Author's Note: Ello there! Okay, filler chapter, but as you know, my fillers always set the scene for what happens later on, so, the devil is in the details my friends. Pay attention! My many thanks to all of you for following this story; it has been over a year now (yeah, I'm only now acknowledging this - I'm the worst), and I feel touched to know there are still people out there who have read this since it first came out. I'll have you know, there's quite a bit left to go, although I'm not sure exactly how many chapters it adds up to. Anyway, replies to reviews down below and after, Chapter 20!

Replies to reviews:

Queen Martha Pond: Aw, I'm so so glad you liked the chapter. I thought the last scene was really sweet too. All those little secluded moments those two have together - they're my favourites! Thanks so much for the review, I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Person: Hi there! Thanks for your review! I love writing this so I'm always happy to hear my readers really do like reading it! I'm pretty sure you'll love all the Loki Louie bits in this chapter as well!

Guest: Thanks so much for the review! I'm so sorry the update took so long and I'm delighted to hear that my favorite Loki-Louie scene has hit it off so well with everyone! I hope this chapter full of fluffly goodness will keep you sated until I write out the next chapter, which, hopefully, if everything goes well will be AWESOME. I hope you like!

Adsdragonlover: Hi there! Thanks so much for your kind words :) I'm so glad you like it. Here is an update, as soon as I could possibly get it out! Also, I'm pretty sure it's Tony's name that I misspelled - sometimes, I type Tiny instead of Tony. So yeah. Kudos to you for spotting it though, thank you! I'll get around to fixing it as soon as I can. Hopefully we will get to some actual smexy times soon ;) Thanks again for the review, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

lozipozivanillabean: And thank you for your review! It means a lot to me that you took the time to leave one. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Guest: Thanks so much! I really like the bittersweet scenes, they're a whole lot of fun to write. I hope you like this chapter!

erinblake18: Hi there! Well, let me tell you, the reason I started this OC fic is because I felt that although there are some fantastic Loki OC pairings out there, the story was always a little tragic, and not quite a happy ending. In actuality, it is very difficult to give Loki a happy ending without venturing into slight crack-fiction. I adore the realistic stories out there but I wanted something a little silly, a little ridiculous, so I sat down one day and came up with this. And I am truly so happy to know that you enjoy this story. This episode is just a filler, but stick around, I promise the next chapter to be rather a good one. So glad to hear my chapter made your day, thank you! I hope you enjoy chapter 20!

rosmund chadwick:Hi there! Thanks for your reviews! Lol, I'm glad you caught on to the Finding Nemo reference! Also, I'm so sorry for cutting Loki's hair xD But to me, Loki with short hair is a representation of innocence, which is what I was going for. I made him vulnerable, in a sense. I hope this chapter makes up for my sins xD Enjoy!

Clementine Buttersnaps: Aw, thank you!The last chapter was in the back burner for so long it started losing its humor in my eyes, and I was actually going to scrap the whole idea! So glad I decided against that - it got a really nice response from everyone! I'm so, so glad you love the story - I loove writing it and faithful readers are what keeps me motivated to do this. I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well!

Here ya go everyone! Enjoy! Apologies for the typos everyone. I'm the worst, sigh.

Chapter 20

Loki POV

"Well, that didn't go as planned."

That was the first thing Loki heard as he flipped a page of his new novel. He, Natasha and Pepper looked up to see the Avengers trail into the room, all looking significantly worse for the wear.

"Oh God, what happened?" sighed Pepper. Without waiting for a reply, she walked to the first aid kit - every room had one; it was a necessity in the Tower, even for a game of chess.

Tony, who was the one who had spoken flippantly was only half clad in his armor, the rest sparking and crackling and actually hanging of him and dragging on the floor a little bit. Clint had a black eye that was fast turning an alarming shade of purple and was cradling his left arm while the Captain's suit was ripped, charred and smoking slightly. Even Thor was wincing as he walked, leading Louie with a hand pressed against her back because the newest recruit had her face tilted upwards, blood dripping from her nose.

"We almost had him," she said thickly.

Loki snapped his book shut, suddenly irritated.

"Is this Victor Doom really a formidable opponent or are you all just utterly incompetent?" he snapped tightly. Grabbing the kit from Pepper, he pushed Louie down onto a stool. With a few chose words, the bleeding stopped. He gave her a piece of wool to wipe her face.

"We had him," she insisted.

"Yes, yes," he said impatiently, having second thoughts and snatching to wool back. He held her chin in one long, crooked finger and wiped away the blood slowly. Pink seeped into her cheeks and Loki felt a fluttering sensation bubble up inside him. Ever since she had kissed him on the cheek, all he could think about was returning the favor, if only to just wipe her smug smirk off her face. She had one upped him, and she loved it.

Finishing off, he asked, "What happened?"

"Over exertion," I think sighed Louie, "I got a nosebleed." Loki nodded, albeit a little crossly. Little droplets of blood peppered Louie's neck and he gave her a fresh cloth to wipe herself down. He then glared at his brother.

"It was the knee, wasn't it?" he demanded abruptly. Thor nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. Loki swore in old Norse.

"What about his knee?" asked Tony curiously as he attempted to wriggle out of his armor.

"My brother's left knee is weak. It gets dislocated easily. And because he is a stubborn mule, he never rests it like he should, and never lets me heal it completely. Where's Bruce?" Loki asked, changing topics abruptly. Thor was staring at him with That Look on his face, the one that portrayed devastating mounts of nauseating affection

"Sit." Loki ordered, and pushing the God of Thunder onto an armchair, he set about fixing the damaged knee. His eyes swiveled around to Steve.

"Captain, I shall attend to your burns in a moment, but until then could you perhaps assist Tony out of that suit? It looks like it might just electrocute him." Steve nodded and went over to Tony.

"Bruce couldn't get the big guy to calm down," the Captain said by way of answer. "He managed to get into the underground compartment before Hulk went on a rampage. Someone should probably check in on him." Natasha stood and left, assuring the others that she would see to it that Bruce got food and rest. Thor grunted as Loki pulled his leg a little too hard.

"Stop whining," Loki reprimanded. "You would not be in this situation if you had let me fix this ten years ago."

"Would you really have expected me to do that?" Thor asked, his eyes crinkling in amusement. Loki sighed.

"No, I would have first checked whether you had been poisoned. Stupid oaf." The barb had no venom in it though, and Thor laughed. There was some loud clanking and Tony tumbled out of his armor, groaning.

"I can't feel my legs," he gasped, "I can't feel my legs."

Loki motioned for Steve to sit down as well and began patching up the more severe wounds.

"Your body heals at the speed of an Asgardian's," Loki commented. "You will be able to take the bandages off in a few hours or so." Steve nodded his thanks and Loki looked at his final patient a little cautiously. Clint wasn't looking at him, but he wasn't leaving or throwing anything at his head either. Loki took that as a sign of acceptance and set about fixing the archer's arm and eye.

If anyone noticed he used magic until he was grimacing, just so Clint would be completely healed, nobody said a word.

After this incident, there came a time when Bruce invited Loki to help him in the medical bay, learning how to treat humans without using magic, in case the occasion ever arose that it became necessary. Nobody except Fury complained; even Clint threw in the statement that with their only doctor liable to turn into a giant green rage monster, they would always need the extra help.

There also came a day when Loki stepped forward and made a suggestion as to where to look for Victor Doom, who was really getting out of hand. The next day, Steve told him to suit up, because he was going with them to catch the criminal. Tony actually offered to reinforce his armor afterwards, when it had proved to be slightly ineffective against Doom. When Loki nodded hesitantly and thanked him, Louie sprinted for her room. Later, Loki saw her emerge, red eyed and spontaneously make Tony chocolate cake.

There came a day when Clint stormed up to him and demanded the demigod come with him. He took Loki to the cemetery, and marched him past rows and rows of graves from the battle of New York. He took Loki to the memorial that had been erected in the civilians' honor. He shouted at Loki until he was hoarse and crying and actually punched him when Loki brokenly apologized. Loki knew he had changed, because more than anything, he felt that he deserved everything the archer ever threw at him.

There came a day when Loki made a wisecrack at dinner, and Tony laughed so hard he fell off his chair and Thor thumped him on the back, sending him face planting into his mashed potatoes. At that, the rest of the table cracked up too, and dinner turned into chaos when Loki nonchalantly poured gravy onto Thor's lap, with all the grace of pouring tea.

There came a day when Pepper taught Loki to make hot chocolate- Louie was having a terrible headache and hadn't left her room all morning. Loki was on the verge of a panic attack when Pepper came to the rescue. She taught Loki how to stir in the right amount of chocolate and cream, and actually applauded him when, as an afterthought, he also brought Louie two aspirins (Bruce had taught him all about the contents of the medicine box mounted in every room).

There came a time when Loki finally got one over Louie; he kissed her nose and walked away, chuckling as all her notes slithered from her limp hands. After that, it became a game - who could catch the other by surprise the most? Anything counted - a habit, a hobby, a trait, a talent. Jarvis began to keep score. The Avengers found out and began placing bets on who would come out with the most points. The answer varied every day. Of all the surprises though, Loki's favorite was still that soft little kiss, and her stunned look when he strutted away in victory.

One surprise was when she learnt how to turn her hair back to black on her own, using magic. Another was when she took to changing her hair color using magic when she liked. The colors ranged from Natasha's beautiful copper, to Thor's gold, to even the bottle green of Loki's robes.

She liked to dance. He did not know this until one lazy night, when after dinner they were all lounging in the common room. An upbeat song came on, and Darcy flew to the empty space in front of the sofas, beckoning to Louie on the way. Grinning, Louie followed, leaving Loki to sit back and stare in amusement as the two began a silly foxtrot across the carpet. Then, to everyone's amazement, Bruce cut in, and everyone clapped and hooted as he swept up Louie gracefully, cutting a path through discarded soda cans and crisp packets.

Later, during one of their lessons, Loki offered to teach her an Asgardian dance, one that Frigga had taught him. She picked it up very well, after half an hour of stumbling and stepping on toes.

The biggest surprise came though, one particularly difficult week, when the team brought in a sorceress. Exquisitely beautiful, powerful and cunning, they had her interrogated before she was shipped off to SHIELD headquarters. Loki and Tony conducted the interrogation, and the woman almost cast a spell on Tony. Had Loki not been experienced in recognizing the beginning of a spell, Tony would most certainly have been bewitched to unlock the door and let the sorceress walk out.

Later, at dinner, talk turned to the sorceress, and Clint shook his head.

"Too bad she chose the other side. She was pretty good at what she did." Loki inclined his head in agreement.

"Also hot," Clint continued, "very-" There was a quick movement and with a gurgle, Clint's soup bowl decided to violently regurgitate all over the archer's face. Louie sat opposite him innocently, eating with a little more vigor than usual. Loki thought nothing of it just then. Later, he noticed that mention of the sorceress would set her off, making her swear more often and make crude, comical faces. Amusing as it was to the others, it niggled Loki's thoughts.

He came to the conclusion that Louie was jealous of the woman's power, yet this assumption worried him. It was not like Louie to be so petty.

He found the real reason completely by accident. They had taken to holding their lessons in her room, and halfway through an incantation, Loki had heard a tiny snore. She had fallen asleep, curled on her side like a child. Loki smiled slightly and lifted her, stretching her out on the bed. Immediately, she frowned, muttering under her breath. Loki thought nothing of it, quietly flipping the pages of his book, until a slight whimper made him look up in alarm.

She was asleep, on her stomach, breathing harshly. Loki watched her for a minute, and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, settled more comfortably into the pillows, his eyes glancing to her once in a while. He almost missed it, but Louie shifted slightly so the tear making its way down her cheek was caught in the light.

"Louie?" he asked softly. She frowned in her sleep and shifted slightly, her mouth slightly opening. Loki reached for her consciousness with his own. It was wrong to enter her mind, her dreams without permission, but if it was upsetting her, he had to know what it was. There was a moment of darkness, and then a burst of color. Then, he was in her dream. He stood in a vast nothingness, the surroundings blurring in an out of focus. The only thing in focus was a tall, familiar man, dressed casually in Asgardian robes.

It was him, he realized. He felt a pleasant jolt at realizing she was dreaming of him. But where was she? A few feet away, the second thing that had sharp, defined edges, was staring at Dream Loki. Instead of Louie, however, it was a young girl of fourteen, but she held in her gaze that same wistful expression that Loki had seen many a time before. It was Louie; younger, with no curves to speak of and large, square glasses on her nose. She blinked at Dream Loki owlishly for a moment. Dream Loki stared back, his eyebrow raised in a skeptical expression. Then, a taller woman walked straight through Louie, grabbing Dream Loki and pulling him into a passionate kiss. Loki spun round to see what young Louie thought of this, to see an odd expression in her eyes. Loki frowned, watching closely. What was that expression?

Jealousy?

Pain?

No. Defeat. It was defeat. Dream Loki was morphing, and like a picture on the television screen, his image flickered. He was now a tall man with brown hair, a skinny boy, with blonde curls, a man who had inky black hair like his, and it was him again. A cycle. A cycle of the people she had ever loved? He wondered and felt jealousy pooling in his stomach. The woman disappeared and Dream Loki flickered even more, changing faster and faster. The faces differed now, ranging from his, to all the Avengers, to Pepper, Darcy, Jane, and many more, people she had met and loved and lost. They began changing so fast they blurred together swiftly and slowly, a new face began to emerge. Loki squinted, trying to make out the hazy face. Before he could however, there was a chilling growl, so cruel and horrific that he wrenched free of the dream, so hard that Louie let out a cry and jolted awake.

"What?" she asked, eyes wide and panicked, looking around frantically, "what is it? What happened? Are you hurt?"

Loki felt immeasurably angry, and he didn't quite know why.

"No. No. You fell asleep. I was about to leave."

"I see," Louie breathed, rubbing a hand over her face.

"Good night," he said briskly, passing a hand over her hair gently. Louie nodded and leaned back, closing her eyes, leaving Loki to ponder exactly what he had seen.

"So when is your birthday, then?" she asked. Loki contemplated it and wrinkled his nose. They sat, backs against the wall on the enormous balcony of Stark Tower, the night air cool on their bodies, the wind picking up tendrils of ebony hair.

"I have more of a... found-day than a birthday."

"Well," said Louie, "that sucks." Loki raised an eyebrow.

"It does?"

"Well, yeah," said Louie, "birthdays are amazing days. You get to eat whatever the heck you want, you get a cake and you get presents."

"Mm, it sounds like an excuse for a feast, to be honest," said Loki noncommittally.

"It is," laughed Louie, "which is why I'm shocked Asgardians don't celebrate it."

"Oh, we celebrate important name days, on occasion. Think of the expenses of doing it annually," tutted Loki, "Honor, and other such nonsense would make it vital for every lord and lady to have their birthdays remembered and celebrated. The food stores would deplete in half a decade. Besides, a year is nothing when you live long enough to be five thousand."

"You suck the fun out of everything, you know that?" said Louie, sidling up next to him all the same. "A pocket full of sunshine, you are." Loki laughed and Louie looked pleased.

"You should laugh more often," she said. He had no reply to that except to snap his mouth shut and glower playfully at her. "Okay, so pick one." Her fingers danced a tune on her knee.

"Pick one what?" he asked, distracted by the nimble digits.

"A birthday," she replied. "There are over three hundred days a year to pick from. Pick one."

"Whatever for?" Louie smiled.

"Just because you can, Loki."

"That makes absolutely no sense," he huffed.

"Doesn't it? Everyone else has to own the birthday they're given. You, you get to pick the day you can be pampered and treated special." Loki rolled his eyes in good-humored nature. Louie's views on the world were things he would never be able to comprehend. All the same, he picked a day.

He picked the day he had met her first.

A/N: Okay, I know, it was really short, forgive me. I'll make up for it in the next chapter. At this point, I hope you understand, what happens is that time passes, and even the coldest and most unforgiving of Avengers are warming up to Loki. Also, what in the world is up with Louie and her dreams? Who is she dreaming about?

Y'all are smart, and I'm not exactly subtle. You'll figure it out.

Until next time my lovelies,

Much love,

xo