When they landed in Chicago, Grace drove the car from the airstrip and towards downtown. While not every stretch of the highway was fascinating, every time she glanced over at Loki, he was wide-eyed about something out the window. As they approached the skyscrapers, his eyes were glued on the buildings, his mouth slightly open as he took in the sight of the towering structures overhead. She smiled. Chicago was something special. She also realised that though he had been surrounded by tall buidings in New York, he hardly had the opportunity to gape at them from street level. His first trip to the tower had been in a S.H.I.E.L.D. prisoner transport vehicle and they had traveled home from Pride at night. Detroit, while impressive, was not nearly as dense as Chicago, many of its buildings far shorter. The city lights were gorgeous, but there was something different about being surrounded by towering architectural marvels during the day, seeing the clouds above the caverns they created.
"I take it you're impressed."
"I have never seen anything like this."
"You look how I felt in the palace library."
"Will we walk these streets?"
"Oh yes. We'll wander downtown today. And we're going to find this one dingy little blues club that I was in years ago that has the best damn blues in this city. And we'll hit my favourite shopping district tomorrow, maybe take a wander through the Lincoln Park Zoo while we're here- you've never seen Earth's wildlife. For once I'm glad we stuck some critters in cages to gawk at. And baseball- oh my god, I still haven't introduced you to baseball. I'll get us some tickets to a game at Wrigley. Hell, Loki, I could spend months just introducing you to this city. I've got two days."
"Just remember, my dear Miss Grace, that we came here to help you sort things out, so if you do not think something you wish to show me will ease your grief, we do not need to do it."
"I know. But seeing you staring in wonder at the things I take for granted is really awesome. I mean, these cities are just a part of my life. I grew up in one, grew up more in another, and I came here for something different than either one. It makes me happy to see you so happy. I told you when I met you that I wanted to show you this place- to explore with you and to share the things that make me feel like life is awesome and Earth is worth not conquering."
"Still. Be certain that what we do is helpful to you."
"It will, and it'll make me happy and distract me." She winked at him, a glint of mischief in her eye, "And think of it this way- Odin thinks we kind of suck down here. His one kid is in love with one of us and has sworn to protect the realm. What better way to give him the proverbial finger than to befriend one of us and fall in love with my home? You want to irk Odin, be a friend to Earth. You want to best him and Thor? Love this place for all it has to offer. Chicago, Detroit, New York...they'll all be here long after I'm gone. I'm just the cherry on top that makes it a little more sweet to explore here."
Loki smiled, "Ah, you know just how to speak my language and play to my pride."
"I'm just that damn awesome."
Grace pulled into the drive of a small hotel not far from downtown, "Behold, the wonder of the LaSalle Street Howard Johnson's!" She parked the car and went with Loki to check in. The woman behind the desk greeted her warmly and thanked her for choosing their hotel. Grace reminded her that she wanted this to be a private visit- no press, no bragging about who was at the hotel. It was an arrangement she had come to with the management years before when she and Tony had first started escaping to Chicago for weekend visits. The management would keep quiet about their presence and the Starks would tip the well for the courtesy of privacy. They had learned after their third visit that the large tip they left was split between the desk staff, the manager, the owner, and the cleaning staff that took care of the rooms. Anyone who took care of them during their stay was thanked with a part of the tip.
Their rooms were simple and clean, the accomodations far less than they could have had at one of the large downtown tower hotels or their suites complexes, but it was what Grace wanted for these trips- nothing fancy. Her purpose was to enjoy staying in Chicago, to take in the city and to explore all it had to offer, not to spend days in her hotel exploring its amenities. After settling in, they walked to the restaurant at the front of the hotel and had lunch together before setting out to wander the city.
Grace pointed out the sights along the way to the Magnificent Mile, guiding her spellbound friend through the crowds, her arm around him as she gently kept him moving. They went into a few of the large department stores and wandered, but bought nothing until they reached a boutique vintage clothing store. Grace was in heaven and found a few dresses she liked as well as some jewellery. Loki waited patiently as she tried things on, marvelling at the variation in styles, fabrics, and colours. She left with a few long, colourful dresses and one tea-length black dress that rested off her shoulders she intended to wear to the funeral, along with long green teardrop earrings set in elabourate Victorian style aged gold.
After they left, she turned to Loki, "You do know that if you want something, I'll get it for you, right? I mean, within reason- I'm not going to get you a car or buy you the water tower, but if you see something in the shops, I'm more than happy to shower you with gifts."
"Thank you, Miss Grace. I hardly think that is necessary, though."
"Consider it part of the apology for last night, OK?"
"You do not need to do anything more to make up for your mistake- we all make them."
"Yeah, well, I'm pretty embarrassed about it. It's not every day I throw myself at someone like a drunk prostitute."
"You were not that forward. I ought to know, as I have, many years ago, had an encounter with a drunken prostitute and it was quite...well, let us just say that were I to call it memorable, it would not be for positive reasons. It was only thanks to Thor that I escaped with my dignity."
Grace grinned and looped her arm around his, "Oooo, this sounds like a story worth hearing! Let's drop this stuff back at the hotel and catch the L up to the zoo and you can tell me all about it, every juicy detail."
"It really is not as scandalous as you would think."
"You brought it up, you're still telling me."
As they walked back to the hotel, Loki told his story, "I was quite young, by our standards- not even an adult in body, merely an awkward and ungangly youth. I had not yet come of age, nor had I been presented to the realm as Thor had when he had come of marriageable age. We were travelling with Thor's friends. I had rarely been out of the palace and then only on parade or otherwise with my adoptive family. Everything distracted me and I wanted simply to see and know about life in the realm outside our palace doors. I lagged behind the others as we walked through the back passages in the city as we made our way home. The woman stepped out of the shadows. She did not seem to know who I was, but reeked of ale and I sought to speed my pace to catch up with the others and avoid attention. She was quick, however, and caught me by the arm. She propositioned me and I declined. She tugged my arm and while I pulled away from her, she was older and stronger and I was at quite a disadvantage. She persisted, insisting that such a young man ought to have his first experience with one of the best girls in the realm and that was she. Again, I declined, saying that while she most likely was, I was not intersted and my brother was expecting me. I told her I need to leave. At the mention of a brother, she became excited and offered her services to the both of us, either at once or independently. By this point I was both irritated and frightened that Thor would forget I was a part of his party and I would be left to fend for myself on the streets, that I would have to find my way home without the benefit of knowing where I was to begin with. I backed away. She dragged me to the wall and pushed me against it, attempting to seduce me, but only causing panic. I struggled against her as she pressed in for a kiss, turning my cheek and closing my eyes as I tried to shove her away and flee.
"It was at this point, after a few terrifying moments, that Thor appeared. He called to me, well noticing my distress, and she stopped, recognising him and backing away in fear. She curtseyed deeply to him and tried to make up a story about how I had propositioned her and changed my mind. I said nothing, terrified of what could happen if she told anyone her story or if she came to Odin to insist on payment on a promise that never was. Thor simply ignored her and took me under his arm, stating loudly that if I had inclinations to have time with women of a certain calibre, he could arrange for it in a much more intimate setting. In a whisper, he asked if I was alright and told me to stay close. Unfortunately, his friends had heard the louder statement and jibed about it the entire walk home and for weeks after. I closed myself in the library to avoid them for a month after. I was quite humiliated by the entire ordeal and refused to walk Asgard's streets for years without Thor close by my side."
They reached the hotel and Grace deposited her purchases in their room, "Oh, you poor boy! Accosted and incredibly naive to the ways of the world. I bet Thor was really protective of you then, too."
"Very, and it increased after the incident."
"Did your folks ever find out what had happened?"
"Likely, but they said nothing if they did. I begged Thor not to speak of it to them or to others. I begged him to make his friends stop the taunting and to leave me alone. Of course, when they did not, I took out my anger against Thor and we fought bitterly until I decided that not speaking to him was a better course of action. I ignored his existence for a while until I grew bored with quiet and asked if we might take supper together without his friends. Mother never asked, but it is likely she simply assumed that something had happened and let me be. I regularly retreated into my own thoughts and she was, of the family, the person most likely to let me have my quiet time, only reminding me once or twice that she was there to listen when I was ready to talk. She and Odin were so unlike one another."
Grace paused as they once again left the hotel and thought about which L line would take them up to the zoo before leading the way down the street, "She sounds like just the kind of mom you needed to have at that point in your life. Also, this is the first time I think you've brought her up at all."
Loki's voice was soft and distant, "She was very dear to me. Her death broke my heart in a way I did not know it could be broken at a time when I felt I was made of stone."
She put her hand on his back and leaned into him as they walked, "Can I ask how she died?"
"She was run through defending the nine realms- Thor's beloved was carrying a substance that could be used to destroy all nine realms. She stood between the woman and the creatures seeking it. She fought bravely, or at least from what little I was told. Would that I could have fought beside her..."
"No day but today, Loki. You can't hold onto regrets, they'll eat you hollow."
"Of all the things I have done, I do not regret my actions but for that they left me unable to fight beside her. That is the single thing I can point to that truly causes me deep pain."
"So would you undo anything?"
"I cannot say. Perhaps. If I could avoid that loss, likely. What that would be, however, I cannot say."
"I'd undo something. Tony asked me before he joined up with the Avengers on that flying boat of Fury's. He asked me if I could handle it and if I could deal with him getting himself killed if it came to that. I told him I'd be proud of him for defending the world and doing what made him happy. If I could, I'd go back and cry like a goddamned baby to convince him I couldn't handle it and he should just stay home."
"But what of my attack on New York and the use of Stark Tower? He was not there thanks to the Avengers. He knew of the Tesseract and he was able to fight back. He was able to save the world by flying the missile into the Chitauri home world. These things would not have happened were he not with the Avengers."
Grace sighed as they reached the L station and climbed up the stairs, "I guess then we both have to just live with it and accept that we've lost people. Not much else we can do, especially since we can't change time."
"I suppose so, Miss Grace. And we are here, in this fascinating city, brought together by these things."
"Yep. The loss still hurts, though. I mean..." Her voice trailed off as they settled into their seats on the train, "Well, yeah. Anyway, we can talk more about the tough stuff later, when we're not in public and it's less likely anyone's going to watch me break down. Let's just stare out the windows while we ride- this thing is a lot bigger than the People Mover." She took his hand and twisted to see out the window as the train started moving. Loki let their conversation drop, letting go of her hand instead putting his arm around her shoulder and leaning close to her as they stared out the window pointing out the little fascinating details of the city as they passed the by.
When they got off at their stop, they walked quietly up to Linciln Park arm in arm, both of them lost in thought. Loki glanced over at Grace occasionally and she would meet his eyes, give him a small smile, and then point out something they were passing. When they were near the park, he finally darted in and kissed her on the cheek instead of letting her point to yet another architectural detail.
She laughed softly and blushed a little, glad for the distraction, "Flirt."
"Would you want me any other way?"
"Nope. I like you, Loki."
"A fact that still surprises me to this day."
"Yeah, well it surprises me that you can handle me at all. I'm not the easiest person to get along with."
"I do not understand how one can find you difficult- you have been remarkably easy to befriend. A very straight-forward person. Very much like your brother was."
She hesitated before she answered and he wondered if he had been mistaken in bringing up Tony, "He's the reason I have the courage to put myself out there like that. And not many people liked him for it, either. Bluntness isn't really valued these days."
"I have been grateful for it, despite my usual love of elaborate speech. In Asgard, it is though I am always walking on very thin ice, careful not to misspeak, others always hesitant to speak their mind around me. For the few weeks we have had, I have felt far more at ease than I have in Asgard in many years."
"We haven't even spent two months together, you realise that? The sum total of our time together by the end of this visit won't even be a sixth of a year." Loki nearly responded to her comment, asking her just why that would matter when they felt so close, but the park entrance was in view and Grace excitedly tugged him forward, "Ooo, I am so excited to show you the animals! I can't wait to see the penguins- they're my favourite! Maybe we'll even have time to visit the conservatory- it's like a public version of the palace gardens, but for plants from all over the world and indoors. It's pretty amazing. And the beach, too!" She quickened her pace, her childlike glee overshadowing, for the moment, the grief from Tony's death.
They spent the entire afternoon ambling through Lincoln Park, spending hours in the zoo and conservatory. Loki was once again overwhelmed by the variety in Midgardian life, every creature a wonder and every plant fascinating. He peppered Grace with questions about where the creatures lived, what purpose they served in their environment, and what plants he saw in the conservatory shared a habitat with the creatures in the zoo. She did her best to answer his questions, often consulting the internet on her phone when his questions were more technical than her knowledge. He was fascinated by the birds of prey, so like those he had seen in Asgard. He had never seen anything like the penguins, so graceful in the water, their wings useless in the air. They returned to the penguins after touring the rest of the zoo and the conservatory.
"They didn't have the penguins here for something like five years, and then they brought the back in this really awesome exhibit. They've always been my favourite. I missed them for the years they were gone."
Loki was grinning from ear to ear as they watched the birds dive into the water, "They're delightful little creatures- I wish we had them in Asgard."
"I don't know if I could live in a world without penguins, or at least without the chance to visit penguins. I mean, they're just so damn cute! I can't help but smile when I see them...or even a picture of them. Penguins are the best happy drug." Grace checked her phone for the time, "Zoo's closing in a few minutes- we should start heading out. I want to stop in the gift shop, first." Loki followed her, glancing back at the penguins, hoping he could remember the odd little birds well enough to tell Thor about them. He was sure Thor would think he was stretching the truth about their funny way of waddling on the ground and their grace in the water, but he would try to tell the story of their zoo trip as one way to attempt to connect to his brother. The penguins, he knew, would be something Thor would appreciate hearing about.
Grace wandered the gift shop while Loki looked at the postcards, wondering if he should ask for one to take back to Asgard with him. His thoughts were cut short when she tapped him on the shoulder and danced a fluffy plush penguin chick in front of him as he turned around. He laughed and she gestured for him to follow him to the register. She paid for the penguin plush, a photo book, and a penguin pin and then took Loki's hand, leaving the zoo for other destinations. She checked her phone and then chose her route.
"We're going to head over to Wrigley to pick up tickets for tomorrow's afternoon game before we head down to get some dinner and listen to some blues. Are you up for a long walk or should we hail a cab? Or maybe take the L?"
"I would love to ride on the L again, Miss Grace. It was quite a delight the first time."
They walked back to the L station and boarded the next train. Grace began to talk about the area around Wrigley and the things she loved about it when a discarded magazine caught her eye. She picked it up and flipped to the article that had caught her eye.
"Holy shit, one of my favourite shows is in revival at one of my absolute favourite theatres. We can do blues tomorrow night after the game...let's go see a play tonight. Does that change of plans sound OK?"
"Whatever pleases you, Miss Grace. We are here for you, not for me."
She quickly retrieved her phone and navigated to the website in the article, looking for tickets. She shook her head, not willing to settle for the recommended seats, and called the theatre box office instead. She happily secured two very good seats and ended the call.
"Well, it's a small fortune to get the tickets last minute like that, but I guess that's one benefit to having a huge fortune at your disposal- you can do shit like this. This is going to be so awesome...and yeah, it will probably make me cry. It'll be worth it. We'll get some real Chicago pizza for dinner and then head to the show. We can do blues after baseball tomorrow."
"Might I ask what I have just gotten myself into?"
"Broadway, darling. Did you bring your suit?"
"Unfortunately no."
Grace grinned, "Ooo, an excuse to go shopping for Loki fancies! This is going to be fun. The show's in a few hours- I know just the place to get us both outfitted in pretties. We'll go back to the hotel and get fancy after we nab something to eat. Do you folks have theatre?"
"Yes, but given your enthusiasm, I believe this must be one of the things that is different between the realms. Our theatre is mostly used for imparting social truths- great tragedies containing lessons about pride and caring for one another kindly, or comedy based on puns and implications of indecency. It can be quiet fun, yes, but there is also always some sort of message or moral one is supposed to take from it."
"So you don't have musicals? Plays that are partially sung, but not opera?"
"No. We do have some opera, though. Very few are considered worth one's time, though- they are a lower form of performance, as their songs, while beautiful, do not often glorify the legacy of our history that the plays do."
"Is there any art form in Asgard that isn't supposed to just glorify war? Don't you guys do art for art's sake at all?"
"No. Art without a purpose is considered frivilous an a waste of time."
"So no art just to express something in the creator?"
"No."
"Damn. I guess when I visit, I'm the least cultured motherfucker in the realm, then. I mean, one of my favourite songs is about balls. And another ends with the phrase 'and I ain't jacked my lumber baby since my chain saw you'. There is nothing remotely elegant about either."
Loki laughed, "And I find you incredibly refreshing because of all this- you are spontaneous and creative. Now, tell me about this play we are going to see."
"It's about these two witches who find themselves at the same school- one is prissy and little miss perfect promising student who does all the right things to be popular. The other girl is green, supposed to only be there to accompany her sister, and doesn't see the value in doing what everyone else is doing, though she tries to fit in. She starts to see all the things wrong with the world and she has to break ties with the other girl. I'm not telling you anything else about it, though, because it's just an amazing story to experience for the first time on stage."
They got off the train and Grace pointed to the stadium, "We'll be here tomorrow for an afternoon game. I'm guessing Asgard doesn't to baseball, either. It'll be fun." She went to the ticket booth and he followed, watching her as she purchased two tickets. He expected her to return to the L, but instead she led him through the crowded streets until they reached a boutique formal wear shop, "I want you to pick out whatever you like- don't think about what it costs, just be comfortable. There will be people at the theatre who are wearing everything from courduroy pants and neat shirts to those in full suits. I tend to go fancy for theatre for the fun of it."
"Then I shall do the same, Miss Grace."
She kissed his cheek as a woman with a tape measure draped around her neck stepped out from behind the sales counter and asked what she could help them find. Grace went to wander the shop while Loki allowed himself to be measured for his suit size. She eyed a long lavender silk brocade dress edged in silver and another shop attendent appeared to help her try the gown on. Meanwhile, Loki admired a very fine silk suit as his attendent fussed over its fit and the cut of the shirt she had brought for him to try on with it. He made a mention of his affinity for cufflinks and her face lit up as she went to look for a shirt from a rack she rarely was able to make a sale from. As she did, she checked in with her partner and noted the colour of Grace's dress, making a note to recommend something for Loki's outfit that matched it.
They left the shop without entirely knowing what the other would be wearing that night, both excited about their finds. They rode the L back to the hotel, stashed their bags in their room, and took their dinner in the little restaurant there at the inn. They then returned to their rooms to dress for the theatre.
As Grace stepped into her dress she noticed Loki watching her as he tucked in his shirt and straightened his collar. She slipped the thin straps over her shoulders and then turned her back to him.
"Zip me?"
Loki slowly zipped her dress and then returned to his vest, jacket, and cufflinks, in awe of the elegance not only of the gown, but of Grace herself. She rarely presented herself as an elegant person, prefering instead her punk rock edginess. He fastened the cufflinks, the same lavender as her dress, as she slipped on silver shoes and draped a silver shawl over her arms. He noticed that the little silk handkerchief in his breastpocket and his tie even matched the silk of her gown. The attendents had missed no little detail. She pulled on short fingerless white lace gloves and brought him a silver and diamond necklace.
"Care to help a girl get her shine on?"
He took the necklace and she again turned her back to him; he fastened it around her neck and turned her around, "Miss Grace, you are, perhaps, the most lovely woman in all the nine realms."
She blushed, "You're just stunned by the dress- I'm sure there are girls in Asgard decked out in the finery of the court who are tons prettier than I am. I'm just Grace."
"Indeed, you are simply Miss Grace...and Miss Grace is quite lovely, whether she believes it or not."
"Flatterer. Flirt."
"Perhaps, but what I say is no less true."
Grace hugged him, "You're a sweetheart. Thank you."
"Now, my dear, shall we find our way to the theatre?"
"Yeah. But we're totally calling a cab. There's no way I'm trying to find my own parking downtown."
Grace called the cab company she and Tony had always used in years passed and they were met by a slick black car out in front of the Howard Johnson's. As they rode to the theatre, Grace told Loki some of the history of the site.
"Some people say the alley behind the theatre is haunted- it's built on the site of a theatre that burned in 1903. The exits were chained shut and hundreds of people died. The Oriental, though, doesn't have anything original from the Iroqois in it, though people often say it does. The theatre's pretty incredible- one of the first in the country to be designed in this style. You're going to love it. It's spectacular."
They were dropped off in front of the theatre and after paying their fare and tipping the driver generously, Grace took Loki's arm and steered him to the box office where they picked up their tickets. She was right in her prediction- Loki was completely in awe of the elaborate, shining design of the interior of the theatre.
"Let me guess, the theatres back in Asgard don't look a damn thing like this."
"Not in the least- they are built simply for function, not for artistry. This place is palatial..."
"Even your palace doesn't look like this, darling."
"No...it most certainly is not."
"Wait until you see the auditorium."
It was only the start of the orchestra's prelude that tore Loki's eyes from the incredible detailing.
After the show, they rode quietly in the cab on the way home, Loki thinking deeply about what he had seen. They only spoke again once they were both hanging up their formal garments and getting ready for sleep.
"Miss Grace...you believe it, do you not? That everyone deserves a chance to fly?"
"Every damn word of it. Elphie gives the Wizard the finger when she sees that her world just isn't right."
"There are many days I feel as though I have destroyed my only chance to do so."
"Well you haven't here in my world. And it doesn't matter to me what the rest of the people in the universe think- you've got as much of a shot as your brother to make something spectacular out of your life. Just like I do."
"Mr Stark was more of an Elpheba, was he not? Someone who had to stand against everything he had learned was true in order to do the most good in the world?"
"Sometimes- more often than not. Sometimes he was Glinda to my Elphie, too. And I'm going to have to do the same. And so will you, Loki. Thor may fight the system from inside, but that's not the only way to do things. Sometimes you've got to break out of it to really do something amazing. We'll get there, just you wait and see. All the little shits who think we're just the second rate kid siblings are going to see us rising in the West, too." Grace dropped onto her bed and gestured for Loki to sit beside her, "So what did you think of the show?"
"Remarkable. The story was stunningly beautiful. I do not think I have ever heard one like it. Certainly not sung. And never in a hall so grand."
"I'll have to lend you the Oz books- I have a ton of them, as well as the book this musical is based on. I think you'll like them."
"I would greatly appreciate that." He waited a moment before asking, "Miss Grace, how are you coping? You seem to have a moment where you have, quite possibly, forgotten about your grief."
"No, it's still definitely there. And if you didn't notice, I was weepy during 'For Good'- hard not to be when you've just lost somebody."
"The loss does not have to be fresh for it to touch the heartstrings."
"You started thinking about your mom, didn't you?"
"Yes...and the loss of myself."
"Talk."
"I...do not know what words to use. The ever-playful trickster grows up into the devious world-conquering monster who steals the throne and cannot contain his own self for the better of anyone, let alone a realm. And I do so pushing aside all she taught me about love and kindness...forgetting the handprint on my heart she has left."
"Have you found it again, the handprint?"
"More clearly than ever."
"What else did the song bring up?"
"What I have lost with Thor. The Glinda to my Elpheba, the good witch of Asgard to my Jotunr-"
She hugged him, cutting him off before he could tear himself down, "Remember the rest of the song, though? That we all change each other? Are you a better person for knowing him, for knowing your mom? And did they learn something from you? Does Thor still?"
Loki's voice was barely above a whisper, "Yes. Unquestionably yes. And because I have met you."
"Same here, my dear." Grace smiled, "And you give me the ability to see this world as so wonderous. It's how I can handle this despair. Tony wanted me to keep on living. Other people may be shits, but there are also a lot of good things and good people out here. He would want me to remember that and to find awe and love everywhere. It hurts like fucking hell, but I'm going to keep looking for the amazing parts of life. He wanted me to. Would your mom want you to do the same?"
"I think she would firstly want me to turn my life into something worthy of saving. She is the reason I was not executed after my return from the failed Chitauri invasion. I owe her my life and yet could not save hers."
"So what can you do about it?"
He had no reply.
Grace kissed his cheek, "Live and love. And think on it tonight. You've already proven yourself a noble and kind friend to me, so now prove it to yourself."
He rose and slipped into his own bed, "Thank you, Miss Grace. And goodnight- I am tired. Perhaps in dreams I can sort this through."
She nodded and tucked the blankets up to her chin, "Night, Loki. We'll play more in the morning." She fell asleep quickly. Loki, however, was up thinking for a few more hours.