Months later, after Grace had been given some time at home to recover, she finally was able to move more easily around the apartment on her own. She settled into her desk for the first time since she left the hospital, having spent the most of the past few months either in bed or on the couch, visiting nurses and therapists attending to her needs. When she settled in, she found a folded note centred on the desk- she decided that the nurse must have missed it when she first brought her the tablet. She picked up the note and opened it.
"Miss Grace. I came as quickly as I could when I heard of your injury. I hope you are recovering well. As I have been imprisoned for my actions in Jotunheim and have thusly escaped this imprisonment to be beside you, we are highly unlikely to have our yearly visit this upcoming year. I will send word when I can. I am grateful that I did not have to say goodbye as I sat at your bedside. The wallet is in the drawer, my suitcase of Midgardian clothes in your closet. When I can, I will explain everything to you in person. Much love, Loki."
She read the letter again, a weight off her shoulders she had not realised she was carrying- he was alive. And, though no one had told her, he had visited her in the hospital before she had regained conciousness. She had assumed that since she had not heard otherwise, he had been returned to Asgard, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she had also worried deeply that he had died and she was unaware of it. She whispered to Heimdall to make sure he knew she got the note and then tucked it carefully in the drawer with his wallet, wondering when she would see him again.
About a week later, Odin appeared on her doorstep.
"Ah...I'm going to assume this isn't a happy visit." She invited him in.
"Not really. How much do you know of what happened after Loki's war against Jotunheim?"
"Only that he's been in jail since. And that he came to see me in the hospital. He left me a short note, but I'm guessing you're here about whatever's happened since."
"Primarily, yes. The last time you saw him was on the eve of battle. He broke free from his cell and risked a great deal to get to you when your life was uncertain. I have not punished him for this escape as his intentions were noble. We discussed your visits, though, and it seems that since he is no longer thinking clearly and considering the consequences of his actions when you are concerned, you will not be coming to Asgard for some time. I do not know how long he will need to clear his head."
Grace sat down on the couch, her leg sore from standing too long, "I've only got a decade, maybe two, left..."
"And that is why I told him I would discuss with you as to whether you are ready to see him at this time or if you would rather wait. I will bring you to Asgard one last time for a few hours before he loses the privileged to see you."
"Yes. I want to see him. I need to hear his explanations for this mess first-hand."
"Can you be ready to travel in only moments?"
"Let me grab my bag and I'll be ready now. Can't guarantee my leg will hold me up very long once we get there, but yeah." She grabbed the canvas bag beside the couch and slowly stood, making sure she was steady before fishing around in the bag for her keys, turning out the lights, and following Odin out the door.
When they arrived in Asgard, she looked at the distance between where they landed and the palace and winced, knowing it was too long for her to easily walk, "All-Father? Is there any way I can get a little help getting to the palace? I can't walk this, my leg is still pretty fucked up from the accident." Odin nodded as the guards met them, both mounted, Odin's 8 legged horse between them. He ordered one of the guards to allow her on their horse. Neither moved to help her after they dismounted. He noticed this and sighed, disappointed, and instead helped her on his own horse, riding off before they had even returned to their saddles.
At the palace, he gave her a stout walking stick an offered her an arm as they walked down to the dungeons. Grace felt both honoured and out of place on the arm of the All-Father, her pace slowing on the many stairs. She hoped that she was not trying his patience, but he showed no irritation at her struggle.
She appologised for having to take a break on the landing and he shook his head, "Despite what my youngest son has likely told you of me, I am not entirely blind or heartless to the struggles of others. You are in your twilight years, as am I. Do not think I do not understand the need to rest. Aesir and Midgardian may have different lengths of life, but when we reach our evenings, our needs are not so different."
"I'm always afraid of scaring Loki with this whole aging thing. It happens so fast and he still looks like he did the day I met him."
"Perhaps a fear of wasting time is something he ought to learn- time is precious and we so rarely allow reminders of just how short even 5,000 years can be."
They continued down the stairs, each step progressively more difficult, "At this rate, I'm going to get down there and fall over sideways."
"We will make sure you have a place to sit while you speak to Loki."
"Any ideas on how we're going to get me back up the stairs?"
"Thor can always carry you if need be. I am certain he is up to the task."
"Given how much weight I lost in the hospital, he could probably do it with one hand."
"Perhaps you can challenge him to such."
She laughed and they stepped onto level ground- the dungeons. Grace looked around at the rows of cells, the orange flickering barrier in front of those that were occupied. Odin gestured to the side aisle and escorted her to the only cell with guards posted outside of it. They stepped aside when he approached and lowered the barrier.
Loki sat up on his cot as Odin stepped into the cell and watched as his father gently lifted Grace up. Odin left and the barrier returned.
He stood to greet her, "Miss Grace-"
She slapped him and his head snapped to one side as her hand connected with his cheek; he opened his mouth to protest, but she interrupted him, "No. That's deserved. That's for the fact that you decided to put my visits in jeopardy because you had to go all macho on me and invade Jotunheim. I've got maybe 20 years left- 20 years! -and here you go and fuck up our visits." She limped past him, leaning heavily on the stick, and dropped onto his cot, "OK, now that I've got the angry part out, come sit with me and let's talk this shit through."
"You are not going to hit me again, are you?"
"No. Well, I don't plan on it at least."
"I will consider that a good sign."
"Yeah. Thanks for coming to sit with me in the hospital. I didn't know you did until I finally got to my desk by myself a week ago. I've been pretty well bed and couch ridden for the past few months."
"You read the letter?"
"Over and over again. You have a lot of explaining to do. I mean, I overheard Fandral being an asshole after I saw you in Jotunheim (and I broke his face for it), but that doesn't tell me that he was really behind that shit."
Loki sat down next to her on the cot and stared ahead, "He was. And I was insecure enough to act on it."
"You know, most people don't think that genocide is an acceptable solution to someone being an asshole bully."
"I felt I had no other options."
"I take it trying to just beat the shit out of Thor in a staged fight was out of the question?"
"Everyone has seen him pummel me enough that they would hardly believe that I, without my magic, could even possibly be any threat to him."
"Ah."
"Are you healing well?"
"As well as you can get when you've had to pretty much have a leg rebuilt."
"Have you had any other lasting effects from the accident?"
"I've done one hell of a job learning to write with my left hand. It's almost as good as my right. Busted that arm up pretty bad, too. My head hurts at random times, but they said that might never entirely go away."
"I am grateful it was nothing worse. I was terrified I would lose you."
Grace took his hand, "I know. You said you escaped here to come to me?"
"Yes."
"How did you get there without your magic or the Bifrost?"
"There is a passage I found many years ago that leads to an abandoned building outside of London."
"So how did you get from London to Detroit?"
"Two women- nuns, I believe Bruce said they were- found me passage with those attending a peace conference in New York. Steve brought me to Detroit. It was luck that I was able to get where I needed to be."
"Sounds like."
"Will you please find Sister Mary and Sister Alice and thank them?"
"You're not giving me much to work with, honey."
"I understand. I walked 5 hours from the warehouse to London and found myself in a park. All I know is they were not far from it."
"I'll do my best."
"Thank you." There was a lull in their conversation, "Odin has told you that our visits must cease for a time?"
"Yeah."
"I am so sorry."
Grace sighed, "I know. I just hope that they're reinstated before I keel over."
"He has said that he will make certain I am still able to be beside you in your last moments, whether or not I have earned the right to have you visit again."
Somewhere in the dungeon, someone screamed; Grace jumped, "Holy hell, what was that?"
"Listen closely- you can hear the lash before it strikes."
"Jesus fucking hell...please tell me that they don't do that to you."
"Only infrequently."
She slid closer to him, placing an arm on his back; he flinched, but she said nothing about his reaction, "I hope so."
Loki pretended that he had not reacted at all, trying to convince himself that the lie would be easy to maintain, that she would not find out just how badly he was regularly whipped, "Do not worry about me, I will survive this place. For once, Father and I have come to an understanding."
"That's great! Not great that you're still in the dungeon, but great that you two are at least talking. Quite the improvement over what you two were like when I met you." She leaned her head on his shoulder and he rested his cheek against her hair.
"You have changed me, my dear."
"No, you changed yourself. I was just around to see it happen. The hard work's been all yours. Don't short-change yourself."
"I have been reading the old stories and the old spells. I have not yet exhausted my options for bringing you here and Father has been looking in the books he will not yet let me read."
"Why won't he let you read them?"
"Because he fears that I might use the old tales of the other realms against them. I cannot blame him, I have not exactly proven myself worthy of such trust."
Grace kissed his cheek slowly, softly, "Maybe not to him. But to me..." She kept her lips close to his ear as she spoke, "And even though you fucked up with Jotunheim, I still think it's sweet that you would stand up for me and be willing to fight for me like that." She sat back and smiled, "But no more attempted takeovers, OK? You don't have to prove yourself. I think your dad's in your corner in this- talk to him instead."
Loki cuddled against her, "You are too kind to one such as I."
She held him close, glancing outside the cell to see if they were being closely watched; they were, and Odin beckoned for her to leave. She sighed and stroked Loki's hair, not wanting the moment to end.
"Honey, your dad's gesturing for me to wrap up. I don't want to, but I'd rather not push him. We've got precious little time to work with and I want to get back here before I die. So I should probably do what he asks."
He sat up and nodded, crestfallen and clearly showing it, "I understand."
Grace stood, using her staff to push herself up, "Until we meet again..."
He whispered, "Goodbye." As she walked away, she heard him quietly say, "Please forgive me, Miss Grace."
She stopped and returned to where he still sat on the cot; tucking her staff against her shoulder, she reached for both of his hands and gently tugged so he stood up, "I'm still a little pissed that you'd risk our visits, but I'm not going to throw you away because you're a fuck up. I am, too. And it's not every day you have a friend willing to risk death to prove himself capable of taking care of you. Of course I forgive you." She kissed the corner of his lips and he held her tightly, his shoulders shuddering as he tried to contain his emotions. When he had calmed, he let her go and quietly thanked her with a small, tired smile. She squeezed his hand and left the cell.
Odin helped her down and restored the barrier, "We will talk over lunch. Thor will be here shortly to help you up the stairs."
She nodded, "Thank you." Not long after, Thor appeared and scooped her up to carry her up the stairs. She laughed and glanced back at Loki in his cell as they left, glad to see that he was shaking his head in amusement.
Once they were out of sight, the dungeon master entered Loki's cell, "Now that they're gone, you know what it's time for."
"Ah, the daily whipping...how much I missed it in its delay."
"Not like I enjoy it myself, your highness, but it is part of the way we do things and Odin did not change that part of the punishment. We did delay it today for you, though."
"For her, you mean."
"Yes, out of courtesy to your guest."
"And I thank you for that. I am grateful you would do such a thing to spare her."
"You seem to be quite fond of her. And she has done nothing wrong. If you are to be punished, so be it, but we do not need to punish her as well. She is going to have a hard enough time these next few years anyway. No sense in making it worse for her."
"I am grateful."
"Aye, I'm glad to have done it. Now, come along- we have to do what we have to do."
"Of course." He removed his shirt and folded it neatly on the cot, "Lead on."