A/N: Love goes out to Ivory Tears, whose reviews keep me a-writin' :D and of course to Kim and BoundaryBreaker , I hope you're reading ;) And finally Gabby, chug chug chug chug!

3

I watched them from the window, those large ugly things traipsing about my back yard like a young couple under the June sun. It made my stomach turn. Not so much how they looked, but what they meant by it - they could kill you in your sleep without so much as a second thought. But then, so could he.

I felt the curtain rustle beside me as Loki leaned against the kitchen wall, fixing me with a had gaze.

"Haven't you slept at all?" He asked after a while.

I continued to watch the Chitauri - they were seated around the burnt out hearth, talking to each other in quick clicks and shrill sounds. Casual conversation, I decided.

"You'll forgive me for not being able to sleep in the full knowledge of-" I let the sentence trail off, pressing a finger to the glass panes.
"It's no wonder you're such a mess, your nerves are always getting the better of you."
"I doubt you'd fare any better in my position," I grumbled.
"Of course I would," Loki chuckled. "I'm simply more skilled at everything."
"It really is refreshing hearing your humour in the morning, your majesty," I said, turning to him with a mock smile. I returned to the window and muttered, "You in the house, I could tolerate, you help around sometimes and you're pleasant on the eyes, but these-"
"Pleasant on the eyes, am I?" He said with a sly grin.
"Credit's due where credit's due, but you're still an awful prat sometimes."
Loki raised his eyebrows in mock interest, "sometimes."
"Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?"
"Full steam ahead."
"And if they're duping you?" I let the curtains fall back into place and turned to face him. He was now inspecting an old apple near the sink.
"I'm a trickster, Paton, not a court fool."
"And where's the guarantee you'll have this-this godforsaken army?"
"We don't need contracts."

I was too tired to continue the conversation. It was almost noon, time for me to head on down to the pier for a shipment of stationery to the South Dutton school. I ran my fingers through my hair and changed my t-shirt after dousing myself in ample deodorant. This wasn't a glamourous job, I didn't really have to bother. I paused at the centre of the living room and threw down my messenger back onto the coffee table.

"I can't do it," I said, sinking into the couch.

Loki looked up at me from a tin of condensed milk, "sorry, do what?"
"I can't bloody go to work today. I'm tired as hell and I can't leave the house with those things running about in the back."
"I could watch the house, if it's such a big deal for you," he said, as if having a house was like having one of those emo-phases you went through in high school.
Nope, no. This isn't going to fly.

Just as Loki was about to say something, there was a sharp rap at the door.

We both looked around in surprise.

My first thought was shit it's the cops, hide the cocaine! but that really didn't make much sense because why would the cops be after me and if I could afford cocaine I wouldn't be holed up in some tiny cottage with no food.

Loki nodded his head at me, "I believe protocol would have you open the door and smile while you do it."

I glowered at him and stood up, taking short shuffling steps towards the door. None of my clients ever came knocking even if it was an emergenc delivery. Maybe a neighbour needed to borrow some sugar Did people still do that? Or was that just code word for intercourse? Either way I didn't see myself at the helping end of that transaction. Almost frozen with curiosity, I twisted the door handle and pulled.

At first I blinked wildly when the sun hit my eyes, then I focused on the stocky man standing at my door - he had hard brown eyes, a prominent forehead with a receding hair line and a handlebar moustache that was set so sternly it made you reevaluate all your major life decisions.

My breath and my words got tangled up somewhere and I choked out the only word I could muster -

"Dad?"

A/N: Uh oh! Cliffhanger! Is it? Yeah I think it is. Well. I bet no one saw that coming. I'm quite please with myself, but I know you probably aren't because I'm gone for weeks and I come up with three piddly little chapters as some consolation. But the story's moving along, eh? What do you think?