents, giggling. This is not the first time they have roped Elsie into their play. Frode skips after, dragging Darcy with him. Arne darts in to tickle his younger siblings as they spring along with their adults.

Mobius offers Loki his hand, "Are you coming up?"

"Yes, I think I will."

"Did you have a good talk with Darcy?"

"Oh, yes. I'll tell you about it later. Let's just say she can relate to my struggle in a way that I didn't think anyone I knew could. And it has made all the difference." Loki takes Mobius' hand and skips after him as Mobius gently tugs her toward the game the children are making up as they go.

That evening, after the children have left, Loki slips off her trousers and sits on the bed with her legs crossed, the tunic draping over her body. She closes her eyes and transforms. The tunic, now too big for her, slips from her shoulder. She quietly laughs at the little mischief she knows this small reveal can make, eyes still closed.

Mobius quietly steps into the room and takes in the picture in front of him. His beloved Loki sits on the bed with her graceful shoulder exposed, a smile on her face as she laughs softly to herself. He is overjoyed and can't find the words to tell her how much it means to finally see her taking back her own body

Loki opens her eyes when she hears Mobius sniffle; he wipes his eyes, "You've been watching me for a while?"

"Only a couple of minutes. But it's long enough to see how happy you are," Mobius answers.

"Oh, absolutely."

"Does this have anything to do with what Darcy talked to you about?"

"Everything. I don't want to share all of what she said, but...she can relate. She's experienced this, too, in her own circumstances. She told me we can't let him win. He's still controlling me, Mobius. He did exactly as he wanted – he instilled fear and it festered. I'm not well...and I won't be for a long time. But I can at least be this here. And maybe, a little at a time, I'll get back to where I was and I'll show myself in the palace halls." She slides under the covers, "Join me?"

"Happily," he says, "What do you want tonight?"

Loki turns on her side, her back to him, "Just tuck up behind me. Drape your arm over me. Rest your hand over my breast...nothing sexual, just a gentle moment where you touch me in a way no others are allowed."

Mobius does as he's asked, his body snug against hers, "It's so good to have you back like this, Loki. I was starting to worry I never would."

"I know. And I shouldn't have hidden from you. I've never felt unsafe in your arms. So I hope we can move forward together."

"We can. I wouldn't have given you a ring if I didn't want to move forward together, whatever that looks like," Mobius says. He plants a small kiss between her shoulder blades, "Love you, Loki."

Loki smiles and snuggles back against him, "I love you, too, Mobius. And tomorrow is a bright new day."