Loki looked back in horror.

"That's-" he started.

"Yes."

Frigga's face was set with a tension that Loki's mirrored.

"They're gaining on us," he said softly, his hand tightening on the scepter. "They shouldn't be gaining on us. We have a lighter load."

"And yet they are," Frigga said simply. "Is there anything you can do? Any way to warn Asgard? Or at least to slow them down?"

Odin kept sentries on the outlying districts by the shore, but they wouldn't be prepared to fight this number of foes even if they weren't being taken by surprise.

"I'll do my best," Loki said grimly, and raised his scepter.

A month had passed since that horrid day, and Darcy and the kids were at Jane and Thor's house. It was Liam and Isaac's sixth birthday.

It was a beautiful Saturday in May. The past week of dreary rain had finally given way, and the sun had broken through. They were holding the celebrations in the back yard, accordingly. Thor had even broken out the grill and was making hot dogs and hamburgers. The scent of barbequed meat wafted on the air.

Darcy had been expecting SHIELD to put up more of a fight against her, but they'd been silent. She hadn't heard anything from them, and if she hadn't noticed that she was being followed pretty much any time she left the house, she might have thought that that was the end of it.

But even now she could see a black car up the road, it's windows tinted so that she couldn't make out who was in it. She narrowed her eyes at it, aggravated. Probably that Coulson guy. He'd seemed creepy enough to be in on this stalkery-type job.

Ellie's shrill giggle jolted her out of her somewhat grim thoughts. The kids were playing tag, using the-

"Oh snap," Darcy said, jumping up from her lawn-chair when Ellie ran right in front of her. Too late, though. The boys had pretty good aim, and both Ellie and Darcy were dripping wet.

The sliding door opened then, and a frowning Jane returned from the fridge with a bottle of iced tea.

"Boys! Put that hose away. You know better. Come on. Now say sorry to Ellie and your aunt."

"Sorry," they mumbled, somewhat contritely, and Darcy nodded in acceptance. Oh well. At least it wasn't cold out. Ellie didn't care, and she was off again in a moment, shrieking as they continued their game of tag.

"Oh, Darcy- I'm so sorry," Jane sympathized. "Here, come with me. I've got a shirt you can borrow if you like."

"Thanks, bud," Darcy accepted gratefully. Wet clothes were not the most pleasant of things.

There weren't many options, Jane having a much slighter figure than Darcy, but she found a pretty blue blouse that fit, and joined the party again. A few more of Isaac and Liam's friends had arrived, and with them, Darcy noted with dread, their parents.

Ugh.

Darcy was not exactly a people-person. She could make conversation- she could make bloody great conversation- but small-talk was the worst. It was just so boring.

Jane had waylaid them though and they were talking animatedly about something or other that Darcy didn't really care about. She slipped as unobtrusively as possible back to her lawn chair by the grill. Thor shared her aversion to small talk.

Darcy was pleased to notice though that a few older kids had showed up and drawn Nathan off into playing a game of soccer. He'd just been reading earlier, rolling his eyes at the other three as they played tag. Oh Nathan, her Nathan...

Asgard's shore was a beach sparsely populated by pine trees that turned quickly into a thick forest for a mile or so in any given direction, before giving way to farmland beyond that.

Loki had used the scepter to get them to Asgard faster, and they were able to hide among the trees as Laufey's army disembarked and made their own way through the forest, their long legs eating up the distance. There was no way Loki and Frigga could head them off, or get word out before they reached an area with a populace.

It was so frustrating! Loki could only watch them go in horror and anger, knowing that because he could not act, people would die. But what could he really do? He was intensely limited by the scepter, his head was killing him once more from using Energy too much, and on top of that he was worried he'd re-broken his rib again in their mad dash into the woods. It was certainly complaining quite bitchily.

They set off at a brisk jog diagonal to Laufey's army. Both were tired and worn and hurting in some way or another, but neither complained or slowed. The threat that Laufey posed had sent adrenaline coursing through them. Loki knew that they would probably collapse as soon as it wore off, which pushed him on harder to make better timing, and his rib ached angrily in response. But on the plus side, at least he wasn't cold anymore. That bone-deep chill that he'd carried for weeks in Jotunheim had dissipated on coming back to Asgard's warmer climate.

They finally reached the outskirts of the forest and got to the wheat fields on the other side, with an outpost nearby. The wheat was annoying to run through. It grabbed at Loki's legs, saying rest here, don't leave us...

Loki much preferred the forest.

Frigga slowed and came to a stop, panting, and Loki stopped as well. She pushed her long blond hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just- I just need a minute- to catch- my breath." Her hands were shaking. She held them behind her back so she wouldn't distract Loki.

"Of course," Loki said, gulping in air himself and nearly hissing. Good god damn though, his rib was really pitching a fit.

They said nothing else, each annoyed by the fact that they couldn't just keep going without a break. Loki didn't know how he was going to be able to start running again, honestly. Everything hurt, and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off.

But a few minutes later somehow he found the willpower, and once again they were off.

The outpost was more of a small village. A lanky, red-haired lad showed them to the man in charge.

He was a short, balding fellow, but he had an air of command that Loki was grateful for. Loki was decidedly ungrateful for the way the man was openly staring at Frigga's scars. She regarded him coolly, utterly the queen, but it made Loki's blood boil. Of all things to pay attention to at the moment the man would choose that.

"What is this?" the man asked, his eyes still on Frigga's scarred visage.

"Frost Giants," Loki said shortly. "An army of them."

"What!?" he frowned at Loki. "Impossible!"

Loki shook his head. "I assure you-"

"They are already upon Asgard," Frigga said quietly. "The other outposts must be alerted, and a messenger sent to the palace. The army must be made ready to protect it's people."

He looked at her in confusion and annoyance. "I'm sorry," he said. "But who the bloody hell are you? Frost Giants in Asgard? Have you both completely lost your minds?"

"Hold your tongue!" Loki snapped, utterly out of patience. "Do you not know your queen when you see her!?

"Queen!" He snorted. But he took a second, closer look at Frigga and then paled. "Oh, my lady-" he apologized, aghast. "I am so sorry, my lady. But you- you look- that is to say- I did not recognize you," he ended weakly.

"That's quite alright," Frigga said brusquely. "The situation with the Frost Giants is not."

"That's- so that's happening?" he asked in horror, his beady black eyes widening.

"Yes." Frigga held in a sigh.

Loki briefed the commander, who then sent out troops to let the village people know and bring them back in from the fields and into the city's walls. The village didn't have anywhere near enough of a fighting force to go after the Frost Giants.

Food and drink were brought to Loki and Frigga, and they both felt more revived after they'd eaten.

"Go to sleep, Loki," Frigga said finally when Loki was about to rejoin the commander and go over strategies.

"I have to..." he trailed off as he shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. He was so tired. "I have to..."

"You'll be no help to anyone if you can hardly think straight," Frigga admonished not unkindly. She put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him to the door. "Go to sleep."

Loki opened his mouth to argue, but it turned into a yawn. He nodded slowly and turned away. A young boy had shown them their rooms, and Loki stumbled off into his. He didn't open his eyes for seven blissful hours, and his sleep was a blank unconsciousness that was uninterrupted by dreams.

Loki left the next morning, the commander letting him borrow a horse. He rode hard and by noon he had reached the capitol, where a worried groom hastily took his horse off his hands and led it away, no doubt to be pampered and taken care of the way it ought to be. It had served him well, and Loki felt a pang at how hard he'd driven the poor beast.

The castle was in disarray. Word had already reached it of the Frost Giants, and the scent of panic was in the air. Loki frowned as he looked around at the men and women of the court as they whispered fearfully to each other. Where was Odin? He ought to have been doing damage control.

As he strode to Odin's office, a familiar voice called his name. He turned.

"Volstagg?" The last he had heard, the Warriors Three had been out on a mission from Odin that had required them on Alfheim. Loki was relieved to see that at least Volstagg was back. "You have have heard then? About the Frost Giants?"

Volstagg nodded his great head and slapped Loki on the back. "You certainly do like causing mischief, don't you," he said with a strained smile. "The Frost Giants slept for years, but you go to their realm for mere days and up they arise."

Loki scowled. "That was hardly my fault," he snapped. "And you're forgetting that they'd awoken months ago, when the whole Baldr incident happened." Speaking of which, he made a mental note to remember to find Baldr before heading back.

Volstagg waved it away, un-offended. "No matter. Have you spoken to Odin yet?"

"No. I was just going to look for him."

Volstagg turned down the hall that led to the armory and jerked his head for Loki to follow. "He was overseeing some things here."

Loki followed him and sure enough, there was Odin. He appeared to have just finished a speech to the Palace guard, and caught Loki's eye as he came through the door.

His face was it's usual stern self, but he definitely looked tired. There a strain around his eyes that spoke of pain. His arm, Loki thought, suddenly remembering with a sickening jolt that his father was dying.

"So," Odin said shortly. "You're back. And you brought the whole of Jotunheim with you."

A muscle ticked in Loki's forehead but he said smoothly, "They are moving fast, and their numbers are great. Do you have a plan of defense? I have a few ideas to contribute."

"Yes," Odin said harshly. "It's called attacking. I will not have them slaughtering my subjects. The army is riding out in but a few hours and they will feel once more the wrath of my steel."

His eyes were hard and frigid, and Loki did not doubt for a moment their deadly intent. But...

"In a head-on attack they have the advantage." He shook his head. "Their swords will freeze our men before they can defend themselves- they have not been trained extensively enough in battling Frost Giants. I must advise you to consider a more long-distance approach. Take them out with arrows, or with fire-balls, but do not meet them head on." It was so easy to picture the massacre that could turn into. "It is folly."

Odin bristled. "You dare tell me what to do?" He snarled with disbelief, his white brows raised. "You dare tell me how to defend my people? As if I might not be capable of doing It myself? You know I value your opinion, Loki, but do not ever think that I will suffer you to tell me how to do my job. I have led many wars before." He curled his lip at Loki. "You are a pup yet. Be careful of what you imply."

Loki could scream with frustration. Just once could Odin's pride not need to factor into everything!?

"That's not what I'm saying-"

But Odin cut him off. "I will hear no more," he said brusquely. "The decision is made, and it is final. Now," he looked at Loki, and something shifted in his eyes. "Frigga is alright, I presume," he said, but the statement had a hint of a questioning quality to it.

Loki thought of how he had found Frigga. Of the scars now marring her body, of the stumps where two of her fingers should be.

"She is alive," he said. "She has recovered."

"Good." Odin relaxed infinitesimally. "Where is she? I would like to see her."

"At the outpost in North Fieldings. She is strategizing with Commander Halthor."

"Oh." Odin cleared his throat. He nodded stiffly. "In that case, I'd like for you to take-" he paused for a moment, thinking, "- Sif and Baldr, along with twenty-five men, and return in the direction of North Fieldings, but coming in from the East. I will be leading up the main army coming from the West, and we can trap them between us."

Loki opened his mouth to argue once more that long-range fighting really would work much better, but the expression on Odin's face stopped his tongue. No matter. He would just take situations into his own hands. His men would come in the way Odin wanted, but Loki would make sure they had the best advantage he could give them.

He nodded acquiescence.

"Good," Odin said. "I'll have the commander pick twenty-five men and they'll be ready to head out in an hour and a half. Can you leave by then?"

Loki was sore everywhere. He felt as if he'd been repeatedly kicked by an annoyed donkey. "Yes," he said. "I can leave by then."

Odin nodded approval, but before he could leave, Loki said, "Can I talk to Baldr for a few minutes first though?"

Odin made a face of displeasure. "Do not take up much of his time," he warned. "I do not want you delaying the leave-taking."

Loki rolled his eyes as he walked away from Odin.

"Baldr!" Loki exclaimed, not at all surprised by how pleased he was to see his friend.

Baldr was packing a small rucksack when Loki burst through the door, his face serious and engaged with his task. But on Loki's arrival a smile broke out across his face.

"Brother!" He greeted Loki warmly. They whacked each other on the back in a manly fashion. "It is good indeed to see you!"

"And you," Loki returned sincerely. There was such a welcomingness in Baldr, and such an openness. Everything about him invited you to like him. As if without much encouragement, Baldr could become your best friend. He reminded Loki of Darcy in that sense.

"I see you're packing." The room was filled with an odd collection of small knickknacks. Interesting rocks, sketches, carvings... Loki's eyes fell on a small white flower that was lying on a shirt in a pile that looked like it was destined for the rucksack. He smiled. "How is your gardener?"

Baldr's eyes fell on the flower too, and he blushed. Loki laughed. It was quite amusing to see the big man flustered. "I don't have a gardener- I mean I don't, I mean she is a gardener, but I don't have her in the sense that I – you know, she's a wonderful girl- I mean," he stammered, "there are lots of girls. And gardeners. And some gardeners are girls. But I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." His face was beet red and he wouldn't look at Loki.

Loki smiled and shook his head in amazement. "She's certainly done a number on you," he said punching Baldr's shoulder good-naturedly. He was glad that his friend had found happiness, even if it seemed he was not yet ready to share it. Of all people, Baldr deserved nice things.

"So it turns out you're coming with me," he said, changing the subject. Baldr looked up at this, the color in his face returning to normal. "Odin has assigned you and a small group of other men to come with me as I lead up a squadron to come in at the Frost Giants from behind. We're to leave in about an hour now."

Baldr took this in. He nodded. "Good," he said. "I would rather be with you than any other," and Loki felt a surge of pleasure at the vote of confidence.

He cleared his throat, feeling slightly awkward. He wanted to say something nice to Baldr, too now, but the corniness of all the things he could think of was just too much for him. Instead, he picked up the flower and touched the scepter to it's center, murmuring a quick spell.

He gave it back to Baldr, who looked at him curiously. "Here," he said gruffly. "It won't wither now, or crumple, even if it falls to the bottom of your bag."

Baldr's eyes got suspiciously bright at this. "Thank you, brother," he said quietly.

Loki nodded stiffly, feeling a little too vulnerable for comfort. "Well...I'll see you in an hour," he said.

"In an hour," Baldr agreed.

Loki left him to his packing.

"- so I told Jeanine that if the bake sale was so important to her that she had to go behind my back and bake cookies because mine were- excuse me? Uneatable? Really? And this from the woman who wouldn't know a flan from a souffle- that maybe she ought to just do it without my help. And do you know what she said?"

"Um. Did she ask you to stay?"

"Hah! Not even! So I'm not helping with the bake sale. You're not helping with it, are you? Because I really ought to warn you that you shouldn't encourage her."

"Me?" Darcy laughed. "Oh, god no." The world of bake sales held no appeal- nor did the seemingly endless drama that came with it, if Henrietta James was to be believed. But at least they had moved on from small-talk, which was something.

"Good." Henrietta nodded. "Now, the annual fundraiser on the other hand is being headed by me, and I think it would be great if-"

But the hair on the back of Darcy's neck was standing up, and she tuned Henrietta out as she scanned the yard. The kids were playing, Jane was talking to one of the other parents. Thor had gone inside to get something. Nothing was out of place. There was no reason she should feel such a strong sense of foreboding.

"-so what do you say?"

Darcy blinked. "Wait. What?"

Henrietta frowned. "I just asked if you would help me with the-"

"No, Ellie, you can't play," one of the boys' friends said, and his voice carried to Darcy, who turned to keep an eye on what was going on.

"What?" Ellie asked, confused. "Why not?"

"Because," Liam said now. "You're a gi-irl."

And what had possessed Liam to say something like that? The boys were generally really good about including Ellie.

"Darcy? Are you listening?" Henrietta asked sharply.

"Hmm. Yeah."

"Yeah," said their friend. "Because you're a gi-irl."

Motherfucking peer-pressure, Darcy thought with annoyance. She had half a mind to give those boys a stern talking-to. It was complete bullshit, the whole 'you can't _ because you're a girl'. Well Darcy wasn't one to just let gender roles be perpetuated- she wasn't going to let these little boys grow into men who still thought that women were inferior in some way. Oh yes, she'd set them straight.

Except Ellie beat her to it.

"Liam!" She shrieked, stomping her foot. "That's just mean. You're being mean!"

Liam looked a little like he wished he hadn't said anything to begin with, but one look at the sneers on his friend's face and he stiffened his back. "It's not mean," he said. "It's the truth. You can't play soccer, Ellie. Go play with your dolls or something."

Ellie's eyes flashed. Oh my god, Darcy thought blankly. Had her eyes- had they just turned red? Oh no, oh please no, she thought, her stomach sinking. Oh please don't let this turn into SHIELD all over again.

Darcy got up quickly, to go divert Ellie before it could go farther, but again, Ellie was faster.

"You like playing with my dolls too, Liam," she said, outraged, and stalked closer to him.

Liam flushed as his friend gave him a look of surprise. "Do not," he said indignantly. Jane had just noticed their argument and was heading over too, frowning concernedly.

Ellie's mouth dropped open. "You! Oh! You! You- you fibber!" she cried, and punched his arm with quite a bit of force.

Liam sucked in a huge breath, his skin paling. The friend next to him looked shocked, and he backed away from Ellie.

Oh god, Darcy thought. It was just a punch, wasn't it? Little kids hit each other all the time...

But as Darcy got closer, it became apparent.

"Oh my god," she said softly, and put a hand to her mouth. Liam's arm was very pale, but his veins were a vivid blue where Ellie's fist had made contact, and the blue got steadily less vibrant the farther from contact it got, but his arm was also covered in a light layer of frost.

"Liam?" Jane cried, kneeling down in front of him. "Baby, talk to me," she said frantically. Liam was still standing shocked, staring at nothing, taking deep, uneven breaths.

Ellie started crying. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry Leelee, I didn't mean to!"

Darcy hugged her tightly, her heart racing, her fingers shaking. Her poor baby. What was she going to do? How was she supposed to deal with this? What the fuck did she know about learning how to control powers!

"Shhh, honey," Darcy said, still hugging Ellie tightly. "It's okay honey. Of course you didn't mean it. Of course you didn't, baby. No one thinks you did it on purpose." Ellie clung back to her, still crying. Darcy's shirt was quickly wet with tears.

"I didn't," she said again, tortured. "I promise I didn't, mommy. I don't know what happened- I was just, I was so mad, but I didn't want to-" She turned her head into Darcy's shoulder.

Liam was moving again then, and saying something to Jane, who was patting his arms and his face in worry. He looked much better, and seemed to have recovered. Darcy gave a huge sigh of relief.

"What's going on?" Nathan asked, frowning as he came over to Darcy and Ellie. "What happened?"

Ellie burst into tears again and threw her arms this time around Nathan, who stood there confused for a moment before returning it.

"I hurt Liam," she cried. "I hurt him real bad and I didn't mean to and now he hates me." She sobbed harder. "Now everyone hates me."

Nathan looked at Darcy for confirmation.

"Ellie's temper got a little bit away from her," Darcy explained, running a hand through her hair. "And her frostier side made a surprise appearance."

Understanding dawned on Nathan, and he stroked Ellie's hair. "You're being silly," he said matter-of-factly.

This was too much for Ellie. Her tears stopped, so strong was her indignation. "I am not!" she cried.

"Well it's silly for you to think everyone hates you," Nathan said. "So you must be."

"They do too!"

"I don't."

Ellie blinked her eyes up at him. "You don't?" She asked hopefully.

"Nope."

"But," she said, her eyes darkening, "I hurt Liam. I think you made a mistake. I think you must hate me after all."

Nathan rolled his eyes impatiently. "Don't be absurd, Ellie. I think I'd know if I hated you, and I don't. Although I am getting annoyed with you. So stop whining. People get hurt sometimes- it'll be fine. You didn't do it on purpose, and no one thinks you did."

"Oh," Ellie said uncertainly. "Well."

"Come on, didn't you say you found a good place for a fairy house? Well, I'm ready to see it now. Where is it?"

Ellie brightened slightly, tugging his hand. "This way!" She said. "It's over in the garden..."

Darcy watched them walk off with a lump in her throat. She might not know what to do with the whole Frost Giant aspect of her life, but her kids were incredible.

As they rode out, excitement was high in the air. Asgard had been unusually peaceful for longer than it's warriors had been happy about. They were glad for a chance to put their training to use.

All except Baldr.

His expression was grim as the men joked about the coming battle around him. Loki pulled his own horse up next to him so they were riding abreast.

"You'll do fine," he said reassuringly. "Maester Bromwell tells me you're the pride of the training yard."

Baldr shook his head. "It's not the fighting that I'm worried about," he said. Loki waited. "It's... Oh, never mind. It's nothing."

Loki thought he had an idea about what it was that troubled Baldr though. "Your gardener is safe, Baldr," he said. "She will be there waiting for you when you return."

Baldr flushed slightly, though nowhere near as red as he had earlier. "We're engaged," he said, somewhat shyly.

Loki broke out in a grin. "That is wonderful news! Congratulations, brother!" He clapped Baldr on the back. "I didn't know it was going quite so well."

Baldr smiled, pleased. "I didn't know," he said, "if it would be acceptable. For me to marry her."

Loki could imagine how Odin would feel about any son of his marrying someone as common as a gardener, however estranged they had been. "Odin can suck it," he said flippantly. "I mean look at Thor and I- we both married mortals. In comparison, a gardener will probably look like a mercy. Not," he went on, "that Odin should be so stuck on titles and such. I've always thought it was idiotic to place such importance in them."

Baldr shook his head, though he kept his smile. "No, it wasn't that," he said. "I wasn't sure if I would be good enough for her," he admitted.

"What!?" Loki cried, surprised. He shouldn't have been though. Baldr put little merit in himself- and certainly not as much as he deserved. "That is madness Baldr," he said seriously. "Any woman would be lucky to have you."

"But she is so..." Baldr drifted off, his eyes getting a dreamy, enchanted quality. "Loki, she is so kind. And sweet."

"And beautiful," Loki added with a smile.

"And beautiful," Baldr agreed wryly. "Inside and out. She gave me that flower," he admitted.

"I know," Loki grinned.

Baldr smiled bashfully. "She said that I should keep it as a token of her affection, so that even when I was gone I would still have something of her with me."

"She sounds very nice," Loki said, happy for him. At the same time, Baldr's words made him think of Darcy, and unconsciously he ran a finger over his wedding ring.

"Is he mooning over Nanna again?" Sif asked teasingly as she joined them on Loki's other side. "He is quite head over heels for the girl."

"He is indeed," Loki said with a smile. "like a lovesick cow."

"Moo," Sif made a face.

"Oh, the fates take both of you," Baldr said and pulled ahead of them, but he was laughing as he said it.

They were all laughing.

The incident with Liam had them leaving the party soon after, and Ellie had put it from her mind. But Darcy couldn't. She got the feeling that it would only get worse, that Ellie's power would only grow, and if she still couldn't control it? What then? What about when they wouldn't be able to explain it anymore as childrens' imagination when people started asking questions about it? Because it would happen. They'd gotten lucky today.

She'd thought about it for a long time, and she'd come to a decision. However much she distrusted them, she owed it to Ellie to try anything that might help her.

She dug the business card out of her purse.