A/N: Here's a fluff chapter. I should get into the actual freeing of Jormagundar in the next chapter. I can't say for certain when exactly that will be posted, but I'll do my best to write it, and get it typed out.
Enjoy!

The group made camp for the night, seeing that Fenrir was in no mindset to travel. After his initial reaction of hugging Loki, he had clung to Hela, watching everyone else, wary of contact with any but her. From what Darcy could see, he only looked to be about eight, but she knew he was probably far older. Hela whispered quietly to him, and he slept now in her arms, his captivity nothing but a memory.

Darcy sat next to Loki, still a little surprised to see him alive again. She hadn't had time to process his return, and now, it was all starting to catch up with her. She pulled Fandral's coat around herself a little tighter, trying to block out the cold. Loki glanced over at her.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly. Darcy nodded. The dark-haired man smiled, and pulled his cape from his shoulders, and placed it over her head and shoulders.

"Thanks." She managed to say. Fandral watched the two of them, a little confused. But he didn't say anything, for which Darcy was grateful. Since even she didn't know what was going on between the two of them, she didn't really feel like explaining it to the Asgardian equivalent of Errol Flynn.

"So, how are we going to free Jormagundar?" Thor asked, the silence bothering him. Loki glanced up, looking a little concerned.

"I'm not sure. But we will cross that bridge when we get there." Loki turned to the dying fire, and stoked it up a little, the bright flames catching his attention, almost cat-like in his distraction. "Thor, I'm going to ask you to stay behind when I go to free my son. It is foretold that the Serpent will be your death, and I can't allow that to happen." He shrugged. "I know I'm probably being just as paranoid as Odin, but no matter. Once he's back in his Jotun form, he should be relatively harmless to you." Thor looked like he wanted to object, but he thought about it.

"I will do as you say, Loki. Know that I would help you if I could." The trickster nodded, biting his lower lip, looking almost like a child himself. Part of him wanted Thor to be there, seeing exactly what Odin had done.

"Thank you, Thor. Now it's time we all got some rest. We have some rough days ahead of us." With that, he lay down, and turned over so his back was to the fire. The others followed suit. Hela, as one of the undead, didn't need sleep, so she kept watch as the others drifted off.

Fenrir still slept in her arms, his warmth giving her more comfort than anything had in so long. Her little brother was safe, and soon they would be reunited with the third.

Darcy woke up in the middle of the night, shivering. Somehow in her tossing, she had lost both Loki's cloak, and Fandral's coat. It was dark, so when she felt someone warm put an arm around her, she didn't question it, in her half-asleep state. Whoever he was (it certainly wasn't Jane!), he was still asleep, and didn't realize that he was holding her. Darcy snuggled into his chest, going back to sleep almost immediately.

Loki woke up early the next morning, before it became light out. He turned over, and was mildly shocked to see Darcy lying next to Fandral, securely wrapped in the warrior's embrace. At first he smirked a bit, but then he remembered the two days he'd spent with her. Darcy's mood and disposition reminded him very much of his late wife. Her liking for mischief, and slight temper were both undeniably similar to his. In that respect, Angrboda had been perfect match for him.

His smirk faded as he noticed how comfortable Darcy looked next to Fandral. He'd only been gone for two days, and suddenly these two were together? Of course, the entire setup could be purely accidental. But one would think that knowing Fandral's tendencies with women, Darcy would show a little more discretion in choosing who to snuggle up to…

Was this jealousy?

And if it was, why was he, of all people, jealous? He had never truly recovered from the loss of his wife, and to suddenly have an interest in someone else (especially a mortal) seemed disrespectful to her memory. Heaving a sigh, he turned back over and closed his eyes, not sleeping, just listening.

Darcy woke up about twenty minutes later, just as the sun peered over the horizon. Fandral's arm tightened around her, and her eyes shot open. With a startled yelp she sat up. He woke up, and both nearly tipped over in their hurry to get away from each other.

"What was that all about?" Darcy asked, forcing herself to keep her voice even. Fandral held up his hands, palms out.

"It's not what you think…" he replied, apparently just as shocked as she. "I'm sorry about that." Darcy relaxed a little, allowing herself to lay back down next to him.

"Thanks for keeping me warm, I guess." she chuckled.

"You're welcome, I suppose…" he echoed. Both of them laughed a little, the awkwardness melting away. Fandral glanced around at the other campers. "Do you think any of the others are awake yet?" he whispered. Darcy shrugged.

"Only one way to find out…" She sat up again, and leaned over Loki. He looked like he was asleep, but it also looked like he was trying not to smile. "Morning, Sunshine!" Darcy said brightly. Loki opened his eyes, and mock-glared at her.

"That's not my name…" he muttered. Darcy patted his shoulder.

"Storm Cloud, then."

"Thor's the storm cloud, not me."

"Aww, no nicknames?"

"That would be preferable, yes."

"Fine." She poked him a couple times, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him. He merely turned over onto his back, and grabbed her wrist before she could touch him again.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked, his annoyance showing through. Maybe this was where the similarities to Angrboda stopped…He couldn't remember his wife ever being so irritating. But it was endearing, he had to admit.

"Just once more?" Loki sighed, and released her arm.

"Very well." Darcy jabbed him once more, and grinned.

"Done. When do we leave?"

"Whenever the others wake up." He started to close his eyes, but Darcy shook him again.

"Well, then let's wake them up! I want to go home." Loki got up, looking far from pleased, but in reality, he didn't mind. He picked his way around Jane, Fandral, and Fenrir to where Thor lay on the opposite side of the fire. He shook him awake.

"Wake up, Thor." He whispered. Thor moaned in his sleep and stared up at Loki sleepily.

"Just five more minutes, Loki…" The trickster stood up, and lightly tapped Thor's side with his boot.

"Get up, oaf." He said jokingly. Thor smiled, and sat up.

"Insistent as always, brother." He yawned. Loki shook his head.

"It's not my fault. Blame Lady Darcy. She's the insistent one." He turned and stoked the fire, throwing another dry branch into the center.

"Hey, can you blame me for wanting to get back?" she defended.

"Of course not." Thor replied, before glancing around. There was one person missing. "Where's Hela?"