Author's Note: Sorry it has taken forever to update. Been very busy! This chapter has A LOT OF FLUFF! I just can't help myself, when it comes to Loki being hurt and Thor taking care of him. This story is actually panning out a little longer than I thought. I thought I would only go 10 chapters but I am thinking it will be 12. Please enjoy! And Review!

Thor didn't know when he fell asleep, but the next thing he knew is he heard voices.

"How is he? Has he gotten better?"

"He is still very ill my Queen and we are starting into the third day."

"What about his condition? Could the fever be affecting him worse because of it?"

"It is a possibility my Queen. For now we need to focus on breaking this fever, but I am running out of options."

At this point Thor didn't know if he was dreaming or not, so he figured he should wake up and find out. When he opened his eyes he saw Eir and his mother standing on the other side of Loki's bed. Loki was shivering in his sleep despite having two blankets on him. Frigga was pressing a cold cloth to Loki's forehead. Loki still didn't look any better. He was sweaty and pale and gasping for breath. Thor stood up and stood next to the bed.

"What is happening mother? Has he gotten worse?" Thor asked as he laid a hand on Loki's shoulder.

"I am afraid so my dear. His fever has risen and he is shivering despite having such a high fever. We are starting to worry." Frigga stated.

"Is there anything we can do?" Thor questioned.

"I don't know my Prince. We have done everything we can but the fever still persists. We are running out of options." Eir explained.

"There must be something we can do." Thor insisted.

"There might be."

Thor turned to the door and saw Odin come in carrying a book with him.

"I went looking for this last night after my visit with him."

Odin placed the book on a table and opened it to a page that showed a lake in a clearing of the woods.

"There is a lake in the forests of Asgard. It is said to have natural healing powers, legend says that if you bathe in the lake at nightfall when the moon is full, it will heal you of all external and internal ailments with in a day." Odin explained.

"Are you sure father?" Thor asked.

"No my son I am not, but like Eir said we are running out of options."

"Is he even well enough to travel?" Frigga asked.

"I would advise against it my Queen, but considering all the factors and the fact he is getting worse and not better, I think it is best that we try. And the late summer season still brings warm temperatures, but you will have to keep him as warm as possible."

"When is the next full moon?" Thor asked.

"Tomorrow." Frigga answered.

"Then that is when we will go. We will leave in the morning to ensure we get there and get a camp site set up." Thor stated.

"One of my apprentices, Helen, will go with you. She will be there to help you with his wounds." Eir offered.

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It was a cool dark morning when Thor and Loki were supposed to head out. Loki was dressed in a warm green tunic, black leggings and simple boots that would be easy to take off. Thor was dressed a little more casual than usual as well, but still wore his chest armor and cape. Thor wrapped Loki tightly in a warm blanket while Frigga and Eir prepared their bags. Finally it was time to head out. Thor strapped his hammer to his belt and gently picked up Loki. Eir came over and placed a hand on Loki's burning forehead. She said a simple spell that would ensure that Loki would sleep for most if not all of the journey. Thor carried Loki to outside of the palace with Frigga and Eir following him. Thor was glad that it was still early enough that most of the kingdom still slept. Loki would not want all of this attention. Outside of the palace, Odin and a few guards and stable hands met them. There were two horses. One for Thor and Loki to ride on since Loki wouldn't be able to ride himself. The other horse was for Helen and she stood beside the other horse. Both horses were packed with materials such as a tent, blankets, and other supplies they would need. Thor approached his father and his horse and turned to face everyone.

"I packed you some food and drink. I packed some light snacks for Loki so it wouldn't be too much on his stomach. There are three canteens, 2 of them have water and one has some chicken broth for Loki." Frigga explained as she loaded the bag on to one of the horses.

"I packed some bandages, ointment, herbs and potions. The blue potion is for pain and the purple one is for sleep. If he needs the blue one give him one tablespoon every couple hours he needs it. If he needs the purple one, give him 1 teaspoon. Keep his wounds clean and dry. Change his bandages every couple of hours. I just cleaned his wounds and rebandaged them so you should be fine until you reach the lake. Clean his wounds immediately after you get him out of the lake." Eir instructed to Helen. Helen nodded and loaded the bag onto her horse.

Thor nodded in understanding. He then handed Loki over to some guards before mounting his horse. Once Thor was situated, the guards handed Loki up to him. Thor sat Loki in front of him, wrapping his arms around Loki's sides to hold him steady as Loki's head laid on Thor's shoulders. Thor unfolded another blanket and laid it over Loki. Odin stepped up to the horse and presented a map to Thor.

"Follow this map and it will show you the way. If you should run into trouble, simply call for Hemidall, he will alert me and I will come immediately." Odin explained.

"Yes Father." Thor took the map from his father. Odin took Thor's hand.

"Be safe my son, take care of your brother and yourself."

Thor nodded. Frigga came up next and took Thor and Loki's hand.

"Take care of him Thor, and be safe. Come back home to us safely and bring your brother back well."

"I promise mother I will." Thor promised.

Frigga kissed both of their hands. Thor gave a final farewell before kicking the horse into a soft gallop and heading for the forest.

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They had been riding for an hour. Thor knew he could probably get the location a lot faster but with Loki being in the condition he was, Thor didn't want to risk going any faster than he already was. Helen had remained quiet for the most part. She was a young girl with long brown hair and brown eyes. Thor had seen her around the healers chambers a few times and recognized her as one of the healers that tended to Loki often.

"Do you think this will work?" Thor asked.

"I do not know my Prince. I have heard some myths about the lake before from some warriors, but never knew there was any truth to it. I think there is no reason we shouldn't try." Helen stated.

Thor looked at the map, "According to this it should be straight ahead. We should reach it in another 30 minutes."

They were half way through the journey when Loki woke up a little.

"Thor…." Loki moaned his head lolling against Thor's chest.

"Shhhhhhhh…..quiet Loki. Save your strength." Thor whispered.

"Wh-where are we going?" Loki asked trying to hold his head up to see where they were his eyes fluttering open a bit.

"Some where I hope will help you. Lay quiet now Loki, we are almost there." Thor coaxed.

Loki's eyes slid shut again and he fell back asleep against Thor's shoulder. They rode for another 30 minutes before finally reaching the lake. It was in a small clearing in the woods. The lake didn't look very big, but Thor could tell it was about 4 feet deep. Thor stopped the horses about 10 feet away from the lake and decided this is where he would set up the camp site because the tree line was so clear he could see straight to the lake from the camp site. Helen dismounted her horse and tied it to a tree near by. Thor took Loki up into his arms and in one smooth motion, he got them both of the horse. He laid Loki up against a tree before tying up his horse next to Helen's.

"Will you sit with him while I gather materials for a fire and get the tents set up?" Thor asked.

"Of course my Prince but please allow me to help you with something. I do not wish for you to do all of the work." Helen insisted.

"It is no trouble at all milady. My brother and I have been camping many times before so I am used to doing this work myself. The best way you can help me is to watch over Loki and do what you can to keep him calm and warm. I will take care of everything else." Thor explained.

"Thank you my Prince."

Thor nodded and began to gather materials to start a fire. He cleared out an area on the ground and placed rocks in a circle before he gathered sticks and wood to place in the middle. As he got the fire going he glanced over to where Loki was laying. Helen was kneeling next to him and silently checking his vitals.

"The fire is going." Thor stated.

"We should probably lay him near it. He still shivers a bit, I think the fire would be good for him."

Thor got one of the bedrolls off of the horses and laid it down near the fire. He gathered Loki in his arms and laid him on the bedroll, tucking the blankets around him. Loki hadn't made a sound yet or even moved a muscle.

"I will get the tents started. Let me know if he needs me."

Thor pulled the two tents off of the horses and started to set them up. They were simple brown canvas tents. One was for Thor and Loki and the other was for Helen so that she may have some privacy. He had just finished setting the tents up when Helen called for him.

"Prince Thor, I think he is waking up." Helen called.

Thor went and knelt next to Loki by the fire. Loki was shifting in his sleep and whimpering.

"Loki? Can you hear me brother?" Thor asked putting a hand to Loki's cheek.

Loki's eyes fluttered open.

"Th-thor? Wh-wha…?" Loki gasped.

"Shhhh. It's ok Loki your safe. I'm here." Thor reassured.

"Wh-where are we? Where is mother?" Loki asked his eyes wondering trying to look for Frigga.

"She is back at the palace. I have brought you somewhere that I hope will help you, but we can't do anything until night fall. Eir has sent along Helen to help care for you. I need you to hold on for me until nightfall. Do you promise?"

"Pr-promise." Loki whispered his eyes sliding shut.

"We should move him inside of the tent. It is getting close to the time for me to change the dressings and clean the wounds." Helen stated.

Thor nodded and carried Loki into the tent with his bed roll. The tent was short so Thor had to duck down when he entered. He gently laid Loki down to the right side of the tent. Thor then took off his cape and folded it for a makeshift pillow. He slipped it gently under Loki's head. Helen followed him with a lantern she had lit to provide some more light inside of the tent.

"Will you help me with him?" Helen asked.

Thor nodded. Helen started cleaning the wounds starting with his wrists. She rubbed some of the ointment on them and ran a cloth on them to dry them. His wrists were mostly healed but Thor caught sight of the word. Monster. His brother would probably have to live with that for the rest of his life. He fought back the tears as he held Loki up against him so Helen could clean and bandage his back and chest. Loki was semi-concious while they cleaned his wounds, and cried out a couple of times. Once they were finished, Thor wrapped Loki back up in his blankets.

"Prince Loki, if you can hear me, can you tell me if you are in any pain?" Helen asked softly.

"Some…..feels like it's all the way…..down to my bones." Loki gasped.

Helen got a tablespoon of the pain potion ready.

"Drink this my Prince, it will help." Helen assured.

Thor held Loki's head up and helped him drink the potion. Once the potion was gone, Thor laid Loki back down.

"I'm going to tend to the horses and make sure the fire stays lit. Please let me know if he asks for me." Thor stated.

"Yes my Prince." Helen answered.

Thor nodded and ducked out of the tent. He fed the horses a couple of apples and gave them some water to drink before eating some food himself. He stroked the fire to ensure it kept going. Thor spent the day tending to the fire and checking Loki. Loki slept for most of the day. Thor came into the tent around mid-afternoon.

"I can sit with him for awhile if you wish to take a break, I'm going to try and get him to eat something." Thor offered.

"Thank you my Prince. I think I will take the time to eat something myself. Please let me know if you need me." Helen stated.

"The food and drink is out by the fire. Please help yourself."

Helen bowed and exited the tent. Thor went and sat down by Loki, who slept on completely oblivious to Thor sitting next to him. Thor allowed himself a small smile. Loki looked so innocent right now, despite the flush on his cheeks. Thor hated to wake Loki, but he needed to try and get Loki to eat something. Thor reached out and gently shook his shoulder.

"Loki, I need you to wake up." He called softly.

Loki moaned and mumbled something incoherent trying to snuggle further in the blankets.

"Come on Loki, wake up for me, I need you to try and eat something." Thor whispered putting a hand to Loki's cheek.

Loki moaned again and his eyes slowly opened.

"Thor?"

"Yes Loki. It's around mid-afternoon, I want you to try and eat something."

"…not hungry…"

"You need to eat something Loki."

"….don't want to…."

"Please Loki. At least drink something."

Thor held Loki up and made him drink some chicken broth. Loki drank about a third of the canteen before he turned away from it. Thor laid him back down on the bedroll and put the top back on the canteen.

"Good job Loki."

"Are we going home yet?"

"Not yet brother. Rest for now, it's almost nightfall."

Loki fell asleep as Thor stroked his hair back. Thor sat with him awhile longer until Helen came back and they changed Loki's bandages. Once that was done, Thor exited the tent to tend to the fire and to eat some food himself. He was stroking the fire when Helen called for him.

"Prince Thor he is having a seizure!" she called.

Thor immediately stopped what he was doing and ducked into the tent. Helen already had Loki turned over on to his side and was holding him as Loki's body spasmed. Thor knelt by Loki and helped Helen hold him. The seizure lasted a couple of minutes before Loki fell limp again, gasping for breath.

"Shhhh…it's ok Loki. Your alright, I've got you, I'm here." Thor coaxed pushing Loki's hair back from his face as Helen checked his wounds.

Loki's eyes stayed closed but he reached up and grasped Thor's hand as he was rolled onto his back. Thor in return grasped his brother's hand.

"Is he alright?"

"His wounds are fine my Prince. His fever still remains high."

Thor nodded.

"It's getting close to night fall, I'm going to start getting things prepared for tonight. Please stay with him and call me if he has another one or if he asks for me." Thor stated.

Helen nodded. Thor pressed a gentle kiss to Loki's forehead and ducked out of the tent to prepare things for tonight.

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Finally it was nightfall. Thor took the top blanket off of Loki and laid it about 5 feet away from the lake along with some towels. He reentered the tent.

"It's just about time. Are you ready?" Thor asked.

"Yes my Prince. I have the fresh bandages ready." Helen answered.

"Ok, I'm going to get him ready, I'm going to remove the bandages as well. I will meet you down by the lake bed." Thor stated.

Helen nodded and left the tent to give the brothers privacy. Thor then stripped himself down to his leggings before doing the same for Loki. He also undid all of the bandages on Loki. Loki would moan in discomfort every once in awhile and shivered when he was stripped down to his leggings. Thor picked Loki up and cradled him to his chest. Loki clung to him seeking warmth from the cold air whimpering in pain.

"Shhhhh….it will be ok soon Loki. I promise." Thor whispered.

Thor ducked out of the tent and walked down near the lake where Helen was standing.

"I will stay here on land. At least one of us should be dry and ready to care for him." Helen informed.

Thor nodded and walked down to the edge of the lake. The water was a little cold when Thor first stepped into it. Colder than what Thor was normally used to, but he forced himself to go out at least waist deep. Once there, he took a few deep breathes before kneeling down in the water and submerging Loki in the water. Loki cried out as his body touched the water and he started to struggle a bit in Thor's hold. The upper half of Thor's body was out of the water, but Loki was completely submerged up to his neck.

"Hush Loki, be still. Your fine, your safe. I've got you brother, just relax and let the water help you." Thor coaxed.

Loki stopped struggling but continued to whimper and shiver in Thor's hold. Thor let go of Loki's legs but kept a strong hold around his shoulders. He put a hand to Loki's cheek. Loki's eyes blinked open and met Thor's. Thor offered a small smile and caressed Loki's cheek.

"It's ok Loki, I've got you. You're safe brother. I'm here." Thor soothed.

They stayed in the water for 20 minutes before Thor decided that it had been long enough. Thor stood up and cradled Loki to his chest again. Loki was shivering fiercely as the air hit him. Thor moved as quick and carefully as he could. He laid Loki on a towel, stripped him of his leggings and wrapped him up. Thor was freezing as the air hit him full force, but Loki was what mattered right now. Helen stepped in immediately and started drying Loki off carefully while Thor threw a towel around his shoulders. Helen and Thor worked quickly and carefully to dry Loki off. Loki shivered and whimpered in pain. Once he was dried Thor transported Loki to the blanket he had laid out and wrapped him in it securely. Thor picked Loki up and took him into the tent and laid him on his bed roll and threw another blanket over him. Loki's shivering had calmed down and Thor hoped he had fallen back asleep. Once Loki was laying down, Thor took a few minutes to dry himself off.

"I will go outside to change so that you may tend to him. I will be back in shortly to help you."

Helen nodded and started to tend to Loki. She unwrapped Loki and patted him dry again to ensure he was completely dry. She blushed a bit as she laid a dry towel over his lower half to give him some decency. She started to clean the wounds on his arms with some of the ointment that had been packed and dressed them in fresh bandages. Thor came in at the moment dressed in fresh dry clothes.

"Will you hold him up so that I may bandage his chest and back?" Helen asked.

Thor nodded and sat down beside Loki. He gently lifted him up into a sitting position and had Loki lay his head against his shoulder. Helen worked quickly and carefully applying some ointment and then bandaging some of the more severe scars on his back and wrapping his ribs. Loki didn't make a sound the whole time. Thor gently laid Loki back down on his bed roll and readjusted the towel.

"If you want, I can dress him before you attend to the rest of his wounds."

Helen nodded and left the tent to give the brothers some privacy. Thor carefully dressed Loki in a pair of dry leggings. Thor finished and ran a hand through Loki's hair and Loki's eyes opened slightly.

"Thor?"

"Yes Loki, I'm here. Do you need anything?"

"Hurts….feel achy…."

"I know brother. Let me get Helen so she can finish tending to your wounds."

Thor turned and called for Helen. She came back in and started to tend to the rest of his wounds. She also fed him more of the pain potion. Once the potion was gone, Thor laid Loki back down and Loki's eyes began to droop close again.

"Rest brother. You will feel better soon." Thor reassured as he stroked Loki's hair back.

Loki fell asleep easily. Thor sat there a little longer and watched him.

"He is doing well my Prince." Helen assured.

"When will we know if this worked?" Thor asked.

"I don't know my Prince. The legend did say 24 hours. We will watch him closely through the night and see if there are any changes. I can take the first watch if you wish to rest first." Helen stated.

Thor nodded and laid his bed roll out next to Loki while Helen went to her tent to grab a few supplies. He laid down and threw a blanket over himself and Loki. Before drifting off to sleep he laid a hand on Loki's chest praying this would work and that his brother would finally be well again.