"What happened to you?" Frigga asked after a time.

He drew her to one of the chairs that had been brought into the chamber while they spoke. "Thank you," he told Thor who had hurried about arranging it. "Sit, all of you, and I will tell you what transpired."

"And how it is that Helblindi is now the Jötnar king?" Thor asked with a slight smile.

"Yes, all of it." Kara settled down beside him as he spoke. He noted that she'd managed to strip down to the leathers. "Hot, darling?"

"Uncomfortable."

He frowned and loosed a wave of magic. Her clothing rippled and was replaced by a light, loose gown. "Better?"

"Much, thank you."

"Loki, I don't think…" Thor began.

"You are right. Kara, we're here…" he paused and changed his own clothing, sending everything back to their chambers. "And comfortable, you'd best bind my power back." She nodded and he felt the magic slide away. "We discovered soon after arriving that Prince Býleistr was up to no good. It came to a head late afternoon of the day I was injured when we learned that he had conspired with Malekith to take the throne for himself. Malekith's payment was to be the Casket."

"Gods, no," his mother gasped. "That would be disastrous."

"Yes, well, Býleistr wasn't much on intelligence. As Helblindi put it, he liked power and prestige but never put in the work for it." He shrugged dismissively. "On our last trip out to release storms, we were attacked by Býleistr's supporters and a cadre of Svartálfar magic users. We had all but won, thanks to my lady's power and Dr. Banner's beast when…"

"Loki, please stop using that term. It really makes Bruce feel bad. You can refer to his other as the Hulk, okay?"

He sighed. "Fine. The Hulk broke the concentration of the magic users. There were enough of them that I was hard pressed to do more than shield from their barrage of attacks and could not respond. Once their concentration was broken and their shields failed, I was able to launch my own attack. That was when Malekith stabbed me from behind with a magically enhanced spear. It cut shallowly into one side of my meng mein before punching through my abdomen. From Malekith's satisfaction with himself, I think he believed he'd impaled it through the middle. He quite obviously expected me to die from the wound."

"Your meng mein is not in quite the same place as a full-blood Æsir, Loki," Frigga told him.

He nodded. "I removed the spear and kept the Casket from him then the…Hulk took him down and rendered him unconscious through his shields. I ordered the rest of our people back to the fortress. Unfortunately the Hulk tends to, uh, bellow quite loudly and he'd started an avalanche. I was too weak to shift either of us back in time and we were both buried, as was, we hope, Malekith."

"By the nine, brother! How did you survive?"

"Sit back down, Thor. I used my magic to create a bubble around myself and the Hulk. The shock of being buried made him lose consciousness briefly and I made certain Banner was securely dressed in his arctic gear before I slapped him awake and enrage him enough to change again. I spent hours trying to hold a shield and keep him angry so he would not resume his human form while hoping he'd understand enough to not try and harm me. Eventually Kara was able to get outdoors and find us empathically and she began feeding him anger to keep him in that state every time he relaxed. I passed out before we were fully dug out. I knew nothing more until I awoke in Helblindi's bed, my wound well on its way to healing."

"My turn," Kara said. "It took a long time to dig them out because the only way to leave the fortress with the doors blocked by the avalanche was through narrow windows. Me, Clint and Nat could fit through. Hogun, Fandral and two of the other Æsir made it out as well, but of the Jötnar, only the children were able to fit. So it was the seven of us and a dozen children doing the digging. I wasn't much help; I had to keep Bruce going. Once we got them inside I discovered Loki was losing meng mein energy. Fandral and Hogun both volunteered to help, but their energy wasn't compatible. Then Loki spoke…or I thought it was Loki, and told us that Bölþorn was Bestla's father. I didn't know what that meant, but Fandral did. And I was really pissed about it, considering the crap Loki put up with, but I guess I'm over it now." Kara turned and glared at his father's still form for a moment then her expression softened. "He did save you," she whispered.

"He did, love."

"So, I realized we needed a part Jötunn and part Æsir, but didn't think that helped us any in the heart of Jötunheim, considering the only people I now knew had both were in Asgard. I was frantically scanning for mixed blood energy when I realized that Helblindi's was compatible. I'm not sure where his Æsir blood comes from but he has it. The Jötnar, the full-bloods anyway, don't seem to have a meng mein organ at all."

"Thrym's mother was Æsir, dear," Frigga told them. "And that is why it is so surprising when one of them masters sorcery as Bölþorn did. They have far greater difficulty channeling the energy without that organ.

"Thrym was Laufey's father, right?" Kara asked. Frigga nodded. "Okay. So, Helblindi agreed before I even finished asking him and we were able to patch Loki up pretty easily." She snickered. "He actually kind of yelled at me to just do it and stop hesitating." Loki frowned as she turned to him. "Your half-brother was really worried we'd lose you, it was kind of cute."

"My half-brother is three meters tall and has blue skin and excessively pointed teeth. There's little about him that can be called cute."

The brat rolled her eyes. "His concern for you was very cute."

"What became of Prince Býleistr?" Thor asked.

Loki smiled grimly. "I had a discussion early in our visit with Helblindi regarding my killing of our father. After I explained my reasons and asked him what he would have done, he informed me that if he had been the one betrayed he would have dismembered Laufey and would have carried his head about as a trophy." Frigga gasped but Thor looked fascinated. "He was neither exaggerating nor jesting."

"He-he carried his brother's head about?" Thor asked with wide eyes.

"Yep," Kara told him. "After a while it stank. What did you do about that, Loki?" she asked. "It wasn't smelling or dripping during the coronation."

"As you asked. After I recovered I magically preserved it. I imagine my half-brother will display it for a long time to come. Barbaric, but effective, I suppose." His eyes strayed to the energy saturated table where Odin lay motionless. "Mother? How closely are we related?" he asked.

… …

Frigga reached out and took her younger son's hands. "You showed what your father called 'mastery' of the Casket. It is an inherited ability and for some unknown reason, only manifests in males of Jötnar blood. The last person to fully develop to that level was Bölþorn. His son, Mimir, lost his true life before reaching that level. Mimir had a daughter, Bera who became pregnant with an unknown Æsir warrior's child and fled Asgard out of embarrassment when he refused to acknowledge being the child's father. We know she carried a daughter, and that Bera found it easy to shift to Jötunn form, so we suspect she must have hidden away in her grandfather's old home near a small village far south of Thrymheim."

"Laufey's queen was named Fárbauti. She came from a small village in the south. Laufey assumed she'd been unfaithful with an Æsir when she gave birth to me. He didn't wait long enough for my clan markings to emerge before killing her and abandoning me to die."

"So, we must assume Fárbauti was Bera's daughter. Bera was Odin's cousin, and you, then, are his first cousin, twice removed and Thor is your second cousin, once removed. You are blood family, Loki, but we loved you before we suspected that."

"Does anyone outside of the family know that Odin and Thor have Jötunn blood other than those who were with us in Jötunheim?"

"Haakun and Volstagg know. Perhaps a few other close friends, but that is all."

"You knew," he said and started to pull away. She held on tightly.

"I knew and it did not matter to me any more than knowing that the babe I used magic to suckle at my breast had even more Jötunn blood than my husband. I love Odin, I love Thor, and I love you. I understood why he kept it secret. I wasn't happy with the decision, but I understood it."

"Loki?" Kara said quietly as she leaned into her husband's side. "Please let it go. I know it's painful, but that pain is going to keep festering if you hold on to it."

"Your wife is very wise, my son."

"Heh. I want to scream, I want to shout, and the two of you think I should just accept it and Let .It. Go. What of you, brother?" he growled, turning to Thor. "Do you think I should just let it go?"

Thor sighed uncharacteristically. "I think you should forgive…not forget, but forgive. You were terribly wronged and we were both lied to. It hurts, and I know your hurt has continued far longer and deeper than I can imagine. But we can come through the other side of that pain…together. You've admitted your love for us, so now forgive us so that we can all move forward together as a family."

"A really, truly dysfunctional family," Kara added. "But it's ours and nobody can come between us but us."

"I do love all of you, even him," Loki agreed, nodding at the still figure in the center of the room. "But forgiveness is difficult. I will try, that much I will grant you." Frigga was hopeful as he looked at her with some of his old mischievous sparkle in those emerald green eyes. "I suspect you shall all need to remind me rather frequently for a good bit."

"That much I'm certain we can manage," she told her son.

… …

Sif frowned as the punching bag flew off of its hook yet again. "You're using too powerful an uppercut," Captain Rogers informed her. "To keep it on the hook you need to direct the force of your blows straight out or down." He hefted the bag back onto the hook. "But hey, you're not destroying it any more, that's a step in the right direction. It shows you've learned how to gauge the strength of your strikes. That's very important if you want to take down an opponent who isn't Æsir tough and you want them to survive it."

"Why would you wish an opponent to survive your attack?" Nyvorlas interjected from where he was peppering a target with small throwing discs that Stark had informed them were called 'shuriken'. "I like these, by the way," he continued as he glided over to the target and began plucking the elegant bladed weapons from its center. "How may I obtain a good quantity to take back to Ljósálfheim?"

"I imagine Stark can order some for you," she told the prince. "Have you aught with you to trade?"

He shrugged a leanly muscled shoulder. The outfit he was wearing that Darcy had called 'board shorts and a wife beater' exposed a great deal more of the Ljósálfar's pale flesh than she was used to to seeing even though it hung loosely. Every inch of him was finely sculpted muscle. It was a shame that the fashions of their worlds covered such up on a regular basis. "I'm certain there is some magical service Tony would be pleased to trade for. While his technology does much, he will need to deal with Loki on a regular basis. Even with his magic bound, I imagine our host would be far more comfortable if he had shielding that is impenetrable by magic."

"Yes, it might make surviving Loki's eventual displeasure more likely."

"Whoa, come on. Loki isn't going to hurt any of us," Rogers interjected. "We're his friends."

"He's hurt friends before," she retorted. "However," she admitted reluctantly. "It was an accident."

Nyvorlas was smirking at her. "Our bet was based on intent, if you recall. If he accidentally kills one of them, I do not lose."

"Yes, yes, I'm aware. I'm also aware that Loki's patience is not the best and that Stark is horrifically annoying. If I'm tempted to squash him from time to time, the temptation will be overwhelming for Loki." She snorted. "And he has had little exposure to Darcy. Having her always about will be a game changer, I think."

"A year on Midgard is but a tiny bit of time. You might as well pay your debt now," he said silkily.

Sif watched as the man swept the fall of pale hair up and fastened it with a bit of stretchy material that Darcy had given him. He spun and the shuriken flew from his hands faster than thought. Every single one of the spinning blades landed across the center of the target in a neat row. Was it wrong to not be particularly concerned that she would lose this bet? He turned back to them, a knowing look in his smoky gray eyes. "I will pay my debts if and when they are owed," she advised him, lifting her chin.

She could feel the heat in his stare as he raked his eyes up and down her also unaccustomedly skimpily attired form. "I look forward to that day, my lady."

… …

Loki was sprawled in the window seat of their sitting room, staring moodily over the spectacular Asgardian vista. "I wanted to thank him," he muttered as she came up behind him and stroked her fingers through untidy hair that had grown out so long the ends were beginning to curl. "To tell him that I believed now, that I know he loves me but now…I may never have that opportunity."

Kara blinked back the wetness that was trying its damnedest to escape from her eyes at his plaintive tone. Odin had better recover from this or Loki was going to have yet another horrific dose of guilt dumped into his psyche. "He knows," she assured him, leaning down to press a soft kiss on his sculpted cheek. "I got the feeling that he was aware of what was going on around him, maybe even more than that. Does that make sense?"

He looked up at her with a thoughtful frown. "It does. He's come out of it before knowing not only what has occurred here, but what has happened far away. Perhaps his consciousness expands in that state." A shrug dismissed the notion. "I would still like to be able to tell him firsthand, to see his reaction, to know for a fact that he is aware that he has succeeded in…I have been so lost, Kara."

"You're found now. Are you going to get dressed for dinner or should I send our apologies and have food sent here?"

"No, I'll dress. It's important to support Thor. Mother will wish to remain in the chamber with Odin; if we do not go, Thor will not have any family at the high table with him." She blinked, opened her mouth and then closed it again. A sarcastic 'who are you and what have you done with my husband' wasn't appropriate when he was trying so hard to change. He glanced up and smirked at her expression. "Go ahead, say it. I know you have a bit of Stark-worthy snark to dispense," he said.

"You know, I did, but the moment is gone." Sitting down on his lap she wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her nose to his. "I love you so very much and I'm so happy that you're coming to terms with everything. I knew you were a good man at heart, and I knew you could become a great one. I am so lucky to be able to go along for the ride and see that happening."

'Humph. You are all that will allow that to happen, if and when it does. If I change for the better, it will be because I want you to be proud of being my wife, not ashamed of it."

"I am already proud to be your wife and don't you ever forget it."

… …

Bruce stared at the platters of food that were being brought into the greater dining hall. The parade of servers seemed never ending. "That is a lot of food," he said quietly.

Natasha Romanov gave him one of her trademark knowing smiles. "If half of them have even half of Thor's appetite, it won't be enough."

"Wait until you guys see Volstagg eat," Clint snickered. "He makes Thor's appetite look dainty."

"How is your appetite?" he asked the archer.

"I'm hungry, believe it or not. They don't mess around with the healing here. I mean, when Kara had one of her migraines they didn't just cure the headache, they cured her entire nervous system in just a few hours."

"Impressive. So you're good to go, all the Feigr out of your system?" Bruce hated to push the point, but as a geneticist that dabbled in medicine, the level of healing possible in so short a time boggled his imagination.

"Yep, I've got a clean bill of health and a new appreciation for asking about what I'm consuming. Eir gave me a long list of things to avoid across the Nine Realms. Oh, I've got it in writing so we can share it with everybody. She says none of it will be served here. Frigga made sure the kitchens won't prepare anything that's bad for us until we go back home."

"We're assuming there are no traitors in Asgard," Natasha murmured.

"Hey, Kara saved both of their princes. I helped her save Thor. There pretty much isn't anyone who doesn't love Thor and those few that don't love the blonde lug think Loki's all that. So we're all golden."

"As golden as the Valhöll itself, my friends," Volstagg boomed as he carefully lowered himself down onto a bench. "Your deeds are spoken of with much relish in all of the pubs and gathering places. The bards are composing ditties to celebrate your heroism. Even now the tales of the large green man who can smash Jötunn like eggs are firing up the imagination of our warriors."

"That's not good," Bruce told the hefty red-bearded man. "A lot of the Jötnar are our friends. There's going to be a treaty and trade agreements. It would be a good idea if the younger Æsir, especially, learned that they're not monsters, not any more than I am."

"That will take some doing, Dr. Banner," Volstagg admitted. "Perhaps you could return to Asgard when the treaties and agreements are being negotiated. Can you take your warrior form at will?"

"Uh, well, I just need to get angry. The problem is that I don't have a lot of control in that form. I might be able to recognize Helblindi or one of his representatives as a friend, but there's no guarantee."

"I don't know, Bruce," Natasha offered. "You showed a great deal of control this time out. You listened to both me and Kara and followed our instructions pretty much to letter. I think the instructions have to be very clear, but you do process them and follow them when they are."

"That's good to hear."

"So, you'll come then?" Volstagg asked as he grabbed a leg of something that looked like a giant chicken and took a bite.

"If I'm officially asked to, yes, I guess I will."

… …

Thor tried not to smile too hard when Loki arrived in the greater dining hall with Kara on his arm. He'd figured the couple would dine in their chambers so that Loki did not have to deal with the stares and whispers of their people. For they were whispering and staring as always; but this time the whispers were encouraging. The warriors that had accompanied his brother had excitedly told of Loki's words and deeds in Jötunheim and those stories were colored in the honor they now held him in. Most telling were the relieved rumors that thanks to Loki, Asgard was looking at a true chance for a lasting peace with their age-old enemies. "Brother," he greeted as the pair reached him. "I am honored to have you join me this evening."

Loki's eyebrows rose. "Honored?"

"I'd assumed you would prefer to spend private time with your lovely bride rather than being on display at a public meal, so yes, I consider it an honor that you chose to join me. Thank you." He half held his breath, wondering how his brother would take the statement. Much to his relief, Loki smiled.

"I did not wish to leave you with only the company of friends this night. With father indisposed, you should have the support of family beside you." A familiar but not seen in ever so long mischievous grin graced his beloved brother's lips. "However dysfunctional, as my lady puts it, that family might be."

"I am glad of it. Be prepared, though. There may be toasts to you."

"Whatever for?"

"From the stories the warriors have brought back from Jötunheim, the people have hope for peace. The tales they have told are glowing, to say the least." Thor watched, confused as the smile slipped away and Loki began to scowl.

"I wish they would not. If their high expectations are dashed, the blame will be laid at my feet. I have quite enough there that I do deserve."

"Fear not. If we do not end up with a lasting treaty from this, I will make sure that all know it is the failure of our negotiators and not yours. You are bringing them to the table, that is more than any other has been able to do in over a thousand years. You also, from what I hear, have the respect of the Jötnar people. No one of Asgard has truly had that, ever. They feared Búri, Bor, and Odin, they never respected them."

"Yes, well, they didn't hand over the crown they'd earned to their younger brother for the good of the kingdom either."

"You truly crowned Helblindi yourself? I'd heard it, but found it difficult to countenance."

"It shut them all up about whether or not I was abdicating willingly. It also silenced the elders who were ever so impressed by my mastery of the Casket. I gave quite an excellent speech if I do say so myself."

"He really did, that's not his innate narcissism talking."

Thor stared at his sister by marriage. Loki glared at her. "Kara, is it too much to ask that you do not publicly psychoanalyze me?"

"Oh, please. Everyone knows you think highly of your ability to talk your way into or out of anything you want. There was no psychoanalysis required. Of course, it's not hubris, you really can talk your way into or out of most anything when other people would fail utterly. You did talk your way into my bed."

The glare faded into a smug smile. "So I did. One of the more difficult tasks I have ever undertaken, but well worth it."

"I think so too."

"I am glad of it as well…though not for the same reasons, of course," Thor finished hurriedly. "It well pleases me to see my brother and my friend so happy together."

"Nicely said, brother," Loki said with a laugh. Thor noticed some of the closer diners turn to stare at them. It made him think. When was the last time Loki had genuinely laughed with good humor? It had been far too long.

"Welcome home, Loki," he said as he draped an arm across the slighter man's shoulders. "It is good to have you here beside me where you belong."

… …

"Well? What do you think?" Tony asked, sounding eager. Of course, when it had to do with machinery, Tony Stark was always eager. "Is this amazing, or what?"

The car was pretty, she'd give him that. It also looked fast…and another fast car was the last thing Tony needed. If he got one more speeding ticket he was going to be uninsurable. It was amazing he hadn't caused any accidents yet. Tony was an excellent driver; he'd spent an entire summer taking race car driving lessons from some of the greatest drivers in Europe. "I don't know, Tony. Did you really need another Lamborghini? You've already got one."

"Aw, come on, Pepper. This isn't just a Lamborghini. It's a Lamborghini Veneno…a real supercar for a superhero. This puppy not only looks like a jet fighter, it's got a 552kW V12 engine. It can rocket from zero to sixty-plus in two point eight seconds. Aaand, it's exclusive. They only made three of them and this was the only one they made in red."

Pepper was going to hate herself for asking, but she had to know. "How much did all of this exclusiveness cost you?"

"A mere four and a half million."

"Jesus, Tony! For one car?"

"For a one of a kind supercar for a one of a kind superhero."

"Not any more you're not. What about Rhodey?"

"Nah, totally different thing. He's the Iron Patriot, I'm the Iron Man. My suit is cooler because I'm always adding to it. He's stuck with the version he, uh, well…"

"Stole from you."

"Well, I consider it a gift. Kind of payback for me being a total asshole."

"You were that."

He heaved a dramatic sigh. "I know. But now I'm not. Well, not a total asshole, anyway. Though I will admit that I still have asshole-ish tendencies."

"You do; like shelling out four and a half million dollars for an exclusive car when you could probably build one that is much better and far more exclusive. I'm surprised you didn't buy the other two." She frowned as he started fiddling with a set of keys. "Oh no, Tony, you didn't. Please tell me that you didn't buy the other two cars."

"You thought it was pretty, didn't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"And wouldn't it be even prettier in white so it wouldn't clash with any of your outfits?"

"Tony for the love of…"

"I got you the white one. They only made three, one in red, one in white, and one in green; they used the colors of the Italian flag, get it?"

She looked around the garage and sighed when she realized there were two vehicles the same size as the red Lamborghini Veneno that had canvas covers. One of them had a big white bow on it, as did, she finally noticed, the small box he pulled out of the driver's seat of the red one. He handed it to her and she opened it to find a set of keys with an alarm fob on it. "Oh, Tony."

"Press the button," he urged, sounding like a little kid. Shaking her head she complied and the car under the cover with the white bow on top flashed its lights and beeped. "Surprised?"

"Totally." He was giving her a hopeful look. She shook her head ruefully and leaned in to give him a kiss. "Thank you, Tony." He beamed and she chuckled. Loki was right; she was marrying an overgrown child. Good thing she loved this particular boy in an adult body. A thought crossed her mind and she frowned. "Tony, did you buy the green one too?"

"Um, well…would you look at the time, don't we have a meeting with someone somewhere?"

"Tony, you didn't."

"Well of course I didn't, okay, so I totally did."

"You don't even like green."

"No, but I thought it would be a nice wedding present for Kara and Loki."

"Kara doesn't like fast cars and Loki doesn't have a driver's license."

"Yet. Loki doesn't have a driver's license yet. He'll take to it, you'll see. If he can reprogram Jarvis under my nose, he can drive a car. Besides, what's another four and a half million between friends?"

"Oh, Tony."

… …

As Thor had predicted, there had been several toasts offered to honor Loki. He'd smiled affably and managed a surprisingly modest response to them, but she could feel his embarrassment and unease. Thor had been over the moon about his brother's sudden acceptance. Kara could understand that, and also understand why Loki was waiting for the proverbial 'other shoe' to drop. The long meal was finally over and the attendees were drifting off or into groups for conversations. Loki was stuck chatting with a few people that were making` him even more uncomfortable. She caught Clint's eye and beckoned him over. He grabbed Nat's elbow and the two of them pushed through the group and flanked Loki. "Loki, come on man, you promised you'd show us that garden. Nat really wants to see it. What do you say?" Clint said with as innocent an expression as he could muster.

Never let it be said that Loki was slow on the uptake. "So I did. Well, then; a promise is a promise. If you'll excuse us?" he said to the others who had gathered around as the pair led him through them. Kara joined the three as they emerged. "Thank you," he said quietly as she slipped in to his side. "Does Thor not see the insincerity of these people? Is he that dense or are they more sincere with him?"

"Probably a combination of both," she told him. "I picked up that two of them were sincere; the other five were just trying to jump in on the newest big thing."

"I think I might prefer being universally reviled," he grumbled.

"No you wouldn't. You just need to perfect extricating yourself from the sycophants."

"If it's any consolation," Nat told him. "I couldn't tell how much you hated it. I'm certain you made a good impression with the ones who mattered."

He sighed. "Yes, it is. Thank you." Loki glanced back over his shoulder and Kara felt a slight shudder run through him. "Perhaps a stroll in the garden would be a good thing. Where is Banner?"

"Bruce is having an involved conversation with Volstagg and some of the Council members. He knows we're leaving and so does Thor. It'll be okay," Clint said. "Let's get going while the getting is good."

"This way. I'll take you to the family's private garden. Since mother is with Odin there should be no one there." He was feeling better, his playful smirk was back. "And it really is worth seeing. Frigga has a replica of the waterfalls of Fensalir as its focal point. I've always found it…soothing."

They walked in silence for a few minutes and emerged into a well-kept garden. It was gorgeous, but when it finally opened up in the center it was spectacular. "Amazing," Nat breathed. "This would be an incredible place for meditation."

"I've always found it so," Loki agreed.

"You meditate?"

Kara tried not to snicker at Loki's affronted look. "Certainly. The practice of sorcery requires it unless you have no care as to whether it goes awry or burns out your power. One must have full control over all bodily functions, even down to the flow of signals through the nervous system before trying something new."

"Sorry. I'm not used to seeing you as the contemplative type." The former assassin shrugged. "There's a lot more to you than I'd realized and I will be surprised when I discover something that's new to me, so don't take offense as none will be intended."

His frown was thoughtful. "Fair enough," he finally allowed.

… …

Bruce nodded as he listened to several of Odin's advisors expound on the political structure of the Nine Realms. Well, eight of the Nine Realms, none of them had the foggiest clue what went on with Earth's governance. They'd all stared at him in varying degrees of shock when he'd given them a quick overview. Not that he blamed them. It was unnecessarily chaotic and downright messy. Of course, they didn't have anywhere near the population that Earth…Midgard did. "Okay," he finally interjected. "What I'm hearing is that you believe that the other councils won't trust any promises the Jötnar make because Laufey and Thrym were notorious for making promises one minute and then breaking them the next."

"That is correct, Dr. Banner," Þórvaldr, one of the senior councilors agreed. "There is a long history of this."

"Which is fine, but we're dealing with a new régime. Helblindi is nothing like Laufey and has already begun instituting positive reforms."

"He ripped his own brother limb from limb and carried his head about as a trophy," Lady Eðla, one of the few women on the council, said dryly.

Removing his glasses, Bruce cleaned them to buy time to tamp down his annoyance. It had taken four days since his conversation with Volstagg for them to get this far. It didn't help that the All-Father was still in his Odinsleep and the council wasn't comfortable talking about peace without his guidance. Taking a calming breath as he set the glasses back on his nose he looked the annoying woman in the eyes. "Yes, he did. After Býleistr conspired with Malekith to kill Loki and sabotage all chances for peace and then attacked Helblindi directly with the intent to kill him and take the throne. When Loki and Kara did something that he felt compromised him without harming anyone innocent, he simply put them under house arrest. He's being proportionate to the offense."

"With all due respect, doctor," one of the other councilors began in a tone that made it clear that he held mortals in no respect whatsoever regardless of their title or identity. "I don't see what qualifications you bring to this body and why your opinions should be heard, let alone given consideration. And why should a weak mortal be any help in dealing with the delegation from Jötunheim, if and when such a delegation comes."

"I was asked to be here by Lady Frigga and by Thor. If you'd like to discuss that with them, be my guest. In the meantime, please don't make me angry. I don't even like me when I'm angry."

"The Jötnar hold Dr. Banner in highest respect," Volstagg spoke up from the comfortable chair that supported his bulk. It had been a surprise to find that one of the Warrior's three was a member of Odin's council. Even Barton had been blindsided by that one. He hadn't been part of the proceedings the other Avengers had witnessed due to his close involvement with Loki and Thor and was also not part of the Tribunal that had heard the case. "As do our warriors. While I have not seen his Berserk form, I spoke to Skógi who was there when he emerged from the depths of an avalanche all but unscathed." Volstagg took a deep drink from the horn he held and belched. "Skógi tells me he becomes bigger than the Jötnar themselves and easily as fierce; best not to anger him."

"He is also the one who subdued Loki on Midgard," Thor added as he strode into the room. One of the scribes followed him in. Bruce suspected the girl had run for the Thunderer when the council began getting off track. "Do you question my judgment in appointing him to this committee? If so; you'd best be prepared with documented precedent to override my decision." Bruce bit back a grin at the legalese. When Thor had suggested his involvement, he'd asked the god to call in Loki to discuss the pros and cons and the younger brother's sharp mind had come up with a number of scenarios and the means to deal with each. Thor had obviously taken Loki's advice to heart and memorized the appropriate responses. The councilors were all staring at their prince; some with great respect, others with unfeigned surprise. "Well then, what is next on the agenda?" Thor asked, staring them all down.

… …

He made his way slowly through the soothing paths of the garden. Kara had told him that Loki had retreated to its center 'to think', as she'd put it. She'd also told him that she felt her husband wanted to brood without her trying to pull him out of it. His lips curved up in a rueful smile. That was so like Loki. His emotions ran deep and woe to the man or woman who dared to interfere with them. He dared. There was little choice in the matter; a private talk with Loki was long overdue. The rushing of the waterfalls hid the sound of his approach and he could see the younger man sitting sideways on the bench facing them, his knees drawn up to his chest, long fingered hands clasped across his shins. The dark head was slightly bowed and tilted to the side facing the mesmerizing flow of water. As he stepped up behind the boy Loki's head snapped up and his shoulders straightened. "Father," he breathed.

Loki turned and stood in one fluid motion then froze in place, one hand partially extended. His expression was confused and a bit anxious, Odin wasn't certain why. "I'm happy to see you well, my son." The boy's hand dropped down to his side and he bowed his head. "Loki, what's wrong?"

"I-I nearly caused your death. How can anything about me make you happy?"

Odin sighed. His lady and Loki's were right. The young idiot was still blaming himself for everything. "Enough, my son; you are not to blame for my foolishness in staying awake for two days and nights and before attempting a work of great power. I should know better. It is a miracle that I reached you at all; if I had not and you and your dear lady had died, it would have been due to my negligence."

"But…you did reach me; you did save me…and Kara." Loki sighed deeply. "And in doing so, revealed yet another lie. In saving me you've also destroyed me yet again. Do you understand what all these lies have done to me?" The boy's tone was understandably plaintive and despairing. It broke his tired old heart.

"I am sorry, my son. I could tell you the lie was necessary, but that would not make it any less painful. There are many things I would do differently were time malleable, but alas, it is not. I can only hope that you will one day forgive me."

Loki's bright green eyes stared at him steadily. "I will try. But I suggest we sit down and you tell me everything I need to know. No lies, no pretty stories. If I am to trust in you again, you must tell me the clear truth. Another lie revealed when I am at my most vulnerable will shatter me beyond repair."

"No, Loki. You would survive another such revelation. You are stronger than you realize. Like the graceful willow tree, you bend with the force of the wind and then straighten proudly again. What would not survive is any possibility of a good relationship between us. Regardless of your birth, you are my son and I love you. Come, sit. We have privacy here; your mother has sealed the garden. We will talk until you have all of the answers, until you know everything that your mother and I know of yourself and of our family. It is far past the proper time."