I hope this was worth the wait!

Chapter 22: No Place Like Home

*****Asgard*****

Tony and Bruce had been introduced to the All-Father. Bruce could only worry what the All-Father would do to him if he lost control and the Hulk damaged his incredibly beautiful kingdom. The All-Father didn't strike him as a man who tolerated out of control rage monsters.

Tony also was suitably impressed.

"Now I see where Thor gets his arrogance," he whispered to Bruce, who looked aghast at the comment. Luckily, no one else seemed to hear.

"So Pepper let you out of her sight?" Buffy asked, grinning at him.

"Only because Clint and Natasha came back in one piece," Tony said, returning her grin. "If I get maimed, she'll blame you. Just so you know!"

Buffy laughed. "Well, I'm not the one that kidnapped my sister," she said, giving Thor a pointed look. They had just finished a dinner where the All-Father and Frigga, his queen, presided over the overly long table. Willow and Illyria were with them. They were now all broken up into small groups chatting. Steve and Clint were speaking with the Queen, and Spike and Angel were with Dawn and Xander on the other side of the room. Loki was in their group listening in amusement to whatever Dawn was babbling about. Like Buffy, she sometimes babbled. Bringing Atali back hadn't seemed to change that Buffy was happy to discover.

"How many times do I have to apologize? I was so surprised to see my sister," Thor said, a note of impatience in his voice.

"So maybe you can explain to me why your brother, near destroyer of a little place I like to call home, was sitting at the table having dinner with us tonight?" Tony asked Thor. His shock at seeing Loki had struck him mute throughout most of the dinner. Loki's smirk made him want to leap across the table and stab him with his fork. Bruce's restraining hand had kept him in check. However, he still couldn't believe it.

Thor frowned at Loki, who was across the room with Xander and Atali. "My sister loves him. We love my sister," he said simply.

"Don't you mean our sister?" Buffy corrected, not willing to let him claim Dawn so possessively.

"Yes, our sister," Thor acknowledged.

"So he's just allowed to roam free?" Bruce inquired.

"Not exactly," Thor said. "Our father fashioned something to contain his powers."

"And he was okay with that?" Tony asked doubtfully.

"He willing put on the band that keeps his powers in check," Thor replied. He looked over at his brother, who seemed more genuinely content than he'd been in a long time. "His love for our sister is great. For once, something eclipsed his desire for power and vengeance."

"Oh, that's still there," Buffy said confidently. "He's already got Dawn convinced that we should invade his birth father's kingdom and give Loki his throne."

"What?" Tony asked in disbelief. "Give that ego maniac his own kingdom with actual oath-bound soldiers to do his bidding?"

"I'm sure the Nine Realms would be safe if that happened," Bruce said dryly.

Thor didn't look happy as he acknowledged their fear. "Yes, I know. Atali is still a bit naïve where our brother is concerned," he said with a sigh.

"The sooner we get back to earth and get her away from him, the better," Buffy said grimly.

Thor looked torn. On one hand, he felt strongly his sister belonged on Asgard. On the other hand, Loki was manipulative and dangerous. Atali would never see him for what he really was. Although Thor loved his brother still, he now understood the lengths Loki would go to to get what he desired. He had no illusions about his brother. Atali had many. "Maybe. However, my father will not be pleased," Thor said.

"Well, Daddy will just have to get over it," Buffy said sarcastically.

Across the room, Loki was busy—busy reconnecting with Atali. Busy winning over her friends. He dutifully smiled as he listened to the vampire Spike tell a story about her life on earth. However, battling monsters in her frail human form didn't sit right with him. She could've been killed. This vampire creature had protected her more than once. Loki knew he'd have died for her. It seemed not all creatures on earth were useless. He glanced across the room at her sister, who was with Thor. The woman's blonde hair and stunning beauty made her seem almost Asgardian. However, her lack of height belied that claim. It seemed that Loki owed the young mortal Atali's life a hundred times over. Spike and Atali had regaled him with tales about the hell-god Glory's many attempts to get Atali and use her to open some hell dimension. She had eventually succeeded, using Atali's blood to open the portal. Only her death would've closed it. Fortunately, Atali's sister realized that she had been fashioned human by Buffy's blood. They were linked forever by shared blood. Using the blood connection, Buffy had jumped through the portal, dying in her place. It seemed her witch friend was very powerful indeed. Raising the dead was not even a feat that Loki had ever attempted. They would be strong allies or formidable adversaries.

Loki watched Buffy as she glared in annoyance at Thor, an expression he was intimately familiar with over the centuries. He suppressed a chuckle, finding pleasure in the fact Atali's sister wasn't enamored by his brother like so many others. It wasn't that he didn't love his brother. He did. One could not truly hate a man so selfless, no matter how dumb he was at times. They had fought many battles together. They had saved each other's lives countless times. Loki wasn't quite sure when he'd begun to resent being his brother's sidekick. But he had. He wanted his cunning, his foresight to be acknowledged and revered. Many of his brother's victories were accomplished by Loki's planning. It wasn't fair that Thor was meant to rule and he was not.

Angel watched Thor's brother suspiciously. He wasn't buying the man's act. He knew when a person hungered, and Loki was hungry for power. Angel knew it. A man like him would never be satisfied. He saw Loki's contemplative look toward Buffy. Angel may never live the life he'd once dreamed of with Buffy, but he was unable to stop caring about her. Watching out for her was hardwired into his DNA. She deserved happiness. She deserved to have her sister. Angel would never let this Asgardian take either from Buffy. Wolfram & Hart had taught him how to be both suspicious and ruthless. He wasn't Angelus, but he most definitely had learned how to channel him when needed. If Loki tried to hurt Buffy or take Dawn away, Angel would find a way to end the man. He didn't care if Dawn hated him. It wasn't like she'd ever been overly fond of him anyway.

Willow was learning some fascinating things from Frigga, Thor's mother. She had tricks and knowledge Willow hadn't. And she wasn't hesitant to share. She had been sharing with Willow how Loki had managed so effortlessly to drain her of her magic. Illyria was with them, but Willow didn't know if she was paying much attention. Instead, she seemed to be forever watching the room, always vigilante. Willow gave her a fond smile.

"You can relax your guard, sweetie. We're safe here," Willow said to her.

"Heimdall will always detect a breach in our defenses," Frigga said. "He sees all."

"Maybe. But I feel something is coming. A battle is brewing," Illyria said knowingly.

Willow frowned, not liking the sound of that. However, she was distracted by the appearance of Xander. "Hey, you. What's up?" Willow asked him. He'd been hanging with Dawn and Loki. Willow suspected he didn't want to spend any more time with her murderous brother than he had to.

"Got a sec?" Xander asked.

"For you, always," she said, smiling. She excused herself and walked away with him. Illyria followed somewhat but gave them privacy. Illyria took her job as guard dog very seriously. She knew how dangerous Asgard could be. The All-Father was very powerful. Powerful people drew enemies.

"I'm going nuts," Xander confessed.

Willow gave him a compassionate look. "I know it's a lot to take in," she said with sympathy. "But she's still Dawn. She still loves you."

"Yeah, I get that. But Loki. He's dangerous, but it's like she is in denial or something," Xander said in frustration. "She's actually sympathizing with that diabolical looney! She won't listen to any criticism of him. I'm worried."

"Well, once we get her back home and put some distance between them, it should help," Willow said.

"About that, do you really think the All-Father is going to let her leave?" Xander asked, his doubt evident.

"I don't see how he can stop her. She can create and move portals herself," Willow reminded him.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just worried. I don't want her fighting with her family, but I don't want her to stay here either," Xander said.

"She won't," Willow said firmly. "He can't force her. He'd be stupid to try."

In Xander's experience, men often did stupid things for love.

Later that night after everyone had went to bed, Buffy found herself wide awake, anxious. She felt wired. Some part of her was expecting a battle. She didn't know if it was just nerves or her slayer senses telling her a fight was coming. Whatever the case, she left her room and began wandering the castle. Her walk led her to an atrium of some kind. It was a garden. And it was breathtaking. Flowers and vegetation of all kinds filled the room. There was even a small waterfall coming off of a large rock with water pooling into a small pond.

Buffy walked further in, smiling in delight. It was stunning. Pleasant, sweet scents filled the air. A few colorful birds flittered about. There was some type of artificial light mimicking sunlight. There was a bench by the waterfall. She suspected someone—probably the Queen—used the place to relax. Buffy walked toward the bench and sat down. She allowed the peace of the place to wash over her. The tension begin to leave her.

She didn't know how much time had past when she felt a presence next to her. She opened her eyes and looked up.

"May I join you?" Steve asked, giving her a friendly smile.

"Sure," Buffy said, feeling some of the tension return. However, this tension was very different. Her crush on the man out of time warred with her genuine respect for him and what he'd loss. This was a man who knew what sacrifice meant. His presence both made her nervous and excited her.

Steve sat down and looked around. "Sometimes I find sleep an elusive mistress," he admitted.

"Yeah, I can relate," Buffy confessed. "I feel like another shoe is about to drop."

"It's being in this place. It's like a place out of a dream. A type of heaven. People like us often find heaven snatched away from us," Steve said.

Buffy gave him a sharp look. She'd never heard anyone voice something that so much mirrored her own experiences. It had seemed like he was a man without demons—a type of perfection of the male species. Buffy now realized that wasn't so. She found herself admitting, "I was there once, you know."

"Where?" he asked.

"Heaven," she said. Never did she willing talk about her time there. The sense of loss never quite went away. Knowing that one day she'd return there was all that kept her from despairing. The fight was one day going to be over. She would have her reward. One day she would know eternal peace and rest.

"Really?" he asked in surprise. "How?"

"I died when I was twenty closing a hell dimension, so Dawn wouldn't have to. I was buried and everything. Willow assumed my soul was trapped in a hell dimension," Buffy said.

"But you weren't," Steve prompt, grimacing as he guessed what she was about to say.

"No. They pulled me out of heaven," she said quietly.

Steve's face had a look of horror on it before he quickly controlled his expression. "I'm sorry," he said softly. His heart felt for this unusual woman who had experienced so much and had been fighting so long. He felt like an amateur in comparison. The twenty-first century was filled with so many extraordinary things. Sometimes he longed for the familiar, simple days of his century. Other times he marveled at what he saw; people like Buffy filled him with awe.

"It's okay. We'll get our time there some day," Buffy said.

"You really believe that?" Steve wondered. He liked the thought of knowing the ones he loved were in a good place. A happy place.

"I know so," Buffy said confidently.

They sat there in companionable silence for several minutes. Finally, Steve got up. "I guess I should get to bed," he said.

Buffy stood, but she was reluctant to say goodbye. This was the first time they'd ever been alone together. Deciding to take the bull by the horns, she channeled her sister slayer, Faith. She jumped up on the bench, making herself eye level with Steve.

He gave her an amused smile. "Feeling a bit short?" he asked.

"Well, I thought it might make things easier," she said. Then she reached out and grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him closer. Before he knew what was happening, she fused their mouths together.

It seemed so long ago since he'd felt the touch of a woman's lips on his. Peggy had been his one and only. How people would laugh if they knew how little experience he actually had with women. However, Buffy wasn't giving him a chance to feel awkward. Instead, he felt like he was coming alive after a long winter's nap. He was powerless to resist her, returning her kiss with equal measure.

As for Buffy, kissing Steve felt amazing. She wanted to wrap her legs around him and keep on kissing him all night long. However, she sensed he wasn't one to take things so fast. Instead, she forced herself to end the kiss. She pulled back and smiled at him. "Sorry. I've just wanted to do that for a very long time," she confessed.

She hopped down on the bench before he could reply. She didn't want him to feel too awkward so she said goodnight and left Steve staring after her in bemusement.

Buffy all but skipped to her room, a warm feeling surrounding her. It'd been a long time since she'd felt like this. Hugging the feeling to her, she dreamlessly drifted off to sleep.

*****The Next Day*****

Although Buffy awoke with a smile on her face, the tension of the day took its toll. She had breakfast with her friends and sister. Dawn sat next to her father. Xander next to her. Buffy sat by Xander. Thor was across from Buffy on the other side of his father. He, too, felt the tension. His brother Loki sat on his other side.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Loki said to him, grinning in anticipation of the upcoming conflict.

"Be quiet, brother," Thor said crossly.

Odin seemed oblivious to the tension in the room. He smiled at his daughter, more content than he'd been in eons. His beloved daughter was restored. Neither of his sons had tried to kill the other in days. All was right in his world. Soon, though, his peace was shattered.

"Father, I would like to return to earth today," Atali said to him.

"Absolutely not," he said, waving him hand as if the subject was closed. In his mind, it was.

"I wasn't asking for your permission," Atali said, frowning at him. "I was just giving you the courtesy of telling you my intentions. I cannot miss any class. I graduate in a few weeks. I will return then."

"What?" Buffy said, not liking that.

"This is your home. You are Asgardian, not human. What have you of a human education?" Odin said, genuinely perplexed.

"You taught me always to finish what I started. I have been working for the past few years on my degree. I'd like to finish it and graduate," Atali told him.

"If my sister wants to come home, you will not stop her," Buffy said coldly.

Odin sighed. He understood the woman's feelings. He owed this mortal much and was loathe to alienate her. Atali was lost and the human had found her and kept her safe. She'd even died for her. Buffy Summers was a human without equal. If she was an Asgard, he'd encourage Thor to marry her and make her queen someday. If she knew to ask, he'd grant her any request. He owed her his beloved daughter's life. There wasn't much he could deny her. However, he was not about to lose the daughter just now restored to him. Her sister, the Slayer, had many enemies. She drew darkness to her. It wasn't her fault. It simply was. Atali could be killed just by being close to her. Here in Asgard, he and Thor could protect her. On earth, she was too far away. Anything could happen.

"I'm sorry. I cannot let you go. It's too dangerous," Odin said, a note of finality in his voice.

"What?" Atali asked.

"Your sister is a vampire slayer, is she not?" he asked.

"Well, yes, but so what? I don't fight vampires. Well, not much anyway. Not in ages really," Atali said.

"How did your friend lose his eye?" Odin asked pointedly, refusing to acknowledge Xander's role as her lover. His daughter would not bind her life to a human. If she did, it mattered not. He would not live but a few more decades. Odin could tolerate him until his life span was at an end.

"That wasn't a vampire. It was the First Evil. Caleb, his pawn, did it," Atali said.

"I rest my case. You've told me yourself that your sister has died twice. Her life is too dangerous," Odin said.

"How many wars and battles have my brothers fought?" Atali asked angrily.

"That is different. They were trained from infancy to fight. You were not," Odin said.

"Sweetheart, how could you return to school on earth when you no longer look exactly as you did?" Frigga pointed out.

"Oh, Willow's going to take care of that," Atali told them. She looked at Willow.

Willow said a few words and waved her hand. Dawn looked like she used to. The Asgards were very startled. All but Loki flinched. "It's just a glamour. It's not permanent," Willow said quickly.

"Amusing," Loki said. "I've been known to do that a time or two myself." Suddenly, he turned into Thor. Thor glared at him. "Do I look properly arrogant and full of myself?"

Atali giggled, looking very human as Dawn. Loki/Thor grinned while Thor growled, "Loki! Enough!"

Loki was back to himself, chuckling and enjoying his brother's discomfort.

"How did you do it? That wasn't a glamour," Willow asked eagerly.

"Not exactly but basically the same principal," Loki said.

"Loki is full of tricks," Thor said disapprovingly.

"We are getting off track," Buffy said, drawing them back. "My sister is perfectly safe. I've mostly stepped down as head slayer. I only fight when the need is dire. In fact, I just recently started a perfectly boring job guarding Tony." She pointed at the Iron Man who sat at the end of the table by Frigga.

He waved. "Yep, my better half thinks I need protection," he said.

"Aren't you the Iron Man?" Loki asked.

"Not much anymore," he said. He patted his chest where his heart was. "I got my heart fixed. Not super-powered anymore."

Suddenly, Odin stood to his feet. "You are not leaving! I forbid it!" he proclaimed.

Atali stood also. "I'm sorry to remind you, Father, but I am a grown woman! You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do!" she exclaimed angrily.

Buffy and all her friends also stood, prepared to do battle if need be.

Meanwhile, miles away Kennedy was walking outside a bar with Sif and Volstagg. She'd been having a good time with the luscious Lady Sif and the gregarious Volstagg. They knew how to have fun, which surprised her. Sif at first seemed too uptight, but once she got a few drinks in her, she was loads of fun.

As they walked outside, however, Kennedy felt uneasy. Something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" Sif asked, instantly on guard as Kennedy's tension was noticeable.

"I don't know. Something feels off," Kennedy said, looking around.

Suddenly, a hoard of dark elves appeared in the street, armed with swords.

"Asgard has been breached," Sif said in alarm. She pulled out her sword.

The always on guard Heimdall drew in a breath in dismay. He jumped, trying to stop the cloaked ship that had gotten past him. However, it was too late. Asgard was being invaded.

******To Be Continued******

Yes, I am using somewhat the Dark World storyline but only in the use of the Dark Elves. The Jane component and the events of the movie as a whole will not really be a part of this. This new development is just a portion of the story I want to spin in the complicated sequel I'm going to write over the summer. I hope you enjoyed this update. Thanks for reading and inspiring me to write more! I appreciate you!