Grace's life on Midgard stayed quiet for the decades that followed. She did manage to find the Sisters and sent them a note with a considerable donation, thanking them for taking care of her "nephew James", hoping they could use the money to continue their good work. She kept mostly to herself, visiting the Tower a few times a year and placing flowers on Tony's grave on the anniversary of his death. Pepper died shortly after Grace's last visit to Asgard and she was lovingly placed beside Tony in the Stark family plot by Grace, Bruce, and Steve. Of the Avengers, Hawkeye died first, his body discovered in an alley in Beijing only a few years after Pepper's death. Natasha had long since disappeared, news of Nick's death following shortly after Hawkeye's. As the years passed, the former Avengers numbered fewer and fewer, many buried near the Starks when their deaths were known. Grace used the family fortune to pay for plots and perpetual maintenance for them. Bruce died shortly after Grace turned 75. She sat beside him with Steve as he faded, smiling, happy to have finally found rest.

Thanks to his super soldier treatment, Steve looked a few decades younger than Grace, his aging slowed. He took over the company when Pepper died and consulted occassionally with Grace to make sure that the direction it was heading was the one she wanted for it. She continually reminded him that if the company fostered peacekeeping, goodwill, and the alleviation of poverty world-wide, he was doing things right.

Shortly after her 85th birthday, Grace looked around her apartment and realised that she was going to no longer need her posessions very soon. She began donating clothes she no longer wore, keeping only those pieces that she really liked or she had made special memories while wearing. She auctioned off jewellery and artwork, donating the profits to researchers she cared about and charities she knew would use the funds wisely. She set her affairs in order, making sure that the Stark family fortune would remain in trust after her death, with Steve in charge of it, and would be used for funding charity works world-wide, only a small amount of it set aside in a private account for personal use. She sold most of her furniture, gave the books she would not want to read again to the public library, and sorted through her movies to make sure those she would watch were the ones she kept. Everything was pared down.

A few days before her 86th birthday, she found she was simply too tired to get out of bed and decided that, given her long life, it was fine if she stayed there all day and frittered the time away in dreams and dozing. A few minutes after noon, she heard a knock on her door and was about to get up when she heard the spare key she had hidden in the hallway turn in the lock.

A thundering voice called out to her, "Grace! I come with good news!" Thor entered her bedroom, beaming, and stepped aside so Loki could follow him in.

Loki went straight to her bedside and sat down beside her, "Miss Grace- please tell me it is not too late and you still remember us."

"Of course I remember you- mind's still sharp even as this body fades out."

"I have permission to bring you to Asgard if you wish it. I know you grow weaker each year, and there is little time left, but please, come stay with me. Whatever you wish to bring, Thor will make sure comes along. We have a small cart here to make the task easier." He was excited by the prospect, his voice encouraging her to come along.

She sighed, "I don't know if I will make it that far, Loki. I am just so tired."

"Then please, I will carry you to Asgard. I just wish to have you with me as long as we can. And I think I may have found a spell..."

"How did you convince Odin this was a good idea?"

"Odin is no longer king. Thor was crowned but three days ago. This is one of his first acts."

"I will come with you. But you have to help me pack first."

Thor returned to the room with the tubs he had found in the now-empty guest room, "You have empty containers. Tell me what to put in them and I will."

Grace directed him to the closet and he began very carefully taking the garments off the hangers and folding them in the bins. Four bins later, the closet was empty, her shoes and hangers taking up one of them. Thor took them to the cart on the roof and retrieved another bin, packing her linens, including the ones on her bed, and tucking the few things from her dresser among the folds- jewellery, a teddy bear that had been Tony's, and a few little knick-knacks. Her pictures, sketches, letters, and books filled another, her movies, music, and the few of Tony's records she had kept over the years filling a sixth. Thor attached her bed, her desk, record player, the leather wingback chair Tony loved dearly, and her antique bedside table to the cart. The apartment was nearly empty as they cleared her cupboards and binned her food and kitchenware. Thor slung her bag and Tony's favourite guitar over his shoulder and they looked around the apartment one last time as she called Steve.

"Hey, Captain. Guess what?"

"What?"

"It happened. They're here."

"So you're visiting Asgard?"

"Not visiting- moving to. I have so little time left and I want to spend as much of it as I can exploring places I've never been. You know what to do, right?"

"Yeah. I do. And I'm going to miss you- you're going to visit, right?"

"As long as I can. I'll be back each year to put flowers on graves and to spend at least a weekend in the tower."

They said their goodbyes and Grace stuffed the phone in the bag on Thor's back, "OK. Let's go."

With the walking staff Odin had given her in hand, she locked the apartment for the last time. In a few days, Steve would come to Detroit to take care of everything, including creating the foundation that would make sure that Detroit artists could live in the apartment for a year just creating without having to worry about rent.

Loki insisted on carrying her as they travelled along the Bifrost and while she wanted to protest more than just a little, she relented, tired, and handed Thor her staff. Just before he called Heimdall, Grace asked for one more walk around the outside of the station. Thor waited by the cart and Loki took her arm, walking slowly around the perimeter of the building with her as she paused to look out over certain places she held dear. She whispered goodbye to the city as they looked toward the old Brewster Douglass site and then told Loki she was ready to go. He gently swept her up and carried her over to Thor. In the flash of a few moments, they were on their way to Asgard, Grace curled against Loki.

When they arrived in Asgard, Grace's eyes were closed and her breathing slow. Loki tried to wake her, but had no success. He began to panic. Thor placed a hand on his shoulder and urged him forward. Thor hitched the cart to a pony and offered to hold her while Loki mounted his horse. He was reluctant to let her go, but did, Thor carefully placing her back in his arms once he was settled. Thor mounted his own horse as Loki took off for the palace, Grace cradled close.

When Thor reached Loki's chambers, he found Loki whispering to Grace, carefully laid out on his bed, stroking her cheek with his fingertips as he did, "Brother, is she still with us?"

"Barely. I do not have much time."

"Do you not have a spell to try?"

"Yes. But in case it goes horribly wrong and it takes me, I want you here to explain to her what happened."

"I will do as you ask."

"Unbind my magic. Remove these manacles." Thor did so and Loki felt the shock of suddenly being in contact with the raw energy that made his sorcery work. It was overwhelming at first and he nearly collapsed onto Grace, saved only by Thor's arm across his chest. Breathing heavily, he grasped Thor's arm. Still not entirely sure he could control the power, he gestured to a chair and told Thor to sit. Then he turned his attention back to Grace. He closed his eyes and began to draw on what he had learned- the story from Jotunheim and the single spell he had found in their lore that he hoped would work to bring her life to the length of his. Of course, he did not know exactly what the spell would do- there were a few different legends surrounding it- but it was the only chance he had. He took Grace's hands in his, concentrated on the story and the spell, and began to recite the words in the language of his birth. He reached for items on his nightstand one by one- sprigs of plants native to Jotunheim, what few would survive the cold, and suspensions of stones, metals, minerals, gems in different oils. With a long silver knife, he added his own blood to the spell, gently touching the droplet to the underside of her chin and to her forehead. At the end, he bent down and kissed her lips, hoping the spell would work as he sealed it. He waited. Nothing happened.

Loki crossed her arms over her stomach and sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, "The story is a lie."

Thor came to stand beside him, his hand on Loki's shoulder, "Perhaps it needs more time. The story may have not told the whole truth. Is it not better when telling a story to say something happened instantly when, in truth, it took a little time?"

"There is one other spell I could try, but I would not live to see the outcome."

"No."

"You do not get to tell me 'no' in this, Thor." He yelled, "Why? Why, after all this time, do I have to lose her? All these years of research, of holding out hope, and it all comes to nothing!" He balled his hands into fists, buried in his hair, the pain he caused himself irrellevant in comparison to his grief. He wanted to throw things, hit things, and he felt the storm in his mind gathering the same way that it had when Frigga had died. Things in the room began to quiver in anticipation of the release of energy that was to come.

Thor dropped to his knees in front of Loki, "Please, Brother, just a few more moments. Give the spell time to work, it is ancient and may act differently than the ones you are accustomed to." He was so focussed on Loki that he did not see movement from the bed.

Grace propped herself up on her elbows, "Loki? What the hell is going on?"

Thor heard her first and broke into a wide grin, laughing, "Brother, look! She speaks to you!"

Loki was still clutching his head, shaking it, unable to hear what Thor was saying; Grace spoke again, "Honey, are you OK?"

Thor grabbed Loki's face and held it still, "Listen! She lives!"

Grace interjected, "I don't want to have to smack you to get your attention, but you know I will if I have to."

Loki finally heard her voice and turned to her, "It worked." He began laughing and crying at the same time as his anger subsided and he noticed Grace sitting up, "Oh thank the heavens, it worked!" He crawled over to her, touching her hands, her arms, her face, "You look like you did when we met..."

"Holy fuck, really?" She looked at her hands, "Damn, somebody get me a mirror!"

Thor retrieved the full body mirror from Loki's dressing room and set it next to the bed, "Behold!"

Grace stared at herself, "Shit, I look good!" She turned back to Loki, who was trembling as he stared at her, relieved and exhausted, "OK, how'd you pull this off?"

"Old magic- far older than even Father, or his father, Bor. Old enough the story was lost in the lore of Jotunheim. They say there was once a Jotun prince who fell in love with a Midgardian giantess long ago- his love for her brought about the years of ice that encrusted your planet for many years. As he watched her age, he created a spell that would bring her life to the length of his. Some versions of the story say that his life was reduced in length and his years given to her. Some versions of the story simply say that she was brought to his age and they both lived long lives after. The spell was difficult to find, hidden in books that had not been seen since the war Father fought in, and they needed to be restored to life by the Cask of Ancient Winters, a relic of those lands. I do not know how long we both have- if it took my years and gave them to you, or if we will live long lives together, but either way, we will have years ahead of us and we will leave this world beside one another." He was so happy that he could not stop himself from touching her skin, amazed that the magic had worked. Thor bowed out of the room silently.

"It's been 20 years. And here we are, picking up like it was yesterday. Tell me, how has Asgard changed?"

"Other than Thor's corronation? Very little, that I know. I was only released from the dungeon a few days ago, a pardon from our new king."

"So how'd that go over with the royal advisors? Like a lead balloon?"

"Let us just say that 'not well' would be an understatement."

"You doing OK with the backlash?"

"It has been difficult, but I have stayed sequestered here and attempted to stay sheltered from their comments. It has helped that Thor promised that we would see you as soon as possible and I have been able to focus on that hope."

"I've missed you." Grace cuddled against him.

"And I you, my dear. 20 years is far too long to be parted."

"I'm tired. Can we just sleep the rest of the day away?"

Loki snuggled down into the pillows, wrapping his arms around her, "Of course." He thought she was asleep when he said, "I love you, Gracie," but had he managed to keep his own eyes open for just a moment longer, he would have seen the tiny smile at the corner of her lips as she nuzzled closer to him. They stayed in bed most of the day, waking only a few times, every time he made sure she was still breathing and kissed her cheek before falling back asleep. He got out of bed when he heard a commotion from the room next door, investigating to find Thor moving Grace's furniture into it, replacing the bed with hers.

"Ah, Brother! You wake! How fares Grace?"

"She sleeps, at the moment. Our rest has been peaceful."

"And you? Are you faring well?"

"Relieved. Oh-so-relieved. It is as though, between the pardon and Miss Grace's return, my life has renewed purpose. I am not entirely sure what that purpose is, but there is hope."

Thor smiled, "Good. When you both wake, please come to dinner in my chambers. We have much to discuss."

Loki then noticed the bed by the door, "You are removing the other bed?"

"I see very little use for a second bed here- we will set up a guest room down the hall. You and Grace, though, are unlikely to sleep in seperate beds when sharing a room. Given what I have seen, it is unlikely you will even be sleeping in seperate rooms most nights."

Loki blushed, "Ah...you are likely right. Though I do not want her to be seen simply as my consort or some such thing. She is my friend, first and foremost."

"Your companion- as Jane would have said, your soul-mate. I intend to honour her as such. But we will talk more on this over dinner. Go, rest with her. I will make sure her belongings are here for when she wishes to go through them." Loki returned to Grace and promptly fell back asleep.

A few hours later, Grace and he went to Thor's chambers and settled in for supper. Thor was happy and conversational, asking if she had rested well, and what she was looking forward to most in her new life in Asgard.

"Well besides getting to explore this place with my best friend, living in a palace and hanging out with the king sounds pretty nifty, too."

"Do you have any questions you would like me to answer up front?"

"Yeah, a few. First, how did you end up king? I mean, did your dad die?"

"No, Father has not passed. He is, in fact, one of my advisors. He does not believe he is strong enough to be a good ruler, though, and so he has retired to his rooms to study the civilisations of the nine realms and beyond."

"And what am I allowed to do? Am I just a guest here, or what? Because I don't know how your citizenship works or anything, but it's not like I've got a birth certificate from around here."

"You are free to do what you wish within the confines of the law of this land. The laws here are not very different than on Midgard, with regard to crime and the rights of others."

"Midgard's got a lot of countries, Thor, and they've got vastly different laws."

"Is it not generally accepted, though, that stealing, murder, rape- these are all terrible crimes?"

"Most places, but not always."

"You will not run afoul of our laws if you try to do right by others. We are not so different in the way we rule our people."

"You still haven't answered my question about citizenship or what I am."

"That is something the council of the court has asked me to discuss with you tonight. There is an oath of fealty they wish you to swear to- allegiance to this realm, forsaking all others. I do not think it right to ask you to abandon your Midgardian heritage, especially as you will be returning there to visit the graves of your loved ones. We have come to a compromise, if you will have it, and rewritten a portion of the oath. In a week's time, you will be brought before the court and asked if you will swear allegiance to Asgard and to keeping the peace here. You will also be appointed an emmisary to Midgard, one who can travel freely to that realm and may be asked to take on ambassador duties to that realm should the need arise."

"Swear an oath? I mean, I'll do it, but I hope this isn't something I have to write."

"No, it is ancient and has only been used on rare occassions, perhaps two or three times in my memory. You will have to recite it before the assembled court in a week's time. They have agreed to give you that long."

"So why do I have to do this again? It's not like I've done anything wrong...or is this one of those anti-Midgard things?"

Loki interjected, "Me. I am the reason you have to swear such a thing. The court thinks you will merely be a pawn of mine, easily manipulated to treason."

"They don't remember that whole 'going into Jotunheim to tell you off' bit, do they?"

"No."

"Or when I bitch-slapped you in the cell."

"No."

"Short memory for long-lived folks."

"That they are. But the council of the court even more so. I do not wish to jeopardise your ability to stay here. I have considered leaving Asgard for a time so they could learn to see you as you are, without me to taint their opinion of you and the offer to do such still stands."

"Brother, as I have said, I will not have you leave. Grace is a friend to both of us, and they will not treat her as though she is anything but herself."

"Thanks guys. We're one weird little family, aren't we?"

Loki smiled, "A delightful one, we are."

"So you're not going to go all batshit again now that I'm here, right? Mischief is going to be kept to the stuff that's not going to hurt anybody?"

"That is my hope. I will strive to do nothing that will sever my ties to you."

"Brother, we will do our best to help you defeat tempation when it rears it's head. I do believe that you and Grace will have many adventures ahead of you. Now, let us sup, for it has been a good day."

After dinner, Grace set up her bed and put a few of her things in the wardrobe, saving the rest of her unpacking for later. She dug through her clothes and found a long nightshirt, dropping to the floor the clothes she was still wearing from her trip to Asgard.

Before she could slip on the nightshirt, Loki stopped her, staring at her back, "Miss Grace, you have a new tattoo...this is beautiful." He gently touched the two tattoos he had known about- Izzy's and Tony's memorials. They were now entwined by the roots of a tree that rose up her back, it's branches and leaves spreading across her shoulders, blooming down and around her sides, brightly coloured flowers on vines draping over her shoulders to her chest. The roots tapered off low on her back, the edges curling around her hips. Loki could not help himself as he carefully ran his fingers along the branches.

"My artist did this as her impression of Yggdrasil. It's probably not at all what the tree looks like, but I liked it, so we went with it."

"I've never seen anything like it. What was the occassion?"

"I got it a few weeks after I learned I'd probably never see you again."

He turned her around and touched her cheek, "You had this done for me?"

"Yes. And for all the things I would miss learning and doing here. But yes, for you."

Loki was absolutely stunned. Grace slipped on her nightshirt and snuggled up under the covers. She gestured for Loki to join her and he removed his clothes. She noticed the dozens of crossed scars on his back as he folded his garments and set them on her chair.

"Do I want to know what happened to your back?"

"Likely not."

"Tell me anyway."

"The dungeons of Asgard are not kind, no matter the station of one imprisoned there. I heal quickly, but wounds carved so regularly do not heal and scar deeply in more ways than one."

"I'm sorry. I thought you said it was infrequent?"

"You remember that from so long ago?"

"Yeah. I do. Did you lie to keep me from worrying?"

"Yes, I did. I did not you to think only of what torments I would face in the years we would be parted. I prefered you think of me only as a lonely man in a cell, not one whipped as a matter of course."

"How often? How often did they whip you?"

Loki sat on the edge of the bed facing her, "Daily. Every single day for twenty years. The day you visited, the dungeon master delayed so you would not see what I went through. Even he sought to protect you."

"I think I should be pissed at you for lying to me, but I'm not. It would have freaked me out to no end to know that you were dealing with that alone. What else did they do to you down there?"

"A few beatings, some mild torture, but nothing too horrible- nothing that overpowered the memories that sustained me."

Grace reached for his hand, "You're safe now, though? Nobody's going to hurt you?"

"Thor's pardon was complete. Unless I transgress so seriously that he seeks to imprison me again, I will be under his protection."

"Good. And if anybody comes after you, tell me- I may not be warrior strong, but I do pack a mean punch and I'm a vindictive little shit. Somebody messes with you, I will find them."

"You are remarkable, Miss Grace. I admire your tenacity and strength."

"You know, Loki, I heard you last night. You can call me Gracie to my face if you want. It's sweet, and nobody's called me that since Tony."

"Are you certain? That was very much his name for you."

"Yeah. I am."

"I am honoured you would grant me this."

"You've more than proven yourself worthy, Loki. Now let's get some sleep. Apparently tomorrow I have an oath to start memorising."

She dozed off and he realised, as he was fallng asleep, that if she heard him call her Gracie, she also heard him say he loved her.