As always, I apologize for the delay in updating. Life was not very amiable for a long while. I'm glad to finally get another chapter up for you. I really appreciate any feedback you provide. I will try to get another chapter uploaded in the next couple of days, but I still need motivation from any readers at all. Please enjoy.

As a side note, I realize that the timeline mentioned in the last chapter may not have been terribly clear. During the interrogation, the eleven days James is referring to is the time between Loki's escape to the stone palace with Elizabeth (while still cuffed together ) to the time that Elizabeth returned to earth.

Loki sat with his back to the cold wall, forcing his mind blank. He reached for the wispy edges of his magic. He could feel it there, just beyond his grasp. He pushed harder against Frigga's bonds. He felt her familiar magic but could do nothing with it. It was already formed, hardened into the spell she had cast. Taking a deep breath, he drew back from his own magic and let Frigga's warm his thoughts. Her magic always had a warm, cheerful feeling to it. He recalled when he was young and she would conjure little illusions of prancing animals and flowers to amuse Thor and himself. Thor would quickly lose interest but Loki would watch the glowing figures for hours.

A long ago night sprung into his thoughts. Loki was just beginning to learn to use magic and Frigga was instructing him that evening in the sitting room. A fire crackled gently and Frigga sat near it with her stitching. Loki was busy changing the color of the pillow he was sitting on. "Mother," Loki's soft voice was filled with childish curiosity. "why is my magic different than yours?"

Frigga looked up from her needle, "What do you mean different than mine?" Looking sheepish for asking such an unusual question, Loki shrugged. "I mean, it feels different. Your magic is warmer than mine." He looked up into his mother's eyes and he furrowed his brow. "Am I doing it wrong?"

Frigga set down her needlework and gathered her son in her lap. "No, you are very good at magic. It feels different because it is your own special magic." Loki yawned and rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Thor says that there is nothing special about magic and that I should learn to fight instead." Frigga ran her hand through Loki's dark hair. "My dear heart," she murmured, "magic is special because no two people have the same kind. It is like painting a picture. You and I may both paint a flower but it will not look the same way. You may paint one flower and I may paint another."

Loki sighed. "But painting flowers is not the same as fighting. I want to use magic to help Thor fight but he says that using it in combat is cowardly." Loki tilted his face up to Frigga's. "My darling son," she said, pulling him into a close embrace, "magic can be used for anything and it will not be wrong to do so unless it is being used for evil. Besides," she smiled and kissed his forehead, "what has Thor ever known about magic." Loki grinned and buried himself in Frigga's neck, letting her aura envelope him like a blanket.

/

I leaned back in my chair, mentally exhausted from relating my story. My mind reeled from having to recall all that had happened and knowing how short a time it had all happened within. James finished scribbling something on the paper with a small flourish. "Are you sure that that is all?" he said glancing up at me. I nodded but my stomach made a tiny, guilty backflip. It's not a lie, I told myself.

I had left out the part where Loki had a nightmare and I went to comfort him. I also left out that he had changed into a scary blue guy once. I did not think Loki would want me to tell them those things. I had also deemed it unnecessary to reveal that Frigga had asked me to look after her son. I didn't want any more suspicion directed at me. I had told them everything else. Including that I thought he was not a bad person and that I felt sorry for him.

"So,"Angela grabbed the last cookie from the plate. "Now we need to get you a room and some clothes then we will have the tests back and you can talk to your parents." She smiled at me and, for a moment, I felt like I might have a chance at going back to a normal life.

/

Loki had retreated back to his corner. After being trundled through a painfully hot shower and into a hideously bright orange shirt with standard issue S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform pants. He expected several more hours of solitude but was not very surprised when he was proven wrong.

/

Barton stood outside the cell door for longer than necessary. Fury had ordered him not to go near Loki until Fury had interrogated the monster. Clint had agreed outwardly but knew it would be all too easy to disobey the director. With his current position in both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, the most punishment he would receive would be a slap on the hand.

Now that he stood only a few paces from his revenge, Clint practically vibrated with anticipation. He would enjoy exacting a small part of his vengeance. He would enjoy it very much. Grinning, he punched in the code to the door.

/

Refusing to look at the intruder, Loki tried to look calm and collected behind the muzzle. When Loki finally turned to glare at the man, he felt his heart flutter briefly. Barton stood menacingly over the god, twirling a set of brass knuckles on a finger.

Barton settled the metal over his fingers and wrenched Loki up by his arm. With his wrists cuffed behind his back, Loki knew he was much too vulnerable to this mortal. Despite Loki's considerable stature, Clint forced Loki against the wall and leaned his face inches from Loki's.

Clint kept Loki there for a few moments before stepping back suddenly and aiming his fist at the god's belly. Loki was able to brace himself for the impact but the brass knuckles hit the soft of his gut with a sickening thud. A heartbeat later, Barton's other fist collided with Loki's face. Without his magic to shield him, Loki felt each hit connect painfully. He weathered the barrage of kicks and punches as best he could. Loki knew that if he let Barton wear himself out, Loki would be able to learn Barton's weaknesses and use them against him.

/

I liked the shower. I also liked the feel of being back in a t-shirt and pants. I especially enjoyed having proper undergarments on, but I was not so pleased with my current status with S.H.I.E.L.D. I was being treated as a prisoner. Angela and James were pleasant but they were still guards. According to 'procedure', they took everything that Frigga had given me. Angela told me that there was a chance I could get the outfit back, but the embroidery supplies were not likely to be returned. When I had asked why, James gave me a vague "because it needs to be analyzed".

Soon after that, the two agents and I were back in the medical bay. I was glad that I did not have to wear the handcuffs, but the looks that the doctors gave me indicated they would have preferred otherwise. I was settled down into a chair as one of the doctors ran through a list of results. "Neurological responses seem to be normal, blood pressure is fine, heart rate is fine," he drolled through the list monotonously. Finally he reached the end. "The only unusual thing we could find is a slightly above average radiation in her blood." He shrugged dismissively. "This could be caused by anything from prolonged exposure to radiation, like the kind from 'magic', to eating food grown near a power plant." He put the list on a nearby table and turned his attention to James. "I think she's fine. I have already sent a copy of the results to the director. She can go back to her room to wait for the director's decision." Finally, he turned to me. "I bet it's nice to know that that monster is safely put away." He smiled reassuringly at me. "Soon, this will all be a memory."

I nodded, but his comment struck something within me. That monster. The words echoed in my gut. That monster. Was Loki truly so evil? I knew that I should hate him. I did hate him. But I felt like he wasn't fully deserving of that hate. A part of him was so like a sheltered child. When that child had been shown the bad in life, it frightened him into thinking that the good parts of life were a lie and the bad was the only truth. I had seen this happen on a much smaller scale to others. I didn't know that this broken child could be repaired, but if it could, it would be by proving to them the world isn't all bad.

/

Fury looked from the medical evaluation to the girl. Her soft brown eyes looked up at him hopefully. "So, does this mean I can go home?" Elizabeth's voice echoed briefly around the small room. Fury took a slow, thoughtful breath. "Agent Cranston, will you please make arrangements for a permanent room for our new guest." Angela hesitated for a moment but moved to obey Fury's order anyway. The director turned to James. "Will you please escort her back to her temporary lodging." The younger man gave a curt nod and placed a hand on Elizabeth's arm.

/

My heart felt like a block of ice in my chest. James squeezed my arm gently but I couldn't tear my incredulous stare from the director's concentrated gaze. The ice lumped in my throat. With a furious shake, I loosed my arm from James' grip. Squaring my shoulders, I made the few steps across the room to stand toe to toe with the director. I leaned forward, noting that he was not very much taller than myself and certainly smaller than Loki. My cheeks felt flushed and my tongue was swollen with outrage. "I was right." I spat the words. "Loki is not the monster. You are."