AN: I have 3 things to say 1) This is super late because I was on holiday on Cornwall with no WiFi 2)this is also super long, like omg its so long. 3) This is the second to last chapter!
Enjoy
After buying several items of clothing they both went to the Avengers tower.
"Hello Jarvis. How is everyone?" Kimberly asked the AI as they entered. Jarvis's voice echoed in the room.
"Hello Miss Kimberly, Sir Loki. I believe that they are all hungover from the party you had last night. Natasha is the only one awake." Kimberly smiled at the AI and started towards the lift.
"We'll be going up then Jarvis." She smiled though there was worry written in the smile as the doors opened. Stepping out they saw Nat in the kitchen pouring an almost comatose Clint a coffee. "Afternoon." Clint groaned a reply.
"Stop being so bloody sober." He said as he chugged the coffee.
"Nope, can't. It's called not drinking." Clint stuck his tongue out and went back to his drink.
"You know water would be better. Is everyone else still asleep?" Nat nodded as Loki sat down on the sofa. "I'll wake them up, lemme get them some water first though." Kimberly walked past Nat and Clint and got out 4 glasses and filled them with water, leaving another empty glass on the side for Clint.
Loki's fingers tapped idly on the edge of the sofa as Kimberly entered Tony's room.
"What's up with you?" Natasha asked as Clint glared at him suspiciously. Loki looked at them then sighed.
"Nothing, well. Everything." Natasha looked at him then raised an eyebrow. "As soon as Thor wakes up and sobers up he will take me back to Asgard. I may have to leave her here."
"Why would Thor have to take you back?" Nat asked as she leant against the counter and Clint sat up.
"I still have time to do in solitary." He said, tapping his fingers against the sofa again as she glared at him.
"Have you told her about this? Does she know that you will leave her as soon as she has gotten used to you? Did you know that she was genuinely scared of you and she has started to trust you now? Of all the times to leave-"
"I know. All of that. He told me earlier, that's why we're here. We need to talk to Thor because 10 years in solitary will break him, so I want to go with him." Kimberly said as she stepped out of Tony's room.
"Kimberly. I'll be fine, I have already told you this."
"Don't pull the whole, I'll be fine. You have nightmares about that place, about Frigga, still. You know that I am right."
"What's going on brother?" Thor stumbled into the room at the same time as Tony. Kimberly looked between the brothers before speaking to Tony.
"Tony, you need to have more water. Loki you tell him." Loki nodded and spoke.
"Brother, I know that this doesn't clean my record, I know that I still have time to serve in solitary, but I was wondering-"
"I can't cut your time brother, your punishment was set by Odin."
"I know, I was only going to ask if Kimberly could come with us, she seems to think that I will be better off for it."
"I know you will be better off for it Loki." She called over from the kitchen where she was refilling Tony's glass again.
"She's a midgardian, you know the rules."
"Technically only her mother was a midgardian, her father wasn't of earth." He backtracked as Thor staggered to the kitchen where Kim handed him a glass.
"Is this really what you were going to do about it?" Natasha asked as Kimberly handed the Asgardian his drink of water.
"I suppose you are right." Thor realised how loud he was being and covered his ears as did Tony. Kim gestured for him to quiet down though she was practically bouncing up and down. "But you only get an hour together a day. No more than that." Loki nodded.
"Of course brother. We should be going then." Thor downed his drink and nodded.
"Yes we should, goodbye everyone." everyone that was awake waved at Thor as Kimberly walked quickly towards Natasha.
"See ya in 10 years then." the redhead said as she hugged the other woman.
"Yeah, 10. Record everything and bring me up to date yeah?"
"Oh yeah." Nat grinned as Clint sat up straighter and ruffled Kimberly's hair as she passed them. She had just reached the two brothers when Tony let out a small oh.
"Here. You left this on the first day, I may have tinkered with it." He pulled her phone out of his pocket and threw it at her as she turned around. She reached a hand out and it hit her knuckles and fell to the floor. She pouted and grabbed it before quickly texting Taylor that she was indeed leaving. She got a text back immediately.
Don't do anything stupid. She smiled at the text and rolled her eyes. Thor smiled at her when he put his hand on her shoulder.
"Will Lady Taylor be alright?" Kim nodded at him as a reply. "We shall go outside, Heimdall can not open the Bifrost whilst we are inside." Kimberly nodded and smiled shakily as they left the building. Thor called for Heimdall whilst Loki turned to her.
"Are you nervous?"
"I have only ever lived on this planet and now I am being transported to another that I barely knew existed. Of course I am nervous." Loki looked up as the Bifrost opened and reached for her so that she would be easier to catch at the other end.
"Welcome back Thor, Loki. And who- ah Lady Kaina." She stumbled as the Bifrost let them out and looked up at him, shocked. It vanished quickly when she realised who was speaking.
"You must be Heimdall, the guardian and watcher." He nodded.
"You have changed your name many times but it is always the first that I can see." She nodded slowly as Loki helped her stand straight. "Although I am aware that you go by Kimberly now, I will try to call-"
"It's fine. I don't mind really. I just had to for legal reasons and the fact that normal people can't live for as long as I have." Heimdall nodded and gestured for them to catch up to Thor who hadn't waited for them. Loki gently clasped her hand and led her onto the rainbow bridge.
"Welcome to Asgard." She took in a breath at the sight of the place. The god of mischief smiled at her and pulled her after him. "It is even better from the inside." she just nodded and let him lead her to Thor who had been stopped by Sif.
"- cannot let a midgardian in Asgard."
"She is not from Midgard. She was born and raised there but she is not of Midgard." They both noticed Loki and Kim at the same time and Sif seemed to calm down slightly.
"Fine, but someone will have to look after her."
"I can look after myself." Kimberly said as she pulled her hand free of Loki's. Sif looked her up and down before smiling.
"I'll look after her and show her around. Come with me Lady Kimberly." Kim shook her head at the need to call her Lady and pulled the bag off of her shoulders and handed it to Loki.
"I'll find you tonight, we can talk then." Loki nodded and Kimberly followed Sif into Asgard.
"What is in the bag brother?" Thor asked as he started towards Asgard. Loki pulled the bag over his shoulders and smiled.
"Story books, filled with tales of times long passed and many of childhood fun and promises." Thor looked over his shoulder at his brother who was staring at the bridge.
"She plans on reading them to you doesn't she?" Loki nodded at his brother as he caught up. "Even though you can read them yourself." Loki shook his head.
"She reads them better than I ever could." Thor just nodded and lead Loki down to his cell.
When she came down that night she was wearing a lilac dress, similar to the one Sif had been wearing on the bridge. It was floor length and the sleeves stopped just below her elbow. Her hair was loose and she looked tired.
"How are you finding Asgard?" Loki asked as she walked up to his cell and held her hand just in front of the barrier. He held his up on the other side and smiled down at her.
"It is awesome, however I am finding that I am struggling to not revert back to Arabic since I found out you can understand every language." Loki smirked and shook his head.
"I take it Arabic is one of the midgardian languages." Kimberly nodded and smiled.
"It is the one I grew up speaking, it flows easier than English. Where are you now?" she asked and sat down beside the barrier. Loki sat down next to her on the opposite side and picked up the book from next to him.
"I got to here." He held the book up and showed her a page with a few pictures on and a piece of paper. The first picture was a picture of Taylor with a grin plastered on her face in her school uniform though it was clearly later in the day. She had gone to a private school, a very strict one at that, and thus uniform was mandatory. She had ended up with detention that day. Kim smirked and let out a laugh. "Is it that funny?"
"It is hilarious." Her smile started to hurt her cheeks as she spoke. " Taylor had been set a piece of homework, something like write an essay about oppression, and she just wrote that; I will not write an essay about oppression as I feel oppressed by this. She got detention for it. When I picked her up I had no idea why she was grinning like a good'un until they handed me the homework. I then read it and asked why they would ask a 3rd grader to write about such a serious topic. They had no reply to that other than the fact that it was part of the curriculum. I just told them that maybe they should change the curriculum and left." Loki smiled and put the book down.
"That explains the grin. What is 3rd grade?" Kimberly made as to hit her head but stopped.
"The American school system works in grades, 1st grade is for 6-7 year olds 2nd grade is for 7-8 year olds and 3rd grade for 8-9 year olds. In England it is different, and many other countries as well." Loki nodded.
"It is a way of separating the children into levels of knowledge." Kimberly nodded and smiled.
"More age than knowledge as most kids are thick, but yeah supposedly that's how it is done." she stood up and looked into the cell and the photo book by Loki's side. "Any thing else that you want me to tell you?" Loki turned the page and pointed to a picture with a 9 year old Taylor, hair down with mickey mouse ears on in a red polka dot dress, and Kimberly with longer hair, coming own to her chest in French braids.
"Where was this taken." Kimberly smiled at the memory, somewhat wanly. Loki looked up and noticed the way her eyes went glassy as she looked at the picture. "Is it that bad?" Kimberly looked at him sharply and shook her head then paused and nodded.
"That was taken in Disney world, a theme park. I was almost found out to be a mutant that day. Well that is what they would have assumed. I fell over chasing her and fell down a set of steps to a ride, I should have at least broken my legs. The memory is fun, that day was great overall, but it is tinged with fear." A guard walked towards her and tapped her shoulder.
"Lady Kaina, your time with Loki is up for tonight, you have to leave. I will escort you to your quarters." Kimberly nodded and turned towards Loki, who was standing up, and placed her hand just above the barrier. Loki raised his to meet hers and then she left.
"Sleep my young love, outdoors rain is crying. Mamma your treasure, old bone and stone case. We should not stay awake in dark nights." The voice was coming from the outside corner of his cell. He knew it was Kim's but he had never heard her sing before and the words caught him by surprise. " There is much darkness knows, my mind is heavy. Often I gazed at black sands, burning the green meadow. In the glacier dead lives deep cracks." Her hair had grown since she had entered Asgard, reaching her upper back now, he noticed when he saw her. She was facing his cell though her eyes were closed. "Sleep long, sleep sound, better to wake up later. I will teach you soon, to the sun reaches the horizon. That men love, loose, cry and pine for." She finished the lullaby and he opened his mouth to speak.
"Where did you learn that? Who taught you?" She opened her green eyes, brighter with every day spent in Asgard, and looked at him. Loki knew he was worse off than he had thought he would get to, the place had brought back memories he wanted to suppress. He knew she was right as well. He had long since passed the need for a bath and was in desperate need of a hairbrush.
"I asked Thor if there was anything I could do to help you at night with your nightmares. He said that Frigga had always sung a lullaby but he couldn't remember which so I should ask Sif because Sif would know. Sif taught me." She smiled slightly as Loki rested his head against the pillar in the corner of the cell.
"How have I never heard you sing before?" He turned his head to glance at her. She let out a breathy laugh and turned to face him.
"I only ever sang lullabies, besides I always slip back into my accent when I sing. And my accent is more often than not associated with being uncultured and unintelligent." Her hair fell over her darkening shoulders, being in Asgard had brought her skin back to her natural colouring, and drew Loki's attention to the area at the base of her neck.
" I like your accent, it's you. Would you sing for me when I get out of here?" She smiled and nodded.
"Only if you dance with me." He looked up and locked eyes with her.
"It is a deal." she smiled and turned around to walk out, mint green dress billowing after her.
"How are you finding Asgard Kaina?" Thor asked as he sat down next to her. She had found her way to the secure rooms and was sat next to the purple blade that had been placed there. It had been the safest place for it as there was no way it was being left on earth.
"It is nice, though I have had a few glances thrown my way. Not from being a Midgardian either."
"What have they been doing to you?" Kim sighed and burrowed her head in her knees. She hated feeling weak, though in a place whose sole populous were gods it was hardly surprising.
"One of them pushed me against a wall and tried to kiss me-"
"Even though it is obvious that you and Loki are together?"
"I think that was why. But it was okay, I kneed him in the groin for it. But other than that once, they've just stared at me."
"I shall warn them against doing it. Anyone that touches you without your consent will have to feel my wrath." She laughed and lifted her head form her knees.
"Thanks Thor." He smiled at her and ruffled her hair and got up.
"No one is to touch my brothers friend. Aren't you supposed to be seeing him soon?" Kimberly stood up and nodded.
"I just wanted to see this first, I was just about to go down." Her pale coral dress glided along the floor as she started towards the cells, her hair reacting the same as her dress as it tickled her mid back.
"You are late."
"Like you can actually keep track of time down here. Besides, it was your brother that distracted me." Loki looked up at her from where he lay and glanced her up and down.
"You look far too happy for someone who has just spoken with my brother." She let out a snort and shook her head at him. He smirked at her reaction, most would have seen that as mean and plain old rude but she saw the humour in it. "How are you keeping?"
"Amazingly I had a very similar conversation with Thor. I am fine, especially now that Thor has all bar issued a death threat."
"Do I want to know what happened?" he asked as she sat down.
"Knowing you, probably. Guys were threatening me and being rude in general, they wont be now." She shook her head and dropped the subject.
Her hair had stopped growing he realised as she stood outside his cell. She was telling him about one of the most recent photos in the latest book. Taylor had sent it from England in 2014 where she had been during her gap year. It was a picture from the top of the London eye that she had taken as Big Ben had struck midnight on her first day away from home. Her eyes glittered as she told the story, so lost in her tale that she had stopped paying attention to him.
Her hair reached her waist and it was all a dark brown. She had grown the ombred tips out within the first year and had decided to get them cut off. The colour matched her natural skin colour well. He barely realised when she stumbled, faltered, clasped her knees.
"Are you alright?" She nodded and sat down wincing. He knew that she was lying to cover up her pain. It had been happening a lot, more recently, she had been having troubles walking and had been waving it off as nothing, but Loki could tell.
She attempted to continue with the story but it was hard, the pain was too much. A guard came over and asked if she was alright, if she needed any help. She shook her head but Loki nodded. The guards had gotten used to her stubbornness and had started to take Loki's word if she needed help. The guard helped her up and Loki tried not to see how much she leant on the guard, if he had noticed earlier she might not have been so bad. But he hadn't, he'd been lost in her beauty as she told her story.
"Hello brother." Thor said as he stood outside Loki's cell. Loki looked up and frowned at his brother.
"Where is Kaina?" Thor looked at the floor and shook his head.
"She is unwell." Loki got up off of the floor and walked towards his brother. "She has been bedridden since this morning, unable to move her legs." Loki's eyes widened.
"How-?"
"I do not know how it happened, but other than the fact that she can not move her legs she seems to be fine. I left her with Heimdall looking after her." Loki relaxed at the mention of Heimdall looking after her. "He said he wanted to talk to her anyway."
"How is everyone taking to her anyway?"
"You ask now, after 7 years? Brother, you have lost connection with time, its hardly surprising a your only source of timekeeping has been her." Loki whistled.
"7 years, I didn't think it had been that long." Thor nodded.
"It took 3 years for everyone to get used to her, now she has made friends in almost everyone though there are a few that still don't trust her." Loki nodded and smiled.
"That doesn't surprise me. She is that type of person." Thor smiled and let out a small laugh.
"She is indeed a miracle worker. The first midgardian since Jane to come to Asgard and the first to win your heart." Loki would have protested 5 years ago, but now he knew it to be true.
"Lady Kaina, I wish to ask you something." Kaina attempted to pull herself up and nodded.
"What is it Heimdall?" Heimdall sat down next to her bedside and looked her up and down.
"2021 years ago a girl called out for help from the gods, asking that they kill her. A girl called Kaina. Was that you?" Kaina turned her head and glared at the wall in front of her.
"Kaina was a common name all those years ago, but yes. It was me."
"Why would you ask for something like that?" Her green eyes moved from the wall and held his.
"When I was 12 I was betrothed to a man 3 times my age. I asked for death the day before my marriage because I knew what would happen on our first night together. He would have sex with me, whether I wanted to or not, and wake up the next morning next to a child that was younger than the one he married. I knew it would happen, because by then I already knew I changed in my sleep, so I asked that the gods granted me death so I didn't have to face the beatings that I would receive." She paused and waited for Heimdall to say something. "The gods could do nothing, so I lived. I ran away a month after the wedding, already pregnant with a child I would miscarry, and decided to travel the world on my own."
Heimdall stood up and looked at her with new found respect. He reached for her hand and kissed it.
"I am glad that it was out of our power to kill you, you have brought peace to Loki, something that not even Thor could achieve."
"I didn't do anything, he was already changing." Heimdall shook his head.
"You helped him realise that he was changing. Ah this is for you, it is a present from Thor." He reached for a long cylindrical object that had been badly wrapped.
"It is unlike Thor to give me presents." She started to undo the wrapping and found a staff inside. It was gold with an amethyst embedded in the top.
"We, exclusively Thor, have been noticing that you have been having trouble walking so he had it crafted for you. He thought it would help you move easier." She held it in her hands and felt the weight of it. It was fairly heavy though it balanced well. She smiled up at Heimdall.
"Tell Thor I appreciate the gift." She paused when Heimdall's features turned serious. "Heimdall, what is wrong?"
"I have heard that you have been practising with the gift that was handed to you upon your fathers passing." She gulped. "How many know?"
"Only yourself and Thor. I thought it would be best if I practised as I have seen what it can do. I don't want it to happen unintentionally." Heimdall nodded.
"It is probably best you keep it that way." He said as he turned to leave.
"I was going to. Don't worry."
"Nice cane." Loki smiled as he saw her outside his cell. She had been in bed for the last 2 days and it was the first time she had been down to see him. She twirled the cane as she sat down. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now that I have something to-" Heavy footsteps sounded in the hall as Thor ran down the stairs. "Thor-"
"Asgard is being attacked, Kaina I need to take you up to your quarters." He grabbed her arm and started to pull her up the stairs. Loki stood up and watched them up the stairs.
"Thor, who is attacking?" she asked stumbling after the god.
"I am not sure, Heimdall has only just warned me about it." Kaina pulled her arm free and started towards the Bifrost. "Kaina, where are you going?"
"If Heimdall has only just warned us then there is still time. Come on." Thor shook his head but gave up on trying to take her to her quarters and ran after her.
When they reached the Bifrost they had only just started to cross it. She recognised them from their leader. He had red eyes and a stretcher in his ear. Kaina tapped her cane to the ground and leant on it, her eyes turning toxic green as she did so.
"Stop." Her voice oozed with authority and charisma. Their eyes started to turn white. "You are useless without my father. A lost cause without my bloodline. You were meant to be ruled, without a ruler you are lost." Thor glanced at her as Heimdall lowered his sword.
"Kaina-"
"But I am not a ruler, I have a life and a daughter to look after. I command you to go home, to leave us alone. Leave our realm and Midgard alone. You have a leader, you don't need me. Go." Still white eyed they turned back around and went back the way they came. Kaina stumbled and leant on her cane, her eyes turning back to her normal green. Thor walked towards her, eyes wide in fear, Sif close behind him.
"What did you do?" Sif asked swinging her sword around. Kaina stood up, struggling to get used to her cane.
"I used the gift my father gave to me when he died."
"You sounded like Loki, when he was in Germany." Kaina stiffened and turned to face Thor.
"I what? No-no." She stood up properly and held her cane by the bottom and pointed it at him. "I am not like Loki – I – oh gods. Oh gods." She turned and started back to the cells jogging as fast as she could. "Loki!" She stopped outside his cell, eyes blazing. " I am becoming like you were. I'm ordering people around!"
"Kaina, what happened?" Loki stood up and held his hands in open handedness.
"My people attacked Asgard. They turned and left when I told them to, because I used the same thing my father did on us. I controlled people, my own people." Loki stepped towards her.
"In times of need control is necessary. It is the best thing to have."
"Not forced control. Not what I did to them."
"What you did to them was necessary." She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair.
"No, what I did was- was wrong." Loki shook his head. There was no getting her to understand.
She smirked as she walked towards Loki's cell, her scarf pulled up over her head.
"You're awfully happy Kaina, why so?" Loki asked as he looked up from the photo book he was going through.
"You should be too, it is your last day in here after all." Loki put his book down and stood up.
"My last day?" Kaina nodded and smiled at his smirk.
"You should be packing." He grabbed the book he had been reading and picked up the others. "The guard is coming to let you out soon, and then Heimdall will see us down to Midgard." She couldn't stop smiling as she spoke. Loki could hear the guards footsteps as he picked up the things Kaina had given him over the years. The guard raised his hand and entered the code to lower the barrier.
Loki stepped out and wrapped Kaina in his arms. She let out a gasp in surprise as he kissed her. She grinned against his lips and returned the kiss.
"Do you have any idea how long I have wanted to do that?" Loki asked as he rested his forehead against hers. She nodded.
"As long as I have." She kissed him quickly before turning away and leading him to his old room. "You need a shower first Loki." He smirked and followed her back to his room as he put the books in the bag she supplied.
The shower felt like the best shower he had ever had, as he watched the dirt wash off of him. His hair felt clean again, even though it now reached below his collar bones. He could have stood there for a lot longer than he had already, but he wanted to go back down to Midgard and see Taylor. He wanted to see Kaina happy again.
"Loki, you don't have all day, Heimdall will be opening the Bifrost soon." Loki grabbed a towel and started to dry himself. When he was dressed he stepped into his room and saw Kimberly sat on his bed waiting for him. "Finally." He smirked and helped her up.
"I believe we are to go to Midgard." She smirked and lifted the bag higher onto her shoulder.
"Yes we are."