He sat down behind a copse of trees that were far and upwind enough from the battleground that he could no longer smell the carnage. A regular battlefield stunk enough, but this disgusting mess of flesh and technology had a unique stench that he'd be glad never to get within range of again. Leaning his head against the trunk of the tree he'd chosen as a seatback he examined the gashes that were healing on his arms and decided it could have been worse. The sound of hurried footfalls alerted him that the person who'd been tailing him had almost caught up. There was no heavy breathing accompanying the sound which was pretty strange considering how fast they'd been moving. A minute later a tall muscular blonde in a blue armored outfit came to a halt in the clearing. "Hey, Logan. Glad you decided to wait up."

Captain frigging America. It figured. Sanctimonious prick. "What do you want?" he asked sullenly.

The kid's eyebrow shot up. "I wanted to say thanks."

"You're welcome, now get lost."

Soldier boy folded his arms across his chest and stared down at him reproachfully. SOB looked like a blonde version of Scott Summers sans the wraparound glasses. Okay, so it maybe it was just the expression. "Logan, I know you've been having a hard time hanging with the X-Men since, well, since what happened. I know what it's like to lose someone you love even if you weren't a couple. I know exactly what that's like and how painful it is."

Dumbass didn't know squat. "I could've saved her."

"Not from what I've heard, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that you need a break. Why don't you spend some time here in New York? We've got plenty of room at Avengers' Tower and with Thor having to head back to Asgard we're really short on heavy hitters."

Logan stared at the fool. "You've got Hellbringer, the Hulk, Iron Man and Captain frigging America; oh, and a sorcerer Norse god."

"Kara doesn't like to fight. Banner is trying to control the Hulk and having to fight isn't helping him any. Tony's been talking retirement because of Pepper. Loki is with us reluctantly, it's his sentence. We need someone we can count on."

"I ain't a team player."

Blondie had the frigging nerve to laugh. "Do you seriously think any of the guys I've got are? The only ones I can half count on to follow orders are Romanov and Barton and that's only if they feel like it. Oh, and Romanov is going to have to sit out in a few months since she'll be taking maternity leave."

"I've got an attitude."

"I've got Tony Stark."

"I'm unpredictable."

"Let's see; I've got a narcissistic playboy, a scientist with breathtaking anger management issues, a borderline insane Norse god, and a budding Norse goddess of Fire with…uh, I think they called it traumatic stress disorder. We're used to unpredictable."

"I got moods."

"Did I mention that my pyrokinetic goddess to be with the stress disorder is married to the half-crazy Norse god with, uh, I think she called it a massive inferiority complex and daddy issues?"

"Your team is fucked up."

"Yep, sounds like you'd fit right in." Logan stared at Roger's earnest expression. "I'll sweeten the pot. I'll get Stark to invent something you can wear that will counter magnetism so that you can go after Magneto and take him in."

His eyes narrowed. Taking down that son of a bitch might just let him sleep at night. He hauled himself to his feet and stared into the kid's determined blue eyes to decide if he was on the level. "Deal."

… …

"You're supposed to be going to bed," Stark's voice said in the hall outside the makeshift infirmary that had been supplied with a dozen beds and monitoring equipment.

"And I will, but I had to see this first." Sif looked up at the doorway in time to see the owner of the second voice stroll into the room, though stroll was too generous a word. More accurately, Loki staggered in, one arm over the shoulders of the man Stark called Rhodey who had an arm around the trickster's waist. Stark stood in the doorway, still in his armor, carrying his honorary sister. "My, my; they weren't exaggerating. Sif, you look positively anxious," Loki told her with a smirk.

"Don't be more of an ass than you must," she snapped back at him. "He saved me from my own hubris. Of course I am anxious to see him well."

Loki titled his head to the side, his green eyes sparkling. "Partial lie," he pronounced and then chuckled maddeningly. "Ah, Sif; admit it, you do care for our fair prince."

"Hold your tongue." She glared until he retreated and his laughter faded as he progressed down the hall.

"I thought you braver than that," a faint voice rasped from the bed. Sif turned back to look down at Nyvorlas. His pale gray eyes were barely open and he seemed exhausted.

"You should still be sleeping; you nearly died."

"That would have been disappointing for you."

"For me?"

"Yes; you're looking forward to my winning our bet."

Her jaw dropped. "Your ego is even greater than Loki's."

"That is not difficult, Sif. Have you not realized how battered and bruised his is?"

"I've learned such," she told him with a grudging sigh. "Fine, your ego is greater than Fandral's."

"No one's ego is greater than that. Seriously, my lady; did you fear for me?"

"Of course; I owe you a life debt."

His pale lashes fluttered closed. "Sif, do not dissemble; I truly need to know. Do I waste my time; should I simply return home when I am healed enough to do so?"

It was impossible to swallow past the lump in her throat. Did she want his attentions to cease? "If you go home you will never know if you have won or lost our bet."

"Sif…"

"Stay," she said quickly, while she could grasp the courage. "Or rather, return with me to Asgard. You have not visited for aught but official business in so long. You could recuperate there, far from the political upheaval that will hold your mother's court for a time and we could…get to know one another better."

His eyes had opened again and they searched hers. Taking a firmer hold on her courage she covered his hand with hers, gaining a smile from him in response. "I accept your invitation, my lady. Thank you."

… …

Tony laid her carefully down on her bed and then stepped back. His armor started to fold up on itself and was soon reduced to the size of a large briefcase. "That never ceases to amaze me," she told him.

"Ha. Wait until you see the next major upgrade, I'm going to be able to call it to me from anywhere. Well, anywhere on Earth, at any rate."

"Nice. Tony?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Go away. Go clean up and call Pepper or something," she told him as she watched Rhodey settle Loki down on the other side of their bed. "We're just going to get some sleep, okay?"

"Sure thing. Tell Jarvis if you need anything. Come on, Rhodey; let's give the lovebirds some privacy."

She sighed and looked over at her husband who was sprawled gracelessly on the other side of the bed. "Good thing Rhodey doesn't talk as much as Tony."

"Uhm."

Wow. Loki not eloquent; that had to be a first. She pushed up onto her hands and knees and crawled over beside him. "Other than exhausted, are you okay?"

"Uhmhmm."

"You should have let Rhodey stay in his armor and carry you in here."

This time he actually turned to look…no, glare at her. "Never."

"Prideful idiot," she told him as she snuggled into his side.

"So you've said." She smiled as he stirred enough to wrap his arms around her. "Now, sleep," he told her and she was only too happy to comply.

… …

"Jarvis; dial Pepper for me," he told the AI as the door to his private suite opened. The phone began to ring and he heard an echo of it coming from…his bedroom? "Son of a bitch; Jarvis, hang up. Pepper?" he called out as he hurried across the generally unused study area. He pushed open the bedroom door and stared at the sight of his robe-clad fiancé, reclining on top of the gold silk bedspread, reading from a tablet. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be safe upstate."

"If you were brought in hurt, I was going to be here for you. I'm not going to be out of reach and safe and have you bleeding or dying without me by your side."

His eyes closed as he suppressed a shudder. "Pep…god, I love you, but please don't ever do anything like that again. I-I can't do this not knowing for sure you're someplace safe."

"And I love you. I'm not leaving you for someplace safe and losing you."

Tony sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter since I'm retiring." Leaning in he stroked her cheek with a tired hand and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Let me take a shower, then I'll join you, 'k?"

She gave him her enigmatic smile and went back to reading. He'd stripped and was standing under the pulsing jets when the shower door clicked open. "How about I join you?" she offered throatily.

"Gonna take care of me?" he asked.

"Don't I always?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, you do. You really do. Do you know that I'm the luckiest man in this whole damn world?"

Pepper took the bottle of shampoo from his hand and squirted a healthy portion into her palm and then massaged it into his damp hair. "No, you're not."

"I'm not?"

"No. That would be Loki."

"You say that with a totally straight face, but I know you're joking."

"I'm not. He gets to spend the rest of his life with his love, no matter how long or short that life is. He won't ever wake up some morning and be alone. She'll either be there, or he won't wake up."

"Aw, Pepper. Babe, that's a two-edged sword, you know."

"I know. But it's kind of comforting, in a way. He won't ever have to know what it's like to go on without his other half."

"Jesus," he muttered as she guided him under the showerhead and rinsed out the shampoo. Once his face was clear he looked into her eyes. "I don't like that idea. I'd rather go, when it's my time, thinking you're well and that you'll find love again."

"And what if I die first? It could happen."

He thought about Ivan and Obi and how close she'd come to dying at the hands of both men who hated him through no real fault of his own. "It would hurt like hell."

"Promise me something."

"Whaaaat?"

"If I do die first; promise me you won't turn to alcohol; that you'll find a reason to live and to love again."

"I…" Tony was about to tell her he couldn't promise any such thing but the serious look in her eyes made him swallow the words. "Is there something you need to tell me? Are you sick or something?"

"What? No!" She sighed as she began rubbing hibiscus scented shower gel into his skin. "It's just; well, it could happen, and I'd like to be able to believe that you would be well and would try to find love again. It's a two way street, you know."

He did know. He wasn't sure he could give up the booze, though. But maybe…yeah. "Well, Kara and Loki will still be around, regardless. They'll make sure I don't give up, you know that."

"True. Promise you'll let them; that you won't sabotage their efforts."

Sighing, he leaned into the hands that were now rubbing the gel into his tense back. "I promise."

"Good. I love you, Tony Stark."

"I love you, too, Pepper Potts." His breath hitched as she pressed her firm body against his now soap-free back and reached around to take his half-erect cock in her slick hands. "Am I done showering?" he asked. She stroked him into a full erection and then slipped around his wet body, maintaining the skin to skin contact. Sliding down his front, her pert breasts briefly encased his now eager staff and then released it. He didn't have a chance to be disappointed before her mouth closed on the crown and her tongue swirled around it. "Oh yeah, done showering." Tony reached out and turned off the water manually as Pepper hated having Jarvis 'in' the shower, never taking his eyes off of her beautiful face. "Should we move this to the bed?" he asked.

Her mouth released him with a wet pop and she gave him a wicked smile. "We could do that." She stepped out of the shower and grabbed one of the oversized towels he loved and tossed it to him and then grabbed another for herself. He followed her back into the bedroom, watching the rivulets of water dripping down her back as she towel-dried her hair. How she managed a sultry look with damp hair, he'd never know, but she did as she pointed to the bed and told him to lie down. He obeyed so quickly he almost tripped over his own feet. Yep, him. Tony Stark, international playboy, reduced to clumsy eagerness by his own fiancé. Oh boy.

"God, Pepper, you are so damn…"

"Shut up." He blinked in shock but obeyed. Still and quiet now, his cock still at full attention…wait. She was ordering him around and he was totally turned on by it? A slow grin grew. Kinky, but hey, he was Tony fucking Stark; he could do kinky if he damn well felt like it. Pepper climbed on the bed and crouched over him and slowly lowered herself down on his erection. Her moan was almost as loud as his as she took him deep inside. Leaning forward and balancing herself with one hand on each side of the arc reactor she began to ride. He tried to grab her hips to help but got his hands slapped. "My time," she told him.

Damn. He knew she could be as ruthless as all get-out when necessary, but this…dominating streak was something he'd never suspected. He'd also never suspected that he'd really, seriously love it. Stretching his hands over his head and holding onto the headboard as the sensations built he had to tease her. "Gonna handcuff me to the bed next time?" he managed to ask between groans of pleasure.

"If you ask nicely."

Holy fuck. She was riding him hard now and the pressure was building in his balls. Pepper's fingers dug into his almost flat nipples and he gasped as he realized just how many nerve endings he had there. "God, babe, I'm gonna…"

"Do I need to gag you?" she snapped and he felt a sudden inexplicable pressure squeeze his cock from all around as if a fist had grabbed hold of it firmly. But there was no fist; there was nothing but Pepper and her amazing pelvic muscles. Holy fuck. Where the hell did she learn that? "Much better," she told him as he stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

"Uh, Pep? Honey? What do I have to do to get you to let me come?" he asked nervously as she stared down at him. She wasn't unaffected, she was breathing unevenly and her pupils were dilated as she wriggled slightly and moaned. "I already told you I'll retire. I'll announce it tomorrow if you want."

She stopped wriggling. Shit. "No, Tony. I don't want you to announce your retirement tomorrow."

"What do you want then? Anything, just tell me."

"I want you to know that I love you. I love Tony Stark, exactly the way he is and Tony Stark is Iron Man. But what you can promise me is that when the majority of Avengers tell you that you're not physically up to going on missions anymore that you'll retire then. No arguments, no sneaking around behind anyone's back to play hero. When they tell you it's time, you'll do it, cold turkey."

That…that didn't sound so bad. "Could I still work on the suits for a successor to use?"

"Absolutely. I know you love it; I'd never take that away from you."

He grinned. "You've got it; I swear I'll retire when the team tells me to and no sneaking around on my own."

Her serene smile was back as she began to ride him again. "Good boy. I'll remember the handcuffs next time."

… …

"Interesting," his old friend and one time enemy said from behind him as he gazed at the Lady Sif leaning forward in her chair fast asleep with her head on the left shoulder of Prince Nyvorlas.

Frey looked over as Odin joined him at the observation window. "Is is not? I was not certain what my half-sister was hinting at until now. It seems these two misfits have found each other."

"She always knows these things, and it has nothing to do with her abilities as a seer. I only hope Frigga is right and that Thor will one day find the happiness Loki now has."

He shrugged. "If she believes it, it will come to pass. She knew you would love her, despite being forced to marry her as part of our treaty."

"Terms of surrender, you mean."

"Semantics. We both got what we needed. My realm stands independent and your realm has a strong ally…and you have a beauteous wife who loves you and your sons and who has transformed a callous warlord into a true and mostly worthy king."

Odin's flinty blue eye glared at him. "Only mostly?"

"You should not have lied to my nephew once he became old enough to understand. That foolish decision has cost us all dearly."

"I know it. I-I simply could not bear the hurt it would cause him; and yes, I know, he was hurt far worse as a result." The self-styled All-Father choked back a laugh. "I am a coward about few things, and all of them involve hurting those I love."

"Frigga tells me that you and the boy have fully reconciled."

"We have. He has forgiven me and has accepted that I do love him. His lady has much to do with his ability to trust in my sincerity, I believe."

"Remarkable girl and a worthy new goddess."

"Indeed. Tell me, brother by marriage; now that it is Thor's turn to be jealous of his brother, how should I handle it to avoid another disaster?"

Frey did his best to smother his laughter for the sake of the injured sleeping in the next room. "I fear you are on your own, old friend, for I know not."

Odin's expression was sour. "I feared you'd say such."

… …

Bruce left Jane and Erik on the elevator and trudged to his suite. A bath in his new tub would be nice. Food would be nice too, but he hadn't fully recovered from the pounding his other had taken from the Titan. That was a first. Usually, other than a little disorientation and hunger, he was fine after changing back. The door clicked open when he reached it. "Welcome home, sir," Jarvis told him.

"Uh, thanks, Jarvis." Surreal, he thought as he walked in. He heard water splashing and followed the sound into the bathroom. Darcy was floating languidly in the giant tub, her glorious breasts poking out of the water. The tiredness immediately left a certain part of his anatomy. "Hi," he managed.

She sat up and grinned at him. "I thought maybe you'd get stuck helping with clean up."

"No, the Asgardians are handling the sensitive items and S.H.I.E.L.D. is taking care of the rest in the main zone. The military is calling in the Corps of Engineers to deal with the park grounds, fountains, paving and such."

"Cool. Oh. How about the special fountain?"

"The egress is still intact. Heimdall told me that Frey led the squad there protecting it so that the Chitauri and the Titan couldn't just bypass us all and head to Asgard without a serious fight."

"I was wondering why I wasn't seeing him on any of the security feeds. Did you know we don't have any there?"

They didn't? Oh boy. "I'm surprised. I'd better tell Tony in the morning." He undressed while Darcy watched avidly and tried not to blush at her eager expression. "Darce, I, uh…"

"You look pretty damn good for an older guy; but I never see you work out."

"Uh, well, the other guy does that for me. For some reason some of the benefits carry over, not sure why."

"Huh. Well, I'm not gonna complain. Ooooh," she continued as he stepped out of his pants. "Is that for me?"

Bruce grinned as she stood and reached out to stroke his erection firmly. "Honey, until I saw you in that tub I would have sworn I was too wiped out to stand, let alone anything else. You…well, you have that effect on me."

"Good to know," the minx said with a grin as she tugged him within reach of that oh-so-talented mouth. "Welcome home," she breathed before taking him between her lush lips.

… …

Heimdall watched the dark clad mortals swarm out of the large conveyances carrying small metallic cubes. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director Fury strode across the lea to join him. "I've had them bring tools to lift the pieces. I'm reluctant to have any of my people touch any of that, even with safety gloves," he said, gesturing to the still smoldering remains of the Titan.

"Very wise. I do not doubt he could take over a mortal mind with such contact." A slight shudder ran through him as he thought of the possibilities. "It might even be possible for an Æsir mind to be so compromised."

"Sure, it happened to Loki."

He stared down the director. "Loki is half Jötunn," he told him.

"You a racist?"

"No. It simply means that Loki is less vulnerable than pure Æsir to such things as his body conducts power far more efficiently. There have been few sorcerers among the Jötnar, but those few were the most powerful in the Nine Realms."

Fury's dark countenance turned ashen. "If he is less…"

Heimdall held up a hand. "Loki is less vulnerable now. When our younger Prince last encountered the Titan he'd been drifting in the Void for months. Such a thing could break any mind."

"What is this Void? I've heard Thor and Loki mention it, but they've neglected to explain it."

"It is largely unexplainable. It is the nothingness between realms; there is naught there, no stars, no planets, no time. A minute lasts both millennia and seconds. No mind can emerge from such unscathed. When we realized where he'd been, we were…disposed towards leniency in judging him."

The man grimaced. "We'd call that 'innocent by reason of insanity'. It's a valid defense against even the most heinous criminal charges here. Thor doesn't seem worried that his brother will snap again."

"Nor do we worry. Loki is not fully healed by any means, yet he has found his center and a reason to live and to be well. He will not fail his lady."

"Good to know. Anything my people need to know before boxing this shit up?"

"Just have them set the boxes and tools down. They will have trouble safely lifting the pieces." Heimdall let a slight grin curl the corner of his mouth. "The Cosmic Energy that infuses the Titan makes even his remains disproportionately weighty. My people will perform this task. Once the pieces are safely enclosed it will not matter if they are dropped or jostled."

"Sounds like a plan."

… …

Six-fucking A. M. and he was up. To be fair, they'd hit the sheets at six the previous evening after the bulk of the cleanup was done in Central Park. Well, the cleanup of Chitauri remains and tech, anyway. The Asgardians had sent Heimdall home with the bulk of their troops for rest and medical treatment and he'd sent a couple of Æsir healers and some fresh troops down to deal with the Titan remains. But yeah, he'd had plenty of sleep. Clint stopped short as he entered the main lounge. Sprawled in one of the comfier chairs was the Wolverine. He stared for a minute until the mutant's eyes snapped open. "Thought you were heading out," he said.

"Was. Rogers convinced me to stay."

He thought about it. Eh, it made sense. They were going to need more help when Thor went home and Nat had to stay out of the field. "Okay. They get you a room yet?"

"Some fella named Jarvis is working on it."

A snicker escaped before he could smother it. That earned him a nasty glare. "Jarvis is the artificial intelligence that runs the building. He's very efficient, and gets things done, but he doesn't have a body so I don't think he can qualify as a fella."

"Whatever."

"There's food in the kitchen. Stark has a chef that usually makes dinner, but he was evacuated with all of the other civilians. We're on our own for breakfast and lunch so help yourself," he told the stocky man as he stuck his own nose in the fridge to see what was convenient. Everything in it looked like it needed to be cooked; not a leftover in sight. "Damn. We need more people that can cook around here."

Logan snorted and was shaking his head when Clint looked at him. "I can cook some," he admitted. "Just don't expect no gourmet shit." He stood and joined Clint at the fridge. "Grab that beef," he told him. "And those veggies. Don't suppose you know if they've got a deep frying pan or a wok?"

"A wok? Are you freaking kidding me?" A baleful look answered him. "You grab the food, I know basically where the pans and shit are." He opened the cupboards under the counter and stared into them. "What do you know, Tony's got a wok. How much you want to bet he has no clue?"

"No bet. I need a spatula and a cutting board, some brown sugar and some virgin olive oil. And some soy sauce." One of the upper cupboards opened. "Found the rice. You got a rice cooker down there? If not, a large saucepan and lid."

He stood and set the wok and its stand on the counter and then turned and pulled out the rice cooker. "Now this I know how to do," he told the other man.

That earned him a sardonic look. The Wolverine sure as hell had a range of annoying looks. "Any idiot can cook rice in a rice cooker," he was told. "Make a lot in case the others get up."

Clint told himself not to take offence. He knew his own limits and cooking was one of them. If it wasn't PBJ sandwiches, he was shit out of luck when it came to making meals. After getting the rice started he grabbed the ice tea out of the fridge and poured a glass. "You want some?" he asked.

"Got any beer?"

"Stark's got just about everything in the bar. Gotta warn you, though, it's all imported."

"Friggin' diva."

"Pretty much." He headed over to the bar. "Got Guinness warm or Heineken cold, both bottled."

"Guinness. Heineken is like cold piss."

"I hear ya." Clint smirked as he carried a pair of bottles over to the counter. "Hey, babe," he greeted as Natasha slouched into the room. "Got some ice tea poured."

Logan gave him another disgusted look as Nat took the glass and then gave him a pat on the shoulder before sitting on a stool. "Christ, are you whipped or what?"

"Hey, watch it. I'm considerate of the woman who's doing me the honor of having our baby."

"Oh, yeah. Heard about that from Rogers. Uh, congrats, I guess."

Natasha smirked. "Thank you," she said in her usual velvet covered steel voice, the one that no one messed with, at least not more than once. The mutant gave her a sharp look and then subsided. Guess he was smarter than he sounded. "Are you making enough to share with me?" she asked, her tone softening.

"Yeah, sure. So long as the whole damn team, especially the frigging gods don't show up, there'll be plenty."

They watched as the claws shot out and he used them to chop the meat and veggies. "You're doing it that way just for effect," Nat told him.

He shrugged. "Busted. That and I'm too damn tired to look for the knives."

"Jarvis didn't find him a bedroom yet," Clint informed her. "He was crashing in the lounge."

"You visiting or staying long term?" she asked.

"Define long term."

"Okay. A suite is probably being set up for you, otherwise Jarvis would have just put you in a guest room." Nat was suspiciously serene this morning .

"Nat, what's up?" Clint had to ask.

"Hmm? Oh, just relaxed, I think. Our baby's godparents are safe now, at least for his or her lifetime. I think that's cut my anxiety over motherhood at least in half."

"Yeah, I guess it does. Hey, Logan, our kid's got real gods for godparents. Well, one god, one gonna-be goddess." The Wolverine rolled his eyes and tossed the chopped broccoli, carrots and onions into the pan to join the already sizzling beef.

"What smells amazing?" Stark asked as he sauntered into the lounge. "Did someone order takeout?"

"Takeout from where, Tony? Everything's still closed from the evacuation order," Pepper said from behind him.

"We need more beef," Logan muttered, sounding even more annoyed than before.

… …

Rogers and his blonde girlfriend, Banner and a busty brunette, the two scientists from the Park, the USAF Lieutenant Colonel and a male psychiatrist from S.H.I.E.L.D. who looked kind of Indo-Asian but with a British accent had joined them by the time the rice was ready. He'd listened to the introductions with half an ear, more interested in getting some food in him. Most of the gathering used the chopsticks Stark had dug out of a drawer, with the notable exception of Rogers. There was still no sign of the gods, any of them, or of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Suited him just fine. "Hey, Logan; this is really good," Stark praised.

He took a swig of his second bottle of Guinness and nodded. "Thanks. Just don't expect me to cook on a regular basis. I don't like cooking much."

"Is there anything you do like much?" the busty brunette with the moss-green eyes asked.

"Darcy," Banner said in a chiding tone though she didn't sound snotty about it, just curious.

"Nope."

"Well, if you're going to be part of the team, I need some info for your FacePage," she told him. "I'm in charge of the team's PR. We've gotten a lot of support, even for Loki with judicious releases."

"She means fabricated bullshit," Hawkeye supplied helpfully.

"It's not fabricated. Every single thing we've posted has been one hundred percent true. I'm just leaving his attitude issues out of it."

"Loki has a pretty good attitude," the colonel said. "He really showed it on the other side."

"Seriously, Rhodey?" Stark asked. "I mean, I like the guy, but even I think he's got attitude when it comes to us mortals."

Rhodey shrugged. "Well, he was ready to make a deal with the Titan…hey, calm down and listen," he said as several members of the group began to talk at once. "He offered to turn himself over to be tortured so long as the big bad kept him alive and sent me safely home and closed the gate. He gave his word he wouldn't fight it."

"Sweet God Almighty," Rogers breathed. "That would have saved you, saved us and kept Kara alive."

"Well, yes, but I saw the reports of what they did to him last time. I wasn't going to let him do it."

"Oh, no," the captain said hurriedly. "I wasn't saying you
would or should. There's no way that would be the right thing to do. But it says a lot about him. I'm surprised he showed that side to you; it kind of takes him a while to open up."

Logan snorted at their naïveté. "He probably figured the bastard wouldn't go for it."

"That does not matter. He gave his word," the British-sounding shrink said. "From what both Thor and Loki have told me, if they give their word, they keep it at all costs. If the Titan had accepted the deal, Loki would have had to comply."

"Rhodey, you willing to tell Odin about that?" Stark asked.

"Damn straight; and more. I've got the guy's back, Tony. I see why you like him, he's not like the military was told, not at all."

… …

The chatter had subsided as they finished their meal, as small as it had turned out to be once everyone had arrived. She'd taken out the remainder of the meat and chicken out of the freezer to thaw and gotten Bruce and Darcy to volunteer to cook later. They also had a clean-up crew for both meals all set, but they were going to need more food. Who knew how long it would be before the city was open for business again and there was going to be a tower-load of hungry Norse gods awake before long, not to mention a number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were even now resting in the hastily set up infirmary. "Jarvis," she said quietly as she stacked plates in the sink. "Let S.H.I.E.L.D. know we're going to need a food delivery and soon."

"Already done, Miss Potts. Visitors are arriving, Director Fury, King Odin, and two companions. Shall I direct them to the lounge?"

"Yes, please. Thank you, Jarvis." She walked back to the lounge area. "Heads up, everyone. Fury is on his way up with the All-Father and some others."

Logan frowned up at her. "We're gonna need more grub."

"It's on its way, I'm told. Relax, it's no longer our problem." He nodded and settled down in the soft chair and laid his head back.

The elevator opened and Nick Fury stepped out. The usually intimidating man was made insignificant by the silver and blonde haired bulk of Odin and Frey. Rounding out the group was the gnarled figure of the elderly sorcerer they called the Grand Vizier. Fury looked them over and frowned. "Where's the rest of the team?" he asked

"Still beddy-bye. Rhodey and I had to literally carry Loki and Kara to their bed last night. Thor made it on his own, but he was looking as pale as Loki usually looks," Tony informed him.

"Exhaustion sickness makes for a slow recovery," the Grand Vizier pronounced.

"How slow?" Fury wanted to know. They've been resting a good…fifteen hours now."

Odin pushed past Fury and looked down at the lack of seating. Bruce stood and pulled Darcy with him. "We'll take the floor," he offered.

Odin nodded regally and gestured to the older Æsir to take the seat. "Sit, old friend. We can't have you abed next. You also expended far too much power this past day."

Steve, Beth and Raj Nassar stood from the couch they'd been relaxing on. "Sir? Why don't you and King Frey take seats here. It was reinforced to hold Thor, Loki and Kara so should be comfortable for you. We've had some sleep, we'll be good on the floor."

"Thank you, Captain." He and Frey sat with audible sighs. "My people have finished boxing the Titan's remains. Once Loki and the Grand Vizier are both fully rested they will send them off to the far reaches of the cosmos. It would be most helpful," he continued, looking to the counter where Jane sat with Erik Selvig. "If you were to assist them with your instruments. The sorcerers will then be able to concentrate on boosting the range rather than holding the proper coordinates steady."

"We can do that," Jane agreed after a glance at her nodding colleague.

"I know I'm just the PR person, but could someone explain to me why we can't just get Kara to blast the pieces down until they're ash and put an end to this freak for good?" Darcy asked.

The elderly sorcerer grimaced. "She cannot. While the princess has the finest command of fire I have seen even in my lifetime, Cosmic Energy cannot burn and cannot be transmuted. She was able to do what she did only to those portions of the Titan that were not completely saturated with that energy. Those portions are now, indeed, ash. What remains cannot be destroyed."

"And the fucker can't die, I hear," Tony said.

"Not at this time," Odin agreed. "Loki had learned that Death, whom Thanos worships and in some twisted way considers a lover, has banned him from her presence. Until she, and I use that pronoun loosely, relents, he cannot truly die. Separating his remains as far across the cosmos as we can manage and making it difficult to track them down is the best we can do."

"Well that sucks the big one," Darcy muttered. Pepper smirked. Crude, but she summed it up nicely.

"Loki and I should be sufficiently recovered by tomorrow eve," the Grand Vizier told them.

"Until then, my people have the remains under heavy guard and Heimdall will be watching from Asgard once he has his rest."

"When do you rest?" Pepper decided to ask.

The silver haired king smiled. "Once this is all settled and Kara has been awarded her new title, I shall enter the Odinsleep. Until then, my energy is sufficient to allow me to continue. I will, however, rest for a bit while Frey keeps watch in my stead then I will do the same for him." He looked around at all of them. "You should all take great pride in what you've accomplished. Your mortal forces more than held their own alongside the might of Asgard. I am impressed with how far you've come since the last time Asgard needed to bring warriors to your defense. You are worthy allies indeed and I am glad that my younger son has chosen one of your own as his bride. Should Thor one day find his other half among you, I shall welcome her with open arms, though you will excuse me for praying that she has the physical ability to become Æsir. I would not want him to be condemned to having only a short time with his true beloved."

Pepper looked sharply at Jane who swallowed heavily but didn't otherwise appear distressed. "I think we all share that prayer, your majesty," she said as she looked back at the All-Father. "We care about Thor, and we all want him to find happiness."

"Then he has chosen his friends well."

… …

Author's Notes: Phew. Sorry, gang. Work is heating up. I'm on staff at a college and August is the start of the semester. It is going to be a few weeks, most likely, for Chapter 70, which will be the final chapter.

Calm down, calm down! (hurriedly hands out tissues and chocolate) Once Fire and Ice is 'completed', I will be publishing a series of interconnected one-shots in the Fire and Ice universe to wrap up different things such as the birth of Natasha and Clint's baby, the introduction of the character that I'm still taking votes on a name for on Tumblr (or here in my PMs), and various and sundry other little plot threads (Nyvorlas and Sif come to mind). This won't be the last you'll see of Loki and Kara, it will just be the end of this particular plot involving their meeting, courtship and settling down to a life together. I'll post the title of the follow-up when I post Chapter 70.