Hey ya'll! I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait. There's no excuse for it other than laziness. I hope you like the new chapter and please tell what you think! There are lots of memories in this chapter though, all from the Thor movie. So bear with that. And as usual, I own nothing except Charlotte.
After another fitful night of sleep, I got up and visited Thor and Jane. I didn't need anyone to spell out to me what they'd been doing all night. Thor insisted on Jane and I just having a few days to tour Asgard, especially after I finally gave him the nod regarding our plan. "I will speak with my father about this and then I will take you both home," said Thor triumphantly.
"You don't need me to say anymore testimony?" I asked. Thor shook his head.
"I have already spoken with my mother about that and she believes that you gave enough information yesterday."
"We were there for practically eight hours," said Jane. I nodded. I was glad to be let off the hook for at least a few days but this trip was beginning to look like a total bust. The Asgardians were obviously scared of me, I was slacking on training, I was having to lie to Director Fury about what was going on, and now they didn't even want my testimony? Why the hell was I even here? I'd spoken with Loki only once and that seemed to be the gem of the trip. It hadn't even been a pleasant conversation.
"Look, I'm all about enjoying what Asgard has to offer," I began, "but I am here to help Loki. Are you absolutely sure that your mother doesn't want anything else from me? Better yet, are you sure Odin got enough out of it? I just said stuff that happened that I assumed everyone already knew."
"You defended him, Charlotte. That is all I or my mother asked," said Thor. "What is greater is that you spoke the truth about what happened. My father recognized that. He and my mother have been speaking with each other constantly about what to do about Loki. I believe she might be convincing him of a lesser sentence."
"So you're taking a page out of Loki's book and waiting for the opportune moment to swoop in and give Odin this 'brilliant' idea about banishing Loki the way he did you?"
"That's the gist of his idea," said Jane. I put my head in my hands and walked around.
"Okay, if that's what you wanna do, do it and do it fast. Now might be the moment he'd be open to some help." Jane nodded. "I've just given my testimony about stuff they didn't know about because Loki hid me from Heimdall originally. They also know he saved my life. Me, a Midgardian. They're gonna be thinking he's redeemable. Whether he is or isn't, now is the prime time to offer up a punishment. If Earth is the way you're leaning, I'll make do. The Avengers will make do."
"Would it be easier on all of them if Earth and Asgard decided to be allies?" asked Jane. Thor and I snapped our heads around to look at her. She just might have a point. "I mean, both places would feel more secure in this decision if there was a reward. Being allies would help everyone involved." I nodded and looked over at Thor.
"I think that's a really good idea actually."
"Charlotte and I will play the vessels for the alliance in both realms," said Thor. "I will tell my father of those benefits and he will be even more inclined to allow banishment for Loki."
"Wait, why me?" I asked.
"Logically, you're here right now and you're a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.," said Jane. "I don't think Earth in general is ready for full knowledge of Asgard."
"They know about aliens now, Jane."
"Still, being private about this agreement would have it's advantages." I nodded. Thor nodded and extended his hand. I reached and took it in mine. We were simulating the agreement but I was eager for the physical contact. Thor had a bastion of memories to sort through but whenever I touched him, there was no rhyme or reason to what I saw. More than anything, I saw him as a child. This time I got exactly what I wanted.
"Why have you done this?" I demanded but of course, it was Thor's memory. I was in what I assumed was the Bifrost and Loki was across the way from me, holding the kingly scepter I'd seen Odin handle.
"To prove to father that I am a worthy son!" Loki responded, his voice full of vitriol. Thor felt a pang at the mention of that. Where had Loki gotten that idea from? They were brothers. "When he wakes, I will have saved his life. I will have destroyed that race of monsters! And I will be the true heir to the throne!" I solemnly took a step back and received that idea in good form before responding.
"You cannot kill an entire race!" As Thor, I felt immense sympathy for lesser beings now. Jane had proven that discrimination would not make Asgard go farther.
"Why not?" asked Loki sassily, moving his hand to his chest and gesturing with that scepter. "And what is this newfound love for the Frost Giants?" He was walking forward now and I noticed how much younger he looked here. It was like he'd aged years during the fall to Earth when I found him. This had been maybe a day before I'd met him. But Thor's memory took grand hold of me again and I felt Thor solemnly look at Loki. "You, who would have killed them all with your bare hands."
"I have changed," Thor responded and again, the thought of Jane overpowered anything else.
"So have I." I felt a sharp blow to the side of my face and I turned immediately. When I looked defiantly back at Loki, his grip on that scepter tightened. "Now fight me." He hit me harder, causing me to fall and it was then I realized I had Mjolnir. But I refused to hit him back. Thor was a far better person than I was. "I never wanted the throne!" Loki snarled, coming towards me again as I stood. "I only ever wanted to be your equal." I saw the tears in his eyes and I knew Thor had too.
"I will not fight you, brother!" Thor answered, although Loki's words had hurt him indefinitely.
"I am not your brother," he spat. "I never was." He sounded cold and Thor only responded with a brokenhearted look.
"Loki, this is madness!"
"Is it madness? Is it? Is it?" he cursed out, his voice changing from smooth to rough effortlessly. "What happened to you on Earth that turned you so soft? Do not tell me it was that woman!" A single tear slipped down Loki's face but Thor returned a look of anger. He wouldn't stand for anything said against Jane. "Oh, it was. Well, maybe when we are finished here, I will pay her a visit myself!" Thor snapped and charged, grasping Mjolnir and I jerked away from Thor's grasp before I saw anything else.
"Charlotte, are you okay?" Jane asked. I rubbed my face with my hands and slowly, I nodded. "You look like you're going to be sick."
"What did you see?" asked Thor gravely. I could tell by the look on his face that he'd vaguely already figured it out. He had a group of memories that he didn't want me to see, that Loki didn't want me to see. It all made sense now why Loki had seemed incensed at the idea of my seeing any one of Thor's memories.
"A fight, that's all I saw," I responded. "A fight with a Frost Giant. It wasn't anything like what I expected when I touched you. It just took me by surprise." I wasn't even lying but Thor seemed to believe me.
"I should be more cautious in touching you. I keep forgetting that you have this gift now."
"It's not so much a gift," I responded.
"Thor, maybe you should get your father to agree to the banishment today and talk about the alliance. Then tonight or tomorrow, formally you and Charlotte could shake on it in front of a crowd," said Jane. What? An agreement? When I finally remembered, Thor had gone on responding.
"I will do that right now. As for now, you and Charlotte can dine together then Sif and the Warriors Three will show you around the grounds," he said. I solemnly nodded. Sure, why not? I liked Sif and the Warriors Three and I would enjoy spending time with Jane since she was the only other human around and we were experiencing Asgard together. But there was something missing. "If I get the Allfather to agree to this, he will allow Loki to come out of his cell and spend time with us." Thor looked at me now and I nodded. This was something I could be happy about. "The rest of your time here shall be splendid and not marked with duty."
"Speaking of that, when are we leaving?" asked Jane. "Erik said something about humans only being able to spend a few weeks here-"
"It was two," I said.
"With the exception of getting married." Jane had clearly ignored my comment and so had Thor. "I don't know how Erik knew all that but I seemed to believe him."
"The two of you may stay as long as you like. The loophole of marriage should not be hard to bypass," said Thor. But the way he was looking at Jane indicated that marriage was exactly what he'd had in mind by bringing her here.
"Look, I can't stay longer than two weeks," I said. Thor looked confused and maybe a little saddened. "First of all, the marriage loophole thing is not something I'm gonna go for. Secondly, if your father agrees to Loki's banishment to Earth, I need to be able to explain to the Avengers what will be happening. And thirdly, I have to pick up Steve at the airport next Friday because it's the first time he's officially come home from a mission in months and he doesn't exactly know I'm here."
"You didn't tell him you were coming?" asked Jane.
"I didn't really have the time, did I?"
"But you told Tony and Bruce not to tell him? I mean, I understand not telling Agent Coulson and Director Fury because they wouldn't go for the idea but… you didn't want to tell Steve?" Thor was looking slyly in my direction and I felt color rise to my cheeks.
"I don't wanna spell out why I didn't want him to know, okay? Besides, if he knew something like this was going on, he might lapse during a mission and it could get him killed. I'm doing him a favor."
"Were you planning on lying about this when you got back?" I nodded with my fingers tracing my chin and my arms crossed.
"Can't exactly do that now that Loki and Thor may be coming back but that was the plan." Jane made a face. "Why would I tell anyone where I'd been? Or what I was doing? The agency is just coming around to trusting me again and them knowing what I came here for would destroy every bit of my credibility."
"You do not have to make excuses," said Thor, grinning.
"Stop it," I moaned. "It's not a joke."
"But of course, I will have you back in time to fetch Rogers from a mission." Thor was laughing now and Jane began to smile. I thought my blood might start boiling.
"Don't make fun of me! I'm really excited." Thor patted me on the arm, still laughing, and made to leave.
"Speaking of Steve," began Jane as she sat down to eat, "what was Tony saying before we left? That you have a new partner?" I slunk down in the chair beside her and I just felt like falling back out of it.
"Yeah, apparently I do," I responded. I reached for the wine on the table, no longer caring what time it was or how alcoholic it truly was.
"Why do I get the feeling you aren't excited about it?" I shrugged.
"I had to recruit the guy a couple of days ago and he's a nasty piece of work. He was brainwashed by the Soviets and it's clearly taken it's toll on him. Let's just say he didn't like me much."
"The Soviets?" Jane didn't correct me like she usually would have. She knew that I truly meant what I was talking about.
"His name's Bucky. He was Steve's best friend during the war… and he knew who I was long before I met him. I mean, he really knows everything." Jane looked up from a piece of fruit in disbelief.
"How is that possible?" Again, I shrugged.
"Some sort of chemical they used keeps him young. He's aged maybe five years in all this time. His attitude's as sharp as ever though." I drank some of the wine and tried to keep my expression plain.
"And he doesn't like you because of…" I nodded.
"I don't actually blame him for that. It's kind of understandable. I'd feel the same if some girl did to Steve the sort of stuff I've done." I ate a bit of cheese and kept from looking straight at Jane.
"But you haven't done anything wrong. You weren't dating him. In fact, you've never dated him. How can somebody be angry at you for getting into something when you didn't even realize Steve had feelings for you?"
"Yeah but I should've. And it doesn't change what happened when I did know." I paused before saying anything else. "I could've gotten them both killed."
"That sort of rivalry doesn't land on your shoulders, Charlotte. You didn't pit them against each other so you shouldn't feel guilty. Besides, the two of them barely interacted."
"Well, what am I gonna do if Loki has to come to Earth? Have a tea party? Take the two of them to my next therapy session? Write out a pros and cons list on Tony's wall-wide whiteboard?" Jane looked at me then and I thought she might actually feel for me.
"I don't know what to tell you. Steve is clearly the better guy but I date an Asgardian too so I can't exactly tell you it's a bad idea." I breathed out harshly.
"It's just one step at a time. I resigned myself to thinking I'd never see Loki again but he was still pretty prominent in my thoughts. Now with this potentially on the horizon, I'm not sure where I'm gonna land… or where any of the Avengers will land, for that matter."
At that moment, Sif and the Warriors Three bounded into the room. Luckily Jane and I were already dressed and ready to go. I was clad in the armor Thor had made sure was waiting on me. It wasn't more comfortable than the dresses they normally made us wear but it had been much easier to get into.
The entire day was filled with sight-seeing. I feigned interest in everything they showed us but I was already feeling homesick after being in Asgard only a few days. The trip had been exhausting thus far and I'd only spoken to Loki once, despite him being within walking distance. It wasn't to say that Asgard wasn't brilliant because it was and I admired everything they had built but the tour itself (if you could call it one) was designed basically for Jane. They took us places so that she could analyze the star patterns and find books that described some of the magic that occurred in Asgard. I don't know what I expected to see but I certainly didn't expect it to be a scientific tour exclusively.
But what would they have shown me? How would they know of anything here that would interest me? I was an alien to them. In fact, maybe I was worse off than Loki had been when I found him on Earth. Loki had always had the ability to travel between realms at will. He'd seen something of Earth before he fully integrated into it. I had nothing to go on with Asgard. The people were wary of me, the layout of the place was beyond confusing, and I missed being at home.
Thor and Odin didn't join us at dinner that night but I noticed they'd let Loki sit closer than usual. In fact, he was only two full seats away from me. Frigga and Jane carried on a conversation with me for a while and Sif and the Warriors Three were talking amongst themselves for the entire meal. Loki, even though the muzzle wasn't on, was silent and barely even looked my way.
The next few days passed uneventfully. Sif and I sparred a little while the Warriors Three continued training and Jane was reading one of the books she'd found on our first tour. None of us had heard anything from Thor other than that discussions were still ongoing. I was beginning to think it was looking bad, considering I hadn't even seen Loki at the past few meals all of us shared.
It was a week and a couple of days after Jane and I had arrived in Asgard before we heard the final decision. Odin had called for another feast and I gladly attended this one. A feast could only mean one thing; that they'd agreed on a course of action and it was one that was pleasing. I sat beside Thor and Jane again at the table at the head of the room and Thor grinned at me. We'd gotten what we wanted. I smoothed the ruffles in my forest green dress and waited for Odin to make the announcement.
As the Allfather stood beside Frigga, the doors at the back of the room opened and Loki was led in, wearing only the handcuffs this time. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile when he saw me and I felt myself smile back.
"My fellow Asgardians, a decision has been made regarding my son's punishment," said Odin. I saw Loki hide a grimace. "He is to go to Midgard, the realm he nearly destroyed, in the near future to atone for his actions against an innocent race. The young prince Thor will accompany him and once Loki has proven himself worthy, he may return here."
"I can't believe this really worked," I whispered to Thor.
"Midgard and Asgard have agreed to an alliance during times of war to help one another. The team of Avengers will respond to our call of help and we will respond to theirs." I zoned out when Thor grabbed my hand to pull me up. We had to agree to the alliance formally before the feast began.
A memory sliced through me and the feeling I got was familiar; it was falling. But this time, I didn't even regard my own life; I only cared about securing Loki. My eyes flashed open and there he was, clutching the end of kingly scepter he'd been holding minutes earlier. My ankle was caught in the Allfather's hand and I barely heard Loki speak. "I could have done it, Father! For you! For all of us!" His voice was breaking and seconds later, Loki's expression turned to one of heartbreak.
"No, Loki." The Allfather had spoken all he was apparently going to and Loki realized that as surely as Thor did. My body felt the free-fall again when Loki let go and I screamed his name.
Thor let go of my hand and I realized I must've gasped or done something he'd have noticed. He gave me a look and I nodded. Moving to the front of the long dining table and the edge of the stairs, Thor and I stood facing each other. "At the agreement of this alliance, Loki will be set free until such time on the morrow when Thor and our honored guests are to return to Midgard," said Odin. Tomorrow? They seriously wanted us to leave together tomorrow? Hell no. This was not happening.
I side-glanced out at the tables and the Asgardians were clearly still regarding me warily and I had to admit, I didn't exactly blame them. This decision had ultimately been hasty and it had all been down to me and Thor and like they understood Thor's involvement. As if he or Odin or even Frigga would feel the need to inform everybody in this realm that Thor loved Loki and wished for him to be set free. They'd think him insane. This was all pinned on my arrival.
"Asgard will come to Midgard's and the Avengers' aid, if they should call on us," said Thor, extending his broad hand toward me.
"As the Avengers will come to Asgard's," I responded. I reached forward and clasped his hand and tried to shake off any memory his skin thought I should see. It was what we'd rehearsed and it went through. I heard the clanking of Loki's chains being taken off and I tried not to smile. When Thor let go of my hand, I almost hugged him.
At the very least, Thor had gotten what he'd wanted from me being here. I'd done my part in trying to save Loki's life but I certainly didn't think it evened the playing field between the two of us. He wasn't exactly falling off the side of Stark Tower.
Odin proclaimed that the feast could begin and Thor made his way back behind the table to his seat beside Jane. I leaned across and asked him, Frigga, and to a certain extent, Odin a question. "Now that Loki is technically not a prisoner anymore, I wondered if I could eat my dinner with him?" I asked lowly.
"I dare say he would quite enjoy your company, Lady Charlotte," said Odin. He wasn't the one I'd expected to respond, given the way he'd reacted to me days ago at that trial. Since then, I'd tried my best to avoid the Allfather. I'd made a fool of myself in front of him way too much. "Join him and perhaps Thor will a bit later. There is something the two of us need to discuss." I nodded and backed off. They probably needed to talk about what to do regarding the throne that Thor was set on having and would now be put off by him returning to Earth.
People stared at me again but I didn't care anymore. I'd come here for Loki and it was high time that we'd gotten to interact. The one evening I'd talked to him and he'd been bitter about my being there had only made me feel worse. Now that something had actually come of me travelling to Asgard, he might be a bit more pleasant.
Loki shook his head at me slightly before I sat down across from him. His hair was longer than mine and I found it hard to believe that he could find that much hair gel. Actually, how in the hell did he manage to slick his hair back all the time? "What was that for?" I asked as I grabbed some bread and cheese. Loki was, again, alone at the end of one of the tables but that didn't mean we couldn't see that we were clearly the source of entertainment for the night. Sif and the Warriors Three were barely looking at their food for staring at us, even Volstagg.
"You are already an outcast in your own realm, why should you be one here?" he responded before looking at me under his hooded lids. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile and I returned it.
"If I didn't care at home, why would I care here?" I pushed a bit of bread in my mouth and that seemed to make him relax further. He ate too for a while.
"Do you quite like it in Asgard?"
"Is it rude for me to say no?" I practically whispered. He smirked.
"I do not like it much either."
"Come on. Don't lie for my sake. I know this is your home. I just don't fit in." Loki's dark eyebrows had furrowed when I'd said Asgard was his home but he'd quickly gone back to normal.
"But the clothing does fit you." I looked down at my dress and snorted.
"We both know that that's a lie." Wait a minute, did Loki just chuckle? I mean, he actually laughed at a comment I made. I laughed a bit too and when someone further down the long table glared down toward us, I turned and made a face. She quickly went back to staring at her goblet and I laughed again. Loki was biting his lower lip to keep from cracking up. "She's so scared of us."
"We make quite the terrible two." I smiled and went back to eating my dinner. Asgardian food was actually rather addictive, even if I'd only stuck to the bread and a few of the fruits. Minutes later, Loki broke the silence again. "Do I have you to thank for this?" I looked up at him finally and shrugged.
"You don't need to thank me but I'm not really sure what you mean." I raised my goblet to my mouth and drank some of the strong wine. I winced and put it back down when he responded.
"Did you bargain for Midgard or did he?" For once, Loki actually looked hopeful but I couldn't lie to him about it. Banishment to Earth had not been my idea and in fact, I hadn't even wanted it when it was suggested to me.
"I came here to bargain for a lesser sentence and that's what you got," I said. His eyes darkened slightly and I wanted to roll mine. We'd actually had a lighthearted moment for once in this long and tenuous relationship we had and he had already moved on from it.
"Then why was Midgard chosen? Surely, it had something to do with the two of us." He wanted me to come out and say that I'd wanted him close when I hadn't.
"No, it didn't. Thor chose it because you did, after all, almost destroy it and if you owe any realm anything, you owe quite a bit to Earth." His face contorted into some kind of disappointment and I hadn't expected it, for once. "But we will be close this way. I just can't guarantee you that things between us can be the same once you return."
"And why is that?" His eyes met mine and I caught the underlying accusation.
"No, he's got nothing to do with this." Loki arched one of his eyebrows before pushing his plate away from him. "Okay, maybe a little bit, but only because he is the leader of the Avengers and I'm not exactly sure that they'll take you being back as a good thing."
"I would not have expected them to. After all, I will have my magic when I go to your realm." I had forgotten that. I actually wanted to smile when I thought of all the stuff Loki would do to them and be able to get away with.
"Well, it'd be in your best interest to keep that to a minimum for at least a few days." He smirked over at me and I understood that he wouldn't be taking my advice.
I felt someone clap me on the back seconds later and I knew it was Thor. When I turned to smile up at him, the look on his face was grave. I felt him grip my arm and practically pull me out of my seat and I looked across at Loki, who was sensing something was wrong too. "Loki, you and Charlotte must accompany me to my quarters right away," said Thor. I looked between the two of them again, looking practically horrified. Loki had wanted to be impudent, as I could tell from the look on his face, but Thor's grip tightened on my arm and Loki gave in, standing to follow us.
"What's going on?" I asked as Thor dropped his iron-tight grip on my arm. I turned to look at the table at the head of the room and Frigga, Jane, and Odin were all gone. So were Sif and the Warriors Three when I looked to where they'd been sitting.
"Charlotte, I will have to take you and Jane back to Midgard immediately," said Thor. "An attempt has been made on Jane's life."
"What?!" Thor was leading the two of us now and I practically ran to keep up. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"It is not safe for us to speak of this now." Thor gave me another grave look and I nodded, falling back to a normal pace. I exchanged a look with Loki to verify that he'd heard what was going on and he looked rather crestfallen. Oh God, did they think he'd done it? Had he done it?
"I did not-" Loki whispered down at me.
"I know," I responded. He looked genuine and what reason would he have to go after Jane? He'd just been given his freedom and he hadn't exactly had the time to do something in the middle of the feast.
Loki grasped my hand as we kept walking toward Thor's quarters and I almost jerked away when I felt something but then I realized, it was a memory and one he probably didn't want me to see.
I had no idea where I was. Wait, yes, I did, the weapons vault. They were keeping the cosmic cube here now but this was before it had been moved. I was clutching something that I thought looked quite a bit like the cube but the memory filled in that blank for me. It was the casket of power for the Jotunns that Odin had taken the day he defeated them.
"Stop!" That was Odin's voice. I'd barely picked the thing up and there he was. I let the power of the casket travel up my arms and it was freezing. Ice ran through my veins and when I looked at my hands again, they were that eerie blue of the Frost Giants.
"Am I cursed?" I heard Loki's voice choke out.
"No." But I felt that I was. I knew that I was.
"What am I?" I feared the outcome of the question when I already knew the answer.
"You are my son." I placed the casket down and turned, letting Odin see the full extent of the change.
"What more than that?" I felt the cold running out of me as the blue faded and as myself, I was grateful but as Loki, I only felt pain. "The casket was not the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?" I was walking toward him now and I was only getting angrier.
"No. During the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple and I found a baby. Small, for a giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son." I felt something in me break.
"Laufey's son?"
"Yes." I turned my head away for a second before snapping back. I didn't understand it.
"Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?"
"You were an innocent child." Oh please.
"No. You took me for a purpose. What was it? Tell me!" I practically yelled.
"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about permanent peace through you." I still didn't quite get it and Loki's pain overwhelmed me. I could feel tears springing to my eyes and I felt pathetic. He'd known it for a while that he couldn't have been related but he'd still hoped. Maybe when he had this conversation, the outcome would be different than what he thought it would be. "But those plans no longer matter."
"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?" My voice was breaking and I could hardly keep my tears back. I was so angry, so hurt.
"Why do you twist my words?"
"You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn't you?" I demanded.
"You are my son. I wanted only to protect you from the truth."
"What? Because I am the monster who parents tell their children about at night?" I couldn't bare it much longer. I'd snap. "You know, it all makes sense now why you favored Thor all these years because no matter how much you claimed to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!" I'd barely noticed how I'd gotten into Odin's face with all this but instead of responding, he only shut up and seemed to fall on the stairs. Oh God, the Odinsleep. Had I done this? The anger left me and was quickly replaced with only fear.
Loki pulled his hand away from me quickly and gave me a strange look. Thor was still walking ahead of us and we'd made good time. How I had managed to continue walking was seriously a miracle. "Are you alright?" I heard Loki's melodic voice ask. "I forgot that if I touched you, you saw something." He actually looked worried about my wellbeing. I bet the color had drained from my face. "What was it that you saw?" Maybe he was worried that I'd seen something I shouldn't have. But I didn't care. I pulled Loki to me and hugged him.
I'd really had tears in my eyes when I was pulled back from that memory. Loki held me solidly and I knew he knew what I'd seen, at least in some capacity. I shook a little and slowly let him go. "Come on, we have to catch up," I said. I walked forward and tried to forget what I'd seen for the time being.
So far, the couple of memories I'd gotten from Loki had been the most potent. I'd found it was far easier to slip into his skin in the memories than it was for me with other people. The two times I'd touched Loki, I'd half-forgotten it was a memory I was in and not something that was happening to me in real time. "What did you see?" Loki muttered when he was walking beside me again. Hmm, maybe he didn't really know.
"You were talking to Odin and-"
"Oh," he said, successfully cutting me off before we entered Thor's room.
"Don't let me stand near him. I might punch him in the face," I whispered to Loki when I saw the Allfather on the other side of the room with Jane and Frigga. Loki only smiled down at me. Sif and the Warriors Three bounded in behind us and I grabbed Loki's hand to move us away from the door. This time, nothing happened when I touched him. There weren't even sparks of anything from what I could tell and normally, that wasn't what happened. I had to fight the memories off. Was I losing the power? Or was Loki doing something?
"What happened?" asked Sif. Jane looked fine, as far as I could tell. Thor was by her side and Odin and Frigga were clearly worried.
"The Dark Elves tried to poison Jane with one of their dark spirits," said Thor. Sif and the Warriors Three gasped and Loki tightened his grip on my hand. I, as usual, had no idea what the hell was going on.
"I'm sorry but what in the hell are the Dark Elves?" I asked.
"The Dark Elves are a race from Svartalheim and they have never been particularly fond of Thor," said Fandral.
"Thanks for filling in the blank. But why exactly go for Jane?" I didn't ignore it when I saw most everyone in the room stare Loki and I's hands together. Whatever. It was keeping me steady and it might've been doing the same thing for him.
"I think it is obvious why they went for Jane," said Thor. "They wish to hurt me."
"Because they know you will ascend the throne soon?" asked Sif.
"They know it is set," he responded. Thor glanced over at me and I nodded. We knew he had to become king at some point. None of us could hold him to Earth, even if we wanted to. "But they did not try to harm Charlotte and that does give me pause." I raised my eyebrows. Why would they have tried anything with me to begin with? "If they wished to harm me, they could have killed them both." Thor looked at me and I felt Loki's fingers fold over mine again. Thor and I were close friends and he'd made that plain.
"They would not touch Lady Charlotte," said Hogun, "if Loki is still in contact with them."
"I have been to their realm but I am certainly not their ally," said Loki.
"Brother, you must help me go to their realm and settle this," said Thor, fast approaching us. Loki tensed beside me. He hadn't expected to be asked for help but this would only make him feel better, I thought.
"Why?" asked Loki.
"Because you know the way and because you can help me more than anyone else with them."
"Could either of you be killed?" I asked.
"I should think not but Jane would have been subjected to a fate worse than death had the spirit taken hold of her. They must pay for trying to hurt her."
"I agree but don't you think you're being a little rash?" I saw Jane nod from across the room. She didn't want Thor to go on this wild goose chase any more than I did.
"They wished to have my attention and now they do, Charlotte." He turned back to Loki then. "Brother, I cannot do this without you by my side."
"Allow me a moment to think," Loki responded. Thor nodded and walked off. Odin and Jane went about discussing things with Thor and I saw that Sif was eager to join him when he went to confront the Dark Elves or whatever they were. "Should I offer him my help?" Loki's voice shook me from my thoughts as he turned to face me.
"Are you really asking my opinion on what you should do?" I asked. "That doesn't exactly fit the bill of things you would typically want."
"You think it is folly for Thor to pursue it." I shrugged.
"I think it's dangerous and yeah, it is a bit of a 'folly.'"
"I would have thought that you would have supported it." I pursed my lips.
"And why is that?"
"If the same thing had happened to one of your friends, say the one you are so fond of, would you not be willing to strike out for revenge?" I openly rolled my eyes.
"He's got a name and you know what it is. It's not like he's Voldemort or something and you're not gonna be killed for saying it. Steve. Steve is his name and yes, I probably would but it doesn't mean it's the smart decision. Besides, I thought you were still on your I-hate-Thor kick. Why are you behind anything he wants to do?" This time Loki shrugged but I could tell he actually did want to help him. Maybe he thought it would make up for what he'd done or maybe he just thought it would bring Thor and him closer again. Either way, that was something I could support. "Well, I'm pretty sure Thor's gonna do it no matter what anyone else says and I think we'd all rather that he be travelling with you instead of with the tesseract. God knows, if anyone needs a guide, it's Thor." I do have a gift with reading people and Thor's intent was clear.
"You would support my helping him?"
"Yeah, I certainly would. The two of you can come on to Earth when you're finished with that and we can discuss everything else then too." The corner of Loki's mouth turned up in a grin. Was he trying to change? Damn, this was seriously like an alternate universe. Unless there was something else in it for Loki and I couldn't see that there was.
"Thor, I will join you," said Loki as he walked away from me. I tried to conceal my smile when I saw the pure joy that lit up Thor's face. That's all Thor had really wanted from it too.
"Then it is settled," Thor said. "I will take Charlotte home tonight and Jane on the morrow in case she has been affected by anything." I nodded and walked forward after everyone went back to talking. Frigga stood and hugged me and her warmth filled me with a happiness I'd rarely felt. There was just something about her and Thor that completely put me at ease.
"It has been a genuine pleasure to spend time with you, Lady Charlotte," she said as she pulled away. "I can only hope that you will return to Asgard sometime soon." I nodded.
"Thanks so much for your hospitality," I said. My inner Southern belle was a nice secret weapon sometimes.
From there, the Allfather stood and he offered me his hand. I warily took it and the memory I caught was small. I could only see out of one eye but I was holding a baby; a baby with blue skin. It was gone as soon as it came and I nodded at Odin. "Thank you for welcoming me so graciously, Allfather," I said.
"Thank you for rescuing my son," he responded. "If there is anyone for him, I am glad to say that it is you." I half-smiled and glanced at Loki who was still having a conversation with Thor. "You were right in accusing me of making mistakes with Loki but I think that in some way, you have made up for them."
"I didn't stop him from almost obliterating my world, sir."
"No, but you did help him in other ways, Lady Charlotte. He has found an equal in you." I smiled again. I remembered Thor's memory of Loki screaming that all he'd ever wanted was to be Thor's equal. Somehow, I think that's what Odin intended for me to think of.
"That means a lot to me, sir, and I'm sure it would mean a lot to him."
"I cannot tell him something he already knows. Leave now and be safe in your realm. You will return to us one day, Lady Charlotte. It cannot come soon enough." Jane rose then and engulfed me in a hug.
"Right when you get home tomorrow, come over to Stark Tower, okay?" I said. She nodded.
"I'll be there. And I'll bring Darcy." I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, okay, bring Darcy."
Sif and the Warriors Three said goodbye to me next. They promised to visit Earth again soon and then they could meet all the other Avengers. They were eager to show off their skills to them. I figured everyone would get something out of that.
Thor and Loki escorted me out of the room and down to mine to get my things. "They're really letting you roam around, aren't they?" I asked Loki as I threw my tool belt of knives into my huge bag.
"They are letting me say goodbye to you," he responded.
At that, Thor looked between the two of us and said, "I will retrieve the tesseract. It will be much easier for our travel, Charlotte," he said. I nodded and he walked out of the room. I'm not sure what he was expecting to happen when he closed the door behind him. But Loki did.
He crossed the room toward me and put his hands to my face and pressed his mouth to mine before I had the chance to protest. Immediately, my mind was whirling with images. It was like a memory-smorgasbord and when I pushed back, they went away. I could stop them. "Are you alright?" Loki had pulled away from me and I was grateful. The usual chill that came along with kissing him slowly eked away and I covered my face with my hands.
"I promised I wouldn't fall back in love with you," I responded but I knew I was smiling because he was. Tonight had been filled with ridiculous un-Loki-like behavior.
"You did?" he questioned saucily and he grabbed hold of me again.
"Yeah, I did. It's part of my job now. Like it literally says in the description, 'Charlotte cannot be happy.'" Before I knew it, I was laughing and Loki was smiling at me again.
"I never have been one for following the rules." He bent closer towards me and his voice practically drugged me into submission. He sounded like silver bells.
"That's strange, neither have I." When his lips covered my own, I pushed back the memories and gave in. My hands linked behind his neck and I barely noticed that my hair fell out of whatever was securing it in place. I felt myself rise to the tips of my toes and one of my hands grabbed at the back of his neck. He made a noise in response and then I heard the door creak. I jerked away and Loki put at least two feet between us in a matter of seconds.
It was Thor, of course, and he strode into the room with a smirk on his face, holding the glass container with the cube inside. It was the same one that had transported Loki and Thor home months ago.
"You will just grasp the end and twist it," said Thor. "I can guide us to Stark Tower. As soon as you are safe, I will return here." I nodded.
"Okay, I understand," I said. Before Thor offered me the end to grab, I turned to Loki and I held him close for a minute. "Both of you need to be careful and I swear, if I find out that the two of you are just bitching at each other and not getting anywhere, you will feel my Midgardian wrath."
"I do not doubt it, Charlotte. But you need not worry. We will be safe and once this is taken care of, the two of us will join you on Midgard." I nodded.
"I can hardly wait," I responded. Loki had lost all of his cute happiness and had gone back to looking like a sourpuss. The fun and games were done for the time being.
"Thank you for coming here and doing what you have done for me and my family," said Thor. "You have been a true friend to me and I will never forget it. But you must do one more thing for me."
"Sure, I'll look out for Jane when she gets back tomorrow." He shook his head.
"I wish for you to keep yourself safe." I grinned.
"Well, I don't exactly have a good track record at that but I'll do my damnedest." Thor gave me a hearty grin and Loki gave me a solid nod before I followed Thor out onto the Rainbow Bridge. "Thanks for bringing me here, Thor," I said.
"You are welcome back any time," he said. When he offered me the end of the cylinder, I grabbed it and twisted. Blue light consumed us and I felt the pull of us travelling again. When I opened my eyes, I was standing on Tony's balcony.
WHOO. We are finally out of Asgard. I can promise you that Steve will be in the next chapter and hopefully, I'll update sooner than it has been lately. And if you're interested, you can follow my blog. It's .com.