Having been sent to deal with the visitors, Steve took the elevator up to the roof, per Thor's rapid-fire instructions. As he stepped out of the car, he glanced around, recalling the mayhem Loki had caused the last time he'd had dealings with him; happily, the tower roof looked completely different now. At Bruce's suggestion (and in the spirit of building a monument to peace or some shit,) Tony had had a lush green space created, with a vine-covered pergola at the center. As Steve approached, he saw within it the striking blonde woman Thor had described to him as his mother. She was sitting serenely on a bench beside a wizened blue-skinned old man, chatting amiably.

Steve stood still, trying to acclimate himself to the sight of the strange man—he didn't want to make some stupid blunder upon speaking to him, and sincerely hoped he could manage not to stare. But then his eye was caught by the being Thor had referred to as the Queen of Jotunheim, and he couldn't have stopped himself from staring on a bet.

She was standing at the roof's edge, leaning forward with her palms propped on the encircling wall as she stared out into the city. Her head was thrown back and the wind was blowing her long black hair in swirls around her bare blue shoulders. Steve was mesmerized for a long moment, but then he remembered his purpose in coming up there, and, making use of his military training, he pushed aside a swell of curiosity in order to focus on his task.

"Hello there!" he said over the bluster of the wind. All three guests looked at him and he raised his hand in greeting. "Hi! Uh... I'm Steve. Thor sent me to take you all to a more hospitable place to wait. Could you please come with me?" Steve had not the faintest clue how to address outer space royalty, so he just hoped being polite and respectful would get him by until someone corrected him.

Frigga reached him first and made the formal introductions, referring to Steve as "Thor's friend, and brother in arms."

Farbauti tilted her head and gave him a discerning look. "You are a warrior?" she asked, a bit skeptically, Steve thought.

"Well, we call them soldiers. But, yes, ma'am."

Farbauti smiled. "Interesting. A Jotunn warrior of your age would bear the scars of battle."

"Not all scars are visible, ma'am. And, I'm lucky enough to heal fast, faster than most." Steve didn't feel the need to explain exactly how old he really was, and with a noncommittal, "I see," Farbauti seemed to accept his explanation well enough.

Then, the three visitors followed Steve to the elevator.

Farbauti stopped short when the doors slid open. "This is a waiting chamber?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh, no," Frigga answered. "It's a Midgardian device meant to save trudging up and down numerous staircases. Humans have all sorts of mechanical contraptions which allow them to avoid physical exertion. Don't worry, it's quite safe."

Farbauti reluctantly joined the others in the car and gasped as it began its descent down to the penthouse. When the doors slid open, she marveled, "That was thrilling! Are there other devices such as this? Perhaps which go sideways?"

Steve fought down a chuckle. "No, ma'am, but we do have something called 'roller coasters,' which kind of have the same effect, only a thousand times faster."

"Midgard is fascinating! Hardly the dull, backwards realm of fable."

"Well, things weren't always so fast and easy. There was something called the Industrial Revolution, and ever since then, life has gotten better in a lot of ways. Not so much in others," Steve said wryly, thinking of the advances in technology that had come about since his pre-serum days, many of which only seemed to make it easier to kill a lot of people at once.

They walked down the hall until they reached Tony's office/sitting room, and Steve opened the door and gestured for everyone to go in. "Here we are. Please, make yourselves comfortable. JARVIS, Thor said you'd prepare some refreshments for the guests?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers. They'll arrive shortly."

Farbauti stared up at the ceiling to look for the source of the voice, her mouth open. Frigga smiled. "More Midgardian magic."

A tea cart piloted by a small robot rolled in almost immediately, and Farbauti gave a squeal of delight. "Oh, a little mechanical creature! I've heard about such things, but I scarcely believed it. This is delightful!"

Steve dismissed the robot and looked over the contents of the cart. "Looks like we've got sodas, iced tea, and, uh—Oreos? Seriously, JARVIS? This is what you serve to royalty?" Steve asked, grimacing.

"Tony keeps them in the refrigerator, sir. I thought that since our guests are from a frozen planet, they might prefer a cold snack."

"Oh. Yeah, good thinking, I guess. Can I get anyone anything?" Steve asked, turning back to the visitors.

"No, thank you," Farbauti said as she moved around the room, looking at photos and knick-knacks. "I'm too excited to eat."

"I'll have tea, and one of the odd little pastries," Alfarin said. "But, no trouble, young man, I'll serve myself." He got a plate and a glass and then took his snack to the beat-up couch and got comfortable.

Frigga was standing by the door, a troubled look on her face. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go find Thor and see what is happening with Loki." She leaned in and said softly to Steve, "You'll be all right?"

"Sure. I think we're in good shape here." He smiled reassuringly, and Frigga went off to find her sons. Alfarin discretely leaned over and nabbed another cookie.

In Frigga's absence, Steve gamely continued the conversation. "Uh... Mr. Alfarin? How exactly will you go about helping our friends? I mean, do you need anything, or...?"

"Oh!" Alfarin put down his third Oreo and delicately wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Excellent question. I will require the presence of the two sufferers, as well as Loki himself. I will also need some sort of... receptacle."

"Receptacle?"

"Yes. Into which to deposit the lingering energy."

"I see. Well, what kind of receptacle did you have in mind? Like, a jar or can or something?"

Alfarin waved a hand dismissively. "No, no, it must be something... elemental. A chicken, perhaps."

Steve's eyes widened. "A chicken? You mean, a live chicken? Uh... I'm not sure where to get one of those here in Manhattan."

Alfarin gave a thoughtful, "Hmm," and added, "A goat?"

Steve chuckled. "I think we'd have better luck with the chicken."

"Grandfather, didn't you once use the branch of an alder tree for this purpose?" Farbauti asked.

"Yes," Alfarin mused. "Not the best results, but it was serviceable."

"So, it doesn't have to be a living thing?" Steve asked.

"No, it merely needs to be able to both absorb and emit energy."

Steve's brow wrinkled in thought, and then something came to him. "How about coal? I noticed Tony's got an old coal-fire furnace down in the basement. I bet we could get all the coal we wanted from there."

"What is 'coal?'" Farbauti asked curiously.

"Uh... well, it's this stuff that you burn and it gives off heat."

"Ah! I believe that it is similar to haugmenn—remember, my Queen? The substance we used to mine from the lowlands? The Aesir once prized it for heating their homes. Yes, that would work very well."

Steve nodded. "Great, I'll get on that. Also, I can have Clint Barton here in just a pretty quickly, but I'm not sure about Selvig. Thor knows how to contact him, but I guess he's... busy right now."

Farbauti stopped her exploration and frowned. "Yes, he's supposed to be fetching my s—Loki. This is taking a while, and I have to say, I grow impatient. Do you suppose there's trouble?"

Steve raised his hands in a shrug. "I really don't know, ma'am. I can't say I know Loki very well. But, he does have a way of turning things on their ear. Thor might be having a little trouble convincing him."

"Convincing him—of what?"

Steve stared for a moment, trying to come up with a gentle way to say it. "Well, ma'am—I'm not so sure Loki will, you know—want to see you."

"And, why wouldn't he?" Farbauti asked, disturbed. "Thor promised to tell him I had no hand in his abandonment. Why wouldn't he want to greet his birth-parent?"

"Uh... Well... Honest, Your Highness, I'm just spit-balling here, I could be way off. Maybe they're just talking. Anyway, I didn't mean to upset you."

Farbauti looked pensive as she came to sit beside her grandfather. She shifted uneasily, crossing and uncrossing her extraordinarily long legs, and then seemed to become aware of how fidgety she must appear to the Midgardian. She looked up at Steve and gestured at a chair. "Please sit down, Captain Rogers, there's no reason for you to be uncomfortable on account of my unsettled state. It's just that I hate being idle... I know, we shall pass the time telling tales. What has been your most valiant battle as a warrior?"

Steve sank into the chair and dropped his gaze to the floor. Jeeze, what a question. A flood of memories crowded in together, and he fought them back just as quickly. Finally, he looked up. "Ma'am, I don't mean to be rude. But, that's not something I care to think much about. Can't we talk about something else?"

"Of course," Farbauti said, giving him a quizzical look. "My apologies. It's just that, on Jotunheim, warriors crow about the least little conflict as if they'd fought down a horde of vicious dwarves and dark elves all on their own. I'm hardly accustomed to such reticence! But, very well, tell me more about this 'roller coaster' machine you mentioned. Where does one find such at thing?"

"Usually in amusement parks. Let's see, there's a place called Coney Island not too far from here, and—"

Just then, Thor strode into the room. He had a deep frown on his face, but he managed to transform it into a smile as he looked at Farbauti. "Your Highness, Loki has agreed to see you. He is readying himself, but he asks that you be brought to him, and indeed, the living chamber is far more comfortable—"

Farbauti rose to her feet. "Agreed to see me...? He was reluctant?"

Thor got a bit of a deer in the headlights look about him. "Uh, well, he was... surprised. Surprised and a bit... taken aback, I'm afraid. But, it's fine, I was able to convince him—"

"Convince him." Farbauti looked down at her hands. "I don't understand. I mean him no harm. I certainly don't expect him to feel anything towards me but curiosity. Why is he so obstinate?"

Thor looked at a loss as he cast about for some sort of explanation. "Please do not take offense. It's just that we grew up hearing tales of Frost Gi—the Jotunn people, of how fearsome and brutal they are." Thor licked his lips, reluctant to go on, but Farbauti was listening intently.

"Go on," she urged.

"Monsters, they were called," Thor said softly. "Loki discovered his true heritage in the worst possible way. So much anger came from that, so much... hatred. You know what he did to Laufey. Knowing what you are, what he is—I don't think he's quite ready to face the one who gave him birth. Perhaps he never will be. It is... difficult for him."

Farbauti's face crumpled and she abruptly rose to go stand by a window. The room was hushed, but Steve took Thor aside and explained that he needed him to contact Selvig and get him to the Tower as soon as possible. "I can take Queen Farbauti to Loki," he added.

"That won't be necessary," the queen said in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry?" Steve asked.

Farbauti turned, her face a mask. "Tell Loki not to concern himself. I don't wish to see him after all. Don't worry, our bargain still stands. Go, the two of you should go, and take Alfarin with you to prepare for the healing. I'll stay in this chamber until the ritual is successfully completed, and then we'll return home. Tell Loki... tell him I don't want to cause him any more pain. And, that I'm sorry. I was foolish to make such assumptions." She straightened to her full height and shook back her hair. "And, tell him if he ever changes his mind... Well, I would be eager to meet with him under his own terms."

Steve and Thor glanced at each other, and Thor gave a deferential bow. "I will take your message to Loki, and then I will fetch Selvig. Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness to my brother, and to my friends." Thor turned to Alfarin. "Sir, would you please come with me and tell me where you would like to conduct the healing?"

"Oh, yes, it's best to do it in an open place with plenty of room to spread out. There're sparks sometimes, you know..." The old man beamed cheerfully and slipped the last two Oreos into his pocket.

Farbauti was left alone in Tony's crowded office with the door closed. She went back to gaze out the window, refusing to allow herself to cry. She concentrated on the wondrous city spread out before her, trying to imagine creating such soaring structures out of something other than blocks of ice, the joy of her imagination forcing down the ache in her chest.

She barely heard the doorknob click.

She turned to see a slim young man with long dark hair glide into the room. He stared at her, his eyes locked on hers like lasers. She gave him a smile, which he did not return. She felt sadness tug at the lines of her mouth, but she wouldn't give in to it. She went instead for a neutral look and stared right back. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice strong and clear.

"I am Loki."

Farbauti nodded; of course she'd known that, but hearing the words sent a soft quiver of excitement through her. "I am Farbauti." She knew he knew, as well. It just seemed important to... to say it. She cleared her throat. "They told me you didn't want to see me."

"I didn't."

"And yet you're here."

Loki gave a curt nod. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Banal curiosity. I wanted to see if the creature who spawned me was as ugly as my sire."

A flash of irritation lit Farbauti's eyes, but it passed as quickly as it had come, and now she wore a sly grin. "Oh, I see. You seek to provoke, to expose my true nature. Well, you'll have to do better than that, little boy. You're soft, all those years of pampering in your thin Aesir skin have ill-prepared you for going up against the Queen of Jotunheim." She straightened to her full height and put her hands on her hips, suddenly eager to remind this pale, arrogant pup that she was not one of his foolish mortals, to be brought to tears by an unkind word or two.

Loki returned her grin. He was leaning against the door jamb with his hands behind his back, but now he brought one forward, and Farbauti sighed to see he was gripping a knife. Loki held it out and slowly turned it side to side, noting how the light from the window glinted off the long steel blade. It wasn't elegant, and it certainly wasn't as handy as the one he'd once carried in his belt, but it was serviceable enough.

"Perhaps I came here to give you the gift that I gave Laufey."

Farbauti laughed. "That wouldn't surprise me. You tried to kill me once before." She raised a hand, and a thin sliver of jagged ice appeared in her fist.

A dark eyebrow jutted upward. "Did I?"

"Oh, yes. Your birth—it nearly killed me."

"Perhaps I had good instincts, even as a newborn babe."

"Well, you didn't do a very good job of it. And, there have been plenty of times I would have found it a mercy if you'd succeeded." She looked Loki up and down, curiosity plain on her face.

"Does my appearance displease you?" he asked irritably.

"No. But, it's strange to see your Aesir face; in my mind, I've always seen you as Jotunn. Can you shift on your own, or are you too weak and unschooled to manage it?"

Loki huffed as he let his flesh transform; Farbauti was now standing transfixed before him. A soft smile crossed her lips and she reached out her free hand, but let it fall before touching Loki. "Oh..." she said. "That's better." She leaned in, carefully studying Loki's every feature. "Gods. You look just like a portrait of my grandfather in his youth. Except, you have my mother's nose, I think. Yes, definitely. And, her hair, she wore hers just like that, as do I."

Loki's mouth twisted into a cruel sneer. "Oh, how heartening, to be blessed with such lovely Jotunn genes. But, what of the creature that sired me, hm? What of him do you see in me?"

Farbauti's delighted smile faded, replaced by a rueful look. "Well, you certainly have his charming disposition." She eyed Loki warily, but he just chuckled and took a step toward her, holding the knife before him.

"Enough of this. Tell me why you're here. Revenge?"

"No."

Loki placed his free hand on his belly. "You've come to steal this child, then. A replacement for the one stolen from you."

A spasm of grief crossed Farbauti's face. "No!" she gasped. "Oh, you truly do think me a monster. My son, please—"

"Don't call me that!" Loki snarled.

"You are my son! I know it means nothing to you, but I've lived with your ghost for all these many years, and I only wanted to lay eyes upon your face one time, just one time, to prove you do exist. To prove my dreams were real and not manifestations of the madness Laufey visited upon me." Tears were welling up and she seemed to lose her voice. She dropped the ice-blade and reached out a trembling hand, ignoring Loki's knife, and gently touched her fingertips to his cheek. He jerked away and then swiftly brought the blade up to her throat.

Farbauti dropped her hand, the mask returning to her face. She leaned away from the blade and stepped back, shaking her head tiredly.

"I could have asked for many things, you know," she said with a touch of bitterness. "The Casket, not that there was a chance in Hel of that. But, funds to rebuild my battered realm, help in reopening the mines, a seat at Odin's Council table... Instead, I chose you." She sighed. "'Such a clever queen,' they'll say, don't you think? 'So good at barter.'" A grim chuckle escaped her. "They'll see me for the sentimental fool Laufey always said I was." She drew in a deep breath, suddenly looking older. She paid no attention to Loki's weapon, but only turned and went to slump down into the couch.

Loki stood watching her and after a moment, he slid the knife into his boot. He still wore a suspicious expression, but he sat down next to her. "He hurt you."

Farbauti shrugged. "Spoils of war are the victor's to do with as he pleases. In the end, I was nothing but a piece of property to him. Although... I think I disappointed him."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I think... I think he truly believed I would come to love him. Hah! He was delusional on top of everything else. When it became obvious that my feelings for him would never change, he became more cruel. I had to learn his moods, find ways to make things work, for the sake of my boys."

"Your boys?"

Farbauti smiled faintly. "Yes, Helblindi and Byleistr."

Loki seemed to turn that over in his mind. "So, I have brothers," he said thoughtfully.

"Yes."

"Are they like you, or like him?" he asked.

"They're... like you."

Loki's eyes widened in mock dismay. "Oh, dear. I'm so sorry."

Farbauti laughed out loud. "Silly! They're the loves of my life. I wouldn't change a thing about them."

Loki leaned forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands, and they were both silent for a long while. Then, Loki asked softly, "But, I'm like him, aren't I?"

Farbauti turned with a critical frown, as if evaluating the evidence very seriously. "Well, let's see. You brashly came to face someone you didn't trust, prepared to fight to protect your unborn child, so you're clearly not a coward. You've won the heart of someone who apparently cares for you very deeply, so you must have a loving spirit. You've regained the trust of your brother and kept the love of your mother, in spite of causing her great sorrow." She let that sink in before adding, "No, Loki. You have a heart and a soul. You're nothing like him."

"But, I was. I did... terrible things."

"You had a sickness. Maybe he did, too. But, you work to make things right. He would never have done that."

Farbauti's words zipped through his mind like hornets; he wanted to fight them, some balky part of him not wanting to be soothed by this... this stranger. But, he couldn't. The words had strength and they rang true, and he found himself confessing, "I'm trying to get better. I want to become worthy of the love I've inexplicably been given." He absently ran his free hand over his stomach. "I want to be... different. For the little one. I don't ever want him to hate me the way I—" Loki's voice caught and he looked away.

Farbauti shifted closer to him and gently lay a hand on his shoulder. "Loki... You're doing so well. You mustn't hold that hatred so close. It will rot your soul. I know, believe me. Every day I face the damage and destruction Laufey brought down upon our realm. If I let hate consume me, I could never help anyone, could never find the inspiration to rebuild, or to heal myself. I know you know that—just, please—remember it."

Loki turned and held her gaze for a long time, seeming to want to... to absorb her, to peer into her soul. Farbauti made no effort to shield herself, instead wordlessly offering her son whatever she had that he could use. The energy built between them, until finally a spark of green ice so cold it felt blistering hot shot between them. It lingered in the air for a moment, and then it cracked, sending tiny particles of ice to fall among the cushions and melt.

Loki stared in awe. "Gods. I've never had that happen before." Strangely, a sense of peace was beginning to settle within him. He questioningly raised his eyes to Farbauti.

"It's a Jotunn healing technique. I learnt it when I was small. I'd almost forgotten how to do it. But, when I felt the pain in your heart, it all came back to me—I didn't even have to think about it. It won't last long, unfortunately, but at least it will give you some relief this day."

By now, the tension had drained out of both of them, and they settled back against the couch in an easy silence.

Farbauti was the first to speak. "Well. Shall we go see how Alfarin's preparations are coming along?"

"Of course. I'm very interested to see your mage do this work." Loki got to his feet.

"That mage is your great-grandfather, you know," Farbauti noted as she rose.

A frown crossed Loki's face. "Really? And you say I look like him? That doesn't bode well for my future appearance."

"Nonsense. He was imprisoned in Laufey's dungeons for eons. That'll age you, lad, believe me."

Loki paused as they reached the door. "I'm sorry you—you and your people—suffered so," he said softly.

Farbauti stopped as well and looked into Loki's eyes. "I'm sorry for what you went through."

Loki nodded and changed into his Aesir form. "Come. They're in what is known as the 'living room.'" He led Farbauti there, where by this time everyone was gathered—Steve at the window talking with Alfarin, Tony and Frigga sitting on the couch, chatting. Clint and Natasha were standing by the bar, and Thor was busy introducing Jane and Dr. Selvig around. Just then, Pepper and Bruce stepped out of the elevator and came in through a side door.

Everyone looked up as Loki and Farbauti entered and all conversation abruptly came to a halt.

"Well, all right! Looks like the gang's all here!" Tony suddenly said with all the enthusiasm he could scrape together.

Loki looked first at Clint, and then at Dr. Selvig. He turned to Alfarin and tipped his head respectfully. "Are the preparations complete?" he asked.

"Yes. We're all ready," Alfarin said with relish.

Loki drew himself up into a regal pose. "Very well, then. Let's get started."

There was a brief moment of absolute stillness, and then everyone began moving at once.